P RINCESS ELLA WAS PERMANENTLY ON my mind, etched into my skin, her taste a fresh memory on my lips.
I couldn’t think of anything else. I spent the next few days trying to distract myself from her, deliberately avoiding the areas where I knew she’d be working with her stepmother. I couldn’t face her again, especially with Martha around. And I had a whole slew of other problems that needed my attention, even though Ella was first and foremost on my mind.
My father had requested to speak to me, and I knew I had to honor his wish.
His name—Alvin Goldwyn—was a synonym for power.
My father had inherited the family jeweler business and brought it to its former glory. He had no artistic abilities of his own, but he employed only the very best and made the company flourish. Under his supervision, the Goldwyns went from being millionaires to billionaires, and the family fund grew larger and larger. But none of it helped.
He pined after my mother for years after she’d left us, as opposed to myself—I was done with her the second I realized she’d left me for a life of glamour and glitz. Dad wasn’t like that, though. He had truly loved her, and her departure had left a mark on him as well as our relationship.
He never blamed me for her leaving outright, but I knew in the back of my mind he believed it was my fault. If they hadn’t had a son, she would have stayed. But on the other hand, who would inherit the family fortune? My father had wanted a child his whole life, and having only one son was a sore spot for him. He still loved me, I knew that. Even so, the weight of what my mother had done lay heavily upon us.
And the worst part was, I didn’t know how much time I’d have to make things right between us.
Dad was sick. Very, very sick, in fact. The doctors had only given him a couple of months, and the end of those was drawing near. They’d told us he’d be lucky to see the New Year, and the thought of it made me panic.
I was old enough to take care of my own shit. Thirty-five, able to handle anything life threw at me. I couldn’t imagine losing my father, though. He was a rock, a sounding stone, and a much-needed friend. And I had no idea what I would do in a world where he didn’t have my back.
He was staying at his home. He’d left the mansion to me ten years ago when I secured my first billion in the company. Now, he lived in a house just as luxurious as the old family manor, about a half-hour drive away.
I was thinking about anything and everything as my driver took me to see Dad. But first and foremost, sweet princess Ella was on my mind, playing the main role just like she had been for days.
I couldn’t forget the way she tasted. The irresistible sweetness that took over anything and everything when it met my tongue. God, I was already fucking falling for her, and I’d only seen the girl once.
We pulled up in front of the house, and I instructed the driver to wait for me before heading inside.
A nurse opened the front door, a sharp reminder of what my father’s life had turned into.
I followed her up the stairs and into the study. Dad sat at his desk stubbornly, even though his illness had turned him into a shell of the man he used to be.
He was rail-thin, his skeleton-like body even more striking because he was just as tall as I was. His hair was gone from the chemotherapy, and growing back in tufts. He had been a very handsome man, and that much was still obvious from his features. But even so, the fact that he was sick was painfully clear.
“Rafe,” he said warmly, attempting to get up from his chair to greet me.
I rushed towards him, making him sit back down.
“Hello,” I said with a warm smile, sitting across from him at his desk. “No need to get up, Dad. I don’t have a lot of time. Why did you want to see me?”
We’d already made plans for the following day, so his message to meet him had come as a bit of a surprise. I wondered what the occasion was.
“I wanted to discuss something with you,” he said heavily, and I leaned forward in my chair to listen. “We both know I’m sick. We also know I don’t have a lot of time left.”
“Dad…” I said lamely, but he raised his hand in the air, not wanting me to go on.
“It’s okay, son,” he said bravely. “I’ve come to terms with what’s going to happen to me. But I do have a wish. One final thing I want before I leave this world for the next one.”
“Yes,” I said eagerly. “What is it? You know I’m happy to help.”
I wondered what he wanted. Perhaps one last chance to find my mother, make things right with her.
“I want to see you settle down,” he said, and I stared at him, waiting for my old man to go on. “I would like to see you with a nice girl, someone from a good family, a kind woman who will love you even without your money. I’d like to see you married before I go, son.”
“Married?” I repeated, dumbfounded. “But Dad, I don’t even have a woman I’m dating at the moment.”
“I know,” he said, giving me a long knowing look. “That’s part of the problem, Rafe. You’ve been a serial dater, but you haven’t settled down for longer than a few weeks at a time. And now I’d like to see it happen.”
“You’re asking for a lot,” I managed to get out.
