That said, I didn’t get a chance to dance with him. Or talk to him, at all.

It was like things kept interfering to keep us apart. My body yearned for his touch, and our eyes were almost constantly locked and sending little blazes of heat and desire across the room. But there was always my father, some advisers, other members of the court, or some dumb prince I had no interest in being pushed on me.

And despite my father’s off-hand comment about his guards having spotted Logan outside, I couldn’t help but notice a set of guards following my beast’s every move, three paces behind him all the time.

The suspicion was there, and the guilt was plastered all over my face as I stood there having boring conversations with boring princes.

All I wanted was my prince.

My dark prince.

My beast.

I wanted his hands on me. I wanted to feel his mouth on me again. I wanted mine on him.

And I wanted to let it all go with him. I knew how crazy that sounded, what with having just met him, and his reputation, and the fact that my father would have a royal freakout if he knew what Prince Logan and I had done earlier tonight.

Me wanting it to continue only made it worse.

…Or maybe better.

* * *

Eventually, the ball was dying down. My eyes locked with his as he paced like a caged animal across the room. I wanted nothing more than to run across the ballroom to him, but I knew that couldn’t happen.

Both my sisters were still missing, I’d long since lost Adele, and I was currently feigning a conversation with some prince whose name I couldn’t remember, all while trying to keep my eyes locked on Logan. He didn’t seem worried though as the music ended, and my father gave a final thanks while guests began to trickle out.

He just leaned against a wall, smirking at me, those hungry eyes devouring me.

But when would I see him again? How would I see him again? How would I even get in touch with him? For a moment, another pang lanced through me — a darker, more vicious thought.

He wasn’t coming over across the dance floor, because he’d already gotten what he’d wanted.

It was a poisonous thought, and I knew it. I knew what I’d felt out there on that terrace was real, and I refused to allow horrible, barbed thoughts like that into my head.

But just the same, what happened now?

How could we be a we?

The dance ended, and then, he was gone.

* * *

Books.

Books would make everything better.

With a sigh, I sat back, letting myself sink onto the large, plush sofa in my bedroom, an e-reader in my hand. The doors to my own terrace were open across the room, and with almost all the lights off, the room was bathed in a soft white glow from the moon. A summer breeze blew in, tickling over my bare legs and arms — still pink from my bath — and teasing up my nightgown.

I bit my lip and shivered.

What had I done earlier? I’d let myself get swept away by the most notoriously dangerous man in the kingdoms. The point of the ball had been to find a match, of course, but Logan Anders was the least eligible man imaginable. And with the curse, I wasn’t even totally sure he was entirely a man at all.

There was a beast inside of him. I’d caught glimpses of it tonight. I’d seen it when he looked at me like he wanted to devour me. I felt it when his huge hands scooped me up possessively, and when he’d growled as he’d claimed my body as his.

I’d met the beast tonight, but the thing was?

Well, the thing was, I wasn’t scared of that beast at all.

…I was drawn to it.

Except right now, I was very suddenly realizing how impossible us being us would be.

I’d texted both of my sisters, and Adele after the ball had ended, and I frowned as I glanced over at my phone. Still nothing back — from any of them!

My thoughts were interrupted by a creaking sound by the far wall of my bedroom. I froze, my head whirling around to stare wide-eyed at the bookcase covering the secret doorway that led to the emergency escape passage. This was a castle, after all, of course there were secret doorways and passages.

But even as secret passages go, this one was a total secret — meant only for me in case of a life or death emergency. The staff didn’t even know about it. Of course, I used it as a spare closet most of the time, but still.

No one should have been back there, and I could have sworn the sound I’d heard was footsteps. And for one brief second, I wanted to hope beyond any rational thought that it was him. I wanted to believe that somehow, despite the impregnable security of my father’s palace, despite having watched him be escorted from the castle earlier after the ball, and despite the fact that my room was way up at the top of the west tower, that the sound I was hearing was him.

But I knew that was impossible, just like I knew seeing him again, or there being anything further with that dark, tortured, beautiful man was impossible.

