Keeping My Prince Charming (5 page)

“But you don’t trust Casper, do you?”

“I need to make it into the inner circle.” His eyes sought mine. “That is why we are here.”

“What do you have to do to get into the inner circle?”

“I have to pass the test.” He looked away from me. “It’s all a game, Lola. It’s a game to test my resolve. My patience. My power. My ability to assume authority.”

“So how do they test it? What’s the game?”

“You’re a part of the game.” His eyes burned into mine intensely. “They are going to test me by using you.”

“Using me?”

“We’re surrounded by beauty and riches. Money means nothing to anyone here. The most prized possession we all have is the woman by our side.”

“You mean I’m your most prized possession?” I grinned. “And by the way, I’m not your possession, but I’m going to ignore that for now.”

“This isn’t a joking matter, Lola.” His face looked grave. “These men, these men are powerful and calculated. They will say and do anything.”

“You mean like Violeta?” I asked softly. “She’s not a man, though.”

“Everyone here is capable of things you wouldn’t want to tell your children at night.”

“What are they going to do to me?”

“That’s completely up to you,” he said, and then turned away and started applauding with the rest of the crowd as Stephan had stopped speaking. “I’m going to go and get us some wine, okay?”

“Okay.” I nodded, but I didn’t really want him to go. I wanted him to explain to me what he was talking about. I wanted to know what these men wanted of me or from me. I stood there for a few seconds just studying my hands. I could barely believe that I was in this situation. It was surreal and also exhilarating.

“Hello.” A deep sensual voice spoke from in front of me and I looked up. It was Prince Stephan, and his blue eyes looked warm and inviting.

“Hello,” I said almost shyly as I stood there. Why had he come up to talk to me? I looked to see if Xavier was close by, but he had disappeared into the crowd.

“Can I show you around?”

“Around?”

“My palace.” He smiled and placed his hand in front of me. “I can show you the rooms that no one else gets to see.”

“I shouldn’t. I’m waiting on someone.”

“It won’t take long.” He cocked his head. “I think you’ll find it quite exciting.”

“I… I guess, sure,” I said and bit my lower lip as I immediately regretted agreeing to go with this man I’d just met.

“Good.” He smiled and his hand was warm and soft as it grazed my arm. “Let me show you around. I like to make sure all my guests are well taken care of.” His eyes fell to my breasts and he licked his lips slightly as he looked back into my face. My heart skipped a beat at the expression of lust in his eyes. I followed behind him like a lamb, not sure what I was doing, but feeling like I was being led to my slaughter.

Chapter Seven

Xavier

I heard a couple of the local girls whispering and giggling behind me as I waited to collect the two glasses of wine. One of them was a bit more confident than the rest and she whispered a little bit louder, hoping I would hear her and turn around. I knew the deal and I wasn’t interested. I didn’t have any interest in checking out any of their goods. I didn’t have time for a fling. Not this time. And I didn’t want one, either. The only woman I wanted was Lola. Though I knew they didn’t care about that. In fact, they would see it as an even bigger challenge. Sleeping with a prince was one thing, but sleeping with a prince who was in love with another sweetened the deal to these women. It was another part of my world that I found distasteful.

“He’s so dreamy,” one of the girls sighed to her friend, and I hid a smile as I looked back and made eye contact with the girl: a cute redhead. If she only knew the truth. I was anything but dreamy. I turned back around and frowned to myself as I realized that I’d lost sight of Lola. I’d allowed myself to get distracted at the wrong time. I didn’t know where she was. Who was after her? Who would be the first one to test her? I wanted to slam my fist against the wall. The games had started and already they had the upper hand. I looked around the room quickly to see if I could find her, but she was nowhere to be seen. And then I saw Stephan, hurrying up the stairs with a smile on his face, and I knew. It had started. And suddenly I was afraid. I was afraid that I was going to lose, and in that moment I wished that I’d never brought Lola here with me.

