Page 21 of The Accidental Prince (Accidentally in Love #3)

Serena moved beside him, her gloved hand barely brushing against his.

She smelled like spring and the rain she’d danced in last night.

Though he tried not to stare at the outline of her gown, the buttons drew his eye to the swell of her breasts.

He saw the faint moisture upon her skin from their walk, and he had a sudden vision of unfastening her buttons, running his hands over her bare skin.

The sudden desire caught him like a fist, and he drew a slight step away.

“What caused the disagreement?” she asked.

The fact that I’m a bastard. And that the queen was right all those years when she claimed I wasn’t her son.

“Nothing within my control,” was all he could tell her. “Suffice it to say, I’m not the favored son right now.”

He’d been too young to understand what had happened; only that the queen had gone mad, claiming that he was a Changeling Prince.

She’d hated the very sight of him and he couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever shown him any affection.

Once, when he was six, he’d drawn a card for her, laboriously printing the letters to wish her a happy birthday.

When he’d presented it to her, she’d torn it up and cast the pieces into the fire.

And when he’d met his real mother a fortnight ago, a strange kaleidoscope of memories and tangled visions had resurfaced. He didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t, but the king’s mistress made the queen look like a saint.

“Do you believe a marriage to me will bring you back into your father’s good graces? Is that the reason for your haste?”

He didn’t miss the tension in her tone, but he admitted the truth. “Nothing will change the king’s opinion of me. Whether I marry you or not.”

Serena’s shoulders relaxed a little, and she knelt down, pouring him a cup of wine. When she handed it to him, she offered, “You’re the king’s only son. That matters a great deal.”

No, I’m not. I’m a bastard that no one wanted.

Karl drained his cup and sat down beside her. “He doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

“Then what does?” She knelt down beside him, her green eyes concerned.

He reached out and untied the ribbon tied beneath her chin. His hands framed her face for a moment as he took off the bonnet and cast it aside. “I think you know the answer to that.”

Serena didn’t move, but she felt the warmth of his bare hands against her skin. He hadn’t worn gloves, and the sudden intimacy made her heart race. Karl traced her jaw line with his fingers, but though he stared at her, he didn’t kiss her.

He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and she wondered what the bristle would feel like against her cheeks. Would it be rough? Or would it be soft?

His breath warmed her face, and she stared at his firm mouth, wondering if he would kiss her again. The last kiss had shaken her, sending her world off-balance.

This is part of his game , her mind warned. Now that he’d discovered that the hardships of poverty didn’t bother her, he would try another tack.

“You’re not going to seduce me,” she said firmly, lifting her chin. She couldn’t allow herself to weaken, just because he made her pulse quicken. Her fingers trembled as she retied the ribbon of her bonnet.

“I’m not?” There was a lazy air to his voice, as if he intended a full assault upon her virtue.

Serena sat and reached for a sugar biscuit, pretending as though he hadn’t spoken. “No.”

“What do you suppose ordinary men and women do, when they’re alone?” he murmured. “Especially betrothed couples.” He leaned forward, his hands resting on either side of her. Though he didn’t touch her, his physical presence made her nervous.

“Play cards?” she guessed, before his mouth moved in to claim hers. Serena could hardly do more than catch a breath, before he laid siege to her defenses. She tasted the sweetness of wine on his tongue, and tiny shudders of breathlessness slid beneath her skin.

A slight smile tilted the edge of his mouth as he stared down at her. His hazel eyes were dark with need, and a thousand second thoughts crossed her mind. The pause was giving her the chance to push him away.

“Is that what you want to do?” he ventured.

“Play cards?” His hand moved down to the hem of her skirt.

Every inch of her seemed to be on fire, her blood coursing through her veins with an intensity that couldn’t be stopped.

She couldn’t seem to summon up a clear thought, not when he was touching her.

When his hand moved to her ankle, he sent her a chiding look. “You’re not wearing stockings.”

“They—they got wet.”

She shivered, closing her eyes when his hand moved beneath her petticoats, up her bare leg.

Stop him, her conscience ordered. You don’t want this.

But he was touching her with reverence, as if he couldn’t believe she was allowing it. She couldn’t believe she was allowing it. His mouth returned to hers, and the kiss was softer, coaxing a surrender. She held on to his face, not knowing whether to push him away or pull him closer.