My heart started to crack all over again, when the shuffling sound came again from behind the bookcase. An icy feeling crept up my spine.

It’s probably the wind, or this old castle creaking, you wimp, I told myself. You’re imagining things.

But there it was again, and this time, the sound of footsteps was unmistakable. I sat upright on the couch, wide-eyed and breathing quickly. My gaze darted to my cell phone, and then to the emergency line by the door to my room. But the top of the west tower was a far climb, even for guards rushing to save a princess. And whatever was behind my bookcase was definitely going to get to me first.

Fear shot through me as the bookcase-door rattled, as if being pushed from behind. I briefly hefted the tablet in my hand, wondering if it was heavy enough to maim or kill if necessary.

Probably not.

There as a crashing sound now from the passage, and the bookcase shuddered as something slammed into it. The panic rising in my chest, my eyes flailed around the room looking for something, anything to defend myself with. Haltingly, my gaze landed on one of the old swords and crests hung on the far wall above my fireplace. I knew it had to be dull, being ornamental and all, but still, it was something. I darted to the fireplace and tore the sword and shield from the wall, letting the shield clatter loudly to ground as I slammed the emergency button by the door.

I whirled back to the bookcase, brandishing my dull, ancient sword like some sort of crazy person. It was heavier than it'd looked, but I hefted it menacingly as I turned towards the front door and the heavy footsteps beyond it. I already felt braver, stronger, and more ready to defend my place and my female parts.

There was a moment of stillness and the shuffling sounds quieted. But then suddenly with a smashing bang, the hidden door flung open, sending books and trinkets scattering across the floor. I shrieked, raised the sword high in my hands, and swung it crashing down as I charged right at—

Logan.

I knew it was him the second I heard that growl from his lips. I knew it was him the second I ran right into his immovable body, knowing that scent of him anywhere, and knowing there wasn’t another person on earth as broad and muscled and as solid as him.

The sword, still on my maniac downstroke, whacked him on the shoulder, making him grunt as the thing spun out of my hands and clattered to the ground.

I was suddenly very glad the thing wasn’t even remotely sharp.

“Hell of a welcome, Princess,” he growled.

I gasped, my hands landing on his powerful chest as I tumbled into him. I looked up into those fierce, piercing eyes, feeling the heat and the draw of him enveloping me like a blanket.

“It’s you!”

“You were expecting someone else?”

I grinned breathlessly. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

“And I wasn’t going to walk away tonight without seeing you again.”

“How did you even get up here?”

He flashed a quick grin. “Your father has two guards who’ll be waking up in a few hours with very bad headaches.”

My jaw dropped.

“They held their posts valiantly, but...” He shrugged.

“But you’re stronger than two guards.”

“Basically.”

I felt my lips pull into a smile, my heart starting to beat quicker inside my chest.

“I can’t believe it’s you.”

“I can’t believe how messy your escape passage is,” he growled. “It’s a death trap back there.”

“It’s my second closet.”

He raised a single amused brow. “A royal princess without enough proper closet space?”

“No, a royal princess with entirely too many clothes.”

I bit my lip, looking up into his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I couldn’t leave, not after earlier.” His jaw tensed, his eyes blazing into mine. “What happened earlier, Isla—”

My heart sank a little. This was why he was back, to tell me it couldn’t happen again. Or to tell me it was just something casual for him. And for a second, I hated myself for being naive enough not to see that as an obvious outcome from us coming together like that.

“I understand,” I said stiffly, putting on my bravest face. “It’s fine, you didn’t have to come up here just to tell me—”

“That I’m in love with you?”

Time froze.

“Yeah, Princess, I think I did.”

I blinked, my lips moving without words and my head slowly shaking from side to side.

“What?”

“I love you, Isla,” he said softly. “I love you suddenly, fiercely, and without even knowing where you came from. You hit my world so hard the second I walked in here tonight. But I knew the minute I saw you. I knew the minute my hands touched you for that dance, and it was sealed beyond reproach the instant your lips touched mine.”

