Royal Service (Royals of Danovar 1)

She shook herself. She wasn’t “falling for” him. She was having a fling with him. There was a huge difference, and it was best she remember it, along with her all-important goal for the Summer House Party.

Twenty minutes later, Phillip pulled the bike over at his destination: a ruined watchtower, hauntingly beautiful. Not that Ella had much attention to devote to its beauty, since her hair was, as predicted, a total mess. She grumbled as she tried to pat it back down.

Phillip leaned the bike against one of the crumbling walls, giving her a sexy smirk. “I’m guessing you didn’t watch that messy bun video I sent you?”

“If you think it’s snarled now, you should have seen it post-messy-bun-video,” she answered. “Extra emphasis on the messy.”

He tugged off his own helmet and came closer, reaching out to capture a strand of her hair. He rubbed it between his fingertips and she could do nothing but watch, riveted by the sight of those square, strong fingers twisting a bit of her hair between them. It made her want to see what other talents his fingers might have.

“Beautiful,” he mused, his smoldering eyes meeting hers for a moment, and she caught her breath. “Let me see what I can do.” And then both hands were in her hair, tugging gently and twisting carefully, and her knees just about buckled at his touch. “I’ve always loved this color,” he added. His smug tone said he knew exactly the effect he was having on her, and that he was enjoying the hell out of it.

She licked her lips and tried to distract herself. There was still one member of his security detail within view, but damn it, that man better get his ass over the hill in the next thirty seconds or she could not be held responsible for what he was about to see. “Actually, I have a secret,” she told Phillip. “It’s dyed.”

He laughed. “No. Really?”

“Oh yeah. It used to be brown. I guess I was ready for a change.”

With one final tug, he finished whatever he was doing to her hair. She couldn’t see it, but it felt comfortable and stayed in place rather than falling in her eyes. And judging from that possessive, satisfied look on Phillip’s place, she looked damned hot, too.

His gaze slid back down to her eyes and the connection between them went molten. “Might I be rewarded for a job well done?” he asked softly.

“Oh, hell yes you might,” she said, and grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him down to her. She didn’t know if the guard was still in view but she no longer cared about anything other than what she was finally, finally doing right now. She was so hungry for him, so full of wanting that she ached with it.

Their lips met again and, even though she’d meant for this kiss to be a little slower and more exploratory, it instantly went hot and aching and desperate just like last time. She couldn’t get enough of him. It had neve

r been like this before, not with any of her prior boyfriends—not that there’d been all that many of those. But with Phillip, it was like she couldn’t get close enough. She wanted to be all tangled up with this man, wanted him wrapped around her, his heavy weight holding her down, his hard cock buried deep inside her, so much that she couldn’t think about anything else.

She nipped at the glorious stubble on his jaw and he groaned, putting both hands on her ass and squeezing, picking her up. She wrapped both legs around him this time, crossed her ankles at his back and shifted a little lower until she found the perfect spot. She squirmed against him, right there, and oh God he was so hard already—and quite sizable too, from what she could tell. He groaned and his kiss gained an edge, flushing her with desire.

She broke away. “Up against the wall,” she panted. “Or fast and rough on the floor. Anywhere, as long as it’s right now.”

He looked at her, his eyes heavy-lidded as she quoted his letter. “Your wish is my command,” he murmured in a voice rough with desire. He started backing her toward the castle’s wall—

And a throat cleared behind them. A member of the security detail, discreetly looking the other way, but present nonetheless.

Ella all but growled. Damn it, would she never get any alone time with her would-be lover?

“Apologies, Your Highness, but it’s time for your next appointment with the eligible ladies.”

Phillip drooped, setting Ella down gently with a deep sigh. “Duty calls,” he said, regret heavy in his gaze.

She nodded tightly. “Of course,” she said, but then narrowed her eyes. “We will finish this later. Right?”

His smile was slow and suggestive as he stepped back, looked her up and down. “Of that, you can be assured,” he said. He picked up her hand, bowed over it, and kissed her fingers. Hell, he would go all kingly on her again when he knew she couldn’t do anything about it. But such was the downside of having a fling with royalty, she supposed. She would always take second place to his obligations.

Unless she let him convince her to put her name in the running for queen. Then, their business could be official and there would be so much less to interrupt them. It would be just him and her, sex under the stars and his hands in her hair and that adorable, boyish smile forever.

Her lips tightened as she climbed on the bike behind him. No. She knew her future, and as much as she might wish he could be in it long-term, it just wasn’t meant to be.

But so help her God, they would have at least one night together. She would make sure of it.

* * *

Dear Phillip,

I’ve spent most of the day at my desk, drinking more coffee than can possibly be healthy while I try to fix Anna’s necklace. It’s gotten hopelessly tangled—she never wears jewelry if she can help it, so it’s been stuffed in the back of her luggage for ages—and my stepmother is insisting she wear it to the dance tomorrow night. I’m sure she’ll look lovely in it, though. You should keep an eye out for her.

I have to admit, untangling the necklace is taking so long because I keep catching myself daydreaming about you. I’m about to set this aside and take a long bath, and I wish you were here to take one with me. We could dim the lights, scatter a few candles around the room, and slip in together. I want to do all kinds of things with you—and have you do all kinds of things to me. Did you know you have that effect on me? It’s downright intoxicating.