Ruling the Princess

by Christi Barth

  “Well, I may have thought that. Truth is I didn’t just dislike the House of Villani. I hated you.”

  Genny reared back in surprise. “Why?”

  “It’s clear you don’t remember, but a lifetime ago, when you were ten, we were in school together.”

  She gave him a once-over. Then a twice-over. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say you look very, very different now.”

  “It took me aback when you didn’t remember me. But you had no reason to. Whereas I blamed you for my entire life being turned upside down.”

  “Theo.” Genevieve patted his bare chest. “For goodness sake, tell me.”

  Standing up, he asked, “Do you remember letting the class rabbit out of its cage?”

  “Yes. It wasn’t right to keep that poor thing in a tiny cage on a shelf. Except—” Her hand flew to her mouth. Memory must’ve kicked in.

  “Except when you let it out in the yard, it got killed. Run over by a scooter later that day.”

  Her pretty mouth tightened into a grimace. “The headmaster. He swerved to avoid it but fell off.”

  “And broke his collarbone. Everyone was looking for the culprit.”

  Genny jabbed her finger at him as the rest of the story came back to her. “You saw me. You knew it was all my fault. But you took the blame for me. The teacher accused you because you’d been inside, nursing a headache, when I let it out and the rest of the class was at sports.”

  “I didn’t want you to get in trouble. You just wanted to save the rabbit. I figured I could do a week of detention, no problem.” He stared out over the bright blue water, seeing the angry face of their teacher when she yelled at him then seeing Genny’s grateful smile as the teacher walked away. “But a few hours later, when I heard the headmaster was hurt, I got scared. That sounded like big trouble.”

  “You came to me.”

  “That night, at the choir concert. I thought in our matching robes, nobody would notice the two of us slipping into the hallway to talk.” Her bodyguard must’ve had a good laugh at their naivete.

  “You told me I had to confess. The headmaster deserved an apology for his pain. And that I wouldn’t get in nearly as much trouble as you because of my royal standing.”

  Theo swung around to discover the princess mere inches away. “Well, I doubt I used the phrase ‘royal standing,’ but yeah.”

  “I said no. I was scared. I couldn’t get in trouble.”

  He shrugged. Talk about a weak excuse. “No kid wants to be in trouble.”

  “There was always the threat that anything I did wrong might bring down the monarchy.”

  “At ten?” Theo scoffed.

  Genny just raised her chin in that regal, righteous tilt that used to infuriate him—but now drove him wild. “At ten, I imagine I thought I’d get thrown in jail for something so heinous. And I’d been told repeatedly that if my family ‘lost’ another princess, the House of Villani would fall.”

  “Huh.” That was one hell of a heavy load to lay on a child. And it made her stubborn refusal to admit her guilt much more understandable.

  “But nothing ever happened. Blame was never assigned. Nobody came for me. What happened next, Theo?”

  “My parents were in the hallway. Overheard our conversation. They didn’t want to risk the wrath of the king, so they sent me away.”

  For a full minute, there was no sound besides the lap of the waves against the hull of the yacht. Finally, Genevieve licked her lips. “What? But you covered for me. You were a little gentleman.”

  “They fixated on the part where I accused you of being the perpetrator of the crime.”

  Her hands flew to clasp over her heart. “I was. The whole thing was my fault.”

  “They assumed the king wouldn’t want some kid accusing the princess of being in the wrong. That I’d badmouth you to the whole class. Then you would be in trouble, and it’d be my fault. Which might risk their standing at court.”

  “They barely have any. They are lower-tier nobles, at best.”

  Theo nodded, admittedly getting a kick out of Genny’s snootyness. “Yeah, I hear my dad’s ‘scandalous’ divorce cost him a lot of respect. Still, he figured it was safer to have me out of the king’s sight, out of the king’s mind. I got shipped off to boarding school in England the next day.” Ending with a dramatic sigh, he said, “Missed my birthday party.”

