Page 40 of Royal Daddy (Silver Fox Daddies #21)

Luc

“D id you just call me buddy?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

Ava grinned at me. “What, you’ve got a problem with nicknames?”

“Not at all. I’m just getting my head around the idea of having a princess like you.”

Her smile turned sly. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I think you know exactly what it means. You’re a princess unlike anyone in that ballroom has ever seen before. You’re beautiful, graceful, and stylish, like any royal ought to be. But you’re more than that. You’re brash, you’re independent, you’re bold. I’ve known these traits of yours before, of course. Seeing them in action tonight has been something else.”

“Is that right?” She traced her finger around the rim of her glass as she spoke.

“It’s the truth. I have to be honest, Ava. When you told me that you were done with your lessons, done with trying to be a princess, I was a bit worried. Seeing you tonight… God, it makes me feel so damn stupid that the solution to you comfortably stepping into your role was so obvious.”

“Yeah? How do you mean?”

“I mean that all we had to do was let you be, well, you . You didn’t need lessons, didn’t need training. All you needed was permission to be yourself. Then again, not that someone like you would ever need permission for much of anything.”

She laughed. “Yep. I just figured that if Edoria’s going to accept me, they’re going to accept me for who I am, not someone I’m pretending to be.”

There was something about her at that moment. Maybe it was the way the moon above cast her features in silvery light, maybe it was the way her body looked in that dress. Maybe it was how goddamn proud I was to see her stepping into her own and being the princess that I knew she could be.

It didn’t matter what it was, really. What did matter was how I felt.

I loved her. I was certain of it.

“You OK?” Ava cocked her head to the side, seeming to sense that something was off. She was right—I’d been lost in my own head, my own feelings.

“I’m fine. Yes. Fine.”

“You don’t look fine. You look like you have something serious on your mind.”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Ava grinned, then stiffened her posture, squaring her shoulders and standing ramrod straight.

“Luc, my loyal subject. I hereby command you to tell me what’s on your mind.”

I laughed. “You know, until you go through with the naming ceremony, you don’t have any official rule over me or anyone else here.”

She shrugged, her normal, casual posture returning. “Well, in that case, can you tell me as a friend what’s on your mind?”

“It’s… just what you said. You are my princess, and one day you’ll be my queen. I want you to know, without a doubt, that you have my heart, my loyalty. If you choose to stay here in Edoria, I’ll give you my oath that I’ll serve you and kneel, just as I did for your father, and your mother. I’ll be whatever you need.”

I couldn’t help but lower my head to her as I spoke. My words weren’t exactly what I felt, but they were pretty damn close. After all, there was another component to our relationship that I hadn’t mentioned, one that wouldn’t be appropriate there at the ball.

Ava reached up, taking my face into her hands.

“I appreciate that, Luc. But I don’t need you to be what I need.”

I lifted my eyes. “How do you mean, Princess?”

“You’re a loyal man. I understand that and treasure it. But I don’t want you to be what I need, I want you to be what you are.”

I raised my head, listening carefully.

“Take me, for example. You said that what makes me great in this role as a princess is what I am, not what the role demands of me.”

“That’s right.”

“And it’s the same for you. I don’t want some obedient lackey. I want Luc . I want you—strong and bossy and even a little grouchy. Not to mention the other things you are.” She followed this up with a small smile that hinted at the subject that I couldn’t get out of my mind since laying eyes on her in that dress.

I matched her grin with one of my own. “And you’re more than just royalty to me. You’re a gorgeous, sensual woman who I’d do anything to please both in and out of the bedroom.”

Her eyes flashed, the smile still staying on her face. Ava stepped back, sweeping her hand over her dress.

“Tell me, Luc, what do you think of this?”

“Hm. I don’t have much of an eye for the particulars of dress craftsmanship, but even I can tell that it’s something special.”

“Is that all?” she asked.

It wasn’t. The way the gown tastefully clung to her body, hinting at the curves underneath… it was enough to make me feel ways that I ought not to.

“Tell me,” she said, that playful smile still on her face. “Tell your princess how this dress makes you feel.”

I grinned, stepping forward in a daring manner. I placed my hand on her hip, doing it in such a way that no one else around could see what I was doing.

“You look damn good in that dress. But you damn well know I’d much rather see you out of it.”

She laughed lightly, sweetly. “Is that any way to speak to royalty, Luc?”

“Perhaps not. But I’m willing to make exceptions.”

Her smile turned into one more sensual, more inviting.

“If you ask me, we have a serious matter of discipline on our hands.”

“Is that right?”

“It sure is. And it’s a matter that requires immediate and serious addressing.” She bit down on her lower lip, glancing away in thought. “If you ask me, the sort of tongue-lashing that your impudence requires is something not at all appropriate for this kind of venue. No, this needs to be conducted in complete privacy.”

