Royal Bastard (19 page)

T
WO MONTHS
LATER

“Do you think your father will serve this in the palace dining room? That room was simply to die for! I can come cook for him one night if he would like. I know he enjoys a good spaghetti sauce.”

I rolled my eyes as my mum handed Edward a few jars of frozen spaghetti sauce, wondering who was going to tell her that the future king of England couldn’t really care less about her sauce. Ever since that one night when he had come to tell me what an idiot I was and had dinner in my mum’s house, she sent a bag with us to drop off at the palace every chance she got. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that we were hoarding them in our own freezer so we wouldn’t hurt her feelings. I did, however, serve it a few times that Edward’s father came to dine with us, so much so that he was probably sick of it—though he was polite enough to not say so.

But as usual, Edward took the bag containing the jars with a smile, leaning down to kiss my mum on her cheek. “Thank you, Mrs. Mathis. I know my father will be excited to get another supply of your wonderful spaghetti sauce.”

“I, well, I am glad he likes it,” she preened as Edward grabbed my hand, steering me toward the door. “Please extend my invitation to your father to come have the real thing any time. You two have a good night now.”

I gave her a little wave, and we headed out to the car, hand in hand. The night was beautiful, though there was a slight crispness to the air, reminding me that the wonderful summer was about over. “So,” he said as we climbed into his car, setting the spaghetti sauce carefully on the floor. “What are we going to do with that?”

“I think you are going to have to tell her,” I said as he gunned the engine and pulled out onto the road. “She will take it much better coming from you.”

“That’s not fair,” he grumbled, reaching over to hold my hand. “Can’t we just start giving it to the homeless or something?”

I laughed at his unwillingness to upset my mum, thinking I was the luckiest girl in the world as I interlaced our fingers together and gave his hand a squeeze, never getting tired of the feel of his skin on mine.

The last two months had been a whirlwind of romance for us. My moving into his flat had truly solidified our relationship to everyone, including the media. Now there were bets on when we were going to get married and where, but honestly, we hadn’t even talked about it. While I couldn’t wait to become his wife, we were just enjoying the here and now.

Edward was doing many wonderful things at the orphanage, as well, finding that he really enjoyed working in the non-profit world. In fact, the new wing was almost complete, and there would be a huge party to celebrate the fact that there was now plenty of room for the kids to expand their creativity. With his fundraising, we were supplying a place for them to take art and photography classes, including a group of people who were going to donate their time in teaching these kids to prepare for their future. The wing was being named after his mother, and Edward’s father was going to be the one to cut the ribbon on that special day.

Noticing we weren’t on our way home, I looked over at my fiancé. “Where are we going?” I asked. I was tired and wanted nothing more to have ice cream in bed with the man beside me, maybe even a movie or two before we fell asleep.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he responded, swinging the car into a parking spot. I looked at him, narrowing my eyes. “What kind of surprise? You know I don’t like them.”

“You will like this one,” he said, kissing our joined hands before prying his loose. “Come on, Rose. Walk on the wild side with me?”

“I know all about your wild side, mister. But you know I’ll follow you anywhere.” With my heart pounding in my chest, I exited the car and stared up at the building. “Why are we at the museum? Seriously, there better not be some kind of surprise party or something going on.”

Edward grabbed my hand and tugged me up the steps, nodding to the man at the door to let us in. “You’re just going to have to be patient and trust me.”

I shut my mouth and followed him in, allowing him this moment. I didn’t know what was in this place that would surprise me. I had been here numerous times in my lifetime. Edward tugged me down the hall to the art section, stopping before we reached the door. “I am so fucking proud of you,” he said softly, his beautiful eyes growing soft.

“For what?” I asked, my heart predictably flipping over as I stared into them, nearly melting into the floor.

“For being you,” he replied, stepping aside. I gave him a look and stepped in, shock and awe filling my body as I recognised the photos from my trip abroad. They were all on the wall, looking beautiful in the perfect light. With a gasp, I looked at the name plates, seeing my name listed under each one of them.

“I figured it was high time for you to have your own show,” his voice said behind me. “You’ve held off long enough, Rose.”

