Royal Bastard (32 page)

I
nervously waited
for April to exit the bedroom, attempting to keep my damn self in check on the outside. Inside however, I was a royal mess and yet April seemed to have gained all the confidence I’d lost.

After our day spent on the beach, I hurried after her naked form to ravage her again and again, followed predictably with a nap, my arms around her, needing her to be close. I’d never slept so soundly in my life. My dreams were filled with things that I would have called nightmares in the past—a wedding in the little white church that April had spoken so fondly on, her belly rounded with my baby as we lazed upon white golden sands.

They all blaringly spelled out commitment, marriage, kids, the whole nine yards, that I tended to run far away from. But the usual dread wasn’t there, instead there was hope, and a fuck-ton of nerves warning me that I was about to screw everything up.

I had a feeling maybe this was right where I belonged. I wanted to have what April’s parents had, to show my parents and the world that I wasn’t a Neanderthal playboy who fucked women for the hell of it, who got his rocks off and could never commit. I wanted this to be real, wanted the damn honeymoon to be real. That perhaps, however comical it turned out to be, that the woman with me now would actually end up being my wife. So what if we had our wedding and honeymoon ass-backwards… I didn’t care as long as I was with her.

Everything felt right, I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I knew I was enjoying being with her too much, with a woman that I could picture as my wife, one that I would love and cherish and all that shit for the rest of my life. I was beginning to believe April was that other half of me that would keep me grounded; my anchor.

I raked my hands through my hair and stared into the flickering candlelight dinner set up on the deck overlooking the water, the thought of having such an intimate moment with April revving up my feelings, my emotions for her.

There was not a moment in my relationship with Crystal that I felt the way I did when I was around April. I had seven more days with April, seven days to show her that I could be the man she needed, prove to her that a leopard could change his spots for good. I just hoped she believed me and would forgive me.

The door opened and she stepped out, my heart nearly stopping in my chest as I took in her short tube dress, her hair down around her shoulders the way I liked. I wanted to push her back into that bedroom and show her how much I needed her body, her mind, her soul.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

She looked me up and down, a sly smile on her face as she walked toward me. “I wasn’t gone for that long.”

“Trust me; it was an eternity.”

A rose-like blush shone through her bronzed cheeks. “So, what do we have here?”

I clenched my fists and showed her out onto the deck, knowing that if I touched her, we would never enjoy the dinner. She was like a drug that raged through my veins, any hit of her never enough. Would it always feel like this? Hell, I hoped so. “It’s a candlelight dinner. They were going to set it up inside, but it’s such a nice night and all, so I thought we would dine out on the deck.”

“You did good,” she breathed, looking at the perfect surroundings. It was going to be hard to walk away from this island in seven days. I had gotten used to running on the beach without having to worry about some pesky reporter wanting to know if I still had what it took to make it in the big leagues or some photographer wanting to get a shot of me to sell to the tabloids.

And thankfully, Miss Richards, the reporter who had ambushed me, knew what was good for her and hadn’t shown her face again. Though, I had to admit, April and I had stayed close to the hut instead of mingling with the other guests, happy exploring each other’s bodies than the island, so she wouldn’t have had much chance to confront us.

Plus, there were no practices to go to and no responsibilities. I could get used to this life.

“Can I ask you a question, Connor?”

I swallowed and tried to not get any more fucking nervous than I already was. It could be just an innocent question after all, like what we were about to eat. “Shoot.”

She turned toward me, her face not showing any signs of regret or remorse. Good. I couldn’t take it if she started having second thoughts about us. “And answer it honestly, okay?”

“What’s wrong, April?” I asked softly, catching on that she was trying to stall. If she was going to end this, I wanted her to just spit it out so I could go and rage out of sight and pretend that she didn’t mean anything to me when I knew she meant the world.

“Would you have been happy with Crystal had you not gotten cold feet?”

I sighed inwardly, relieved that it was a topic I could handle. Was she feeling inferior to my ex? Was she thinking that she was a rebound? “April, I don’t think I can answer that because I was never really happy with her.” She sighed like I wasn’t giving her the answer she was looking for. “But, okay, if in some crazy parallel universe where I didn’t get cold feet, then I expect I would have been nonchalant about it. Crystal and I, we had an understanding of what that marriage was going to bring. At least I thought we did.”

“Would you have been happy?” she repeated, her expression growing soft.

