by Erika Kelly
“God, of course I feel it, Brodie. There’s nothing else I want to feel for the rest of my life than this. Us.”
Her legs tightened around him, and he needed her mouth. She opened to him, their tongues colliding in a shower of sparks. Everything he felt for her crashed over him, and he poured it all into this kiss. He had to make sure she knew he meant every word he’d said. He ground against her, and she gasped. “Need you. Right the fuck now.”
Setting her down, he locked the door, then grabbed the neck of his T-shirt and tugged it over his head. The robe pooled around her ankles, and she stood there in nothing but pink lace panties. Dropping to a crouch, he kissed his way up her calf, behind her knee, and inside her toned and sexy thigh.
She started to pull off her underwear, when he said, “Leave them on.” She wore the sexiest lingerie he’d ever seen. “You buy these for the douchenozzle?”
“Nope.” Her fingers tangled in his hair, and her hips twisted. “There’s a little shop in Paris, in the Marais. Some people deal with stress by eating or working out, but me…I like pretty lingerie.”
“And you thought you weren’t sexy.” He pushed aside the elastic and licked inside her wet, hot slit.
Her whole body shuddered, and she lifted her leg, propping her foot on his shoulder. Goddamn, he wanted this woman. He explored her slick folds, ignoring the places that didn’t get a hiss out of her and doubling down on the spots that did. When he flicked her clit, she got up on her toes. “There. Oh, right there.”
Grasping her ass cheeks, he brought her right up to his face and licked her to an orgasm that had her body writhing and spasming, her fingers pulling his hair so hard his scalp stung.
When she settled, he stood up and kissed her right on the mouth. “My fierce princess. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Because, as improbable as it was, the princess was his. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Wariness creeped into her eyes, and she covered her breasts with an arm.
He didn’t want her closing up on him, but he understood. This is fucking scary, wanting someone—no, not wanting. It was so much bigger than that. Knowing you’ve found the one person who makes your life whole and complete—and not knowing how the hell to keep her in it. So, he pressed kisses to the mounds of her luscious cleavage. The smell of her clean, damp skin, her shuddery sigh, the sight of those plump, jiggly tits…Jesus, he was hard as a pole. “I want to see my dick in there.”
She gasped, and he liked how hot she went for him. Her arm fell away, and she cupped her breasts together. “Do it.”
That was all he needed to hear. Lifting her, he carried her to the bed and set her down. She crawled back to rest her head on a pillow. He’d never seen so much excitement in her eyes.
Grabbing lotion from his nightstand drawer, he tipped some onto his palm, but she grabbed his wrist. “I want to do it.” She trembled, as she squeezed the white lotion into her hands. Rubbing them together, she grasped his cock, and he about jumped out of his skin. Her touch, so warm and feminine, so unlike the feel of his own, kicked up a riot of sensation.
She slicked up his length, using both hands to tug and swirl, her thumb flicking over the head with each pass.
“Fuck, princess. That feels good.”
“Give me more.”
Straddling her, he didn’t know how much more he could take, but he squirted more lotion into her hand. Instead of touching him, though, she rubbed it all over her breasts. Holy fuck. The nipples rosy and hard, the mounds so plump and bouncy, made his mouth water and his cock go impossibly harder. He wasn’t going to last.
He batted her hand away. Had to have her right now.
She pressed her big tits together, eyes glittering with lust, and he slid his cock into the tight channel. Jesus, it looked so fucking hot. “Push ‘em tighter.”
“God, Brodie.” Her hips twisted, and her back arched.
He thrust his dick in until it popped out just beneath her chin. He was going to come way too soon like this, so he grabbed the lotion, squeezed some into his hands and rubbed her tits, pinching the nipples and slathering his cock. The head was so sensitive he nearly jumped out of his skin. He couldn’t take it anymore and started pumping fast. So fast, he had to grip the headboard. Jesus, the sight of her plump tits, those hard, rosy nipples, his dick thrusting between them, made his spine tingle and his balls pull in tight. Just when he didn’t think he could take one more second, she tipped her chin down and licked the head of his dick. With each frantic thrust, she swiped at the sensitive head.
