“Are you sure about her, Igor?” The words, spoken in Greek, were underlined with skepticism.

“Yes, sir.”

Fingers tapped on the desk and the silence inside the study continued. It was furnished in somber tones of dark wood and black, as expected of someone the media liked to refer to as The Prince of Darkness. Superficially, it was a nod to Reid Chalkias’ love for throwing the wildest parties. However, there were also others who believed that it was equally apt, when one considered the long-standing rumors about Reid’s biological parents. Although both had been declared officially dead, many insisted that it was just a cover-up, that they still reigned in the criminal underworld and their only son was their heir apparent.

Either way, it made someone like this girl quite unsuitable for someone like him.

His gaze returned to her once more, and his emerald-green gaze took dispassionate note of her physical features. Wavy blonde hair, light brown eyes, and summer-kissed skin; a body that was neither slender nor curvy, and made only more remarkable by the hint of generous breasts hidden under her shapeless blouse – none of it made her either spectacularly pretty or ugly, and normally only the most attractive looking and outgoing women made it into his employ. Pretty girls made things easier with the kind of lifestyle he led as well as the kind of company he kept.

On the other hand---

The prince’s gaze focused on the impressive diamond winking on the girl’s finger.

Pretty girls who applied for a job in his home were usually after him, and not all of them were willing to accept his rules about never dating staff. Of course, some of them persisted in being blind, thinking they could be the one to change him. They went to odd lengths simply to get his attention, and remembering the sheer absurdity of such thoughts made the prince’s lips curl – but the memories were also enough for him to come to a decision.

He glanced at Igor, and the older man, who had been with him since birth, nodded in understanding.

“Please tell us a bit about yourself, Ms. Cornwall.”

“I’m, umm, Fawn Cornwall, I’m 21 years old, and I grew up in small-town Massachusetts. I’m an only child, my dad died when I was young while my mom’s been head housekeeper for the mayor’s family since she was twenty-four. I also started working as a cleaner and babysitter for them when I was sixteen. I know everything when it comes to housekeeping, and I’ve also helped the mayor’s housewife when it comes to organizing parties.”

“Go on.”

“M-my resume---”

“If I had wanted to just read your resume,” the prince said coolly, “I would have.” He waited for her to cry or snap at him, and if she had done either, he would have had her tossed out of the room on the spot.

But she did neither.

Instead, she only blinked at him. “I’m on my last year in university. I’m majoring in Accounting. I have no time for extracurricular activities because I need to pay for my own schooling.” There was no change in the inflection of her voice. It was as if she had only mentally shrugged off his furious tone, and then it was business as usual.

The prince was grudgingly impressed.

“Proceed.”

“I’m, umm, engaged.”

“How long?”

“Since my first year in college.”

The prince didn’t bother hiding his surprise. “That early?”

She said simply, “We know we’re meant to be together.”

“How touching.”

“Tell me about your fiancé. It’s Grant Bennett, isn’t it?”

She blurted out, “H-how did you know his name?”

“Did you truly expect I wouldn’t have done my research on people who wish to work for me?” Not waiting for her answer, he murmured, “About Grant Bennett…”

She slowly shook her head. “I don’t believe it’s appropriate that I speak of him, prince.”

And with that, she had passed the test, having proved that she could be loyal and trusted to keep other people’s secrets.

For now.

The prince nodded at Igor.

Igor said right away, “I’m delighted to let you know that you’ve been accepted for provisionary employment.”

“Oh, thank God.” The girl half-slumped in relief, saying, “I thought he wouldn’t want me because I wasn’t cool enough, and you know how most times cool kids think they can only stay cool by hanging out with cool people---”

The prince slowly turned to Igor. Is this truly the best girl we can hire at this point?

Igor nodded. This is the best girl among the small sample group of females who are certain not to fall in love with you.

“And they don’t think about their individuality and---”

Igor coughed.

The girl froze.

Then very faintly, she said, “I j-just babbled, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did, but we can choose to forget it.” Igor’s tone was efficient. “Thank you for coming, Ms. Cornwall. You will be under evaluation on your first thirty days, after which we will assess your performance. You will be offered a permanent position in our staff if you pass.”

---

When Igor came back after escorting the girl out, the prince said idly, “She’s different, isn’t she?”

“In a good way, I believe.” Igor took his usual place, standing at the side of the prince.

Leaning back against his seat, the prince remarked, “She calls me ‘prince.’” While he was known as the Prince of Darkness, no one had really called him that to his face.

“Which you are one,” Igor pointed out.

He rolled his eyes. “Not by blood or appointment, and you know that.”

“The people on the island think differently.” When the prince had turned eighteen, he had received a posthumous bequest from Rodrigo amounting to millions of dollars, all of which he had used to build new infrastructure on the island he had grown up in as well as set up livelihood programs for victims of gang-related crime.

The prince shook his head. “I’m just giving back what was theirs from the start.”

“Not many others would.” Igor’s tone was unusually cynical, but both of them knew he spoke the truth. Seeing the prince’s expression turn grim, he changed the subject, saying, “I believe you’ve made the right decision with the girl.”

“Do you?” The prince’s tone was unreadable.

Igor nodded firmly. “I am certain it has not escaped your notice that the last five women we dismissed had all made the mistake of thinking you were in love with them.”

The prince let out an inelegant snort.

“Exactly, sir. Ms. Cornwall, however, is unlikely to do the same. After all, she is engaged to Mr. Grant Bennett---”

“Who, according to you,” the prince interrupted in a lazy drawl, “is my opposite.”

“Your exact opposite, sir.”

The prince raised a brow. “Did you really need to emphasize that?”

The older man’s expression remained bland. “Ms. Cornwall has been fortunate enough to find herself a good man to love, and I believe that Mr. Bennett is equally fortunate to have someone like Ms. Cornwall as his fiancée. It would be a pity if her employment with us would cause problems in the relationship.”

“Is that your roundabout way of telling me,” the prince drawled, “I should keep my hands off her?”

“Your words, not mine, sir.”

The prince rolled his eyes. “She’s not my type, Igor.”

“I am overjoyed to hear that, sir.” But privately, Igor wasn’t so certain. After all, when the girl had answered back, the prince had neither reprimanded nor fired her, which he normally would have done. Instead, the younger man had almost…smiled.

A genuine smile, which Igor had only seen the prince doing in the company of his small circle of friends.

But with the women he took to bed?

Never.

---

Fawn Cornwall, brown eyes trained dedicatedly on the floor she was mopping, hummed as loudly as she could inside her mind. It was the only way she could continue working and pretend that there wasn’t a couple having sex right next to her.

Seriously, God, what have I gotten into?

No wonder she had thought this job to be too good to be true. In the seven days she had been working for the prince, she had witnessed just about every level of immorality and depravity that there was, enough to ruin her for life.

Like yesterday, there had been that guy drinking the girl’s pee---

Mentally shuddering, she cut the thought off while she unconsciously sought her engagement ring. Since necklaces were the only allowed form of jewelry, she had chosen to turn it into a pendant at work, and over time it had also become her sole source of solace and comfort.

Feeling its solid shape under her uniform made Fawn sigh quietly in relief. This ring reminded her that once she stepped out of the prince’s world, something reassuringly normal waited for her.

I love you, Grant, she thought feelingly.

And for her future with Grant, she had to do this.

When she was done mopping, the couple in the living room still wasn’t done having sex. Not wanting to accidentally see their naked forms, she kept her head down as she moved towards the hallway.

Behind her, the couple’s groans became louder.

Fawn mentally cringed. Was this supposed to be arousing? It was like living straight out of a porn film, and yet ---

She had heard from the other maids how they were hopelessly turned on by what they saw and heard at the prince’s parties.

So why did she feel differently?

Was something wrong with her?

Was there something she was missing---

“That’s quite a frown you’ve there,” a voice drawled.

Her head jerked up, and Fawn saw to her horror that it was the prince, leaning against the doorway of his study.

Holy crap.

How was it that he was here? Was it a billionaire thing that he was so scary good at hiding his footsteps?

When the prince raised a brow at her, Fawn realized she was still gaping at him. Turning red, she stammered, “G-good evening, prince.” Now please go, she thought desperately. It wasn’t that she was afraid of the prince, but he just felt too dangerous to her. Something inside of her seemed to set off the moment he was near, making her tingle all over.

It was seriously alarming, pun intended.

“You’re scowling now.”

His words had her hurriedly rearranging her face into a smile.

“You look like a clown.”

She tried one more time.

“A psychopath now, but it will do.” His voice turned brisk. “Are you not enjoying your work here?”

Fawn shook her head quickly, realized it might be misinterpreted, and nodded. Then she realized that could be misinterpreted as well, and she croaked out, “I r-really enjoy my work here.”

“Hard to tell,” the prince murmured after a beat, “after you nearly killed me by putting salt in my coffee.”

Because you made me nervous with how you kept staring at me!

She mumbled, “Sorry, prince.”

“I haven’t seen you around since then.”

She could only smile weakly. She had been avoiding him. After her first day fiasco, Fawn had been convinced that she wouldn’t survive the job if she kept bumping into the prince. Since then, she had done her best to familiarize herself with the prince’s schedule and movements, therefore ensuring she wouldn’t ever have to work anywhere near him.

And she had succeeded---until now.

“It makes me think you’re avoiding me.”

Fawn wanted to throw up at the direct question. Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, had she been found out? She cautiously took a peek at his expression and nearly collapsed.

He knew she was avoiding him!

The prince was gazing at her quizzically, and she knew he was expecting an answer. She knew but she didn’t want to, knowing that when she was nervous, she tended to---

The prince raised a brow.

“Never, prince. I could never, like, seriously, never.”

She tended to do that.

Babble.

“I was actually just giving you, umm, a…wide berth? Not that I’m saying it’s because you’re fat because obviously you’re not, and I’m speaking from experience because I’ve seen you half-naked more times I’ve seen my own boyfriend---”

Realizing what she had just let slip, Fawn turned red and shut up.

The prince was visibly stunned. “Are you telling the truth?”

“About what, prince?”

Emerald-green eyes boring through hers, the prince said pleasantly, “You should know I fire people who force me to repeat myself.”

Sweet Jesus protect my job.

Wincing, she stammered, “It’s true, prince.”

“Is your boyfriend gay then?”

“What? No!” She shook her head incredulously, thinking he really was the Prince of Darkness, to immediately assume that Grant had to be gay just because he liked to have his clothes on.

“Then why?”

Would he fire her if she told him he was asking her something that didn’t have anything to do with work?

“Yes,” the prince said.

She gaped at him. “Did you just read my mind?” He really was the Prince of Darkness!

Idiot, the prince thought. Her face was just too easy to read. He asked impatiently, “Why then?”

“W-why do you even want to know?” she asked helplessly.

“Curiosity perhaps,” he answered with a shrug. “Or boredom.”

She wondered if he knew how insulting that sounded and thought, Probably. It wasn’t like insulting her would do anything to the prince’s shockproof conscience. She said reluctantly, “Because he r-respects me.” Or at least that was what she liked to tell herself these days.

So girls like this one still existed, he thought. Pure as driven snow, thinking she could guard her virginity until she made it to the altar.

Idiot, he thought again.

“M-may I go now?”

“Of course…parthena mou.” The last one was unintended, but since he was unable to recall her name at that moment, the prince decided to use the first term that came to his mind in describing her.

Turning away and tightly clutching her mop like it was a weapon of self-defense, Fawn wondered nervously what those last words meant. What had he said again?

She remembered the cuss words she got one of the other maids, a half-Filipina, had tried to teach her. It really sounded similar, she thought suspiciously.

Pu…na…mo.

Hmm.

It really sounded familiar.

Could the prince be cursing her?

Alone in his study, the prince thought for a moment before walking to his desk and accessing the employee database in his computer. The girl’s file came up a few moments later.

Fawn.

Her name was Fawn.

And for one moment, the prince had an uneasy feeling that it was a name he would never forget again.

---

The next time the prince encountered her again, it was purely accidental. He was inside the watchtower, speaking with Noah, his chief of security, when he heard an unmistakable voice call out gaily, “I have something for you, Noah.”

Noah automatically looked at the prince for permission. Ex-army and in his fifties, Noah was all about the chain of command. Although Fawn was a good girl, the prince was his first priority.

“Don’t bother letting her know I’m here,” the prince murmured.

Nodding, Noah then poked his head out of the open window, saying with a cheerful smile, “Good morning, Fawn. You’re early today.”

“Classes were cancelled,” Fawn answered, smiling back up at Noah. “I asked Igor if I could do an extra shift and he said yes.” She lifted the paper bag she was holding. “Bagels, and like you’ve never tasted before.” At his doubtful look, she insisted, “I’m not exaggerating. Should I bring it up?”

“No need.” At the prince’s nod, he told Fawn, “I’ll come down.”

The prince continued to listen to the conversation below.

“These are good. Where did you get them?”

“A girl from my statistics class. I told her I’d help with her business plan if she ever thinks of selling them.”

“She could be your first client then.”

“You know me too well, Noah. That’s exactly what I told her,” the prince heard Fawn say with a faint giggle. “Anyway, I gotta go. I also have some for Igor and the others.”

Knowing that the prince was still listening in, Noah asked, “And the prince?”

Silence.

Then Fawn whispered uneasily, “But he’s always sleeping in the mornings. I don’t have to give him any.”

“Are you scared of the prince?”

“No. Yes. I mean, I don’t know. He’s just different.”

“From your beloved Grant?”

“No one’s like Grant.” And this time, Fawn’s tone was proud and happy.

The prince gritted his teeth.

When Noah came back up, he took one look at his young employer and burst out laughing. Most other employees of the prince wouldn’t have the courage to do so, but like Igor, he had been with the prince for a long time. Plus, he was old, which allowed him certain privileges.

The prince said in exasperation, “I can still fire you, you know.”

“But then I would have to tell Fawn you did so unreasonably,” Noah pointed out, “and she’d be even more terrified of you.”

The prince stared at him stonily.

“She’s a good girl, Fawn. It’s a pity she’s already taken.”

The prince decided it was time to change the subject. “What’s that about her getting her first client?”

“She wants to start an accounting firm when she graduates,” he explained. “You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t care to check.”

Because he was lying to himself, Noah realized.

“What’s that look for?” the prince snapped.

“I was thinking the girl’s right. You’re different from the great Grant Bennett. He’s got balls to say what he feels, and that’s why he’s got the girl, too. Sir.”

---

On her third week in, Igor announced she was being temporarily promoted, saying she could now work at the third floor, too.

She looked at Igor doubtfully, thinking it seemed more like a fancier way of getting her to fill in for Paula, who had called in sick.

“You’ll get paid extra for it,” Igor hinted.

She brightened. “On my way up.” It should be okay, anyway, she thought. The party had just started for the night, so it should keep the prince out of the way while she worked.

Upstairs, it took her a shorter time than usual to sweep and dust. Unlike the other floors, the third story was the prince’s exclusive territory. As it was off-limits to most guests and employees, there were no cigarette butts or empty bottles to clean out, no vomit or spilled drinks to wipe clean.

Seeing that she had finished half an hour earlier than she should, Fawn headed to the third-floor balcony to enjoy a breath of fresh air. Here, the air smelled clean instead of reeking of smoke and alcohol. It was almost peaceful, if one pretended not to hear the groans and sounds of slapping bodies from below.