I turned around, looking at him. “How did you do this?”

“I had some help,” he shrugged. “Your mum and your sister helped get them for me. And the museum curators were more than happy to hang them once they saw your raw talent.”

“I guess it helps to have in-laws in high places,” I joked.

“Nope, this is all you. We didn’t push, though my father was ready to lay down the law if they didn’t. But no, Rose, you did this. Your photos deserve to be seen,” he said, reaching for me.

“I don’t know what to say,” I replied, plucking at the collar of his dress shirt nervously. This was more than I’d ever expected. This was something very special, something that showed he knew me better than anyone else on the planet. This was love.

“Was I way off on this?” he asked softly, his expression growing dark with concern. “I can get them all taken down, the invites for the opening haven’t gone out yet, and no one will know the difference.”

“There’s going to be an actual opening, too?” I said, exasperated.

“Well, of course. Otherwise I could’ve just hung them anywhere…”

“Oh my god, Edward!” I said, my throat clogging with emotion. “This has got to be the best thing anyone has ever done for me. I love you so much.”

“I take it you don’t want me to take them down then?” He grinned then as I playfully batted his chest, and he held me close, his hand brushing softly over my hair. “I love you, too, Rose. I never thought I would love anyone more than I do you right now. And I will do anything for you… even give up a country.”

I batted him again and shook my head. He was still cocky as hell. “Too soon?” he laughed, his eyes twinkling. I snuggled up against his chest and sighed happily, so glad that I had taken a chance on the bastard prince.

Because he was, by all accounts, my Prince Charming, and a bad boy prince needs love, too.

T
he groom was supposed
to say 'I do'... except Connor Haden decided he wanted me instead!

On the field, the superstar quarterback is a decisive machine, off the field he’s a total playboy. Everyone was shocked—including me—when he got engaged, but the media is going to have a field day once they hear how he chose to ditch his bride!

It was supposed to be the wedding of the decade, but now he’s destroyed my career and my reputation. Who's going to hire a wedding planner who ended up on honeymoon with the groom?

The bastard has got his sights set on me. I just need to survive two more scorching weeks in paradise without letting him win me over.

Easy, right?

If I can ignore his panty-melting smile and his lickable glistening abs, I'll be fine. And I'll just have to pretend not to notice the way he looks at me, or his oh so very luscious tight-end.

I won’t let myself fall for another bad boy, not again.

Oh, how I can’t wait for this honeymoon to be over!

“
Y
ou’re leaving me
?”

She looked at me with those big brown doe eyes caked with layers upon layers of mascara. They were in shock, wide, and yet hopeful that I was having her on. But I never fucking joked around, not about shit like this. Once I made a decision, that’s it. It’s done.

And our time was up.

“Right before our wedding?” Crystal’s mouth stayed open, like a fish struggling to breathe. I hated the look. It made her seem desperate and I steeled myself, ready for the oncoming whining that was bound to follow. “All the guests, the planning. Oh my god, the honeymoon!”

There it was. The tears would be next.

“Yeah, just the way these things go, babe,” I said with a shrug. “At least I gave you two days notice.” I mean, what else was I supposed to say? I was done; I’d gotten what I’d wanted out of the relationship but a wedding? That was taking it too far. Good thing it was all hushed up and secret—the way Crystal had wanted it so it would make a huge splash in the gossip headlines, her proper introduction to the world as my wife.
Her as a wife?
I almost snorted,
Yeah, right.
And I certainly wasn’t husband material. Life was too short to be tied down like that. My dick had places to go, unexplored honey pots to devour.

It finally dawned upon her that I was actually serious and her visage twisted into an ugly image. I was sure she was thinking of way more than just the wedding and honeymoon, but her fucking ticket to the good life.

“But why?” she whined.

I shrugged again and watched as her face flushed a hot angry red, obviously not appreciating my casual
I don’t fucking care
attitude.

She launched herself at me, her fists pounding into my chest.