“Fuck, Rosie, fuck.” And then he was coming, harder than he’d ever come in his life. Thick spurts creaming all over her neck, chin, and mouth.
She let go of her tits, grabbed the base of his cock, and sucked him into her greedy little mouth. She clutched his ass, holding him to her, and he groaned deep and long.
Spent, he collapsed beside her.
Emotions clashed inside him, leaving him with a chaotic jangle of nervous energy. Wired, exhausted, thrilled, and scared shitless, he was a mess.
He’d always been in control. Always had a firm grip on his life.
And now? Everything had turned upside down.
But he remembered what she’d said. There’s nothing else I want to feel for the rest of my life than this. Us.
She was in it with him.
Which meant they’d make it work.
Chapter Nineteen
“This place is amazing.” Rosalina took in Fin’s Antigravity Training Center, spread over hundreds of acres and utilizing as much outdoor space as indoor.
A series of steel and glass buildings housed athletes, gyms, and physical therapy rooms. Outside, a massive, deep pool had a slide built for snowboarders and skiers to practice their runs without getting hurt.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.” Brodie released her hand to check his phone. “Vanessa’s here. She’ll meet us in the tramp gym.” He cut her a concerned look. “You sure you’re okay with me still working with her?”
“Not to be mean, but I don’t see a single reason to be jealous of her.”
“Nothing mean about the truth.” He grabbed her hand again.
She liked that he was always touching her. He did it with an urgency—like if he stopped, gravity would send them spiraling in separate directions. “The few times I saw you with her, there just wasn’t anything there.”
“No, there wasn’t. But she did want something more, so if you’re uncomfortable with me working with her, I can find a new architect.”
“It’s not like I think she can seduce you into bed.”
“There’s not a chance of that.”
“And, after I’m gone, are you going back to sleeping with her?”
“No.”
Not a trace of indecision in his tone. “I love how decisive you are. The world’s very clear-cut for you. Makes me feel safe.”
They reached the door to a huge gym. She opened it and took in the sea of black trampolines, all of them cradled with bright blue foam pads. A bunch of athletes gathered on one side of the room, while Fin bounced on one of the jumping mats. The other two brothers stood on a cushioned pad, watching him.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“At the start of a session, Fin likes to bring in pros to show them how it’s done. Give them a visual of what they’re working towards. To make it fun, he has the athletes rank us. Seems to inspire them.”
“So, that’s what you meant by helping Fin out? You’re going to bounce around on a trampoline?”
He nodded with a mischievous grin. “But, since you’re here, I’m probably gonna jump a little higher than my brothers.”
“What about your injury?”
“I can’t compete at that level anymore, but I can play around.”
“Boarding a glacier was playing around?”
“Sure.”
She rolled her eyes. “You will not be tamed, will you?”
“You wouldn’t want me tamed.”
“No.” She tu
rned to face him, gazing up into his startling blue eyes. “I wouldn’t.” She thought about last night. Seeing his cock between her breasts, his expression of pure lust, watching him crest that wave between ecstasy and agony…it had been the hottest, most erotic experience of her life.
It wasn’t just the dirty sex, him releasing all over her chest—it had been the intimacy. Trusting him.
This might be the wrong place for this conversation, but she needed to tell him before they joined the others. Clutching his T-shirt, she drew him towards the wall. “I like who I am with you. That I can be anything I want around you.”
His eyes warmed, and his thumb swept across her bottom lip.
Her tongue darted out to lick it. “It just…it means so much that, with you, nothing’s off limits, shocking, or impolite. Brodie, I’m totally free here. It’s not just me trusting you, it’s you trusting me. It’s like we’re in our own world, and we make our own rules.”
