It wasn't until Alek woke up with his arm still around Toni, her sexy little backside snuggled up against his hardness, and the smell of his shampoo in her hair, that he realized he'd never actually slept with a woman before. Oh, he’d had sex with them, but couldn't recall ever sleeping with one of them. Or maybe he had, but the pleasure of having Toni in his arms had wiped the memory from his mind.

As he lay there, reveling in the bliss, he decided that taking a daily nap might just be a pretty good idea. He couldn't remember the last time he napped either—must have been when he was still in the nursery—but it could definitely become part of his routine. At least on the days Toni was on guard!

After his shower—it was nice to finally get out of that tuxedo and into a pair of jogging shorts—he sat on the sofa and watched Toni go over their small apartment with a fine-toothed comb. After some frustrated growls, and inventive, American curses, she came to the same conclusion he had: they were locked in.

Instead of feeling panicked about that realization, Alek felt...well, maybe not at ease, but more like beyond caring. After all, the kidnappers had supplied him with his personal brand of toiletries, changes of clothing in his size, and some of his favorite junk food. There was even a collection of DVDs—all of the latest American superhero movies he hadn't found time to see yet.

“Why are you smiling?” growled Toni as she flopped down beside him on the sofa.

Her voice was still hoarse from the beating her throat had taken, but she sounded better, and was acting like her normal self. Nothing a few more cups of honey tea wouldn’t cure.

He decided that no matter how hot she’d looked in that ball gown, seeing her in his pajama pants and dark ribbed tank top—somehow she had neglected to put on a bra under it—was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. So his grin grew as he leaned back and stretched his arm across the back of the sofa, his fingers playing with the hair at the base of her neck.

“I'm smiling because...well, I guess because I'm relaxed. I can't remember being this relaxed in a long time.”

She nudged him with an elbow. “Morning naps are pretty cool, huh?”

He switched to kneading the muscles in her shoulder. The little noise that escaped her mouth was somewhere between a moan and a sigh, and made him smile again.

“The nap was nice, but I think... I think it's because you're here with me. Being around you...” He swallowed, wondering how to confess it. “It makes me smile, you make me happy.”

She didn't give any indication she understood how hard it was for him to say that. Her eyes were closed, and she wore that little half grin on her lips. “You make me happy too.”

It wasn't a confession of love, or undying loyalty or anything—and since when was he thinking about things like that?—but Alek would take it.

He cleared his throat. “How about I pop some popcorn and we put in a movie?”

“You think that's wise?” she asked.

He made a big show of looking around the room. “Well, it's not like we've got anywhere else to be until ‘the boss’ shows up to have that talk with me.”

She frowned a little, as if maybe she had forgotten about their predicament, and his words had reminded her. Still, when she spoke, it became clear she was willing to let it be.

“I just meant, is it wise to have just popcorn for lunch? And do you think you can manage to pop popcorn without burning this place down? Of course,” she looked up speculatively, “if you were to set off the fire alarm, maybe somebody would come let us out...”

He chuckled and stood up. “Let's put a pin in that idea. Whoever locked us in here included microwavable popcorn. Apparently they weren't too confident in my ability to not burn stuff either,” he teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Choose a DVD,” he said, his head already in the fridge, “And I’ll make us a sandwich and some more tea, since you don’t approve of my popcorn lunch choice…”

It was the most enjoyable afternoon he could remember; curled up on the couch with her, eating junk food. She never did make that quiche, because without their phones, they had no way of looking up the recipe online, and it turned out she cooked even less than he did. But the goat cheese and lox on bread made for a fine dinner, and when it came time for bed, she didn’t hesitate to climb in beside him.

It just seemed natural, normal, to lie there wrapped around her, smelling her scent and listening to her breathe. Alek didn’t move all night, but he woke up with a hard-on he could use to cut steel.

Having her in his arms was tormenting and blissful all at once, and he decided he didn’t mind the torture. Yeah, he’d be totally on board if she wanted to climb on top of him and ride him hard, but it had to be her decision. For now, he was just enjoying the feel of her plastered against him in sleep, the way it made him feel like the protector.