“You fucking prick! How could you do this to me?” Anger raged amongst the swells of tears in her eyes and for a slight moment I felt sorry for hurting her. Crystal had in a way been good to me, the perfect vision of a woman who every man dreamed about with her long blonde hair and smoking hot body. I didn’t really want to hurt her, but this life, married fucking life, that wasn’t going to work out for me.

Not one little bit.

I’d let it go on for too long, the make-believe fantasy that I could change into a better man, the man she was planning on me being once that ring was on my finger. But we both knew that it would’ve been a flash in the pan anyway had I gone through with it. Six months and I would’ve been divorced, following in good old Dad’s footsteps.

Though small, her pummeling fists started to annoy me. She clawed at my shirt in desperation, the fabric straining between her perfect fingernails. I’d expected her not to take it well; calling off the wedding she’d meticulously planned down to every last place setting was never going to be a bed of roses. I had expected a lot of crying, some swearing, but not this. She was acting like I’d ruined her damn life. It was just a wedding, for Christ’s sake! She’d find some other sucker with a healthy bank balance to cozy up to in no time. I started to yell for her to get the hell off me, but then the downright devil inside me had a better idea and I smiled at her.

Claiming her wrists, I stopped her attack and stepped close to her. Her sweet perfume enveloped me. I would probably miss that, I thought, but it wasn’t as if her scent wasn’t from a bottle that could be replicated. Though there would be one thing that I definitely would have difficulty stepping away from; her thick lips and the way she wrapped them around my cock. That I enjoyed way too much, and so did she.

She kept on squirming and trying to fight me and I quickly pinned her to the wall of the bridal suite, my hard body acting like the other side of a vise. She couldn’t move and I had her right where I wanted her.

Crystal stopped screeching, unsure of what was happening, and she looked up at me with her questioning brown eyes. Breath ragged and raw, her chest heaved with anger and excitement, a sound I was used to far too much. There was no way she could control herself around me. Her pulse bounded against the delicate skin at her neck, a sign that maybe she wasn’t as angry at me as she’d like to be. Crystal enjoyed being dramatic but she also liked sex rough, which had been a great draw to her to begin with, and she was getting that knowing glint in her eye. Hell, she knew that I enjoyed it too and used it to her every advantage, persuading me into proposing after a heavy night of angry hot sex. But the moment I put that massive rock of a diamond on her finger, I knew it was a mistake.

She began to open her mouth, no doubt to start asking annoying fucking questions about deep meaningful feeling type bullshit, so I quickly bent my head down and smashed my lips up against hers, forcing my way into her mouth like I knew she loved it. She moaned, and her body released the tension it’d been holding from all the fighting, melting against me eagerly, anticipating what was going to happen next.

I eased my hand up her skirt and between her legs, then reached for her panties; that tiny thong she’d put on earlier when we were dressing for dinner. She had looked smoking hot in her tiny skirt and tube top, her eyes all shiny from all the attention she was getting. Crystal loved to be the center of attention, another reason why she was marrying me. And that’s when it had hit me. As I sat watching her get dressed, primping herself, all giddy talking about the numerous talk-shows she’d be invited to once we were married, spilling her guts about how she’d managed to pin down one of the most eligible quarterback bachelors…it’d been the last straw.

I skimmed my fingers up her thigh and her legs opened without hesitation, instinct and longing for my touch, a touch she knew so well. I knew what she was thinking: my reaction to her anger, the way I had ‘called off’ the wedding—she thought it was just a ploy for us to have rough sex, that none of my words were real.

Well, she was in for a big surprise. I was fucking serious but I wasn’t going to pass up a sure thing either. One last hurrah, I thought slyly.

Running my fingers over the smooth silk of her thong, I felt the telltale sign of her excitement. It was like she’d sprung a fucking leak, she was that horny. Her body definitely wasn’t
that
pissed at me, but she would be, I thought with an inward chuckle. I knew I was being a prick, but I couldn’t help it. I always got what I wanted, and right then I wanted her to suck my dick one last time, then I’d be done with her.

I let her feel the outline of my cock against her belly and she moaned, pressing herself right back up and rubbing herself against my trapped shaft like she was a cat in heat.

Her lips were red from my harsh kiss as I moved my head away and let her arms free, waiting to see what she was going to do. Who was I kidding, I knew exactly what she was going to do.