“There are no rules, sweetheart. As long as we’re in this together, we get to invent shit as we go along.” He slid an arm around her back and yanked her toward him. The moment she hit his chest, he tipped her chin and gave her a savage kiss.
And she went up in flames. She loved the way he wanted her, the way he took her.
He held her possessively, kissed her with so much hunger…she just knew what she had with him was richer, deeper, than anything she’d ever have again. What they had was rare, special, and she needed to hold onto him, to make it work no matter what.
His hands slid down to her ass, and he squeezed, hauling her up against him. God, she wanted to strip off his clothes, climb him—
Applause shattered their intimacy, forcing them to pull apart. The spectators clapped and pumped their fists. “Go, Fin,” someone called.
They watched as Fin twisted and turned at odd angles, came down and bounced even higher. After landing on a pad, he did a barrel roll backflip and landed on his feet.
“That was insane,” Rosalina said.
Not even out of breath, Fin waved his oldest brother over. “I’m not into awards, and technical precision bores me, but this guy…” Will joined him on the trampoline. “He’s a nine-time world champion. Of course, he crapped out before the Olympics, but if you’d met Delilah you’d understand why.”
A mix of boos and laughter came from the rowdy crowd.
“Okay, so Will’s going to show you how someone with a stick up his ass does it.”
“And by ‘stick up the ass,’ my baby brother means discipline.” Will shot off the mat, bouncing so high and landing so hard, Fin nearly lost his footing. Instead of falling though, he leapt with surprising control onto a blue pad.
The oldest brother jumped in place a few times. He had this casual air about him, like he was just hanging out. She started to wonder if he’d been away from training too long—she’d heard he’d retired about nine months ago. But then, out of nowhere, he flipped. Not once. Not twice. But three times.
And, then, it was on. He executed the most perfect acrobatic moves she’d ever seen. The bystanders were shouting and clapping in awe.
When he came to a stop, he hadn’t even broken a sweat. Rosalina joined in the enthusiastic applause. “Your brothers are amazing.”
Brodie watched her for a moment. “Hold my beer.” Striding past her, he toed off his running shoes and jumped onto a trampoline.
“And this one’s Brodie,” Fin said. “Even though he retired ten years ago, he’s still got more trophies and medals than all of us combined.”
“But he doesn’t have the one that counts,” someone called from the crowd.
“Oh, low blow, man,” someone else shouted.
Over the smell of sweat and rubber came a strong blast of perfume. Rosalina picked up bergamot and vanilla, with soft undertones of citrus. The scent she’d come to associate with Vanessa.
She turned to see the woman standing next to her, staring at Brodie with a look of regret…and hunger.
“Oh, hey, Vanessa,” Rosalina said. “I can’t believe they’re so mean to him.”
“He doesn’t care.” Vanessa never took her eyes off Brodie. “Trust me, he’s used to it by now.”
“How long have you known him?”
“I only moved to town six years ago. This was my first job out of college. For about five years, I watched these guys.” She looked to the brothers. “Our paths didn’t cross much, but every time I saw them around town, I had to literally pick my jaw up off the ground. They’re just…so…charismatic.”
After bouncing several times, Brodie suddenly flipped. Only—unlike the other brothers—he didn’t limit himself to one trampoline. With a stunning display of core strength and athletic grace, he soared from one mat to the other, taking a crazy spin around the entire gym, his body twisting and turning, flipping forward and back—never once taking a break.
“He’s a thing of beauty, isn’t he?” Rosalina said. “How does he not get dizzy?”
Vanessa didn’t answer, just stared, mesmerized, looking like she wanted to drag him out by his hair and have her way with him.
“Now, that’s how it’s done,” someone shouted.
Rosalina had never seen anyone with the strength and agility of Brodie Bowie.
“He’s so hot.” Vanessa sounded wistful. “He says he’s not the relationship type, but he makes it really confusing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he’s just so passionate, you know? And when he focuses it on you, you get swept up in it. It’s like…you think it’s about you. But it’s not. He’s just intense.”
