The Silver Eyed Prince (Highest Royal Coven of Europe) (27 page)

“The four of us grew up with William. We probably spent more time in England visiting him more than anywhere else. He's an only child so he was very lonely and practically adopted all of us as his own brothers and sisters,” Silvia added.

“I understand,” Elizabeth replied. “I'm an only child too. Growing up, I used to wish I had siblings to play with.”

“Well, we're glad to have finally met you. You have us now,” Sophia said, as they entered the house beyond the courtyard where they were staying. “Welcome to our home away from home.”

A block away from the massive gates of the Prince's estate, Colonel Alec Gunter sat inside his SUV. He had followed the Prince's car when they departed from the yellow cottage, curious of their destination. He was b
ewildered to find that the Prince had taken Elizabeth to the Palladian, a fortress-like estate, which serves as his second home whenever he traveled to America.

Known to be extremely cautious of his privacy, the property was well guarded. The fact that he'd invited a Tainted girl he'd only known for a short time was co
mpletely out of character.

His jaw clenched. Elizabeth was in there, out of his sight.
What were they doing? Was she alone with the Prince? Was she safe?
He swiftly smothered the direction of his thoughts.
Discipline, Gunter!
He reminded himself.
Prioritize your mission first, personal matters last.

The Colonel pulled the sun visor down and donned his eye shields to block the intensifying morning sun. He glanced at the heavily tinted car parked several meters before him. Wh
oever was driving the vehicle had been following the Prince. He was certain that they were not human for they didn't carry that distinct human scent.

He'd noticed the unknown four-man surveillance team the first instance Prince William visited Elizabeth. At the time, he assumed they were the Prince's private escorts, but his su
spicions grew upon closer inspection.

Aside from the fact that their vehicle was not the usual military i
ssue, they weren't wearing official Royal Army uniforms. He knew they were aware of his presence, but they kept their distance, silently watching. It seemed that like him, the men assumed he was the Prince's private escort.

He took advantage of this lack of immediate threat by gathering info
rmation. The data he'd transmitted to his intelligence unit in England included surveillance photos of their car and the unknown men.

A sense of foreboding gnawed him.
Who sent them? Were they interested in the Prince or was it Elizabeth they were after?

On Pride, Saving One’s Self

And Falling in Love

      Prince William stood by the window of his bedroom, waiting for Elizabeth to return from her visit with the twins. He smiled to himself. The introductions had gone well and his cousins seemed to like her.

He glanced at his watch. It had been three hours since he last saw her and already, he couldn't wait to have her back. He wished he could've spent time with her, but his obligations were pressing.

He raked his fingers through his hair, remembering his father’s reaction the last time they spoke. The King wasn't pleased with his extended stay in America. He was concerned that their enemies might discover his true purpose and compromise everyone's safety. That, and the disruption of his duties to the hierarchy his absence had caused, didn't sit well with the Monarch.

He glanced at the schedule his assistant had left on the side table. Every day, as his untended tasks stacked higher, the King became more and more displeased. So, the Prince arranged for his work to be forwarded to America to appease his father.

He sighed and stared blankly at the huge old tree in front of his window. The idea reduced his load, but it also took his time away from Elizabeth. He could barely manage to go to Darian Hall to see her.

Luckily, his cousins took it upon themselves to e
ntertain her while he was busy, and thankfully, Sophia's advice worked. Elizabeth had warmed up to him quickly, and hopefully, she would consent to come with him regularly. The only way for both of them to get to know each other better and woo her into coming with him to England was if he could spend more time with her. And that could be accomplished if she was within the vicinity.

He exhaled a heavy breath. In spite of the fact that he could read minds, his ability to do so was useless when it comes to Elizabeth. Her outward reaction to him puzzled him. He could clearly hear her thoughts and confirm her heart yearns for him as much as he yearns for her, and yet she fights it out of fear and insecurity, traits he suspected she’d developed from living with humans for far too long. As to why Mortals think of one thing then do the exact opposite, r
emains a mystery—, a behavior he has to learn how to deal with, if he wanted to understand and gain Elizabeth’s trust.

Prince William turned from the window at the
familiar scent and sound that never failed to rouse his senses. He heard a few taps before the door opened.

“Miss Elizabeth Hamilton, Your Highness,” his house manager announced as they entered. 

He dismissed him and crossed the bedroom to meet her halfway. “Did you have fun with the girls?”

“Yes, they are really nice,” she replied with such gladness in her eyes upon seeing him that his heart lurched.

“Missed me?” He reached out to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear.

She hesitated, and then nodded shyly, blushing pr
ofusely.

He gathered her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. Ever since his cousins pointed out his inappr
opriate behavior towards her, he'd been limiting his displays of physical affection. He had forbidden himself from kissing her in his apprehension that he might scare her away, but it had been sheer torture. He couldn't hold back any more.

Slowly, he lowered his lips and touched them ligh
tly to hers. “I missed you too,” he murmured against her mouth and waited, giving her the chance to withdraw. She said his name in a breathless whisper, but didn't draw back.

He kissed her hungrily at once. His pent-up frustr
ation could no longer be contained. He needed her. He wanted her. And when she parted her lips to welcome him, he couldn't restrain himself. In a single movement, he swept her up in his arms and strode swiftly to his bed. He laid her down gently, climbing next to her, never once releasing her mouth from his kiss.

