For the most part, the night was less stressful than Romaine assumed it would be… up until she heard her aunt Alba’s shrill cackle across the room. Not her… All her positive vibes shattered with the noise.“Romy! Darling! Where is my beautiful, amazing niece?” Cringing as she brushed her hair from her face, Romaine collected herself before answering. When she turned, she grinned and held out her arms to embrace her aunt.“Aunt Alba, I’m so glad you joined the party... We were worried you would be too busy and would not be able to make it.”“Too busy to come to the Royal Ball and celebrate my beloved niece? Never,” Alba crowed, holding Romaine’s face a bit too tightly in her hands. “Darling, you look more like your mother every day.”“Just the other day, Father said the same thing,” Romaine replied, waiting impatiently for her to let go. Since she was a child, romaine always hated the way her aunt would squeeze her face. When Alba did let go, Romaine force
Romaine punched her pillow again, trying to find a comfortable position, when her alarm sounded near her head. With a groan, she reached out to turn it off and burrowed deeper into the blankets. ‘Too early… Way too early, as always…’ Especially after a night when all she could do was toss and turn, those icy-grey eyes watching her every move. The door to her main rooms swung open, and Marisol called out a good morning to her, bright and chipper.“Why are you still in bed, Princess? You have much to do today,” Marisol scolded, bustling into the bedroom. She grabbed the curtains and threw them back, letting in the bright morning sun shining off the water.“A good day to do great things…”“If you say so…” Romaine grumbled.“Come on! You’ll have a chance to take a walk through the courtyard.” Romaine smiled slightly as she got out of bed, stretched, and disappeared into the bathroom for a shower. Usually, she took a hot shower and filled
Kingston took a step towards the door until he realized she hadn’t gotten out of her chair yet. Her head was hanging, she looked defeated, exhausted, and he scowled at her.“Permission to speak, Ma’am?” he asked quietly. She nodded without lifting her head.“By all means, speak.” He ignored that and stepped closer.“You need to eat. Should I call to have something brought to you here?”“No, King, that won’t be necessary,” she said and pushed herself up from her seat. Romaine grinned, looking overly happy, and scooped up the papers.“I’ll be fine, I promise.”“Do you do this often, Ma’am?”“Do what, King?”“Neglect your own needs.” Her smile slipped a little but didn’t fall completely.“I do what I have to do as a future ruler… That is what I’ve been taught to do since I was old enough to understand politics.”“You won’t be able to carry out your duties if you’re performing at half capacity,” Kingston insisted.“I perform just fine, tha
Romaine barely made it through dinner with King Hernando e Queen Dorothea, her parents, struggling to remain happy while Kingston, the man who was torturing her senses, was standing so close behind her chair. She tried to eat, but every single bite was going down pushed by little sips of water. After dinner, she wished them both goodnight and started walking slowly towards her rooms. While Kingston escorted her, his hand brushed casually against hers. Their eyes met, and his flared with a hunger so fierce she’d stumbled over her feet. He caught her in those strong hands… hands Romaine desperately wanted to feel on her body again. Even more than before… At her door, Romaine stood awkwardly, tugging at her earlobe and trying to find something to say to him. She wanted to apologize for pushing, but at the same time, he was still hiding everything from her. And she wanted to know him better. She wanted to know all about him, good or bad.“King, I…” sh
His tone changed, and her grip on her glass tightened. That same tone had come out of his mother’s mouth the night before.“Thiago, I know you since forever… And I know when you hide stuff from me. Please, tell me what else is on your mind? And stop beating around the bush. I am your cousin, after all. We’re family.”“Are we, Romy? Are we really? Because it doesn’t feel like it these days. I hardly see you outside of formal occasions anymore… You used to be so much fun, darling.”“Of course, we are family… What kind of question is this? The reason of my disappearing is that I’ve been busy with the education reforms, amongst other things. Come on, Thiago… You know this,” Romaine assured him even though it was a lie. She avoided him when she could because she didn’t want to hear any more about Alba or the issues at the docks. He sipped the wine again, and she lifted her eyebrow at his grimace.“Yeah, right… Of course… Those damn reforms of yours. You do realize what i
The next morning, Romaine had barely drunk half a cup of coffee and went through half her day’s appointments list when the doors to her rooms were thrown open. She caught a glimpse of Kingston through them, but he vanished as her mother swept inside. “Good morning, Romy, sweetie,” she said brightly and kissed her cheek. “Mother, you’re awfully cheerful this morning,” Romaine pointed out. “Coffee?” “No, darling, and you shouldn’t be drinking so much caffeine. Is not good for you,” she mused and took a seat opposite her daughter at the table. Romaine picked up her coffee and sipped it, smirking as her mother clicked her tongue. “My God, you’re incorrigible, child…” she said shaking her head. “What do you need, Mother?” “Your father and I want to know how the new bodyguard is working out. Do you like him or do we need to find a replace
