Page 11

Ava

I didn’t know what I was more taken aback by, the gorgeous, sculpted body on display in front of me, or the fact that I was staring at Luc nearly naked.

Seeing Luc without a shirt on was a delicious sight. His shoulders were round and wide, his chest like two square slabs of granite dusted with just the right amount of silver hair. His abs were shredded, not a trace of fat to be found. His body was the built, powerful body of a man who put that physique to good use.

On top of it all, his towel hung just low enough on his hips that I could make out the notches of his pelvic bones, the part of men’s bodies that I’d always considered the yummiest. It took all the restraint I had to not rip the towel off and get a good hard look at the rest of him.

The anger on his face, however, brought me back to the moment. Not to mention everything else that had been on my mind.

“I’m sorry, I was looking for you and I just walked in. I didn’t stop to think this might be your bathroom.”

Whatever anger remained on his face vanished, replaced by concern. Luc reached forward, placing his huge hand on my shoulder.

“You were looking for me?”

I closed my eyes, a single tear forming in one of them.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” The words came out in a whisper. As soon as they were spoken I realized the truth behind them.

“I’m sorry?” he asked.

I opened my mouth, trying to find the words.

“Sorry,” I said. “This kind of thing, it’s new for me.”

“This kind of thing?” he asked. “What kind of thing?”

I swept my hand toward the room around me, a gesture meant to encompass the entire royal palace.

“This! Being here, not knowing who the hell I am, what I’m supposed to be doing.”

He smiled slightly. “You’re the princess. If anything, your role is clearer than it’s ever been.”

“But it’s not something I earned or decided for myself. I don’t know how to handle everything just being given to me like this.”

“Very American,” he said. “And admirable. But… I suspect there’s something more, something you’re having a little difficulty telling me.”

God, he was good. On top of it all, one glance at those steely, hunter’s eyes let me know right away that there was no sense in trying to lie to him, he would’ve spotted it right away.

I bit down on my lower lip, looking away from him as I tried to figure out the words.

“It’s my father.”

“The king?”

“One and the same.”

“What happened?”

At that moment, I couldn’t help but notice that his hand was still on my shoulder. I didn’t make a move to remove it.

“We had lunch together,” I said. “First, there was that stupid, huge table. I mean, come on! How are we supposed to talk and have a normal meal together if we’re seated on opposite ends?”

“I know.” Now it was his turn to look away and try to figure out how to properly word what came next out of his mouth. “Make no mistake, the king is a good man. But he can come off a bit callous.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“And more than that, he’s one for tradition. Meals for the staff are in the dining hall, and the royal family are at their proper places. Doesn’t matter if it’s the first time he’s seeing you after all these years. Such traditions might seem strange and alienating to you, but they’re how he finds order and comfort.”

“It wasn’t just the seating arrangement,” I said. “He asked me to catch him up on my life. He just sat there listening to me telling him everything about what I’d been up to over the last two freaking decades and it was like talking to a bank teller or something, he was totally impassive. It felt so cold and lonely. Then he just got up and left. I don’t know if I can do this. I keep thinking about being back home in Seattle, working the crab cake truck and slinging sandwiches. That’s where I’m supposed to be; that’s my element. Not any of this. Here, I’m confused and clueless and alone.”

I turned my attention back to Luc, who continued to regard me with an expression of mild confusion, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do with this outpouring of feelings.

I sighed. “This is so stupid of me. You’re trying to shave and go to bed and here I am, dumping all this out on you. And you’re my father’s right hand, there’s no way you’re not going to take his side. I know you don’t care about any of this.”

“That’s not true.”

“You don’t have to say that. It was careless of me to march into the bathroom like this. I’ll let you finish. I’m sorry.”

With that, I turned away from him again, Luc’s hand falling from my shoulder. As I left, I couldn’t help but take one final glance back at that chiseled, rock-hard body. The last ten minutes had been a total disaster, but at least I had the mental image of Luc without a shirt on to tide me over.

I opened the door to head to my room. The moment I was over the threshold, however, I heard him speak.