She checked her watch. Time’s up, Fawn thought. She was about to emerge from the third-floor balcony when she heard the sound of feminine laughter.

Without thinking, she stepped back from the balcony doors and hid herself behind the curtains, hoping that whoever it was would leave the hallway right away.

Fawn bit her lip. Or maybe she should report it? This was for the prince’s exclusive use, after all.

When she heard the girl start to emit lewd gasps, Fawn cautiously took a peek---

Oh.

It was the prince, carrying a girl in his arms, her legs locked around his waist while their mouths were fused in an open-mouthed kiss.

Oh.

In the three weeks she had seen couples doing things – well, okay, there were often threesomes, too, and occasionally foursomes as well – Fawn had been more embarrassed than anything else. It wasn’t that she had never dreamed of making love before. She had. But the way they seemed to do it, with more passion than emotion, it made them look more like animals to her.

But right now---

She shifted on her feet uncomfortably, knowing she should either stop watching or start making noises so the prince would know they weren’t alone. But…she could do neither, couldn’t even peel her gaze from the way the girl was suddenly and frantically tearing the shirt off the prince’s body.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she heard the prince purr in dark amusement. Pulling away, he let the girl slide to her feet while unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it to the floor.

Fawn gulped as she saw the blonde rake her nails down the prince’s naked back, and her throat went dry as she saw the prince’s muscular body ripple in reaction. And then they were kissing again, the prince suddenly pushing the girl against the wall, his mouth slanting open over the girl’s mouth. She saw his tongue slip inside the girl’s mouth, and she thought about Grant kissing her that way.

It had only happened once, Fawn remembered. It was prom night, and he had suddenly pulled her towards him, more aggressive than usual, and she remembered that all she could think at that time was the taste and scent of beer in his kiss and how wet his tongue was.

But then Grant had dug his hands inside her gown---

Just like what the prince was doing now.

The prince had torn the glittering spaghetti top from the girl and, plumping one breast in his hand, he took the nipple into his mouth and began to suck.

The girl moaned and buckled against him, her hands going to the prince’s hair to clutch his head as she pushed her nipple deeper into the prince’s mouth.

Was that what Grant had wanted to do with her that night?

The girl had her eyes closed, a delirious expression on her face. “Fuck me now.”

Fawn was stunned to hear the note of desperate begging in the girl’s voice.

“Please, Reid. Fuck me.”

The prince’s chuckle made the girl shudder, and so did Fawn.

She couldn’t believe it.

Her gaze went down her body, which felt so…restlessly alive.

What was happening to her?

Fawn whirled around clumsily, no longer wanting to see anything. She covered her ears, but she could still hear them---

The girl gasping the prince’s name out, over and over---

The prince’s soft, low growls---

The sound of their bodies meeting each other---

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Think of Grant.

Grant, Grant, Grant.

And slowly, his handsome face crystallized in her mind.

Grant.

Her heartbeat started to slow down to a regular pace.

She could see it now, the way his lips would curl in a kind, teasing smile. He was that kind of guy, always smiling, always nice, always ready to help out and make people happy.

Grant.

Behind her, the girl gasped, “I’m c-coming.”

At the same time, her phone rang from her pocket, playing out the chorus of Stonebolt’s I Will Still Love You.

Holy shit! She had forgotten to silence it!

Fawn scrambled to end the call, not even bothering to check who was calling her. She waited tensely for the prince and the girl to appear any moment, but a full minute passed and nothing happened.

Oh, thank God.

Seriously, thank You God.

She fell to her knees, closed her eyes, and found herself praying in sheer relief. When she was done, she turned around, still on her knees, and the first thing she saw was the prince staring down at her, half-naked, his pants partially unzipped.

Shock had her scrambling back, and a moment later she fell on her butt.

The prince said lazily, “I didn’t peg you to be a voyeur, parthena mou.”

There it was again, she thought nervously. She still couldn’t recall the term that Paula had tried to teach her, but it really sounded like what the prince was telling her.

“I d-didn’t mean to watch,” she stammered, looking up at him. “But then so many things happened, one minute you were just kissing, and then you were purring, she was clawing, and it was just so fast.”

As she spoke, Fawn’s hands moved in tandem, re-enacting the kiss by making her two hands meet as if puckering before turning into claws to rake the air. She didn’t seem aware of this at all, but the prince was, and it was all he could do to keep his face expressionless.

“And,” she ended, “that’s what’s happened.”

“I see.”

Did he seriously? She said uneasily, “I promise, I truly didn’t mean to, you know. Besides, I’m not used to…because, Grant’s kinda big---”

The prince’s amusement fled. “Excuse me?” He could not believe that she was the same girl who had told her she had seen him half-naked more often than she had her boyfriend.

That had obviously changed, he thought bitterly.

Fuck you, Grant Bennett.

Fawn gulped at the cold look on the prince’s face. Holy crap. Was he furious! Why? All she meant was that Grant was really big on waiting for the right time these days, after what happened post-prom. She said in a small voice, “I’m not l-lying. He really is---”

The prince wanted to strangle her. “Big.” Did this girl have to rub it in his face?

“Yes, he is big---”

The prince cut her off, saying icily, “Bigger than me, is that it?”

“Well…” Her mouth opened and closed. Did he want her to lie? She had just seen him make love to another girl, for instance, and that girl was different from the ones she had seen him with in the past weeks. He didn’t wait at all.

When it was obvious she couldn’t make herself lie, he snapped, “Never mind.” He wanted to kill someone, preferably a guy whose name was Grant Bennett and had the fortune of having Fawn’s virginity.

Fuck you, Grant Bennett.

“I’m s-sorry---”

Because she pitied him, the prince thought grimly. Stepping back, he said coldly, “If I catch you in this situation again, you’re fired.” He stalked away and slammed his bedroom door shut behind him.

Fawn Cornwall was no longer a virgin, Grant Bennett had a bigger dick than he did, and she pitied him because of it.

Fuck you to hell, Grant Bennett.

---

When Fawn saw Grant’s car backing into one of the parking slots outside the restaurant, she breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some normal time. Heads turned as he entered, and the girls a few tables away started to giggle and whisper.

I can totally relate, Fawn thought. If she had someone with her, she would have giggled and whispered as well. With his athletic, gym-buffed build, ash blond hair, and blue eyes, Grant had the looks of a celebrity, which he could have been if he had wanted to.

Back in high school, he had been wooed endlessly by modeling agencies and talent scouts, but Grant had refused them all without hesitation.

I’m just a simple guy, Grant had liked to say, and when he and Fawn had started going out, he had changed his excuse, saying, I’d like to, but I’m afraid my girlfriend might not like it. She wants me to look at her and just her.

Of course, he had only said those things to tease her, and it had worked, making her feel embarrassed and thrilled at the same time. It had also made other girls hate her even more, but when she had told him that, Grant had only laughed it off.

Across the restaurant, she saw Grant’s eyes gleam and his face soften upon finding her, and she couldn’t help grinning giddily.

I love you, Grant.

Upon reaching her, he bent down to kiss her cheek. “Miss you, luv.”

“M-miss you, too,” she mumbled shyly.

Taking the seat across her, he chuckled at her flaming face. “I love making you blush.”

Turning even redder, she admitted in a pained voice, “I don’t know if I could ever learn to outgrow it.”

He grinned. “That’s exactly what I want to hear.”

His phone started to ring then, and surprised to see him cancelling the call, she said worriedly, “I’m okay if you take it.” She knew how busy he was, not just with his work with the Student Council but with practice as captain of the university’s polo team.

“It’s okay.” He shut his phone down and placed it on the table. “This is our time.”

She blushed again. “Grant.” He really was the sweetest guy, she thought dreamily. He always had a hundred things to do each day, but he always made sure to call her every night and celebrate every little milestone in her life.

Like now.

“Congratulations.” Although they had managed to meet a few times, it was only today that Grant could celebrate with Fawn for getting a new job. “I can’t believe you’re working for Reid Chalkias.”

“Me either,” she said feelingly and tried not to let her unease show as she remembered last night’s disastrous incident.

The waiter came to take their orders then, and as what was usual between them, she left it to Grant to do all the talking and decision-making. As Grant gave their orders, Fawn was content to simply gaze at him and marvel at her luck. I am the luckiest girl in the world. He could have anyone in the world, but he had chosen her.

She watched him close the menu and hand it back to the waiter, the muscles on his arms flexing as he did. It suddenly reminded her of the prince and that girl---

Would it be different now, she wondered. Could it feel better now that she was older and she had seen how good it could feel?

“You’re staring at me again, luv.”

Oh! She cringed, realizing he was right and she hadn’t even noticed the waiter leaving. “Sorry,” she stammered. “I was just---”

“Admiring the view?”

Eager to seize any excuse, she said right away, “Absolutely.” Then she realized what she had admitted. “I mean, no.” When Grant looked hurt, she said quickly, “I mean, yes.” But then Fawn realized what that meant, and she half-wailed, “Stop confusing me!”

Chuckling, Grant reached for her across the table and, unmindful of the stares coming from other patrons, held Fawn’s face as he placed a sweet, lingering kiss on her lips.

Her toes curled and her breath hitched in her throat.

This was it.

She would feel the same thing.

And this time, if he wanted to make love to her, she wouldn’t refuse.

Fawn was about to kiss him back---

But it was already over.

Oh.

Fawn didn’t know what to think as she watched Grant pull away. He had to know she was about to kiss him back…right?

Seemingly oblivious to the disappointment on her face, he asked her with a smile, “How’s work?”

And now he was changing the subject before she could ask him what was wrong, Fawn realized. She asked slowly, “Is everything alright?”

“Just business as usual,” Grant answered readily, “with playoffs coming up, and more work from the council, but other than that…” He shrugged.

She gazed at him searchingly, but she couldn’t find anything that indicated he was indeed reluctant to kiss her. I must have been imagining things, Fawn thought uncertainly.

“I’m more interested in you,” Grant was saying. “How are you doing at your job?”

Clearing her throat, she managed a smile as she said carefully, “It’s great.”

“Nothing too odd or something I should worry about?”

She thought about the security measures at the prince’s residence, like the twenty-foot walls and the biometric scanning employees had to go through before entering the premises. Then there was the parapet – an honest-to-goodness parapet! – built next to the security walls, its walkway patrolled by heavily armed guards round the clock.

But other than that?

“Nope,” she answered. “Everything’s perfect.”

“And the prince?” Grant rolled his eyes at the last word, which she pretended not to notice. “Is he okay as a boss?”

She suddenly remembered the prince, sucking on another girl’s breast---

“Fawn?”

Clearing her throat, she lied, “He’s cool.”

“You’re sure?”

The women who hung around him thought so at least, she thought. Carefully averting her gaze from Grant, she mumbled, “He’s just like any other boss.”

“What about the parties?” Grant pressed with a frown. “I heard they can get pretty wild.”

Everything about the prince’s parties was beyond wild, but it wasn’t like she could tell Grant that. She said very firmly, “The rumors about his parties are quite exaggerated.” And right away, she added with an inner wince, I’m sorry, Grant. She had always been honest with him, but ever since she had come to work for the prince, she had found herself lying just about everything.

But that’s okay, she told herself. She didn’t have a choice. If Grant found out the truth about her job, he would demand that she quit, and she’d end up broke and, eventually, desperate enough to take another job sponsored by her fiancé’s family.

“What about his place? How does it look like? I read somewhere it looks like paradise or something?”

Finally, Fawn thought in relief. Something she could actually answer honestly! And so she revealed eagerly, “It’s even better, Grant. The driveway’s picturesque enough, but when you see the main house---” She found herself smiling fondly as she recalled the prince’s sprawling mansion, which was reminiscent of antebellum plantations of the South. And then there was the infinity pool, encircled by swaying palm trees and imported, powder-fine sand.

“It’s just pure beauty.” And it was one of the things she loved most about working there.

Grant smiled. “I’m glad everything seems to be going well.”

About to smile back, she noticed something flicker in his gaze and asked worriedly, “What is it?”

With a reluctant sigh, Grant said, “I know I’m being paranoid, but I still can’t help worrying about you. There’s no smoke without fire, luv. You know that. So the rumors about the prince can’t be all lies.”

Touched by his concern, Fawn forced herself to overcome her shyness and inhibitions so she could reach for his hand. Squeezing it, she said, “Everything’s really going great---”

“I know that. I just feel it’s better if you worked at our company---”

Her smile faded. “You know how I feel about that.” All her life, she had felt indebted to the Bennetts. At least just this once, she wanted to be able to see if she could stand on her own.

When Fawn tried pulling her hand away, Grant tightened his hold on her instead. “I’m sorry,” he murmured under his breath. “I’m being overpossessive, and I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Grant.” Her heart melted at his admission, and Fawn could only shake her head, unable to believe that someone like Grant could feel so possessive about someone like her.

“Tell me you love me.”

“I do.”

“Say the words,” he teased.

“Grant!”

“Please?” He gave her a sweet, seductive look under his lashes.

She whispered shyly, “I love you.”

After, he drove her to her dorm and when he walked her to the door, he asked quietly, “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

She thought about how strangely she felt when she saw the prince and the girl making love. “N-nothing.”

And it was nothing, she told herself fiercely as she closed her eyes and accepted Grant’s sweet kiss.

---

“Good afternoon, Fawn,” Noah called out from the watchtower when he spied Fawn walking past the gates, which automatically slid closed behind her.

Fawn waved back at the prince’s head of security. “Afternoon, Noah.” It had been exactly one month since she had started working here, and now the sight of men holding AKs and Steyr Augs no longer fazed her.

The driveway leading to the main house took about ten minutes by car. On foot, it took forever, especially for someone like Fawn, who hated working out.

By the time she made it to the main house, she was gasping and panting. Thankfully, she was used to this, too, which was why these days she had a water canister inside her bag. Taking it out, she flipped the lid open---

“Aah.” Water had never tasted this good.

“Good afternoon, Fawn.”

Fawn froze.

Hand-sewn loafers. Stylish jeans. Dressy shirt.

Her gaze moved up.

Yup, it was him.

But even so, shock still had her spewing the water out, and she could only gaze in horrified fascination as every of drop of it landed on the prince’s crisply ironed shirt.

Holy crap.

Springing to life, she shoved her water canister back in her bag and hurried to the prince, mumbling, “S-sorry.” As she desperately tried patting his chest dry, she also tried not to think about how, well, hard he felt.

Because Grant’s hard, too, she reminded herself.

“It’s fine.” As the prince spoke, his large, strong hands reached out to capture hers.

Oh.

His touch burned her, and Fawn heard herself garble something out in answer.

Prince. Hands. Hers.

Clinging to the few brain cells she had left, Fawn managed to pull her hands away.

The prince allowed himself a smile at the half-confused, half-terrified look on her face.

Good.

He knew it smacked of pure hypocrisy that he had held back from seducing this girl because she happened to be a virgin. But after her admission about Grant Bennett, he was damned if he was going to play nice, and he didn’t care if he had to use the most underhanded tactics.

“I should have expected this,” he told her as he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the remaining drops that clung to the silky fabric of his shirt.

His words stung, and she couldn’t help saying defensively, “You know I didn’t mean it. It’s j-just that I didn’t expect you to be here. I mean, everyone said you’d be away for another week---”

“I apologize,” the prince said in a dry voice, “if I failed to inform you in advance about the change in my schedule.”

