The Prince’s Game: A Mershano Empire Novel

by Foss, Lexi C.

  The devil on my shoulder was daring me to go against everything we discussed and kiss him. It would ruin everything, including my credibility. Keeping my libido in check was never an issue for me, but tonight I felt like a thirteen-year-old girl alone with her first crush.

  “Okay, that was amazing,” Evan conceded as the credits rolled. His hands were relaxed on my legs, his thumb drawing circles. “What’s your next suggestion?”

  “Definitely The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, or Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari.” It was another favorite of mine, but not as well known as Nosferatu.

  He flipped to the menu again and looked it up. The description was in German, but Evan didn’t flinch. “A hypnotist, huh?”

  “You know German?”

  “I do.” His grin was cocky as he added, “I speak Spanish as well,” in my mother’s native tongue.

  “I’m impressed. German, Spanish, French, and you can do that sexy New Orleans accent.”

  He laughed. “Ya noticed that, chèr?”

  My stomach flipped. Shit. “Don’t do that.”

  “Quoi faire?”

  “What is that? Cajun French?” And when did it get so hot in here?

  His grin was all male arrogance as he said something in a language I didn’t understand. Japanese maybe?

  “Now you’re just showing off.” I cleared my throat in an attempt to get rid of my husky voice. “So, did, uh, Stanford require you study a foreign language with your hospitality management program, or was this a personal pursuit?”

  “Neither,” he murmured, smiling. “Linguistics was part of my schooling from a young age. A benefit of knowing I would run a hotel empire one day, yeah?” His New Orleans lilt made me warm and fuzzy all over. Why did I suggest we just be friends, again?

  “You put my bilingual skills to shame,” I muttered in Spanish. My accent paled in comparison to his, and I spent several summers in Argentina with my grandparents.

  “So this is your next recommendation?” His deep voice returned to normal as he gestured to the movie on the screen. “Another silent film?” At my nod, he pressed a button to download it. “For tomorrow?”

  Switching up sex for horror movies at night? “Sure.”

  “It’s a friend date, then.” He patted my leg and stood. “I’ll let you get some sleep, Sarah. Again, I’m sorry. You might not feel I need to apologize, but I do. The way Paul is filming this . . . Let’s just say it’s not how I would have done it.”

  “You mean sleazy isn’t your preferred image? Huh. Never would have guessed that.” I stood and stretched my arms over my head. “Okay, yeah, I’m exhausted.”

  His gaze was on my breasts. “Right.” He cleared his throat. “Good night.”

  I let the slip slide because I wasn’t any better. His ass looked too good in those jeans. “Good night, Evan.”

  He stopped at the door, shoulders rigid. “You’re still the only woman I want to kiss off film, Sarah.”

  “Evan—”

  “No, I need to say it.” The television highlighted his serious expression in shades of grey and white when he turned around. “I might be flirting with the others and kissing them on command, but it’s not the same as what we’re doing behind closed doors. I need you to know that. It’s a strange form of commitment, but that’s what it is to me. You’re the only one I want to be kissing, Sarah. I know it’s not enough, but it’s all I can give you right now.”

  “And then what?” I hated playing this card, but it had to be done. “After the show, I mean. We’re going into business together. Getting romantically involved was never a good idea for us. I thought it could be all lust, Evan. But I realized today, that for me, it’s more. Seeing you kiss those girls, especially Amber . . .” My voice trailed off, and I shook my head. “I can’t do this.”

  “I didn’t give her the other key to my quarters, Sarah. My parents did.”

  I assumed that when he handed the blonde her key. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does.” He walked up and cradled my face between his palms. “It matters because I don’t want her. I’m in your room right now, not hers, because I want you.”

  “Maybe you should be in her room.” A cold suggestion that was the opposite of what I wanted him to do.

  “Don’t say that. I get that you’re hurt, that you want to push me away, but don’t degrade what’s between us. Not by suggesting I go to someone else.”

