by Hazel Parker
My stomach jolted.
Something akin to heat built up there, strong and steady and simmering endlessly. It was like hot coal, and my fingers itched to touch the part where her tongue licked. Belatedly, I realized my feet were already primed to take a step, and I had to catch myself back before I could do anything.
I knew what this was, but I wasn’t going to acknowledge it. Not when I knew where it was going to lead and how it was going to end badly.
But there was no harm in looking.
So I let myself look, taking my time as I watched different expressions cross her face. I watched a dreamy smile bloom on her lips, watched as she licked it a couple times more before wistfulness caught on.
Then I took a deep breath and walked away.
Chapter 9
LIZ
There was something about parties that always fascinated me, particularly in the decorating aspect and how much effort was put into it. Halloween had to be my favorite, and I remembered how Kyle and I used to scrounge cardboard pieces and old clothes so we could stitch them up together, then attend some of the neighborhood parties that were free for everyone in costume. All the dark and colorful decorations always pumped me up, and I knew it wasn’t any different for Kyle.
Not gonna lie, it was also an opportunity to save money and eat for free, as well as gather candy bars for our emergency stock—something we used when we really didn’t have anything to fill the hunger.
But nothing beat tonight’s ball.
It was grand. In fact, it was so grand that I was pretty sure everything was top-notch and expensive, from the champagne glasses being walked around on trays, down to every thread sewn in the prince’s clothing. He was in his element, looking handsome and elegant as he mingled around and tried to get to know the visitors.
I supposed I should be jealous, considering I had a crush on him. But all I could feel was a certain excitement as I watched him interact with them, as I watched his charm come out and turn the event into a light, pleasant one. He countered the queen’s formal poise perfectly, and the combination was pretty lethal.
If Lucas was here, I was pretty sure he would only add to that power.
My own thoughts were distracting, and I stood there for a long time. Finally, reluctantly, I left before anyone could spot me, knowing that I needed a good night’s sleep to get through the week.
The next morning, the maid assisting the cooks in the kitchen got sick with something infectious—a very alarming thing, considering how it was going to be a busy day. Darla volunteered to help. In doing so, she dragged me along with her to the kitchen, where I was introduced into the flurry of hustling cooks before given a list of tasks to do at full speed. I did the best I could, beating eggs and whipping cream as beautiful scents permeated the air and had my mouth watering. I thought the cooks would be as cold and derisive as the maids were to me, but to my surprise, they were all pretty friendly. They even gave me a plate stacked with little samples of everything they cooked as a thank you.
After we finished washing up the pots and pans, Darla and I sat to eat our individual plates, taking that moment to relax. She made all kinds of enthusiastic noises and did her best to include me in her conversation with them, which I appreciated. The servers came back to the kitchen and gossiped about how the dining room was all set up and how the prince was enjoying the attention of everyone. Then there was talk about the other prince not coming down for breakfast at all.
One of the head cooks, Mrs. Bentley, turned to me. “Didn’t you get assigned to clean up the older prince’s room last time?”
Of course they were aware. This household knew everything, though I didn’t think they were aware of the exact details. I was careful with my words. “Yes, for about a week.”
Mrs. Bentley loaded up a tray and handed it to me, much to my disbelief. “Please bring this to his room.”
Beside me, Darla protested. “But Mrs. Bentley! What about me?”
“Quit whining, woman,” Mrs. Bentley admonished. “You’ll just try to find ways to get in that bed with him.”
Darla looked put out. “I don’t even like him that way.”
“Right. Hasn’t stopped you before.”
They began arguing, but not in an aggressive manner. When it was settled, and Darla decided she’d rather be in Benjamin’s bed, I gulped down the glass of orange juice to wash my breakfast down.
Then I took the tray out of the kitchen.
* * *
The prince’s room was as dark as when I’d first entered it, and I could see the same lump in the middle of the bed, covered by blankets. The urge to draw the curtains open was tempting, especially with how beautiful the morning was outside. But I saw an empty bottle on the floor and realized that he must have been drinking again and would have the biggest hangover when he woke up. He’d hate the bright sun, if that was the case.
I walked as quietly as I could and set the tray on the bedside table. Then I stared at the lump, wondering if I should wake him up while the food was still hot. Lucas hadn’t made any good on his threat days ago, and Kyle’s declaration last night still seared in my mind.
The older prince is a good man.
I doubted it, but I wasn’t a fiend. Besides, Mrs. Bentley would probably be mad at me if I let him eat it cold.
Gingerly, not believing I was actually doing this, I leaned forward just a little bit, then called out his title. I did it a second time, but either my voice wasn’t enough or he was just dead asleep because the lump didn’t move at all. Deciding to be bolder, I poked once at what I assumed was his shoulder, then poked a second time.
Nothing.
I switched tactics and leaned even closer, softly shaking his shoulder instead. Then I changed my grasp to firm, finally feeling him stir underneath his blankets. There was a very soft groan, one that shot amusement inside me. Then the groan increased, loud and deep.