“It’s okay.” Then she realized what she had said. “I mean, it’s not okay.”

“Oh? Why is that? Do you miss me when I’m gone?”

Fawn gaped at him.

Pretending not to notice, he turned to walk back into the mansion. “Follow me to the study, please.”

Struggling to pick her jaw from the floor, Fawn forced her limbs to move. What was that five seconds ago? Had the prince actually cracked a joke – and it had to be that kind of joke?

As they headed down the hallway, the prince asked abruptly, “How do you find your work so far?”

She answered right away, “Perfect.”

“And your fiancé? No complaints about your irregular work schedule?” Most girls would have suspected him of having interest in them if they were asked that question, but because this was Fawn---

“None at all, prince. T-thank you for the concern.”

Dense, the prince thought. This girl was just unbelievably dense. And even more unbelievable was that he actually had some kind of---

His lip curled in self-disgust.

Interest.

He found her interesting. That was the most he could stomach.

He said finally, “How nice of him.”

“He’s very understanding,” Fawn shared shyly.

“How nice for you, parthena mou.” And now, he was ready to puke the moment she started expounding on her fiancé’s saintly qualities.

He was cursing her again, she thought glumly, which was weird for more than one reason. Listening to the other maids’ gossip had revealed to Fawn that the prince was half-Sicilian, half-Greek, but was raised in England. And yet he spoke Filipino.

Maybe secrets were another billionaire thing, she thought.

They reached the prince’s study then, and the prince murmured, “Sit down, please.” He watched her do as commanded and realized he found himself taking pleasure in knowing that she was doing what he asked.

Maybe next time, he could ask her to do something else. And he would be generous. She could also ask him to do something, too.

But for now, those would have to remain in his imagination.

This girl still thought herself in love with Grant Bennett, and since she had old-fashioned views of love, the prince knew if he pushed too hard too fast, she would bolt and run away without even giving the two of them a chance.

If he had to take baby fucking steps, the prince thought grimly, then so be it.

Fawn tried not to fidget too much as she watched the prince move behind his desk and take his seat. His every move was lethally sexy, and the dangerous aura surrounding the prince only made him seem even more irresistible.

Add to that how just plain gorgeous he was and---

She quickly lowered her head and trained her gaze on the black carpet, not wanting to risk having the prince catch sight of her reddened cheeks.

It was his fault, his fault entirely, she thought resentfully. Ever since that night, it was like she had been infected with a morbid fascination over the prince. She couldn’t stop thinking about how green his eyes were, how beautifully sculpted his cheeks were, or how amazing his abs were---

She whitened as she realized where her thoughts were leading.

Oh my God, what was happening to her?

It was almost like she had a c-c-c---

No. It couldn’t be. This…this was just like when she had started watching The Flash and it was crush at first episode. She had crushed on the lead actor so hard she had even started writing The Flash fan fiction.

But it hadn’t meant that she loved Grant any less.

This thing with the prince was the same, Fawn told herself almost feverishly. He was such a famous playboy he was virtually a celebrity himself, making them belong to two different worlds.

Which means it’s okay to admire the prince, she reasoned. Because he was like a celebrity, too, and similar to The Flash, she had to believe that this fascination of hers would eventually---

“Once you’re done with your conversation with yourself, perhaps we could start?”

Realizing she had been staring at him the whole time, Fawn mumbled, “I wasn’t talking to myself.”

“Of course you weren’t.”

Riiiight. It was so obvious he was saying that just to humor her, and Fawn bit back an uneasy sigh. When a full minute passed and the prince hadn’t said anything else, she cleared her throat and asked, “Is t-there something I can do?”

“You’ve forgotten then. ”

“Forgotten what?”

The prince said gently, “You’ve completed one month of service, Fawn. Today I’m going to evaluate your performance and decide whether you can be a permanent addition to my staff.”

Mary Joseph and Jesus, she had forgotten.

But he didn’t have to know that.

“I could never forget, prince, like seriously.”

“Mm.” The prince had come to the realization that she had a tendency to use ‘seriously’ when she was lying, and he stored it away for future use. Swiveling his seat to the side, the prince raised Igor’s report to eye level, saying thoughtfully, “A couple of incidents have been noted in your performance report.”

She didn’t like the way the prince stressed the incident part.

“To start with, the first incident is the time you put salt in my coffee---” He saw Fawn bite her lip hard. “You wish to contest this, parthena mou?”

“But I thought you already forgave me for that,” she blurted out.

“I see.” How terribly, adorably naïve of her, he thought lazily. Maybe one day, he could teach her just how he liked a woman to beg his forgiveness.

But for now---

His gaze moved back to the report. “Continuing with the report, there’s also the time you broke a 17^th century vase---”

“But you said you agreed it was an accident,” she couldn’t help protesting. “And I also offered to put it back together again---”

“With washi tape,” he reminded her. And even to this date, he had no idea what that was, but knowing her, it probably wouldn’t be worth researching in this case.

“Would duct tape have been better? I’m flat broke right now, but I could probably stomach asking my fiancé to buy it---”

The prince’s jaw hardened at the mention of the other man in Fawn’s life.

Fawn’s voice trailed off when she saw the look on the prince’s face. Right, she thought. Clearly, duct tape was going to make it worse. She had made the semi-right call with washi tape then.

“Lastly, there’s the note-taking incident.”

Fawn tried not to cringe at the reminder. She remembered that day very clearly. The prince’s secretary had been on sick leave, and he had asked her to fill in because he needed someone to type certain documents for him.

“Can I at least defend myself, prince?” she almost pleaded. At his nod, she said eagerly, “You see, I do the same thing for Grant, a lot of times, for his work with the Student Council.”

“Is that so?” The prince cracked his knuckles, wondering when he could have the pleasure of sinking his fist into Grant Bennett’s boyishly handsome face.

She nodded eagerly. “I even downloaded an app that lets me practice note taking while the app reads out articles and excerpts from books. I really didn’t want to do anything that could make anyone think I’m not a suitable girlfriend for Grant.”

“How perfectly nice.” And right now, he felt perfectly murderous. “Given all that, I’m curious to find out why you’ve failed then.”

“It’s your accent---”

He said frostily, “I do not have an accent.”

“But you do, prince,” she protested.

“I beg your pardon?” His tone was ominously soft, the prince unused to having someone challenging his word.

But instead of effectively frightening her into submission, it only had her gasping, “There it is! See how you said ‘pardon’?” At his blank look, Fawn said again, “Pardon.” But this time she tried to sound British while attempting to move her lips the way the prince had moved his. “Do you see now?”

The prince wondered how was it that he could still want to taste her even while he also wanted to see her dead. He took a deep breath. “Fawn?”

The prince’s calm voice made her sigh silently in relief. “Yes, prince?” Thank God he saw her point.

“If you say I have an accent---”

“You do.”

“I’ll fire you.”

“You don’t have an accent, like seriously.”

“I thought so.”

She watched him put her performance report aside before turning to face her, his gaze thoughtful. When he still didn’t say anything, she said, “Please, prince.” Faced with the sudden prospect of having to lose her highest-paying job, pride and inhibition lost meaning for Fawn, and she added sincerely, “I genuinely want to continue working here, prince. Any position you want me in, I’d be happy to do it.”

The prince started coughing.

She asked in concern, “Prince?”

Any position, she said, and she’d be happy to do it, too. It had him coughing again, but even so, the words had a noticeable impact on his body, and he sucked his breath in hard. Staring at her, hearing her innocently tempting words replay in his mind, he could easily imagine the position he wanted to have her in right now.

On his lap---

Naked---

Offering herself---

Sensing the prince’s suddenly intense gaze on her, Fawn looked up---

And that was it.

Oh no.

It had been a trap, but it was too late.

His emerald green gaze had captured hers, and now there was no escaping its effect.

Blood rushed to her head, making her feel faint and dizzy. Dimly, she heard the prince ask, “Do you mean that, parthena mou? Will you be happy in whatever position I want you in?” His voice was raspy with something she couldn’t quite name, but even so, it had her body melting into liquid fire.

The prince’s burning gaze demanded an answer, and she whispered, “Yes.”

His eyes glittered, and she gulped. Holy sweet Jesus, but the longer she gazed into his eyes, the more she wanted. Oh, how she wanted---

But what did she want?

“I’m glad to hear that, and I will hold you to your promise.” The prince slid to his feet, and somehow she managed to stand as well. He came to her, so close that she could breathe the scent of his aftershave.

Oh, oh, oh.

This was so…bad.

Her body was in agony, the prince’s proximity making her crave---

What?

The prince bent his head, and before she could guess what he was about to do, he whispered into her ear, “The job is yours, parthena mou.”

Aaaaah.

How can mere words make her world suddenly spin faster?

The prince watched her step back from him, her light brown eyes clouded with confusion and alarm. Her gaze pleaded with him. What’s happening to me?

Ah, parthena mou, that’s a question I won’t answer.

The brain tended to focus on what it could not understand, and with Fawn Cornwall, he wanted her so damn messed up over him that she would not think about anything else – not even Grant Bennett – nothing except him.

---

With just a few days before the Christmas holidays started, Fawn did all she could do to earn extra cash, and that included working overtime for the Prince of Darkness. Since she had morning classes to attend, she normally stayed only until dinner was served in the prince’s parties. Nowadays, however, Fawn had signed up to work until midnight, knowing that she would be paid double the amount per hour with overtime.

But today, any chance of earning overtime was nil.

“I don’t understand why I can’t help out with tonight’s party,” Fawn muttered ungraciously. “It’s like being grounded when the prince isn’t even my dad.” At six o’clock, her shift had officially ended, and she had been about to start with the next one when Igor told her that the prince had not approved her request for an extra shift.

“It is not for a servant to understand the hows and whys,” Igor reminded her gently.

“But only to be concerned with the whats, whens, and wheres,” she finished. “I know that, Igor, and I get it, but I really need tonight’s overtime.” She had found the perfect gift for Grant, and based on her calculations, any day where she skipped overtime would make her unable to afford the gift before they left for their hometown.

In response, Igor gave her another gentle reminder. “What the master wants---”

“The servant should obtain to the best of his or her capabilities,” she finished heavily. Igor had his own set of rules that he wanted her to master, and that was #1 for the prince’s right-hand man. She asked very seriously, “But won’t that make him a spoiled brat?”

Igor only looked at her.

“I know you’ve known him since his diaper days, but Igor, you have to realize that’s going to make the prince---”

“Going to make me what?” The prince suddenly appeared by the kitchen’s doorway, dressed to kill in a black tux, and causing minor chaos as a result.

The kitchen staff, unused to seeing the prince in their workplace, tried to look busy for a few minutes, realized they couldn’t move a finger with the prince’s green gaze trained on them, and simply gave up.

Bowing, they slowly slinked out through the back door.

Emery, the prince’s in-house chef, shook his head. He had to toughen up those kids just a bit more.

Meanwhile, Fawn was doing her best to come up with an excuse---

And failing.

“I…I…”

The prince raised a brow. “Yes?”

“The party’s going to make you---” Fawn paused in a panic. It was so hard to lie under pressure!

The prince waved a negligent hand, murmuring silkily, “Go on.”

Giving up on logic and rationality, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “The party’s going to make you the subject of rumors again.” She mentally sighed in relief. That had turned out more plausible than she expected.

Turning to the prince, she said firmly, “I’m just concerned, prince. Seriously.”

The prince drawled, “How touching.” What an adorablly inept liar she was, seriously.

Warming up to the subject, Fawn continued, “And because I’d like to protect you from these rumors, I thought it would be a good idea if I work overtime---”

“A nice idea---”

She brightened.

“Unfortunately, I have to refuse.”

Frustration had her bursting out, “But that’s so unfair. You’re letting Paula stay, and she’s younger than I am. Then there---”

The prince said very pleasantly, “Fawn.”

Holy sweet crap. Her courage disappeared in a flash. Whenever he used that coldly charming Prince of Darkness tone with her, the one that promised ecstasy even while he slit her throat with the sharpest blade---

It. Was. Not. Good.

She whispered, “Yes, prince?”

“Do I pay you to give me your opinion about who should and shouldn’t work for me?”

Fawn gulped. “No, prince.”

“Then?”

She smiled weakly and flashed him a peace sign, saying, “Rock on, prince. It’s time to par---” Seeing the prince’s face hadn’t even cracked with the slightest smile, she finished lamely, “---tay.”

The prince said coolly, “Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes, prince.”

“Which means you will now---”

“Leave, prince.”

“I’m glad you understood.” The prince left then, and Igor, after excusing himself, followed after his charge.

As Fawn collapsed in her seat, Emery patted her head sympathetically. “You were very brave.”

“Very brave,” Noah agreed. “But also very stupid.”

“I didn’t mean to antagonize the prince,” she mumbled defensively. “I just sometimes speak before I think.”

“There, there, we all have our moments.” Of bravery and stupidity, Noah finished in his mind.

“I don’t think the prince likes me.” It was a hard admission to make, but more and more she was beginning to believe it. These days, the prince seemed to live to catch her off guard, showing up out of the blue to do something outrageous like suddenly whispering in her ear---

She repressed a quick shudder at the memory.

Oh, how often he did it, and there was even one time he had accidentally licked her ear---

Fawn covered her face.

It was like the prince was deliberately toying with her, and all to see her mess up at work.

“Do you guys think the same?”

Silence.

She looked up. “This is the part you’re supposed to convince me otherwise, guys.”

Emery chuckled. “For the record, I do think you’re imagining things. The prince has no reason to hate you.”

“But I truly think he does. I’ve seen how he is with other girls, and he’s so much nicer---”

“So you want him sweet on you then?” Noah asked.

Fawn gasped. “No!” She shook her head vehemently. “Why would you even think that? I’m engaged, remember? I’m not interested in him that way. Seriously.” She tried not to cringe afterwards. Dear Jesus, her voice had been so stupidly shrill.

Noah and Emery looked at each other. It was obvious that although Fawn felt something for the prince, she was too dense to realize it.

Their poor master, both men thought. Even after all this time, he was still second to Grant Bennett.

“All I’m saying is the prince’s different with me. I’m not kidding. I’ve counted the number of times he smiled at me this week, and it was 2.5.”

Emery and Noah exchanged looks again.

Finally, Noah couldn’t help asking, “How can a smile be a point five?”

She imitated the prince’s smile, with only the left corner of her lip curling up. “That’s how.”

The two men exchanged looks once more. That was a smirk…wasn’t it?

Emery said finally, “The prince has his reasons, and they’re all good ones. Tonight’s party isn’t for the likes of you.”

“But I’ve served at his other parties---”

Noah’s smile was grim as he cut the girl off with a shake of his head. “Not this kind of party.” Tonight, new initiates would be recruited, and when fresh blood scented the air, all the wolves came running.

He looked at Fawn.

She would be the freshest of them all, and the prince knew it.

---

“This place is amazing.”

Or at least that was what Noelle thought her newfound friend said. Managing a conversation was virtually impossible when attending a party hosted by the Prince of Darkness.

The music seemed to flood out from every direction, swirling around them like a living, throbbing being, interspersed with soft moans and raw groans from couples fornicating in every hidden corner of the prince’s expansive gardens. Combined with the mists coming out of the fog machines and the moving strobe lights streaking the moon-less sky, it was like entering the most exotic version of hell.

And because Noelle knew of the pleasures awaiting her, it was the kind of hell she would never want to leave.

But first, she had to do one little thing.

