PRINCE CHARMING: A Secret Baby Stepbrother Romance (19 page)

“No, keep them open. I want to watch you.”

She focused her eyes on his as he moved. Her back arched, pressing her breasts against his chest, rubbing her sensitive nipples against his skin and sending shocks of pleasure between her legs. With each thrust, he rubbed her clit. Olivia’s eyes saw only his, the pupils dilated and his brow furrowed as he groaned. Her legs wrapped around him, urging him on faster as her hands reached out, gripping the sheets, desperate to hold onto something, anything, as the cliff neared again. Her breaths came out in short bursts. Deep inside her, she felt him stiffen, and as she cried out, he filled her, groaning as his hips slowed and they fell together, eyes unmoving from the other’s.

In that moment, Olivia saw the love he felt for her burning within him. Their bodies still riding the climax, he leaned down and kissed her gently.

“I think I’m falling in love with you,” he whispered.

Olivia’s heart lurched at his words, and the voice started up again in her mind. She shouldn’t say it back. She knew it wasn’t going to work, but the words slipped out. “I am in love with you, Quincy.”

When he kissed her again, it wasn’t out of need for pleasure. It was out of want to be with her forever. She felt it in the way his hands trembled as he held her. They got up from the bed, and he carried her to the shower so they could wash. Later, when they were dried and lying in bed again, it wasn’t just passion they found in each other’s arms, but love. Quincy made love to her like she never had before with him. It was sweet and slow, more powerful than anything she’d experienced in her life.

Each kiss on her skin was slow and filled with purpose, exploring every inch of her body. Her hands explored his as well, finding each muscle and outlining them, committing them to memory along with the tattoos that ran across his back and shoulders. They took their time to learn the other’s ticklish spots and where Quincy could kiss and nip to make Olivia cry out instantly. And when she straddled him, taking him inside her at a leisurely pace, being sure to let herself experience every bit of him, he sat up to kiss her, holding her close as they moved as one. With each thrust of his hips, he moved deeper within her and every moan she made he took in, swallowing it with a kiss.

Her whole body cried out when they fell together again, only this time was different. This time, she felt the world turn over on itself, and as they lay there, holding each other close, Olivia knew she would never be the same again.

***

Quincy’s arm curled around a warm body in bed, and he grinned. Olivia. Last night had been insane, better than anything he’d experienced before, and that, if nothing else, told him he loved this woman. He cracked an eye open, smiling at the sun streaming in through the balcony—

“Shit!” He sat up fast, startling Olivia from her sleep.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Before he could answer, a knock sounded at the door followed by Allete’s voice. “Princess Olivia? Miss? Are you awake yet?”

“Shit,” Olivia repeated. “You have to hide!”

“Hide where?” he whispered as Allete knocked again.

“Just a minute! I don’t know—under the bed.” She gave him a shove, and he rolled off, thudding to the floor. While he scrambled to grab his clothes, Olivia jumped out the other side and grabbed her robe from the wardrobe.

“Are you alright, miss? What’s going on in there?”

“Fell out of bed. You know me, I’m a klutz.”

Quincy rolled his eyes and slid under the bed, pulling the bed skirt down behind him. He peeked out the other side and watched Olivia’s feet move to the door. She opened it, and Allete rushed in, moving quickly as she always did.

“Your room is a mess! What on earth did you do to your dress?”

“I was too tired last night to worry about it,” Olivia said. “I can get ready on my own this morning. Need to take a shower still.”

“Well, you go and do that. I’ll tidy up your room.” Quincy cursed as Allete’s feet moved closer to the bed.

“Actually,” Olivia said, “there’s something I need your help with. I… uh, I have an ingrown hair and I can’t reach it. I hate to ask. I know it’s gross, but think you can get it for me?”

Under the bed, Quincy bit back a laugh as the silence stretched on before Allete laughed.

“Ah, consider the slight pinch of pain payback for your shoes being thrown every which way when I’m not looking,” Allete said, still laughing. “Let’s look at this hair then, miss.”

Quincy watched their feet go across the room and scooted out the other side of the bed. Once out from underneath, he got to his feet and ran as quietly as he could to the balcony doors. He started to open one, and it creaked loudly.

“What was that?”

“Just the wind, I’m sure. The balcony doors like to blow a bit,” Olivia said. “Ah… I think it was right here.”

Quincy held his breath, opened one of the doors, and slipped through, quickly closing it again. A glance at the courtyard told him it was empty, and he slipped into his tux pants and shirt. The last thing he needed was to be spotted naked on the balcony. Dressed, he walked to the railing, but a painting sitting on the easel made him stop. It was of his private cove, beautifully rendered by Olivia’s hand. He’d seen it half finished before, but this was completed, signed and everything.

His eyes widened as they moved from the waves rolling in to the two figures on the beach, in the middle of making love in the moonlight. Their faces were hidden in shadow, but the details of the bodies were extraordinary. The way they held each other, even though it was painted, he saw the love in each stroke of the brush.

Although as he smiled at it, he knew the truth of what this morning meant. This had been too close. If they’d been caught, everything would be over, and his chance at finding a way to make this work would’ve been destroyed. His climb back to his room was just like last night’s when he’d been mulling over his father’s words about the arranged marriage. His choices shrank before his eyes until all he saw was Gigi walking towards him up an aisle while Olivia either went home or found herself in the arms of Edric. Neither thought made him happy. He walked into his room and slouched into a chair while his stomach twisted.

The doors to his room opened and Pascal stepped inside. “Ah, good morning, sir. Did you sleep in that last night?”

Quincy shrugged. “I hope you have coffee with you.”

Pascal took the serving tray from the other servant and politely asked him to leave. He walked to Quincy and set the tray down on the table before pouring him a steaming cup of coffee. “Did you have a difficult night, sir? All seemed in order when I saw you off last night.”

