Corrupted by the Prince (A is for Alpha Book 5) (3 page)

“You’ll keep my secret that I am here?” he murmured, half-kidding.

“I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but I don’t think it’s much of a secret.” She pulled her glasses off and tucked them into the pocket of her blouse. “A prince vacationing in the Hamptons is always going to be a source of gossip. I was just a bit late in hearing it.”

“Of course. Though I did try to keep a low profile.”

“Ah, well, then you probably shouldn’t have come to this soirée. Pretty much every unattached woman has shown up tonight in hopes you’d be here, I’m assuming.”

“You included?” he couldn’t resist asking.

Her eyes rounded and her head jerked back. “Me? Of course not. And,” she floundered, her cheeks turning red beneath the freckles, “that’s quite a big assumption to make. That I’m unattached.”

The jealousy that had his jaw clenching was both surprising and unwanted. His smile in response felt forced.

“Am I wrong, Eva?” He took a step closer, and her breasts rose with the quick breath she drew in. “Where is this husband?” He glanced at her ringless finger. “Or lover?”

Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, and she shook her head. “You’re not wrong. I’m unattached, but I’m also not looking for anyone right now.”

The tension that had corded through his muscles eased, and he gave a slight nod. In truth, that was a relief to hear. Made him even more determined to find out what those full lips would feel like beneath his.

“Understandable. Nor am I. I, as well, prefer my relationships to be, how do you Americans say it? String-free?”

Her brows drew together and her mouth compressed into a thin line. “Yes, I’ve heard that about you.”

Of course she had. The tabloid sites and media hadn’t painted him in any other way. Then again, he really hadn’t given them reason to.

Changing the subject, he asked, “Have you only just now arrived to enjoy the soirée, Eva?”

She sighed and gave a small nod. “I don’t usually attend these sort of things, but I made a promise to my sister I’d come for a bit.”

“And after that? What are your intentions?” He would have to persuade her to join him for a drink at his house.

“Honestly? Probably just be a total bore and go to bed.”

Her blunt, honest reply made him laugh, but the image of her taking her hair down and removing the starchy outfit had his laughter drying up.

She cracked a smile and glanced over him from head to toe. “I’m sorry, you look very nice, but I have to say I just don’t understand your costume.”

Kostas adjusted his tie and gave her his most charming smile. “Well now, I’m a stockbroker from Wall Street.”

Her brows lifted and she gave a soft laugh. “Now that’s pretty clever.” She tapped her forefinger on her chin and gave him a considering glance. “Though for the full effect you might’ve considered a hooker on your arm, and some cocaine dangling out of your pocket.”

Stunned, and delighted by her surprising humor, he confirmed, “The Wolf of Wall Street movie?”

She gave a nonchalant shrug. “Or reality for some, I’m sure.”

“You’re probably right.” He gave a sage nod. “I’ll remember that for my next costume party. Unfortunately, I had to make due with the clothing I had on hand. It was either this or come in my briefs as an underwear model.”

She kept her attention completely on his face, and didn’t even so much as blink. Her only reaction was the deepening of red on her cheeks.

Amusement lanced through him and he wondered if she was imagining him in a pair of briefs. She’d already seen him in his swim trunks; it wasn’t that much more of a stretch to the imagination.

Deciding to cut her a bit of slack, he turned his attention to her outfit once more. “It’s taken me a moment, but I believe I’ve figured out your costume.”

“My costume?”

“Yes.”

Her mouth opened, but he waved his hand to silence her before she could tell him what she had dressed as.

“A naughty librarian?” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Though perhaps without the naughty part. Or maybe the naughty bit is there waiting to be discovered by the right person?”

The hitch in her breathing was audible, and he could see her nipples now beneath the blouse. The outfit was damn near prudish, but there was no hiding the curves beneath it. She had breasts that would fit perfectly in a man’s hands, and lightly flared hips he could hold onto during lovemaking. What sort of bra did she wear beneath such a blouse? If he unfastened each pearly button, would he find lace? Satin?

