“This is so good, it’s decadent.” I took another bite of tikka masala. “Why don’t they serve Indian food at your palace?”

“Oddly enough, most of the Falkenberg chefs haven’t studied Indian cuisine.”

“Well, they should. Technically Falkenberg is closer to India than London.” Taking my cue from him, I lowered my voice when I said the name of his country, but no one was paying us any attention. We were eating in a casual restaurant that was loud, crowded, and anonymous. We sat on stools at a counter-height table, so pressed in on all sides that our legs were nearly touching.

“I may look into it. You’re right, it’s delicious.”

“Good things happen when you venture out amongst the commoners.”

“You don’t look very common today,” Nico said with a wink. Though he’d made a valiant effort, his eyes kept returning to my chest. Frankie had found me a push-up bra made with what seemed to be some sort of advanced space-aged technology. Whatever it was, it made my regular B-cups into so much more.

I didn’t mind him looking—it would’ve been completely hypocritical if I had, because I was practically drooling over him. He’d always been handsome, but in a classy way. When he’d worn his uniform when Autumn visited, he’d looked like a fairy-tale prince. Like the perfect man of every woman’s dreams.

But today… I’m not sure what it was, perhaps the shaggy hair, or the intensity of his temporarily blue eyes… or maybe it was the fact that his tight shirt outlined every sculpted muscle in his body. Though not quite as tight as his shirt, his jeans were revealing as well. It was pretty obvious that the prince was sporting a king-size package under the denim.

On a normal day, he looked handsome and hot. Today, he looked sexy, dangerous, and very hot.

I wasn’t the only one who thought so, either. The waitress who’d taken our order had fawned all over him. I saw other women and men sneak peeks, too. It would be ironic if we attracted photographers not because they knew who we were but because Nico looked as good as a rock star.

“What are you thinking about?”

“You,” I said, not even blushing. I wasn’t Cara today, I was Bianca here on her honeymoon with her hot-as-hell husband. I intended to act the part.

“What about me?”

“About how brave you were, letting Frankie give you a makeover.” I batted my fake eyelashes to show him he was my hero. “What did you think of him?”

Nico grinned. “He’s quite the character—and he’s fiercely loyal to you.” He chuckled and shook his head.

“What?”

“I’d pay damn good money to see him and my mother within ten feet of each other.”

That thought made me laugh so hard that I started choking. Nico patted me on the back as I gulped water and tried to stop. When my coughing subsided, his hand was still under my jacket, rubbing circles. His large palm felt warm on my skin.

Gradually the circles lengthened until his fingers grazed the material of my skirt. I turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

“Can you blame me?” he said, giving my ass a little squeeze. “I’m on my honeymoon.”

I held my hand up, watching the way the light played off the fake diamond. “You’re forgiven, then.” I pushed my ass backwards against his hand, and he smirked.

However, it was too crowded to continue in that vein for long. There were so many people squeezing past us looking for a table that he might accidentally grope the wrong person.

When we were done, Nico fished a black leather wallet out of the tight back pocket of his jeans. It dawned on me that I’d never seen him do anything like that before. It wasn’t like he had to whip out his wallet in his castle.

For some reason, that little detail, him paying for our meal, made me feel like I was on a date. In a way, I suppose I was. It was our first time being out in the world together. Our first chance to dine without his children, friends, or staff. Somehow, it felt like a first date with someone I already knew intimately. It was an exciting combination.

We spent the afternoon doing touristy things, and no one bothered us. We walked through Tate Gallery and along the river. Nico kept his arm around me the whole time, in part because I kept wobbling on my tall heels. Like my eyelashes and my enhanced cleavage, my occasional stumbles were somewhat less than authentic. I could walk pretty well in the thigh-high boots—I just liked feeling his body to mine.

Nico bought a waffle covered in strawberries and cream from a food truck and we shared it sitting side-by-side on a bench overlooking the River Thames. In the early evening, we bought souvenirs for the twins and found a lovely little bookstore to peruse.