His hands moved to circle me, pulling me tight against his body.

“You bring a light back into my world I never thought I’d see again. You make the beast inside quiet, and bring back the man I was.”

His eyes burned into mine as my heart threatened to pound through my chest.

“I love you, with everything I have, Isla,” he said fiercely.

“You love me…”

I said it in a daze, my heart going nuts inside my breast and an indescribable feeling of just glowy warmth spreading through my whole body.

“Now, always, and forever. I’m not interested in courting you,” he growled. “I have no interest in taking this slow, or ‘seeing where it goes.’ I want you,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion and tinged with a growl. “I want you as mine, always.”

I gaped at him, my eyes wide and blinking, like I couldn’t even fathom what to say in response to that.

“Say yes, Princess,” he said softly. “Say yes, or I’m going to go ahead and take you anyways,” he growled. “Say yes before I—”

I didn’t let him respond. I just grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulled him down, and kissed him as hard as I could.

He came alive, his huge, powerful hands pulling me tight, his groan vibrating through me.

“I love—”

“Princess Isla!”

There was the sound of a bellowing voice at my door, a hand pounding on it.

Shit.

“Crap,” I hissed, whirling towards the noise.

“Princess Isla! Respond or we’re going to break the door in!”

Logan tensed next to me, snarling as his hands closed into fists. “I’d like to see them fucking try—”

I placed a hand on his arm. “Just the guards. I called them when I heard you in the passageway.”

“You called the guards on me?” he said with an amused grin.

“I thought you were… I don’t know!”

“A monster?” he said with a wink. “A beast.”

I blushed. “No, of course not—”

“Oh but I am,” he growled, making me gasp as he suddenly pulled me into him entirely, his lips brushing against my ear.

“I’m no monster,” he purred. “But I am a beast, and being around you brings it out in me in ways I can barely contain.”

I whimpered as his hands slid down to my ass, cupping and squeezing me possessively.

“I can barely keep in control around you, Isla.”

“Princess! We’re coming in now—”

“Hold on!” I managed to croak out, lost in Logan’s eyes.

“It’s okay! I’m okay! I hit the button by accident.”

There was a pause, before I heard my father’s captain call out. “How are the flowers tonight?”

I smiled. My mother had set this up years ago — a “secret code” of sorts to make sure family members really were out of danger when they said they were.

“The flowers smell lovely tonight,” I called back.

“Have a good night, Princess Isla.”

I grinned as I heard the guards outside my door shuffling and stomping away back down the stairs.

“Smart,” Logan murmured, moving behind me. “Secret code?”

I nodded.

“And are you safe, Princess?” he growled into my ear.

I shivered, feeling the forbidden heat blaze through my body. I could feel my nipples hardening to points under my flimsy nightgown, my pussy tingling and growing wet and warm between my legs.

“Am I?”

“I’ll protect you always,” he said softly. “Always. I’ll stop anything from getting to you.”

“But not you,” I whispered, turning in his arms. “Don’t you ever stop you from getting to me, because I love you too.”

Time stopped for a single second, and then we were crashing together.

My head spun, the breath caught in my throat as he scooped me up, kissing me fiercely. His tongue pushed past my eager lips to find mine, claiming my mouth with that kiss as his hands tightened on my body.

We stumbled backwards, moaning and grasping at each other. His tuxedo jacket hit the ground, followed somehow by his pants. With a savage snarl, he tore at his dress shirt, sending the buttons scattering as he took his hands away from me just long enough to shrug it off his massive shoulders.

His hands moved to my nightgown, and unlike my dress, he didn’t restrain himself from tearing it. I gasped, the adrenaline and the desire spiking through me as he tore the thing thing in two, right off of my body. The pieces dropped to the floor, and I shivered as I felt his eyes move over my body — naked except for my panties.

