Seduced (Royal Expat Series Book #1) (7 page)

He pulled away finally, and they both fought for breath. Matilda knew she was flushed, disheveled and a complete mess, but the frantic kisses had turned her on to the point that she didn’t care. All she wanted was to feel Damian’
s touch again. But before she did, she needed to tell him the truth about who she was.

“Damian, I… I need to tell you,” she said. “I’m…”

Somehow, the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.
I’m a member of the Royal Family and every aspect of our relationship would be hounded by the press or more likely forbidden by my father if it came out in the open.
She couldn’t say it.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you,” she said eventually. “My family is somewhat well known in England. That’s why I can’t just do as I please. I have them to think about. But I don’t want to disappoint you, either. I want to travel with y
ou. I want to be free. I just
—
it’s too much to think about right now.”

“Don’t worry, babe. We’ll work it out,” he promised. “Right now, it’s just you and me, so let’s forget your family.”

“OK,” she nodded.

“Hey
—
you want to go for a swim?” Damian asked, mischief sparking in his eyes, making him look more handsome than ever.

“Seriously?” Matilda looked behind them at the still water of the pool. She thought how amazing the cool water would feel against her heated, sticky skin.

“Yeah, there’s nobody around. Let’s go for it,” Damian said. He jumped into the pool, which only came up to below his waist, and before Matilda could do anything, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in next to him.

She gave an involuntary shriek as he lifted her off her feet and into the cool water, and then started laughing at the broad smile on his face.

“It feels so good,” she said, enjoying the cool water lapping against her stomach as the humid air curled around her torso.

“It’s our own private swimming pool in the middle of the city. I hear the presidents comes here to take a dip all the time,” Damian said, straight-faced. Matilda giggled.

“Does he take his wife with him?” she asked, pretending to take him seriously.

“And the kids
—
the dog, too,” Damian replied, not skipping a beat.

“Hmm, well we’re lu
cky they’re not here tonight. Just us,” Matilda said with a coy smile. Her white dress was soaked, and the thin material was clinging to her skin, leaving little to the imagination. She could tell Damian was appreciating the view if the bulge in his shorts was anything to go by.

Feeling bold, she reached out and cupped him in the palm of her hand. He groaned, and pressed himself against her.

“You make me so hot, babe,” he whispered in her ear. He took her earlobe gently in his mouth and tugged. Matilda gasped as shivers of lust ricocheted all over her body, and she leaned into him. He began kissing her neck gently, his hot breath ticking her skin, causing gooseflesh to break out across her arms which had nothing to do with the temperature of the water.

He found her pulse point with his lips and bit down hard. She moaned, and grabbed a handful of his dark hair, gripping it tight as he worked at her neck, kissing, nipping and sucking the pure white skin, watching purple bruis
es blossom as he marked her with his mouth.

One strong hand found Matilda’s leg and brought it up to hook around his waist. She tried not to moan out loud as his hand ran the length of her thigh, gliding up the slick flesh until he reached her panties. The sudden warmth of his hand against her aroused clit contrasted wonderfully with the cool water lapping against her heat, and she bit her lip to hold back the moans of pleasure.

“Mm, there’s no one around. I want you to moan for me,” Damian whispered in her ear, his breath an erotic breeze against her cheek.

“What if someone sees?” she whispered back, although she wasn’t sure she had enough restraint to wait until they were back at his place.

“They won’t,” Damian promised. “And if they do… who cares?”

The thrill of possibly being caught or spotted gave the situation a glamor and excitement Matilda had never experienced before. She loved the feeling of being so daring, of having come so far from a few
weeks ago where she had been too afraid to eat a hamburger outside in case someone from the press photographed her and
Princess Loves Junk Food
was spread all over the gossip rags for the next month.

This was beyond belief. I
t was free, uninhibited and absolutely erotic. She threw back her head and moaned as Damian pushed her dress aside, sucking gently at her engorged breast, nipping at the erect nipple, his hot, rough tongue laving the delicate flesh, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her.

Damian impatiently tugged
her panties aside and found her clit with his thumb, rubbing it hard. Matilda jerked and writhed as jolts of pleasure shot through her like bullets. She was losing her control and it had never felt more amazing. The cool water was heavenly against the urgent heat of her pussy, and the cool, wet trails Damian left as he caressed her exposed flesh were setting her skin ablaze.

His lips came up to capture hers, and Matilda felt as though her spirit was being lifted out of her body, spiraling above where they stood in the pool under the soft moonlight, the stars illuminating them like two silvery silhouettes. He made her feel
so good and she wanted more. She wanted her entire body to be devoured by lust.

