I dream about that kiss all the next night.

I didn’t want that to happen. I mean, I did want it to happen, but I knew it was a bad idea. I knew it was but I didn’t stop it.

Because I want Prince Billionaire more than I realize. If that weren’t obvious to me before, after a full night of dreaming about nothing but all the different ways Bran can make my body feel good should make it pretty obvious.

I wake up soaking wet. I haven’t woken up aroused like this in a long, long time. I quickly get out of bed, trying to shake the dream. I hop into the shower, hoping maybe that water will help, but the image from my dream doesn’t go away.

Bran’s body, shirtless and slightly damp, presses me up against a wall. He kisses my neck and when I whimper, it only makes him laugh. He tells me how much he wants me, and how much he needs me, and how much he can’t wait for all of Bellestan to see. As soon as he bends me over roughly and slides his cock between my legs, I realize that he’s fucking me on a balcony overlooking an enormous town square. Every single citizen of Bellestan is down there watching as their Prince fucks his new Princess, and it only makes me want it that much more.

I get out of the shower, practically shaking with desire. I make some coffee but I still can’t get that kiss out of my head. When my coffee is done, I check my phone, and frown when I notice a message from my mom.

It’s a text. “Hi honey, haven’t heard from you in a while, hope you’re doing okay!”

I sigh and put my phone down. I haven’t told her the truth about what’s happening yet, and I’m starting to feel guilty about that. Maybe coming clean to my mom is exactly the distraction I need.

I grab my laptop, fire up Skype, and call my mom. It rings for a minute before eventually she answers, looking bleary-eyed and tired.

“Honey?” she says

“Hey, mom!”

“Do you know what time it is?”

Oh shit. I totally forgot about the time difference. “I’m so sorry,” I say.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, totally fine, go back to bed. I’ll talk to you later.”

Mom sighs and a light switches on. She grabs her glasses from off screen and puts them on. “No, I’m up now. How are things in, uh, what’s it called?”

“Bellestan,” I say, smiling. Of course she has no clue where that is, I barely even know and I’m apparently a fake Princess.

“Bellestan, right. How is it?”

“Good,” I say. “My boss is keeping me busy.” I regret that choice of words immediately.

“I’m sure he is,” she says. “That Bran is a tough boss.”

“He is.” I blink at her face and realize that maybe I’m not ready for this, but we’re here and I might as well go for it “Actually I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure how to say this, so I’m just going to come out and say it. Bran and I got engaged.”

She stares at me for a second. “You what?”

“Engaged,” I say. “But not for real.”

“Not for real?” She shakes her head. ‘Honey, what are you talking about?”

And so I explain the whole thing from the beginning. She listens patiently, only interrupting when she has a question to ask. When I finish, I lean back in my chair. “What do you think?” I ask her.

She shakes her head, looking even more tired. “It’s a little unbelievable,” she says.

“I know. But trust me, it’s really happening.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asks me.

“I’m positive,” I say. “Don’t worry. I’m really safe.”

“Honey, I just don’t want to see you get hurt. And this is so odd.”

“I’m being careful, and Bran is taking care of me. Plus, when this is all over, I’m going to have whatever job I want.”

Mom hesitates then smiles. “Do you know what you want yet?”

“Not yet,” I admit. “I’ll figure that out soon.”

“Well, listen, honey. I don’t know if I really understand what you’re doing. It sounds pretty crazy and maybe a little illegal.”

I laugh softly. “It’s not illegal.”

At least, I don’t think it is.

“Either way. Immoral, then. You’re lying to a whole country, honey.”

“I know. But it’s the only way Bran can save the family. And when it’s all over, we’ll have a fake breakup.”

She nods her head, looking concerned, but she’s actually handling this better than I expected. My mom is a Midwestern lady that goes to church every week. She’s a good person, a really good person, and I don’t want to disappoint her by running off with some foreign Prince.

“Just be careful,” she says.

“I promise, I’m being careful.”

She sighs and nods. “Well, look, I have to be up early tomorrow. Please, call me again at a normal time and we’ll talk more.”

“Okay,” I say, feeling better already.

“I love you, Mila.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

We hang up and I lean back in my chair.

It felt really good telling someone about this. It’s such a crazy situation and I hated keeping it to myself. I can’t really talk about it with Bran, since he’s so involved in it all, so it felt good to get a little outside perspective. I know my mom doesn’t approve, but at least she trusts me enough to believe that I’m being careful.

I just hope I really am being careful, or if I’m just getting deeper and deeper into this without realizing it.

I don’t have time to mull that over much, though. As soon as I start getting worried, there’s a knock at the front door. I get up and walk over, and again I find a box lying on the ground. I pick it up and bring it inside.

This time, it’s much smaller, so I can assume it’s not a dress. There’s a card on it, which I quickly open and read.

Princess, I’m sure you’re still stressed and worked up from last night. Here’s something to help with that. Love, your Prince.

I frown at the word love but I don’t sit around and think too much about it. I open the box and pull back the tissue paper, too curious to wait.

I gasp at what’s inside. It’s thick, long, and purple, and it takes me a second to realize what it is.

It’s a big, thick purple dildo in the shape of a royal scepter. At the one end is the crest of the royal Krizman family, the same crest that’s on everything in this cavern.

It’s a freaking royal dildo. I drop the box and stare at it sitting there on the table. I can’t believe this is in my apartment. Hell, I can’t believe this even freaking exists.

That cocky bastard. He sent me a freaking sex toy. I bite my lip, trying not to explode with rage. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but this is about as far from appropriate as it’s possible to get. He’s such an asshole it’s unbelievable.

And yet… I grip the dildo in my hand as the memory of my dreams last night come back to me. Yes, he’s a cocky jerk, and this is such an inappropriate present, but I have to admit that I have been feeling pretty tense. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I do need to relax.

Maybe if I use his royal scepter, I won’t be tempted to try the real thing.