“Wait.”

I turned to watch as Luc left the bathroom and came into the hall between our quarters. He stopped close enough to give me pause. His nearness suddenly made me very aware of the clothes I had on—a spaghetti strap top and a pair of short shorts that showed off most of my legs.

As weird as it was, part of me liked being dressed in such a skimpy way in front of him. Plus, it was only fair, right? If he was going to be wearing nearly nothing at all, then shouldn’t I return the favor? My pussy clenched and my heart began to race.

What the hell did he want? I wasn’t fully versed on royal palace protocol, but I didn’t need to know a thing about it to understand that a man like him being just outside the princess’s royal chambers with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist was a major breech of protocol.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said.

“An idea?”

“An idea. You’ve got a lot on your mind, Princess. More than enough to keep your thoughts occupied.”

“You’re right about that.” Why was he standing so close? It was making it hard to think.

“Instead of going through it all bit-by-bit, I’ve got a better solution—a distraction.”

“A distraction?”

“That’s right. Something that will hold you over in the moments where you feel isolated or out of place. Something that will take your mind off all the unfamiliar things going on in your life.” He nodded past me. “You’re feeling out of sorts right now, but that’s only temporary.”

Surprisingly, his words were calming and something about his tone put me at ease.

“I don’t know,” I said. “If there’s a time to get out of this, it’s now. I can tell my father that I don’t want to do this, that he needs to find someone else for the job.”

An easy smile formed on his lips. He was close enough that I could see little dabs of shaving cream on his face, smell the freshness of his skin from the shower. Everything about him was inviting, his very being seeming to call out to me to give myself over to him.

“I understand why you feel that way. But think about it for a moment. You came all this way, right? Don’t you owe it to yourself to give it an honest shot?”

I bit my lip once more. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know. It’s so much to think about.”

The smile stayed on his face. “You’re still not getting it. Right now, you don’t need to think. You need a distraction.”

“And… what kind of distraction did you have in mind?”

He stepped closer to me, far closer than a man in his position should’ve been.

“The distraction I’m thinking of is what we’ve both had on our minds since we first saw one another.”

Oh, shit . My pussy clenched again, and I knew in that moment there was no resisting him.

I looked up to see his steely eyes staring down at me, heat and passion building between us. I could feel my heart racing and I was keenly aware of two things—no man had ever made me feel the way Luc did, and I had never wanted anybody more than I wanted him.

We crashed into one another, both of us giving in at the same time. Luc wrapped his huge, thick arms around me as he pulled me close, pressing me against his body. He was solid as stone, yet warm and inviting. I gasped, but the sound didn’t last for long. Luc leaned down, placing his hand underneath my chin as he kissed me hard.

If the way he’d made me feel standing so close to me was amazing, the kiss was something from another freaking universe. I practically melted where I stood, the tightness between my thighs almost too much to take. I opened my mouth and let in, his flavor washing over me as he found my tongue with his own. Luc’s hands went to my hips, squeezing them as he brought me closer. The more he touched me, the more I wanted him to touch me. There was no hesitation with Luc. I kissed him hard and he kissed me back, and with every moment our tongues touched I inched closer and closer to wanting to give myself over to him in a way I never had before.

In the middle of the kiss, however, he pulled back. Slightly confused, I looked up at him.

“Something wrong?” I asked.

He shook his head slowly. “Only that you’re not on the bed right now.” He raised his finger toward my room behind me. “Go.”

My eyebrows arched. “Go?”

“You might be the princess of this castle but I’m the boss of this room. Now, go.”

“You’re the boss of this room, huh?” I asked, putting my hands on his hips and throwing a challenging smile in his direction. “Pretty sure I could have you thrown in a dungeon for that kind of talk.”

Without a word, he gently nudged me into my bedroom, closing the door behind him with his foot. Boldly, he placed his hands on my middle, slipping them up my tank. I gasped at the sensation of his palms on my bare belly, closing my eyes and moaning as he moved up, taking my breasts into his hands. With expert precision he began teasing my nipples, making them go hard against his touch.

