The Prince's Bride (Modern Fairytales) (4 page)

Chapter Six

So many emotions were flying through her right now, that it was a miracle her head hadn’t started spinning
Exorcist
style. Anger. Frustration. Joy. Confusion. Sadness. Pain. All because the boy she’d fallen in love with all those years ago was standing in front of her…after calling out a nationwide manhunt to find her again, and basically kidnapping her off the streets to bring her here.

Which was
crazy
.

Like something you’d read in a book.

She licked her lips, trying to form intelligible words. “You’re the…the…
prince
.”

It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway.

She let out a small laugh, rubbing her forehead. “So back in America, that story about you being the son of a wealthy fisherman…?”

“Is true. Father loves to fish.” He shrugged. “Just not for a living.”

“Wow.” She shoved her hair away from her eyes, but it fell right back in place again. “Just…wow.”

He moved it out of the way for her, and she jerked back because his touch sent a burning knife of desire right through her. He might be an asshole prince, and she might hate him for what he’d done to her all those years ago, but damn if she didn’t
want
him, too, with a passion that couldn’t be denied.

No matter how hard she tried.

“It’s a lot to take in, but I’m the same guy I was back then,” he said slowly, locking eyes with her. “I’m still Leo.”

The boy who had left her and then acted as if she didn’t exist? Yeah. She remembered that boy very well, thank you very much. And that was just the reminder she needed to ignore the need he brought to life inside of her with nothing more than a simple touch. “You’ve made that
very
clear.”

He blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” She shook her head, swallowing hard, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “So you brought me here under royal guard to…what? Say hello? To let me know we slept together last night?”

His hard, emotionless face didn’t even waver. From the moment he walked in that door, he’d been in control, seeming to have no feeling inside of him besides his weird determination to keep her here. And yet, when he thought she wasn’t paying attention, he stared at her as if he’d like nothing more than to be back in that hallway, touching her and making her scream again. It was
unnerving
.

“That’s not why I brought you here.”

“Then why?” She crossed her arms. “What do you need from me?”

“Why are you in this country?” he asked.

She tipped her head to the side. Leave it to him to answer a question with a question. “The company I work for is trying to secure a contract with your military to provide high quality Kevlar to—”

He held a hand up, and she broke off immediately.

Weird, how easy it was for him.

“Baker?” he asked.

“Y-yes.” She gripped her arms, angry that he had such a strong presence in the room that he could silence her so effortlessly, and even angrier that despite all he’d done, she longed to throw herself in his arms and demand to know why he never came back for her like he promised. “That’s correct.”

“I see.” He nodded. “We can discuss that during your stay with us, if you wish. I’m the one who makes the decisions about our military.”

She bit her tongue. “My…stay?”

“You’ll be staying here for a week or two, um, depending on the situation,” he said, his tone leaving no room for defiance or discussion. “I’ve had a room made ready for you. It’s blue. I think you’ll like it.”

Stiffening, she bit her tongue even harder.

The arrogant son of a bitch.

Yeah, she was angry, and yeah, she itched to give him a piece of her mind, but he was the prince, and she was in charge of securing this account for Baker, and she had to be diplomatic…no matter what they’d done together while in that dark hallway last night. “And if I decline to stay?”

“I would rather you didn’t.”

She gritted her teeth and plastered on a smile. “Might I ask
why
you’re holding me captive?”

He rubbed his jaw, lowering his head as he watched her through hooded lids. Only he could make something so simple so freaking sexy. “You’re not a captive. You’ll have free rein of the castle grounds for your entire stay. Servants who will answer your every call or desire.”

“I see.” She widened her smile, even though she was envisioning ripping his stupid little royal crown emblem right off his stupid, hard chest and throwing it in his stupid, handsome face. “Well, you can call it what you will. I’ll call it what it
is
.”