Her climax was building
into a tense pressure in her stomach as Damian tugged and rubbed at her swollen clit, and she tried to hold it back, to prolong the uncontrollable pleasure which was rolling through her. She held it back as long as she could but it was like trying to keep the sun from bursting out from behind the clouds, trying to stop a speeding train dead in its tracks…

She came violently, her entire body shuddering with the power of her release as Damian gave her clit one final flick with his long, clever fingers. As she came down from her high, she felt him enter her, thrusting into her hot, wet pussy in one deft, slick movement.

She whimpered at the feeling of him filling her, and she arched into him, trying to pull him as deep inside her as possible, maximizing the delicious caresses of his rock hard cock against her willing walls.

It was unbelievably erotic how he thrust slowly in and out of her over
-sensitized pussy. She could feel every inch of his hot, thick cock pulsing inside her. She squeezed her muscles, clamping down around him to intensify the experience, and she internally grinned in satisfaction as she heard him groan.

“Damn, you’re so tight,” he moaned in her ear. The whisper sent a jolt of pleasure through her, and she could feel her pussy throbbing with renewed desire as he sped up his thrusts, bracing her small body against the side of the pool.

Suddenly he picked her up to sit on the edge of the pool, using the higher angle to thrust upwards. Stars exploded behind her eyelids as he struck her sweet spot, sending her spiraling into ecstasy.

“Fuck, yes,” she moaned, all semblance of control or politeness abandoned. Damian grabbed her bare ass, squeezing the cheeks, adding a flower of sweet pain to her intense pleasure and driving her close to the edge once again. She could feel his cock slamming repeatedly into her walls, hear the heaviness of his breathing as he fucked her hard. It was bliss, the sweetest, most magical sensation she had ever felt.

“I’m going to come,” Damian whispered in her ear, and those simple words drove her crazy. She lay back on the warm stone and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in hard as far as he could go.

She heard him roar his release even as her second orgasm came crashing over her in waves. The feel of his hot come spurting into her, coating her walls, made her climax all the more intense.

As she wound down from her high, she felt rather than saw Damian climb out of the pool, dripping wet, to lie beside her. She snuggled into his arms, feeling complete and exhausted. She wanted to lie here with him forever, the sound of the fountains a gentle song in the background.

As she came down to reality, though, she realized what a vulnerable position they were in, she with her bare ass exposed to the night air. She suddenly sat up, struck by the mortifying thought that her underwear must be floating in the fountain. If she didn’t fish it out, anyone could see it.

“What’s up, babe?” Damian mumbled.

“My
—
my knickers are in the fountain,” she said, alarmed. Then she realized the funny side of it, and burst out laughing, joined by Damian’s deep chuckle.

Any observer would have thought th
ey were crazy
—
the petite English girl with her soaked dress clinging to her curves, wading in the fountain, and her tall, muscular companion, his shorts hanging tantalizingly low on his hips, laughing as she fished around for some mystery lost item.

In the shadows behind a pillar, somebody was watching. A tall, lean man, well-muscled in a stringy sort of way, was putting away what looked like a camera, an expression of grim satisfaction etched onto his face like a mask.

-

Matilda made her way home in a haze of happiness, wrapped in a warm cloak of memories from the night before. She replayed the moment when Damian had swung her into the fountain, and the moment he had confessed he was falling for her. It buoyed her up so much she felt as if she was either going to float away or explode.

Was this what it felt like to be in love? Or was this simply what it felt like to be normal? Every time she thought of Damian’s face, it made her swell up just a little bit more, as if one more tiny puff of happiness had been added to her soul, and it was fat and ready to explode. Although they had only parted an hour or so ago, she was restless, waiting for the time when she could see him again and run her fingers through his hair, kiss his lips and feel his warm skin against hers.

No, this wasn’t just feeling normal. It was something more, and there was no reason to deny it. It had g
one way beyond physical lust. Although her body sang every time she was near Damian, she also felt perfect contentment just to be resting her head against his broad shoulder, chatting about meaningless things or sitting in silence.

He was irresistible to her. She didn’t know how she would be able to make it through the next day before she saw him again. They had plans to meet that night, and Damian had promised her that they would go to another of his favorite places. It
was all she could think about
—
that, and the touches and kisses from the night before.

She only thought about Caroline with a brief pang of sadness for a few seconds before the thought subsided into the tumult of happiness and excitement churning around inside her.

She reached the door to her apartment and took a deep breath. She knew she had to appear normal in front of Colin, and she tried to smooth down her hair and calm the beating of her heart. Her stomach felt like it was full of frolicking snakes (did snakes even frolic?) and she didn’t want it to show on the outside.