I lowered my hand to the hem of her dress, leaning to the side and slipping my touch under the fabric. The veranda was dark, our conversation hidden from prying eyes. After taking one more look around to make certain that no one was listening or watching, I moved my hand up even further.

Ava closed her eyes, still biting down on her lip as I brought my fingertips to the edge of her panties, moving between her thighs and teasing her clit.

“How’s this for impudence?” I asked.

She fell into the touch for a long moment, a smile spreading across her face.

“Oh, this little matter certainly needs addressing. Come on.”

Ava grabbed my hand and pulled it out from under her dress, giving me a tug and leading me away from the edge of the veranda. I was halfway hard and understood that it would take quite a bit of poise for me to make it through the ball without letting anyone notice how damn horny I was.

That’s precisely what we did, however. We split once we were back in the main ballroom, each of us doing one more circle of small talk before heading out through the side doors. Something caught my attention on the way out—I couldn’t spot any sign of Alaric. It was strange that the king himself would be so scarce at such an important event.

Likely just went out for some fresh air , I thought as I entered the side hallway.

I pushed the matter out of my head as I took the stairs to the second floor. The space was off-limits to ball guests, the quiet welcome after the couple hours of conversation and music that had just passed. I caught sight of Ava up ahead at the door to her chambers, an inviting look on her face as she opened the door and disappeared inside.

My heart was beating like a drum as I made my way down the hall. Just the idea of being with her again was enough to make me hard, to make me want to pounce on her like an animal. I approached the door to her chambers, taking one more glance down the hall to make sure no one was looking. Once I confirmed that I was alone on the floor, I knocked.

“Come in.”

I opened the door slowly. The sight inside was almost more than I could take. Ava was there, her gown off and draped over the desk. She was dressed in a set of lilac-colored lingerie and posed on the bed, her legs crossed as she propped herself up on her arms.

“Hey,” she said, the smile on her face letting me know that she was enjoying my reaction.

“Hey.”

“You going to stand there all day and stare? Or are you going to shut that door and get your sexy ass over here?”

“When you look that good, there’s nothing a man can do but stare.”

Ava sat up, slipping her fingers underneath the straps of her bra and moving them down over her bare, slender shoulders, her eyes on mine as she exposed more and more of her breasts until her perfect, pink nipples were on full display.

“Still feel like standing over there?” Her tone was challenging, as if she were daring me to come take her.

“Might’ve just had a change of heart.”

I shut the door and strode over to the bed, taking off my black jacket and tie, working the buttons of my shirt and slipping it off right as I reached her. After stepping out of my shoes and socks, I moved onto the bed next to Ava, scooping her into my arms with such ferocity that a gasp pulled into her lungs. I moved her underneath me, my cock pressing against her bare belly.

“Now, is that any way to handle a princess?”

I grinned. “It seems that you’ve forgotten the rules of our bedroom activities.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmm-hmm. Out there, you might be a princess. But in here? I’m your king.”

A sensual smile formed on her lips. “Quite an unconventional royal arrangement.”

“It is. But let me show you how good I can be.”

“Please do.”

We kissed hard, my hand falling onto the soft warmth of her hip, her tongue moving past my lips, her intoxicating taste washing over me. Her nearness, her touch, her taste—it all blended together like the most delicious ambrosia for the senses. I could hardly keep myself in check.

There was something else to her kiss, a confidence that hadn’t been there before. That first time we’d made love, when I’d taken her virginity, the uncertainty in the way she’d carried herself had been palpable.

This was different. Ava kissed me back in the way she wanted, putting her hands on my body and taking in the sensation of my muscles. When she’d had her fill, she quickly opened my button and zipper, pulling down my tuxedo slacks and taking hold of my stiff cock. She stroked me, the pleasure like hot waves rolling through my body. Then, with a sly smile on her face, she moved down, kissing me along the lines of my abs, soon reaching my cock.

She didn’t need guidance this time. Ava placed her lips at my base, licking and sucking me, her hand expertly gliding along my length.

I watched as she slowly, teasingly, traveled up the length of my cock with her lips. When she was at the tip, she gave my head a few well-placed licks before taking me into her mouth.

“God.” I moaned the word as she pleasured me, her warmth and her wetness and her tongue working together to bring me to new heights. “You’re so damn good at that.”

“You taught me well,” she said, taking her mouth from my cock for long enough to speak.

The sight was heavenly. As much as I wanted more from her, I couldn’t help but simply enjoy the sight of Ava’s mouth going up and down my cock, my balls cupped in her hand as she sucked in earnest.

Finally unable to wait any longer, I scooped her up, my cock falling out of her mouth as I laid her down on the bed.

“Now, Princess,” I said. “It’s my turn to make you feel good.”