Later, he made them both fried eggs for breakfast, and they sat, laughing and swapping stories about their childhoods, over three or four cups of tea. It was nice—like they were normal people, not a prince and his bodyguard. He was surprised how much he liked that.

He was also surprised how little he’d thought of what was going on back home. Detachedly, he realized he should have been frantic with worry about what Mother and the rest of the palace would think, knowing he’d disappeared over thirty hours ago. He should be wracking his brain, trying to figure out what the kidnappers wanted with him, and how he could address that. He should be wondering what Marcia would think, when she found out he’d been kidnapped.

But he didn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, it was just that he was enjoying not having to care, if only for a while.

Holy hell, it had taken a kidnapping for him to take a vacation, and it was hard to be too angry when he was having so much fun with Toni.

After breakfast, she changed into a pair of the jogging shorts, and began to do push-ups. Apparently she was completely recovered from her tussle with the man she’d called “Bruiser.” So Alek joined her, then held her ankles while she did sit-ups. They were both breathing heavily and glistening with sweat when he ran his palms up her calves.

“Wanna grapple?”

He put just enough of a comical leer into the question to make her burst into laughter.

“I can’t decide if you just asked me to kiss you again, or if that was an invitation to spar.”

Alek waggled his eyebrows. “Can’t it be both?” He felt as silly as a teenager. “I’m sure there’s something you can teach me.” About kissing and sparring.

She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, then held out a hand to be helped up. When they were standing facing one another, only a few inches between them, she said, “Give me your hand,” in a sultry voice.

He might’ve popped his shoulder socket, he complied so quickly. She took his hand, lifted it to her mouth, and made sure he was focused on it before she began to speak.

“Remember the last time we sparred? You punched me in the thigh.”

She turned his hand and tightened the fingers into a fist, kissing each knuckle. Alek thought he might’ve grunted in agreement, but right then, he couldn’t remember any such thing. He couldn’t remember his own name, with her lips so close and her breath tickling his skin. His cock was rock-hard, which meant he had very little blood left in his head for useless things like thinking or concentrating on instructions.

“Alek?”

He made a strangled noise and dragged his eyes back up to hers.

“You remember when you punched me in the back of my thigh from underneath? I recovered, but didn’t have nearly the strength in that leg afterwards, because it was a solid blow, directed to a small area.”

He did vaguely recall that. “Yeah?”

She tugged at his middle finger, pulling the second knuckle up while pushing the other fingers down into the fist. “So next time, punch like this. A smaller contact point, see?” She kissed the raised knuckle. “It’ll hurt more, and if you do it in a fleshy pressure point—like under his bicep, or even his throat—it can incapacitate an opponent.”

“I…” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to incapacitate you,” he whispered.

“Good,” she whispered back. “I didn’t want to incapacitate you, either.”

It wasn’t the most romantic thing ever uttered, but Alek felt his heart leap at her stupid confession. Somewhere over the last few weeks, Toni had become…special. He wanted to be with her, in more ways than one.

He turned his hand until he was the one holding hers instead of the other way around, and used his other arm to pull her closer. She felt so damn right pressed up against him like this, even if they were sweaty and gross.

Still staring down into her lovely blue eyes, he murmured, “I want to kiss you, Toni.”

Without breaking eye contact, she nodded slowly. “I wish you would.”

So he did.

And it was just as nice as last time, only now the feel of her under his lips was augmented by the memory of her in his arms in bed, and his cock leapt to attention once more. He knew she could feel it, because they were both wearing those light jogging shorts…but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she ground her hips against his, and Alek heard his own groan, loud in the silence.

Panting, Toni pulled away. “I need a shower,” she said, still plastered against him, still meeting his gaze.

After that kiss, Alek felt bold. “Do you want company?”

Slowly, she smiled. “You bet I do.”

 

 

Best. Shower. Ever.

There’d been more kissing, and so much touching Toni thought she might explode. Soapy hands and warm water made for some of the most erotic sensations she’d ever experienced.

Oh my God, but the man could kiss. And it was amazing how close he could bring her to orgasm, just with his hands. By the time both of them were clean, Toni was more than ready to experience the rest of him.