She hoped it was still early enough that
she could sneak by unnoticed
—
her cotton dress was still a little bedraggled from its sojourn in the pool, and it would be evident that she hadn’t headed out for a newspaper.

She snuck past his door soundlessly, and tried to make no noise at all as she went up the stairs towards her own front door. She breathed a sigh of relief as she unlocked her own front door and slipped through into the welcoming dimness. She was safe for one more night. Now to shower, get a few hours of sleep and meet Colin for lunch as if nothing had happened.

The lights went on, and she froze, like a burglar caught in the act, blinking wildly to work out what had happened. Her heart froze in her chest as she saw Colin, his face grim and thin-lipped, standing by the light switch.

“I think it’s time to stop the lies, don’t you?” he said.

Numerous emotions flitted through Matilda’s head. The first was fear at the confrontation which was about to take place. She hated arguments and confrontation of any kind, and she knew that this was going to be unpleasant. The second emotion was shame. She hated disappointing her family, and she knew that this would do just that
—
she had been selfish and reckless and now she had to live with it. The final emotion she could readily identify was anger. Anger at herself, anger at her family, and most of all, anger at Colin for being there and controlling her life.

Before she could really react to any of them, Colin had crossed the room to stand face to face with her.

“You were with that man again last night, weren’t you?” he said, his voice tight, controlled.

Matilda looked up into his face, and anger won over the other emotions. Who was Colin to make her feel guilty about doing something which made her happy?

“You’re not my father
—
in fact you’re not anything to me,” Matilda said. “I’m tired of justifying my actions to you or anyone else.” It was exhilarating to say, both terrifying and liberating. “From now on I am going to see whoever I want to see, whenever I want. I’ll call my father and explain that to him
—
and that I no longer want anyone stalking my every move.”

Colin’s face went white as she delivered this speech, and she continued to look up at him defiantly, willing him to contradict her.

“You silly, naïve little girl,” he said.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, astounded by the contempt in his voice. “Is it too much to ask to run my own life at the age of 20?”

“Matilda, your life does not and never will belong to you. It belongs to the crown
—
and the crown has employed me to prevent you from making it look bad. You will stop seeing him once and for all or you will face the consequences of your own actions, and they will not be consequences you’ll like. I’ve warned you before but you didn’t listen to me. I am both much older and much smarter than you. If you try to outplay me again, you will regret it.”

“You arrogant prick,” she exclaimed, losing her temper completely in the face of his threats. “How dare you threaten me? You’re supposed to
be taking care of me
—
and I don’t even want you to do that. I run my own life
—
I do! You have no power over me
—
none! Only the power my father gave you, and if I’m willing to tell him how I feel, there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Oh, really?” Colin sneered, an ugly look creeping over his lean face.

“Not one thing,” Matilda said stubbornly. “I am a princess and you are merely an employee.”

“Would a princess fuck some
tramp she picked up in public
—
in a national monument, no less?” Colin asked, his voice as light and dangerous as spider’s silk.

“
Wh-what?” Matilda was dumbstruck. She cast her mind quickly back to the night before. Had someone seen them? Would it be in the press? Had Damian
—
no, Damian would never have betrayed her, never! He didn’t even know who she really was.

“Don’t look so dumb, missy. Y
ou know exactly what I’m talking about. Weren’t you there, last night, letting your precious lover boy fuck your brains out in the middle of the rainbow pool?”

“I – how?” she asked, her entire world falling away like water swirling down a drain.

“You’re not nearly as smart as you think you are,” Colin sneered. “Even I didn’t imagine you could possibly be this indiscreet, though.”

He made a motion, and she flinched back, her entire body in a state of shock. He gave a brief snort of derision before continuing to pull an envelope from the pocket of his coat. He laid the envelope in front of her.

“Don’t you want to see what sort of things I’ve caught you doing, princess?” he sneered, his upper lip peeled back to show his long, slightly crooked teeth.

Matilda could feel the tears threatening to well up in her eyes, and took a deep breath, willing herself to be calm. In the last week, she had never once felt that she was doing something wrong or something that she should be ashamed of. Now, looking back on her conduct, she could see that she had behaved recklessly. What had she been thinking?
Letting him pin her up against the wall in a public street, and even making love in the middle of a famous tourist spot. It was something which would look beyond terrible for anyone if it came out, let alone for her. She knew full well that she had to behave with more discretion than normal people
—
and now she had exposed herself to this. She had set herself up to be exposed as a slut and a harlot
—
but she wasn’t! She had just been carried away by the romance and the freedom.

