The Princess Finds Her Match

“Stop it,” she croaked, and the activity on her shoulder blade ceased. “Not you,” she ground out over her shoulder to Vinny. “Him!”

Nic smothered a laugh, not minding Mike’s needle. The man was clearly enjoying himself at her expense. Lexie decided it was payback time. She caught his eye and deliberately made a show of dragging her gaze down all over his body until she settled on the area between his legs. In disbelief, the wicked man splayed his limbs even wider, making himself more comfortable. She gave a small gasp of faux outrage when she saw the bulge in his crotch. With a huff, as much as she could do anyway without Vinny complaining she was moving too much, she turned her face away. But not before she saw the amused gleam in his electric blues that had her smiling like an idiot until Vinny was done with her.

* * *

Nic insisted on paying for their tats even though she was secretly a modern royal and carried money with her, unlike Stefan, who delegated everything to his personal secretary. She gave in graciously. Everything was rosy in her alcohol-induced buzz.

“Show me your tattoo,” Lexie demanded. They stepped out of the shop as the taxi they called in pulled up by the curb. Nic pulled up his right sleeve. “Rojita,” she read, trying to make out the letters written in beautiful cursive. Then understanding dawned. “It means little red one,” she translated, suddenly short of breath. She touched her wig involuntarily.

He smiled in amazement. “You know Spanish?”

She nodded. “It was a requirement. I had to learn four languages as a child−” she broke off, suddenly remembering she was a different person tonight. Nic’s smile faltered and his expression became shuttered.

“Let’s get out of here.”

There was a definite chill inside the cab. Lexie suddenly felt awkward as the driver asked for their destination. Nic’s eyes were glittering even in the dim interior. When she refused to say anything, he said evenly, “The Bellagio.”

“Nic.” She reached out for his hand tentatively, needing his warmth. He was staring rigidly out of the window. “Please, don’t be like this. Not tonight.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you what you want to know tomorrow.” Tomorrow I can handle it. I must.

His shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. “What do you want from me, Lexie?” His tone was neutral but his eyes were another story. “I need you to say it.”

Did she dare? Again? To be reckless and foolish? It was only for one goddamn night. She owed it to herself, and after…she wouldn’t think about that now. She wouldn’t, not when Nic’s eyes were clearly telling her the same thing she needed.

She took a deep breath. ”I want you to make love to me, Nic,” she declared, finally jumping off the tower, free falling.

Chapter Four

The moment the door of his hotel room slammed close, Nic had her back pressed against it in two seconds flat. Both his arms were flanking her head, trapping her.

“I’m clean, Lexie. I had myself tested months ago and I haven’t,” he kissed the tip of her nose, “been,” and the area between nose and lips, “with a woman since.”

He paused, and she knew it was her cue. “I haven’t been with a man since−” she floundered, “since then, too.” Lexie doubted he had even heard what she had said.

He leaned in closer, angling his head towards her neck. “Did you just sniff me?” she squeaked.

“Hhhmm,” he murmured, “you smell so fucking good.” And he sniffed again. “Like a flower,” he nuzzled the skin under her jaw, “the purple one.”

Due to her repressed upbringing, or at least, that was how she chose to justify it, Lexie found nothing as erotic as the combination of the F word and a gorgeous, sexy man who was going to be effing her in a few moments. Okay, scratch that. The big hand that was presently slinking up her thigh right this second and nearing its presumed target? That was just as effing erotic, too.

“It’s lavender−oohh!” Lexie attempted to sound sexy and breathy at the start, all soft, tremulous moans and sighs issuing forth from her lips as Nic did wicked things to her body, but all veneer of sex kitten left her when his tongue darted inside her ear and started doing things there that should be declared illegal. “Aaargh!” It was a cross between a giggle and a whimper of pleasure but managed to sound like a cat purring with a hairball stuck in its throat. Lexie started sliding down to the floor but Nic caught her and strode to the bed, laying her down gently.