Her younger companion was openly gawking at her surroundings, and as they finally pushed their way out of the crowd, the girl let out a squeak of awe at the sight of the prince’s lair.

“Good Lord!”

Noelle rolled her eyes. Admittedly, the place was impressive, with its mix of old-world grandiosity and modern amenities. She had been impressed as hell the first time she had seen it, too, but the difference between Noelle and her first-year companion was that even then, she had known what was expected of her.

And that was to act cool.

Which was exactly what her companion wasn’t doing.

Everything about Henny - bushy brown hair, freckled skin, and farm girl clothes –screamed hillbilly.

Even her nickname was a dead giveaway, Noelle thought disgustedly. Just showed how all country bumpkins were idiots. Henny should have changed her name first thing, should have called herself something else the moment she stepped foot in Christopoulos University.

Henny suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, causing Noelle to curse as she almost bumped into the girl’s back. “Dammit, Henny!” The girl suddenly clutched her arm, her grip surprisingly strong. She mumbled something Noelle couldn’t hear, and Noelle shook her head. “What?”

Henny cupped her hands over her mouth, saying directly in Noelle’s ear, “There’s a couple doing it by the front door!”

Oh. When the girl stepped away and looked at her with wide-eyed shock, Noelle flashed her a grin. “That’s okay.” She had to shout just to be heard, and to be sure Henny got her, she also gave the girl a thumbs-up sign. Opening her purse, she took out a tiny pill case, shook one out, and offered it to Henny.

The girl looked at her hand dumbly.

“You wanted to be popular, right?”

Hesitation crossed the girl’s face.

“It’s not going to kill you, I promise. I’ll take half.” Noelle broke the pill into two and popped one into her mouth. She would need it sooner or later anyway.

“What is it?”

“Something to make you horny,” Noelle answered honestly. Unlike date rape pills, memories weren’t wiped clean and users didn’t suddenly lose control of their thoughts and actions. It was all about surrendering one’s self to pleasure, and that was something the Prince of Darkness’s parties were infamous for.

Henny was gaping at her. “Why would I need that to be popular?”

Holding the girl’s shoulders, Noelle turned Henny back towards the house, where the couple they had seen earlier was still lost in the throes of passion. “Do you see those two?” she whispered into Henny’s ear. “That’s the passport into the prince’s lair for virgins like you.”

Henny stiffened.

“You let one of the prince’s friends fuck your virgin pussy, and you can always attend these parties.” Outside, Noelle added silently. To get inside the prince’s lair, one had to do what Noelle did – and that was to find someone whose innocence could be corrupted by one of the prince’s male guests.

“Only a few students from CU are invited here,” Noel slyly reminded. “If you turn away now, you can’t ever come back and…” She paused for effect. “You’ll never be popular.”

When Henny remained silent, Noelle took it as a yes and handed the girl the halved pill again.

“I promise, it won’t hurt.” Almost on cue, the front doors opened, and Emerson Andrews came out. He had been the one to invite Noelle here, the one to promise her entry into the lair if she could find him a virgin to fuck.

“See that guy heading towards us? Cute, right? He’ll be your first lover.” Noelle forced Henny to take the pill. “Just take this, and you’ll enjoy every moment, I promise.”

But Henny was still wavering, and Noelle tried to swallow down her impatience. Dammit, if this girl bolted---

Emerson reached them then, and Noelle knew there was no turning back. “Hey, E.” She gestured to Henny, who was red-faced at the way Emerson’s openly admiring gaze lingered on her breasts.

Can’t blame the guy, Noelle thought indifferently. The girl did have huge boobs, probably D-cups.

“E, this is Chick.” As was customary in all the prince’s parties, no real names were given even though they all knew each other from the university.

“Nice to meet you, Chick.” Emerson’s tone was low and seductive.

Henny blushed harder.

What a slut, Noelle thought. All that posturing and she was really just another slut at heart. Taking hold of Henny’s hand, she forced the other girl to take the halved pill.

Seeing it, Emerson asked, “Want me to feed it to you, Chick?” Not waiting for an answer, he stepped forward and caressed Henny’s lips with one finger.

Slowly, the girl’s lips parted open.

Taking the pill from Henny’s hand, he popped the pill into her mouth, and like a puppet, Henny’s lips closed. A second later, and she had swallowed the pill.

Emerson’s lips formed a sexy grin. “Good girl.” Cupping her face with both hands, he placed a soft kiss on Henny’s lips, whispering, “I’m going to fuck you here, Chick, and you’re going to love having me take your virginity.”

Henny’s only answer was a shiver just before leaning into his embrace.

Triumph heated Noelle’s blood as she watched the two start to kiss, Noelle’s mouth once again opening as Emerson drove his tongue inside. Bye-bye, virginity. As Emerson started undressing Henny in the middle of the crowd, an idea occurred to her, and Noelle impulsively took her smartphone out of her purse.

---

Three stories above, a man hidden in the shadows observed the crowd below his balcony, completely unnoticed. Tall, black-haired, and green-eyed, he was sin personified, every inch of his six-foot-plus form seemingly designed to beguile women into surrendering everything to him.

He was the Prince of Darkness, and if Fawn could have seen him at that moment, she might just have been terrified by the unforgiving coldness in his gaze.

“Has Fawn left?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

“It’s unusual for you to be so worried over one of our staff.”

“What can I say?” The prince’s tone was cool. “She’s unusually careless.”

Igor allowed himself a smile. “If you insist on lying to yourself---”

“I’m not.” But his tone was stiffer, almost defensive.

His master’s composure had slipped, Igor noted in satisfaction. It was a good thing, since over the years the boy’s superficial personality seemed to have taken over more and more until Igor was barely able to see anything real.

In the beginning, he had hoped that the Prince of Darkness would not cause problems to Fawn Cornwall and Grant Bennett’s relationship. However, as he had come to see the way Fawn was making his master more and more human, Igor decided that having Fawn single again was for the greater good.

Other women could be just as suitable for Grant Bennett, but for the prince, it might just be Fawn and no one else.

Even so, Igor knew that it wasn’t yet time for him to interfere. And so he changed the subject, nodding at the girl being undressed by the front door. “She looks too innocent to be here.”

The prince’s rock-hard shoulders moved in a brief, uninterested shrug. “It was her choice to come here, just as it was her choice to swallow all the bull being fed to her.” His tone was sinfully beautiful, cold, and melodic. It was his Prince of Darkness tone, was what Fawn would have said if she had heard it.

Igor and the prince watched in silence as the younger girl slowly but surely fell into the clutches of a predatory male guest.

For one fanciful moment, the Prince of Darkness attempted to search for any ounce of pity or mercy in his heart for the girl who was about to throw away her virginity for an empty promise.

But he found none.

Although he had vowed to correct injustice, it didn’t mean he would interfere in incidents that resulted from sheer stupidity.

Below him, the older girl who had brought the virgin to his party started to take out her phone but before she could take any photos, his security had already moved in: one to take the phone out of her hands, another to hold her hands behind her back, and a third one to explain the ramifications of her actions.

Reid didn’t give a damn about the stories that people made up about his parties. As far as the Prince of Darkness was concerned, there were only three ironclad rules that his guests had to obey.

No use of real names.

No photographic evidence.

No show of disobedience.

Because this was his dominion, and what the prince wanted, the prince was to have.

“What time do you want us to start with the lessons?” Igor asked.

“Give it half an hour, and then you can do the rounds like usual.”

---

It was almost ten o’clock in the evening when Fawn came back to the prince’s mansion, and her half-Filipina friend was there to greet her by the gates. “Thanks, Fawn,” Paula said in relief.

Fawn squeezed her friend’s hand reassuringly. “I should be the one to thank you. I really need tonight’s overtime.” Her smile was wry but not at all envious as she added teasingly, “Unlike you.” Since Paula’s parents were quite well off, the other girl didn’t actually need to work as a maid for the prince.

“If my parents had their way, they’d have made me quit on the first day.” Paula rolled her eyes. “They think I’m crazy to want to work as a maid, but hey. I’m very practical. The prince pays really well and the parties are always interesting. Why would I choose a boring part-time over this?” She gestured to the guards stationed outside the gate as an added security measure, all of them carrying high-caliber firearms.

Paula gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for covering for me again. I know it’s the holidays and all, but my boyfriend---”

“No need to explain. I want to work tonight.”

Paula laughed. “Then you’re crazier than me.”

As she watched Paula go, guilt tugged at her conscience, and Fawn wondered if she should have told Paula first about the prince telling her not to come to work.

But if she had, it could have made Paula retract the offer.

Fawn squared her shoulders. It’s going to be okay, she told herself. There were only a few hours left in the night shift, anyway, and all she had to do was keep her head down, finish Paula’s job, and she would be gone without anyone knowing she had even been there in the first place.

Good plan, right?

Right.

Conversation between her two selves concluded, Fawn hurried back inside, making sure to avoid the usual paths Igor, Noah, and Emery normally took. The three seemed to be the only ones who knew about her temporary work ban, and as long as none of them saw her, she was safe.

Changing into her uniform as fast as she could, she went straight to the main house’s living room and began mopping the floor. As expected, they were far from the pristine condition she had left them in earlier, the tiles splattered with spilled wine, vomit, and creamy…white…stuff…she would rather not name.

Fortunately, the living room was surprisingly empty, allowing Fawn to do her job more efficiently. Cleaning the floor section by section, it was when she neared the end of the hallway where the prince’s study was that she heard it.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Then she heard it again.

A faint cackling sound.

Holy. Sweet. Haunted. Crap.

She had heard from the night shift staff that the prince’s mansion was haunted, and that once in a while they would hear cackling and screaming coming from nowhere. She looked around her and still found herself alone, but now, the living room seemed more terrifyingly imposing than usual. The high ceilings made her feel like anything could lurk in the shadows above her, and when she heard a girl scream, Fawn nearly screamed herself.

Scared to death now but knowing she couldn’t just ignore it, Fawn slowly forced herself to follow the sound. Finally, she made it to the front doors, and that was when she saw a girl sobbing on the floor, half crawling as she tried to free herself from several men.

Fawn started to scream for help when a hand suddenly covered her mouth.

Terror struck her, and she began struggling as hard as she could.

Her attacker spun her around, and that was when she saw who it was.

---

Fawn sat huddled in one of the chairs across the desk, the shudders racking her body born out of shock and terror instead of the cold. A shadow fell on her, and when she looked up, the Prince of Darkness was offering her a shot of brandy.

“You’re in shock. Drink this.”

She shook her head.

He said pleasantly, “Drink it or I’ll make you drink it.”

“H-how do I know it’s not drugged?”

Impatience flashed in his gaze, but a moment later he had downed the shot of brandy himself. Turning away, he took the decanter and placed it on the desk. “Watch closely.” He poured himself another shot and downed it in similar fashion. He poured a third serving and offered it to her again. “Satisfied?”

She reached for it, but her hands shook so badly that by the time she had brought it to her lips, the contents were nearly gone and she was only able to take a small sip. Even so, it was still enough to have her choking at the way the liquid burned her throat.

The prince appeared faintly exasperated. “Let me guess. You don’t drink.”

“N-never.”

“And of course that’s not an exaggeration, I suppose?”

She shook her head.

He released a low sigh. “You should never have worked for me.”

Yes, she thought numbly, recalling what she had seen in the entranceway. She should never have worked for the Prince of Darkness because everything that people said about him was true.

When the prince made a move towards her, Fawn couldn’t help tensing, expecting the worst.

The prince noticed this, too, and he stilled.

Igor’s words echoed in his mind.

It’s unusual for you to be so worried over one of our staff.

However galling it was to admit, the prince knew Igor was right. And if he was smart, he should use this opportunity to get rid of her.

“W-what happened to the girl b-being attacked?”

And now, the opportunity was knocking on his door, begging to be seized. It would be so damn easy, the prince thought tautly. Make her believe she saw what she thought she saw, and she would never want to see him again.

“Did you let those men r-rape her?”

If he were smart, he would say yes. If he said yes, that would be it. She would be terrified of him and she would leave. His obsession with her would be over.

He heard himself say, “No.”

Clearly, he was not as smart as he usually was where this girl was concerned, and the realization made the prince’s lips compress in mute self-disgust. Even so, he found himself turning the frameless monitor on his desk to face her. Perching himself on the edge of his desk, he typed the necessary commands, and soon the monitor started playing back the sequences he selected.

“This is the girl when she was about to enter the compound, and the pill she’s taking is a chemically-produced aphrodisiac.”

She blinked. “Like Viagra?”

He nodded. “Not at all illegal or with any known side effects. It’s the only kind of pill I allow to be…shared in my parties. All other drugs are prohibited, and my guests know this. It’s one way to prevent police from ever interfering or raiding my property.”

“But she was being attacked---”

He summoned another sequence for playback on the monitor. “The effects of the drug do wear off, and as you can see…”

Fawn did see. It was Noah helping the girl to her feet while his guards took care of the girl’s attackers. And that was putting it very lightly, Fawn thought with a wince. In the screen, Noah’s men, all ex-army, were thorough and methodical as they beat the girl’s attackers before sending them away.

“Where’s the cab taking them?” she asked faintly, thinking that everything about this night made her feel like she had fallen into some kind of depraved rabbit hole.

“To the hospital for treatment,” he answered dispassionately. “A lawyer will meet with them next day, and if the girl agrees, they’ll soon find themselves facing the wrong end of a lawsuit.”

The prince ran another command, and another sequence showed on the monitor, this time of Noah speaking to the girl in a room she had never seen before. It almost looked like some kind of cell in a dungeon.

“Where is that?”

Instead of answering, the prince relayed, “Noah’s giving this girl the sermon of her life.” Of course, that was putting it lightly. The truth was, Noah was playing the role of pissed-off drug dealer who happened to be in a good mood and which was why Henny would be allowed to “escape.”

Closing the monitor, the prince told her with a shrug, “Hopefully, by the end of it, she won’t be as naïve or desperate.”

The girl’s screams still echoing inside of her head, she said queasily, “I still think it’s too much.”

He said levelly, “Every day, there’s a party where girls like this one are taken in by men like her attackers.” The way the prince glanced at her told Fawn that he also believed she was included in the category. “If something like this happened in those parties, they do end up raped. Sometimes, they could also end up killed.”

The prince came to his feet and as he turned the monitor away from her, he continued in a bland voice, “That’s why we’re doing this. We deliberately fan interest in these initiations and make up all sorts of hype so that everyone who’s anyone would want to attend.”

Shrugging, he finished, “It’s not ideal, but at least we get to stay in control and ensure no one gets hurt. My men do regular rounds during these parties, and we make sure that no girls are placed under real threat.”

“But she was screaming and crying,” Fawn pointed out shakily. Her whole life, she didn’t think she would ever forget how that girl had cried. “They would have raped her---”

“It was part of the lesson.”

She half-shrieked, “How can you say almost getting raped is a lesson?”

“Because it is,” he snapped back. “Trust me, that girl would have come back here if she hadn’t tasted real fear. You may not want to believe me, but most people have to learn things the hard way.”

Fawn was torn. On one hand, it did make sense, however heartless, but on the other hand, it didn’t feel humane at all. “But what if she’s scarred for life? Didn’t you consider that?”

“Scars heal, and I don’t owe it to them to play nice and treat them like some fragile piece of fine china.”

“I know, but---”

His eyes flashed, and Fawn flinched.

