Royals Saga 3 Crown Me (3 page)

“Do you even hear how crazy that sounds?” I exploded.

“It’s a safety precaution. Your life might be in danger.” The evenness of his voice only made me angrier.

“Might! It might be! You also might be driving me crazy!” I’d gone along with the initial security precautions following Daniel’s attack, because I was as desperate to feel safe as he was to protect me. Maybe I was approaching this the wrong way though. Alexander could be reasonable. I just needed to be logical. “You weren’t honest with me. I accepted the security so that you would feel better. I thought we’d both be able to relax soon, but instead I find out that there’s actually been a real threat the whole time. How would you feel if every moment of your life was watched, recorded, and reported on without you even knowing why?”

But he only cocked an eyebrow. “Every moment of my life has been exactly that.”

“Right.” I sank against the cool metal wall of the lift for support. Of course it had been. It still was. This was entirely normal to him, which meant the expectation was that it would be normal for me as well. I didn’t move when we reached the ground floor.

Alexander’s hand closed gently over my upper arm, urging me into the lobby. This time he didn’t try to loop arms, instead he guided me in silence until we were on the sidewalk. The bustle of London foot traffic afforded more privacy than the quiet office building, but even with the anonymity, I couldn’t find words.

“I should have been more honest with you,” he admitted. “We can discuss that over lunch, but right now I need to see you eat something.”

My purse strap slipped and I shouldered it with determination before pointing to a bistro a few buildings down. I’d been there before and knew it was frequented by businessmen too preoccupied with their own deals and conversations to care about us. Alexander caught my hand as we crossed the street, purposefully placing himself on the side of oncoming traffic. But the street was relatively quiet and a few moments later, he held open the brass door to the restaurant. The low hum of a dozen conversations filled the room accompanied by soft music. The bistro itself sat in the shadow of several of the larger financial buildings, dimming the room considerably for the lunch hour.

“Two,” Alexander informed the hostess, who was in the process of stacking menus. She glanced up and her mouth fell open.

“Of course,” she chirped, her fingers trembling as she checked the seating chart.

Alexander dipped down until he was eye level with her. “Somewhere…private.”

My legs buckled, causing me to sway slightly in my heels. His grip on my hand tightened, pressing my sizable ruby engagement ring into my flesh. The brief smarting pain mixed with the frustration I felt, sending a jolt of unexpected arousal traveling through me.

Hardly anyone noticed as we followed the girl toward the back of the restaurant to a fairly private table tucked into a recessed nook, but awareness prickled through me. Were we being watched right now? Followed by a special security team? Were any of our private moments private at all?

“Will this do?” The young hostess wrung her hands nervously as Alexander pulled out a chair for me.

“This will be fine,” he said in a gracious tone, tilting his head slightly. Her eyes darted from me to him and then she did a small curtsy and scampered away.

Possessiveness flared inside of me, I hadn’t mistaken the lust in her eyes. I couldn’t exactly blame her for that. Not only was he the Prince of Wales, but he exuded a raw sensuality that most women couldn’t ignore. But the reaction had been uncontrollable and unexpected. Jealousy wasn’t really my thing, except when it came to the toxic Pepper Lockwood. Gripping the sides of my chair, I willed my pulse to calm. I was being paranoid. Alexander had been lying to me again, and my body had responded possessively to a perceived threat. That was all.

But that didn’t make it okay.

“You’re quiet.” There was no accusation in his voice, but there was an undercurrent of something else hidden amongst his words. Pain.

I lifted my gaze slowly to meet his, preparing myself for the momentary electricity I always felt when I saw him. It rocked through me, but this time I focused that scorching desire into fuel for my anger. Betrayal and desire were a volatile combination, and it took what little self-control I had to keep my voice low enough that only he could hear me. “I feel like I’ve been living a lie.”

“I should have told you about Daniel,” he repeated. “But there was never a good time. I expected to have a lead on him much more quickly.”

“That’s no reason to keep the truth from me!”

“I assumed it would be resolved weeks ago. Months ago. The longer it took, the harder it became to bring up.”

