Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 7) (7 page)

“Your safety is
important to all of us. Everyone else wanted to come, too,” the
sexy woman on my right says. She’s a little older than I normally
go for, but I’d make an exception for her. Well, I would if I
wasn’t into Darcy.

“They need to be
working on regular missions, not watching over me. I feel bad enough
that all of you are here already.”

“No one is suffering
because we’re here. We wouldn’t all be out anyway. You know
that,” Ainsley tells her.

“Would you care to
formally introduce us to your friends, Darcy?” my mother asks.

“Umm…sure. These
are my friends Ainsley, Audrey, Ellie, and Faith. Guys this is the
queen, Noah, and Brayden.”

I already knew the
blonde was Ainsley. Now I know that the sultry one is Audrey, the
Asian one is Faith, and the one who looks like a brunette Barbie is
Ellie. They’re all smoking hot. And all still glaring at me.

“Do you think you can
call them off? I don’t really care that they’re glaring, but I
was hoping for a nice dinner with you.”

“You threatened her,
and now you want a
nice
dinner?” Faith asks me, and I’m man enough to admit that the look
in her eyes scares me.

“We’ve called a
truce,” I say, swallowing hard, but somehow maintaining eye
contact.

“Have you? Darce?”
Ellie asks.

“Yeah. We’re good.
For the moment.”

“Please sit down
everyone. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to discuss all of
your roles here over our meal. It’s not the kind of conversation
I’d usually encourage at the table, but nothing about this whole
situation is within my usual protocols.” My mother is barely
holding it together. She’s used to formalities, not female spies,
at her dinner table.

“We appreciate that,
Your Highness, but your son brought this all down on you. We wouldn’t
be here if Reina didn’t think the threat was real.”

“It was real. I
really
threatened
Darcy. I was an ass, and I own it. I’m truly sorry for what I said,
and how it caused her to feel.”

“So she trusts you?”
Audrey asks me.

I look at Darcy, but
she can’t meet my eyes. It feels like I’ve been stabbed in the
heart, but I know I deserve it. “No. I don’t believe she does.”

“Then neither do we.”

“Understood.”

“So, about our jobs,”
Ainsley says, obviously trying to ease the tension in the room. “I’m
part of the tech team, Audrey is an event and press consultant, Ellie
is assisting the event planner, and Faith is your new chef.”

I scoff at that last
part. “No way is Anna going to let her in the kitchen.”

“I already have, and
she’s a dream. You’ll be eating some of her cooking tonight,”
Anna says, coming into the room and smiling at Faith.

“Seriously?” No one
is allowed in the kitchen. My mother and I included.

“Have you ever known
me not to be serious?”

“Umm, no.”

“Then there you have
it. Eat up and be prepared to ask her to marry you afterwards;
although, I’ve heard that she’s taken.”

“So am I.”

Anna looks over at
Darcy in her fitted t-shirt and yoga pants. “I think you should be,
but you’re not. She’d be good for you.”

“It’s a good thing
almost all of the staff has retired for the night. This conversation
is delving into areas that shouldn’t be overheard,” my mother
says.

“This room, as well
as the surrounding ones, are secure and safe from prying eyes and
ears. Even those belonging to your security team.”

“I’m still
uncomfortable with letting someone have access to our security
systems.”

“No offense, Your
Highness, but I’d have access even if you didn’t let me.”

“Nice,” I tell
Ainsley.

“Yes, well, let’s
eat,” my mother says, clearly uncomfortable with having to answer
to anyone, much less women who are a few decades younger than her.

She’s a good woman,
and she did a great job raising me, even if that hasn’t been too
apparent lately. Navigating all of this without my dad is hard for
her, though. Even though she was a princess before marriage, she
wasn’t prepared to be Queen. I mean, who really is prepared to rule
a country alone? I’m supposed to be, but I have my doubts now and
then. I’ll do it, though, because it’s what I’ve been raised to
do—and to alleviate the pressure from her.

The rest of dinner goes
pretty smoothly, with the women all talking about our home and
catching up with Darcy. I know our “date” is off now that her
friends are here, and I won’t even pretend that I’m not
disappointed. But there will be other nights to play games—video
and otherwise.

