In Love with a Ruthless Man (Wrong for You)

2

“Hello?”

Fawn swallowed. “G-Grant, it’s me.” Her voice shook.

“Fawn. I knew it was you.” But Grant’s voice sounded more uncomfortable than relieved. “Whose number is this?”

“The prince.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you using his phone?” Grant demanded.

“I was c-calling you when my phone ran out of batt. S-so the prince lent me...his.” Her voice caught in the end again, and she sucked her breath in. Lies. Everything she had said was a lie, and she didn’t even know where they were coming from.

“I’m glad you called me then.” Grant’s voice lowered. “I’ve been thinking about you—-”

The prince suddenly ended the call.

She stared at him incredulously. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I still have to make you come,” the prince answered simply, “and I don’t like wasting another second on that asshole.”

Even as she choked and laughed at his answer, the prince didn’t stop pulling her tightly against him. When their bodies pressed against each other, his hands left her waist, moving down—-

She stiffened when his hand reached for her body under her skirt.

Fawn started. “P-Prince—-”

“ Ssh . Relax and just let yourself enjoy it.”

She closed her eyes.

Relax—-

But then his fingers went inside her panties.

Aaaaah!

The sensation was like no other, and a sob of shocked pleasure rushed out of her throat.

His fingers began to move over her folds, and as her flesh swelled under his touch, the prince said huskily, “Do you understand now?” His gaze claimed hers. “This is how I’ll take the pain away.” His fingers drifted up, circling the tiny quivering nub of pleasure. “This is how I keep you from ever getting hurt again.”

And slowly, the prince thrust one finger inside of her.

“Prince!”

His finger began to move, pulling almost all the way out before sinking back deep.

Her throat tightened. Too fast , she thought dizzily even as her hips started to dance, wanting his finger deeper and deeper inside her. Things were moving too fast, and it wasn’t—-

“It’s not what you think, parthena mou,” the prince whispered. “I can see it in your eyes that you think things are going too fast, but it’s not. If it’s too fast,” the prince purred, “then surely you couldn’t be like this—-”

He pulled his finger away and lifted his hand up to let her see just how wet it was.

Fawn whimpered.

“Do you understand now? This is what we both wanted all those damn months,” the prince rasped. “This is what you withheld from me.” As he spoke, the prince slid two fingers inside her, and Fawn clutched his shoulders more tightly with a gasp.

“ Your body... ”

He began to thrust his fingers deeper and deeper into her, and she could only try to welcome him, her inner muscles contracting reflexively around him.

“—-which has been mine the first moment I laid my eyes on it.”

A third finger joined in, stretching her pussy to open wider, and she stared at the prince, torn between confusion and desire.

His lips curved in a heartlessly beautiful smile, and her breath caught.

“Tell me,” the prince said huskily. “How hard do you want me to fuck you with my fingers, parthena mou ?”

The question made her turn rosy all over, and even though she wanted to look away and put as much distance between them—-

She couldn’t.

His gaze – his touch – imprisoned her, and sheer hunger for his touch bound Fawn to him in a way that even the strongest chains never could.

“How hard, Fawn?”

She closed her eyes.

His voice turned into a command. “Tell me.”

And somehow, she found herself obeying, choking out, “Hard. As hard as you—-aaah!” His fingers began pumping in and out of her, and Fawn’s world began to spin faster and faster.

Her nails raked his back. “Prince!” Hard. Fast. The way he was fucking her. The way things were spiraling out of her control.

But God, oh God, it felt so good—-

“Stop thinking, parthena mou, and just feel. Let me take away the pain, and you won’t ever be hurt again.” His other hand went under her skirt, and his fingers found her clit so easily it was like it had called out to him.

One finger pressed against her clit lightly, and her world spun even faster than it did while her hips began to move wildly.

“Surrender yourself to me,” the prince rasped. “ Now .” He pinched her clit just as his fingers dove as deep as they could go into her pussy.

She came with a cry, and the world spun away from her, leaving her to shatter in his arms.

Her seduction, her destruction, her liberation...was complete.

He was her world now, and pain no longer existed.

THE PRINCE TOOK OVER the way only the Prince of Darkness could, and she let him, mostly because he was right. If she allowed herself to question things, then she would start overthinking and hurting again.

And she didn’t want that.

They dined at an exclusive restaurant where there were no other people but them, and Fawn didn’t even bother asking why that was. The food was delicious, the prince solicitous. That was enough for her.

On the way back to his mansion, the prince told her of his plans. A random inspection would reveal a potentially dangerous water leak in her dorm room, which would thus be declared temporarily unlivable. Left with no choice, she would ask for an in-house position in the prince’s employ. As long as she stuck to this story , the prince said dulcetly, then no one would suspect a thing.

Just like that , she thought numbly, and the prince had effectively rewritten the rest of her life.

Upon arriving at the mansion, the prince whisked her straight up to the third floor and before she knew it, she was already in his room, and the prince was telling her he had to take care of a few matters in his study.

“I’ll come right back, parthena mou. Make yourself at home.”

And then he was gone.

Reality set in, and Fawn paled. It was as if his presence had been her own little cocoon, and for as long as he was around, she was able to exist without having to think or feel. But now that he was no longer by her side—-

Was this really happening?

Was she really going to be the prince’s lover?

