Above All Else: A Bad Boy Military Romance (Easy Team Book 2) (16 page)

              They spoke in French but I understood them completely.

              “—as if anyone would believe her,” a woman said snidely.

              “A spoiled princess is all she is and no matter how sad she tries to look, she’s fooling no one. Did you see her eyes? How do you think she got them so puffy looking?” the companion asked.

              “She probably thought about all her jewels and crowns disappearing and then cried a river on the plane ride over here,” the first woman answered with a laugh.

              The two burst into peals of laughter.

              “Honestly,” the second woman continued, “she didn’t even try and save her own uncle! I don’t even know why she’s here. It’s a waste of our government money housing a brat like her! The quicker we get away with these spoiled little royal mooches, the better off the world will be.”

              Her friend murmured an agreement before gasping.

              “Quick! Let’s hurry! We were supposed to be downstairs to tidy the main reception room fifteen minutes ago. You know how Monsieur Feyte gets about tardiness!”

              Two matching steps rushed down the hall, presumably towards the stairway.

              I gently closed the door.

              “Sofia?”

              I turned around and saw Xander standing in the sitting room. He stared at me quizzically as I stood by the door.

              “Are you okay?”

             
“A spoiled princess is all she is and no matter how sad she tries to look, she’s fooling no one.”

              For nearly a decade, I had been raised under the iron rod of Minister Pryto. I had been beaten, starved, verbally abused, mentally tortured, all within the confines of what was supposed to be my home.

              Then I had been thrown out of my country, flown to Switzerland where I knew no one, to be educated amongst strangers. I had been relieved initially but I knew this was not my ultimate place. Not when I was Crown Princess.

              I had tried so many times to come back to Loranza but to no avail. Uncle Gregory had tried to cajole, convince, connive members of Parliament to ask me back but they were all under the thumb of Pryto. No one would allow me back.

              Yes, I had then taken my frustration, my pain, and thrown it all on trips to the Riviera and Hollywood red carpets. I drank and partied so that I could forget the hollowness that rang like a bell within me.

              But I couldn’t party forever. I couldn’t run from the truth forever. And I had eventually grown up enough to go back to school. I studied and entered the best university under an assumed name so that I would receive no special treatments from professors. I graduated at the top of my class so that I could at least gain the knowledge worthy of a national leader in the hopes that some day, I would have the honor to actually lead.

              My entire life had been sacrificed for Loranza. And now, so had Uncle Gregory’s.

              I knew all of this to be true. After all, I had lived it.

              But hearing those casually tossed comments…in my exhausted emotional state, it nearly broke me to hear those words.

              I was more than just a spoiled princess. I was more than just a brat.

              I had more to offer.

              But no one could see that.

              “Sof?”

              I looked up.

             
No.
Someone
saw that. Someone could see that I had more to give than just a good photo.

              I slowly walked over to Xander. When I stood in front of him, I looked up quickly at his studying hazel eyes before melting against him, falling across his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, easily holding me to him.

              Xander always seemed to see beyond the exterior. He was always able to pinpoint exactly what I was. He saw the scared orphan, the haughty brat, the educated scholar, the lonely princess. He saw all of that and still loved me with a sincerity that brought me to tears.

              I leaned my forehead against his hard chest. “I love you,” I said softly, meaning every letter of each word.

              Xander’s arms tightened around me before he bodily picked me up. I made a breathless gasp at his easy strength.

              He carried me into the bedroom and set me down on the bed, pinning me back against the thick duvet with his body. He looked down at me, my whole world reflected in his eyes.

              He ran a hand across my forehead, brushing away the hair that had fallen across my face.

              “I love you too, sweetheart,” he said, his deep voice a low rumble. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you.”

              I stared up at him. As silly and cliché as those words seemed to sound, I knew what he meant.

              He could be back in Devil’s Horn with Pluto and the wide open land, living comfortably and easily. Or he could be on a mission somewhere with his Easy Team brothers, surrounded by comrades and brotherly unity. Or maybe he could be in L.A., resting in between missions and taking advantage of the California sun and sand.