“Passionate about the projects you’re working on, you mean?” Because Brodie had made it clear he’d never been into Vanessa.
“Well, sure, that, too, I guess. But, I mean, as someone he’s dating, you think he’s so into you, because he’s wild in bed.”
Rosalina shot her a look. Was she trying to make her jealous? But, no, Vanessa’s tone was one of pure wistfulness.
She thinks I’m engaged. She doesn’t even know I’m sleeping with him.
“I thought it meant he was into me, but it’s just who he is. I see that now.”
A chill fell cross her body, like leaving the bright, sunny sidewalk to walk down an alleyway. She didn’t understand. Brodie had told Rosalina he’d never felt for anybody the way he did for her. But if Vanessa had experienced his passion in bed…what does that mean for me?
She didn’t doubt his feelings for her…right now. But maybe he threw himself into all the projects he cared about. At the moment, Rosalina was one of them.
It hurt. So badly. But it was just the reminder she needed. She was getting too involved, too excited about the idea of something developing between them, when the only thing she should be focused on was launching her business.
Did she actually think a man who’d never had a romantic relationship would suddenly change his spots for her? Sure, he was into her now. She lived with him, worked with him, slept with him. But the moment she left town, he’d move on.
I’m a project. Like boarding or launching a digital platform or a bath and beauty products company.
Snap out of it already.
Of course they didn’t have a future together.
You knew that.
Can you imagine Brodie in St. Christophe? Wearing slacks and button downs, visiting hospitals, attending royal ceremonies? That regimented life would kill him.
As much as it hurt, one day soon, she’d have to consign Rosie to a memory.
And then get on with her real life as Princess Rosalina.
In the bunkhouse, Rosalina stood at the long kitchen table watching this wonderful group of people who’d gathered to package her lotions for tomorrow’s market testing.
At home, she worked alone in her lab. Neither her family nor the Allards got involved. Marcel might listen to her go on about her formulas or ideas, but his interest was limited to the business side.
It hadn’t really bothered her before. Sh
e’d just carried on, convinced that one day they’d see the obvious wisdom in her plan to expand their product line.
But, here, people jumped right in. Brodie had put out the call, and a couple hours later his entire family had shown up and gotten to work. They were all entrepreneurs, so they embraced each other’s ideas readily.
Fin had opened a training center, and even though his brothers were busy with their own projects, they helped out all the time. Gray’s wife wanted a digital store for her wedding gowns, and Brodie had immediately set out to find a three-D modeler.
This family supported each other’s dreams. They were real and honest and loyal.
And it ripped open a tear in the Villeneuve family portrait. As much as she loved her parents, the duty, obligation…the loyalty ran in one direction. They expected her to fall in line: get married, produce an heir, and step into the shoes of every princess before her.
She understood that. Of course she did. It was the way it had been done for six hundred years. But what about supporting her? They’d turned down every idea she’d had. They viewed her work in the lab as a hobby.
The world had changed, and her parents hadn’t adapted.
If she went home and assumed the role expected of her, she would lose herself. She would bruise and wither like a petal.
And it wasn’t until this exact moment that she understood the hard line of resistance she’d felt from the moment her mother had expected her to meet with the wedding planner. If she wanted their respect, then she needed to respect herself enough to live her truth. No guilt, no doubts. And that’s why Brodie’s so good for me. He encouraged her to brainstorm solutions that married her parents’ objectives with her own dreams.
“Hey.” Brodie came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “What’s going on in that sexy mind of yours?”
“I’m not going to marry Marcel.”
He stepped in front of her, concern lining his forehead. “Is this news?”
“It is. All this time, no matter how sure I’ve sounded, I’ve had this fear that I’d go home and ultimately wind up doing what’s in the best interests of my family and my country. But I think I finally get it—deep down—that it’s not in anyone’s best interests. Not only don’t I want to get married and have a baby—I’m not ready for that—but it’s not the way to lead my country forward. You know that expression, Be the change you want to see in the world?”