When it was dark, Nico guided me through the crowds as we made our way back to the hotel. There was nothing quite like walking in London in the night. The crowds were even bigger than in the daytime, but I liked it. It made me feel like Nico and I were a part of something special. No one knew he was a prince. No one knew I was a Californian trying to deal with feelings for a complicated man.

Our disguises were so good that we were able to walk right up to the front door of the hotel, though I did see a man with a camera leaning against a car. Nico nudged me and pointed out two more paparazzi as we passed by without slowing. We didn’t stop, in fact, until we stepped out of the elevator at the top of the building. Thompson and two of his men were there. It immediately became clear that they had no problem recognizing us—and that they were pissed.

“Sir, that was inadvisable.” Frustration radiated from the man but he kept himself in check. “You hired us to make sure you and Miss Andrews stayed safe.”

“Clearly, we did,” Nico said.

“But sir—”

“And may I remind you that last night, when we did things your way, we were mobbed by photographers. Today we were not.”

Thompson bristled. “Sir, I can assure you that we provide the best possible—”

“Hon, why are they calling you sir?” I giggled as I kissed Nico on the cheek. “It’s not like you’re some kind of royalty.” I turned to Thompson. “I’m Bianca, and this is Dante. We’re visiting from the states. We got married last week and hopped on the first flight out here. It’s an amazing city, isn’t it, Dante?”

Nico smiled down at me. “Indeed it is, Bianca. We had an incredible day.”

“We sure did!” I chirped, gesturing widely with my left hand, showing off the ring.

Thompson wasn’t amused. “If you could be serious for a moment, sir, we must discuss—”

“Actually, now’s not a good time,” Nico said, and he steered us past Thompson to the door of his suite. He turned back to the head of security and winked. “You see—it’s our honeymoon.”

Nico grinned and shut the door in the security chief’s face.

Once inside, Nico held out his hands for my coat. Turning, I shrugged my shoulders and let it slide down my arms.

He politely took it from me, folding it neatly in half lengthwise… and then threw it on the floor and launched himself at me.

“Nico!” I shrieked, laughing as he pressed me against the wall.

With one quick flick of his wrist, he pushed the golden strands of my wig off my shoulder and attacked my neck. “It’s Dante,” he growled against my throat.

I couldn’t answer—my head was thrown back, my eyes closed as he drove me wild with his mouth. His hands found mine and pushed them against the wall above my head. If this was how Dante was going to behave the whole night, then Bianca was a very lucky girl.

Since my hands were pinned, I pointed the toe of my high-heeled boot and ran it up his leg, teasing him as best I could. It wasn’t easy with all the sensations flowing through me. Nico switched his grip so that he held both my wrists in one of his large hands above my head. With his free hand, he grabbed my thigh, lifting it even higher toward his waist. My short skirt rode up, and he thrust his hips forward, pressing his hard erection against me.

My eyes rolled back in my head as his mouth ravished mine. It felt so good. So hot and fast and dirty and incredible. Was it always this way or just with a man like Nico?

If there even were any other men like him, which I doubted.

His strong arms held me so firmly that I risked raising my other leg, wrapping it around him. Nico let go of my hands and slid his hands down my side until he was cupping my ass. He pulled me towards him, and my hands went around his neck.

Somehow, he managed to kiss me while carrying me toward the bedroom. When he got there, he pulled me even closer, grinding the hot bulge in his pants against my panties. I moaned and he broke his kiss to smirk at me. Then he winked and pushed me backwards.

After a moment of alarm, I landed on the soft bed, my legs spread, my arms to the side. He stood there staring down at me, several emotions crossing his face, the sexiest of which was a predatory look that made me even wetter. He started to get on the bed next to me. “Wait,” I said.

He stopped instantly, his hands going up as if in surrender. “What’s wrong?” His voice was a throaty rumble.

“Can you take your shirt off?” I pleaded.