“You’re so goddamn beautiful,” he groaned, his hands sliding over my skin to pull me close. I fell into him, kissing his lips and letting my hands explore his rock-hard chest, his chiseled abs, and the hard grooves of his hips. I moaned as I felt the huge thickness between his legs bulging at his underwear, pressing hot and powerfully into my belly. I whimpered as my fingers moved lower, tentatively feeling that huge cock of his through the cotton.

He groaned.

“You cage the monster, Princess,” he growled. “But you bring out the beast in me. I—” he groaned again as my fingers stroked the thick shaft behind his underwear.

“I can’t control it around you,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

“Then don’t,” I whispered back.

He growled deeply. “You don’t know what you’re saying. I really can’t control myself around you.”

“And I don’t want you too,” I said softly, my fingers closing on his shaft and stroking as I looked up into his eyes. “I trust you, and I want you.”

His eyes flashed fire, and I felt his cock throb in my hand. With a shriek, I suddenly went tumbling backwards onto my bed, my heart thudding in my chest, and desire spiking through me.

He loomed over me on the side of the bed, his muscles bunching and his jaw tight.

“I’ll be as gentle as I can, Princess,” he said, his voice strained. “But if you want the beast, you’re going to get the beast.”

“Show me everything,” I whispered.

His eyes locked on me, and he nodded. Slowly, his thumbs hooked into his briefs, and shoved them down his thighs. My gaze lowered, and my jaw dropped. I’d seen his cock earlier, but not like this. Not with him standing above me with his impossibly big, throbbing cock so hard and ready for me. He was enormous. Strong, pulsing, with a thick vein running down the length of him. His balls, full and swollen, hung between his muscled thighs, and I suddenly realized I was more turned on than I’d ever been before.

“You want the beast, Princess?” he growled, his eyes like liquid fire as they gazed down on me.

I nodded, face flushed and my pussy soaking my panties.

“As my Princess wishes,” he said darkly. He moved onto the bed, sinking back against my massive headboard, His hand wrapped around his thick, enormous cock, stroking it in a way that had me hypnotized.

“Come here, Princess,” he growled softly.

I nodded, my eyes locked onto his cock as I turned and crawled up the bed towards him.

“Open that sweet mouth,” he groaned, his hand moving to my cheek and stroking me.

I whimpered, moving even closer to him and feeling my pulse pounding as I leaned in.

Slowly, I opened my mouth, wanting to taste him so badly.

As the head of his massive cock touched my lips, I somehow fell under a spell — totally hypnotized by him. I shivered, my body trembling and my pussy throbbing with need as I slowly began to open my mouth and push my lips over his thick head.

I found quickly that I couldn’t actually open my jaw wide enough to fit more than the first inch of his cock inside my mouth. I couldn't even get the whole head in! He was simply too big. Instead, I wrapped my lips around what little I could and sucked, hard. After all, I might have been a virgin, but I’d read romance books.

Logan groaned, hissing in pleasure as his hand slipped into my hair, making me smile and feel bolder. I sucked harder at his head, letting my spit and his sweet, tangy juices drip copiously down his thick, pulsing  shaft. I stroked him up and down with both my hands, feeling as though I was greasing a pole. My head spun and my moans joined him as I slurped at him, loving the velvety feel of his hot skin and the tightness of the muscle beneath. The way the thick veins pulsed under my little fingers, letting me feel the raw power behind them, sent a jolt through my core.

“Fuck, just like that, Princess,” Logan groaned, his hand tight in my hair, but not forcing me. HIs other hand reached beneath me, stroking my skin and letting his fingers roll over my nipples.

I became consumed by my lust for him, and I moaned like a little porn star as I worshiped his cock. I slurped on the head, swirling my tongue around it and licking at the hole at the end as I stroked him. I dropped my mouth down to the shaft, letting my lips and tongue wetly suck and lap at the veiny shaft. I bathed it in my spit as I bobbed my lips up and down the underside, making whimpering little mewling sounds.

Logan growled loudly, hissing through his teeth as he threw his head back. I groaned at the dull aching throb in my pussy, and the raw primal desire that was ripping through my body. I wanted it all. I wanted him to take the last part me, right now.