              But being in any of those places meant we wouldn’t have what we had now. We wouldn’t have that meeting of hearts. A mercenary whose life was about sacrifice and a princess who understood what that meant all too well. It wasn’t easy to find someone who could understand what it means to bleed for someone. But in Xander, I found myself.

              And yes, there was nowhere else I’d rather be as well.

              Danger and all.

              “Me too,” I whispered.

              Our connection was deep. Down to the marrow. And at the moment, it felt as if we could physically feel the binds that tied us. My words ignited a heat between us that was white hot and immediate.

              Xander’s eyes darkened with a longing that was unstoppable before he took my lips in a bruising kiss. He kissed me with a passion that left me open and totally bare.

              I gasped against his rough kiss, his stubble scraping harshly against me. I wanted him to take every ounce of me.
Take my breath, take my lips, take me all!

              I wanted to lose myself in him because only then, would I be home.

              With an efficient urgency, we stripped each other of our clothes. In a foreign land, separated from home and comrades, we had only each other. And it only intensified our unity.

              His rough hands squeezed my bare breasts, wrenching a cry from my lips as pain and pleasure shot through me like a rubber band. He twisted my nipples between thumb and forefinger, making me writhe and ache for more.

              “That’s right, sweetheart,” he murmured gruffly. “I want you to feel just how crazy you drive me. I want you to feel just how fucking bad I want you.”

              His hand plunged between my thighs, forcibly separating them so his fingers could stroke down my wet folds.

              I gave a guttural cry as pleasure sparked like crackling electricity within me. His fingers stroked my pussy with relentless pressure, circling and teasing my clit.

              My head tossed and turned on the pillows, nearly going mad. He had been skilled in reading my body the first time we had made love but now, he was frightening. He seemed to speak to the very fibers of my muscles, making them contract and tighten in pleasure.

              Xander reared up and cradled my head between his hands as he positioned himself. Then in one hard thrust, he sheathed himself completely in me.

              I arched against him, crying out in such utter and complete release my eyes nearly rolled backwards. My pussy contracted and pulsed around the hard intruder. I came hard from just how tightly my pussy was stretched against his thick cock.

              “Yes, baby,” he said. “That’s right.” He could feel my pussy clenching his cock as I came in wave after wave of bliss.

              Just when I was beginning to regain some sanity, he slowly pulled out before thrusting deeply again.

              I weakly shook my head.

              “No…” I mumbled. “I can’t…I can’t possibly. Not again….”

              Xander thrust hard into me again, jerking me up. I gasped and shivered as another shot of pleasure zipped through me.

              “Oh yes you can,” he grunted as he thrust in hard again, stretching me so deliciously. “This is what you do to me. You drive me wild with no end in sight. I can’t fight it. And neither will you. You’re going to come again.”

              “I…can’t,” I gasped as he plunged his cock to the root.

              “Yes you can, baby,” he said, taking my lips in a rough kiss. “And you will.”

              He sped up his rhythm, filling me with him. And only him.

              His arms around me, his body above me, his cock inside me, all I had was him. Xander. He was all I had and I loved him with every fucking fiber of my being.

              “Oh god!” I cried out at the same time Xander roared in completion.

              We shuddered and cried out together as our bodies joined in that singular moment of bliss.

              We curled our heads towards each other, creating our own huddled world of body shaking pleasure as we savored that moment of being truly and wholly one.

              Finally, when we had regained our breath, Xander wrapped an arm around my waist as he fell to his side. We remained joined together intimately as we laid on the large, plush bed.

              “I love you, princess,” he said as he kissed my forehead. He wrapped his arms around me, tucking me in against his massive body.

             
And if he’s the only person I end up being a princess to,
I thought,
I’d still be too happy to bear.

Chapter
Sixteen
Sofia

              I groaned, stretching my body slowly under the silky covers. Keeping my eyes closed, I savored the thorough satisfied exhaustion my body felt. After arriving at the embassy, Xander had spent the night pulling me out of my own mind and keeping me completely focused on just…sensations.

              His hands skillfully teased my nipples, twisting and squeezing, making me yelp with ecstasy. He plunged his fingers deep into my wet folds, making me groan in hunger for more.

              And his thick cock.