I shook my head, dismissing the lame excuse. “That probably should have been a clue that what you were doing was wrong.”

“Poppet.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle, stopping at my ring finger as though to gently remind me that I’d promised myself to him.

“Don’t think that if you are all sexy and sweet, I’ll forget what you did.”

“You think I’m sexy?” The cocky grin that suited him so well twisted over his lips, making it impossible not to want to kiss him.

“Once again, you’re missing the point, X.”

“We came here to talk, and we will, but I also came to tell you I have to go out of town.” His blue eyes stayed trained on me as he dropped the bit of news.

I swallowed and nodded. “For how long?”

“My father has asked me to attend a jubilee dinner. I’d like you to come with me.”

“I can’t.” The refusal was out of my mouth before I could think about it. A time was coming when my presence would be expected, but for now, I wanted to relish the last bit of freedom I had left.

Alexander stiffened, surprised by my refusal.

“I have plans,” I continued in a rush. “And this is my last week at work.”

“So this has nothing to do with our fight earlier?”

“No.” I paused. “And yes. Maybe some time apart will give us some perspective.”

“I don’t like time apart,” he growled.

“I can’t,” I repeated, but this time the refusal came out weakly.

“Fine, but I want to make one thing perfectly clear.” Alexander grabbed the arm of my chair and jerked it closer to him. The scrape of its feet on the wooden floor vibrated through my body, dialing up my shredded nerves and making me all the more aware of him. Heat radiated from him, drawing me in even as I tried to stay away. He might have lied to me, but the safety I always found in his arms was a surer truth than any I’d ever known. It was his own screwed up way of loving me. That made it even harder to maintain the space between us, especially when it was his solace I longed for.

His shoulders slanted and he inclined his head until the warmth of his breath skimmed across my neck. I breathed in his scent—spice and heat, earth and fire—my eyes shutting as his hand closed over my knee and snaked under my skirt. His fingers drifted up teasingly as he traced a path across the sensitive flesh of my thigh.

“What I do is for your protection, poppet. Not only from anyone who might wish to harm you, but also from yourself.” With his free hand, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and then tipped my chin up. My eyelids fluttered open expectantly, knowing exactly what he wanted from me—what he demanded. Our faces were a fraction of an inch apart, close enough to kiss. “Fear is your enemy. It controls you when you let it, and then you try too hard to take control back.”

So he controlled fear for me. He protected me from myself. Or, at least, he controlled what I knew. Sometimes I suspected he still wanted me to fear him. He’d tried hard to sabotage our relationship early on. I swallowed and held his gaze unwaveringly even as the tips of his fingers brushed across the lace of my panties. I was soaked through, wildly turned on despite my confusion, and his eyelids hooded as he felt my wetness.

“Are you ready to order?”

My own dreamy eyes popped open when I realized we’d been joined by the waiter, but Alexander’s face remained impassive as he looked over the menu, his hand staying, decidedly, in place between my legs.

“I’d like the lamb shank and the fennel salad,” he answered smoothly as he pushed the lace to the side and thrust a finger past my folds. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to keep a moan of pleasure from spilling out as he continued with his order. No one would guess from his casual demeanor that he was expertly fucking me with his hand under the table.

“And for mademoiselle?” The waiter shifted his attention to me.

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. I didn’t dare look up. I didn’t dare move. If I opened my mouth now, I wouldn’t be able to keep up the pretense of normalcy. I clung to my last thread of self-restraint, hanging in an ecstatic limbo. The thought of being caught—the mere idea that the stranger in front of me might suspect what was happening—held me in check while heightening every brush. Every caress.

“She’ll have the same,” Alexander said, coming to my rescue, his thumb massaging a teasing circle over my aching clit. He held out the menu, and as the waiter accepted, Alexander slipped two fingers inside me. I forced a polite, if strained, smile onto my face as the waiter took his leave. As soon as he was gone, I pressed my face into Alexander’s broad shoulder, biting into the bone and muscle in an attempt to control my pleasure.