“I’ve had to do some thinking,” he said. “None of it good.”

“I am sorry to see you so glum about your own wedding, sir.” Pascal sat down in the opposite chair. “If there is anything I can do to help?”

“Yes, tell my father I need to speak with him today. I’ve made my decision.”

“Very well, sir. I shall tell him at once.” Pascal got up and walked to the door. When he reached it, he turned back. “I am sorry, sir. I wish things had worked out differently for you.”

“So do I, Pascal, so do I.”

Chapter 15

Olivia didn’t see Quincy all day, and she was too worried about Allete catching her if she said she needed to see him urgently. So she waited and waited all day for him to come out of conference with King Lamont. That didn’t happen until dinner when she couldn’t even speak to him alone.

He greeted her as always when she took her seat across from him at the small dining table, but there was no light in his eyes and he didn’t look at her. King Lamont, on the other hand, looked more pleased than she’d seen him in a long time, and her heart sank. She knew what had happened before he cleared his throat to make the announcement to her and Melinda.

“As you know, ladies, my son and I have been in conference all day,” Lamont said. “He has made his official decision on who he will choose as his wife. Lady Gigi Pentacraft. The wedding will take place one month after ours.”

“How wonderful,” Melinda exclaimed and reached out to pat Quincy’s hand. “You must be thrilled.”

“I am,” he murmured, but Olivia knew he faked it for her mother and the king. “I think it’s time to finally settle down and do what I must. Gigi will make a wonderful queen when the time comes.”

“Yes, she will,” Lamont agreed.

Olivia forced her lips to curl into a smile to hide how horribly her heart was breaking. “Congratulations, Quincy. That’s fantastic news.”

“Thank you,” he replied formally and lifted his glass to her in a toast. She hated how he sounded, and he still wouldn’t meet her eye. “I believe father has some news for you, too.”

Her mother grinned. “I know what this is about.”

“What’s going on?” Olivia asked. Her hands twisted nervously in her lap. She nudged Quincy’s foot under the table, but he didn’t acknowledge her. “Am I in trouble?”

“On the contrary. I have been approached by Edric, and though you are not yet my daughter by marriage, he has asked for permission to court you,” Lamont said. “He has become quite infatuated with you, my dear.”

“Is that so?” She struggled to retain her smile.

“You can say no if you like, but I think he would be an excellent gentleman for you to get to know before you return to Nebraska. If you return,” Lamont said, lifting a finger on the word if. “You can give me your decision in the morning, and we can make it official.”

Olivia nodded in thanks and continued eating her dinner, but the fish no longer looked appetizing and the wine upset her stomach. She set her fork down and gulped her water, hoping the feeling would go away, but it only grew worse.

“Hon, are you alright? You look pale,” Melinda asked.

“I’m feeling a bit sick suddenly,” she said. “Think it’s a bug.”

“Do you want to go to bed early?”

“Yes, I think I might, Mom. Will you excuse me?” she said to Lamont and Quincy and hurried from the dining hall. She hurried down the corridor, nodding politely to servants and bodyguards she passed on her way to her room. She barely made it to the toilet in time before she was sick, losing what little dinner she’d managed to eat.

When she was finished, her face covered in a cold sweat and stomach still uneasy, she sat back against the wall in the bathroom. This wasn’t right. She didn’t feel sick, just off, and there was a fluttering lower in her stomach. She’d never felt anything like it before.

“Olivia? Can I come in?” Quincy called from the hall.

She tried to stand, but that only made her sick again. While she hugged the toilet, she heard the door open and steps before someone was there, pressing a cold cloth to her forehead and rubbing her back.

“You don’t need to see this,” she muttered between heaves.

Quincy laughed. “It’s fine, really.”

Another few times, and she felt a little better. “God, that was awful.”

“Feel better?”

“Not in the least.” She watched him sit down in the bathroom across from her and really looked at him. Worry was in his furrowed brow, but there was more there than just that. “You did what you had to do,” she said quietly. “This morning was too close.”

“I don’t want to do it, Olivia.”

“I know you don’t, but this is the reality, Quincy. You’re a prince, I’m the soon-to-be-princess, and we’re going to be siblings. That’s how it is.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, and she could tell he wanted nothing more than to fight everything that was happening, but she was not going to let him do that. He had a duty to his country, and she couldn’t stand in the way of that. As hard as it was for her to let it go—let him go—she had to do it. Tears pricked her eyes, and she wiped them away, hoping he didn’t see them, but he’d already scooted over to her and picked her up to hold her on his lap.

Quincy held her as she cried against his shoulder. Why did it have to hurt this much to think of what her time left here was going to be like without him? Why had they gone through all of this in the first place if it just had to end?

When the tears finally stopped and she thought maybe she could face tomorrow without Quincy with her, she started to get to her feet. He got up with her and picked her up. She should’ve protested, but his arms were warm and protective around her, so she let him carry her to bed. Once she was tucked in, he kissed her one final time.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Princess Olivia,” he said quietly.

“Goodnight, Prince Quincy,” she replied and watched him leave her rooms. When the doors closed behind him and she was left in her cold, empty bed alone, the tears came again. She curled up in a ball and let them come, knowing that tomorrow, she had to put on a brave face. No one could know her heart was broken.

No one could know she had fallen in love with the prince.

***

Olivia spent the next few days recovering from her island bug and preparing to start courting Edric officially. Her mom stopped by every day to check on her and make sure she was okay. She was thrilled to find Olivia was interested in Edric.

“Can you imagine if you and he were to get married, too?” Melinda said that afternoon. “You could be here with me and we could really enjoy this new life together. Queen and princess, who would’ve thought?”