Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Is everything alright, sir?” My secretary intervenes, trying to block my path.
“Everything is fine.” I wave him away. “Let me be for a minute.”
He doesn’t argue, and I follow the mystery woman onto the lawn. She’s trying to outrun me, but my legs are longer, and she has the disadvantage of heels, which she’s clearly not accustomed to wearing.
When we both spill out into the garden, her heel gets caught in the grass, and she tumbles forward onto her knees. The next time she looks up, she’s at eye level with my cock. She swallows her nerves, and I tug her up into my grasp.
“What is your name?” I demand.
“Why?” she asks breathlessly. “Are you going to have me arrested?”
The streak of fear in her eyes is enough to make me question everything. I can’t figure out what it is about this woman, or why I even give a fuck, but I can’t let her leave without knowing more. It irritates me, and it fascinates me, and I can’t rationalize this senseless hunger to strip her bare and force her to reveal her secrets. But when I reach for her mask, she gasps, shaking her head.
“I can’t. I can’t, Your Highness, please forgive me.”
“It’s too late for forgiveness. Give me a name.”
“Cinderella!” she cries out. “That’s what I’m known by, and now I really must go.”
My eyes drift to her lips, and my cock stirs to life in my trousers. It’s a pity she’s so beautiful. I’m tempted to drag her around the corner of the palace and hate fuck her right here on the lawn, smearing her lipstick and ruining that pretty dress of hers when I spray my come across her tits.
“Thor?” Calder’s voice startles me, bringing order back to the chaos in my mind. “What are you doing out here?”
When I turn toward him, the mystery woman slips out of my grasp, and it takes all of my restraint not to chase after her again as she glances at me one last time.
“Who was that?” my brother asks.
“Nobody.”
“It didn’t look like nobody.” He arches a brow at me.
“She was offensive and needed a reminder of her manners.”
“They are all offensive.” He chuckles darkly. “Isn’t that the entire point?”
I nod and turn to go back inside, but the reflection of her heel stuck in the grass captures my attention. She left it behind. Calder watches me curiously as I kneel to examine it, tugging it from the dirt and tucking it against my side.
“What are you doing with that?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Perhaps she’ll want it back someday.”
The rest of the evening passes in a blur of faces and grating laughter. By the time I leave the white drawing room, I’m far past ready to retire.
“Surely, you must have found someone who would suit your dick for the evening.” Calder blocks the escape path to my quarters. “The night is still young.”
“Another time.” I shrug him off. “I’m not in the mood to return to the party.”
“You are never in the mood.” Concern seeps into his features as he studies me. “Do I need to worry about you, brother?”
“No.” I disregard the pity in his eyes, opting not to react to it. While my brother’s intentions might be honorable, he should know he’s treading on thin ice.
“Perhaps we need to make another appointment with Dr. Blom when we return home,” he suggests. “We can speak to him together.”
“That’s unnecessary.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Regardless, this is not the time nor the place to discuss such matters.”
“I’m sorry.” He bows his head and shrugs. “I just wanted you to have a good weekend before we return to your royal duties.”
“There is no escaping my royal duties,” I remind him. “Only through death.”
Calder grabs my arm, his expression morphing to one of despair. “Don’t even joke about that. It isn’t funny.”
The hard outer shell of my heart softens, if only a little. “I know. I’m sorry.”
We study each other, allowing the tension to ebb away before more words are spoken between us.
“Please return to the party,” I implore him. “Enjoy your evening. Don’t hold back on my account.”
He sighs and gives me a resigned nod. “As you wish. Just promise me you won’t sit in your room brooding all weekend.”
My focus inadvertently moves to the heel in my possession, and a sinister seed plants itself in my mind. “I can assure you I have no intentions of that.”
6
Thorsen
“As much as I love slacking off in England and partying every night, I think Father might blow a gasket if we don’t get you back to your royal cage soon.”
I tear my attention away from the list of names in front of me to meet his gaze. “I only need a couple more days. My engagements can wait until then.”