I pulled away, panting and looking up at his gorgeous face.

“I want—” I stammered. “I want you to take it,” I whispered. “I want you to take me.”

He groaned as he pulled me up to his mouth, his lips claiming mine as his tongue slipped inside. I moaned as he kissed fiercely, hands roaming my body and his big dick pressing into my soft belly. I gasped as his hand moved lower, down between my legs, and when he ran a thick finger over my soaked panties, I cried out.

“You want to feel me fill this tight little pussy with my big cock, is that it, princess?” He said it with an edge to his voice, his fingers pressing deep into the soaked front of my panties.

I cried out again, nodding.

“I want to hear you say it.”

I whimpered, moaning into his mouth as the filthy words teased through me.

“I— I want you to—”

“Tell me what you want, little Princess.”

I took a shaky breath, the desire for this man exploding out of me like a wildfire.

“I want you to fill my pussy up with your huge cock,” I whispered.

Logan roared, and I shrieked as he suddenly picked me up in his arms like I weighed nothing at all. His powerful hands cupped my ass, bringing me up to his mouth as I gasped in shock and pleasure. A hand came up to yank my panties off with a snapping sound, shredding them from my body and tossing them away.

I was seriously going to need more underwear around this man.

I shrieked in pleasure as his powerful arms lifted me up and against his mouth, his wet tongue pushing deep inside my pussy. My eyes rolled back in my head and I gasped for air, clawing at the wall above my bed as he held me firmly, lifted in the air with my legs on his shoulders and my pussy right on his lips. Fingers dug into my ass and my thighs as his tongue pushed deep, tasting my slickness as he groaned loudly. He moved his tongue up, curling it over my clit and making me almost scream as he teased me mercilessly.

My breath came in gasps, and his hands tightened on my body. As his tongue swirled around my clit, I suddenly shattered for him.

I did scream this time, the orgasm tearing out of me as I came against his mouth. My beast growled, slurping loudly and tonguing me hungrily before he slowly let me slide down his chest.

I panted, my head spinning before he took my mouth again with his, kissing me fiercely. HIs hands on my ass slid around, and I moaned as I felt his fingers stroke against my dripping wet pussy.

I knew what came next, and I wanted it so badly.

Logan’s powerful arms lifted me slightly, and I gasped as I felt the thick head of his cock resting against my opening.

“I’m going to go as slow as I can, beautiful,” he groaned, his jaw tight. “You’re on top, so you’re in control.”

“What if I want you in control?”

He groaned. “Trust that I will be,” he growled. “But for the first part, I want you to take it how you want. And then?”

His eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back from his teeth.

“But then I’m going to take you, and there’s no fucking way I’ll be able to restrain the beast.”

I whimpered, kissing him hungrily as I felt his cock push against my virginal slit. Slowly, I  started to push down.

The moan tore from my lips as I felt his enormous head begin to stretch me open. I was dripping wet and leaking down his shaft, which I knew was going to help him fit inside. His eyes flashed, his jaw was grinding tight, and his arms muscles strained as he fought to hold back from what I’m sure was a powerful need to grab me and yank me down onto him.

Slowly, the cries whimpering from my mouth, I started to sink down onto him. I was worried for a second about him hurting me — worried that the beast inside would take control and just impale me.

Logan seemed to sense this, because I felt his tight grip on my hips loosen. One hand came up to my cheek.

“You’re in control, Isla,” he groaned.

I pushed down, and let out a cry of pleasure as his cock slowly filled me, inch by thick inch. I gasped for air, my eyes wide as the huge shaft slid inside. I felt so incredibly full and stretched, and he wasn’t even all the way inside! I gasped as I pushed down, letting my knees bend further as I sank down on the enormous shaft as it eased inside of me. My head spun with the intense sensations, my insides clenching as the thick, pulsating cock slid deep. I shuddered and shivered as I coaxed myself further down, the friction of his shaft rubbing against the hard nub of my clit and making my head spin.