Now…she had a dreadful feeling that she knew what was in the envelope in front of her, but she had to look nonetheless.

With a shaking hand, she pulled the envelope towards her, pulling out the photographs within. She gasped and looked up
—
the first photograph had been taken that very first night, when she had taken Damian home with her. Had he been watching them even then? The thought made her feel sick. It was as if every memory she had made with Damian had been tainted, poisoned by the fact that Colin had witnessed them, peeping at them from the shadows.

She flipped through the photos, her horror and outrage turning to sickening fear as she saw herself, spread out and naked, Damian’s head between her legs and a look of abandoned pleasure on her face.
Another showed them in the boat, her breasts bare in Damian’s hands. Each and every photo showed them kissing, cuddling, or much, much worse. There were about 20 photos in all, and that was more than enough. She knew that if her father or the media ever got hold of them, her life may as well be over. How could she have been so stupid and so naïve? How could she have trusted to the fact that she was safe here?

“Quite a spectacle you made of yourself,” Colin commented mildly. “Now do you still want to tell me that I can trust you to act with decorum by yourself?”

“I
—
you had no right to violate my privacy,” she choked out. It made her nauseated and shaky to think that Colin had stood and watched her most intimate moments with Damian.

“I had the
right to be in public places
—
and that is where you displayed yourself like a common whore, performing obscene acts with some bum you picked up a week ago.” Colin’s words cut through her like hot knives slicing through butter.

“I
—
how could you?” she asked. “You’re supposed to protect me from this sort of thing, not expose me.”

“I hardly exposed you. Y
ou left yourself wide open to this. I’m just trying to point out to you what sort of consequences this behavior has.”

“What are you going to do with them?” Matilda asked, gesturing to the photos.

“Well, there is no law to say that I have to do anything with them,” Colin admitted. “Then again, there are so many possibilities. I could show them to your father
—
that would be the end of any argument from you that you should be allowed the freedom to be independent. Or perhaps I could sell them to the media. I’d get thousands, don’t you think, for just one. Think how much I could get for a 20 photo feature in a gossip rag.”

“Stop,” Matilda pleaded, not wanting to hear any more of the horrible potential of the photographs.

“But you asked
—
and you should know just how much damage I could cause. I could, princess, but that doesn’t mean I will
—
not if you cooperate with me,” Colin said.

Matilda felt the bile rising in her throat.

“You want to blackmail me?” she asked, sickened. She had never expected him to be so low, not even after this.

“What an ugly word from your pretty little mouth. Then again, I guess a mouth which is happy to wrap around some thick American cock will do pretty much anything.”

“Please, stop talking to me like that,” Matilda said, hating the vulgar starkness of his language. “Just tell me what you want.”

“Well, that, for one thing. What I want is for you to start listening to what I want. You’re going to be a lot nicer to me from now on, princess. Aren’t you?”

Matilda stood silently as he leered at her. Everything about him was disgusting, from his slimy voice and the way he mockingly called her ‘princess’, to his crooked, yellowing teeth, thin, smirking lips and narrow, cold eyes. She felt a bubbling hatred rising in her stomach, and she knew that if she didn’t have self-restraint, she could claw at his face, taking her fury out by sinking her nails into his flesh.

As it was, she simply stood, unable to bow down and agree with him just like that.

“Too proud?” he asked, his eyes hardening from smugness to anger in seconds. “You still think you’re better than me?”

“I would never blackmail a person, let alone follow them and watch them,” she said.

Colin’s face darkened and twisted into a scowl.

“I’d watch my step if I were you,” he warned. “You can’t just say an
ything you want. Make me angry and I might just go ahead and tell your father what you’ve been up to. I should, you know
—
that’s what he pays me to do.”

“H
e pays you to take care of me
—
to protect me from the press, from people who might try to hurt me. Damian would never hurt me,” she said. “Falling in love isn’t something I should be forbidden to do.”

“You met this man a week ago.
I call it a worldly man taking advantage of a naïve little girl,” Colin countered. “Didn’t I tell you that I talked to him, that night in the bar? He as good as told me he was in it to score.”

“It’s not your place to decide
if he’s a good man or not,” Matilda said, trying to keep calm even as a seed of doubt was planted in her mind. “Not unless I ask you to. I am free to make my own mistakes.” Damian wouldn’t do that
—
would he?

“Correction,” Colin said with a nasty smile. “You
were
free to make your own mistakes. Now you are paying for them, and unless you want these pictures leaked, you should do exactly as I say.”