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“But I’m supposed to—”

“The Princess and I are running an errand, and then she’ll be back home.” I lick my bottom lip, tasting her fruity lip gloss. “Don’t you have some potluck to go to or something?”

Verity blinks at me, then looks over at him. “It’s your night off. Go have fun at Family Dinner.”

“You sure?” he asks. “I could have Sy put in a call. See if you can come?”

Before I can fully rear forward to interject, Verity touches my chest, shaking her head at him. “No, thanks. I’ll be back in West End soon enough. Better to stay here and tie things up with Stella.”

The reminder that her month with us is coming to a close evokes conflicting feelings. There’s relief since we won’t be on round-the-clock guard duty, but also a thread of deep annoyance. If it were up to me, my brothers and I would be long gone. But it isn’t, and we aren’t, and if we’re going to stay and keep playing the part of Princes, then we should at the very fucking least have a full-time Princess and not this ridiculous halfway situation.

Before he even walks away, I’ve tossed her bag over my shoulder and taken her hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. Full boyfriend mode. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s this.

“So where are the guys?” she asks, wiggling her fingers uncomfortably. I tighten my grip, holding her close enough to get a whiff of her shampoo as we walk to the parking lot.

“Lex had a meeting. Pace has tutoring.”

Her brow arches. “Tutoring? Isn’t he, like, crazy smart?”

“Yeah, Princess.” I unlock the doors of my car. “Turns out no one is teaching advanced calculus in prison.”

Her face falls. “Oh.”

It never gets old, reminding her that she’s not the center of the universe. I know she thinks she is, especially with that abomination growing in her stomach, but we all have shit going on. School, hockey, Prince obligations, meeting Father’s demands…

I open the passenger side door and toss our bags in the back. Before she moves to sit, I grab her by the hips and bring her in for another kiss—this one observed by a passing group of sorority girls. Verity makes a small, surprised sound, but melts into it faster than the last one, her fingers twisting in my designer shirt. I’ve only got two more nights to convince her a ride on my cock could be advantageous to us both. The hornier I leave her today, the better my chances become.

When her chest is heaving and gasping for air, I pull away, nudging her into the car. Slamming the door, I exhale, taking my own deep breaths before getting in the driver’s side.

Now we can drop the pretense.

“Where are we going?” she asks, turning her legs away from me. Inside my prized Ferrari, our body language is the polar opposite of outside. As much space as possible.

“Picking up my new tux.” I press the button to start the engine, and the steady beat of music spills from the speakers. “Despite Father’s efforts to keep me the physical dimensions of a ten-year-old, I’ve grown an inch in height and across the shoulders.”

From the passenger seat, a deep sound rumbles through the air. I glance over and see Verity clutching her stomach.

“Oh, hell no,” I snap. “Don’t you fucking dare puke in my car!”

“I’m not going to puke,” she says, grimacing. “I’m starving.”

“Doesn’t Lex send you to campus with some kind of snack?” I ask, pulling into Forsyth Center. The shopping promenade is located just off campus, in undesignated territory. It’s filled with high-end boutiques and upscale restaurants.

“I already ate it,” she says, eyes flashing guiltily. “Hours ago.”

“Sucks to be you.” Driving straight to the valet, I stop, stepping fluidly out of the car. And since I’m good at what I do, I walk around, opening her door and offering her my hand.

After a skeptical glance, she takes it, but as soon as she’s standing on the pavement, she releases a long, desperate groan.

“What’s your deal?” I ask, impatiently ushering her toward the shops. I’m not pushing the PDA out here. That deal was for campus.

“Thatsmell. God, I would literally die for a burrito right now.” She looks longingly at the Mexican restaurant across the plaza.

I freeze, a light bulb going off in my head. “Yeah?” Turning to her, I take her hand and place it on my belt, just above my cock. “What else would you do?” Pointedly, I drop my gaze to her soft lips.

Her green eyes stare up at me, growing wide at the implication. “I’m not sucking your dick for a burrito!” She snatches her hand away.

“Fine,” I say, casual as I please. “Even though this will probably be your only chance. Lex will never let you have one.”