The Vampire Prince

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The Vampire Prince Page 7

by Juliette N Banks


  The bulk and height of his body in that black suit and crisp white shirt had women staring openly and men shooting glances. He looked down and winked at her. Oh yeah, he was fully aware of the attention, and looked completely comfortable. What he didn’t do was revel in it. His fingers pressed into her back and gently squeezed as if to say I’m with you, and you are mine.

  Her mind flicked back in time to a time when a different man stood beside her. Always a foot away, never completely committing to being with her, they could have appeared as friends or siblings to any onlooker, and that was just how Mike liked it. Despite living together for over two years, he had kept his options open.

  Things had been different when Willow decided to play by the same rules. She had formed a girls’ evening every two weeks, going out with friends to parties or a local bar. He hadn’t liked it and had demanded she stop. She’d mistaken his interest and control for affection, both of which vanished quickly once the social group disbanded.

  Mike had also stubbornly refused to take their relationship to the next level, so when her friends started having babies and getting engaged, she had become more and more depressed, until one day, her friend Brianna had met her for lunch at work and had one of those tough love conversations with her.

  “’Low, you know I love you, and Mike’s a pretty decent guy,” she’d said. “But I think you are after different things.”

  “He’ll come around,” she’d replied, hating herself for being that girl.

  Three weeks later, at a house party, she’d gone in search of her handbag in one of the bedrooms and found Mike with his dick inside some redhead. She’d fled in tears, and once home, she had packed his bags and thrown them onto the lawn.

  He hadn’t come home.

  Willow had sat on the shower floor crying for hours. She knew it was over and could never take him back. Strong instincts told her this wasn’t the first time he’d cheated. In hindsight, there had been signs. His work Christmas party and the overly friendly office girl, the regular evening work meetings, the long text conversations he’d have with his friends where he’d smirk and get irritated when asked who he was talking to.

  In her heart, she knew he hadn’t been the one, but she’d fallen into the trap many women her age had: an expectation to quickly find a man, settle down, and reproduce before it was “too late.” Better two years than ten, she figured the next morning when she watched him pick his clothes off the lawn.

  Fortunately, Willow had owned the majority share of the house, so within three months, she’d bought him out.

  Shaking her head to clear the memories, she realized it had been at least two years since she’d subconsciously decided to give up on men. Which was why this arrangement with Brayden suited her. She got to enjoy the sexual intimate delights with a drop-dead sexy man, but there were no expectations and no risk of getting hurt.

  Aware of her every move, Brayden ran his hand over her hip and nudged her closer. “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

  Before she could answer, an irritating voice called from across the alcove. “Willow!”

  She tensed. Oh no, no, no. She painted on her best fake smile as Debbie Parkerson strutted over with her husband, Henry, in tow.

  The irritating couple just loved to gossip and outshine other people, yet because of their wealth, they always appeared at every show and party in town. Henry worked for Google and Debbie was an interior decorator to the rich and famous.

  “Oh, hi,” she forced out as Brayden snorted.

  “Look at you! You’re just glowing. Oh my, is this Prada?” The woman eyed her dress and glanced at Brayden coyly. She wasn’t interested in the dress in the slightest, label aside. In fact, if Willow hadn’t been with Brayden, the woman would’ve snubbed her.

  Gritting her teeth, she made a quick introduction. “Brayden, these are Debbie and Henry Parkerson.”

  Henry held out his hand. “Henry.”

  The two men shook hands as Debbie ran her eyes over Brayden’s body. Willow wanted to slap the woman.

  “Lovely to meet you,” Debbie drawled, flashing her pearly whites and holding out her manicured hand. Bless his beating heart, Brayden simply shook it and turned to Willow, pulling her tighter against him.

  “Did you enjoy the ballet?” he asked.

  “Yes, it was just lovely. We’re looking forward to seeing the Russian Ballet in a few weeks, aren’t we, darling?” She barely glanced at her husband before leaning in and whispering, “I get tickets from my high-profile clients, you see. They’re famous.”

  “How nice,” Willow said, glancing about for an excuse to leave.

  “I didn’t see you inside. We were in the front row. Were you further back?” The snide comment was obviously condescending.

  Brayden leaned forward a little as if to whisper, but he didn’t. “No. We were in a box.”

  Willow bit her lip to stop from laughing as Debbie’s mouth fell open then shut, her lips pressed together. A moment later she composed herself, that sharp, calculating mind working fast. Her eyes narrowed, and she inspected Brayden.

  “Well, you seem like a well-connected man. How interesting.”

  “Not at all. I own it,” Brayden said.

  Now Willow’s lips parted in surprise. Before anyone said anything further, he said goodbye without excuse and led her outside, leaving a gaping Debbie in their wake.

  The fresh air hit them as they stepped outside.

  “Wow, impressive.” She smiled.

  “I figured she wasn’t a genuine friend.” Brayden pulled out his phone. “I didn’t text our driver, so we’ll have to wait a few minutes.”

  Willow leaned against his body, soaking up his warmth while he leaned against a pillar, texting.

  “No, she’s definitely not a friend. I feel sorry for Henry.”

