Corrupted by the Prince (A is for Alpha Book 5) (4 page)

From beside him, he could hear the nearly inaudible snort of disbelief that Eva made. But when he cast a glance her way, she had her expression schooled into a polite mask.

“Anyway, Lilly,” Eva murmured, “I wanted to come say hello before I left. I hope you enjoy the soirée.”

Her sister pouted, a move that seemed all too practiced. “You’re leaving so soon?”

Eva hesitated. “I wish I could stay longer, it’s just…”

“She’s trying to be diplomatic,” Kostas intervened smoothly. “But I’m afraid I’ve monopolized your sister’s evening by requesting her assistance.”

“Work?” Lilly looked between the two of them, her frown deepening. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s always work with you.”

Eva started to say something, but was halted by the arrival of a young gentleman who scooped Lilly up into his arms and carried her off while she shrieked in delight.

“Is that her significant other?”

Eva sighed. “Unfortunately, I have no idea. It changes by the week. She recently turned eighteen and is enjoying every moment of it.”

His lips twitched. Eighteen was a time when everything was about finding pleasure and having fun. It felt like a lifetime ago, but he remembered all too well what it had felt like. It still felt that way sometimes.

The last thought slid through him along with a sense of discomfort. Wasn’t that the theme of his life though? Fun and pleasure? Certainly there was business, but it was never at the forefront. His work seemed to be the veneer that proved he’d grown up at least a bit from being a narcissistic teenager.

“Thank you for stepping in with that excuse about me helping you.” Eva gave him a grateful look. “I’m terrible at making getaways, and my explanations are always fairly thin.”

When she turned from him and made her way toward the outside once more, he followed.

“I sensed that.” Once outside, he caught her elbow and pulled her to a stop. “And it wasn’t entirely an excuse. This costume event is not much to my taste, but I stand by my invitation for you to join me for a nightcap.”

Her chest rose rapidly and her gaze darted up to his. The panic and hint of excitement in her eyes was perplexing to say the least.

She bit her lower lip and gave a small shake of her head. “I don’t know if I can.”

“And why is that?”

Her chin lifted and her gaze held his. “Honestly? Because I haven’t decided if I want to sleep with you or not.”

A low, quick laugh escaped from him and he tilted his head as he tried to get a better reading on this woman. It was rare that someone surprised him, but she’d managed to do so more than once now.

“You’re quite full of assumptions,” he finally replied. “I haven’t actually propositioned you.”

“You wouldn’t need to. You’re the prince of a small country, Kostas. I’m sure most women don’t even bother with polite introductions until after they’ve gone to bed with you.”

Actually, she wasn’t far from the truth, so he couldn’t fault her logic. Many women he bedded made no attempt at small talk or formalities. It was almost as if he were a prized log in their diary. Sleeping with royalty was as exciting to some of these women as sleeping with a Hollywood celebrity. Perhaps more so.

It had never bothered him previously, but the way Eva phrased it made him seem somewhat tawdry.

“I’m inviting you over to spend time with me, Eva.” He caught her hand, threading his fingers through the softness of hers. “Yes, I’m intrigued and attracted to you. It would be impossible to deny that I haven’t thought about what it would be like to make love to you.” It all sounded so cliché, but for once it didn’t feel like one. Just as she was uncommonly blunt, he could be too. “I had a brief taste of you. And, yes, I’ll admit I want more.”

Her cheeks flushed and he watched her visibly swallow. He wasn’t wrong to assume that the kiss had shaken her as much as it had him.

“But if you don’t want more than conversation and a drink, then there needn’t be anything more.”

The look she gave him was pure skepticism. Her voice husky as she asked, “Does a woman ever visit your home at night without going to bed with you?”

He wanted to deny it, but sensed she’d appreciate the truth more so. “It’s rare, but sleeping with me is certainly not a requirement. I’m hardly a teen who can’t control my hormones. There’s no need to feel unsafe with me.”

“I don’t.” Her admission was immediate. “Maybe that’s naïve of me, and I should be warier, but I’m not.”