His cocky grin was answer enough. He grasped the hem of the incredibly tight gray fabric and peeled it up his stomach, revealing one row of abs at a time. Holy shit, he looked good. The muscles of his arms flexed when he crawled over me. I could’ve stared at his chest for hours, but when his talented mouth dipped to my cleavage, I couldn’t help but close my eyes.

He alternated between nuzzling the tops of my breasts and lapping his tongue between them. I groaned as he reached back and grabbed my leg, bending my knee and pushing it toward my chest. He rubbed his long, hard body between my legs as he worshiped my breasts with his mouth. “God, you feel so good.”

“You feel even better,” he said, nipping at my tender skin and making me squeal. I squirmed under him, making my breasts wobble.

Nico grinned, training his incredibly sexy eyes on mine. “Umm… I’m not sure how to say this without getting slapped in the face…”

I laughed, so turned on that I didn’t care what he was about to say. “Bianca doesn’t do that sort of thing.”

Nico gave a low, sexy chuckle. “Setting aside the implication that Cara does, well, may I just say that… these were extra impressive today.” His hands cupped my breasts.

I pressed against his hands. “I may have caught you looking a time or two… dozen.”

“Guilty,” he said, dipping his head and swiping his tongue over my creamy skin. “Did that bother you?”

“Who do you think I wore this painfully torturous push-up bra for, Frankie?”

“Little minx,” he growled, and he pulled my shirt and bra cups down. The cool air hardened my nipples a half second before his warm breath caressed them. The rough stubble on his face provided a counterpoint to the delicious feeling of his lips on my sensitive nubs.

“Nico,” I moaned, barely able to form a coherent situation. “I want to feel your skin against mine.”

He captured one nipple between his teeth and tugged on it before letting go. Then he put his arm under my shoulders and pulled me to a sitting position, my legs on top of his. I immediately fumbled for the hem of my shirt, but he stopped me with a gruff command. “Let me do that.”

His touch made me tremble as he slowly pulled my shirt over my head and arms. Without breaking eye contact, he found the zipper on my boot and tugged it down. He pulled it off and did the same for the other while I reached back and unfastened the push-up bra. Nico took it from me and tossed it over his shoulder, his eyes smoldering on mine the whole time.

“Lie back,” he said, his husky voice making my pulse speed up. I lowered myself down, supporting myself on my elbows while I watched him watch me.

“You’re beautiful. So fucking beautiful whether you’re dressed to the nines like last night or back in the castle, bundled in so many scarves that I can only see the tip of your nose. You’re an incredibly gorgeous woman.”

A wave of emotions hit me hard, a heady mixture of appreciation, admiration, longing, and lust. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone. I’d barely dared to hope that we’d end up here tonight, and I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring… but he was mine for this moment. I wanted him so badly it hurt.

He trailed a finger between my breasts, down to my navel, and then just under the edge of my skirt. Then he kneeled between my legs, putting both hands on my hips before sliding my skirt down.

Bare except for my panties, I lay looking up at him, craving his touch. As he stared at me, he pulled off his wig, his brown hair tousled and wild underneath. He dropped it on the bed and put his hands on my thighs, spreading my legs farther apart. I wondered if he could see how damp my panties were.

Still holding me open, he grinned and licked his lips. Then he lowered his head to my mound and rubbed his cheek over the top of my panties. Even through the thin fabric, I could feel his rough stubble.

One long finger stroked along my panties directly over my seam. It felt so good that I writhed against him, trying to feel him more fully. He chuckled, his warm breath tickling my skin. Then he granted my wish, sliding his finger under the edge and pushing the fabric to the side.

He circled my entrance with a light, teasing touch. When his mouth closed over my folds, I nearly arched right off the bed. I moaned, pressing myself up against him.