“This is how it will be with us,” he spoke huskily, his voice rich with restrained lust. “Whatever I ask of you, whatever I assume is best for you, you will comply. I live for two things, Clara, to give you pleasure and to protect you. I won’t restrain myself in either regard. Do you understand that? Nod, poppet.”

His fingers curled inside me, massaging my g-spot. It was impossible to find my voice, but I could nod.

And I did.

My body belonged to him.

I belonged to him.

“And now you will come for me,” he commanded in a whisper. “I want to feel your teeth in my skin as you try not to scream. Leave your mark on me as I claim you right here in front of all of these people.”

My mouth clamped down to stifle the rapturous sob his dominance provoked within me. I couldn’t deny Alexander’s hold over me any more than I could deny myself air. He infuriated me, but that anger only stirred my desire for him more. He knew that. He knew that he owned me.

“W
hy is Hugh Grant always so charmingly stupid in movies?” Edward asked as he rounded the corner with a bowl of popcorn. He sank onto the guest bed next to me and turned his attention back to the television.

I scooped a handful from the bowl and popped a few kernels in my mouth. “It’s for all the dreadful Americans.”

“Does that work on you?” he asked with a laugh. His bright eyes danced with laughter. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Belle’s head swiveled around to stare him down, eyebrow already crooked. “You’re taken,” she reminded him. “Don’t make me text David.”

“Where is he anyway?” I asked.

“Now, now. Need I remind you that as Prince of Wales I have to deal with all sorts of dreadful Americans?” Edward held a hand up in surrender, and then pointed to me. “Especially this one. I’ll take whatever help I can get.”

“You’re avoiding the question,” Belle accused, a knowing smile stealing across her full lips.

“I resent that.” Edward shook his head. For a moment he looked just like a younger version of Alexander—handsome and defensive. His eyes darted downward, displaying the curly black mop that he kept stylishly coiffed. Suddenly the popcorn was much more interesting than the cute British guy on the television. Something was definitely up.

Belle sat up, completely obstructing the view, and turned to face us. “Spill, Your Highness. You’re jumpier than a prostitute in church.”

“You’re blocking the best scene,” he said, craning to see past her. “I like the idea of the Prime Minister dancing through Downing Street.”

“Well, I hate to ruin it for you but the Prime Minister isn’t nearly as cute as Hugh Grant. Now stop avoiding the question. You called us for a girls’ night,” I reminded him. “So out with it.”

Truthfully his timing couldn’t have been better. With Alexander out of town, I’d made up an excuse to crash at my parents’ the night before. It hadn’t been my proudest moment as an adult, but I wasn’t prepared to sleep here alone even with Norris keeping watch. Alexander would be back tomorrow, and a girls’ night seemed like exactly what I needed to clear my head.

“As if I’m the only one keeping secrets.” Edward pushed his horn-rim glasses to the of his nose and stared me down. “You’re in your own world.”

“I’m getting married in a few weeks!”

“Am I the only one without trouble in paradise?” Belle asked, not buying my excuse either.

“Trouble?” Both Edward and I repeated at the same time.

“Clearly, I’m misreading you both,” Belle said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She twisted a string of honey blonde hair around her finger and narrowed her eyes. With her high cheekbones and elegant bearing, she looked graceful even in her pajamas. “Don’t make me turn this television off.”

Sighing, I slumped back against the upholstered headboard. If Alexander believed it wasn’t worth it to make me worry about Daniel, it definitely wasn’t worth making Belle and Edward worry about him. Still I didn’t particularly like the idea of lying to my best friends, especially since it seemed to prove Alexander had a point when he’d chosen to keep this information from me. Of course, that wasn’t the only thing on my mind. “Alexander is going to be traveling more and more. My mom is on me about wedding stuff every waking minute. And I’m officially unemployed as of this morning.”

“You’ll have plenty to keep you busy soon,” Edward said in a soft voice.

“Exactly.” I grabbed a nearby pillow and hugged it to my chest. “It’s not like Alexander makes becoming a Royal sound appealing.”

“It’s not like he has any other choice,” Belle jumped in. “And neither do you if you want to marry him.”