  “You’re breaking my heart. You didn’t do anything to deserve any of that.”

  It was a huge weight off his shoulders that Genevieve saw his point of view. That she took his side.

  It was a weight Theo hadn’t known was smothering him for the past month, as they’d grown closer and his hatred had been replaced by something far stronger.

  “I wasn’t even allowed to come back to Moncriano for vacations. We’d meet to ski in Switzerland or Aspen, do the beach thing in Greece or Spain. I didn’t tell them about this job until the contract was signed. Father would’ve done his damndest to put up roadblocks.”

  Those big, violet eyes shimmered with tears. “I’m sorry, Theo.”

  “I didn’t have a bad life in England. Or the States. But I learned the hard way that I don’t like my freedom of choice being taken away. That tradition and rules and kowtowing aren’t for me. I swore I’d never bend a knee to royalty again.”

  “No, I’m not just sorry it happened to you. I’m apologizing for being the reason you were sent away. No wonder you hated me.”

  Carefully, Theo used his thumb to wipe away her tears. “Genevieve. I hated the princess whose fact of a title set things in motion. I was young and bitter and fixated. Once I met you? It all changed.”

  “So you don’t still hate me?” she asked with a faint quaver in her voice.

  “God, no. Truth is—” He broke off, suddenly queasy.

  No. No way could he admit it. It’d been a huge risk to tell Genny this story. It had come off okay. Aside from making her cry, which he regretted. Was it worth risking another huge confession?

  “Theo, the truth is what I want from you. So many people tell me what they think I want to hear. Which is pointless. You and me, we’re better than that. More connected.”

  Put like that, how could he refuse her? Even with his pride—and his heart—on the line. If he couldn’t be man enough to voice this one conviction, what did the rest matter?

  And if Genevieve didn’t like what he had to say? Well, he could always signal the boat with all the security behind them that they had to head back.

  Theo shifted his palms to cradle her face. “The truth is that I’m fairly certain I’m falling in love with you, Princess.”

  Again, there was only a whole hell of a lot of slapping waves. A few squawking gulls/pelicans. The sloshing breach of a fish through the water.

  Shit, why didn’t life come with a soundtrack? At least he’d know from the swelling chords or discordant drums if he should brace for acceptance or rejection. Anything would be better than this crushing silence.

  This ball-tightening, dick-shrinking silence.

  This heartbreaking silence.

  He could take a damned hint. Theo dropped his hands. Drank in one last, up-close view of that face he’d never forget with those mystical eyes and elegant nose and kissable lips. Then he stepped backward with one foot.

  Then he stumbled backward four more steps until his ass hit the railing, because the princess had launched herself at him.

  A literal leap. Legs wrapped around his hips. Fingers digging into his back. Lips…well, those were locked onto his in fast, fluttery kisses. Like she wanted to give every single centimeter of his lips their own, individual kiss.

  He could, indeed, take a damned hint.

  Theo didn’t need to hear her say the words back to him. It’d be nice. But it wasn’t necessary.

  Not yet.

  N
ot right now.

  Not when they had less than nothing figured out about how to move forward, together. Not when there were probably rules—that he’d hate—about who she could bestow a shared future upon. Not when all the odds and protocol were against them and Theo had nothing but his heart to offer her, anyway.

  He’d told her because he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He’d told her with zero expectation of it setting anything in motion. He’d told her because his feelings were too fucking big to be contained.

  So what mattered was that Genevieve was clearly…enthusiastic about what he’d announced.

  Theo plunged his tongue into her mouth. Every stroke he made, every moan of hers that he swallowed, shot a surge of need to his cock. He’d had sex with this woman literally dozens of times over the past two and a half weeks. It hadn’t come close to slaking his thirst for her. If anything, each time they were together, it magnified his desire for her.

  Today was no exception.

  He flexed his fingers into her tight, perfect ass to rock her against him. Genny’s nipples were so hard already that they drilled into his bare chest right through her suit. Theo needed to get his mouth on them. On every part of her.