Chapter Eight

Lola

Heart beating fast. Check.

Temperature rising. Check.

Sexy man in front of me. Check.

Mind racing in fear. Check.

And then he said my name: slowly, deeply, softly, enjoying the taste of it as it slipped from his lips.

“Lola.” He said my name again and I froze.

This princ
e
—
this strange
r
—
knew my name. I knew his name was Stephan because he’d been speaking to everyone at the front of the room. He was obviously the man of the night. He’d not been introduced to me, though. We’d not even been in the same vicinity until this moment. He hadn’t even glanced at me, except for that one moment when he was speaking. That one moment that Xavier had said was a direct challenge to him. I shivered in the cool room. My resolve was leaving me. I wasn’t sure that I was ready for this game that had seemed so easy when arriving at the palace. Xavier had tried to warn me that it wouldn’t be easy. That this was a dark world. I hadn’t realized what he meant, but now I did. It wasn’t just dark because of the people I was with. It was dark because of my feelings as well. Stephan smiled at me, his eyes looking at my lips for a few seconds before looking back into my eyes.

“Lola is such a beautiful name,” he said in his beautiful, melodic voice, his German accent somehow sounding more sexy than guttural.

I froze as I stared at him, wondering what was going to happen next. Who was this man? I’d never met him before this night, but he knew my name and his eyes were staring into mine with a fiery, passionate look. I swallowed hard as I wondered what he knew, how he knew, if he knew everything that was going on. Even more worrying to me was the wonder of what he wanted. I took a step back, wanting to leave, and then he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me toward him.

“Kiss me,” he commanded, and this time his words were hard and impatient. I shivered as I felt his body pressed against mine intimately. He was turned on and that made me happy and powerful, for some inexplicable reason. I closed my eyes and leaned forward, ready to taste him, wanting to know who he was, but then I pulled back, my brain overcoming the shroud of lust that filled me every time I gazed at him. He was too handsome for his own good. Too sexy. He had too much charm and I shook my head slightly, feeling embarrassed that I’d gotten caught up in the moment so easily.

“How do you know my name?” I stared up at him with wide eyes. And I knew my expression showed my surprise when he chuckled.

“What don’t I know about you, Lola?” His eyes darkened for a second before he leaned down and kissed me softly. His lips tasted like salted cherries and I was unprepared for the shock that ran through me as his tongue entered my mouth, smooth and steady. I reached up and grabbed his neck to stop from falling to the ground as my legs started shaking. His eyes laughed into mine as he continued kissing me. I didn’t kiss him back, but I wasn’t able to stop him. In that moment I couldn’t think or act or do anything. I didn’t care who he was or what he wanted. All I could think about was the fact that his lips were on mine and burning a deep desire down into my soul, and then he pulled away. I groaned involuntarily and he laughed as he studied my red face.

“I want to know everything about you, Lola.” His fingers traced a line down my face as he stared at me intently. “I’m not going to let you leave until I know everything.”

And that’s when the ground beneath me felt like it was shaking, like some sort of earthquake had hit. Suddenly, I was afraid and totally aware of my environment. I wanted to cry out in shame as I realized what I’d just done and felt. I’d let him kiss me, intimately. And for a split second I’d enjoyed it. For a split second his intensity had overwhelmed me. And that is when my body started trembling uncontrollably. Suddenly, it struck me that this man might be the one person that Xavier had been trying to warn me about. Maybe Prince Stephan was the one I should have been worried about. Maybe Casper was nothing but an innocent distraction. Maybe Stephan was the top dog. Maybe that was why Casper and Violeta had not stopped Xavier from attending tonight. Maybe they were nothing but pawns to be ignored and discarded.

“Tell me your deepest desire and I’ll create your darkest fantasy,” Stephan said, and I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t want to respond, but my imagination was running wild. Was he propositioning me?

“Wh-What are you talking about?” I stuttered, my eyes wide. I didn’t anticipate his swift reply or how quickly he would pull me into his arms again.

