Page 33 of Royal Trouble
Royal Rumble
The royal wedding is just weeks away, and all of Valerian high society turned out in their Sunday best for the traditional bridal luncheon hosted by the palace. (#FascinatorsFTW! Check out the gallery below.) We hear twenty thousand cups of tea, twelve thousand mini cakes, and fifteen thousand dainty little finger sandwiches were served, but honestly, who cares, right?
The real story of the day isn’t the eats (though we love cake). Notably missing from the party was none other than the royal spare, HRH Prince Alexander. So where was the second son if not celebrating the upcoming marriage of his older brother and future monarch?
Sources within the palace say there’s a feud brewing between the heir and the spare, and tensions at the palace are at an all-time high. Seems as good a reason as any for the royal bad boy to ditch a swanky party, but what do we know? Rumor has it HRH Prince Alexander has his eyes on the throne (which we’re pretty sure he can only inherit if he knocks off his brother).
Adding insult to injury, we’re told he’s not exactly a fan of Elena Murphy, the future Duchess of Carlyle. Something to do with her American heritage, but we’re calling bullsh*t. Everyone knows the royal rogue loves American ladies. And he’s got a long list of exploits to prove it! (Remember the triplets from Vegas? We do!)
A word of advice, HRH Prince Alexander, we love you and we appreciate a big scepter as much as the next girl, but we’re not sure you’re cut out for ruling. Unless it our hearts and our panties. Then sign us up!
Chapter Eight
Everly pressed send, ignoring the guilt that niggled at her conscience as she watched the email blast off into cyberspace. Only twenty seconds to change her mind and recall the message. She chewed her bottom lip, mouse hovering over the undo button. This was exactly the kind of thing she’d promised herself she would never do again, but she didn’t have a choice. She needed the job atOn Point, and the story she’d submitted to Mr. Larson was hardly going to do irreparable damage to Xander’s reputation.
After all, how many times had he missed a royal function because he was off partying or hung over or generally indulging in the kind of debauchery not becoming of a royal?
Besides, news of Xander ditching the garden party for a hookup wasn’t even the most salacious story she’d ever written. And it was true. Even if she had left out key details like the fact that he’d been trying to spare her the humiliation of facing her father. Or that fact that she’d been the one he was hooking up with.
Shit. What had she been thinking? Hooking up with Xander in the wine cellar was hands down the most scandalous thing she’d ever done.
It was unprofessional. It was wrong. It was so freaking hot.
The way he’d worked her body? She’d been putty in his hands. If it weren’t for the staff coming down for another case of wine, she really would have let him crossallthe lines, fucking her right there on the table. She’d been desperate to feel him inside her. Still was, if she were being honest. Even now the memory of Xander’s touch made her panties wet.
Everly slid her laptop off her knees and onto the bed.
She needed to stop thinking about Xander. Once Mr. Larson read her story, the staff writer position would be all hers. She could pack her bags and head back to New York. She’d start her new job, pay off her mom’s medical bills, and life would get back to normal.
No more lying. No more Valeria. No more Xander.
The realization was equal parts relief and disappointment. Which was ridiculous. She knew in the very depths of her tarnished soul there was no future for her in Valeria. If Xander ever found out she was the writer behind RGW, he’d never forgive her. Because their chemistry? It wouldn’t be enough to make up for everything she’d done.
She’d exploited him time and again, and she’d lied about it. It was hardly the foundation for happily ever after. Not that she wanted HEA. She’d take happy for now if HFN meant more toe-curling orgasms.
A slow flush spread over her skin, and she kicked off the comforter. Great. Now all she had to do was think about sex, and she was burning up, her body demanding release. She fanned her face, for all the good it did.
She needed more, and she needed itright-freaking-now.
Maybe she couldn’t have Xander, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t fantasize about him. She flopped back on the pillows and slid her palms over her bare thighs, imagining they were Xander’s hands instead of her own. He’d taken complete control of her body last night, and against her better judgment, she’d given it to him.
Here, though, like this, there were no rules and no risk.
She untied the drawstring on her shorts and slipped them down over her hips, remembering the way Xander’s calloused fingers had scraped over her skin. She’d expected his hands to be smooth and she’d been surprised—in the best possible way—to discover they were anything but.
Just as she slipped a finger in the waistband of her underwear, the phone vibrated next to her, blasting her mom’s ringtone.
What the hell? Now she was being cock blocked—err, finger blocked?—during selfie time, too?
Everly hastily pulled up her shorts and grabbed the phone. Nothing like a call from your mother to kill a lady boner. She accepted the call and brought the phone up to her ear. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, baby. I have a few days off, and I was thinking about taking the train into the city for some mother-daughter time. If you don’t have plans?”
Her mom worked as a nanny upstate. The money was decent and the drama was low, but the benefits were shit, which was why she’d been buried in medical bills when she got sick. She’d tried applying for financial assistance but apparently hadn’t been quite broke enough to qualify. Just broke enough for the bills to send her to the brink of bankruptcy. Everly had had no choice but to convince her doctor to say an angel donor was covering her expenses. Because what was one more lie when she’d already told so many?
“That sounds amazing, but this week’s no good.” Everly hesitated. She hated to disappoint her mom. They didn’t get to see each other nearly enough, and this next bit was probably going to go over like a lead balloon. “I’m actually in Valeria.”
There was a long pause.