The amusement fled as something liquid hot pulled in my belly, searing me. Mouth suddenly dry, I cleared my throat and shook him once more, wanting to just get this over with.
“Your Highness, good morning. We noticed you didn’t go down for breakfast and brought you a tray. It’s—”
A hand wrapped around my wrist and the words ended in a squeak. Everything that followed happened too fast for me to comprehend, much less stop it.
I was pulled to the bed, causing me to lose my balance and brace myself. But bracing was pointless because the lump rolled and took me with it. One second, I was half-kneeling and trying to scramble out—the next, I was flat on my back with my breath gone and something warm and solid on top of me.
It clicked right away, and I realized what—or who—was lying on top of me. It was the prince. Lucas.
A very warm, very naked Lucas.
The blanket was gone, crumpled just out of the corner of my eye beside the pillows. His body was pressed against mine, pinning me in place. I could feel every angle there was, molded against my softness, from his chest to his legs down to—
Shock filled me when I began to comprehend what was settled snugly on my stomach. It was huge. It was hard. It was pulsing slightly, almost like it had a life of its own. A silent gasp escaped me, and I looked up at him.
Midnight blue eyes stared back.
If I thought I lost my breath earlier, it was nothing compared to now. My chest felt tight, and my heart pounded so hard in my ribcage that it hurt. His face was inches away, his mouth too close for comfort, and it was all I could do not to lean even closer. Belatedly, I realized his hands were trapping mine above my head, and the action only pressed my breasts closer to his chest. A tingling started at the tip of my toes, slowly traveling up.
Lucas spoke, and his warm breath fanned against my cheek. “What are you doing here?”
His voice was husky. Low. It was sleepiness, I told myself, and I gulped down my saliva before responding. My voice was breathless, something I couldn’t control.
“Breakfast. I brought you…breakfast.”
“Why?”
“The cooks…” I gulped again, suddenly finding it hard to talk. “They said you might need it.”
“And you were the chosen candidate?”
“Yes,” I whispered. It was difficult to think, much less concentrate. His body was still so warm, and I found my own body responding to it. Something burned in my core.
This close, this early in the morning, his harsh features seemed softer—from the rough plane of his cheekbones to the stubble that shadowed his jaw. That sensual mouth seemed fuller, those lashes thicker.
An image flashed in mind of those lashes fluttering closed as his mouth leaned down and pressed against mine. The image was so vivid that the heat inside me intensified, electrifying me with what could only be pleasure. My fingers itched to touch that jaw, to see if it was as rough as it looked.
My mouth itched to taste.
Shaking, realizing he was hardening further against my belly, I stifled any moan from escaping and tried to fight it by wriggling against him. That had him tensing up and tightening his hold on me—and before I knew it, we were wrestling on that bed as I tried to pull away and he tried to keep me pinned.
“Stop moving.”
“But I—”
I shifted again and stilled when his cock settled right in my core, still covered by my uniform. Without thought, my hips went up and rocked.
His blue eyes blurred, and he let out a curse.
Horror seeped in, and I comprehended my own wanton mistake. I struggled, but he still held me and cursed again.
“Stop damn moving because you’re making it worse. Stop it. Keep still.”
I did so immediately, realizing he was right. We were both so still, we could have been frozen in place. Fighting against my rising desperation, I voiced out the first thing that came to mind.
“Your Highness, I’m not going to sleep with you.”
“Who said I wanted to?”
“Your…lower half.”
His head leaned forward, a whisper away from mine. His mouth breathed into my ear. “It’s morning wood. Don’t take it personally.”
He was right. He was right again, and I really shouldn’t.
But why was my heart still beating so fast? And why did my body want to move again?
A sound came out of my throat, close to a whimper. I slid my head to the side to avoid the scent of him, an intoxicating combination of morning musk and pine. But all it did was bring my head closer to his, which was still beside mine.
My mouth touched his cheek, a whispered movement.
In that instant, Lucas froze, and I heard the quiet groan of what had to be arousal.
Then he was leaping out of bed and away from me as if burned.
“Thank you for the food. Now please go,” he said stiffly.
I nodded and closed my eyes, my body throbbing and everything inside me melting. I fought against it and sat up, careful to avoid looking at him directly in fear of what I would do. Instincts were all that was inside me now, and it was dangerous.
I was not going to let it happen.
So I answered in the best calm voice I could, willing myself not to shake.
“Enjoy your breakfast, Your Highness.”
Then I was fleeing out of there and away from the man who wasn’t supposed to make me feel any of those things.
Chapter 10
LUCAS
“Oh, yes. Give it to me faster. Deeper, my prince…”
The words were enough to clue me in on what was happening inside the royal hall, and watching my brother go at it was the last thing I wanted. Or needed. But I couldn’t exactly leave, either, considering this wasn’t even in a restricted section and anyone could literally stroll by and witness something they shouldn’t witness.