Need coursed through him and he took another step closer to her, closing the distance between them easily.

With the smattering of trees and nightfall covering them in shadows, he reached out and cupped one soft cheek.

“Tell me, Eva, am I right?”

Eva couldn’t move. Could barely even breathe as strong, long fingers cradled her jaw. Tingles from his touch radiated from her face down her neck, dancing throughout the nerve endings in her body.

He was wrong. He was so completely wrong it was almost comical. Was that really how she came across? As a naughty librarian? This was just one of many outfits she wore to the office on a daily basis. She wasn’t trying to be sexy. Wasn’t putting on a form of pretense tonight. She’d simply finished her work, brushed her teeth, and left her small apartment on the edge of the property to make an appearance for her sister.

Somehow Kostas had gained the impression that this was all a costume. An act. But then he hardly knew her. They’d had one brief conversation on the beach this afternoon.

Here he was, touching her cheek, waiting for her to answer. Giving her the opportunity to correct him. To explain how he’d formed a wrong impression of her.

His gaze dropped to her mouth and her pulse went into overdrive. Was he going to kiss her? She was beyond awful at reading signals from men, but everything inside her zinged to life with a bone-deep female awareness.

It was the perfect opportunity to set him right. To step back and rebuke him for turning both her and her outfit into a cliché.

The air around them turned heavy and thick, swirling with a charged current. He stroked a finger inward, just barely touching the corner of her lip, and her belly warmed and her knees weakened.

“Are you, Eva?” His voice dropped an octave, becoming low and gravely. “Just waiting for the right person?”

He couldn’t have known she was a virgin. Couldn’t have known she would take his guess and twist it to suit her own needs, but suddenly and selfishly, she did. No, she wasn’t waiting for the ‘right person’ to turn on her naughty side, but she had been waiting for the right person to make her feel a hot awareness and desire like this. To make her feel
something
.

Somehow, this man—this bad boy prince of a small island outside of Greece—had been the one to wake that dormant part of her life. And she couldn’t make herself walk away from this moment, no matter how completely foolish it seemed.

“You know what? Maybe I am.” It hardly seemed like her own voice. Confident and husky.

She didn’t hide her eyes from him, and was thankful as she watched his gaze darken.

The only warning she had of his next move was the slight flaring of his nostrils, before his head swooped low. There was no asking permission, no gentle coaxing, just the sudden, intoxicating firmness of his mouth claiming hers.

Her lips parted helplessly beneath the experienced demand of his tongue. Then he was inside tasting her, teasing her, coaxing a response she gave all too easily. He tasted like man, champagne, and all sorts of sin.

He hauled her against him, an arm possessively about her waist as they tasted and discovered each other. Beneath her breast she could feel the pounding of a heart, but she couldn’t be certain if it was hers or both of theirs.

She’d been kissed before, but never like this. Never with such skilled confidence that it drove every last thought out of her head besides following this thread of pleasure and where it ultimately would lead her.

The hint of fingers brushing her breast made pleasure roar through her and she swayed—unsteady on her own feet now. She gripped the lapels of his jacket and gave a soft cry of pleasure.

Kostas broke the kiss first, lifting his head and drawing in a ragged breath, even as she made a soft murmur of protest.

Neither of them said anything, just stood drawing in uneven breaths. Eva was fairly certain she couldn’t have formed a coherent sentence even if she wanted to, and her mind truly did try. But what did one say after that kind of kiss? What did one do?

She knew what she wanted to do. The wildly inappropriate stuff that her sisters did all the time.

“You seem to keep surprising me.” He became the first to break the silence with his admission.

She’d certainly surprised herself tonight. Uncertain how to reply to his comment, she gave a small smile and loosened her grip on the expensive fabric of his suit.

“Predictable can be boring.” The words were so foreign to her, she again wondered who she’d become tonight.

“Agreed.” Kostas chuckled and stroked a finger down her cheek. His lips moved near her ear now, his words soft and intimate, “Perhaps you’d reconsider your post-soirée plans of going to sleep and join me for a nightcap at my home?”