  “But that’s what you’ll be doing, right? You know these dates are going to get more intimate. What happens when you get to the final two or three candidates? You’re not going to buy a car without test-driving it, right?” It was one of my favorite analogies, but it went over his head.

  “Test-drive . . . ? What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Sex, Evan. You’re not going to propose to someone without having sex with her first.”

  “Sure, yes, if I was planning to wed someone after this show, then that would be the case. But as we’ve discussed, that’s not my plan. No sex required.” He brushed his lips against mine. “You’re the only one I want, Sarah.”

  “Tonight maybe, but what about next week? This is never going to work. I can’t make this just about lust anymore.”

  “You seem to be under the impression that it’s only lust for me as well. Have you considered that it might mean more to me, too? I wouldn’t be here discussing this with you if all I felt was sexual attraction. I like you, Sarah. More than I should.”

  “Don’t tell me that. Don’t make this worse than it already is.” Knowing how he felt would make this harder.

  “I told you, I mean what I say. I won’t mince words around you, not about this. I want you, and not just because of the intense attraction between us. I want to know everything about you.” He kissed me softly, his lips firm against mine. It set off the butterflies in my stomach, making them flutter about in a dizzying pattern. How was I ever going to say no to this man?

  “Evan . . .” I clung to his biceps, unsure of whether to push him away or haul him closer. My hormones were whispering naughty things in my ear, while my common sense told me to run.

  “Don’t decide tonight, or even tomorrow. We’ll be friends first—nightly visits and movies, whatever you want. You tell me when you’re ready for me, and I’ll be there. I just wanted you to know where I stand.” He gave me another tender kiss that melted my heart. “Good night, Sarah.”

  My lips burned long after he left. It took all my strength not to go after him.

  Friends first.

  Okay.

  21

  Seduction via Sunscreen

  Two weeks later, there were six contestants left, and my hormones hated me. Evan spent every evening in my room and kissed me good night each time. No tongue. It served as a sweet reminder of what could be between us if I gave in to him, and it was killing me.

  The dates were getting more elaborate with each round, and the tension in the house was high. One lucky woman went out with the prince to a location of his choosing during each round. What the girls didn’t know was that Evan and his parents were alternating rounds of selecting who won the single date. Tonight was his turn, and he picked me.

  “I’m going with subtle,” Brenda said as she touched up my mascara. “You’re hot enough without all the goop.”

  I grinned. “Charmer.”

  The makeup artist was growing on me. When I went for a run my first morning here, I found her stretching outside. The sun was inching over the horizon, and neither of us was in a talking mood, but we found a decent pace and ran together for an hour around the Mershano Estate. Evan was right about the trees. I told him later that night how I longed for my camera. The colors of the moss-covered oaks paired with the early morning sky were phenomenal.

  “He’s going to die when he sees you in this swimsuit.” She held up a sexy red bikini the producers picked for me. It went in a bag with a towel and a few other necessities.

  “Where are we going swimming?” The Mershano Estat
e pool was heated, making it comfortable for outdoor swimming. But that wasn’t where we were spending our date.

  “It’s a surprise,” she replied. That’s what Evan said last night, too.

  I followed the crew’s instructions and took a car to an airfield where the prince was waiting on the tarmac. I set down my bag to hug him, and he lifted me up into his arms. He buried his face into my neck. “Hello, sweetheart.”

  “Hi.” I eyed the small plane behind him. “Where are we going?”

  He let me slide down his muscular form to the ground and settled his hands on my hips. “How do you feel about the Bahamas?”

  “The Bahamas,” I repeated. “For the day?” He couldn’t be serious.

  “Why not? It’s two and a half hours by air, and we have a jet. I also reserved a private spot with a cabana on the beach. Feel up for it?”

  I gaped at him. “The Bahamas?”

  His grin touched his eyes. “That’s the idea.”

  Surreal. “Uh-huh. Sure. Why not? Lead the way, Mister Billionaire.”