And then finally, he was entirely inside of me. I moaned, my whole body shivering in ecstasy as I felt every damn inch of him pulsing thickly inside of me.

Logan groaned, his hands moving back to grab my hips tightly, his tongue and lips moving to tease my nipples. I panted, feeling so full but aching for more. Slowly, I raised up, whispering at the feel of him sliding out before I sank back down, feeling him sheath inside of me again.

“Fuck, just like that, little princess,” he growled, his lips fastening on my nipple, his tongue swirling over it. His cock pulsed as his hands tightened on me. Slowly, I could feel him take over. Slowly, as we moved, I could feel his own arms moving me up and down his big dick more than I was.

And I let go and let him take over completely.

I cried out as he started to move us faster, bouncing me up and down on his big cock and grinding his hips up to meet me in on every stroke. I was lost in the raw power of him, lost in the feelings trembling through me as this man — this gorgeous beast of a man — claimed me as his own.

Suddenly, with a growl, he grabbed me and spun us around. I gasped as my back hit the bed, my legs tight around his muscled hips, his cock never leaving the tight confines of my pussy. I moaned loudly as he drove deep inside, his masculine groans sizzling through my ears as he started thrusting in and out of me. His hand found my wrists, pinning them above my head. His eyes locked on mine before his lips crashed into mine. I moaned into that kiss, rocking my hips to meet his deep thrusts, my whole world melting around me as the pleasure consumed me.

His huge cock drove into me again and again, his huge hands pinning me to the bed, his mouth moving to my neck and biting and sucking the skin there. I felt completely dominated by him, my legs spread wide and up in the air as this beast of a man claimed me. I could feel his heavy balls slapping my ass, his thick head stretching me wide, the muscles of his chest rubbing over my nipples.

He pulled away from my neck and caught my eyes, both of us inches apart and breathing the same air as he slid in harder and deeper.

I was going to come soon, and I was going to come hard. I was going to shatter for the very first time with a man inside of me — and not just any man, this man. This dark, tortured, dominating, beast of a man. And I knew I’d never want anything else but him.

“This is everything,” he growled, as if reading my thoughts. “You’re my everything, Princess.” He moved to kiss me, his tongue sliding over mine as our bodies rocked together higher and higher.

“They’ll tell us we can’t,” I gaped.

“Fuck them.”

“They’ll say this can’t happen.”

“Let them say it to my face,” he snarled. “Because you’re mine now. You’re all mine, forever.”

“Yours,” I squealed, feeling his thick cock throbbing as he drove deep inside. “I’m all yours!”

“Always,” he groaned.

“Always” I gasped.

“I want you as my queen, Princess,” he growled into my ear, his hips slamming into mine and making me whimper in pleasure and this uncontrollable swelling feeling of love at his words.

“You mean…”

“Of course I mean,” he growled into my lips. “I’m going to make you my wife, and my queen, and then?”

I cried out as every enormous inch of him buried inside me in one body shivering thrust.

“And then, I’m going to make you the mother of my children.”

And that’s when I started to fall.

That’s when I felt myself letting go, and felt everything start to explode.

“Come for me, Princess,” he groaned, biting the skin of my neck and driving in deep. “That tight, perfect, sweet little pussy belongs to me now, and I want to feel it come all over my big cock.”

My back arched off the bed, the scream caught in my throat, and I shattered.

“Come for me, my love.”

The scream tore from my throat as the orgasm ripped through me like a hurricane. His hands let go of my wrists, and my hands flew to his neck, clutching him close and crying out into his chest as I came again and again.

Logan roared as he drove every inch of his monster cock inside of me. I felt it swell up, and suddenly, I could feel it. He bellowed as he came, his cock throbbing and pulsing deep inside as I felt the warm sticky jets of his cum fill me to the brim. His lips found mine, and he kissed me fiercely as he rocked inside, pumping into me until I was sure I would pass out from the pleasure blowing through me.

He didn’t pull out when he was done, he just reached up with one finger and lifted my trembling, gasping face to his.

“Mine,” he growled.

“All yours,” I whispered back.