His tongue swirled in circles in much the same way as his finger did. And then he switched it up, pushing his tongue into my tight depths while his finger flicked past my clit. Knowing he could taste my arousal was a little embarrassing and a lot sexy. He was driving me wild with his teasing touch but it wasn’t enough. The desire, the need building in me was almost frightening.

He licked his way back to my clit. I squirmed at the intensity as his tongue flicked back and forth. He was driving me insane—I couldn’t stop writhing on the bed.

His fingers and mouth worked their magic until it felt like I was just a bundle of raw nerves, dancing under his touch.

My breathing quickened and it was tempting to let him take me over the edge, but I fought the sensations back because I wanted more. “Please… please, can you… I need you to…”

Nico’s mouth stilled, and I felt him chuckle against my flushed skin. Then he sat up and looked at me speculatively. He ran his hand down his flat stomach to the bulge in his pants. “Is this what you want?”

“God yes,” I moaned, and he unzipped his pants. “I’ve wanted that all day, Dante.”

Nico paused. “I was asking Cara, not Bianca. Do you want this? Do you want me?”

“More than anything,” I breathed, and his eyes darkened with desire at my tone.

“Then take off your panties,” he growled.

I sat up, eager to do so, but I was momentarily distracted by the sight of him sliding his pants down. It was my first time seeing his black boxer shorts and his firm, muscular thighs. He fished a condom out of the pocket before he tossed his jeans aside, and I remembered I was supposed to be taking off my panties.

I wiggled out of them and then caught my breath when he freed his rock-hard cock. It looked so big, so warm and flushed. I didn’t know how it would feel inside me, but I was dying to find out.

He rolled the condom on and moved between my legs again, reaching for my clit. His finger worked me into a frenzy while he lined the tip of his cock up. “I’m going to make you feel so good, Liebling.”

In response, I spread my legs wider and he pushed the head a few inches into me, parting me easily as I forgot how to breathe. For an endless moment he stilled, not moving until my breath released in a jagged little gasp. “Oh god, yes,” I moaned.

He drew back and pushed forward again, the heat from his hard cock warming me from the inside out. “More,” I gasped.

Nico hooked his arms under my legs, bending them back toward my chest as he leaned forward. The added depth of his next thrust made my mouth open in a silent shriek. I’d never dreamed I could feel this full… and never dreamed it could feel this good.

And I’d certainly never thought I’d feel this strong of a bond with him.

He pushed into me again, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as if I never wanted to let him go. I grabbed the back of his head, arching up as he leaned down to kiss me.

His thrusts never slowed as he devoured me with his lips. My fingernails raked across his back, and he responded by drawing my tongue into his mouth and biting down lightly. I never knew before how a hint of pain could enhance the pleasure. “Please, Nico…”

His paused, rolling his hips in little circles, causing a cascade of new sensations. “Please what?” His dark eyes were on mine.

“Please make me scream.”

His pushed into me hard, and I cried out.

His smile was devilish. “I can make you scream louder.” He thrust his hand between our bodies and found my clit.

God, the sensations… it was like an onslaught. I clutched fistfuls of the silk sheets, trying to brace myself. A tsunami of pleasure was coming and even the build-up was more powerful than anything I’d ever felt before.

Nico’s finger worked my clit harder and my breath came out in gasps and moans. “Please!”

He sped up, driving into me over and over. I moaned loudly, poised on a precipice about to fall over the edge. And then he thrust all the way into me, his hard cock pulsing as my body started spasming around him.

My gasps mixed with his shouts and we clung to each other, electricity flowing freely between us. My hips bucked under him, the orgasm taking complete control of my body. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe, I could just feel. The waves of pleasure. The heat of his cock inside of me. The weight of his body on mine. I could feel all of it.

But most of all I felt connected to him. To the man I’d been thinking and dreaming about since the first day we met. He was here, with me. We were together. I didn’t want it to ever end.

And as he collapsed on top of me, peppering me with kisses and smoothing the hair out of my eyes, just one thought echoed inside my mind.

Maybe there was some way it didn’t have to end.