“Well… I was wondering why a princess would sneak up to the rooftop in the middle of the night,” Kingston replied. “Not the easiest place to run off to.”“Are you scared of heights, King?” Romaine asked with a raised eyebrow. He thought of all the places he’d had to reach in order to hit his target.“No, not at all.” She stared at him for a long moment before she patted the space next to her. “Since you’re here, you might as well join me.”“If that is what you wish... Ma’am.”“And drop the ‘Ma’am’ part… No formalities when we’re alone,” she muttered, sounding more exhausted than he realized. “Since you’re King, I’m going to be Romy… No princess, no Ma’am, n
Marisol called out for Romaine as she bustled around her living room, but the princess was in no mood to get out of bed. All night, she’d dreamt of Kingston kissing her, his hands all over her body as he stripped her bare and did things to her Romaine never thought possible. Every inch of her body cried out for him, and her thighs clamped tightly shut to stop the powerful throbbing happening again. She kept the covers pulled up over her face when the bedroom door was thrown open and heeled steps clicked across the floor. Her private assistant hummed as she scurried about the room, and Romaine listened as she threw the curtains open.“Come on now, Princess, the King, and the Queen have requested to meet with you.” Romaine
“This is not true! It’s all lies!” Thiago yelled, but Kingston shook him hard enough for his teeth to rattle. Queen Dorothea’s hand covered her mouth as King Hernando’s opened and closed like a fish out of water.“Romaine… What are you saying? This is madness! This is pure madness! Thiago is your cousin! You’ve been close your entire lives… He cares for you…”“And he wants the throne, Father,” Romaine argued angrily. “But you know this… Both of you do.”“I don’t understand,” Queen Dorothea whispered. “Romy, sweetheart, we would have known if you were kidnapped.”“Obviously not, Mother,” she replied gently, trying to reign in her rage. “You’ve been too busy deciding for me, controlling my life, playing my strings like I was some soulless, stupid marionette to realize the actual danger I was in.” She tossed the phone to Brent.“Can you, please, play the file that’s up, and make sure everyone can hear it.”“Immediately, Your Royal Highness,” Brent said. He b
Two other men charged forward, their guns firing towards Kingston, but one was dropped by Iker and the second went down when Kingston fired.“Four… Romy, what do you hear?”“‘Nothing… It’s quiet… No! Get your filthy hands off me, you bastard!’”“Romy! What’s happening there?”“‘Let me go, you coward! King!!!!! King!!!!!’”“‘Shut up, you little bitch!’” Raoul shouted. Kingston stared through the scope, and when Raoul came back into view with his gun aimed at Romaine’s head, his entire body exploded in fury.“Put down your weapons!” Raoul called out to the dockyard. “Do it or I’ll kill her! I swear to God I will!”“‘King,’” Romaine whispered, and Raoul yanked hard on her hair. She reached back, trying to get free, but Raoul smacked her with the gun, and Romaine staggered.“‘King, can you get a shot?’” Iker asked quietly. “‘I’m blocked. I can’t see shit.’” He scooted forward, his hands the steadiest they’d been in years, and put his eye back to the
Kingston unlocked his old storage shed with all of the things that he hadn’t taken to the palace with him. Iker slipped in behind him, and Kingston went straight to the gun safe in the back. He opened it and said he was going to give Brent an update. He stepped back and texted Brent, asking him to call if he could. A second later, his cell went off.“‘King, I’m here! Tell me everything! What did you find out?’”“I was able to hear Romy and trace her current location… Brent, she’s been kidnapped by Thiago and Raoul,” Kingston said tightly.“‘Are you kidding me?’” Voices echoed behind him, but they died down.“‘Guess who is here telling them all Princess Romaine ran away…?’”“Thiago? How in the hell had he gotten there already?”“‘No, bro… It’s Alba. She showed the King and the Queen a text from Thiago saying Romaine told him early this morning she was taking off. He hasn’t shown up yet.’”“He will… soon enough.” Kingston filled him in briefly on w
Romaine’s mouth was dry and her vision fuzzy. She tried to remember exactly what had happened, but there was a blank in her memories. She moved, trying to stand, but her hands were bound in her lap and she was tied securely to a chair. Panic set in and her eyes widened.“Help!” She yanked hard and yelled as she tried to break free.“Please! Somebody, help me!” Romaine screamed over and over. Steps sounded close by, and when Thiago appeared in the doorway, Romaine tried to lunge toward him, but the ropes cut and burned into her.“Oh, damn it! You son of a bitch! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let me go! Let me go right now!” He pulled a gun from his waistband, and Romaine glared at him.“Is that supposed to scare me? Well, I got news for you, you bastard… I’m not scared of you,” Romaine spat and hoped her voice wasn’t shaking like her hands.“Oh, of course not, little Princess,” Thiago said casually. “Don’t worry, sweetheart… This isn’t f