              God, would I ever get enough of him? When he plunged into me, his cock stretched me with a delicious thrill that always made me hiss and groan with acute pleasure. He filled me completely and so wholly that I could do nothing else but take it. And that feeling of completely surrendering, submitting, was amazing.

              But as soon as I opened my eyes and I took in the view of the spacious Ambassador’s room, the real world came pouring back in. I remembered exactly why I was here and what had prompted me to come.

             
Uncle Gregory….

              Before Xander, the only man to stand up for me. To love me. To protect me. And he had done it till his dying days. It was excruciating to know that he died with no one who loved him by his side. He died looking into the eyes of hate and judgment and anger and resentment.

              I felt guilty letting myself indulge in love and romance when my uncle had just been murdered. It seemed so selfish. So callus.

              But Xander was more than just a romance. He now felt like a part of me. His movements were an extension of my own and vice versa. The idea of not being with him seemed tantamount to living without my right arm.

              Speaking of Xander, I rolled over in the bed but the space next to me was completely empty. I sat up, looking around the room. The en suite bathroom door was open and the light was off.

              “Xander?” I called out but no answer came.

              I pursed my lips, confused. Where could he be? I looked at the ornate clock mounted on the wall opposite me and saw that it was 10:15 A.M. On the ranch, he was usually up at six and lately, I had woken up along with him. But with the recent news and the flight across the Atlantic, I had slept completely through my normal wake up hour.

              “Xander?” I called out again as I got up from bed. I grabbed a robe and tied it about me. I found some slippers and stepped into them, shuffling towards the sitting room.

              But the plush room was immaculately clean and empty. No sign of Xander anywhere. Had he maybe left to get food? I wasn’t quite sure how our stay would go at the embassy. It wasn’t a hotel. We couldn’t exactly order room service or anything.

I was about to head back into the bedroom to change so that I could maybe try and go out to look for Xander when there was a knock at the door.

I jumped at the sound then chastised myself for being so twitchy. I had to have a better handle on myself if I was to eventually negotiate with Pryto. If I was jumpy and scared in neutral, safe lands, then I’d be a wreck if I ever returned to Loranza.

Carefully making sure my robe was wrapped well over my nightgown, I opened the door.

“Your Majesty?”

It was the aide from last night. “Yes?” I answered.

The aide gave a short, formal bow. “I trust you slept well, Your Majesty,” he said in greeting.

It was odd to have all the courtly formality back in my life again after living on a ranch in Wyoming. It felt familiar and foreign at the same time.

“I did,” I answered politely. “Is there something wrong?”

The aide made a gesture towards the stairs. “The French Minister of Foreign Affairs is downstairs and would like to speak with you, Your Majesty.”

My brow raised in surprise at the suddenness of the visit. They certainly weren’t wasting any time but I guess that was no surprise considering the turmoil Loranza was in.

“Oh, very good,” I said hastily. “Then let me get dressed and I shall meet with him.”

The aide shook his head. “I’m sorry but he says he has an extremely urgent matter and must speak with you right away,” he said, his eyes direct and piercing. He had an odd urgency in his manners that made him look nervous and twitchy even though he stood stock still.

I stared at him confused. “What urgent matter?” I asked. What else could’ve happened? Who else could Pryto have murdered? “And is it so urgent I cannot even throw on a proper dress?”

The aide nodded, looking at me intensely. “I was instructed to press upon you just how urgent this matter was and how he must see you
immediately
.”

“I—” I was confused and flustered and wished Xander was here but I quickly gathered myself. I was the Crown Princess after all. And whether Xander or anyone was with me or not, that fact never changed. If I couldn’t make decisions on my own, then what kind of leader was I?

Besides, Pryto had clearly shown his ability to murder mercilessly. God knows what he might’ve done next.

“Fine then,” I said, stepping out into the hallway. “Lead the way.”

The aide quickly led me to the stairs and took me downstairs. The embassy was just as empty in the morning as it had been at night. The beautiful building stood desolate and empty, the hallways quiet.

The aide took me down a long back hallway towards a small but richly decorated room that was clearly meant for intimate meetings between diplomats. White and cream striped wallpaper lined the interior. There was a gleaming walnut table and four plush satin chairs around it. There was a formal leather bound notebook and a set of fountain pens at the center of the table.

