He rose up to a sitting position, wanting to know if she was just faking it, but one look at her face told him that she had really fallen asleep.
Unbelievable.
It was their first fucking night to share a bed, and while his cock felt like it was about to burst out of his pants any moment, Fawn had fallen asleep like a baby.
The prince slowly shook his head. Unbelievable. And yet, he was more amused than angry.
He looked down at her hand, which still clasped his even in her slumber, and his smile faded.
Fawn.
She really was here with him.
But was it the right thing to do?
His phone vibrated against the bedside table, interrupting his thoughts and forcing the prince to carefully pull his fingers out of Fawn’s hold. Taking the phone off the table, he stepped out to the balcony to avoid disturbing her sleep.
“What is it?”
Noah reported his findings. “It’s not yet a hundred percent confirmed, sir, but we’ve enough reason to believe Davos has offered a bounty for anyone who can kidnap Beatrice Crichton.” Noah’s voice became grim. “Dead or alive.”
“If he thinks that will get me to give Beatrice Crichton up, he obviously doesn’t know me well enough.” The prince’s gaze turned hard. “Stay on top of this, Noah. But in the meantime, I also want you to triple our security.” His place was a fortress that had never been breached but even so, he wasn’t going to take any chances, especially with Fawn living here.
“Yes, sir.”
“Have the safe house on the island prepared as well, just in case we need to transfer her.”
“Understood, sir.”
When the call ended, the prince slowly walked back to his bedroom. For one long moment, he simply stood over Fawn, watching her sleep. He had thought he would have more time with her, but the way things were going—-
A month, the prince thought.
At most, he would have a month with her before he had to take action and make sure that Beatrice Crichton would be out of Davos’ reach until she took the witness stand in court.
The prince’s fists clenched.
A month to make memories with her, a month to pretend that he deserved someone like her before he let the dream go. A month before he had to remember who he was—-
The Prince of Darkness.
And people like him always stood alone.
****
“Time to get up, parthena mou.” The prince’s low murmur slowly woke her up, and when Fawn felt the prince sweep her off the bed, she simply snuggled closer and sleepily wrapped her arms around his neck.
Don’t think, she reminded herself drowsily. The prince told her that overthinking would make the pain worse so from now on, she was not going to think. She wasn’t even going to let her brain function in any way. She was just going to go with the flow, and that was that.
When Fawn felt the prince lower her to the floor, a startled sound of protest escaped her as she felt the icy cold marble under her bare feet. Wondering where the prince had taken her, she forced her eyes to open—-
OH MY GOD, I SHOULD HAVE USED MY BRAIN!
The prince had taken her to his private bath, and right beside them was his marble-inlaid hot tub.
“W-what are we doing here?” Fawn stammered.
“What do you think?” As the prince smiled at her, that was the only moment she noticed that he was wearing nothing but a black towel wrapped low on his hips. Everything else was completely exposed—-
Completely.
His broad shoulders, his rock-hard chest that was packed with muscles, his strong long legs—-
Fawn’s senses started to swim in a familiar sensation that was both painful and glorious at the same time.
This was bad. This was good. This was—-oh she was so confused!
The prince’s emerald gaze captured hers, and it was like having her soul sucked out of her. Holy, holy, holy sweet——
Oh, the way he looked at her with hooded lids—-
“Take off your clothes, parthena mou.”
Aaaaaaah.
Her fingers slowly reached for buttons of her pajama top—-
Wait.
“Oh my God,” Fawn moaned. “Why am I even following you?”
The prince’s smile widened. “Because you know this will keep the pain away.”
“That’s starting to sound like a line,” she accused him.
“Or you can tell yourself I’ve successfully hypnotized you.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Then perhaps...you never loved Grant, and it’s me you’ve loved all along?”
She burst into laughter.
He didn’t smile.
She stopped laughing, saying uneasily, “You weren’t joking?”