“Dinner was
delicious, Faith,” I tell her, honestly.

“Thank you, Brayden.”

“I’m going to go
look over my schedule for tomorrow. I’ll see everyone in the
morning.”

I get up and walk
towards the door, but Darcy steps in front of me. “We had plans
tonight, didn’t we?” she asks, looking a little hurt.

“I thought you’d
want to hang out with your friends instead.”

She shakes her head. “I
don’t. I mean, I love them, but I see them all the time back home.”

“I’ll miss you when
you’re gone,” I blurt out.

It’s not a lie. I’m
not in love with her, but I definitely care for Darcy. I have a
feeling that love is going to come into play before this is all over,
but, for now, I just know the thought of being without her fills me
with a sadness I wasn’t expecting.

“Let’s go take
advantage of the time we have together.”

I reach out and pull on
her little orange ponytail. “Whatever you want, Cat.”

“You may regret
saying that later, Crown, but I’ll take you up on that offer.”

I lean down and kiss
her, before leaning my forehead against hers. “I honestly hope that
neither one of us is going to regret any of this.”

“Darce?”

“I’m fine, Aud.”

“He scared you enough
for us to be here, and now you let him kiss you? That’s not fine.”

She sighs, but doesn’t
move away from me. “I know. You just need to trust me. If I feel
like I’m in danger, you’ll know it.”

“I have eyes
everywhere, and my team back home is monitoring the feeds 24/7,”
Ainsley reminds us.

“Turn off the cameras
in my new game room, please.”

“Game room?” Ellie
asks.

“He built her an
awesome room with every gaming system imaginable,” Ainsley says,
with a hint of admiration in her voice.

“You can borrow it
whenever we’re not using it.”

“Umm…you’re
asking me to turn the cameras off, so I’m not sure I should.”

“Shut up, Ainsley. I
just want some privacy.”

“You’ve got it.”

“I really don’t
like this, and Reina won’t either,” Audrey says.

I have to speak up. “I
know none of you—including Darcy—really trusts me, but I swear on
the memory of my father that Darcy is safe with me. I won’t stop
trying to get the information I need from her, but I will not harm
her physically.”

“Bye,” Darcy yells
behind us as she pulls me out of the room, clearly wanting to be done
with the conversation.

“They’re tough.”

“They are.”

“I meant what I said.
You’re safe.”

“As long as you get
what you want from me.”

“I need that
information.”

“And I don’t have
it to give to you.”

We both know that’s
not true, but I don’t want to fight. Not now, or ever. I’ll focus
on the present. “Let’s just try and forget it all for tonight,
and focus on how bad I suck at video games.”

“Okay, and you’re
going to need to practice if you really suck. No fiancé of mine can
suck at video games. I’d be laughed right out of my gamer groups.”

“I promise I’ll try
to get better.”

“Thank you.”

I spend the rest of the
evening showing her just how bad I am. At every single game. It
doesn’t matter if it’s Pac Man, Call of Duty, or even Tetris—I
suck at it all. Darcy even tries rewarding me with kisses, but I’m
still horrible. She finally gives me one long and sexy kiss to thank
me for trying, and we part ways for the night. I promise to visit
this room with her every night to practice. I
do
want to get better, because I know it would make her happy. And I
really, really want to make her happy, even though I know I probably
can’t.

* * *

Darcy

The last two weeks have
been trying—and fun. During the day, I get lessons in Parliament
and History of Cyndryann. I also have to keep demonstrating my
training from Paris while attending lunches and dinners as a future
royal. One thing I really hate is that I have to walk behind Brayden.
I understand that I’m just a commoner and he’s a prince, but it
still rubs me the wrong way. Thank God for the nights, where we can
just be a girl and a guy.

Brayden has kept his
word and come to my game room every night in casual clothes. He still
sucks at the games, but I know he’s trying. It’s partly my fault
that he’s not getting better since our make-out sessions are
becoming longer than our playing times. It’s just getting harder
and harder to keep my hands off of him, even though I know I should.