“Spend one week with me. Let me pleasure you and show you how I can make your fantasies come to life.” His blue eyes looked dark with desire as he stared at me with such intensity that I wouldn’t have been surprised if bolts of fire had emanated from him. All of a sudden I was taken back to what Casper had said to me in the room in Delmar when he tried to convince me to have a threesome. Hadn’t he said something similar? Hadn’t he also wanted to take me on a sexual journey? And then I realized that this was the game. They were trying to get me. I was the prize. Or rather, I wasn’t the prize, but the goal. Whoever ended up with me was the winner, even though I wasn’t important to Casper or Stephan. They were trying to usurp Xavier. Xavier had brought me here for a reason. He trusted me. He trusted that I could play the game and not fall under Casper or Stephan’s spell. Unlike Violeta. Violeta had fallen for Casper and then gotten pregnant. Only she had been discarded by all of them because Xavier had never really cared for her. Not like he cared for me. He’d been right. This world was dark and scary. And I wasn’t sure that I was prepared to play the game. I was attracted to Stephan in a way I hadn’t been attracted to Casper. It was easy for me to say no to Casper, but I knew it would be harder with Stephan, even though I didn’t want him mentally. There was just something about him physically that drew me in and mesmerized me. Something that made time stand still and made me forget exactly who I was and what I was doing. And that scared me. I’d never been so inexplicably drawn to a man. Not even Xavier, though I’d thought of him as a sex god the first time I’d seen him.

“What do I have to do during that week?” I asked softly, my voice a whisper as I answered him. I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. Or rather, I couldn’t believe that I was having this conversation with him. I couldn’t believe I was playing this game, letting him think that I was actually entertaining the idea of spending a week with him.

“Submit.” He growled as he leaned toward me. “All you have to do is submit.” He grabbed my wrists and pulled them up above my head. My heart beat fast as his fingers dug into my skin. I could feel my chest rising and I watched him staring at the exposed parts of my breasts.

I swallowed hard as I stared at his handsome, brooding face, and I knew exactly what my answer was going to be. I knew exactly what my answer had to be if I wanted to find out all of his secrets and how far this game was going to go. I wished that I could speak to Xavier. I wished that I could find out what he wanted from me. “So what do you say, Lola?” He dropped my hands and stepped back. “Will you spend the next seven nights with me?”

I nodded slowly and I watched as a wide smile spread across his face. He looked away as a flash of excitement and power invaded his soul. I looked down and tried to hide my smile. I had him where I wanted him. Prince Stephan actually believed that this was the beginning of his wicked week with me. He actually believed that he was going to succeed where Casper had failed. He believed that I was going to capitulate to him and forget Xavier. He believed that his sex appeal meant more to me than my love for Xavier. He had no idea that I had other plans. He had no idea that he was the one who was going to get played. I just hoped that whatever games Xavier had planned wouldn’t extend past the night. I knew that Xavier had to have known that I would be tested. And I knew that he had faith in me. I was going to play along for now. I was going to see what happened next.

“Let’s leave now, then,” he said abruptly, and my heart stopped. This was not what I’d expected. There was no way I was going to leave with him
now
. This was not what was supposed to happen next. All of a sudden I felt like a little kid, and panic and anxiety filled me. I wished more than ever that Anna were here with me.

“I’m here with someone. I can’t just leave now.” It was true. He knew I was here with Xavier.

“That someone is not a threat to me.” He smiled and I stared at his perfect white teeth. This man was gorgeous and fearless, and my heart thudded as he looked me over admiringly.

“A threat?” I frowned. What did he mean by that?

“I’m not worried about any other men in your life.”

“Excuse me? There are not multiple other men in my life.” I bit my lower lip as he leaned closer to me. Was he going to kiss me again? I knew that he was an asshole and that I couldn’t let him kiss me again. I could see in his eyes that he just wanted to have sex with me. I didn’t like his assumption that he could just kiss me again as he pleased, and I was worried that he might try to do something else.