But the room was empty.

“Where is he?” I asked, turning towards the aide.

“He is in the White Room,” the aide said, “making a phone call. But he said he wanted to meet with you in the Striped Room. I will bring him over right away.”

“Oh,” I said, standing awkwardly in the room in my robe, suddenly feeling a little foolish. “Er…alright then.”

The aide paused by the door. “Shall I bring you anything, Your Majesty? Tea?” he asked.

It felt so surreal to be standing in a formal diplomatic meeting room in my nightie and robe.

“No,” I said, taking a seat to feel a little more settled. “No, thank you.”

The aide gave another short bow before closing the door behind him.

I sat in the wide chair, trying to hide a little behind the desk. What matter could be so urgent that it would require me to come down immediately? My heart sank at the idea of any other innocents being brought to such unfair justice as Uncle Gregory.

It was so unbelievably frustrating to know the truths about Loranza and Pryto and yet have no one believe me. It was Pryto who had made foolish decisions that had brought the country to ruin. All he knew about were soldiers and tanks. Of course complicated economic issues and infrastructure were beyond him. Not that that stopped him. He made reckless and stupid decisions that crashed the national economy and inflated our currency like a balloon.

But that was why I was here. If by sacrificing my crown and title, I could also get Pryto to step down, then at least I could do
something
to guarantee my country’s safety. I wouldn’t become Queen but Pryto wouldn’t become dictator either.

It was the best I could come up with.

Just then the door opened again. Although I had been sitting to cover myself, I momentarily forgot what I was wearing and stood up to greet the French Minister.

But the man standing in the doorway didn’t look like a minister. He wore a black suit but instead of a neatly pressed white button down, he wore a black one with some of the buttons around his neck casually undone. He had slicked back black hair and his olive skin only enhanced his hawkish green eyes.

I stood there, staring at him, disconcerted.

“Minister?” I said in French, my voice a little unsure. He definitely didn’t dress like any minister I had seen.

The man gave a smirk as he looked me over in the most indecent manner. “Well,” he said in a casual tone. “First time I’d ever seen a woman look as good as she did on TV. Well done.”

Shock rang through me at his highly inappropriate words. After all, I was still a monarch. But I was also thrown off by his accent. He spoke French fluently but his words had a familiar tilt.

Loranzian.

I immediately took a step back. “Who are you?” I demanded, staring at this unfamiliar Loranzian.

The aide hadn’t come back. And I suddenly knew he wouldn’t come back. No matter what. Clearly he had been bribed or threatened or both to bring me to this tucked away room and to make sure no one disturbed us while I was here.

The man took a step towards me, letting the heavy door shut behind him. He gave me a slow smile. “I’m bringing back what was rightfully ours,” he said.

“What?”

“You are the Princess of Loranza,” he said in a voice that had the tone of:
for now.
“That means you belong to the people of Loranza.” I watched as he flexed his large hands. “You’ve been on the run from your people for a long time now, Your Highness. It’s time you returned home.”

Immediately, I opened my mouth to scream.

But I barely got a chance to breathe in enough air before his hand closed over my mouth and nose, suffocating me. He stepped behind me, grabbing my right arm and twisting it behind me. I cried out, feeling my shoulder nearly pop out of its socket.

“Minister Pryto has asked me to escort you home, princess,” the man whispered against my ear, his breath brushing against my cheek as I squirmed for air. “We’ve all been waiting for you.”

For a moment, he removed his hand from my mouth and I gulped in large breaths, oxygen flowing back into me in cool bursts. But just when I was about to scream again, his hand reappeared, this time with a moist wadded cloth in its palm.

The cloth had a sharp alcoholic smell as it covered my nose and mouth. I fought and squirmed, trying to free myself from his grasp but he held me so tightly that I knew I’d be bruised by his grip.

And then just as quickly, I started to lose the energy to fight. I started to lose my vision. Everything grew hazy and dark as my body slowly began to slump against this attacker.

“Welcome home, princess,” were the last snarling words I heard as I let the darkness take me.