Someone pounded on Kingston’s door, and he shot up in bed, ready to hide Romaine, but she wasn’t there… She was gone. The bed was cold on her side, and he frowned, wondering when she’d snuck out last night. What kind of bodyguard was he since he didn’t hear her leaving the room?“King! Wake up, man! We have a situation!” Brent yelled through the door.“I’m up, dude! Just give me a minute,” he called back and grabbed his clothes. Once he was dressed, Kingston unlocked his door, and Brent burst in.“What is this about? What the hell is going on?”“All I can say for now… It’s not good, man! Not good at all! King Hernando and Queen Dorothea want to see you in the surveillance room… NOW!” Brent told him. “I’m sorry, King… I really have no idea how it happened.”“How WHAT happened? You’re not making sense… What are you talking about, man?” Kingston asked in a cold tone.“I think it’s best if you see for yourself, King,” Brent said. His tone told Kingston whateve
Shuddering against her, Kingston released her lips and groaned at the final pulse of release that jerked from the tip of his member. He was breathing hard, heavy. He couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen to his brain… He couldn’t still the thunder of blood enough to make sense of all the emotions, all the sensations, that had crashed inside him in a wave of ecstasy. She lay beneath him, sated, the tension slowly easing from her body, covered by him. The way she responded to him, the position, rocked him to the core. He hadn’t expected it. Kingston had expected her to feel shy about it. He even expected a denial. But he hadn’t expected the trust she had given him.“You’re mine…” he whispered again.“I love you, King...” He barely heard the words. Her face was pressed into the sheets… It was no more than a whisper of sound, but it crashed inside him with a power that rocked him clear to his soul.“Come here, love… I want to feel you against me,” he whispered a
“Romy…” Kingston said knowing what she had in mind… again. “Baby, no…”“Shhh…” she whispered and her lips followed her tongue, covering the member’s head. Moaning, Romaine drew it into her mouth. Her tongue flickered over the underside as she sucked him in, crazy about the feel and the taste of him in her mouth. She had already taken him before, but somehow, she was hungry for him again. It was a hunger she could only associate to Kingston. Not to a drug. Not to anything unnatural. Needing Kingston was as natural as the land needing rain, or flowers needing sunshine. It was imperative. It was the key to survival. Drawing back, Romaine surveyed the slick wetness she had left on the tip, laved over it again with her tongue, and gloried in the hard groan that echoed from his chest.“I’m so wet, King… So, so wet…” She lifted her head and stared up at Kingston, aroused past the point of sanity.“I need you inside me… now…”“Hell!” He laid h
Romaine watched as Kingston walked towards her, his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes transfixed on her hand between her legs. His eyes darkened with each step he took until he stood next to her. The bulge in his jeans made her even wetter than she already was. Dancing with him at that club had made her blood boil, grinding against him as he gripped her ass hard in those hands. It made her almost want to go back to that first club, claim a booth, and let others hear her moans of pleasure as Kingston took her hard and fast. Kingston wanted to conquer her. She saw it in the way his hands twitched at his sides, hungry to touch her. When he knelt beside her, she moved her hand away, hungry to feel his fingers deep inside her or just stroking her clit. But Kingston’s hand took the hand that she used between her legs, brought it to his mouth, and flicked his tongue out to taste. He licked her finger like a lollipop and then placed it on her mound.“No
Kingston leered at her and let his heated gaze roam her body from her head to her toes until Romaine shivered.“Yeah, baby, they do… with good reason. Come on.” There were several men in perfectly tailored suits sitting in a booth towards the end of the balcony. Ladies with long, flowing blonde hair surrounded them, and Kingston and Romaine paused and walked to the railing as if they were watching the crowd. A man passed by and asked for their passes. Romaine showed them while Kingston asked Iker if he had anything yet.“There’s a man up there… It's supposed to be one of the suppliers,” Iker answered. “The bartender said he’s here every Tuesday and Thursday nights, sits at the end booth.”“What’s his description?”“Buzzed head, tattoo on his neck, and has a fetish for… feathers.” Kingston raised an eyebrow, and Romaine laughed.“Feathers? Seriously?” She leaned back with Kingston, and when he saw the man in the center of the booth, two