“That’s why I said I’m not worried about any other men.” He stopped moving when his lips were a mere inch away from mine. I could feel his breath on my face and my lips trembled slightly at his proximity. “Xavier is not a threat to me.”

“Stephan, no,” I said, annoyed as he made to kiss me again. I didn’t want him to have the upper hand already. I was already failing Xavier by allowing him to kiss me and lose my head.

“No?”

“That’s what I said,” I snapped.

“Feisty. I like that.” He grinned at me and I watched as he ran his hands through his dark, silky hair. He looked at me thoughtfully. “You’re different from the others.”

“The others?” I took a step back from him and frowned. How many others had there been?

“They don’t matter.” He shook his head. “I want you to do me a favor.”

“A favor? How?” I ran my hands down my side, wondering what he was going to ask me.

“Dance with me.”

“Dance with you?” I said in surprise.

“Yes, unless your boyfriend would have a problem with it.”

“He’s my fiancé and he would have a huge problem with it.”

“We both know he’s not really your fiancé.” Stephan scoffed. “Why did he leave—”

“Lola, there you are.” Xavier pushed open the door. “I’ve been looking for you.” He strode into the room, worry on his face, and he looked at my red face with a disapproving look.

“Hello, Xavier.” Stephan smiled at Xavier wildly and then looked at me. “Like I said, he’s not a threat. Lola, shall we leave now?” He chuckled and I could feel my face burning with shame and embarrassment. I avoided his gaze and looked at Xavier, who was scowling. I had no idea why he’d come up here or what he expected from me. My heart beat with love as I looked at his face. He looked jealous, worried and concerned and I could see the love in his eyes as he stared at me. It was hard to believe that he loved me too. He was too handsome and too rich to be interested in someone like me. I felt confused and out of my comfort zone with all these handsome princes trying to woo me and bed me. Men like them didn’t approach me, and I was glad for it now. I was glad that I hadn’t had to deal with situations like these all my life. I wouldn’t have known how to handle dating men like these when I was younger. Not that I thought that Stephan wanted to date me. Oh no. I knew from the look in his eyes that dating was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to take me to bed. Or rather, he wanted to fuck me. I looked at Stephan and the primal look on his face, and I knew ‘fuck’ was the operative word. He was not a man who made love. He didn’t want to kiss and caress me and ensure that I had an orgasm every single time. He wanted to fuck me. Hard and deep.And take what he wanted. He wanted to dominate in every sense of the word. And a part of m
e
—
a part I didn’t even know existe
d
—
was secretly thrilled by that fact. A part of me wondered what it would be like to be taken wildly and with abandon. I stared at Xavier then and I knew that I was going to tell him my thoughts. I was going to tell him that I wanted to explore and experiment. I wanted to be taken on a journey of desire, as Stephan had said. Only I didn’t want Stephan to be the one taking me there. I wanted it to be Xavier.

“Shall we leave, Lola?” Stephan said again. “Are your lips aching to be kissed by mine once more?”

I looked down in shame as Xavier glared at me, his eyes narrowing. “Lola’s not going anywhere.” Xavier’s voice was harsh as he spoke to Stephan. “You, of all people, know how this works, Stephan.”

“I know how it works,” Stephan said lightly and then looked at me. “I just don’t think that she knows or is prepared for what comes next.”

“What comes next?” I asked, my eyes wide as I looked to Xavier’s face. His expression was unreadable and I could tell that he was still angry with me. I wanted to explain to him that I hadn’t wanted Stephan to kiss me. I wanted to explain to him that I’d been in a haze and that I loved him. There was no one I wanted more than him.

“Next is the Touch of a Kiss competition.” Stephan’s words sounded lyrical. “I wasn’t going to subject you to it, but I think that Xavier has other plans.”

“Xavier? What is the Touch of a Kiss competition?” My voice sounded shaky as I spoke to him.