“Then come over and join me. We can swim in the pool under the stars. Sip champagne. Simply enjoy one another on one of the last evenings of summer.”

The normal Eva would’ve said no. She would’ve put up immediate road blocks on this glittery road to seduction. Only nothing about tonight, about herself, felt normal.

She hadn’t agreed to sleep with him. Not to herself and certainly not to him. But she didn’t want this evening to end. Not yet. Maybe it was the comment about swimming under the stars—or the idea of seeing him in those sexy board shorts again—but the temptation to say yes to his invitation hovered on her tongue.

He brushed the tops of her knuckles with his large thumb. A tremor of awareness swept through her, even as her blood once again began to heat.

The effect he had on her was beyond comprehension. Made her both nervous and thrilled at the same time.

“Say yes.”

He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles this time. The gesture was classically romantic. Timeless. Seemed completely out of place at an elitist party in the Hamptons. But it was a promise to what the night could bring, and the pleasure he could deliver if she let him.

She drew in an unsteady breath. “All right.”

His nostrils flared and there was a flash of triumph in his eyes that she dared not think too hard about. It meant nothing. She’d committed to nothing more than agreeing to spend some time with him this evening.

The devilish little voice in her head burst into fits of laughter at that thought, but she ignored it and murmured, “Just give me a few minutes to grab a few things, okay?”

“Of course.”

They moved across the manicured lawns to the edge of her parents’ property, arriving at the small mother-in-law apartment she rented. The fact she gave her parents money for rent was to appease her own conscience, even when they always tried to refuse her checks.

She could’ve easily rented an apartment in the city, but she loved the water and preferred living out here.

“You were to be a guest here tonight?”

She stared at him and the truth sank in. While she might be fully aware of his identity, Kostas still had no idea who she was or what family she belonged to.

Though maybe that was a good thing.

She could simply be Eva tonight. A twenty-something girl from New York having a fun weekend with a prince. She didn’t have to be Evelynn Fairchild, daughter of Annabeth and Richard Fairchild, a member of one of the most esteemed families in the Hamptons. Well, perhaps that esteemed bit was getting a little tarnished lately with her sisters growing notoriety.

Eva had always been the stable one. The well-behaved and dependable one. Her parents looked at her to set the example and hopefully sway her sisters into towing the line. Tonight she was going to blow all those labels out of the water.

“Yes.” A small white lie. “I was invited to stay the weekend, but I’m sure I won’t be missed. I’ll be back in just a moment. You don’t mind waiting?”

He slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, glancing toward the beach the lay just beyond the edge of the property.

“The view is charming.” He glanced back at her, his gaze lingering on her face. “And I’m certain the wait will be worth it.”

Really hoping he didn’t expect her to make herself all glamourous, she gave a nervous laugh and then turned to escape into the small house.

She rushed up the stairs and grabbed a tote bag from her closet. The first thing she threw in was her swimsuit. Next she grabbed a change of panties and clothes. Whether she went home tonight, or dear God, in the morning, she would need it.

Her pulse quickened at the thought of spending the night with Kostas. She wouldn’t really be bold enough to go that far, would she?

Unsure and barely trusting her own decisions anymore, she shook her head and continued to toss a few things in the bag. She added a small travel bag that had the toiletries she’d need in case she did stay.

She pulled her reading glasses from her pocket and set them on the desk, realizing those wouldn’t be getting much use the rest of the evening. Lastly, she kicked off her heels and slipped on sandals that didn’t quite go with her outfit, but were much more sensible.

A quick glance in the mirror showed a woman staring back at her with flushed cheeks and a glitter of excitement in her eyes.

Who was she?

Where was the levelheaded Fairchild sister who wouldn’t be caught dead slipping away for the night to a man’s—a near stranger’s—home?

She was gone
.

Replaced with a woman full of curiosity and needs, that maybe, just maybe, she’d act on.

Eva lifted her chin and shouldered her tote bag, then hurried back down the stairs to meet Kostas out front.

His back was to her as he stared at the waves crashing not far in the distance.