  Putting the phone away, he pulled her into his chest, wrapping her in his powerful arms. He nuzzled into her hair. “Don’t. The guy’s a fool. They’re two peas in a pod; I’ve seen it many times.”

  She nodded knowingly.

  “Now tell me what you were thinking about before they interrupted us. You were tense.”

  She turned to look into his eyes.

  “Oh. It was nothing about you.”

  “I know, but I’d like you to share.”

  Willow didn’t want to tell him what a fool she had been. Having someone cheat on her wasn’t exactly a moment she was proud of.

  “Just a flashback to an old life.”

  She felt Brayden tense against her. “A man.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you still love him?” His voice was taut.

  She turned in his arms and smiled. “You ask some heavy questions for a one-week lover.”

  He didn’t smile back. Instead, he held her gaze and whispered in a low voice, “Answer the question, Willow.”

  She sighed. “No. Definitely not.”

  “But?”

  “He hurt me. A lot.” She shrugged. “Now, let’s change the subject.”

  Brayden cupped the side of her face and kissed her lips gently. “He wasn’t the right man for you. You have a greater destiny.”

  She smiled. “Let me guess, this destiny is in your bed tonight?”

  His eyes darkened. “In your bed, gorgeous. And yes.”

  She frowned and was about to ask why they couldn’t go to his place when they were interrupted again.

  “My lord! I didn’t see you there.”

  Willow turned just as a man bowed to Brayden.

  What on earth?

  With his arm, Brayden moved her behind slightly as if to protect her from the man.

  “Oh, hey,” Brayden replied with an unusual lack of enthusiasm as the man looked nervously between them.

  “Of course. Sorry to interrupt my...sir.”

  He all but scampered away as the limousine pulled up to the sidewalk. Brayden ushered her inside, gave her a small smile, and stared out the window as the vehicle began movin
g. His hand held her thigh.

  “Did I hear him right? Did he just call you my lord?”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Brayden gritted his teeth.

  It wasn’t like vampires didn’t circulate in public, so he hadn’t been completely surprised at seeing one of his kind. In fact, there had been a few of them at the ballet.

  This one, however, was a member of the Royal Army, and as the prince and dominant royal, he should have sensed him. Willow was more of a distraction to his senses than he’d realized.

  The young vampire had looked surprised to see him in such an intimate hold with a female and had reacted. Every vampire wanted to see the prince mated, just as humans loved seeing their princes and princesses marry. It was the way of people.

  Craig.

  Yes, sir.

  Thomas saw me with Willow tonight. Make sure he doesn’t talk.

  Leave it with me.

  Vampires were all well versed in the appropriate manner to address the royal family outside their world. Around humans, Thomas should never have acknowledged him first, and certainly not referred to him as my lord or captain.

  It raised questions, such as the one on Willow’s mind right now.

  Craig would deal with it. There would be no punishment, simply a reminder of the rules. He knew of Thomas; he was a good kid taken by surprise by the sight of his prince with a human female.

  Brayden ran his hand through his hair.

  None of it was a big deal. It wasn’t like he was a goddamn virgin. No. What had him reeling was whether Thomas had seen him sparkling; not the boy-band-Bieber type of sparkling but the ethereal sparkle all male vampires exhibited when in a highly protective state.

  Their bodies released a unique chemical which interacted with the oxygen in the air and created an electrical charge that surrounded their bodies.

  Brayden shook his head. He’d always thought it looked ridiculous, while female vampires thought it looked fabulous. Humans couldn’t see it, nor could the male sparkling like a fucking Christmas tree.

  It didn’t mean the female, or male, was your mate, but it was a strong sign. The race believed it was a warning to predators; a bonded male was deadly when in protective mode.

  As a dominant alpha, being protective was in his nature, but he’d never sparkled before.

  Yet, as Willow had shared the story of her former partner and his desire to snap the guy’s neck grew, he suspected he looked dressed for a fucking Disney show.

  Did that make her his mate?

  No. He would know.

  Bonded males formed a black ring around the irises of their eyes. It could form slowly or appear suddenly, depending on the relationship. Just like human relationships, some happened faster than others, and so did the mating bond.

  “Did he call you my lord?”

  Fuck.

  He really didn’t want to lie to her.

  “Ah...”

  “Brayden?”

  He turned in his seat and took her hand. God, she was beautiful.

  “The guy works for us. It’s a family business joke.” He fake smiled.

  “So why do you look so pissed?”

  He waved a hand in front of him, all no big deal. “It just reminded me of a job I didn’t finish today.”

  Willow sat back, buying his story, and he felt like a prick. Crisis averted. Sure, he could have erased her memory, but too much, and it really messed up a human mind.

  Once they arrived, Brayden shut the door behind them as they entered Willow’s house.

  “Thank you for a romantic, and sexy, evening.” She smiled.

  “It’s not over yet. I believe we have some unfinished business.” He brushed his hand over her hair and pulled her against his body.

  “Oh?” she asked innocently.

  He tugged gently on her lower lip with his teeth. “I want as much of you as I can get this week.”

