by Ally Summers
I blinked. Was he serious? He was asking for my opinion on an official Galona matter. “Ok, what kind of irrigation?”
“Olive groves,” he explained. “Spain is our top competitor. I know we could double our production with irrigation in these areas.” He pointed to locations on the map of rural areas of the country. “But half of my cabinet disagrees with allocating more funds to the groves. I need a majority for approval.”
He looked at me, waiting for a suggestion.
“Well, why don’t they want to fund it?” I needed more information.
“They’d rather push the money into other areas. They don’t see the need to support the groves like I do.”
“Hmm.” I twisted my lips together. “But the other half does support it?”
“Yes. I’ve managed to convince half.” He exhaled. “The other bastards are stuck in the past. They don’t want agricultural upgrades. They claim we’ve never had them before, so why start now?”
“That seems short-sighted.”
“It is.”
“What do the farmers say?” I questioned.
“What do you mean?”
I tugged on the hem on the T-shirt. There was no way it would come close to covering my thighs.
“Well, have they spoken to your cabinet? Have they argued in an open hearing?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “No.”
“Maybe try that?” I shrugged. I wasn’t a political analyst, and I didn’t pretend to be.
He chuckled. “You make it sound so simple, Eden.”
“Maybe it is.” I smiled. “If you can’t bring the farmers here, why not at least bring their stories to the cabinet?”
“Personalize what they’re going through.” He nodded. “I think that’s exactly what they need. So many of the cabinet members have lost touch with the rural parts of the country. They’ve forgotten there is more to Galona than cities like Freychon. There are people who still work the land.”
“I’m from a rural area in South Carolina. Our thing is peaches. Not olives, but still pretty important.”
He chuckled lightly. “And this is how your peach farmers get things done?”
I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me. He seemed to take my recommendation seriously.
I shrugged, reaching for his hand, unfolding his arms. “Can we go back to bed?”
He rose from the chair. “Why would we do that?” I saw the look in his eye.
My breath caught. “I thought …”
His fingers caught the edge of the shirt and tugged it over my arms. He threw it across the floor. He shoved the files he was working on, with one sweep of his arm. He circled his hands around my hips, spinning me to face his desk. I gulped when he pressed my breasts to the cold surface. He leaned over my back, turning the lamp off.
I sighed when his hands ran along my sides, sinking into the curves of my waist.
He shirked his pants to the floor.
I jerked when I felt his fingers run between my legs. He rubbed my clit and I rocked into his hands. My hips, led by his rhythm. The deeper he massaged, the farther my feet separated, until my hips were angled for him.
“Fuck, you’re amazing,” he groaned over my shoulder. “So wet. So perfect. So ready.”
I nodded. “Please.” I was begging. Panting for him. I ached for him.
There was one detail I knew we were both ignoring, but neither of us wanted to stop where this was headed. I felt the thick crown of his cock bare against my entrance and I moaned.
It was like a steel rod. Skin against skin. I pushed back, ignoring the warnings in my head. I wanted to feel him fuck me with nothing between us. I had a birth control device. I could trust it.
“Shit,” he hissed. “We can’t.”
“I want you. I want the king,” I whimpered.
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Eden.”
I heard the anguish in his voice. Could he feel the anguish between us? The pain emanating from touching and not connecting. I’d never needed or wanted sex like I did with him. I’d never wanted a man like I wanted him. It defied logic, yet somehow felt like the most natural thing in the world for us to be together. It was as if I couldn’t breathe without him. He had given me an incredible gift and if he wasn’t inside me I was afraid the gift would vanish.
“I do. I know I want you with nothing between us. Please, Alaric.” I wiggled backward, drawing him into me.
He growled and the hair on my neck stood up. He sounded like an animal. Like a man possessed.
“I can’t say no to you. Not like this,” he groaned. “I want you to be mine. I want to fill you with my essence. Claim your body. God, you don’t know what’s about to happen.”
I nodded, eager for everything he said. “Show me,” I taunted, daring him to fulfill my next fantasy.
“This is it. There’s no going back, love,” he roared, sinking into me fully. He dug his fingers into my skin as he reared back and seared his cock inside my pussy again. I bucked at the fullness of him. It was numbing. Blinding. The world flipped upside down. I swore there was an electric spark and glitter cascading in the room.
We lost control. Our bodies open to a new level of pleasure. Raw and rough. Unbound. Free. He rocked into me. The heat was unbelievable. I thought my body flickered from flames within. Every time he stroked me, I melted into him more.
“I’m going to come like this,” he growled, fucking me with heavy grunts. “Oh, you’re mine, Eden. In every way. Forever.”
I gripped the desk, throwing myself into the moment. I panted, desperate for air. Desperate for his come to fill me. Where was this new desire coming from? The sweat rolled down my neck as I threw my head back.
My orgasm attacked me quickly, seizing control of my muscles. I gripped his cock, needing him. Wanting him.
“Oh shit,” he growled as the explosion from his orgasm released inside me.