“I know there isn’t a lot of time,” Dad said simply. “But this is my wish. And I want to be able to leave you all this… Goldwyn. The jewels. Everything… I want to know you have a woman behind you to help you when times are rough. I’d like to know there will be heirs to the family fortune… That you are happy.”
“I am happy,” I said, and he shook his head at me, giving me another of his knowing looks.
“Are you really, Rafael?” he asked me. “Can you honestly, truly say to me that you are happy?”
I thought of her. Princess Ella. The long hair, dainty fingers, the tiny waist. God, yes.
“I could be,” I finally replied, her image fresh in my mind.
“I know,” my father went on. “I know you could be. And I’d like to see it happen before I’m gone. I would like you to hold a ball… A Christmas ball at the house.”
“Why?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“To meet your woman, of course,” Dad laughed. “You can invite anyone you want. And I’ll make sure it’s the party of the year.”
“I… would like that,” I said, Images of Ella in a stunning dress flooding my mind.
It would be the perfect opportunity to convince her I was serious about her. How badly I wanted her, to make her mine, to make her submit. Maybe, if the party was elaborate enough, she would let me have her. And I’d truly be happy, just like my father wanted.
“I’m happy to hear that,” Dad smiled at me. “Let’s schedule it for Christmas Eve. I’ll try to be there, if…”
His sentence hung unfinished in the air, both of us knowing what he’d meant.
If he’d still be around.
It fucking hurt so badly every time I got a reminder that he was mortal, just like all of us. And not just mortal, but so much closer to the other side than I was.
“You will be there,” I told him. “I’ll make sure of it.”
By the time I got home, the butler was waiting for me.
I grinned at the sight of him, and Jennings gave me a small nod to tell me his mission had been accomplished.
“Good job,” I said gingerly, patting him on the back. “What did you find out?”
We sat down in my study, and Jennings brought out a manila envelope, passing it to me. I had to fight the urge to rip it open. I’d only requested one thing from him, and I already knew what was inside. But it felt wrong to open it right there, in front of Jennings. I was going to wait until he was gone, and I could enjoy my new possession in peace.
“Not too much that you didn’t know already,” he went on. “Miss Monroe doesn’t seem to like her very much.”
“I noticed,” I grunted. I hated the thought of someone not liking my girl, and what’s more, I didn’t understand it at all. “Why do you think that is?”
“Same reason as always,” Jennings shrugged. “Jealousy. Miss Ella is younger, beautiful. Of course, there is a certain degree of jealousy there, and probably resentment for being left with a stepdaughter so soon after marrying her father. I assume things aren’t great for young Ella at home.”
“I see,” I replied. “I’m sorry to hear that. What are you basing this information on?”
“Well,” Jennings fidgeted nervously. “When I was there, I heard them arguing, just before they left. I say arguing, but really it was Miss Monroe shouting at Ella, about something trivial. She doesn’t seem like a great motherly figure to the young girl.”
“Alright,” I said simply. “Thank you for going to the house. Did you fix the leak on the roof?”
“Yes,” he said. “Ella seemed very grateful. It was in her room. Took her stepmother three months to mention it.”
“Good,” I replied. “That will be all, thank you, Jennings.”
The butler left my study and I was left alone with the envelope. I could practically smell her sweetness from it, even though I hadn’t even opened it yet. But now that I was alone, I was desperate to see what Jennings had found for me.
I knew he was discreet, and he wouldn’t tell anyone about my wishes. He was also married to his partner of twenty-seven years, so I had no worries about him having indecent thoughts about my girl.
My fingers tore into the envelope, and I let the contents fall into my lap.
A pair of pale pink cotton panties, trimmed with lace and ribbon. They were fresh out of the wash, the scent of laundry detergent making them smell like fresh, warm linen. But still, under that scent, I could detect a note that could only belong to my princess Ella. A sweetness that was so very her it couldn’t have come from anything else.
I lifted the lacy cotton fabric to my nose, breathing in her scent, filling my head with a concoction that was uniquely Ella Monroe and nobody else.
She was addictive, the fabric permeated with her scent, making me lose my fucking mind knowing she wasn’t in my arms, but instead at her stepmother’s mercy. I hated it. I wanted her with me, where she belonged. But for now, it was too soon. I’d have to learn to be patient and bide my time before I laid my hands on her.
I knew the moment was coming, and the idea of a Christmas ball was now firmly planted in my head.
I would make her mine there. Propose to her, collar her, and make her mine officially.
I couldn’t fucking wait for her to say yes .