The breath in her lungs froze, and her heart, already pounding, went into overdrive. This went beyond a little harmless kiss. She wasn’t so naïve as to misunderstand what he was asking. Going home with Kostas tonight would undoubtedly lead to winding up in his bed.

While she’d been crazy enough to throw her inhibitions to the wind for a moment, she wasn’t sure just how far that lack of sanity should extend tonight. How far she would be comfortable taking this. Whatever this was.

He prefers strings-free.

How unapologetically he’d made the confession, though only after assuming she ran by the same code.

Her mind raced and she debated how to answer him. Deciding she could attempt to be vague and flirtatious, she murmured, “Perhaps.”

Yes, it was noncommittal and vague, but it was the best she could come up with for the moment.

Surprise flickered across his face, before something close to amusement settled. He assumed she was playing hard to get? If he only knew.

“For now, I should go say hello to my sister.” She cleared her throat. “And maybe at least have a glass of champagne as I make the rounds.”

“Of course. Why don’t I come with you? I could use another glass myself.”

Somewhat alarmed that he wanted to stay at her side, she could only nod as he guided them back into the house.

Her sisters would be beside themselves with shock and curiosity if they saw the two of them together. Especially with the way his hand rested lightly on the small of her back.

How many times had they teased her about being one step away from a convent? And now here she was, about to walk into the party with one of the most sought-after, yet infamous men, in the world?

Before uncertainty could make her turn tail and run, they stepped back into the house.

As they rejoined the party, they were greeted by the roar of voices, laughter, and music. Several people slid glances their way and eyes all around widened with surprise and recognition.

More than used to being the focus of attention, Kostas always knew how to ignore it. He guided them toward a server carrying a tray of champagne flutes and took one for both Eva and himself.

There was only a moment’s hesitation before she accepted it and drank nearly half the content at once. Her eyes watered and she coughed for a moment, then she once again composed herself.

He narrowed his gaze and his lips twitched into a small smile. Unless he was wrong, he’d say that moment of intimacy outside had unnerved her. But why? It was just a kiss.

Even as he had the thought, another part of him whispered a quick denial. It should have been
just a kiss
, but somehow it had been anything but. Usually the kiss was a calculated gateway to seduction—one he was used to controlling and manipulating.

Only tonight that simple act had gotten completely out of hand. That kiss he’d shared with Eva was a powerful force that he’d lost control of. His tenacious hold on self-control had been pried away and he’d been dragged into the sensual depths of the kiss.

A little unnerved by that realization, he tightened his grip on the stem of the champagne flute and took a drink.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

The words reached his ear as Eva thrust her champagne flute at him and then darted across the room to younger woman who sat surrounded by men and laughing.

He recognized the young woman as one of the many who’d flirted with him this evening. But the age difference alone had made him uncomfortable. She still looked to be a teenager, while he was about to dip his toes into his thirties.

When Eva hugged the girl and offered a genuine smile, he realized she could potentially be the sister. Interesting, because the familiar shade of hair was where their similarities seemed to end.

Wanting to appease his curiosity, he took another sip of champagne and made his way over to the small group. The younger woman spotted him first and her eyes lit up with excitement.

Not wanting to give her any form of encouragement, he moved to Eva’s side and handed her back the glass of champagne. Incredulity shone briefly in Eva’s eyes before she gave him a tight smile.

“Thank you.”

The younger woman glanced between Kostas and Eva. “Hold on a moment. You two know each other?”

“We recently became acquainted,” Eva admitted with obvious reluctance. “Kostas, this is my sister Lilly. Lilly, I’d like you to meet—”

“Prince Kostas.” Lilly’s face was flushed with eagerness. “And please call me Lillian. I was so thrilled to hear you were visiting the Hamptons. And I can’t believe you actually came to the party.”

Had his potential presence been discussed? He gave another brief smile. “It was a pleasure to be invited. It’s been charming thus far.”