I know what I’m doing, I lift my finger to my mouth to taste it. Meeting the Prince’s eye, he lets out a growl and shakes my head.
“You’re killing me.”
“Salty. A bit bitter.” I wrinkle my nose. “Not great.”
He sighs, leaning his head back on the pillows. I grab another towel and hand it to him, watching in fascination as he wipes himself clean.
There’s a funny mix of curiosity and desire swirling inside me. It turns me on to see him like this—completely satisfied because of something I did—but not in a burning, needy way. It’s like a deep, steady thrum inside me. I snuggle in beside him, leaning my head on his shoulder.
He kisses the top of my head, wrapping his arms around me.
“Did that satisfy your curiosity?” I can hear the grin in his voice.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Always happy to oblige.”
I giggle, feeling my cheeks heat up. I’m not embarrassed. I’m just blushing because I never could have imagined that sex could be like this—comfortable, sexy, and fun.
When my alarm goes off on my phone, I groan.
“I have to head to the castle for work,” I say.
“I’ll drive you.”
I glance up at the Prince’s face. He leans toward me and lays a soft kiss on the tip of my nose, smiling.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“What do you mean?”
“Us, together, driving into the castle grounds?”
The Prince’s lips pinch, and he shrugs. “I don’t care if it’s a good idea or not. I don’t care if people see us together, Ivy. I’m with you. No one else.”
“How would I get home? I think it’s better for me to take my scooter.”
“As you wish,” he says, forcing a smile.
I’ve said something wrong. I feel closer to the Prince than ever before, but it still feels like there’s a distance between us that I can’t bridge.
Of course there’s a distance between us—he’s royalty, and I’m a pastry chef. This is going nowhere, and we both know it…
…but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it for a little while, does it?
Standing up from the day bed, I stretch my neck from side to side, gather my clothing, and get dressed. The Prince wraps his arms around me again, laying a soft kiss on my lips.
“When can I see you again?” he whispers.
A smile tugs at my lips, and I shrug. “Probably in about an hour at the castle.”
My heart flutters as he brushes his lips against mine, and then I watch him walk out of the pool house with a smile on my face.
When I make it back to the house, everything is quiet. My stomach grumbles, so I inhale a bowl of oats. I lean against the marble counter, letting my mind drift over the events of the past few weeks.
In a little over three weeks, I’ve gone from only having experienced sloppy, drunken kisses, to nearly going all the way with Prince Luca.
A persistent smile tugs at my lips, and I grab a banana out of the fruit bowl on the counter. Turning the coffee machine on, I sing to myself and float through the kitchen, buoyed by my happiness.
He wants to see me again. I want to see him again.
Against all odds, I’ve found a guy who’s choosing me over my sister, and not the other way around. He looks at me the way guys usually look at her, and it makes me feel powerful, and sexy, and completely overwhelmed. Even when he goes out with her, I no longer feel jealous. I see the way he puts his arm around her as if she were his sister. Nothing at all like the way he touches me.
I trust him completely.
The coffee machine gurgles, and I glance at the staircase that leads up to the bedrooms. As I think of my sister, I hear a loud thump.
Frowning, I leave half of my banana on the kitchen counter and step lightly toward the stairs. I pause at the bottom, craning my neck to try to hear any noise.
There’s shuffling, and maybe a muffled moan.
I frown. My heart starts to thump, and alarm bells blare in my ears.
Something’s wrong.
I grip the staircase railing, simultaneously wanting to fly up the stairs and too terrified to move.
“Margot?” I call out, my voice shrill in the empty house.
No response.
A lump forms in my throat, and I try to shake the dread that creeps into my heart. A black hand squeezes my lungs, pushing all the air out of me. It’s hard to take a full