“You must remember,” the prince said in an icily soft tone, “that no one came here against their will. It was their stupidity that brought them here, and that’s out of my control. If they want their first time with a stranger or a jerk, that’s their choice. If they want to be popular so much they’re willing to whore themselves for it – that’s on them. Frankly, I don’t have enough time or interest to give a shit about any of those. But I do what I can, and what I can do is give them a chance to learn from their own mistakes without getting raped or killed.”

When the prince tipped her chin up, she instinctively tried yanking it away, but he didn’t let her. His hold only tightened, and his lips curved at the way she glared at him.

“Are you angry,” he asked silkily, “or disappointed that I’m living up to my reputation?”

She didn’t answer, only looked at him with eyes that were slowly beginning to shine.

He released her chin, saying softly, “You’re about to cry.”

“No, I’m not. Seriously.”

“Yes, you are, and how you do love to lie to me, parthena mou.”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” Blinking furiously to keep her tears in check, she knew that while she might never see it his way completely, she did understand that he was doing his best.

But at what cost?

She looked at him again, noting the way his gaze remained hooded and how his entire outline seemed shrouded in darkness. “You remind me of Batman,” she said unthinkingly.

He blinked. Well, that he did not expect.

Coloring at the look the prince gave her, she stammered, “Sorry. It just, well…” She gave up explaining, muttering, “Did you expect me to say something profound?”

He inclined his head in assent, saying drily, “Somewhat.”

She turned even redder. “I wish I could think of something profound to say, but the whole time you were just brooding there, telling me about what you need to do to make things right, it was just pure Batman emo, you know?”

The prince could only stare at her.

Batman.

He was almost tempted to ask her, Seriously?

Biting her lip, Fawn struggled with an internal debate before saying haltingly, “But if I really have to answer your question though, I d-don’t know how I feel about what you’re doing. I don’t think it’s wrong, I just don’t know if I agree you should be doing it. Or keep doing it.”

While listening, the prince did his best not to stare at her broodingly even though it was exactly what he wanted to do.

“There’s got to be an emotional toll every time you see someone almost getting raped – and that can’t be healthy, can it? Isn’t there a saying that when you stay too long in the dark, there might be no going back?”

A pause, before the prince said, “There it is then.” At her bemused look, he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Something profound.”

Oh.

“Thank you. I will keep your words in mind.”

His tone was gentle but dismissive, and she knew she was being politely asked to go. “R-right.” Did he think she was being too pushy?

The prince came to his feet the same time she did.

“T-thank you, and I’m sorry.”

The prince only nodded.

She turned to go and walked on shaking legs. A moment later, she almost stumbled, with the prince suddenly walking next to her.

Gah!

Was all this stealth taught only in billionaire school?

Fawn reached for the knob, not realizing that the prince had done the same thing, too.

Their hands touched, the prince’s hand settling over hers.

Oh.

And just like that, it came flying back to her. Every embarrassing memory that almost felt too indecent, too hot---

The prince’s hand tightened over hers just as he moved closer, and she swallowed a strangled gasp when she felt his heat and hardness pressing against her from behind.

“I hope you learned your lesson, too, parthena mou.” He was so dangerously close it was almost like his lips were kissing her hair with every word he spoke.

Her knees knocked against each other. “W-what lesson?” She had a desperate urge to run away, but she couldn’t, knowing that if she moved, it would mean feeling more of the prince’s body.

And she didn’t – couldn’t – risk that.

Not now.

Not ever.

“The need to follow me without question of course.”

Oh.

She could feel the prince moving, and then his mouth was once again temptingly close to her ear.

“Because if you don’t---”

Aaaaah.

His mouth was touching her ear.

“I’ll have to punish you.”

She couldn’t take it anymore, jerking against him as she turned the knob. As she fled, she felt the prince’s gaze following her, taunting her, promising her---

It didn’t matter what the prince wished to promise.

She grabbed the ring under her shirt and squeezed it hard.

Grant. Grant. Grant.

---

Fawn smiled in relief as Grant shut the door for her and went around the car to get to the driver’s seat. It had been three days since she had gone AWOL from her job, and even now she couldn’t think about the prince without cringing.

Why had she never felt the same thing with Grant? Did it mean she wasn’t really in love with Grant, or was it because he was the Prince of Darkness that her body couldn’t help reacting that way?

Grant joined her inside the car then, and Fawn forced herself to set aside all thoughts as her fiancé turned to her, saying huskily, “I missed you, luv.”

His smile was both dazzling and familiar at the same time, and the sight filled her heart with so much love and happiness she almost cried.

“I miss you, too,” she whispered shakily, and when he lowered his head to kiss her, she closed her eyes as she lifted her mouth to his.

This was the man she had loved her whole life, she told herself as Grant nibbled playfully on her lips.

Whatever happened between her and the prince – it was merely an abnormality, a freakish incident that would never happen again.

Never.

Her fingers sank in his ash blond hair as she surrendered herself to his kiss.

Pulling away, Grant said hoarsely, “You seem different than usual.”

She stiffened, unable to help thinking the worst. She fought to keep her voice steady as she asked, “In w-what way?”

“I’m not certain.” His hungry gaze roamed over her, and Fawn tried not to cringe at the way he licked his lips while his gaze lingered on her breasts. Instead of feeling desirable, she almost felt---

Fawn mentally shook her head.

Stop it, Fawn.

This was the prince’s fault. What he did – or rather, what almost happened between them – was still messing with her head, and that was the only reason why she was feeling so strange.

Grant touched her cheek, saying huskily, “Are you finally ready?”

She hesitated.

His face hardened.

“Grant---”

Pulling away, he started to drive without looking at her.

“Grant---”

“I’m sick of the way you keep playing hot and cold.”

His tone was almost vicious, and it stunned and hurt her.

“How long are you going to lead me on?”

“I’m not---” Grant’s phone, mounted on the dashboard, suddenly started to ring, and she fell silent. She saw him frown and since he was still driving, she asked tentatively, “Do you want me to answer it for you?”

But Grant rejected the olive branch she was offering, saying brusquely, “It’s unimportant.” He canceled the call.

It rang again almost right after, and glancing at the screen, she saw it was the polo team’s vice captain calling. “Are you sure you won’t take that?”

“I said it’s okay,” Grant snapped.

She fell silent.

A moment later, and Grant reached for her hand, squeezing it as he said tiredly, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.” But what they were apologizing for?

“It’s just been a really long day.”

She nodded.

“Let’s not talk about me, though. How have you been? How’s it working for the so-called prince?”

And there was the opening she needed.

Fawn said slowly, “Actually, I was thinking I might take you up on your offer.”

“What offer?” Grant sounded bemused.

“You know…” She smiled at him awkwardly. “Working at your company?”

“I see.”

Fawn blinked, taken aback by the lack of enthusiasm in Grant’s tone. “I guess…the job’s no longer available?”

“It is, but things turned out to be more complicated than I thought.” The lights turned red, allowing Grant to look at her as he slowed the car to a stop. “I talked to our branch manager here about you working for us, and he says it might set a bad example, like management playing favorites.”

“Oh.”

“I know you could prove to them that you deserve whatever job I give you, but even so, I don’t feel good about exposing you to that kind of situation.” A crooked smile touched his lips as he admitted, “If I ever hear someone trying to bully you, I don’t think I can be held liable for what I’d do.”

Fawn nodded in understanding, knowing from experience that Grant’s temper could be nasty when provoked. She smiled at him reassuringly, saying, “I get it.” And she did, but what was she to do now?

---

The prince descended the stairs with his gaze trained on the reports the FBI had sent him. The maids mumbled their greetings as he passed by them, and he looked up absently, about to acknowledge them with a brief nod---

That was when he saw…her.

He stilled.

Damn you, Igor.

Yesterday, the old man had asked him if he wished to contact Fawn about her absences and he had shrugged, saying it didn’t matter either way. Igor had obviously taken him up on his word, having seen fit not to let him know that Fawn was back.

Damn you, Igor.

Fawn tried not to move as the prince’s piercing green gaze pinned her to the spot. Was he mad about her absences? Was he going to fire her on the spot? Should she protest if he did?

When he finally spoke, she practically jumped as he snapped, “Follow me.”

The other maids looked at her in pity, their gazes telling her they believed she was about to lose her job.

I think so, too, she thought miserably.

By the time she made it to the prince’s study, he was facing the window, hands clasped behind him.

“Why the change of mind?” The prince’s voice was abrupt.

She swallowed. “I h-had to be practical.”

He turned to face her. “And your reason for missing work?”

She stared at him in frustration. Did he really want her to spell it out?

He raised a brow. “I’m waiting.”

Finally, she said, “I was sick.”

“Liar.” He started walking towards her.

She almost wanted to run away, the look in his eyes was too---

No.

She didn’t even want to think about what his look meant. She couldn’t. She shouldn’t.

“I was also busy with school---”

“More lies.”

Holy sweet crap, he was so close now!

She cried out, “What do you want me to say?”

“The truth.” And this time, the prince was standing right in front of her, so darn close she could practically inhale the sexy scent of his aftershave, and oh God, there it was again.

That feeling like she was being drugged---

That feeling like she was out of control---

That feeling like she was in need of something she couldn’t name---

Think about Grant, she thought feverishly.

Grant. Grant. Grant.

The look on her face enraged the prince. He knew right away what she was trying to do – who she was thinking of, and damn her, it was not him –and unable to stop himself, he cupped her face, forcing her gaze to clash with his.

“Tell me the truth,” he growled.

“I d-did!” Oh God, that look in his eyes was even darker now, more of everything that she could and should never name.

“Stop lying.” This time, his voice was ominously soft, and oh God, how her body shivered at the sound of it, and again there was no fear, just a strange trembling awareness that she had never felt with Grant.

Desperate to free herself, she placed her hands against his chest and tried shoving him away. “L-let go of me.” But it was useless, he was too powerful, and the hard, hot feel of his chest was only making things worse, the way it made her breath choppy and her heart race abnormally fast.

“Why won’t you say it?” he grated out.

“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He started to lower his head.

Her eyes widened. “P-prince?”

“I’m going to kiss you---”

What?

“If you don’t tell me the truth.”

She renewed her struggles, and she even tried kicking him but that only backfired, forcing the prince to haul her close. Her entire body was now tightly plastered against his, and his hold chained her every movement.

Fawn stared up at the prince with a gaze made hazy by sensual confusion. Oh my God, was this really happening? She tried to speak but nothing came out, and it wasn’t really surprising when even breathing was a problem.

And then it started again, that tempting, forbidden, and overpowering sense of awareness. It began with her toes, curling hard inside her shoes, before moving sinuously up her legs, making her knees quake, and then up to her stomach, which felt so strangely queasy. It went further up, making her breasts feel oddly heavy and swollen and her mouth feel so dry she had to wet her lips---

The prince’s nostrils flared, and his voice was raspy with need as he said, “Do that again, parthena mou, and I will kiss you.”

The threat should have terrified her, should have made her scream for help, but all it did was make every cell in her body even more conscious of the prince’s nearness. Oh God, it was like she was fast becoming drunk on his intoxicating scent while the rest of her senses could only focus on the way his muscles rippled and tensed under his too-stylish clothes.

His head lowered an inch.

She tensed. “P-please.”

Another inch, and this time she could feel his breath fanning her lips. “Then tell me the truth.”

She tried leaning back, putting as much distance as she could between their mouths, but this only made him haul her even closer while his free hand went up to grasp her hair, holding her head in place.

When she looked at him fearfully, the prince only smiled, and she knew he really did mean it. He was going to kiss her if she didn’t tell the truth.

His head started to lower.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, and she cried out, “I’ll tell the truth.”

The prince stilled.

“L-let go of me first. I s-swear I will tell the truth.”

Slowly, the prince’s hold loosened and she scrambled back until there was a good ten feet between them.

The prince gazed at her impassively.

She gulped. “The truth is…”

The prince’s gaze lowered to her mouth, a silent threat if there ever was one.

Darn him.

Her knees knocked against each other, and she blurted out, “I stopped coming to work because you made me feel---” She squirmed.

The prince wanted to strangle her. If he could be sure it would speed things up, he probably would. “Made you feel what?” he growled. “Just finish what you---”

“It made me feel gross!”

The prince froze.

“Seriously!” And then she started to babble. “My fiancé never made me feel that way, do you know that?”

The prince wondered if he had ended up desiring someone who belonged in a mental institution. And she believed that was a good thing?

“W-what we have is pure, okay? It’s n-not like what your g-guests do in your parties or what y-you do!” She stared at him challengingly. “I love him, and I’m so glad he’s not like you.”

The prince crossed his arms over his chest. It was that or risk really strangling her. He said quietly, “Are you finished now?”

Her chin went up another notch. “Yes.”

“Then it’s my turn.”

He reached her in a few strides, and she was only able to gasp before he had her back in his arms, her body once again pressed excruciatingly close against his.

“First of all,” he said tightly, “if you say I made you feel gross again, I will kiss you and I won’t stop until your lips can only remember to moan my name.”

Fawn gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing, but even worse, unable to believe that her stupid, confused body was again reacting grossly to his words.

“Secondly, what you’re feeling isn’t gross.” He didn’t say anything else, only looked down between their bodies. Unable to help it, she followed his gaze, and that was when she saw it. Felt it.

Her breasts had started to swell again, almost as if it was under a spell that made it obey the prince’s command.

Fawn couldn’t believe it, but she couldn’t stop staring at the way her breasts kept swelling over the neckline of her blouse, to the point that it almost seemed exquisitely lurid.

Oh my God, what was happening?

“Do you understand now?” the prince gritted out.

She whispered, “No.”

His laughter was a cruelly beautiful sound, and so was his tone as he bent to whisper into her ear, “It’s desire, parthena mou.”

She jerked.

“You want me, and you can try denying it, but your body knows the truth.”

“No.”

The prince shook his head, purring, “Again with the lies.”

He pulled back, and suddenly she was free. Fawn hastily moved away from him again, but this time the prince didn’t come after her. Instead, he said quietly, “We both know I can seduce you to be my lover, parthena mou.”

Jerk.

God, he was a jerk.

But the jerk wasn’t lying, and Fawn furiously blinked back her tears. Oh God, how could she face Grant now?

When Fawn’s light brown eyes met his, the prince clenched his fists at the despair in her gaze.

He had always thought himself heartless, but seeing the girl in front of him struggle with her guilt, the prince came to realize that he was not as emotionally immune as he wished he could be.

He had planned to seduce the girl so he would have a chance to fuck her out of his system.

But when she was looking at him like that---

You lucky son of a bitch, Grant Bennett.

“You don’t need to worry,” he heard himself say.

Wariness crossed her face, but even so, the despair didn’t completely fade.

“I can seduce you, but I won’t.”

“W-why not?”

His lips twisted. “Temporary insanity probably.”

“O-oh?”

“If you think I’m still going to try seducing you, you’ll feel you have no choice but to leave this job. If you do leave, you’re unlikely to find something that pays as well as this job does, which would force you to either quit college or swallow your pride and borrow money from your fiancé, which is even more distasteful.”

The last words had her swallowing back a nervous laugh. “B-borrowing money from Grant is more distasteful than me quitting college?”

“Everything about Grant Bennett,” the prince said succinctly, “is distasteful.”