Hearing her approach, he turned to glance over his shoulder. His mouth curved into an amused smile.

“I really do enjoy your costume.”

He still assumed this was a costume. She bit her lip to keep from laughing, and murmured a small thank you instead.

Perhaps she should’ve corrected him, but it was amusing to allow him to think this sort of wardrobe was not the usual for her.

“How far is your home from here?” He fell into step beside her as they made their way to the nearby long driveway.

“Less than a fifteen-minute walk, but I’ve arranged for my driver to pick us up at the edge of the drive.”

She would’ve been fine with the walk, but didn’t argue as he’d already placed the call. Luxury wasn’t altogether a novelty for her. She’d been raised in it.

At the end of the drive, a black Rolls Royce with tinted windows awaited them, the driver watching for their arrival.

The older gentleman bowed with a hasty, “Your Royal Highness.”

A frisson of excitement slid through her and the hairs on her arms lifted. Perhaps she was used to luxury, but the fact that Kostas was legitimate royalty was a little intimidating.

“After you.” Kostas gestured for her to slide into the back seat and so she carefully did.

Her skirt rode up as she settled against the soft leather seat. She was attempting to tug it down as Kostas slid in the opposite door and took the seat next to her.

His gaze slid immediately to the hemline of her skirt and a small smile played on his lips. The small divider between their seats became both a disappointment and relief to her.

If it hadn’t been there, would he have tried to touch her? The thought raced through her mind as the vehicle maneuvered the road back to his home.

Kostas, however, stayed on his best behavior and spoke quietly in Greek to the driver.

Eva relaxed as much as she could and took a moment to appreciate the beauty of his native tongue. She could’ve listened to him speak all day. That voice, so low and with a hint of abrasiveness, was wonderfully masculine. It placed every one of her senses on high alert.

She closed her eyes and just listened. Imagined him murmuring sensual Greek things in her ear. Her breathing hitched and she drew in a slow breath that had her breasts rising beneath her blouse.

Every nerve ending sizzled with life and awareness. Even with the small divider between them, she was so completely aware of his presence. Of the tall, hard-bodied male with the chiseled face and piercing dark eyes.

The slowing of the car jerked her back to the present, and she opened her eyes once more. It had gone quiet, and she turned her head to find Kostas’s gaze upon her.

“Tired?”

It would’ve been easy to lie and say yes, but she gave a tiny shake of her head instead. Didn’t bother to try and hide whatever emotions might’ve been shining from her eyes.

“No.”

Even in the dim car, he must’ve seen it, because his chest swelled and he reached across the divider between them to touch her cheek. “Good.”

Her door swung open and the driver stepped back to allow her to exit.

With a slow breath in, she climbed out and headed toward the prince’s home and a night where anything might happen.

Eva’s derriere was just as captivating at the rest of her. It was lusher and curvier than most would deem on trend in today’s society, but to him it screamed the epitome of femininity.

Kostas couldn’t help but make the observation as she walked several steps ahead of him. The prim skirt, which should’ve downplayed her body type, only accented it.

She couldn’t have been familiar with the customs of his country, but to walk in front of a royal, instead of beside or behind one, was an error in itself. He would hardly protest given the current view.

He chalked her brisk stride up to nerves, because truly he hadn’t thought she’d agree to join him this evening. She was clearly a grown woman, but the offer for a nightcap had seemed to make her as uneasy as an inexperienced school girl.

He couldn’t quite fathom why. There was no denying the attraction between them. That kiss earlier had been proof. Had been the fuse to a powerful dynamite if she let the spark burn in its entirety.

At the front door to his waterfront home, she slowed to a stop and waited for him to open the door. Her lashes were lowered and she made no attempt at eye contact now.

Amused and perplexed, he pulled his key free from his pocket and unlocked the door. With a wave of his hand, he encouraged her to enter first.

She didn’t move immediately, but instead cast a glance back toward the car, and visibly swallowed. For a moment, he had the distinct impression she would turn tail and run. Then, with a slight lift of her chin, she turned and strode inside his home.