Chapter Twenty
Danica sat on the edge of the swimming pool, her legs swinging through the water slowly. It was cool despite being in the desert, as if the vampires had some mechanism to keep it so. It was all very luxurious and above anything Danica had ever dealt with. Cooling pools, butlers, chefs? It was almost overwhelming. Danica had never even bothered to let a man open the door for her and now here she was, in a place where she was ordered not to clean, cook, or do anything except focus on racing. Even her room, every time she went back to it, was spotless and rearranged, the bed made despite her being a restless sleeper.
The desert wasn’t a quiet place, the sounds of nocturnal creatures in the distance venturing out as the sun sunk lower in the sky filling the air. Danica watched as the stars appeared above her one by one until it was a carpet of glittering jewels. She leaned back on her hands, her head tilted back, savoring the moment of peace before the storm. The race was only in a few days, the gala or ball or whatever it was called even closer. It was all so much, and yet, she was about to walk into that world without a moment’s hesitation. She had to.
Out in the desert, the stars were so much brighter, so much more plentiful. While Rockville wasn’t overpopulated, Indianapolis was still close enough that the light pollution kept the stars from being as bright as they were out in the desert. If this was the place she was going to spend her last days, at least it was beautiful. At least she got to see such a pretty sky.
The door opened to the house, drawing Danica’s eyes toward the interruption. When Phi stepped out, glorious in casual clothing she’d never seen him in, she forced herself to look back at the stars. At least the stars didn’t make her question her sanity. Still, she couldn’t help her gaze trailing right back to the form hugging jeans and black t-shirt Phi wore. Somehow, despite the casual clothing, he still looked just as regal as before. Mouth watering at the sight of him, she attempted again to force her gaze away only to fail. His arms were more exposed than ever, the shirt revealing biceps and forearms that were tantalizing. She couldn’t imagine what he’d look like naked.
Phi closed the door behind him and walked over to the opposite side of the pool, his eyes studying her. “Are you okay?” His voice was gentle, reassuring, as if he’d had lots of practice with that tone. He probably had. After all, princes probably went through intense training.
“Is that a serious question?” Danica asked with a raise of her brow. She lazily kicked her legs through the water, not splashing, letting the cool water sweep around her toes.
“You’re right,” he replied sheepishly. “My apologies.”
“No need. I’m here willingly, aren’t I?”
Phi studied her for a moment, his head tilted to the side. When he reached for the hem of his t-shirt, Danica stiffened.
“What are you doing?” Her voice went husky when he pulled it over his head and revealed all the muscle he’d been hiding under suits and button downs. What rule was it that princes had to look like statues? Didn’t they only look like that in movies?
Phi grinned at her clear tension and reached for the button of his jeans. “Going for a swim. That’s what the pool is for, no?”
Swallowing, Danica trailed her eyes up his body until she met his eyes. “That seems dangerous for someone who made a rule about not fraternizing with the driver.”
“Ah yes.” He pushed the jeans down to reveal black boxer briefs sporting a good-sized bulge. Danica froze completely. “It was a foolish rule, really. Something like that should be your decision. Sometimes, I forget I’m not a prince here.”
“You’re used to ordering people around.”
Phi shrugged and stepped toward the edge of the pool. “Unfortunately, yes. Arden often reminds me that I’m not a prince around him, but despite our friendship, if I gave a full order, he would respect what I said.”
“So does that mean you’re here attempting to seduce me while Arden is still under your order not to fuck me?”
Phi sunk into the cool water up to his waist and grinned. “If this is what you consider seduction, speed racer, I’m curious what you’ll think when I actually attempt to seduce you.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Danica pointed out. She kept her pose casual, soft, but despite her attempt, she knew she looked tense. She couldn’t help it. Never before had she dealt with a man so sensual, and here she was, dealing daily with two of them. Phi was flirting despite his previous decision, and when a predator was suddenly looking at her with hunger in his eyes, all her teasing went out the window. Danica had no idea how to face this creature once he set his sights on her.
Sinking into the water and languidly stroking through it, Phi moved in circles in the center of the pool, teasing in a way she hadn’t. His muscles rippled with the movements, a show that had her shifting against the cool tile of the pool edge.
“I revoked the order. Arden and I have decided it’s your decision what you do with yourself.”
His pale hair flowed around him in the water, giving him an ethereal look. It was interesting that Phi was a vampire and yet, like this, he looked like some sort of Fae prince from a storybook. How could someone look like that and act like that and yet, drink blood?