  Brayden saw the flicker in her eyes. He could have ignored it, but for some reason, he needed to know what that meant. Not by reading her mind, but he would if necessary. He had a strong desire to be inside her body and her mind. He wanted to know everything about this human.

  “Talk to me.”

  “I am.” Willow smiled. He watched as she physically shook off the thought with a little shake of her head.

  “Don’t do that. What’s going on?”

  She shrugged her shoulders and let out a little laugh. “No idea. Perhaps I’m hungry or something.”

  “Willow,” he scolded.

  “It’s nothing.” She sighed. “Look, I don’t have any experience with this casual dating game, but I don’t think spending every night together is how it works.”

  Brayden watched her eyes as they darted around nervously, and the way she chewed her bottom lip. Finally, she looked him in the eye.

  “Perhaps a night apart.” She nodded like this was a two-way conversation. “To keep things casual. Yes, I think it would be best for me to sleep alone.”

  A thump landed in his chest.

  “No,” he growled.

  She blanched and raised an eyebrow at him. “Wow. Looks like we both need it.”

  “What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at her in confusion.

  “I said, it sounds like we both need some healthy boundaries.” She began to pull out of his arms, and he tightened his hold. “This is feeling super intense. Let’s call it a night, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Brayden’s heart thumped loudly in his chest. The thought of leaving her alone in the house, of her sleeping without his arms wrapped around her, and the possibility of someone else being there with her, made him want to tear something apart.

  The predator in him rose to the surface. His fangs ached. Slowly, he drew in a long, deep breath.

  In a week he’d leave the state and Willow could do as she pleased. A growl began deep in his gut. He pushed it down and coughed.

  “That’s not our agreement.”

  “We didn’t agree on any details.” She frowned and stepped toward the front door. “Come on, let me see you out.”

  Brayden had never been dismissed in his life. He was a fucking prince!

  “No.”

  Exasperated, she frowned at him, walked into her bedroom, and dropped her bag on the bed.

  He followed.

  “Willow, explain to me what is going on here. I don’t understand.”

  She let out a huge sigh and put her hands on her slim, sexy hips. “Goddamn you, Brayden, I like you a lot. Too much. I just need a night to myself to get my thoughts and feelings under control, all right?”

  He stared at her. A part of him wanted to grin like an idiot at her confession while another knew he should turn and leave. She was right. They should contain their feelings. He was leaving the state, and she would carry on with her life without him.

  Because he was just standing there staring at her, she flung her hands up and cried, “So that at the end of the week I’m not some emotional, clingy woman, capisci?”

  “You speak Italian?”

  She frowned. “I’ve just been completely vulnerable with you and all you want to know is if I speak Italian?”

  He grinned. God, she was beautiful when angry.

  “So, do you?”

  “Sì, now go home!”

  “Technically, most of that was English.” He grinned until he saw the anger in her eyes flare. He held up his hands. “All right, I’m sorry.”

  He took a step closer, his expression now serious. Sensual. “But, Willow, you have to know how sexy you are right now.”

  “You...what?”

  He took another step. He was a predator, after all. He knew this dance.

  “Sexy. Gorgeous. Passionate. It’s pouring off you.”

  She was a little breathless, and his lips curved as he began to hear her heart speed up. It was natural for her to be wary of his nature, even if it was a subconscious reaction of her body. Even as he knew he’d protect her with every inch of his being, it thrilled
him to hear her react to his animal nature.

  He took another step.

  “Stop.”

  Another step. “I told you, Willow, you’re mine. For the week.”

  She swallowed. “I need...space.”

  “You need me. You need my body,” he said, an inch away from her. “And I need your body. There’s more than one of us in this relationship, principessa.”

  “I’m not a princess,” she barely said.

  “So you do speak Italian?” Smirking, he cupped her cheek.

  Her eyes were burning as his lips landed on hers firmly. When he released them, he took pleasure in her breathlessness. Then, taking complete control, he scooped her up and placed her on the bed.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Willow felt Brayden’s lips on her forehead moments before he climbed out of bed.

  All night long, he’d held her tightly, possessively, after hours of pleasure. She hated to admit it, but it was exactly what she’d needed. Her nature was to pull away, so this was new for her.

  It didn’t change anything. In a week their affair would be over, and she’d grieve the loss of their intimacy and the man himself. The more time she spent with him, the more her feelings grew.

  How she’d last, she didn’t know. All she could do was take it day by day.

  She’d expected his dominant nature to turn sexual as they hit the mattress last night, and he hadn’t disappointed her. Afterward, lying sated, she’d felt his hard cock up against her stomach as their legs entwined.

  “It’s yours whenever you want, Willow,” he’d said against her hair.

  She let out a sigh, remembering the feeling of his arms around her, feeling safe and cherished. It was somewhat confusing. Wasn’t a casual fling supposed to be less intimate?

  “Go back to sleep, beautiful,” he said, snapping her back to the present moment. She rolled over and watched him dress. His strong back and shoulders slipped into his white shirt. Solid thighs disappeared into long black pants. The well-tailored suit looked as good in the early dawn as it had last night.

  Leaving his shoes off, one knee on the bed, he leaned over her.

 

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