Edward and I shared a look. Apparently I wasn’t the only one thinking about this.

“What was that?” Belle demanded.

I hesitated, unable to voice the possibility, so Edward told her for me, “He could renounce the throne.”

“Would he really consider doing that?” she asked. “I can’t imagine he would now if he hasn’t already.”

“I don’t know,” I lied. I was positive Alexander wanted nothing more than to dismantle the monarchy piece by piece, but his position afforded him access to private security and the funds to pay them. He was doing it for me. “I’m not sure I know anything anymore. If I think everything’s fine, I find out it’s all a lie. Everyone thinks I’m living a fairy tale!”

Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulder. He flashed a look at Belle. “I told you we should have gotten more wine.”

“It doesn’t go with popcorn anyway,” I mumbled, rubbing my belly. The whole situation was making me sick. I’d had a perpetual stomachache since I’d found that rose Monday morning. “I think he’s also worried that if he renounces, he can’t protect me. He’s been a little manic since Daniel’s attack.”

“That’s just stupid. He renounces and you two could move wherever you wanted, shag like rabbits, and make lots of beautiful babies.”

The air was knocked from my lungs and I gasped. Recovering, I shoved some popcorn in my mouth. Apparently girls’ night was going to be full of conversational land mines.

Both Belle and Edward fell silent, obviously sensing that they’d hit on a touchy topic.

“We’re not going to have babies,” I blurted out past the raw ache in my throat. “I don’t even want to have babies, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Who would?” Edward said conspiratorially, trying to make me laugh. “Stinking nappies and getting woken up in the middle of the night.”

“Stretch marks,” Belle added.

I forced a small but grateful smile out and rubbed the back of my eyes with my sleeve. “I have no clue where that came from. I really never thought about having children, and suddenly, it’s off the table and bam! Instant blubbery mess.”

“Did you find out...” Belle searched for the right words, thought better of it and gave me a meaningful look instead. She’d been there over a year ago when I’d thought I might be pregnant. I’d been suffering from malnourishment, but she knew that I’d purposely avoided getting answers from my doctor.

“Nah.” I shook my head and took a deep breath. “Alexander doesn’t want kids.”

“Father’s going to love that,” Edward said in a flat voice.

“I suppose it’s up to you to carry on the monarchy.”

He laughed hollowly. “Then the monarchy might be doomed.”

“Look at us.” I leaned into him. “Sitting here, slowly destroying a thousand years of tradition.”

“Just another Saturday night.”

“I feel like I’m not doing my part,” Belle said with a fake pout.

“We might need backup,” I said purposefully.

“I’m good for that,” she promised. She lifted a slender finger and pointed at Edward. “Now, how are you destroying the monarchy?”

“You mean other than being gay as a picnic basket?” He hesitated, his eyes darting from Belle over to me. “I’m thinking of asking David to marry me.”

“You wanker!” Belle’s still pointed finger stabbed the air violently. “You’ve been sitting here keeping that to yourself the whole night!”

Genuine laughter bubbled through me and spilled over. “Wanker?”

“Well, if you think it was hard for the lovely, demure Clara to win over my father, imagine poor David.” There was a bitter edge to his laughter. “A black, gay commoner!”

My joy curdled at the mention of Edward’s father. It seemed the only duty he felt to his children was to ruin their lives. It was hard to imagine a parent could be so intentionally cruel, but he hadn’t minced words regarding my relationship with Alexander. His behavior had been somewhat more reserved in the past few months, but there was no doubting how he truly felt about his sons’ partners. He shared the same blue eyes with both of his sons, but his always glinted of disappointment. “Who cares?”

“Oh, are we all renouncing the throne?” Edward asked. “It’s going to be a brilliant year for jolly old England.”

“Who cares if your father supports your marriage?” I continued, ignoring him. “What matters is the commitment you two make to each other. You don’t need anyone’s approval to decide to love someone, and you certainly don’t need it to choose to spend the rest of your life with them.”

The room fell silent and I felt a little silly for letting my passion get the better of me, but then Belle lunged, squeezing between us.