She almost choked, but even so she could feel her tension easing, and even she knew the prince was saying such words also so she could relax. Without looking up, she mumbled, “Thank you for liking me. I think it’s weird that you do---”

The prince stared stonily at the girl mumbling in front of him. Weird, was he?

“But I also think you’re being so awfully sweet to promise not to seduce me---”

His teeth began to gnash. In the prince’s vocabulary, ‘awfully sweet’ was synonymous to being a weak ass.

“I mean, it’s so crazy that you can want me so much even when I don’t---” She stopped speaking, realizing too late she had ended up babbling her thoughts out loud.

Slowly, she raised her gaze to the prince, and the sight of his extremely nice smile had her paling. The prince scowling at her was normal. But the prince smiling at her?

Nope.

She began walking backwards towards the door. “I s-should probably go now, right?”

“Probably,” he agreed very pleasantly, “before I forget how awfully sweet I am, and make you feel this weird thing called dying---”

“G-going now, prince.” She quickly stepped out of the door and turned to him, saying, “But I mean it. Thank you for being so kind and understanding---”

The prince took a furious step towards her.

Right. All nice words were definitely off-limits.

“Shutting up now, prince.” And this time, Fawn broke into a run lest the prince changed his mind about liking her---

She tripped on her feet as the thought sank in, really sank in.

Oh my God, the prince liked her that way.

Unbelievable.

But true.

---

A militant gleam shone in Fawn’s eyes as she came marching back to work the next day. Literally marching, which had Noah scratching his head from his post at the watchtower.

Rumor had it that the prince and his fawn had a lover’s quarrel but then they made up yesterday. So why was she acting like the driveway was their version of The Green Mile?

As Fawn hiked her way to the main house, a conversation between her emotional and practical sides began to take place.

The Prince of Darkness is a good and trustworthy man, Fawn. He helps girls in need, even though his methods aren’t exactly by the book. If he says he won’t try to seduce you, he won’t.

But he is the Prince of Darkness. There’s a possibility he wouldn’t be able to help himself when he sees you---

Can you hear yourself? You’re making it sound like you’re a fawn fatale. Haha! Get it? Fawn fatale, femme fatale---

Fawn stopped walking.

She was seriously going crazy, and this was the prince’s fault.

She took a deep breath. There was no point worrying about the unknown. All she had to do was just get to work and see how things played out.

Nodding, she continued down the road and when she reached the end, the first thing she heard was splashes coming from the pool area.

That was strange, Fawn thought. The only time she saw people using the pool was when the prince had an aquatic theme for one of his parties, which was really nice, but it was also quite tiring since water all around made everything messier.

Curious, Fawn climbed the steps leading to the infinity pool, and the splashes became a firm, sharp sound, like someone slicing through the water in swift, decisive strokes. Fawn reached the top of the steps just as the sounds abruptly died, and that was when she saw the prince coming out of the pool, wearing nothing but a pair of tight-fitting black shorts.

Holy sweet Jesus, where could she look?

No, wait, the truth was, she knew where she shouldn’t look, but the problem was that was what she only wanted to look at.

Water made the sculpted muscles of the prince’s body glisten, and God, dear sweet God, how could someone look so perfect? Sure, Grant worked out, too, but it just felt like the prince was still…sexier. Rougher. Tougher.

Her mouth began to dry as she continued to stare at him, unable to believe that this kind of man could actually want someone like her.

It was crazy…right?

She had seen the kind of women he took to bed, and all of them were a hundred times prettier and sexier than she could even dream of being. Maybe yesterday was a prank---

The prince suddenly turned toward Fawn, his emerald green gaze unerringly finding hers.

Holy. Crap.

She was caught.

“H-hi.” Then she added weakly, “Prince.”

His lips curved. “Hi there.” He paused. “Also, you’re drooling.”

She gasped, and Fawn automatically reached for her lips.

The prince smirked. “I was lying.”

“Prince!” She didn’t know whether to punch him or run away in humiliation.

“But I guess if you thought I was telling you the truth, then you must have enjoyed watching me that much.”

“No!”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

And oh my God, why was she only able to speak with exclamation marks right now!

“Stop it! Okay!”

And oh my God, she was! Still! Doing! It!

“Alright, parthena mou, I’ll stop.” The mocking gleam in his gaze was in contrast to his soothing tone.

As he reached for the towel and began rubbing himself dry, she knew she really had to go now.

But she couldn’t.

Her legs just didn’t want to move.

She watched him finish drying himself and toss the towel back on the table.

Please pick up the robe next, she thought. Please, please pick up the robe and cover yourself---

The prince started walking towards her, sans the robe.

---and she was dead.

So dead.

When he reached her, his tall, powerful frame filling her vision, she blurted out accusingly, “You promised you w-wouldn’t seduce me.”

A laugh escaped the prince. “I’m not.”

She could see that he wasn’t lying, and she almost cringed. Oh my God, if this wasn’t him seducing her, then how much better – no, worse - would it be when he did?

Theo. The way she was staring made the prince grit his teeth at the urge to haul her back into his arms so she would know exactly how it was when he really put his mind into seducing her.

That was what he wanted to do, what his body was dying to do.

But he couldn’t.

Because he had promised, and that damn diamond winking from her left hand was an undeniable reminder of how breaking his word would also end up breaking her.

“I better go,” she said finally and almost winced right after the breathless note in her voice. When the prince only nodded, it was then she realized in shock that a part of her had expected – and wanted – him to stop her from leaving.

Her stomach curled at the realization, and Fawn hastily turned away to race down the stairs, feeling all the while she was trying to fool herself into thinking that she was running away from her problems.

The prince watched her go with a tight jaw.

How the mighty have fallen, he thought with self-disgust.

She was only supposed to be a novelty, a challenge, because of the way she found Grant Bennett so damn attractive, the same way she had seemed to be so damn oblivious to him.

Then, he hadn’t given a damn about ruining her relationship with Grant, didn’t give a damn that betraying her fiancé could destroy her for good.

But now.

He did.

And it effectively kept his hands tied.

He could never make a move on her until she broke things off on her own with Grant Bennett.

---

Time passed, and an unspoken agreement came to be between the prince and his fawn. He no longer spoke to her, and she no longer looked at him. But even so, there were things that they could not deny.

Things that made him seek cold showers every night, and things that made her toss and turn in her bed---

Things that would make him pleasure himself when the ache was impossible to ignore, and it was a brown-eyed fawn that he would imagine in his mind, riding him, her long, silky blonde hair streaming down her slender back.

And lastly, things that would make her cling even more desperately to Grant, but her silent cry for attention was ignored as the man she had first loved became increasingly distant.

I love you.

I miss you.

Are you still mad with me?

Fawn had already lost count of the number of messages she had sent him, the number of calls that had remained unanswered. But even so, Fawn didn’t allow herself to lose hope.

Things would be okay again.

This might just be karma at work, might just be the fates punishing her for being attracted to another man.

But surely one day she would be forgiven?

Surely one day she would have Grant back again?

Surely one day she could look at the prince and not have her heart beating fast?

It was on Fawn’s fourth month of working in the prince’s employ that these things changed once again. It was the weekend, and Fawn had once again taken the opportunity to work overtime, not because she needed money but mostly because it allowed her to escape reality.

Moving down the hallway, which was the last area to be swept, she took a hold of the mop and was about to push it forward when she heard it.

Fawn whitened.

Not again.

She had to be dreaming this. Maybe she was too tired, maybe she was too depressed, but she couldn’t possibly---

Another cackle.

Oh my God, this place was haunted!

When she heard it for the third time, this time Fawn knew it was coming from the wall right in front of her, which was even more proof that she was hearing a ghost. Heart thundering hard against her chest, she took a step forward.

“H-hello?” Her voice echoed in the living room.

She touched the wall.

And gasped.

Because instead of a ghost, she had found a hidden entrance, with the wall swinging open to reveal a flight of stairs.

I really shouldn’t go there. All the horror movies I’ve watched tell me that it’s suicidal to go there.

I’m glad you know that.

But I need to know about the sound.

Fawn!

I’m sorry!

Mind made up, she finished her internal conversation and closed her eyes.

God, keep me safe.

Her descent was slow and made arduous and nerve-wracking by the dark. With every second that passed, she expected her to lose her footing and tumble to God knew where. But somehow, Fawn was able to reach the end of the steps.

She felt for the ground before taking a cautious step forward.

More darkness awaited her, but the cackling also grew louder.

Curiosity killed the cat, Fawn!

But what if there was another girl hurt like the last time? What if the prince hadn’t been able to catch all the bad guys during his parties? What if this was a ghost seeking justice?

She continued walking blindly.

Another cackle.

Oh God, that really, really made her want to flee in terror.

“H-hello?”

The lights switched open, and she found herself staring at a woman with scars crisscrossing her once-beautiful face, grinning at her from behind a cell with steel bars.

Fawn screamed.

---

Déjà vu, Fawn thought as she found herself once again huddled in the chair in front of the prince’s desk, shivering in fear, and the prince silently commanding her to drink brandy. This time, she didn’t even think of refusing.

She downed it in one shot, and because she hadn’t learned from the past, she ended up choking even more.

“Serves you right,” the prince said unsympathetically. “You were supposed to sip it, parthena mou.”

“You were nicer before,” she mumbled.

“I beg your pardon?”

“My first shock,” she told him tremulously as she handed the empty glass back to him. “You were much nicer.”

“Ah.” The prince took his usual place, too, perching himself on the edge of his desk. “That was because I gave you the benefit of the doubt.”

“For what?”

“For having brains.” He shot her an unimpressed look. “But clearly you don’t.”

She glared up at him. “Are you really blaming me?”

“Yes, I’m blaming you,” he snarled. Even now, his heartbeat hadn’t gone back to normal and he still couldn’t get the sound of her terrified scream out of his mind.

Fawn was incredulous. “How is it my fault?”

“Because this wouldn’t have happened,” he hissed, “if you hadn’t let curiosity get the better of you in the first place.”

“Are you serious?” she gasped. “You have it the other way around! This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t have so many stupid secrets to keep in the first place! Seriously!” She counted them with her fingers. “One: you have a dungeon – a dungeon, oh my God – for a basement. Even worse, two: you have a woman imprisoned in your dungeon. And worst of all, three: that woman is batshit crazy and she tried to strangle me!”

Her voice cracked.

They stared at each other, and when her lips started to tremble, the prince bit back a curse. How the hell he could stay angry – even when he knew he had a right to – when she looked like that?

He said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

The apology took her by surprise, and before she knew it, she was already crying, the tears gradually relieving her of her terror. Taking the seat across her, the prince forcibly scooped Fawn into his lap and, ignoring her flimsy struggles, pushed her head firmly on his chest.

“I’m sorry.”

The words had her forgetting about struggling, and she found herself crying even harder. “I was s-so scared.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

The harshness of his tone penetrated her shock, and Fawn fought for control, sniffing back her tears as she lifted her gaze to his. “I’m sorry, too. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“It was.”

“It was not.”

“Will we never agree on anything?”

The prince’s tone was sardonic, but his gaze was gentle, and it was this that had her lips trembling anew. Eyes bright with tears she struggled to keep at bay, Fawn said with a bewitchingly tremulous smile, “P-probably.”

Ah.

Did she know how she looked right now? Any man would be forgiven for kissing her, and he was tempted.

And God, he was tempted.

Damn tempted.

Drawing a deep breath, the prince forced himself to lift her off his lap and place Fawn back on her seat.

They stared at each other, her gaze full of questions.

When the prince finally spoke, it was in a carefully neutral voice. “Before you ask anything, you must know that the more questions you ask of me, the more secrets you will have to keep.”

Oh. Fawn could feel her fear gradually ebbing as she stared at the prince. Her heart started to squeeze, tighter and tighter until she realized that she was hurting…for him.

And that was crazy, wasn’t it?

He was the Prince of Darkness, and he had the world on its knees, begging, craving, and crying for his attention.

So why was it that she felt he was suffering more than those women she would from time to time see sobbing about having their hearts broken? Why was it that when she listened to him talk about secrets he didn’t want to burden her with---

Why was it that she felt he was already breaking, bit by bit, by the weight of them all---

And she was the only one who could see it?

She heard herself say, “Tell me. Please.”

And so he did.

In a voice devoid completely of expression, the prince told her about the dungeon hidden under the house and how it could be accessed from inside and outside of the house. People held in his custody weren’t good in the conventional sense of the word, but neither had they completely gone off the deep end either.

It was, the prince said, his job to persuade them to turn over a new leaf.

Gulping, Fawn asked, “Persuade…how?” When the prince’s gaze bored through her, she could only shake her head, and her heart started squeezing again. “Why?”

“Don’t you believe they deserve another chance?”

“I do, but that’s not what I’m asking.” She bit her lip. “I meant…why does it have to be you?”

He said simply, “Because I’m the Prince of Darkness.”

Ah.

She touched her chest, feeling like her heart was starting to give up on the pain it was trying to absorb from the prince. And the funny thing was, she thought dazedly, he didn’t even seem to realize just how much all this was hurting him.

“T-the woman I saw,” she heard herself say. “Who did that to her?”

The prince stilled. He had expected her to assume he was behind the woman’s injuries…but she had not.

Why?

He wanted to ask. Wanted to demand. Wanted to force her to see that there could only be one reason why she did not suspect him.

But he could not.

Because if he did – it would mean forcing himself to listen to something he didn’t want to hear either.

“Her name is Beatrice Crichton,” the prince said finally. “She’s a special case, someone I took in as a favor. She’s actually the stepmother of my friends, Nick and Jason Christakos.” He paused. “She’s a star witness in a lawsuit filed by the twins.” He told her about how the shipping tycoon Abraxas Davos had almost succeeded in killing Beatrice to silence her and how, to ensure she remained safe, he had volunteered to shelter Beatrice until it was time for the former Mrs. Christakos to take the witness stand.

“Her ordeal’s left her mentally unstable, but the doctors believe there’s still a way to save her.” As the prince finished revealing the entire story to Fawn, it was then he realized just how much he trusted her.

It had him sucking in his breath, and again the prince felt his world tipping further to the side. And just like before it was because of Fawn – always because of her – that his whole world kept spinning off tangent.

“T-thank you for telling me the truth.” Her light brown eyes stared straight at him as she said with quiet conviction, “I’ll guard your secrets with my life.”

He would have smiled if he didn’t know that with the life he led, that could very well be possible, and the thought made his jaw clench.

Sensing the prince’s sudden grimness, Fawn chewed on her lip as she felt a helpless urge to comfort him. She didn’t want to pretend that she understood why he was doing what he did, because she didn’t. What she did understand was that he was her friend…and if there could be a way to make him feel better---

She would do it.

“I, umm, remember your friends,” Fawn mumbled. She had seen the twins several times attending the prince’s parties, and it was common knowledge that the three men, along with a few other select individuals, made up what the media liked to call as the BBFs, which stood for Boys with Billion-dollar trust Funds.

The prince inclined his head to the side, murmuring, “Is that so?”

“They’re the good-looking ones with startlingly blue eyes, right?” It was Fawn’s hope that he would be happy she finally had something nice to say about his guests.

Her hope, however, had the opposite effect.

The prince said icily, “I’m pleased to know you’ve enough free time while at work to notice the color of their eyes.” She could have said it was just…blue. The prince’s lips tightened as he realized how absurd he was being.

He asked abruptly, “Any other questions?”

She shook her head.

He shook his head back at her.