A surge of irritation came at such carelessness, and some choice words were already at the tip of my tongue as I fumed outside. It looked like Benjamin’s fun was just starting, and normally I wouldn’t mind how many women he banged and where he put it in—it was a necessity to kill some of the hunger off. But this right here was irresponsibility at its finest, and not even our situation could have excused him from having the semblance to drag her somewhere more private.
Just as I was thinking of barging in there and laying it on thick with my reprimands, footsteps nearby had me freezing.
My body acted before my mind could think, taking me away from the royal hall doors and towards where the footsteps were. I waited a couple of beats, standing still.
Then I stepped forward and rounded the corner, just in time to meet the footsteps on the other side.
The first thing I spotted was the blond braid of hair, followed by muted clothing in pink and silver. There was a gasp as she almost bumped into me, and I watched pink stain her cheeks when she recognized me.
“Your Highness!”
“Good morning, Princess Ana,” I greeted, keeping my voice just a tad bit warm. “Have you had your breakfast yet?”
She recovered pretty quickly, offering me a smile. “Not yet. I was admiring the palace because I feel the first tour wasn’t enough to see the whole beauty of it. You have a lovely home, Your Highness.”
“Please, call me Lucas.”
“Prince Lucas.”
“I can gladly give you a tour of the palace.”
“That sounds lovely. Where is Prince Benjamin, by the way? We seem to have missed him at breakfast.”
The inward groan was inevitable, but I made sure none of the frustration showed on my face. That he even skipped breakfast meant he really was randy as hell, and now I was going to have to distract Ana. I remembered Kyle’s words about her—experienced in royal life and eager to know about the prince, but not necessarily aggressive.
I gave her a smile. “He’s nursing a headache and will be down shortly. Have you seen our back gardens? The flowers are really beautiful at this time of the day.”
“I’d love to see them.”
And that was the start of me doing damage control.
I did the same for three other princesses later in the morning, followed by me joining them all for lunch in the main dining hall. Benjamin was present by then, charming them as usual, but it was a strained kind of charm that I just hoped no one else would notice. The queen didn’t join us with an explanation of needing to join some international meeting, but she summoned me and Benjamin later on, telling us it was imperative.
The princesses were scheduled to watch a film for the afternoon, about the history of our family, as they requested. Benjamin and I took that time to slip out and head into the queen’s office, which was filled with Victorian style architecture and a combination of modern and old furniture. Laverna was seated behind a huge oak desk, deep in concentration, only glancing up when we both finally sat down on the two chairs in front of her.
She didn’t waste any time stating her purpose for the meeting.
“We have an impostor in the vicinity.”
“An impostor?” Benjamin echoed.
Laverna nodded. “One of the women isn’t the royal blood she’s claiming to be. One of the maids caught someone on the phone bragging about it and reported right away.”
I frowned. “Then let’s kick that person out.”
“That’s the problem. The maid heard a voice but doesn’t know who it belongs to. I thought about calling the royal families to confirm, but…”
“This might be an elaborate, deliberate plan and the involved family wouldn’t be telling the truth,” I finished.
“Exactly.” She paused, her lips pursing as she looked at us. “And I can’t exactly go around accusing everyone. It might cause a huge offense and an international scandal. We all know how crucial it is to maintain a good, positive image right now. We need full support for Benjamin’s coronation.”
Benjamin leaned forward, forgetting his posture for a fleeting moment. “Lucas and I can go ahead and try to find out.”
It was a good suggestion, but the queen shot him a steely look.
Then she shook her head. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want you or Lucas exposing your suspicion on the matter. In fact, no one from our family or main staff should be involved with any spying at the risk of getting caught. I will have none of that.”
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
“We need an outsider. Someone who can befriend the princesses and get them talking. They won’t talk to someone they know is on our side, so that means staff is out. They might, however, spill something significant to someone they think would sympathize with them.”
Another plausible solution, but… “If we bring in outsiders, it will take us time to screen them. Considering how confidential this matter is, outsiders might end up taking even more advantage of the situation.”
“I thought of that, too,” the queen said. “It might turn into a complication we don’t need.”
Beside me, Benjamin raised a hand. “Might I provide a suggestion?”
“Go on,” the queen responded.
“I know someone who’s fairly new here who may be able to blend in with the princesses. We can train her on the basics and slip her in, with the reason that some family emergency delayed her from coming. I trust her completely.”
I already knew where this was going, already knew who my brother was referring to even before he could state the name. Once he did, I watched as the queen’s brows rose. Obviously, she recognized who the new maid was.
“And what makes you think she would blend in?” she asked.
Benjamin shrugged. “She’s young. She picks up fast on things. She has no solid background and is unrecognizable, since she hasn’t served the princesses yet. She can easily talk to people. If anyone can weed the impostor out, it’s her.”
The queen eyed him watchfully. “And can we trust her?”
“She saved my life when she could have left me for dead. As I said, I trust her.”
Part of me thought Laverna was going to reject the idea right away or present yet another one of her own. But to my surprise, she nodded and agreed, a gesture that told me she really didn’t have any idea in store at the moment.