He nodded once, not even bothering to defend his actions. “I spoke with my father, and even though you’re not—”

Something warm and fuzzy spread through her chest at the mention of his father. He’d been a nice guy—unlike his son. “So he’s still alive, then?”

“Of course. He’s only sixty-three.” He tugged on his collar and lowered his lashes, watching her through them. He’d always had such thick, black lashes, which made his blue eyes look even bluer. “How’s your father?”

She swallowed, because she’d already told him how her father was. She’d informed him of her dad’s death in the letters she sent him, before he offered to come get her and bring her to his country, and left her at the airport with nothing more than a harsh note crumpled up in her hand.

At her silence, his face softened, and he reached out, clasping her shoulder. “I’m sorry, he was a good man.”

“Yeah. He was.” She shrugged free, because his touch
burned
. “Why are you holding me hostage?”

“For the last time, I’m
not
holding you hostage.”

The hell you’re not.

Someone needed to give the man a dictionary instead of a crown.

“Then I’m free to go.” She sidestepped him, glancing at the door quickly. “And there’s no guard out there, waiting to stop me?”

He flinched, telling her all she needed to know. “Alicia…”

Well, there was her answer. “Tell me
why
.”

“Because of last night,” he replied.

She sucked in a breath and held it. “What about it?”

“We were intimate.”

“Yeah.” Her cheeks heated for the millionth time. “I know. I was there, too.”

His mouth quirked up into an almost smile. “You always had such a wonderful sense of humor.”

“Yeah.
Fab
ulous.”

Shaking his head, he sighed. “There it is again.”

It occurred to her, then, that she hadn’t seen him smile this whole time. He’d been serious. Solid. Unshakable. Strong. She racked her brain trying to remember if he’d even smiled once last night. All she remembered were seductive glances and heated strokes that had lit her on fire and could easily do so again, if she let him. “What does last night have to do with you bringing me here?”

“You’re here because of what we did last night.”

She dug her nails into her arms, holding on tightly. “So, what, you hope it’ll happen again, so you’re locking me up to keep me close? That’s kind of pervy for a prince.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t
mind
it happening again. I’d be a fool or a liar to say otherwise, and I’m neither of those things.” He gave her a look that, in any other circumstance, could have melted the panties off a nun. “I’ve never forgotten you, and I’ve always regretted not writing you—”

Rage—pure rage—stabbed her in the heart, and she lost it.

Legit
lost
it.

“Bullshit,” she spat, poking his chest with her finger and forgetting all about her intention to remain diplomatic for the sake of her company. “You wrote me, and you left me there
waiting for you
, you…you…
shithead
.”

He frowned and just stood there, looking confused. Typical man. “What? Waiting
where
?”

“You—you—
God
.” She threw her hands up and let out a short laugh. “You’re unbelievable. You’re actually going to act like
you don’t know
?”

His frown deepened, but he remained silent.

She scowled at him, pushing past him. “I’m leaving. Right now. And you can’t stop me.”

Easily, he caught her arm, stopping her mid step. Even though he held her firmly, his touch was gentle. But his eyes? They spoke another story. They were on
fire
. “What are you so angry about? Is it because I never wrote you after New York? Because, not to point out the obvious, you didn’t write me, either.”

This guy was something else. What a jerk
.

“
Liar
.” She glared at his hand on her arm, trying to pull free because his skin was touching hers, and her pulse was racing, and she didn’t know whether to kiss him, hit him, or kill him. Maybe all three. “Let
go
of me.”

He stiffened, anger making his nostrils flare, and he didn’t let go. If anything, he moved closer, his body heat taking over her breathing space mercilessly. “I am
not
a liar.”

“Yet you say you never wrote me, and I never wrote you?” she asked, letting out a laugh. “I don’t know what else to call it, then.”

“Nothing. Call it nothing.” He tightened his grip on her before releasing his fingers. “Or, better yet, call it the truth.”

“I wrote to you, and you wrote
back
.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but that didn’t happen.”

