It was the third morning that Elena had been camped out in her room. That particular morning, for the second time, she watched when Jason came up the walk and knocked on the door. And for the second time, her father sent him away. He had left, but he had stood by the gate for a few minutes, hoping perhaps that she would come out. Her heart had fluttered in her chest, signaling its constant betrayal, and more than once she had wanted to run to him. But he represented a life she did not want, and it didn’t matter that he was a prince.

He hadn’t come the morning after their time in the barn, and she had half expected him to. Maybe showing up with flowers, like she had seen many men do in the movies. But he had been quiet, and she had convinced herself he’d had his way with her and that was all he wanted. But he was back the following day, and he was persistent. She wondered how long he could maintain it without accepting defeat. She had been sure he would have given up, but he was relentless in his pursuit. In some ways, it was satisfying.

On the other hand, she had given herself to a man she wasn’t sure about. Her father would be ashamed of her, and she was more afraid to face her parents than Jason. Her life had suddenly morphed into a drama series, with her a prisoner both to her affections and to the guilt that plagued her.

She hugged herself, looking out at the farm she had grown to love so much but had to abandon for the moment, when she heard a light knock on the door. Her eyes widened, and she hurried to the bed and pulled the sheet over her so only her head showed.

“Come in,” she said as weakly as she could.

There was a creak and her father’s head stuck in the door. “How you doing, kiddo?”

“Hey, Dad. Not so good still.”

He stepped inside and pushed the door closed. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the doctor?”

“No!” she exclaimed. “I think it will blow over in a couple of days.”

Her father cocked his head to the side. “A couple of days? I’ve never known you to be sick for a day, much less for a couple of days.” He walked over and sat next to her on the bed. “You’ve been like this since that night in the barn.” Elena gulped and her mouth immediately felt dry. “You were out there for too long.”

Elena thought about the night he spoke of, and she shivered. She remembered all too clearly the way Jason’s body felt pressing against her, and how big he felt as his cock forced its way into her. She hadn’t ever thought about how first-time sex would feel, but she never expected the mixture of pleasure driven to greater proportions by the associated pain from engaging in the act for the first time. She remembered how his lips had felt as they moved over hers, as he buried his head in her neck when he evoked sensations along her body with his tongue, from her breasts to her clit.

“I don’t think it had anything to do with the barn.” Elena cleared her throat and diverted her eyes from his. “Maybe there is a bug.”

“I didn’t hear about any bug,” he insisted. He leaned over and placed his backhand on her forehead. “Not warm.”

“Dad!” Elena cried as she shuffled under the sheets and tossed her head about. “I’m not a baby.”

“I know, but it’s been three days. You need to get out of bed. You won’t get better if you stay under the covers. I’ve always thought you were tougher than this.”

Elena perked up and shuffled on the bed as she half sat, pulling the covers over her. “I am tough.”

“Well, let’s go.” He smiled, and his eyes sparkled.

Elena knew he missed her around the farm, and she felt like a lunatic hiding in her room. Furthermore, it was a little bit selfish too—her father was not capable of running the farm efficiently like he used to. He relied heavily on her, and the familiar thought of betrayal overcame her.

“Fine. I’ll get out. But if I get worse, I’m blaming you.”

A slight rumble of amusement escaped Gregory and triggered a similar response from Elena. When she tossed the covers back, he realized she was fully dressed.

“Oh, you sly girl.” He laughed. “Were you teasing an old man?”

“No,” Elena replied quickly. “I actually was feeling sick.”

He raised his brow at her. “Was?”

She knew she had been caught. “I mean am,” she corrected herself and blushed. Elena looked away, knowing he was inspecting her face for the truth he suspected she was hiding.

“You know, Prince Jason has been by several times to see you. Is that why you haven’t come out of your room?”

He had hit the proverbial nail on the head—or most of it, anyway. She gloated at the fact that he had come so many times, even after he had been turned away every time. But she also dreaded their next encounter, and though he appeared the gentleman, she knew better. He probably wanted as much as he could get from her—as many romps in the hay. Well, she would not give him the satisfaction.

“No,” she lied. He cocked his head to the side as he searched her, and she buckled under the pressure of his questioning gaze and all-knowing psyche. “Okay, that’s a part of the reason. I still felt sick.”

She held onto that because it wasn’t entirely a lie. She had lost her virginity to a pompous jerk, a man she shouldn’t have shaken hands with let alone fucked. And it made her sick. Of course, she couldn’t say that to her father, so she blamed it on an imaginary bug. She knew how disappointed he would be if he learned what she had done, that she had engaged in pre-marital sex with the very man she had begged him to protect her from.

“Well, you seem to be doing a lot better—”

“Greg!” Olivia called as she burst into the room, her eyes wide with horror. “The prince is here.”