  I didn’t believe him until my bare feet hit the sand. The turquoise waves rushed the shore ten feet away, and the sun was hot against my shorts and tank top. A cabana sat behind me with a lounge chair rivaling the size of a king bed, a table with cocktails and snacks, and wispy curtains that flowed in the hot Caribbean air. Evan stood to the side in his swim trunks and open button-down shirt, looking sexy as hell.

  “We’re in the Bahamas.” The shock wasn’t wearing off.

  He grinned. “Yes, we are.”

  I shook my head. “Your life is unreal.” Behind the cabana was a Mershano Suites resort, which explained how he arranged everything. I pulled my tank top over my head to reveal the swimsuit I changed into on the plane. “I hope you brought sunscreen.” My tan skin would turn a deep red under these conditions. It was after noon, but I wasn’t accustomed to the hot rays bathing my skin.

  He walked over to a bag in the cabana and retrieved the lotion. Rather than handing it to me, he squirted some on my exposed shoulders and started massaging it into my skin.

  “Turn around,” he whispered. I pulled my hair up into a bun and did as requested. His strong palms rubbed over every inch of my back before trailing his fingers around to the front to unbutton and unzip my shorts. Goosebumps pebbled my flesh as he tugged them down my legs in a slow, measured move. Shit. Who knew applying sunscreen could be so seductive?

  Heat spread upward from his touch as he started with the tops of my feet and worked his way up my calves and thighs. I was a quivering mess by the time he turned me around to apply the ointment to my lower abdomen. His gaze darkened with each stroke and burned when he started on my chest. The red fabric cut diagonally across my breast, leaving ample cleavage on display. He licked his lips and took his time before moving onto my collarbone.

  “Close your eyes.” His voice was husky. I complied and felt the cool touch of cream against my cheek as he finished the task. When he was done, I no longer had any interest in the beach or the alluring waves. A hotel room with a massive bed suited my mood.

  “My turn.” He shed the beach shirt, letting it fall to the sand next to my shorts, and then handed me the sunscreen.

  “Right.” An excuse to caress him without strings attached? I could do that.

  My palms ran over his defined pecs to the happy trail dusting his lower abdomen. Hard, hot male. My thighs clenched. Keep it together, Sarah. I focused on the job of moisturizing his skin and tried not to think too hard about where my fingers landed. When I kneeled to massage the lotion into his ankles and calves, I made the mistake of meeting his aroused gaze. The intimacy of being on my knees almost undid me. My throat went dry. His chocolate irises swirled with an unveiled lust that went straight to my slick core. My resolve threatened to crumble under his intensity.

  Why did I think keeping him at arm’s length would work? It didn’t make me feel better when I saw him with other women. If anything, it made it worse. And the feigned intimacy on set was driving me mad. I knew what a real kiss from him felt like, but his kisses of late were robotic and controlled. I was tired of the half-assed experience, but it was a necessary evil.

  The cameras surrounding us weren’t enough to cool my spiraling libido. I knew they were there, watching our seduction unfold, and I didn’t care. All that mattered was the look in Evan’s eyes as I stood up. He wrapped a hand around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss.

  There was nothing stale about the way his tongue entered my mouth. It was all fervor and unveiled need, and it left me quivering against him. If he kissed me like this throughout our date, I was going to be in trouble. When he pulled back, it was without an ounce of apology in those eyes. He knew I wanted him to keep the passion in check, and that look told me he was done playing nice. I’m so screwed.

  My throat went dry. “I still need to do your back.”

  He let me go and turned around. I rubbed down his muscular torso and fought the urge to slide my fingers beneath the black swim trunks to fondle his ass. His gorgeous face was last. I traced his defined cheekbones, strong jaw, and straight nose while admiring his full lips. My body was quaking with need by the time we were done with the erotic dance. I eyed the water with renewed interest and prayed that it was cold.

  “Ready for a swim?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Cut,” Paul interjected as I took my first step. My hands fisted at my side as I considered punching the jackass in the face. The short, orange-toned man was not my favorite person. Too many self-tanners, buddy. “I want to get some shots of the two of you on the lounge chair.”