Fawn blinked.

“It’s quite admirable,” he drawled, “the way you think you can lie without me knowing it.”

Oh.

“Just say what you want, parthena mou.”

She said in a small voice, “But you might not want to hear it.”

“Do I look like the type to break if I hear something I dislike?”

Somehow, the prince’s derisive tone made her smile awkwardly. “No. I don’t think you’re easy to break.” And she didn’t.

Only an extraordinarily strong man could do all these things he was doing---and keep doing it, even if he didn’t have to.

Inhaling deeply, she said haltingly, “It’s just…I wanted to know. Did you have to be the one to keep her safe? Aren’t you unnecessarily endangering yourself?”

The prince’s face remained impassive. “And your point is?”

“It’s just…it’s just like what you’re doing with those girls, saving them, taking it on yourself to teach them. It’s like – it’s like you’re punishing yourself.”

Her searching gaze met his, and he sucked in his breath, feeling like she could see through his soul.

“Why do you feel the need to punish yourself?”

“I’m not.”

“I guess that makes the two of us.” Her lips twisted in a smile that made it seem like she was hurting…for him. “I can tell when you’re lying, too.”

---

“Stay here.”

“No, and stop treating me like a puppy you can order around.” She lifted her chin stubbornly. Another month had passed since she had learned of Beatrice Crichton’s existence, and today Jason Christakos had come for a visit. While she was certain the Greek scion was a good man, she also believed that the prince had succeeded too well in making everyone think all these crusades he had selflessly taken on did not have a toll on him.

But it did.

And it hurt, she was sure it was hurting the prince, even if there were no wounds to show.

“You won’t change my mind, prince.” She didn’t care if this made her nosy or she would end up doing something that could make the prince and his friend mad. If she felt like the prince was about to take another unnecessary risk, she was going to---she was going to do something she wasn’t yet sure of, but whatever it was, it would stop them from proceeding.

“I don’t want you to. Just mind your own business.” When the prince moved towards the door to leave the study, she hurriedly blocked his way and spread her arms wide. “No! Stay!”

The prince rolled his eyes. “Similarly, please refrain from treating me like a child you can boss around.” His eyes bored through hers. “Boss around being the operative term.”

Fawn gulped, the prince’s words reminding her she had almost three thousand dollars’ worth of reasons to do what he asked.

But----

“Y-you d-don’t scare me.”

The prince gazed at her with interest. “And why is that?”

“Because you said y-you like me.”

She could feel herself turning red at her words, and the only thing that kept her from drowning in a pool of embarrassment was the fact that in front of her, a similar shade had also stained the prince’s high-boned cheeks.

Oh thank God, he still liked her!

These days, she couldn’t really tell anymore. After the incident with Beatrice Crichton, the prince had been very, very gentlemanly towards her.

But the rest of his life was exactly the same.

The parties had also continued, and she still saw him entering his bedroom with other women.

Which didn’t hurt, she told himself. She had Grant, and that was the really good thing about her life now. Grant had been attentive to her again, calling and texting her every day, and spending every moment of his free time with her.

So life was good, and she would never have brought up that…thing…if only the prince’s emotional and mental health wasn’t at stake.

Forcing herself to meet the prince’s narrowed gaze, she continued shakily, “So you won’t fire me---”

The prince looked like he wanted to kill her now.

Fawn finished in a rush, “Because if you do, you would m-miss me. So…there!” She stole a look at the prince, and it was still the same. He definitely wanted to kill her.

Finally, the prince said, “You can be so remarkably tactless, parthena mou.” He shook his head. “Just like that time when you actually spoke of the length of your fiancé’s cock---”

Her horrified gasp cut him off.

“I did not say anything about that!”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. You need not---”

She shook her head vehemently. “I would never---” She couldn’t speak. Apparently, when one blushed really hard, vocal chords were affected as well. She glared at the prince, unable to believe that he could make up such stories.

The prince frowned. “How can you deny it?”

“Because I didn’t,” she hissed.

“You said, and I quote---” His lip curled again. “Yes, he is big. I asked you if he was bigger than me---”

Her eyes widened. “Oh.” She finally remembered the conversation the prince was talking about. She started to laugh. “Oh, prince.” Shaking her head, she bubbled, “I w-was t-talking about G-Grant being so big---”

He scowled. Dammit, here it was again.

“---on waiting,” she finished and promptly giggled again.

The prince stared at her. “I beg your pardon?”

She nodded, still giggling. “It’s exactly what you heard. All I m-meant that time was that you and the girl were so fast, while it’s different between Grant and me.” She hesitated before saying reluctantly, “We’ve never, you know. And I haven’t ever seen his, you know. That’s why I was I was saying, compared to you he was bigger---”

Now understanding what that meant, the prince winced.

Fawn was fascinated. “Wow. You’re actually blu---”

“Finish that sentence,” he snapped, “and you’re fired.”

“Blu…”

Oh my God, what other word could start with ‘blu’?

Blu…rry? Blu…dgeon?

“Bluch,” she finished. “You’re actually bluch.”

The prince stared at her. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It’s, umm, German, for humble. I was so surprised that you could actually be so bluch – which means humble, did I mention that? Anyway, it’s amazing that you could be so humble to think Grant could be even bigger---” Then she realized what she was saying and it was her turn to blush as she finished lamely, “---than you.”

The prince didn’t even bother dignifying it with an answer and turned away.

Her giggles died. Oh no. Had she wounded his ego?

The prince slowly rubbed his jaw in an effort to keep everything under control. But it was impossible. And since Fawn couldn’t see him anyway---

He allowed himself to smile.

Grant had not been able to touch her yet.

She was still a virgin.

Not that it would have mattered that she wasn’t. He had thought that, but he had still wanted her. But now that he knew she was untouched---

It was going to stay that way.

Her virginity was his.

He turned back to her. “I’ve decided.”

Wary at the way his eyes were gleaming, she said faintly, “O-oh?”

“If you really care…”

“I do…”

The prince’s tone became deceptively casual. “Then I want something in return.”

And there it was.

“Like what?” she asked, even more suspicious now.

He crooked a finger at her.

She shook her head.

“You have to come close.”

“But you might try kissing me---”

“Even if I do,” he said with a shrug, “you can always stop me, can’t you?”

“Prince!”

A low chuckle escaped him. “Just teasing you, parthena mou.” His gaze captured hers. “I promise you. I won’t try to kiss you in any way, and I won’t make you kiss me.”

Feeling like she was about to willingly throw herself under a bus, Fawn forced her limbs to work and made her way to the prince. She stopped when she was a few inches before him, and once again his intoxicating scent, so very male, teased and tempted her, making Fawn grit her teeth.

Grant. Grant. Grant.

She had to think about Grant and not let the prince’s animal magnetism get to her. She had seriously researched about this, and she had come to the conclusion that men like the Prince of Darkness were just too beautiful that it was natural for the female body to respond in their presence. It didn’t mean she loved Grant less. It only meant her hormones were working fine---

“Fawn.”

Her head jerked up, her entire body trembling at the rare sound of her name slipping past the prince’s lips.

“All I want you to do is…”

Her heart skipped a beat at the way the prince’s green gaze burned with all those things that she had seen before and pretended not to know.

“For you to touch my lips.”

For one moment, she could only stare at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. When the prince continued to stare at her, his gaze patient, she croaked out, “E-excuse me?”

“You heard me,” was the prince’s lazy answer.

“You want me to touch your lips?”

“As promised, it’s not a kiss.”

“But---”

“Is it too much to ask?” He stepped away. “Because if it is, then it’s time for me to go, alone, which I had wanted to do so in the first place.” He started to turn away.

“Wait!”

The prince stilled.

“I’m g-going to do it.” She had barely finished speaking when the prince swung to face her again, so swiftly it had Fawn nervously sucking in her breath.

Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m doing this. Grant, forgive me, but at least it’s just something simple. It’s not a kiss. It’s just---

She raised her trembling fingers, pausing mid-air.

Oh God, she couldn’t breathe.

Slowly, she moved her fingers, and then she was feeling it, the soft firmness of the prince’s lips. She was about to yank her hand away when she saw the way he was looking at her---

Oh God, the way he was looking at her---

Unable to stop herself, Fawn slowly and shakily traced the curve of his upper lip.

She wetted her own lips.

And so did he, only---

With her still touching him, his tongue inevitably grazed the tips of her fingers---

“No!” She reared back from him with a gasp, jerking her hand away from his lips like she got burned. And oh God, it did feel like he had burned her, with that impossibly warm sensation of his tongue touching her fingers---

“You’ve kept your promise, and so I’ll keep mine.” The prince’s voice was still steady, but the look in his eyes belied it.

He was still looking at her like he wanted to eat her.

Why didn’t that revolt her the way Grant had?

Why?

The prince asked quietly, “Do you still wish to accompany me?”

His question…

Oh.

He had planned this all along, Fawn realized. He had asked her to do that, had deliberately done that to her, knowing that it could force her to push him away.

Well, he would learn not to underestimate her.

---

It had been Fawn’s plan to at least pretend she was mad with the prince throughout the entire meeting, but as soon as she joined the two men in the patio, her intentions were all but forgotten and she once again found herself worrying about the prince.

As the two continued to talk about Beatrice Crichton’s tormentor, it was becoming increasingly clear to her that the man they were up against was a vicious psychopath who thrived on inflicting pain. His billions and cunning might have enabled Abraxas Davos to conceal this side of him, but a spade was still a spade and once a psychopath, always a psychopath.

At one point, she noticed Jason Christakos glance at her curiously, and Fawn wished she could melt into the wall to escape his notice.

Oh, if only she wasn’t so worried about the prince!

She heard the prince murmur something in Greek, which had his friend raising a brow.

Fawn wondered uneasily what the prince had said. Hopefully it was nothing embarrassing.

Eventually, the conversation turned to Jason’s twin and his fiancée, which Fawn did her best not to look like she was eavesdropping on. When it became obvious that Jason had feelings for his twin’s fiancée but said woman had rejected him, Fawn quickly trained her gaze on the floor.

This. Was. So. Awkward.

She wondered if this was one of the reasons why the prince hadn’t wanted her to come.

When the meeting was over, she trailed behind the two friends as the prince walked Jason Christakos to the door.

All of a sudden, the blue-eyed Greek stopped walking and turned to her.

The prince said warningly, “Jason.”

“Give this man hell, will you?” he asked with a wicked smile. “It pisses me off that the Prince of Darkness’s the one giving me love advice when he iss who he is.”

“Umm…”

“Goddammit, Christakos.”

Fawn’s eyes widened. She knew the prince swore, of course, but he had never done so in such a manner in her presence.

“Also, make him wait. Make him suffer. And---”

She said uncomfortably, “That’s not possible---”

This time, the prince’s warning gaze moved to her.

“Why not?” Jason asked.

“Because I’m already engaged. To someone else.”

Jason was visibly stunned. “I see.” He glanced at his friend. “Well. Damn.” Switching to Greek, he said incredulously, “And you dare give me advice about Lilac.”

“Because my situation is different from yours.”

“In what way?”

“You love Lilac.” The prince looked at Fawn and said grimly, “I don’t love her.”

Jason looked at him for a moment and then slowly shook his head. “Bullshit.”

“You can believe what you want to believe,” the prince answered evenly.

“Does she at least know you don’t love her?”

“She doesn’t care to know.” The prince’s lips twisted. “She’s in love with her fiancé.”

“Well, fuck.” After a moment, Jason said it again, but this time he was smirking. “I didn’t see that coming.”

“See what coming?”

“The Prince of Darkness has been friendzoned.”

When Jason left, she asked uneasily, “Did you two get into a fight?” There had been one tense moment when she was terrified that the prince would actually throw a punch at his own friend. What could Jason Christakos have possibly said, she thought worriedly, to make the prince so furious?

When the prince still didn’t answer, she looked up, thinking to ask if something was wrong but instead found herself the recipient of his glare.

Holy. Crap.

What had she done again?

“You actually told him you were engaged.” The last word was uttered with complete contempt.

“B-but it’s true!” The way he was making it seem like she was at fault made Fawn glare at him, and more importantly, it reminded her that she, too, had something to be angry about. “Also, you lied! You promised you weren’t going to seduce me!”

“You were the one touching me, parthena mou,” he pointed out silkily. “So who was seducing whom, do you think?”

Realizing that he got her there, she said hotly, “Well, what about your promise not to kiss me?”

He rolled his eyes. “Grow up. That was in no way a kiss---” His lip curled. “Or does your fiancé not know how to kiss?” The words had him thinking about the other man tasting Fawn’s lips – lips that he had not yet tasted – and the prince’s jaw hardened as jealousy like he had never known before simmered inside of him.

She said tightly, “You don’t have the right to insult someone like him.” It didn’t feel right at all to hear Grant’s name on his lips---

Lips that she had touched, she thought sickly, and enjoyed.

The way she seemed so damn hurt for another man’s sake made his fists clench, and the prince gritted out, “I can insult him whenever I want---”

“No.” Her voice was fierce. “You can’t.”

“It’s my fucking house,” he snapped, “so I want to say I think Grant Bennett’s a fucking asshole---”

She slapped him.

And then she whitened, never realizing that she could do something like it.

The prince said quietly, “Get out.”

She suddenly wanted to cry and she wasn’t even sure why. She was the one who had slapped him, not the other way around.

Fawn whispered shakily, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--”

“I said---” The prince’s cold voice turned viciously sharp. “Get the fuck out.”

Choking back a sob, Fawn whirled around and left.

He watched her run away.

And he let her.

She had made her choice.

So let her fucking live it.

---

The prince knew he should have forgotten her by now.

But he hadn’t.

And so in the end, it was inevitable he found himself doing the one thing he had thought he would never do – the one thing he had despised the most in the women who kept throwing themselves at him.

He had become a stalker.

It was a hard thing to swallow, so much so that he had to ask his friend Nathan Callis to accompany him and make sure he didn’t do anything stupid during his debut as a stalker. Nathan, considered as one of the world’s most successful male models, was also one of his closest friends. But more than that, Nathan could be trusted to keep a secret, and he definitely didn’t want their other friends learning about his newfound hobby.

Swinging his seat to face his friend, Nathan asked curiously, “How did you get Derek to give you access to his office without asking what you’re going to do?”

As the son of the university’s founder and chairman, Derek Christopoulos not only had his own office on campus, but access to the CCTV as well. Access that they were now putting to good use, Nathan mused, although the “good” part was admittedly debatable.

“I didn’t.”

Nathan’s brows shot up. “So we’re breaking and entering?”

The prince shook his head. “No. I took the easier way out and told Jaike I needed to do this for a girl I couldn’t stop thinking of.”

“Oh man. You made Jaike think you were in love with her, didn’t you?”

Actually, he hadn’t, but Jaike had been convinced he was.

As they continued to watch Fawn’s movements on the screen, Nathan said pensively, “I never imagined the Prince of Darkness could ever sink to this level.”

“Shut up.”

“The prince, actually stalking---”

“It’s a different kind of stalking,” he muttered.

Nathan smirked. “There are different kinds of stalking?”

“There’s the creepy-I-plan-to-kill-you-afterwards kind, and that’s not me. I’m more the I-just-want-to-see-what-she’s-up-to kind.”

“Ah, the jealous type.”

“Fuck you---” He broke off with a frown as it occurred to him that the screen hadn’t shown Fawn moving for almost five minutes now. She was still there, rooted to her spot, back straight and facing one of the classrooms.