Elena’s gaze matched her own, and they both looked helplessly to Gregory for a means of escape.

“Please tell him I’m sick,” she begged her mother.

“We’ve been telling him that for the last three days,” she pleaded. “He will know I’m lying. Greg, you do it. I don’t feel comfortable lying.”

“What, and I do?” Gregory turned and asked.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. But since you… well, you do it better than me.”

Elena couldn’t help laughing as she watched her parents battle over who should be the bearer of bad news. Until they both gave her a disapproving look.

“If you find it so funny, maybe you should just go down and save us both the trouble.” Her mother folded her arms and glared at her.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. But this isn’t something a girl sees her parents do every day—argue over who should lie, or who lies better.”

Gregory grunted and stood. “I’ll tell him, but I don’t know how long he will believe me. He can decide to search the house if he wants.” He huffed out of the room.

Elena had not thought about that, and she panicked at the realization. “Wait, can he do that?”

“He is the prince. What do you think?” Olivia asked.

Elena bolted to the door and ran out into the hallway. She ground to a halt when she heard his voice.

“Still?” he asked.

“Yes. She seems to have caught a bug, and naturally, she doesn’t want to… it’s contagious.”

Jason groaned.

Elena moved cautiously and eased her head around the wooden partition. She could see his face. He was turned sideways, like he was looking out to the gate. When he turned back to her father, the smile on his face was evident, and it triggered memories of his lips doing more than teasing her into submission.

“Are you sure I can’t come in to see her? If it’s that bad, I could get a doctor.” He reached into his pocket and took out his phone even as he spoke.

Elena grew weak in the knees. She wanted to stop him, but there was nothing she could do. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, and her face warmed before she felt perspiration beads popping up everywhere. She looked behind her at her mother standing just outside Elena’s bedroom door, looking confused and desperate.

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Gregory told him, clearing his throat. “We believe in home remedies.”

Olivia was right behind Elena at this point in the conversation. “You’re right, Mom, he does lie better than you,” she said as she stifled a giggle.

“Home remedies,” Olivia echoed and shook her head.

“I hope that helps,” Jason was heard saying. “I really would like to see her. I have something to tell her.”

Elena gulped. What did he mean, he had something to tell her? What could he have to say that was so important?

“Maybe you should let her come to you when she is feeling better. No sense in coming out here all the time when she is still sick,” Gregory added for good measure.

Elena stuck her head around the corner again, and Jason looked straight at the corner where she stood. She pulled back instantly and flattened against the wall, her pulse racing and her mind swirling. She was afraid to look again, and she ran hurriedly to her room in case he decided to come inside the house.

Her mother hurried after her, frightened by what had troubled her. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” she cried, feeling the emotions well up inside her and burn the corners of her eyes as the bothersome tears prepared to fall. “Why doesn’t he go away?”

“You don’t have to marry him. You know that.”

“Yeah? That’s what I thought too. But don’t you see how determined he is?” Not to mention the fact that she’d already fucked him. But she couldn’t say that out loud.

Olivia hung her head and twiddled her thumbs. “Maybe your father can talk to him. Maybe…maybe you should.”

“You don’t think I have?” She scoffed and got up from the bed. She placed her hands on her hips and paced the room. “Jason will get what he wants, and I’m afraid he won’t take no for an answer. But why me?”

“Oh, Elena,” Olivia said as she stood and hurried to her. “You have always been a beautiful girl. It’s no wonder he saw something in you. It’s the same thing all the other boys saw before.”

“The other boys were easier. They went away when I told them no,” Elena protested.

“I remember very well,” Olivia smiled. “You were so sure of yourself, wanting to wait for the right man.”

Elena blushed at her mother’s words. “But Jason isn’t just any man, and he won’t go away. I wish I wasn’t pretty or anything like that. Maybe if I hadn’t been under the tree that night he wouldn’t have noticed me.”

Olivia marched up to her daughter and cupped her face. “If he was meant to see you, he would have anyway. Let’s hope he gives up.”

“Yes. Let’s hope.”

Elena knew that was a long shot. Jason had taken over her head. She had given him her body, and now he was determined to capture her heart as well. She was afraid she was losing the battle, but she wrestled against the current still, hoping what she felt was nothing more than a passing fancy that would die after a few days.

She scooted to the window and watched as Jason walked slowly to the gate. There was a certain sadness to his gait that was obvious to her. No point in feeling sorry for him, she told herself. He had wined and dined girls all over the world. Why did she have to be counted among his conquests?

Her palms closed tightly as she watched him leave, conflicted by her feelings of relief that he was no longer an imminent threat and the sudden unstable beating of her heart that told her, deep down, she didn’t want him to go. And she cursed herself silently for it.