I studied her face, trying to find an inkling of where this was going. But all I knew was that over the last few days I’d been unbelievably happy with April. Crystal wouldn’t have enjoyed the small things in life, like playing in the surf or the impromptu dance on the boat. She would have been all about the luxury, the pampering and the spa treatments, while I would have experienced the island by myself.

No, I wouldn’t have been happy. Our marriage would have been a co-existence between two people with similar lives, one of understanding and maybe not one of love or the happily ever after I was yearning for with April.

“No,” I finally said, deciding to be honest. “I wouldn’t have been.”

April looked at me and I could see the questions churning in her eyes. She then walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my chest. “I’m sorry I asked. I know it would have been painful for you.”

I crushed her to me, afraid that I was going to have a day where I would lose this woman in my arms. What if she got tired of me? What if she couldn’t handle my life and I didn’t give her the Cinderella dream she had always hoped for and damn right deserved? What if I was no different than that bastard of an ex?

Fuck no, I was going to be different than her asshole ex. And if I ever got the chance I was also going to stomp a hole in his ass as soon as I got back to the States. After I thanked him for giving up the best damn thing in his life to me.

“April, I have something I have to tell you…” She peered up at me, then her stomach growled loudly and I released her with a laugh. “We need to eat.”

“Apparently so,” she laughed, heading toward the table. I followed her… what I had to say could wait.

“
I
’ve never had
a massage before, never mind a couple’s massage,” I said with some trepidation as we approached the huge white canopy tent. “Will they really want me to take all my clothes off?”

Connor chuckled beside me, his hand squeezing mine. “You had no problem the other day. Besides, I’ll never get tired of seeing you naked.” I socked him in the shoulder, my nervousness showing. Being naked with him on the beach when there had been no one around was one thing, but this would be different. When Connor had said he had scheduled us a massage, I got extremely nervous that someone else’s hands would be touching my bare skin. I was being silly, I knew that, but unless I settled down, this was going to be the longest hour of my life.

We entered the canvas tent and saw two cots positioned toward the ocean with privacy screens surrounding the other sides. Unless someone walked by and peered in over the top, we were as private as we could be. An attendant waited inside and gestured toward the cots, where two towels were folded up.

“Give us some privacy for a minute, dude,” Connor said. The attendant nodded and exited the hut, leaving both of us alone. Connor picked up the towel and held it out to me, his eyes twinkling with laughter. “Here,” he said. “You can cover your body with this. I’ll be here the whole time.”

I eyed the small square of cloth practically only big enough to cover one of my breasts, let alone the rest of me. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Take off your top, April,” Connor said, his voice low and demanding as he stepped towards me, making me suck in a breath. “Leave on your bottoms.”

I snatched the towel out of his hand and held it to my chest, giving him no way to see what I was doing before I pulled on the string that was holding my top around my neck, releasing the knot I had tied just a few minutes earlier. His eyes dilated as I reached behind me and undid the other knot, pulling the bikini top away from my body. “Like this?” I asked innocently, holding the scrap of material in front of me. He swallowed hard and nodded, his hands reaching out to pull me close. “God, you are so hot,” he whispered into my ear, his teeth grazing my earlobe. I moaned as he placed kisses along my jawline, my hand gripping the towel tightly against my bare chest in case the attendant happened to come back and disturb us. Connor’s hands skimmed my waist before he pushed away, motioning toward the bed. “Lie down on your stomach.”

“Okay,” I replied with trepidation. Connor swore under his breath, and I guessed he liked what he saw. He reached up at a clasp above the tent’s entrance, allowing the canvas to unroll, trapping us inside. “If he knows what’s good for him… he’ll stay away,” Connor muttered as he returned to my side. “Lie down, April. Let me be your masseuse.”

I hurriedly did as he asked, pulling the towel away from my bare skin as I lay down face first upon the cot, my head cushioned by a small pillow. My nipples dragged against the soft material of the bed, aching for Connor’s touch as his hands positioned themselves on my shoulders. “Relax,” he said. “It’s just me and you.”

I sighed as his hands started to work on my tense shoulders, my body drumming in anticipation. Would this be a normal massage or one for the ages? I dearly hoped it would be one for the ages. He was like a drug I couldn’t shake, one that made my heart race and my body ache for his caress. His hands started to drift down my back, kneading and molding my muscles until I felt like I was floating on a cloud.

“If football doesn’t work out, you could always do this for a living,” I replied dreamily. He chuckled and his lips landed in between my shoulder blades, warming where his hands had touched. “I don’t think you want me to be doing
this
for a living.”

