His Princess

But she isn’t pleased with my words and leans away from me. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I’m not used to lines like that.”

It’s an insult and a jab at my intentions. I don’t like that she pulled away from me, and I lean forward, trying to close the distance.

“It’s not a line. I’m genuine in the way I speak to you.”

She lets out a quick breath as if she’s angry. “That much is clear with the way you say ‘my princess.’”

“You are mine,” I say, standing up and looking down at her. “And you’ll watch your tongue when you’re addressing me.”

She stands up, too, and the quiet mood has shifted to one of defiance. Her face hardly comes up to my chest, and she has to tilt her head back to look at me. But there is so much fire in her eyes now that I want her a thousand times more than I did just three seconds ago. It’s almost an impossibility, but my need is skyrocketing with her anger.

“Maybe you should rethink who you’re picking to address you, then. I’m sure there is a line of princesses who would be happy to kiss your royal ass.”

She covers her mouth with her hands as if she can’t believe she spoke to me that way. And to be honest, neither can I. I don’t remember a time when someone shot off their mouth at me, and fuck if I’m not wanting more of that sass.

I lean down so that my nose is only inches from hers. My smile turns wicked, and she takes a small step back before she hits the edge of the fountain and has no place to go.

“I think I made exactly the right choice.” Her mouth forms an angry line, and I wish I could kiss it into submission. I move my mouth to her throat, so close my breath hits the delicate skin below her ear. “One week, Alena. One week and you’ll be under me.”

I straighten up and take a step back just as Tabitha appears out from the row of trees. Her face is red, and she pushes a strand of hair out of her eyes as she hurries over.

“I think my time is up,” I say, looking back to Alena. Her eyes are wide, and her lips are slightly parted. I can’t help but wonder what her tongue would taste like with the words she wants to spit at me on the edge of it. “Goodnight, my princess.”

As I walk away, I feel Vlad come up behind me. He matches my steps as I walk around to the front of the house.

“You should bring the sister with Alena when she comes to the palace. It’s tradition for her to bring someone,” Vlad says as my mother says her goodbyes to Alena’s mother and we get into the limo.

“It’s done,” I say, wanting to give Alena anything to make her happy.

As we pull away from the curb and I stare out the window, I swear I feel a pair of soft blue eyes watching me.

5

Alena

Tabby practically drags me away from where I’m standing. She doesn’t even give me time to think about what’s happened. The swirl of emotions is still bouncing around my body. By the time we make it back to my bedroom, I have no idea if I’m breathing heavy from practically running here or from the things Roman said to me.

Tabby throws herself on the bed, and it’s then I realize her face is lit up with a smile. I go to the window and pull the drapes back, unable to stop myself from watching Roman pull away. I should be happy his cocky ass is leaving, but something doesn’t feel right about it.

“He said I can come, Al!” When I turn around, Tabby is jumping on the bed like we did when we were kids. Her long dark hair is bouncing all around her. “I’m coming with you!”

She keeps jumping, but it takes a second for me to understand.

“But how?” I take a step toward her, wanting it to be true. She stops jumping, but her giant smile remains in place.

“Got the big guy to say he’d get your king to do it.”

The words your king do something funny to me, but I push that away, not wanting to focus on it right now.

“Tabby!” I half-scream at her because she won’t spit it out.

She wiggles her eyebrows. “He tried to kiss me.”

“What?” I say too loudly, then throw my hand over my mouth.

She nods. “Oh yeah. He grabbed me and pulled me into him and said he was taking my mouth,” she says in a dreamy voice, and I’m confused. It’s a voice I’ve never heard her use before. This is getting weird.

“But before he could kiss me, I kicked him in the shin.”

“Oh. My. God. You kicked a royal guard?” I don’t even have any other words. Who does that? Right. My sister. Of course that’s who. I guess I did kind of yell at a king tonight, too. Crap. “What did he do?”

“He laughed and told me I was only turning him on. And he was going to spank me. Then he kissed me anyway.”

I stand there with no response. I’m completely shocked, but Tabby looks like she’s going to combust with excitement.

She jumps off the bed and runs to me. “I told him he could kiss me if he gave me something.” My eyes widen in shock. “He told me he’d give me anything I wanted.”

“And?” It’s like pulling teeth.

“I said I wanted to come with you, and he said it was done.” Her eyes go all dreamy as if it was as easy as that. “Then he kissed me. Like, crazy kissed me.” She starts jumping up and down while holding my hands, and I laugh at how goofy she’s being. I know we are always a little goofy, but this feels different.

“Then what happened?” I want to know everything.