“You do realize that this means we’re all getting married this year!”

Edward snorted at this point of fact. “Do you honestly think I can plan a wedding in less than a year?”

But he couldn’t keep a sheepish smile off his face.

In no time, we’d completely abandoned watching the movie in favor of discussing proposal ideas. We talked so late that Belle curled into a ball and fell asleep between us.

“It will be hard to top Alexander’s,” Edward whispered, trying not to wake her.

“Alexander’s proposal was a challenge,” I said, remembering the over-the-top event he had staged at the London Eye. It had been thrilling and overwhelming, and although I’d said yes, his private proposal later that same evening was the moment I’d truly said yes.

Edward shook his head. “It was a message that he chose you. I want David to feel that. I want him to know that I’ve chosen him the moment I ask him.”

“He will,” I promised him softly.

He sucked in a long breath. “Want to shop for rings tomorrow?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” I said, smiling widely.

“Clara.” Edward paused, the boyish exuberance slipping from his face as he reached over and took my hand. “I know things are uncertain right now, but I want you to know that I’m glad you’re going to be my sister.”

I squeezed his hand. “Me too.”

Between us, Belle rolled over and began to snore.

“We should take a video of this,” Edward suggested.

“We should,” I agreed, “but we won’t because we’re her best friends. We’ll just tease her mercilessly about it in the morning.”

Edward shot me a bittersweet smile.

“What’s that about?” I asked.

“I’m just happy that I’m getting a sister.”

“And I’m getting a brother.”

“Hardly seems like a fair exchange.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” I stuck my tongue out at him for good measure. There were a lot of things that scared me about marrying Alexander, but gaining Edward as family was definitely on the pro list. “I love Belle, but I can’t sleep with this racket.”

Edward scooted down in the bed, laughing. “David says I could sleep through a hurricane.”

“Night.” I bent down and pecked him on the cheek. “Tomorrow we go ring shopping.”

He grinned sleepily. “What would you dreadful Americans say? ‘Hell yes?’”

“Hell yes!” I giggled. It really was going to be like having a kid brother.

I crossed to my empty bedroom and was halfway inside when I realized the lights were on in the kitchen. Yawning, I ambled down the stairs, tugging at the pair of boxers I’d stolen from Alexander’s drawer, hoping whoever was on duty out front wouldn’t look in and see me.

The click of a cabinet stopped me dead in my tracks. I was torn between running upstairs to Belle and Edward, heading for the front door, or grabbing an umbrella from the stand by the door. I thought of being followed, of the constant security, of the lies that kept stacking up between Alexander and me. I was tired of running. My fingers closed over the umbrella handle and I pulled it slowly from the rack.

I took a deep breath and rounded the corner.

“Expecting rain?” Alexander’s mouth pressed into a thin line as he tried to hide his amusement.

“What are you doing home?” I dropped the umbrella and ran to him. His arms folded around me, and I drew back to drink him in.

“Did you miss me?” he asked, his voice taking on a husky tone that sent a flutter of expectation throbbing through me.

I fiddled with the tie that hung loose at his neck and shook my head playfully. “It’s only been one night.”

“Are you sure, poppet? You’re wearing my pants.” He ran his index finger along the band of elastic that hung loosely on my hips. “Turn around and let me see. Slowly.”

I pivoted obediently. His watchful gaze burned through me, igniting a flame deep within my belly. I had missed him, and my starved body reacted with throbbing pangs of hunger. My legs clamped shut as I tried to control my arousal. Alexander slid a hand between my thighs and urged them back apart, brushing across my sex as he did. Even the light touch, mostly obstructed by the now-soaked cotton that covered me, drew a gasp from me.

He hooked a finger in my waistband and drew me roughly against him. Sliding a hand under my tank top, his fingers circled my nipples, tugging and pinching them until they were almost painfully hard and I was panting. I pressed my ass back until his erection prodded against my soft backside—a silent signal of what I needed.

His lips moved against my ear, teeth catching and nipping its shell. “Now, did you miss me?”