His touch said more than words possibly could, and as much as I wanted to be a brat to him, the greater urge was to let him keep doing whatever he had in mind.

Luc let go of one of my breasts, moving his hand down my belly, this time under the waistband of my shorts. I gasped as he touched me, as he slipped his hands under the front of my panties, inching closer and closer to where I really wanted him.

Then, he stopped.

“What… why?”

“Because I want you on the bed.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, stomping my foot in a bratty way as I grabbed his wrist and pulled it out of my underwear.

“Fine.”

I turned, heading over to the bed and climbing on top of it. Luc stood across from me, a hungry look in his eyes and a cocky smirk on his lips that made it clear he had me right where he wanted me. He strode over to the bed and stood at the side of it.

“Take your clothes off,” he commanded.

His tone, his body, his everything, hypnotized me. All I could do was comply, shucking off my shorts and pulling off my top. Just like that, I was in nothing but a simple pair of black panties.

He moved onto the bed next to me, the towel still wrapped around his waist. I could see that he was hard, his manhood tenting the soft fabric. Luc reached over and placed his hand on my inner thigh, preparing to continue what he’d started on the other side of the room.

“Wait.”

He stopped without hesitation.

“Something wrong?” A touch of concern was in his voice, a tone that let me know he’d stop right then and there if I asked him to.

“It’s just… OK. I’ve been really busy with work.”

“O… K…”

“Like, really busy with work. Even before the crab truck, I was working twelve-hour shifts in restaurants. And before that, I was in school.”

He cocked his head to the side. “While I’m happy to get to know you better Ava, I have to wonder why you’re going over your resume in bed with me while wearing nothing but your panties. Not any kind of dirty talk I’ve experienced.”

I realized how silly I must’ve sounded and got right to the point.

“When you’re that busy, you don’t have much time for anything fun. Especially dating. And if you’re not dating, you’re not doing… this kind of thing. Ever.”

It took him a second, but when he realized what I was saying, his eyes went wide in a way I’d never seen from him.

“You’re kidding. You’ve never done anything like this?”

“I mean, I’ve kissed guys before. But as far as anything else? Nope. We crossed the line of furthest I’ve ever gone with a guy the second you put your hands down my panties.”

He raised his eyebrows a bit, nodding as if I’d just given him something that he needed to think over.

“Alright,” he said. “So, you’re a…”

“Virgin.” The word popped out of my mouth as if he couldn’t have finished the statement on his own.

“That’s surprising”

“You think so?”

“A woman who looks like you?” he asked. “I would’ve thought you’d have a pool of men to pick from at your leisure.”

“You’d be surprised how much that isn’t the case when you’ve spent the majority of your adult life in a kitchen. But… I still want to do this with you. That is, if you’re not totally weirded out.”

“Not weirded out,” he said. “Just… more careful.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that as much as I want to be buried to the hilt inside of you, that’s not going to happen tonight.”

My disappointment at his words was immeasurable. I finally find a guy I’m ready to go all the way with, and he’s running for the hills because I’m a virgin?

“But I want it,” I protested.

“And so do I. But I’ve already crossed too many lines tonight.” To my surprise, he placed his hand back on my thigh. “That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, of course.”

“What kind of fun?”

“The kind where I make you come over and over,” he said, his voice low and sensual.

I about melted.

“Now,” he said, his fingertips dancing along my thigh toward the bottom of my panties. “There are going to be some rules.”

“Rules?”

“That’s right. First, I’m the one in charge in the bedroom. You might be the princess, but between these four walls, I’m the boss.”

I shivered at his words. Part of me wanted to tell him to screw off, but the greater part liked the idea of surrendering myself to him.

“You think so, huh?” I asked.

He moved his hand up, placing his fingers on my pussy through my panties. Luc pressed down in a way that made my eyes go wide, pleasure exploding from between my legs.

“Oh… my… God .”

“That feel good?” he asked, his fingertip finding my clit and teasing it in just the way I wanted.

“So… so good.”

