The Sinful King (Naughty Royals 1)

I went into the guest bathroom and locked the door. I stayed in there a little longer than necessary and re-did my wig and fixed my mask before walking out. The door to the bedroom opened as I stepped out of the guest bathroom and a woman walked out. She was fixing her dress and running a finger underneath her lip to fix her lipstick. She didn’t even glance my way as she walked down the hall and up the stairs. I didn’t even realize that I was frozen in place until he walked out of the room shortly afterward. He was wearing the exact same thing as everyone in the party, but there was absolutely no doubt that it was him. Unlike his companion, his head whipped in my direction and his eyes found mine.

Something about it propelled me to move forward. My heart pounded hard as I walked past him, and just when I thought I was going to leave him behind, he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. I stopped breathing. My heart was suddenly pumping in my ears, throbbing as relentlessly as the spot between my legs, because despite me thinking he was mean, there was no denying that I wanted him. My body wanted him. I pressed myself against him, taunting, tempting, and when he lowered his face to mine and bit my lower lip, I gasped into his mouth and threw my arms around him, deepening the kiss. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The way my body moved into his hands as they explored my body was purely erotic. Purely carnal. The music stopped as it switched into another song, that started off low, and the sound of heavy footsteps rang out in the hall. It was then that I snapped out of it and pushed away from him, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. His hand held mine for a second, as if he didn’t want to let me go, but I tugged and walked away.

I walked by a man going the opposite direction, my face burning beneath my mask. I wondered if he’d seen anything and if so, how much. When I got upstairs, I idled around, watching the people on the dance floor having fun dancing while others started hooking up around them. I took that as my cue to leave. I made an effort to find Pierre to say goodbye, but it was no use. Everyone looked the same in there and the darkness wasn’t helping. I made my way to the door.

Once the door was shut behind me, I let out a long, deep breath. Normally, I liked parties because I felt like I could get lost in them. At a party, I could drink and dance and be wild without judgment. After the whole thing happened with Thomas, I was hesitant to let others see me like that. I didn’t want to be known as the wild child of London, despite the papers and their headlines. I chanced another glance inside, where the strobe lights were whirling and the people were whooping and laughing. Maybe I’d had my fill of parties after all. I started walking toward my villa, but upon hearing the waves crashing the rocks below, I decided to take the stairs between the villas and go down there. I hadn’t visited the water since I’d arrived and the ocean felt like it was calling me now.

I slipped off the mask on my face, and the wig, as well as my shoes as I reached the bottom of the stairs and walked on the lukewarm sand. It had been hot today, the sun blazing and seeping into the sand beneath me. I knew from experience that if I’d walked out here during the day, my feet would’ve burned. Now, with the cooler temperature, the warmth the sun left behind was a mere memory. I sat down and inhaled the calming scent of the ocean, closing my eyes as the first wave crashed. How many times had I sat out here and pretended I was a mermaid and my prince was going to come save me? This town had been entirely too small for me when we lived here. It had been my father’s way of ensuring I stayed humble during my teenage years, despite the boarding schools and trips around the world.

“Did my party bore you?”

My heart stopped beating as my eyes popped open. I turned my face and looked up. Prince Elias seemed impossibly tall from this angle, like a giant who could touch the sky. Maybe he could. He sat down beside me, slipping the mask from his face and tossing it on the sand. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see his security detail standing by the steps. Near, yet far enough to give him privacy. I wondered if he’d bring up what just happened inside. I wondered if I would. No. Forget about it. It was a mistake. A one-time thing that happened at a sexy party. Nothing else.