Tonight, he had a
dinner with some businessman from the island—no women allowed. I
don’t know how late he’ll be, so I’m surprised to see him
standing there as my opens. He’s still in his suit, and I can’t
resist teasing him as I pause my game.

“You’re a little
overdressed, Crown.”

“I couldn’t wait to
see you, Cat. I can play in this.”

I shake my head. “Nope.
The jacket and tie need to go.”

He closes and locks the
door before doing as I ask. “Anything else?”

I cock my head.
“Hmm…okay, roll up your sleeves and unbutton a few buttons for
me. Oh and pull your shirt out of your pants, too.”

“I feel so
objectified.”

“You’ll get over
it.”

“Ouch.”

“Quit complaining and
take your shoes and socks off.”

“That’s a little
weird.”

“When have you worn
anything but athletic sandals in here?”

“Good point.”

He finishes all of my
requests, and stands with his arms out waiting for me to inspect him.
I put my arms around his stomach and squeeze his ass. “You’re
actually pretty sexy in a suit.”

“I’m glad you
approve.”

“Oh, I do. I’ll
show you just how much later. It’s time for you to try and shoot at
least one bad guy without killing all of your allies,” I tell him,
smacking that fine ass before sitting back down.

“I always love it
when you give me a goal.”

“Maybe tonight you’ll
meet said goal, and get a reward.”

“One can only hope.”

“Actually, two of us
are hoping,” I tell him honestly.

We stay up even later
than usual as he tries to do it. I don’t know how anyone can
possibly be so hopeless. I would laugh if he wasn’t trying so hard.
After he once again shoots his team member, I yawn and snuggle closer
into him where we’re lying on the couch.

“Do you want me to
go?”

“No. I want to cuddle
with you tonight.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm. Cuddling
sounds nice. If you want to, I mean.”

“I’m down with the
cuddling.”

The next thing I know,
I’m waking up to Brayden saying my name softly. I was having a
great dream where I’d pulled his shirt up to kiss and lick his
yummy abs. And my hand was down his pants stroking him. As he says my
name again, I realize that it wasn’t just a dream. My mouth is on
his stomach and my hand
is
down his pants. I look up at him with a sheepish smile.

“I was dreaming,” I
tell him as I stop stroking, but keep my hand where it is.

“I figured that out.
I honestly thought about not waking you up, but I didn’t want to
take advantage of you.”

“I think
I
was the one taking advantage.”

“Nah. I was enjoying
it. A. Lot.”

“So I can continue?”

“Only if I can
participate.”

I slide back up his
body and whisper against his lips. “Please touch me, Brayden.”

Darcy

After that, it’s all
about shifting clothes and exploring hands. Our mouths battle each
other for dominance, and it’s hotter than almost anything I’ve
ever experienced. Stroking him while he pinches my nipples and then
caresses my breasts, feels like heaven. I know he’s enjoying it
too, because he’s growing harder by the second.

I arch my neck as his
hands move lower. He nuzzles my neck, alternately kissing and
nibbling until he reaches the waistband of my pajama bottoms. “Lift
up, Cat.”

I do as he asks, and he
hooks his thumbs on each side, pulling my thong down right along with
the pants. I have to let go of him temporarily, but I miss the heavy
feel of him in my hand as I do. Until I think about him inside of me,
and then I get even more wet and ready.

“Help me take off
your pants. I want you inside of me.”

“Fuck. I don’t
think I have a condom.”

“Under the couch
cushions,” I tell him. “And yes, we’re going to do just that.
Fuck.”

“You put condoms in
the couch?”

“I knew it was only a
matter of time. Are you going to make a big deal of it, or are you
going to let me ride you until we both pass out?” I ask as I take
my top and bra off.

“Oh, definitely the
riding.”

He pulls up the
cushions and grabs a handful of condoms, tossing them down as he
takes off his own shirt. Once we’re both naked, we stop to look at
each other. We’ve touched each other, but we’ve never taken
everything off for each other before. Brayden’s beautiful. There’s
no other word for him. He’s not as built as Nate or Matt, and not
as lean as Aiden. He’s the perfection that’s in between them all.
And I want to have my mouth on every inch of him.