“Doing what?” I asked before gasping as his hand slinked between my legs, his fingers urgently pulling my bikini bottom to the side before one finger slid against my wet folds. Without hesitation, I spread my legs a little wider, his finger slipping inside as if it belonged there.

“No,” I panted as he drove it within me. “I certainly don’t want you to do that to anyone else.”

“Only you, darling,” he said softly, his other hand stroking my ass through my bikini bottoms. I positioned myself to give him better access, tilting my butt up, as he stroked me, stoking the fire that had burned beneath the surface since our last encounter only hours before. I lived for his touch. He started to thrust within me faster and I moaned into the pillow, totally forgetting the fact that the staff member might be listening outside the tent. All I knew was that I didn’t want him to quit.

“That’s it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Come for me, April.” I moaned again and then clenched against his finger, the orgasm overtaking me and forcing me to writhe under his touch as I tried to keep as quiet as possible. Coming in a public place was becoming a nasty little habit of ours… but I loved it.

Connor leaned down and placed a kiss on my spine, his tongue making a swirling pattern on my heated skin. “I can’t take you quietly.” I turned to face him, seeing the strain on his face as he stroked his cock through his shorts. He was right. I couldn’t be quiet and neither could he. I rose from the cot and lowered myself to my knees on the supple wooden floor, seeing a look of surprise upon his face. “You don’t have to do this,” he forced out as I reached for the waistband of his shorts.

“I know,” I replied, batting his hands away, “but I want to and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

He exhaled heavily and removed his hands, allowing me to pull his shorts down, his cock springing free, hard and heavy with need. I traced my hands over the pulsating skin, running my hand over his swollen head and smiling as he took a swift intake of breath. Here I was in control of him. Here I was a woman on a mission.

With a sigh of contentment, I took him slowly in my mouth, tasting him properly for the first time. I hadn’t ventured into this territory yet, but not for the want of trying, just our focus had always got hot and heavy pretty quickly, having sex like rabbits as often as we could, that there hadn’t been time to give him a slow, sensual and intimate blowjob.

“April,” Connor groaned, his hands coming up to grasp my hair. He didn’t push, however, which I was grateful for. Some men felt the need to take over, but he threaded his fingers into my hair, caressing the strands, letting me enjoy being in control and able to take my time.

Slowly, I sucked him, my hand coming up to grip the length of him, my lightly clenched palm sliding up and down. His hands stayed in my hair but he didn’t force anything, exciting me further. I spread my lips wide and flattened my tongue, wanting to pay attention to every inch. Tasting and tightening my lips around him increased the force of my gentle sucking until he was moaning uncontrollably.

I could feel him getting close, his trunk-like thighs tensing. I kneaded his ass, taking him whole, bringing him closer to the edge. Connor gave a resounding hiss and before I could do anything else, he pulled away and grabbed the towel, bucking as he spilled his seed in the cloth. For a moment I just sat there, watching him, loving the taste of his salty skin on my lips. He leaned over the cot and exhaled shakily, his eyes turning toward mine. “Damn.”

“I would have, you know,” I started as he wiped himself and pulled up his shorts. Connor stilled his motions and reached out his hand, helping me to my feet before pressing a kiss to my lips. “I know, sweetheart,” he said softly, handing me my top. “But I couldn’t let you… I don’t think I can explain it.” I nodded, not really understanding him but letting it go for now. I tied my top back on, and tucked my breasts back into the correct spots. My body was like jelly, and I was barely able to walk, my legs still shaking from his touch.

Connor wrapped his hand around mine and together we stepped out, colliding with the attendant. “Massage good?” he asked, a cheeky grin on his face. My face burned as I thought of what he must have heard, ducking my head against Connor’s arm as he gave the man a slap on the back. “Dude, you have no idea.”

The attendant laughed as Connor steered us back to the hut, a whistle on his lips. “I can’t believe you said that to him that,” I giggled, mortified. He grinned and brought up our joined hands to kiss the back of mine.

“Darling, I could have told him a lot more but I doubt it’s the first time that’s ever happened.”

“True… he’s probably not even a masseuse and it’s all a naughty little set up for the couples to, you know…” My steps faltered as Connor stopped dead in his tracks, some of the humor sliding from his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked immediately as he released my hand.

“Stay here.”

Dumbfounded, I squinted to where he was heading, wanting to follow but thinking better of it as I watched him approach a woman hovering by our hut.
That bitch!
It was the one from the bar the other night, the one that he’d said was a reporter. She was back and she hadn’t come alone. She had a man next to her, a black camera in his hand as he snapped off pictures of Connor.