As he was drying her off—taking far too long to get into the bedroom, as far as she was concerned—Alek stopped and met her eyes.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Toni?” he asked, his voice harsh with need.

Hell yes! But she just smiled and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more okay with anything, Alek.”

His palm came up to cup her cheek, and his expression turned serious. “I don’t want you to feel coerced into this. I want to make sure you’re doing this for the right reasons.”

Toni rolled her eyes a little and pressed her naked, damp body against his. “I think this is a good enough reason, Your Highness,” she whispered.

His hold on her butt tightened, but his fingers continued to caress her cheek and temple. “You’ve showed me so much, Toni. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman the way I want you, but I’m not in charge here. This is totally up to you.”

“So what you’re saying is,” she panted against his skin, “I get to be on top?”

He was grinning when he lowered his mouth to hers. Three gentle kisses on her lips—kisses that only inflamed and teased her senses—and he pulled back long enough to say, “That’s what I’m hoping.”

She loved that he was concerned enough about her feelings—about her consent, and her past negative experiences—that he was offering her this. And frankly, the idea of riding Alek made her even hotter. She thrust herself up on her toes long enough to kiss him quickly, then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom.

Later, they napped, wrapped up in each other’s arms in the most delicious few hours of relaxation Toni had ever experienced. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she wasn’t more frantic about being kidnapped and locked up, but couldn’t deny this was the best vacation she’d ever had.

Who would’ve thought it was all because of her employer? Prince Alek had been arrogant and uptight when she’d met him, but now that she knew him better, she could admire his intense loyalty and his devotion to his people and their traditions.

If only she could get him to rethink his position on royalty marrying for love…

Not for me or anything! she was quick to justify to herself. For his mother’s sake…

They spent the rest of that day watching more superhero movies and laughing and joking and sharing stories. She fell more in love with him each time he told her about his childhood or asked her opinion on something. They were perfectly paired and meshed on so many issues—everything from child rearing to food preferences to religion—and being with him made her heart sing.

Too bad they were from such different positions they could never have a future together.

That night they explored one another’s bodies again, until they fell into a satisfied sleep. But by the following morning—the third day since they’d been removed from his study—something had changed. Oh, not between the two of them; she loved the way he always seemed to be touching her, a pat here, a hand-holding there, occasionally a little teasing swat on her butt. It made her feel loved in the same way being held by him did. She’d spent so long being the protector that now it was nice to be protected.

But they were both antsier than they’d been yesterday. Apparently the charm of their mandatory vacation had worn off, and Toni caught him checking the locks and the window again. Not that she could blame him; she’d done the exact same thing when he’d gone to take a shower that morning.

Yeah, they were both done with being locked up in here.

After breakfast, Toni found herself doing more sit-ups, just to burn off some of her energy. Of course, she could’ve invited Alek back to bedroom again, but the ball of nervous energy in the pit of her stomach told her that might not be what she needed at that moment. He joined her, until they were both breathing heavily.

After a while, he went for some water, and offered her a hand up. As he pulled, he asked, “Wanna dance?”

It wasn’t said with the same comical leer he’d used yesterday when he’d suggested “grappling,” so Toni wasn’t sure what he meant. Her expression must’ve said as much, because he clarified.

“Spar, I mean.” He shrugged sheepishly and looked towards the remains of their fried egg sandwiches. “I was just thinking about how you called it ‘a different kind of dance’ the last time we did it.”

She hummed, an appreciative smile tugging at her lips. “So you don’t want to actually dance with me?”

To her surprise, he placed his water on the side table, and hurried to pull her into his arms. His left hand was high on her back, and his right hand took her left and held it in the classic closed position.

He stared down at her, and she could tell he was fighting an arrogant smile. Oh, he thought she would be as out of her depth here as he’d been when she’d begun to spar with him?

Think again, Highness.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, then lifted an imaginary train in her right hand, her arm and wrist held in the perfect angle. Sure, she was wearing his PJ pants and a tank top, but the muscle memory of all those lessons was still there. Lowering her lashes to show her partner she was ready, she lifted her chin and loosened her muscles.

And Alek swept her into a waltz.