I felt the heat of him drip along my skin and along my legs. I smiled, feeling soothed and sated.
I exhaled, trying to hold myself up. I was completely exhausted.
“Shit,” he whispered. “Hold on.”
He used his discarded pants to wipe my legs. I felt the stickiness of my skin. He spun me in his arms, planting a kiss on my mouth.
“I think it’s time I introduced you to the royal shower.”
“I don’t know if I can stand,” I admitted.
“No problem, love.” He scooped me up against his chest.
“You like to carry me around.”
He nodded, strolling through the residence. “I do.”
I already knew he was strong. But there was something chivalrous in the way he held me to him. As if he wanted to protect me. As if he could shield me in some way. And in these tiny moments, I wanted to believe in the fantasy. That there was a man who could rock my world and for just a little while make me feel like a queen.
21
Alaric
I pressed my thumbprint to the lodestar. It beeped and I opened the cover. I skimmed the top page, checking the royal schedule.
Henri was leaving the country for two days. He had personal business in London. He had agreed to attend a dinner while he was away.
Next to the lodestar was the file on the olive grove irrigation. I remembered Eden’s suggestion last night. Something about the simplicity of her words struck me. Juliette was scheduled to return today to the southern part of the country, but I needed to change her itinerary. I had agreed.
That meant there was a gap in today’s schedule.
I grinned.
I picked up the royal line. Wallace answered.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
I still wasn’t pleased about his interference with Eden’s departure from the palace.
“I need you to change the itinerary for Princess Juliette today.”
“Sir, she’s scheduled to leave in one hour for Sangreaux.”
“I’m going in her place.”
“To
day is your preparation for the cabinet meeting.”
I clenched my fist. “Wallace, change the princess’s schedule. I will be taking a guest with me to Sangreaux.”
I could hear his breath through the phone. “Your Highness, who is attending?”
“Miss Jacobs,” I answered. “Make sure the arrangements are complete and that someone informs the princess she has the day off. She has traveled non-stop for two weeks. I will be downstairs in forty-five minutes.”
“But the cabinet vote.”
Damn it. Wallace pissed me off. He was replaceable. If he couldn’t do what I directed, I’d find another palace manager.
“I know exactly when it is.”
“Yes, sir. I will make sure the arrangements are made.”
I chuckled, knowing he had to scramble to make everything happen. He deserved it after the way he had meddled. The security detail would have to increase. My requirements were double what my sister had.
I looked up when Eden walked in the office. She grinned shyly.
“Hi.”
“Bonjour.” I walked around the desk to greet her. “How did you sleep?”
She ran her fingers through her long hair. “Like I was in a cloud.”
“Good. We have plans,” I announced.
“Oh?” She looked confused.
“Remember that problem I discussed with you last night?”
“The olive groves?”
I nodded. “Oui. That one.”
“What about it?” She cocked her head to the side, exposing her neck. I couldn’t resist kissing her skin. I inhaled her scent. This woman had me upside down.
“We’re headed there this morning. It’s an overnight trip. I thought about what you said. I need to speak to the farmers. I need to see the groves. How else am I going to convince the cabinet without first-hand accounts?”
“You want me to go with you?”
“You are going with me. Juliette can’t handle the country side anymore.”
“Excuse me? Are you asking or telling me?” She wiggled out of my hands.
I scowled. “Is there a difference?”
Eden crossed her arms. “Yes.”
I sighed. “Let me guess. You would like me to ask you to go?”
She nodded. “That’s usually how it works.”
“I don’t have time for usual. I need you to go with me.”
“But you haven’t asked what I have going on. How is this different from when security picked me up at the library? I realize you are the king, but you can’t order me to do things, Alaric. Ask me.”
I saw the sapphire hues shimmer in her eyes.
“I don’t think that’s necessary—”
She held her hand forward. “Ask me.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets. No one spoke to me this way. “Eden Jacobs.” I gritted my teeth. “Would you like to go to Sangreaux to tour the olive groves with me?”
She smiled sweetly. “Yes, I’d love to.” She threw her hands around my neck and I felt the tenseness loosen in my chest. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
I stared at her. “Same result.”
She laughed. “Not the point. At all.”
“We now have thirty minutes.” I untangled her from my neck. “There will be a bag packed for you. Would you like to speak to Cosette about personal items? She will be assigned to you.”
“Assigned to me? What are you talking about?”
I folded the lodestar and stacked it on top of my desk. “You need a royal manager to assist you on the trip. I trust her. Elena would be better, but she’s with Corbin today. She knows how to deal with him.”
“I don’t need a manager. And I’m capable of packing my own bag.”
I faced her. “Have you ever attended an official royal event of any kind? A tea? A dinner? A ball?”
She shook her head, her eyes falling to the floor.
I lifted her chin. “That is why you have a royal manager. Cosette will prepare everything. She will get you through it.”
“This seems intense.”
“It’s life as a royal.” There was no other way to explain it.
I saw her fidget with the T-shirt. “I need to call my roommate. Bonnie is probably freaking out. And my laptop. Shit, I forgot about it. All my notes.” She covered her eyes with her palms. “Everything is at the library.”
