Page 49 of Deviant Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 5)

“What happened the night of the pool party?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I smile to myself at the memory.

“You got utterly wasted, as I’m sure you’re aware. The others left. Alex got the munchies and they all followed.

“Stella and Calli didn’t want to leave you, but Stella was swept up by Seb, and you convinced Calli to go with Nico and that you’d be right there.

“I hung back, shamelessly checking you out in your wet underwear and wishing I could get closer to you.”

“Shut up, you were not,” she argues.

“Guilty. But then you tripped over your own foot and face-planted the floor.”

“The blood?”

“The blood.”

“So…”

“So I scooped you up in my arms and carried you back. The guys were distracted by food, sleep or sex, and no one paid any attention as I carried you into my room.

“Your underwear was soaked from the pool so I stripped it off you, put you in my shirt, cleaned you up, and put you in my bed to sleep it off.”

“Can’t believe you stripped me naked,” she mutters, although she doesn’t look all that bothered. I guess it’s a little late now.

“I kept the light off. I was a gentleman.”

She scoffs. “Not sure you’ve ever been one of those.”

“I have my moments,” I mutter. “Anyway, I dragged my chair over and watched you sleep, made sure you didn’t stop breathing or whatever. I was worried you might have had a concussion from hitting your head.”

“Was that the night it started?” she asks.

“I mean, I was pretty obsessed before that, but that’s the night everything changed.”

She nods, accepting my words.

“I won’t apologise for who I am, Em. But I am sorry for how it all played out. I honestly didn’t know about us being married until Dad gave me the paperwork and tasked me to find out everything you knew. I didn’t have a clue about your mum, that you were connected, although his actions did make me suspicious.”

She steps closer, standing between my spread thighs. Resting my palms back on the mattress, I stare up at her, desperate to reach out but also needing her to make the first move.

Her hand darts out, her delicate fingers wrapping around the column of my throat just like I’ve done to her so many times.

I swallow, letting her feel how her touch affects me.

I haven’t missed the power shift between us recently. I thought I’d hate it, handing over a little of my control. But with Emmie, just like everything else that involves her, I find I actually quite enjoy it. Maybe I can let go once in a while.

“Emmie?”

“Stop talking,” she demands. “I don’t want any more words. I just want… I just want nothing.”

Her lips slam down on mine and I waste no time in pushing my tongue inside her mouth, searching for hers.

A moan rumbles in the back of my throat as she climbs onto my lap and threads her fingers in my hair.

Pushing so I’m sitting up, I grip her tiny waist in my hands, forcing her to grind down on me.

“No,” she says, making my heart sink into my feet as she pulls my hands from her waist. “Stuff your need for control back in its box. You’re mine.”