“And you think my decision will be to fuck the both of you? Out of what? Desperation?”
Phi paused his swimming and turned toward her, his eyes focused solely on her. When he began to swim slowly through the water toward her, she didn’t move. When he gripped the edge on either side of her thighs without touching her, caging her in, he looked up into her eyes.
“That isn’t what any of this is about, Danica.”
“Then what is it?” she asked. “What is your interest in me?”
“Besides the fact you are an amazing racer?” he complimented, smiling up at her. “There’s much to be interested in. You’re skilled, clever, beautiful. You don’t worry about what you say around me. You aren’t afraid. You flat out told me I’m not any prince of yours.”
Danica shrugged. “All normal things many people have. Disrespect shouldn’t be sexy. Find another human.”
“Ah, see,” Phi murmured, inching closer until his chest pressed against her knees. “Most human women who found out I was a prince would immediately try to seduce me, but the moment they find out I’m a vampire, they run screaming.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Danica breathed. “You’re beautiful. There’s plenty of human women who are looking for their own Lestat.”
Phi rolled his eyes. “If I wanted a woman to fawn over me, I’d choose one of the ones constantly being thrown at me by my father as a distraction.”
“Not a fan of having your ass kissed, are you?” Danica teased.
“I’d rather just kiss you,” he admitted, setting his chin on her knee, and looking up at her.
“And if I say no?”
He raised his brow. “Are you planning on saying no, speed racer?” The way his eyes swirled, he clearly knew the effect he was having on her, but Danica wasn’t a prime and proper debutante. She also wasn’t easily influenced.
“I haven’t decided yet if I want to teach you a lesson or not.” She grinned. “Perhaps I’ll leave you here to wonder what I taste like.” Phi’s eyes lit up. “Or maybe I’ll give into temptation and thread my hand through your hair.”
“Or you could scoot closer to this edge, remove your clothing, and I could taste you while you look at the stars.” Phi’s voice was thick with desire but the words he said shot right to Danica’s core, making her lower stomach clench in anticipation.
“Is that your plan for me?” she asked, her voice hardly more than a breath.
The corner of his lips curling up, Phi moved, his strong hands grabbing her knees and slowly inching her legs wider. She was wearing shorts, but he didn’t seem to mind as he spread her legs and began to drag her closer to the edge.
“You should know the risk that would come with me caring for you,” Phi said as his fingers smoothed up her thighs, as his wide shoulders settled between her legs.
“Risks?”
He nodded. “I explained how my father is, that I’m a threat. Should he find out that I cared for you. . .”
“He would target me specifically,” Danica finished, understanding. “Won’t he already target me as your driver?”
“Yes, but his efforts may double, knowing you are a lover.”
“And you think this is something that would dissuade me?” Danica gave into temptation and reached forward, threading her fingers into Phi’s hair. He hummed as she stroked through the wet locks, as she carefully combed through it. “I was already told I could die in the race. Why would some arrogant king scare me?”
“He’s powerful. And I am a predator with power—”
“Who has never once harmed me,” Danica interrupted. “In fact, you wouldn’t even touch me without my consent, and tried to stay away. Why now? What changed?”
Sighing, Phi traced his hands toward the shorts along her waist and unbuttoned them slowly, as if giving her time to disagree. “Something about you draws me in stronger than anything I have ever felt. Call it instinct, or perhaps it is your own magnetism, but I want to be as close to you as you will allow me, and I know Arden feels the same.” Phi looked up into her eyes. “If we do this, Arden and I aren’t competing. We are not jealous creatures. If you desire us both, you can have that. If you desire one, you can have that. If you choose neither, that is okay, too. But entering in this sort of relationship will put you more at risk than just being our driver would. Your emotions will be targeted, just as ours will be. So, if you do not want this, we will respect that decision and return to a professional relationship.”
Danica sat there and studied him, watching the prince putting himself lower than her as he gently stroked along the hem of her shorts and drove her mad. His words made sense, and the fact he was warning her made something inside her flip. But Danica had always been called to danger—she wouldn’t have been a racer if she wasn’t—and Phi and Arden were about as dangerous as a man could get. Either one of them could easily kill her at a moment’s notice. And yet, that didn’t deter her in the slightest.
Clenching her fist in Phi’s hair until his eyes flashed at her, Danica met his gaze with a challenge. “Shut up and kiss me, Your Majesty.”