“Is it still working?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so.” Nathan raised a brow. “Why?”

He slowly shook his head. “I think something’s wrong.” He decided to switch cameras, accessing the room that Fawn seemed to be staring at.

Nathan whistled at the sight of the couple fucking inside the empty classroom.

The prince shot to his feet. “I have to go.”

“Gonna stop her from watching live porn?” he asked quizzically.

“It’s not porn,” he said grimly, “when it’s your boyfriend fucking another girl.”

---

Fawn awkwardly shoved her hands into her pockets as she tried to ignore the way people kept staring at her. Either they recognized her as one of the former maids who worked for the Prince of Darkness, or they knew her as Grant Bennett’s girlfriend and were wondering why she was alone.

Either way, it didn’t change the facts, and that was that she was eating alone in the cafeteria. It was practically equivalent to having LOSER written on her forehead, and since she had been doing this for almost half a month, Fawn knew the people looking at her now had mentally upgraded her status to THE BIGGER LOSER.

More weeks of this, and she could win the university’s title for the biggest loser on campus.

Despite having lost her appetite and still feeling people’s pitying gazes trained on her, Fawn forced herself to finish the rest of her meal. She wasn’t exactly swimming in money these days, making her loath throwing away food that she had paid good money for.

If only she had time to make friends, she thought despondently.

But she hadn’t.

Since her freshmen year, she had struggled to make ends meet, doing her best not to make her school loans compound. Before working for the prince, she used to have three part-time jobs in one day. What little free time she had left afterwards were divided between her studies, the occasional date with Grant, and sleep.

Picking up her phone, she refreshed her inbox, hoping she got an email from Grant, but there was none. Lately he had been distracted again and more often than not ended up bailing on the times they were supposed to meet.

She so badly wanted to tell Grant she really needed him by her side right now, but guilt held her back. How could she even think she had the right to complain after what happened – what could have happened – between her and the prince?

Her phone vibrated then, and she almost dropped her fork in her haste to reach it.

Fawn frowned when she saw that the message was from an unregistered number, asking her to meet at one of the classrooms in the building across the street.

It could be Grant, she thought. Maybe he was using a friend’s phone if his own had run out of battery. Deciding that there was nothing to lose, Fawn finished her meal in a hurry, grabbed her bag, and headed out to the street.

Maybe it’s time I come clean about everything, she thought. Nothing happened. Something happened. It was all a painful, confusing mess in her mind, and maybe telling Grant the truth would help her make sense of things.

She took a deep breath as she reached the room texted to her.

I’m going to tell him, for better or for worse.

Fawn was about to turn the knob when something made her check the room through the peep glass.

Grant.

But he was not alone.

Her fingers fell from the knob.

She knew she should stop watching, but she couldn’t.

Every second that passed---

It felt like she deserved to see this, like she deserved that this was happening.

Grant.

The Grant she knew was beautiful inside and out, always smiling, the one who never let go of her hand in everything that she did.

But this Grant she was seeing now---

Buttocks bared, pants pooled around his ankles, and oh God, the way he was clutching the legs encircled around his waist---

The way his hips were pumping furiously against another woman---

This was not the Grant she knew.

Grant.

Minutes trickled down.

Oh God, how long could this last?

They didn’t stop fucking. She couldn’t stop watching.

Grant.

---

When a knock sounded on her bedroom door, Fawn continued folding her clothes as she called out, “Come in. It’s not locked.”

So many things to pack, she thought worriedly, and she only had a few days left before summer camp.

When she heard the door open a moment later, she asked, “What is it, Mom?”

“It’s me.”

Recognizing the voice, she whirled around in shock, and it was indeed Grant.

He was leaning against the doorway, looking exquisitely handsome in his usual collared shirt and pants. Most teenage boys wouldn’t even know what to do with a collar but Grant – it was like he had been born to impress, and for as long as she could remember, he had always seemed more mature than his age.

It was, she thought helplessly, one of the things she loved most about him.

“So…” He grinned at her. “Can I come in?”

“Of c-course.” As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, she realized too late that there wasn’t actually any place in her room that he could sit. Her clothes and books were scattered everywhere, taking up every inch of space.

When she looked up, Grant’s gray eyes were twinkling in amusement. “No need to panic, Fawn. I actually came here just to tell you something.”

She frowned. “What is it?”

His grin widened. “You mean that, don’t you? You really have no clue.”

She bit her lip as she racked her brains for something that could have required him to come to her room. When she came up empty, she slowly shook her head. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I just can’t think of anything---” As she spoke, Grant had started walking towards her, causing her voice to trail off nervously.

Clearing her throat, she tried to start again, saying, “If there’s something you need---”

Grant was standing in front of her now. “There is.”

Fawn gulped. “W-what is it?”

“This.”

And then he was cupping her face, and as she gasped, his mouth had covered hers.

Her first kiss.

Grant’s tongue slipped inside her mouth.

Make that her first French kiss as well.

Fawn found herself clutching at Grant’s shirt as the kiss deepened.

When he lifted his head, all she could do was gaze up at him, unable to understand what just happened.

“Will you be my girl, Fawn Cornwall?”

She burst into tears.

“Fawn?” Grant’s voice was worried.

“I n-never thought this c-could ever happen.” And as he pulled her into his arms, she found herself sobbing against his chest.

She felt him kiss the top of her head. “You’re too cute, Fawn.”

“Y-you’re cuter.”

She felt his lean body shake against hers in silent laughter.

“You haven’t answered me yet,” he whispered.

She looked up. “You r-really still need one?”

He nodded.

With a teary smile, she said, “Yes. I want to be your girl.” Her voice muffled against his chest, she asked, “W-what made you do this?”

“Summer camp,” Grant admitted ruefully. “It’s the first time you’ll be spending that much time away from me, and I hated the thought of another guy making a move on you.”

She hugged him tightly. “I’ve never seen any guy except you, Grant.”

“It’s the same for me.”

She pulled away, looking up at him doubtfully.

He chuckled. “Yes, I did date. But did any of them become my girlfriends?”

She slowly shook her head. “No.”

“I told you. You’re the only girl I’ve had eyes for.” Bending down, he whispered against her lips, “And that’s how it will always be.”

---

So many memories, Fawn thought numbly. Almost seven years worth of memories, and he had thrown them---

No.

He was fucking them away, each and every memory she had once cherished as her most priceless treasures.

Grant, why?

Inside the room, the girl cried out Grant’s name.

The pain was so much, crippling her, strangling her---

Oh God.

I can’t do this anymore.

And then hands suddenly covered her eyes.

And she knew.

She knew without him speaking, without her seeing – she knew it was him.

She knew, but right now she just couldn’t even make herself ask the questions she should ask.

Why are you here? Did you know about this? Do you think I deserve this? Do I have the right to feel hurt?

Those were the questions she should ask. And there were more she should ask, but right now all she could think of was---

Grant.

Tears stung her eyes, and she tried, God, she really tried to keep them from falling, but she couldn’t.

The prince’s hands pressed harder against her eyes, and as the tears flowed faster, she also found herself seeking shelter in the black, unseeing world he offered.

He really was the Prince of Darkness, she mused numbly, and right now it was what she needed.

Behind her, she heard the prince ask in a quiet, neutral tone, “What do you want to do?”

A shudder went through her at the words.

What do you want to do?

The words made things so hurtfully real, made it impossible for her to keep closing her eyes until she could pretend that she had just imagined what she saw.

Sobs tried to crawl out of Fawn’s throat but she forced them back down, sinking her teeth into her lower lip until she drew blood. It was tempting – so, so tempting – to sink deeper into the oblivion the prince’s hands offered.

But she knew she couldn’t do that.

Because now she realized that was what she had been doing all these months.

Pretending she didn’t notice Grant was changing---

Pretending she didn’t know Grant was lying---

Pretending she didn’t feel Grant was cheating---

Fawn reached shakily for the prince’s hands, and she didn’t have to say anything else. It was as if he had read her mind, felt her need to face her fears and her pains, and the prince slowly released her from his hold.

She turned to him.

She could see him again.

And somehow, even though Grant was no longer in front of her, seeing made the pain worse.

He took her hand, and she let him. A moment later, and he was drawing her away from the door. As they descended the stairs, they heard footsteps coming up and the prince automatically released her hand.

She followed behind him, neither of them speaking until they made it out of the building where the prince’s limousine was waiting.

He helped her inside and as the car started to move, the prince said casually, “Just say the word---”

She looked at him in confusion.

“And he’ll die tonight if you want.”

Fawn almost, almost laughed. “Prince.”

His rock-hard shoulders moved in a Gallic shrug. “You know who I am.”

“Oh, of course I know you,” she managed to say with feigned solemnity. “You’re Reid Chalkias, Christopoulos University’s most infamous and heartless playboy.”

“And a prince,” he reminded her solemnly.

“And a prince,” she agreed.

But deep in her heart, she knew…

She had always known the prince was more than that.

The prince was a man burdened by secrets---

A man trapped in the darkness---

But he was also a man who took away other people’s pain, a man who gave others a chance for a new life at the cost of his own.

Shaking her head, she said unevenly, “I do know who you are, prince, which is why I know you wouldn’t really have been able to kill him just like that.” She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

The prince’s lip curled. “You underestimate me, parthena mou. Whoever said I’d have to dirty my hands with his death?” He added solemnly, “I can always ask one of my henchmen---”

“Stop it.” This time, Fawn managed a watery smile, thinking how the last word was so woefully inaccurate in describing the fatherly demeanor of Noah, Igor, and the other senior guys in the prince’s staff.

“We both know you won’t do that,” she told the prince. “So stop pretending.”

“Not pretending,” the prince said quietly. “I just wanted you to smile.”

Oh.

“Sorry. I’m n-not used to you joking.” She swallowed. “I mean, I’m used to seeing you joke around with others, but with me, you don’t really---”

“My adopted mother says the same thing,” the prince revealed in the same casual tone, almost as if he was deliberately downplaying the fact that he was telling her things she had never expected to know about him.

“S-she does?”

“When I crack a joke in her presence, she thinks it’s the end of the world.”

She choked back a teary laugh. “I k-kinda feel the same.”

As the prince watched her wipe her eyes, he heard himself say, “I’m sorry.”

She froze.

“I’m sorry I made you leave that way.”

Without meeting his gaze, she whispered, “Then why did you say it?”

The prince laughed humorlessly. “Do you really not know?” Tipping her chin up, he looked straight into her eyes and said in a hard voice, “Because I was jealous.” Her eyes widened, and he could see that she truly had no idea.

The prince released her and exhaled his breath in frustration.

Well, damn.

She was even denser than he thought.

“Sorry,” he heard her mumble in a small voice. “I didn’t realize it.”

“It’s fine.” And not wanting to give her a chance to delve deeper into his fit of jealousy – which he was doing his best to forget – the prince swiftly changed the subject, asking bluntly, “Do you wish for more time to lick your wounds?”

Despite the numbing pain inside of her, Fawn couldn’t help rolling her eyes at his less than sensitive question. “Are you ever this outrageously offensive with other people?”

He smiled lazily at her. “Only with you.”

“Oh.” Should she be flattered or offended? She thought about it and decided on the former. It wasn’t the nicest method for giving comfort, but she couldn’t argue with the results, the way he was able to keep her mind from---

Ah.

Images she had unconsciously tried to bury resurfaced.

She choked out bitterly, “I can’t stop seeing them fuc---”

A finger on her lips cut her off, and Fawn froze. A second later the prince was peering down at her, and all of a sudden his classically handsome face filled her entire vision.

“Don’t do that,” the prince murmured. “While I admit to having fantasized about hearing you say dirty words, I don’t want to hear it if they’re for another man’s sake. You understand this, don’t you, parthena mou?”

She nodded, and a familiar, drugging sense of heat enveloped her body as the movement caused her lips to rub against his finger.

Oh.

The prince straightened, and as soon as her lips were freed, Fawn immediately wetted them, feeling like they were suddenly too dry. She swallowed, noticing the way the air around them was charged with sexual tension, something she had never felt with Grant.

When she looked at the prince again, it was to realize he was staring at her mouth, and she mumbled, “No.” A kiss was just going to confuse things, even if she was sure it was the one thing that could take her mind off---

Stop it, Fawn.

His eyes were laughing at her. “What do you mean no, parthena mou?”

“You know exactly what I’m saying, and---” She looked at him suspiciously. “What does that mean anyway?”

The prince was visibly surprised. “You truly don’t know?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t think it was right to look it up,” she said awkwardly. “If I did, it would mean b-betraying Grant.”

His jaw clenched as he forced himself to smile. “I see.”

Grant Bennett, you lucky son of a bitch.

Thankfully, the man was enough of an idiot to not realize what he had.

“If you want to know, look it up.” She started to take her phone out, and he shook his head, murmuring, “Not now.” He took hold of her hand then, and ignoring the way her body jerked, he entwined her fingers with his.

“P-prince.”

Gazing at their entwined hands, he asked steadily, “Do you still love him?”

The fingers in his hold tensed, and with it he already had his answer.

Grant Bennett, you fucking idiot.

“I wish I could say I stopped loving him the moment I saw him---”

“Fucking another woman,” the prince spelled out in a hard voice. He saw her flinch, and he bit back a curse. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

But they both knew it was not.

He had been an insensitive ass, and they both knew that, too.

Dragging air into his lungs, he said slowly, “Up until I was eight years old, I was raised in an environment where weakness of any kind was beaten out of you.”

Fawn was stunned. “I didn’t know. I’m s-sorry.” But now it was beginning to be clear to her that the rumors about the prince – which she had believed were just rumors – had more than a grain in truth in them.

“I’m the one who should be sorry, and I’m only telling you that because I didn’t want you to think I was a complete ass.”

“U-understood.” Fawn gave him a studious nod. “And you were successful.” Managing a smile, she said, “Now, I just think you’re half an ass.”

His lips twitched. “I can take that, I suppose.” He drew her to him then, and she didn’t even think of resisting. Her head fell against his chest. Her eyes closed.

She needed this---

This reassuring sense of security telling her that she wasn’t alone, this feel of invincible strength, telling her that he could protect her from the pain---

She needed…him.

Fawn felt the prince’s lips touch the top of her head. “I am sorry you had to experience such pain, parthena mou.”

The prince felt more than saw her smile against his heart as she whispered jokingly, “Me, too.”

Good girl, he thought.

Strong, brave, beautiful girl, and he was damn proud of her.

He heard her sigh, and he asked, “What are you thinking of?”

“Him.” Her fingers curled into a fist between their bodies. “I know it’s bad, but I just wish I could hurt him back.”

She expected him to tell her to stop being bitter, but then again she should have known she couldn’t expect something so benign from the Prince of Darkness.

Instead, the prince said easily, “You could.” Before she could answer him, the prince tipped her chin up. “You can hit him where it hurts the most.”

When he spoke again, it was the Prince of Darkness’s voice he used, and the husky, melodic cadence of his tone wrapped its seductive notes around her bruised heart as he murmured,

When the prince’s head lowered, Fawn’s common sense urged her to push him away. But it was too late. The mesmerizing promise in his emerald green gaze had enslaved her, and all she could do was wait---

“Simply say the word---”

His tongue began to trace the curve of her lips, and it was like tasting fire.

Oh God.

“And I will be your lover behind his back.”