Elizabeth felt the cool sheets on her back, the u
rgency in his touch, the intensifying rise and fall of his chest. She closed her eyes. She was giddy, intoxicated with his cologne, drowning and burning at the same time, if that was even possible. Her reasoning seemed to have left her for she knew that they were threading on dangerous ground. Yet, here she was, lying with him in his bed, lost in his fervent kiss.

She felt his hands beneath her. A small snap soun
ded, but she was too distracted to even consider what it was. He left her mouth and trailed tiny kisses along her jaw line. The feathery touch of his lips made her insides quiver and her breathing quickened. As he continued his path down her throat, a blissful moan escaped her lips.

A surge of fire inflamed her core. She didn't want him to stop. Ever
ything felt foreign, but exhilarating. She wanted
more.
Feeling a little braver, she tangled her fingers into his thick dark hair, something she'd only dreamt about, until now.

Her caress elicited a deep masculine growl and b
efore she knew it, his hands had slipped underneath her sweater. Startled, she opened her eyes and breathed his name. He responded with a low, muffled
hmmm
against the sensitive juncture between her neck and shoulder.

In the meantime, his hands were exploring farther than she was willing to allow. She began to protest, but he simply deflected her objections with another passio
nate kiss. And in spite of her apprehension, the delicious sensations his ardent lips created gushed forth and swept away her scruples.

Meanwhile, the pleasure his fi
ngers elicited as they glided on her bare skin was escalating to a perilous degree. Every trail he touched came alive and tingled, raising goose bumps along the way. She threw her head back as his mouth slid down her throat. She was inebriated, consumed in excited anticipation.

His actions quickly became bolder and riskier. Warning alarms sounded in her head. She knew it would be more difficult to turn back with each pas
sing second. The Prince was no teenage boy with raging hormones, but rather a man who knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. Even as she battled with herself with this sudden awareness, she belatedly realized that he had unclasped her bra, and was now deftly brushing it aside.

“William!” she gasped, clutching his biceps as his hands wandered into sacred territory. He lazily lifted his head and gazed at her with smoldering silver eyes, heavy lidded with desire, and devastatingly gorgeous. “P-please.” She placed her palms against his chest, pushing him firmly, “I-I don't think, I'm ready—”

He sighed and reluctantly withdrew his hands from under her sweater. “You've never done this before?” he asked, and then amended his question when she gaped at him in horror. “I meant, making out, not—, you know what I mean.”

She frantically shook her head. “No,
I never—, this is my first time,” she replied with a mixture of embarrassment and pride, although she wasn't sure why she should be ashamed when saving herself was a cool thing to do, in her opinion. And as far as pride went, well, she was proud to survive high school in one piece.

“Yes, I remember you told me you never had a bo
yfriend, but ... not even a casual fling?”

“Never!” Elizabeth cried indi
gnantly. “You make it sound so ... so—”

“Casual?” His mouth quirked.

“Careless. I don't do things like that.”

“Like what? Like what we were just doing?”

Elizabeth felt her face turn crimson. God, what exactly have they been doing? Mental flashbacks of his passionate kisses and expert hands inundated her. Did she just let him touch her ...
there?
She gulped, mortified, self-consciously crossing her arms across her chest, unable to look at him. She felt like a complete hypocrite. How humiliating! He must think she was some easy girl. She suddenly felt dirty, violated, and altogether cheap. The threat of tears pricked behind her eyes as she arched her back and fumbled with her bra hooks.

   He exhaled heavily and rolled away, collapsing next to her on the pillow with an arm over his brow. For the next few minutes, he kept quiet.

Damn it!
Prince William chided himself.
What was he thinking? She was young and inexperienced.
He should have known better.

He turned sideways to look at her. Her flame-colored hair fanned over his white sheets, her magnif
icent eyes darkened to a deep violet. The rich flush on her cheeks made her look more innocent than ever.
Devil take him, but she was beautiful. Who the hell could blame him?

“I think I want to go home now,” she croaked, si
tting up and smoothing her sweater.

“Why?” He propped himself on an elbow.

“Nothing, I—,” she averted her face and sniffled, “I just want to.” She swiped the back of her hand on the corner of her eye. A small hiccup and more sniffling followed.

“Hey . . .“ He hastily sat up and turned her face t
owards him. “What's the matter, love?” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her eyes glittered and a fat tear fell.

“Hush . . .“ He wiped it with his thumb and took her in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. Several hiccups and silent tears later, he peered at her with concern.

“I upset you, didn't I? I'm sorry.” He kissed her forehead. “I didn't mean to. I—,” He swallowed and tipped her chin to look into her eyes. “It's just that whe
never I'm with you, I lose myself. I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you, Elizabeth. You have no idea how glad I was to know that you stayed pure. I don't think I can bear the thought of another guy touching you.”

He instantly saw how his words had stunned her. For a brief moment, he worried that he might have said the wrong thing and she would scramble off the bed, but she didn't. Instead, she bestowed him with a timid, most e
ndearing smile and touched his cheek.

“Thank you,” she said with utmost adoration—, at least that was what he could perceive with the way she was looking at him.

His chest tightened. “Thank you?”

“Yes.” She was now absently caressing his cheek with her fingertips. “For appreciating my choice to save myself.”

He couldn't resist. He needed to know. “And who, may I ask—,” his voice lowered to a husky whisper, “are you saving yourself for, Elizabeth?”

You.
Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from saying it, astonished by how easily the answer came to mind. It felt as effortless as saying his name, as natural as being held in his arms, as right as knowing she belonged to him, with him.
Always
.