“Good. Now, for the second rule. If you’re going to address me in the bedroom, you do so by calling me sir . Understand?”

It was almost too much. I’d never been a woman afraid to stand up for myself, but between the surrender and the pleasure, I didn’t know what to think.

He stopped.

“You want me to keep going?” he asked. “To make you come?”

“Yes, so much.”

“Yes, so much what ?”

“Yes… so much… sir .”

To my surprise, the word felt damn good to say.His authority game might actually be fun.

“There we go,” he said. “Now, take off your panties.”

I did as he asked, as he commanded , hooking my thumbs underneath the waistband and peeling them down over my bare thighs. Just like that, I was totally naked in front of a man… another first for the night.

“You’re something else,” he said. “Stunning.”

“Not so bad yourself,” I replied, reaching for his towel. “Now, let me see you.”

He placed his free hand on mine and shook his head. “Not just yet. Tonight’s about you.”

Luc moved his other hand down, over the trimmed patch of hair over my pussy then between my thighs. I was so wet, so ready for him, that the mere nearness of his touch was enough to bring me to the edge. Luc opened me with his fingers, spreading my lips before teasing my clit.

I closed my eyes and moaned, rocking my hips to the side as he moved his fingertip around me in slow circles. The pleasure was incredible, a hundred times more intense than anything I’d been able to do by myself. Luc brought me to the edge, waiting for just the right moment to slip a finger inside of me.

I gasped, his touch so tantalizing.

“Now, you’ve never had a man inside of you, correct?” he asked. “Not even a finger?”

“Not even a finger.”

“If you want this, you know the rules.”

I bit my lip, trying hard to focus on the words.

“I… I want it inside of me, please.”

“You want it inside of you what ?”

I smiled, shaking my head.

“ Sir .”

“Good girl.”

With that, he slipped his middle finger into me. The sensation was incredible, my walls stretching around him, gripping his finger as he moved it in and out. I moaned as he continued to tease my clit with his thumb while fingering me. As good as that felt, it only made me want more. I could tell that he had a gorgeous cock underneath that towel, if only he’d let me see it.

“Come for me,” he said. “Are you ready?”

“Yes…yes, sir .”

As if the words were magic, I released. Hot pleasure pulsed through my body, cries of total delight flowing from me. I thrashed from the intensity, the orgasm unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Once it faded, all I could do was take one deep breath and then another.

“I’m not finished with you yet,” he said.

“Good.”

Luc flashed me a grin as he leaned down to kiss my breasts, licking and sucking one nipple and then the other before moving down my body, over my belly. He kissed that too, all the way down to the notches of my hips.

“You like this?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.” I was starting to get the hang of this.

He moved between my legs, spreading them open as he covered my inner thighs in kisses. He inched closer and closer until he was near enough to tease me with quick licks, his finger once more moving in and out of me.

I opened my eyes just enough to watch as he began licking my clit with quick, sharp flicks of his tongue, each one sending a lightning bolt of ecstasy through me. I took in one deep breath after another, my hands moving over my stomach and my breasts, my hips squirming.

I couldn’t believe how expertly he worked, each movement of his tongue over me bringing another orgasm closer and closer.

“Come for me again,” he said. “Now.”

“Yes… yes, si —”

I didn’t even get a chance to finish before the climax ripped through me, my back arching as the delight coursed, spreading from between my legs all the way to the rest of my body. I groaned with delight, grabbing onto Luc, running my hands through his thick hair and making sure that he stayed right where he was.

When the orgasm faded, Luc rose from between my legs, wiping the glistening juices from his lips with the back of his hand.

“How was that?” he asked.

“You kidding?” I replied between breaths. “Me screaming like a banshee didn’t tip you off?”

He chuckled as he moved over me, planting a slow, deep kiss on my lips.

“I like the way you call me sir ,” he said when he took his lips from mine.

With that, he rolled off the bed, the towel still wrapped around his hips.

“Good night, Princess. Sleep well, we’ve got plans for the morning.”

Luc flashed me a small smirk over his shoulder as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, one single question flashed in my mind… what the hell had just happened?