Above the knee, his palm caressed her, and suddenly she grew moist between her legs.

She imagined his fingers stroking her with the same gentleness, and heat blossomed inside her as she craved the forbidden touch.

When his tongue entered her mouth, she kissed him back, swept away by the tide of shocking sensation. She was drowning, caught up in him.

He doesn’t love you. He only wants to wed you because you’re a princess.

Karl moved his hand from beneath her petticoats, and when he held her ribs, she had the sudden image of her father’s fist striking her. Over and over, the searing pain causing her to cry out.

She broke away from the Fürst, ordering him, “Stop. Please.”

Heated tears filled her eyes, as she imagined the way her father would chastise her for such behavior. She’d behaved like a wanton, ignoring every rule that would protect her virtue.

“I want to go back,” she said, not looking at him. She sat up and drew her knees up, burying her face in her skirt to hide her feelings.

“Go, then.” His voice was flat, and she heard the anger within it. “I’ll join you in a few moments.”

She rose to her feet, her body still heated, her breasts tight against her gown. It was hard to catch her breath, though it had nothing to do with exertion…and everything to do with forbidden desires.

Her steps carried her back to the forest’s edge until she realized she’d forgotten the basket. Though she should return for it, she was afraid of coming too close to the Fürst. His body was tight with tension, and no doubt he would bring it for her.

She began running down the hill, and whether she was fleeing from the prince or from her own fears, she didn’t know. The ruined abbey lay just ahead, and the trees blurred as she held on to her skirts.

Her knees buckled with a blast of pain, and she hit the ground hard.

Breathless, she tried to get up, only to see a man holding a staff that he’d used to trip her.

He grabbed her by the arm, a dark smile upon his face.

“You shouldn’t run through the forest alone, Princess.

Don’t you know there are wolves that prey upon the weak?

” A hard blow struck her skull, and darkness enveloped her.

Karl watched Serena leave, and he resisted the urge to slam his fist into the stone altar. He’d pushed her too soon, once again. But once he’d tasted her mouth, she’d become an irresistible temptation. He’d let her bewitch him, even knowing that it was unwise to touch her.

She didn’t want to wed him; she wanted her freedom.

And the only recourse he had left was to convince her that there could be more between them than a political union.

He’d meant only to kiss her. But when her hand had come to rest upon his face, he’d been undone by her innocence.

No one had ever touched him with affection or paid him any heed.

He’d wanted her fingers to be everywhere upon his skin.

You’re unworthy of her , his conscience reminded him. You’re nothing but a bastard trying to take advantage of an innocent girl and her kingdom.

And so, he’d let her go. He’d needed a few moments to gather up his wits and calm the raging lust.

In the distance, the twisting sea echoed his confused thoughts, battering the shore.

Karl picked up the basket and walked down the path.

He looked for a glimpse of the princess, but there was no sign of her.

No doubt she’d hastened back to the abbey, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. He couldn’t blame her for that.

But when he reached the ruins, she wasn’t there. Not in the hall and not in the kitchen.

“Princess!” he called out. No answer.

His concern tightened when he could no longer find her. Had she run away from him? Didn’t she know of the danger upon the island? The only reason they were safe at Durin’s fortress was because no one knew they were there.

He left the ruins and studied the path. There were footprints in the rain-softened earth, but heavier than Serena’s. A cold fear broke through him when he measured the size of the foot and saw that it was only slightly smaller than his own.

He tracked the prints down the hill, and only at the end of the path did he see Samuel lying unconscious where he’d been struck down. Blood trickled across the man’s temple, and Karl raced to the man’s side, trying to rouse him.

Samuel blinked, groaning as he clutched her head. “He took her, Your Highness. Tried to stop them—but there were half-a-dozen men.”

Karl let out a curse, blaming himself for leaving Serena alone. He’d known it wasn’t safe, and yet, he’d given her a few minutes to herself. That was all his enemy had needed.

But he was going to get her back.

“Who are you?” Serena whispered, clutching her head. There was a rough bandage against it, and the wetness told her that it had been bleeding. Her vision was blurred as she fought to grasp consciousness.