  “We’re going in the water first,” Evan said, taking my hand in his.

  “No—”

  “That wasn’t negotiable, Paul.” He tugged me toward the ocean with a fuming director protesting behind us. The crew couldn’t follow us beyond the shoreline without risking their equipment. I suspected that was the point as Evan lured me deeper into the waves. He didn’t stop until we were beyond the point where they broke over the surface. His long legs enabled him to stand while I had to tread water. Not that I minded. The exercise felt great.

  “I haven’t done this in years,” I said with a laugh. My last beach vacation was in high school with a group of friends. “I forgot how fun this is.”

  “Really?” He hooked an arm around my lower back and pulled me to him. “That’s a sin, you know.”

  I grabbed his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his waist. “What is?”

  “Not taking this gorgeous body to the beach.” He fingered the strings dangling from my hip. “This swimsuit is killing me.” His lips brushed my ear. “I both hate and love that you’re wearing it.”

  “The producers gave it to me.” I liked the way the red popped against my tan skin. The bottom didn’t cover my ass, an aspect the producers no doubt knew when they picked it. When they aired the scene, they would have to add a blur for decorum purposes.

  “Well, it’s the first show-related decision I wholeheartedly approve of.”

  “Typical man, pleased by a little exposed skin.”

  “There’s nothing typical about my response to you, Sarah. And I’m more than pleased—I’m floored.” He fisted his hand in my hair and angled my head to receive his claim. The contact left me breathless. Our recent embraces were too remote, like he was turning himself off and going through the motions. There was nothing detached about this kiss. It was pure aroused male as his tongue parted my lips and delved deep into my mouth. His other hand palmed my ass, holding me to him.

  I melted into his touch, forgetting everything around us. Desire consumed me, flaring outward from my center and making me shiver with want. Two weeks of ignoring temptation was wreaking havoc on my nerves, and his kissing me like this was not helping. I can’t give in . . .

  His lips dropped to my neck, tasting every exposed inch. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered against my collarbone. “Even though I’ve seen you every day, I’ve still mi
ssed you.”

  My hands were in his hair, tightening as he explored lower, licking the crease of my breast. His arousal was thick between my thighs, making me ache for him. Fuck. Maybe I could have a little fun. I rotated my hips against him and luxuriated in his heat hitting me where I needed it. When I did it again, his hand tensed, holding me still.

  His chuckle was hot against my throat. “Only kissing for the camera. Isn’t that what you told me?”

  He wasn’t playing fair. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  “Likewise, sweetheart.” His hardness brushed my sensitive center. “I’ve resisted you for over two weeks, Sarah. And it’s killed a part of me to do it. Seeing you in this flimsy excuse of a swimsuit isn’t helping.”

  I clawed his shoulders. “You chose the beach.”

  “The show did, but I regret nothing.” He reclaimed my mouth in a kiss that devoured my soul. “Do you think Paul still wants us to romp around on the lounge chair?”

  “Probably?”

  “That’s too bad. I prefer having you away from the cameras.” He nipped at my bottom lip. “But I imagine you’re getting hungry. Our breakfast on the jet wasn’t very filling.”

  The tiny jet we took on the way here was packed with filming equipment and the crew. With the abundance of people walking around and the optional seating, it reminded me of a bus. “It was hard to eat with all the cameras in my face.”

  “I think that’s the theme for today, but the food will be better. The hotel is giving us snacks for lunch, and then we have a big dinner planned at my favorite restaurant. I hope you like fresh seafood.”

  I stifled a laugh. Of course he had a favorite restaurant in the Bahamas. Who didn’t? “I like seafood.”

  “Good.” He gave me another soul-stealing kiss that I felt all the way down to my toes. My thighs tightened around his waist as my arousal thickened. I was hungry, but not for food. I wanted dessert in the form of a tall, dark-haired male with wicked brown eyes. Yum.