Chapter 7: Carrie
This was unbelievable.
I looked around the room, at all the beautifully dressed women and men and felt completely out of sorts. Sure, I was wearing a great dress, having had the prince on his knees merely an hour beforehand. I should be elated.
But I was bored.
And lonely.
Sighing, I looked for my handsome prince in the crowded room, finding him surrounded once again by a gaggle of people, all wanting to talk to him. It had been like this since the moment we had made it past the host and hostess, and while I knew this was one of the reasons he was here, I still wanted him to be by my side.
“So, you are what the fuss is all about.”
Surprised, I turned toward a striking woman, dressed in a slinky red gown that hugged her perfect curves. She had a riotous amount of blonde curls, artfully arranged in a perfect waterfall over one slim shoulder. “Excuse me?” I asked.
She gave me a look. “Everyone is talking about how the prince was smitten by a woman from the states. I didn’t believe it until you showed up tonight on his arm. How lucky for you.” She gave a little laugh as I narrowed my eyes. “Lady Monique Childerson at your service. I’m your competition apparently.”
What the heck was she talking about? “I don’t understand.”
She gave me a cruel smile. “Of course, you don’t. Well, let me let you in on a little secret. I was the front-runner to be the next queen of Maltan before his little trip to the states. My family had faithfully served the royal family for generations, so it only makes sense that we at some point merge our two bloodlines.”
“Listen,” I started. “I’m only here on vacation. I’m not.”
“There you are.”
We both turned to see Erik standing a few feet away, a smile on his handsome face. “I see you have met Monique?”
“I was just introducing myself, Erik,” Monique said with a wide smile. “She’s charming.”
“That she is,” Erik said, standing close but not touching me. “Excuse us, will you?”
Without another word, he ushered me away from the woman and toward the door. “Are we leaving?” I asked as I maintained my smile, ignoring the fact that his hand was now on the lower part of my back.
“We are,” he growled as we stepped out into the perfect night full of stars. “I have other plans.”
Surprise filtered through my veins as we climbed into a private car this time, no chance to have any other fun without the driver seeing us do so. Erik grabbed my hand as soon as the door closed, threading our fingers together. “Thank god that’s over with.”
“We were only there an hour,” I reminded him as the car sped away from the house.
He chuckled and stretched his legs out, squeezing my hand. “I bet it felt like years for you. I’m sorry Carrie. I didn’t know I was going to be mobbed the entire time.”
I heard the regret in his voice and softened against my hard feelings. “Erik, maybe I shouldn’t have come during this time. You seem very busy.”
He turned to look at me, arching a brow. “It’s always like this Carrie. This is my life, unfortunately, and it’s only going to get worse.”
“Worse?” I asked.
He nodded, his thumb stroking my hand. “I’m to be crowned next week. Everything will be official then.”
My mouth dropped open. He was going to be king, so soon? “I-I don’t know what to say.”
He laughed. “Your expression says all I need to know. I know, it’s a shock, but father, he wants it to happen sooner rather than later. That’s one reason you are here.”
“Erik,” I breathed, seeing the uncertainty in his eyes. “Are you ready? I mean this is a big deal.”
He leaned over and kissed me, his hand caressing my cheek. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. This night is about us.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the car slowed to a stop, Erik opening the door before the driver could do so. “Come on. I have something for you.”
I climbed out of the car, his bombshell hitting me like a ton of bricks. He was going to be king. King! Until now, it had still seemed like a far-reaching possibility, but now. Oh my god, I was with the king of Maltan!
Erik pulled me along the sidewalk and down a little path lined with sweet-smelling flowers, the sound of the ocean growing closer. As we rounded the corner, I stopped, causing Erik to stop alongside me. “Oh Erik,” I breathed, taking in the sight. “This is, wow.”
“I thought so,” he said, tugging me toward the covered cabana, the flicker of candlelight dancing behind the curtains. “Don’t worry, we are completely alone here. Well, if you discount the guards along the perimeter.”
I stopped Erik before we could enter, looking up into his beautiful eyes. “Why are you, what is this about?”