It was the first time she’d danced with a man since she’d been a teenager—ballroom dancing hadn’t been part of her life over the last decade—but the moves came easily. He swept her around the room, careful not to bump into anything, counting the beats under his breath for both of them since there wasn’t any music.

The small multipurpose room was cramped enough that they didn’t get more than a few turns around before he had to pull her to a stop. They stood in one another’s arms for a long moment, holding their poses.

Finally, without loosening his hold on her, Alek whispered, “Where did you learn to dance like that, Toni?

She grinned, pleased to have impressed him. “You’re looking at half of the two-time Idaho State Dancing Competition ballroom champion duo.”

He looked a little dumbstruck, but finally let her go and stepped back slightly. “Two-time?”

“My brother needed a partner for team roping, so I agreed, as long as he partnered with me in ballroom dancing.”

“You were a competitive dancer?” His tone made it clear he was still shocked.

She shrugged. “I did it all—Junior Cotillion, official debut, dance lessons for years—but it didn’t stick. When Mom saw how well it worked—by which I mean it didn’t, I joined the Army as soon as I could—she didn’t make my younger sister go through it.”

He ran his hand through his hair, still looking shocked. “You mean to tell me you could’ve been in my arms the other night, waltzing around that ballroom?”

“Well…” She shrugged. “I guess we could try it next time, if your fiancée is fine with it.” She tamped down the surge of jealousy from that casual statement. He was a prince, engaged to an Earl’s daughter, and that was his future. Never mind if he’d never touched Marcia the way he’d touched Toni all night… “I suppose it would be easier to protect you from down there, up close.”

A bark of laughter burst out of him, and he managed to look exasperated and horny all at once as he pulled her into his arms again. “I wouldn’t want you in my arms as my bodyguard, Toni. I’d want you there as my woman. And who cares what Marcia thinks—I would’ve had a hell of a lot more fun dancing with you.”

His woman.

That casual comment had rocked Toni to her core, and she found herself sagging against him, glad for his support when he pulled her flush against his chest and tucked her head under his chin. His woman.

Wait, what had he said about Marcia? She mentally shook herself, trying to keep from dwelling on that “his” comment. He’d said he hadn’t cared what Marcia thought…

She cleared her throat. “So…Marcia?” she asked hoarsely, glad she didn’t have to look him in the eyes when she asked whatever she wasn’t able to say.

Alek seemed to understand, and shrugged. “You were right. I don’t love her, and it’d be foolish to tie my entire future to her, just because she would look good in paintings. My country deserves a stronger woman for their future queen.”

Before she could respond to that, before his words could do more than cause her heart to leap happily, he followed up with:

“And so do I.”

It wasn’t anything final, it wasn’t anything absolute, but it was more than Toni—more than Queen Viktoria!—had hoped for. Alek was finally willing to admit a strong marriage would make for a stronger nation, and maybe one day he’d admit love was important too.

“You know,” he murmured against the top of her head, “I owe you a lot for helping me see that.”

She snorted. He’d been pig-headed and arrogant, but he didn’t owe her.

When he began to sway, she wrapped her arms around his middle and swayed with him, smiling against his chest.

“You taught me how to dance, Toni,” he whispered.

When she stiffened, not understanding what he meant, he just tightened his hold and kept swaying. “Months ago, you began to spar with me, and as you said, that was your own kind of dance. You made sure I knew your type of dance. And today, I learned that you know my type of dance, too.” His hand found her butt, and cupped it intimately. “And we’ve both proved apt learners at our own special kind of dance, huh?”

She snorted again, only this time it was half-agreement, half-amusement. Dance, indeed.

“I think what I’m trying to say is…”

He trailed off, and Toni found herself holding her breath. What? What was he thinking right now? Because surely, no matter how much she’d hoped for it, he didn’t think having sex with a woman—his bodyguard—meant he had to marry her? Okay, granted, great sex, but still. Toni Dryden was Prince Alek’s bodyguard, and that’s all she could ever be.

Well, maybe bodyguard-with-benefits…

Alek took a deep breath, and Toni found herself holding hers, half-dreading whatever he was about to say.

That’s when they both heard the scraping of a key in the lock on the apartment’s front door, and knew they were about to be rescued…or worse.

What absolutely shitty timing.