Oh god.
Connor reached the pair and snatched the camera out of the guy’s hand, his angry words hard to understand with the gentle wind and surf in the background. When he pushed the guy, I hurried over, grabbing his arm and feeling the muscles clench under my touch.

“Connor, no.”

“April, right?” the woman said, her grin wide as she looked at me. “The wedding planner?”

Shit.

“Come on, Connor, let’s go,” I said, ignoring her. This wasn’t good. If she really was a reporter, then our pictures and the story were about to be widespread. The thought made me sick to my stomach.

“Don’t worry, I already know your dirty secret,” she tried again, giving Connor a onceover as he stared down the cameraman. “I can’t say that I blame you. He’s a fine prize.”

“Get the hell out of here and leave us alone before I really lose my temper!” Connor shouted, shoving the cameraman away.

“Hey! Give me back my camera!” the man cried as Connor grabbed my hand and turned to go. “That’s my private property!”

“You should’ve thought about that before you decided to take my or her photo,” Connor replied angrily.

The woman laughed, her voice trailing after us. “Don’t worry. Take the camera. I’ve got all we need.”

I swallowed hard as Connor led me away, my earlier giddiness and good feelings now quashed by the stark reality of Connor’s life. This was going to be all over the news when we got home. If I hadn’t already lost my job the other day, I sure as hell would now. What was Crystal going to think? What were my colleagues, the people I’d built relationships with in the business community going to think upon seeing me with a client that had just stood up his own fiancée at his wedding? Oh god, the rumors were going to be horrendous and even if—and it was a big if—I could find the money to start my own company, I would be the laughingstock of the professional party world. A businesswoman who stole her own client’s groom. I could see the headlines now.

“Oh, April?” the reporter called, her annoying voice pervading the very air around us. “Why don’t you ask him about the bet?”

I didn’t dignify her question with a reply and continued walking away with Connor. But her words kept repeating on a loop in my head. What bet?

“Connor, what was she talking about?”

Connor didn’t say anything and crossed over the boardwalk to the hut, forcing open the door and letting me pass, then shutting it firmly behind us before throwing the camera onto the sofa.

I watched as he paced the floor, obvious anger and tension in every step, seeping out of his body. He was furious and I was about to be a hot mess if he didn’t start explaining.

“Connor?” I repeated, getting a little scared that he wasn’t answering. Whatever the reporter’s intentions by saying those last words, they definitely weren’t good.

I may not have known what she’d meant, but what I did know was that the illusion we were trying to portray here on this romantic island was over.

The shocking reality of what I’d done was coming crashing down around my head. Once the word was out, we couldn’t be together. After all, who would hire a woman who had the potential to steal grooms away from their wedding? Of course it wasn’t what had happened, but the public wasn’t going to see it any other way. I’d be labeled a hussy, a man-stealer, a
whore.

And Crystal, she had the money, power, and media influence to ruin me, slinging mud and making it stick. A few well-placed words and she could utterly destroy everything. No one would ever trust me to plan their wedding again. My knees weakened and I stumbled over to the couch, sinking down on it with my head in my hands. What had I done?

“I could fucking kill him with my bare hands,” Connor seethed, stopping to look at me. “Don’t worry. I’ll sue the fuck out of them when we get back.”

“They won’t be the only ones,” I said softly, thinking of how big this could blow up. “Are you going to sue the rest of them too?”

“April, I will protect you,” he said fiercely, bending down to frame my face with his capable hands. I could feel his rage barely controlled under the surface, the anger in his face over what had transpired. It broke my heart.

“You can’t protect me from this,” I said, touching his hands with mine and bringing them down to my lap. He exhaled harshly and I saw the weary Connor, the worried Connor. “I’m sorry. I can’t deal with this.”

“Don’t do this,” Connor interrupted, his hands clenching mine. “This will blow over, just like everything else. We can get married and they will die down.”

My heart stopped in my chest as I looked at him, thinking that a marriage of all things was the last thing we needed.

What would be the difference between us getting married and what he and Crystal had gone through? There had been no declaration of love between us and though my feelings were undoubtedly strong for him, I wasn’t ready to throw caution to the wind and put on a white dress.

It could have been the way we had gotten together or the thought that he was going to totally destroy me in the end that worried me. Either way, this marriage proposal was not based upon anything but worry, a quick fix to a sticky situation, and I couldn’t accept that.