  “I’m taking you below deck.”

  She hooked her foot to the rail to keep him in place. “No. No time.”

  Genevieve was adorable. He loved how hot their need flared. But already, she was in no state to be seen by servants. Not with a flush darkening her chest, blond hair flying everywhere, and her lips swollen from his kisses.

  “I’m not risking you being seen like this. Or not how you’ll look when I’m inside of you in five minutes.”

  Sliding down his body, she said, “The captain and crew have orders not to come out here unless we ring for them or the boat starts to sink. I imagine they’re used to acceding to the demands of incredibly demanding guests. So let’s be reckless. Be Genny and Theo, not the princess and the auditor.”

  “How reckless?”

  Yeah, that question answered itself as she pulled down his trunks and latched her mouth around his cock.

  What was more arousing? The sight of Genevieve splayed, knees braced wide, violet eyes locked onto his as she sucked him while squeezing his balls with one hand? Or the actual feel of the swirls of her tongue over the tip?

  It was the combination that made for such a powerful punch of need. Added onto the hot sun and turquoise waters. This moment was the perfect fantasy Theo never knew he wanted. It was everything.

  Almost.

  Two sharp tugs undid the bow at her neck. The tiny white triangles fell forward, revealing those beautiful breasts and their pale pink nipples. Another bolt of desire slammed down his spine. Theo fisted one hand in her hair, adjusting the speed just a little because he couldn’t let this be over so soon.

  Keeping one hand pumping his cock, Genny licked her way across his balls.

  So much for waiting.

  “My darling, you’ve got to stop.”

  She sat back on her heels with a smirk. Then, looking up at him from beneath half-lidded eyes, she murmured, “I believe I’m the one with the power to command you, Lord Theo.”

  “Not in the bedroom. That’s where I rule, Princess.” He stepped out of his trunks and grabbed for her purse—which now always held a strip of condoms next to the pricey lipstick and embroidered handkerchief. “Get naked for me.”

  “My pleasure.” A full-body wiggle sent her top cascading to the teak deck. The strip tease continued with Genevieve turning away from him, canting forward at about forty degrees, and circling her hips slowly—tantalizingly—as the bottom of her suit was drawn down her legs.

  The heart-shaped ass beckoned to him as strongly as the sirens did to Hercules in perhaps this very sea. Growling, Theo banded her waist with one arm and picked her up, tossing her face down on the oversize round cushion.

  Genny squealed, laughed, but stayed put. He bit her ass. Feasted on it, really, while he rolled on the condom. Which took twice as long as usual because his cock had a mind of its own at this point and kept twitching and reaching for Genny.

  “Up on your knees,” he ordered.

  Theo wedged his thigh between her legs, lifting it to rub against her. The woman was already sopping wet. Just another reminder of how well they worked together in the bedroom, because he was way past ready.

  Tenderly, he spread her lips to help guide himself in. Genevieve was so tight. Theo always held back, using every ounce of self-control garnered over his twenty-eight years. He didn’t want to cause her even a moment of discomfort. And the wait was always worth it.

  Sure enough, after only a few careful thrusts, she started to push back against him. Suddenly he was balls deep in her. Theo kept one hand between her legs, thumb circling her clit with increasing pressure.

  Her legs shook. Thank God, her orgasm must be as close as his. With his other hand, he pinched her nipple, in a rhythm that matched his strokes. Genny’s softness was unreal. The pleasure melting down his brain was unreal. Her mewling cries, interspersed with breathy moans of his name, almost rocketed him over the edge.

  But you didn’t treat a princess so shabbily.

  Sliding his knees a little wider changed his angle. Theo kicked up the pace of his thrusts, flickered his finger back and forth across her clit as fast as he could. Genny’s back arched. Her head tilted back, and she screamed his name out across the sea. Her inner muscles clenched, milking him tightly.