Stepping away from him and his magnetic pull, she lifted her chin, refusing to even entertain the idea he was telling the truth. Even if, against all odds, he was and he’d never written those horrible letters…he still broke a promise. And he still couldn’t be trusted. “Whatever.”

“Why would I lie about writing letters?” he said slowly, still acting lost.

“It doesn’t matter. None of this does.” She dug her nails into her palms, breathing fast. “Just let me go.”

“I can’t—”

“Yeah. So you said.” She tapped her foot. “Why not?”

“Because we had sex,” he said pragmatically. “As a prince, I have to be sure there wasn’t a child made in the process, so you have to stay here with me, until we find out for certain.”

She choked on nothing at all, coughing and gasping for air. He sighed and studied his nails, clearly unconcerned for her welfare. By the time she pulled herself together, he leaned against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other. As she rubbed her face and let out a nervous laugh, he cocked a brow. “Are you finished, then?”

“You can’t be serious about this,” she croaked, her throat aching. “We used a condom. There is no secret baby.”

“Unfortunately, I am.” He stared at her, not smirking, yet somehow still appearing to have done so. “I don’t joke often.”

“You’re keeping me hostage until I get my period?
Seriously
?”

For the first time since he walked in the room,
his
cheeks flushed, and readjusted his stance against the wall. “Yes.”

“That’s…that’s…” Barbaric. Stupid. Ludicrous. “
Illegal
.”

He rubbed his chin and stared at her, somehow making her insides melt without even trying to.
So
not fair. “Actually, when it comes to the possibility of royal offspring, I have every right, by Randovian law, to detain you until we’re sure. And since you’re not Randovian, we thought it would be best to have you stay here, with me.”

“God.” She reared back, staring at him. “What
happened
to you?”

His brow wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

“What made you so…so
cold
?” she asked slowly.

“I’m not cold. I’m fairly certain I showed you
that
last night.” He pushed off the wall and stalked toward her. She swallowed hard. He didn’t stop until she was in his arms and his skin was burning into her like a roaring fire on a cold night. He gripped her hip, holding her in place as he lowered his mouth to her ear to murmur, “When I touched you, made you come, I wasn’t cold. When you screamed, your body tensing around mine as I was buried inside you, that wasn’t cold. It was fucking hot, and we both know it.”

She pressed her mouth into a thin line, trying her best to focus on her anger instead of the blazing hunger he brought out in her with his hand on her hip and his hot breath in her ear. “And now you’re abducting me to make sure I’m not pregnant with your baby.” She pressed a hand to his chest, keeping him at a safer distance. “Do you realize how
crazy
this is?”

“Not just any baby.” His nostrils flared. “The future ruler of Randovia.”

Her belly clenched, her face heating at the idea of his baby inside her belly.

No. So wrong. So very wrong. And still…

“Like I said, we used protection. There won’t be a baby.”

“And you’ll be free to go, once that’s certain.” He ran his knuckles over her cheek. She flinched away, so he dropped his hand to his side, fisting it, and stepped back, finally letting her
breathe
. “Until then, you stay.”

“Or, instead, I could text you or call you when I get my period.” She lifted her chin. “I’ll let you know when a baby is out of the equation.”

“I’m sure you would, but there have been times where women have lied, so it’s become custom to play it safe. That way there are no little princes or princesses running around unaware of their heritage.” He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “We simply can’t risk it. It’s a law in my country.”

“So, what, every time you sleep with a woman, you
kidnap
her?”

He laughed, but it didn’t sound like humor at all. More like a rehearsed imitation of the real thing. “Most women consider it an honor to receive an invitation to stay at the palace. But for the record, I don’t make it a habit to sleep around, for this very reason. If I have sex, it’s with a woman who fully understands the situation, and what comes after. Last night was…special, in more ways than one. When I saw you, I broke my rules.”

“Yay. Lucky me,” she said.

He sighed again. “I understand your frustration, but—”