She dropped to her knees and instantly reached for my belt buckle, and within a flash she had her hands around my cock as it eagerly sprang free, aching for one last lick.

“I can’t believe you would joke about something like that,” she whispered, relieved, her lips a breath away from the tip of my swollen head. “Who would want to step away from this?” Her tongue darted out and swiped a lick of the pre-cum that began to glisten on its head.

“Mhmm,” I replied noncommittally. I raked my fingers through her hair, grasping onto her head and nudging my hips forward. Without a second thought, as my cock bounced at her mouth, she wrapped her lips around me and started to go to work, her familiar motions making me groan with need. Hell, maybe I was going to miss this just a little.
“
Fuck me with that sweet mouth of yours,” I groaned, unable to help myself. “Do what you’re good for.”

I clamped my hands around both sides of her head and started to help her out, forcing my cock further down her throat. “Deeper,” I demanded. She was doing too much teasing for my liking. I wanted a release and I wanted it now.

Crystal widened her mouth and angled her throat, taking it all in her stride as I started to fuck her face, cramming my dick in as far as I could. Spittle ran down her chin and I could feel her eyes on me, but I looked away.

It wasn’t long before I felt my balls writhe and my head swell. I clenched my eyes shut and shot hot cum down her throat with a roar, the release immediately causing that blissful invincible feeling, like I could do anything, springing all the way to my toes. I fucking loved that feeling, it was almost as good as scoring a winning touchdown.

Swallowing, she looked up at me with a smile in her eyes, pleased with herself, and continued to suck on me for all I was worth, milking every last drop like it was her last. But she’d have to get her daily calcium intake from somewhere else. Idly, I wondered if she was going to miss me or the way I made her feel when I pounded into her. Nah, she’d miss the money and the fame, that was about it.

Reclaiming myself from her warm mouth, I zipped back up my jeans and fastened the buckle. There was no way I was going to have my junk out so that she could attack for what I was going to say next. “What a beautiful parting gift that was, babe. Shame I didn’t get you anything in return.”

Still on her knees, her face twisted first to confusion, then to anger as she registered the words. “Wait, what about me? You’re not gonna fuck me? You were serious? You said it was a joke!”

“No I didn’t, you just thought it was. But thanks for the suck-and-go.” I grabbed my jacket from the chair and slipped my arms through, not wanting to lose my favorite, custom-made leather jacket to Crystal; she’d have ripped it to shreds the moment I was out the door. It had cost a damn fortune, and while it was easily replaced, I loved the way it felt on my body; it was already broken in.

Crystal blinked at me, getting ready to explode. It was time for me to go. I didn’t want to be here for another inevitable breakdown. I was cutting all ties and she was going to be truly pissed once she realized I was not playing around.

“Have a nice life, Crystal,” I said over my shoulder as I opened the door to the long hallway of the hotel, “it was fun while it lasted.” Crystal had insisted on a bridal penthouse suite and being the accommodating groom that I was, I’d catered to her every whim until, that is, I’d come to my fucking senses. Even if I did want to get married, Crystal was certainly not what I had in mind… But regardless, I’d do the right thing and would foot the bill as a parting gift. She could at least appreciate that.

“You bastard! You’ll fucking regret this! I’ll go to the tabloids!” she screamed behind me, the door slamming in her scrunched up face before she could send more abuse flying at me. It felt good, breaking a tie that threatened to change my life for the worse; she would’ve been a nightmare, would’ve probably burned through my savings within months buying racks of designer clothes and pointless other things she’d tell me she needed. I just wasn’t that type of guy. I didn’t want to settle down, get married, have some brats and drive them around in a minivan like my parents had done. It had driven them apart, so what would be the point?

Reaching the elevator, I punched the down button, half expecting to hear her behind me, begging for me to change my mind. She wouldn’t, though. Crystal would be too proud, turn this into a pity party for herself, and I would be the bastard who had broken her heart.

Well, that was what I was and I would wear that badge proudly now that I had dodged this bullet. I was starting over, and it was a fucking good feeling.