I pointed to a bag next to the elevator. “That laptop?”
Eden ran to the entrance and bent. I smiled at the view.
She unzipped the top and pulled out the contents. “My phone!” She pressed the buttons and began chatting. I walked to the bedroom. There were a few things I wanted to include in my bag, and it was none of my royal manager’s damned business what I needed for a night with Eden. Last night my bear had decided she was going to be my queen. There was only one step left to claim her. And for that, I needed her to know exactly what she was getting into. Our night in Sangreaux had to be perfect. The royal line depended on it. My bear depended on it. The fate of the country was in her hands.
22
Eden
Bonnie had been sleeping, but she was glad I called. “I heard about the royal guard at the library, so I sorta figured it was him.”
“Yes. It was. And I just got my phone. I would have called sooner.” Neglecting Bonnie was turning into a bad habit.
“It’s fine. Really. I get it. You’re with the king.”
“I’m not going to be home again tonight.” Alaric walked to the bedroom and closed the door. I had a second of privacy to talk to my best friend.
“Why not?”
“I’m attending a royal trip.” It sounded like the best way to put it. I certainly wasn’t going to run through the irrigation issues. Bonnie wasn’t interested in politics.
“Holy shit, Eden. That’s crazy.” She suddenly seemed more awake.
“It kinda is, isn’t it?”
“And what about your dissertation?”
I looked at the ceiling. I hadn’t noticed it was carved with ornate designs. “It’s ok if I leave it for another day, right? I’m being spontaneous. You have to do it. I would if I could.” I wondered if she was still melancholy over the guy from gala night.
“Oh, I agree. This is totally spontaneous.”
The bedroom door opened. Alaric stood, holding a small overnight bag.
“Hey, I have to go, Bonnie. But I have my phone now.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“I’ll call you later and we can talk. You can tell me about him.” I should have listened sooner.
“Thanks, Eden. Have fun. Send me snaps.”
“I will. Bye.”
I hung up.
“Twenty-five minutes,” Alaric stated.
“Right. I just need a pair of yoga pants and hair in a bun. I can do that in five.”
He eyed me. “This is an official visit from the palace. It’s going to require more than active wear. Cosette is on her way up with a few options.”
“My royal manager?” It still sounded bizarre.
“That’s the one.”
I nodded. “All right.” I started to walk past him. Traveling in yoga pants made sense to me. I had worn them on the flight from Charlotte to Freychon last summer.
Alaric’s hand landed on my wrist. “Eden.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t think for a second that you aren’t stunning in glasses and yoga pants.” He winked and let me continue to the bedroom.
I blushed. I don’t know how he did that.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called.
A short woman with her hair pulled into a tight chignon entered. Her blond hair was much lighter than mine. I guessed she was maybe thirty-five. “I’m Cosette. His Majesty sent me to present a wardrobe.” She bowed and I felt completely out of place.
I shook my head, trying to convey that protocol was unnecessary with me. I didn’t have an ounce of royal blood.
“I’m Eden. Thanks for your help. I know this was last minute.”
She walked toward me with a garment bag in her arms. She draped it across the bed and unzipped the center.
“We have to work quickly. You only have a few minutes before you need to meet the car downstairs. The king is never late.”
“I’m starting to figure that out.” I looked at the outfits she had selected. I wondered how Alaric had described me. How did she know my size?
“This one?” She held up a blush dress that was sleeveless and fell to my knees.
“Yes.” I took the hanger. I didn’t need to go through every dress in the collection. “I’ll change and be right out.” I wasn’t picky about clothes.
“I have pearls,” she called after me. “A gift from the prime minister.”
“Thank you.” I let the silk trickle over my head and wash down my limbs. I looked in the mirror. I had never worn anything like this dress. It wasn’t flashy or revealing. But it wasn’t so modest that I felt matronly. It was fitted with graceful lines.
I turned to observe the back. There were tiny buttons that stopped shy of my backside.
Cosette knocked. “Eden, we need to go. Does it fit?”
I opened the door. “I think so.”
“Oh, it’s perfect.” She grinned. “Here are your pearls. Turn around for me.”
I squatted enough for her to get the strand around my neck and fasten it. “The prime minister left these for His Majesty. They are a specialty from the Bostique Islands, and this seems like the perfect occasion for them. Let me see.”
I turned to face her.
“Stunning. Just like a princess.” She smiled.
I clutched at the necklace. I was afraid of the word. Suddenly afraid of the woman I saw in the mirror. Because I was thinking the same thing. I looked like a princess. And that terrified me.
The sun blazed overhead as we walked through the grove. Alaric listened as the farmers explained the growing process of the olive trees. I walked next to him, but was careful to hang back a few inches. I realized I was his date, but it felt more natural to let him lead.
I wasn’t in a position to offer him advice or even interject questions to the farmers. I started to realize there were times when I wasn’t going to be an equal. And if I dated the king, that was going to be showcased in public.