He pushed a stray curl from my face with his fingers, his smile tender and nearly breaking my heart. “I know it hasn’t been easy being here and I wanted to take some time with you and you alone. I wanted this to be special.”
I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips over his. “Thank you.”
He grinned and pushed the curtain aside, where a gauzy covered bed lay beyond the barrier. “Welcome to your paradise Carrie.”
I stepped in, kicking off my heels in the process. There was a bed, a rather large one, on a raised platform, the gauzy curtains adding an additional layer to anyone that would be outside. There was champagne chilling in the bucket and a platter of sweets and fruit within reach. Other than the sound of the ocean, I heard nothing else. Nothing at all.
It was fabulous.
Turning around, Erik was on me in a minute, his mouth ravaging mine until I was moaning against his lips. “God I’ve waited too long for this,” he whispered, his hand tugging on my zipper on the back. “You nearly drove me crazy tonight.”
“Erik,” I breathed, pushing at his suit coat, letting it fall to the floor. “I need you so badly.”
My dress gaped open as he slid the zipper down, pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder. “I want to take this slow.”
I closed my eyes as his nibbled on my neck, stepping back finally to slide my arms through the sleeves, allowing the dress to fall to the floor. The heat in his eyes was unmistakable as I stepped out of the circle, clad only in my bra and the panties he had become intimately close to hours before.
“Fucking gorgeous,” he said softly, his eyes roving over my body. When he reached for me, I danced out of his touch. “My turn,” I said, licking my lips.
He threw his arms open, a grin splitting his lips. “I’m all yours.”
I reached for the bow tie at his neck, untying it and throwing it aside so I could start working on the buttons of his dress shirt, pressing a kiss to the underside of his clean-shaven jaw. “I hope you don’t allow anyone else to have such liberties, your majesty.”
He let out a groan. “Only you, Carrie, only you.”
I smiled and succeeded in getting his shirt undone, pushing it over his broad shoulders and letting it join the rest on the floor. My hands instantly touched his chest, marveling at the hard planes of his body, pressing kisses along the way. “You're beautiful,” I breathed against his skin, rewarded with a groan as my fingers grazed his abdomen. I felt so secure in my movements, so sure that I could please this man with my touch. Though I joked at his title, this was Erik, the same man that had tracked me down in the city to beg me to come here.
This was Erik, the man I had fallen in love with.
My hands found his buckle on his trousers, and I worked it quickly until he was standing before me naked as the day that he was born. My body went rigid with anticipation as I took him in, the obvious need he had for me jutting out from his body.
But there was something else. There was tenderness in his gaze, and it nearly took my breath away.
“Can I touch you now?” he asked, his voice harsh.
I shook my head, reaching out to touch the hard length of him. “Not yet. Be patient.”
“I’m going to be patient all over your hand if you do that much longer.”
I gripped him tighter, feeling him jump in my palm. “No, you won’t. You want more.”
He growled. “So, do you.”
I smirked and released him. “Give it to me then, Erik.”
I was flat on my back in a second, Erik positioned over me. It was a great sight. “You tease too much,” he whispered, his hand roaming over my body, touching my breasts still encased in my bra. “You make me want you all the time, Carrie.”
I gasped and arched my back as his lips descended on my peaked nipple, wetting the satin around it. My body instantly was on fire, my hands grasping at the sheets on the bed as his tongue swirled around the tip before pushing the material aside and touching my bare skin.
His other hand slid down my body, pushing into my panties and touching me there, causing an instant flood of wetness to my lower half. “Please,” I said as his fingers hovered over my hardened nub. “Please.”
“I fucking love it when you beg,” he whispered into my ear, his fingers finally colliding where I needed him most.
I moaned as he brought me to a quick orgasm, my body shattering under his gentle stroking. Vaguely I heard him open a condom before he was sliding into me, filling me to the very core. “You’re so wet, so tight,” he grimaced, beaded sweat popping out on his forehead.
I grasped at his shoulders, urging him to move until it was just the two of us, in synced rhythm, taking each other higher and higher until we reached the stars.