  Theo grabbed her hip and absolutely hammered into her. Smelled the salt tang of the air, saw the sweat beading in the small of her back, and heard himself groan as he spurted into her in the longest, most wracking orgasm of his life.

  So far, anyway.

  But there were five bedrooms on this yacht. Probably ten couches, countless lounge chairs. Theo planned to make love to the princess on all of them.

  And in the hot tub.

  Planned to wring orgasms out of her until…until maybe she told him how she felt. Maybe.

  This overnight might be their only one. He’d damn well make the most of it.

  Theo pulled out and curled around her, spooning together every inch. Genevieve’s panting slowed, and she turned her head to offer him a lazy, satisfied, adoring smile.

  Who was he kidding? He wasn’t falling in love with her anymore.

  He was already there.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Genevieve had a million questions for Kelsey. Well, if push came to shove, they could be distilled down to a single question—how did she know Elias was the man for her?

  How did she know it was love and not infatuation or just a strong friendship coupled with insta-lust? After all, Elias was exceedingly handsome. Genevieve had noticed that herself for a hot second years ago before realizing that her brother’s best friend was, well, like a brother to her.

  The problem was figuring out how to ask her without insulting their very serious relationship. No, the bigger problem was asking without giving away how very much Genevieve thought she might be in love with Theo.

  It had never happened before. There’d been relationships. Discreet flings. Appropriate men who escorted her to parties and functions and were fun on the dance floor.

  Theo was different.

  Theo was everything. He consumed her thoughts, her dreams. He pushed every single button for her. He drove her crazy. He made her laugh. He made her swoon. He made her think outside the proscribed lines she’d stayed within her entire life.

  But she hadn’t officially told Kelsey anything about the two of them. Theo said her sister had guessed the truth. Strategically, it seemed wiser to slowly open up about secretly dating him. Jumping from zero to I think I love him was a lot to take in. Kelsey would undoubtedly warn her about rushing things. Warn her about all the ways it didn’t, it couldn’t work between she and Theo.

  Genevieve di
dn’t want to hear any of that.

  So instead, she smiled at Kelsey across the table’s centerpiece of floating pink blossoms and asked, “Are you excited for your birthday party?”

  “Nope.” Then Kelsey’s head popped up, her eyes meeting Genny’s. “Oh God. That sounds ungrateful. I’m sorry.”

  Setting down her fork, Genny said, “You get to bitch to your sister.”

  “But you’ve done all this work to prepare for it.” Kelsey pointed at the iPad by Genny’s plate to indicate the guest list they’d been about to review. “I appreciate the time and effort. Truly. It’ll feel so much more personal than if the palace event coordinator had handled everything.”

  “And yet…”

  Kelsey closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “I didn’t even know that August 7 was my real birthday until a few months ago. It feels like somebody threw a dart at a calendar and ordered me to celebrate on a random date. It feels…like a farce.”

  “I get that.”

  When Kelsey had discovered she’d been kidnapped as a baby, she also discovered that she’d originally had a different birthday—and a whole different name, for that matter. She’d held firm on sticking with Kelsey but thrown the old guard a bone by saying she’d officially recognize the date on her birth certificate.

  It was a smart strategy. So what if the entire country sent congratulatory tweets (what felt like) a month early? It didn’t matter. Her name—that mattered.

  But twenty-four hours before the first official celebration of her birthday, it made sense that Kelsey felt the reality of it scratching at her. She’d undergone so many huge life changes since choosing to stay in Moncriano and take up her tiara. This party was one more uncomfortable poke.

  Genevieve might not know the best way to help Kelsey. Not yet. But she did have an entire lifetime of diplomacy training. And helping Kelsey was a good distraction from her own issues.

  She’d emphasize the positives. “You’ve got that gorgeous new dress for the party. You’ll be wearing the tiara that you said drives Elias wild. The food will be out of this world. The palace chef had you sample thirteen different cakes.”