Panic stirred inside her at the thought, and the fact that she was inside the prince’s suite made it worse. This had always been forbidden territory, and yet here she was now—-

Deep breaths, Fawn. Deep breaths. She looked around her slowly, hoping that her surroundings would calm her down, but when she realized what she was staring at, her panic only worsened and her head started to throb.

Either she was hallucinating or the prince’s bedroom was actually covered with floral wallpaper. Floral! Granted, the background was dark gray, the intricately drawn roses a nice shade of pearl, but still. Floral!

Something, perhaps instinct, made her slowly turn her eyes skywards, and her headache worsened. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, but there were actual murals painted on the twenty-foot-tall ceilings. Murals!

She turned towards the windows, and of course the curtains had to be made of damask, with heavy golden ropes to draw them. Her gaze slid farther down the room, where a majestic-looking rug covered the textured marble floors. It looked old enough to belong to a museum and expensive enough for the Queen of England.

I’m hallucinating.

No, you’re not.

Fawn began to pace restlessly as her thoughts warred with each other.

Then fine, this is weird, and it’s time to leave. This just makes it more obvious that I can’t be the prince’s lover. It’s just too weird—-

How can you say that when you already let him touch you?

I wasn’t myself!

Oh, suuuuure. That’s what everybody says.

I really wasn’t! Cut me some slack, I just saw my boyfriend – GRANT! – fuck another girl—-

Ha! So now you’re using the F-word to make yourself sound tough? Pathetic.

And you’re insensitive—-

A knock on the door interrupted her, and Fawn whirled around, thinking, I’m going to tell the prince I made a mistake.

But the man standing by the door was not the prince.

“Good evening, miss,” Igor murmured politely with a slight bow. “Is it alright for me to come in?”

Fawn blinked. “Uh, yes?”

“The master said I might interrupt you—-”

“On what?” She was even more bewildered now. “I’m all alone here.”

“—-while you’re talking to yourself, miss,” Igor finished.

Oh. Her lips parted and closed. I’m going to kill you, prince, you just wait. She lifted her chin. “I...I...was not talking to myself.” She tried not to sound like she was babbling but failed. “I...I...was just wondering how my life’s changed so drastically, and then there was this voice inside me telling me not to panic—-”

Igor raised a brow.

Her voice trailed off as she realized she had still ended up admitting to talking to herself.

“It’s alright, miss,” Igor reassured her. “It is not my position to comment.”

“But I really wasn’t talking to myself.” Much.

“If you say so, miss.”

Fawn cringed. “And that. I was hoping I misheard, but can you please stop calling me ‘miss?’”

“I cannot, miss.”

“Igor!”

“I am unfortunately inflexible on this, miss.”

She gnawed on her lip, thinking hard, and then an idea came to her, and she asked, “Are you Russian, Igor?”

Igor allowed himself a smile. “No, miss. I know my name is misleading, but I’m actually a full-blooded Sicilian.”

“Oh.”

Seeing her bemusement, the older man tried to explain tactfully, “It’s...tradition.”

“In your family?”

“Yes, miss.” Mafia was more or less family, wasn’t it?

“And the tradition is that you...get to be called Igor?”

“The firstborns are, yes, because we’ve the privilege of serving as guardians. As the firstborn, I was chosen to serve as the master’s guardian, the same way my father served his father, and so forth.”

“Guardian. Right.” Fawn tried to think of what that meant but couldn’t. “What exactly does a guardian do? I mean, I know you handle the household now, but what about when the prince was young?”

Killed anyone who wanted to kill him, Igor thought. But knowing that would best be kept a secret from Fawn as well, the older man cleared his throat, saying, “I was the master’s...babysitter.” Igor’s father would roll over in his grave if he had heard of the way his son described their profession, which had always been a source of pride for their family. Mentally crossing himself in apology for such blasphemy, Igor asked Fawn, “May I ask what my supposedly being Russian has to do with the way I address you, miss?”

“Well, I was thinking, if you call me ‘miss’ in another language, it wouldn’t sound too formal.”

Ah. The older man nodded understandingly. That did not make sense at all, but that didn’t matter since Fawn was now the prince’s special lady. And when Fawn beamed at Igor, he knew he had made the right decision.

“As the prince is Sicilian and Greek,” Igor began, “how about you choose between signorina and kyria ?”

“Good idea.” She thought about it seriously. “ Signorina sounds like a nickname, doesn’t it? I think it doesn’t sound too formal.”

Actually, it did. Also, more people would know what ‘signorina’ meant compared to ‘kyria’ but because Fawn was the prince’s special lady—-

“I agree, signorina. A good choice.”

She said hopefully, “But of course, just plain Fawn is always better.”

“Not possible, signorina. You are the prince’s very special lady, after all.”

“Really, Igor? I’m the prince’s special lady?” Despite her confusion and misery, she couldn’t help snorting.

Igor did his best to suppress his smile this time, purely out of respect for his master.

Fawn sighed. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

“I’m afraid not, signorina .”

Fawn made a face. “Then I guess that’s that.” Signorina. She wondered absently how that would sound if the prince would call her that as well. It would probably sound very sexy, especially if his occasionally British accent—-

Stop right there, Fawn.

Her cheeks burst with color as Fawn realized where her thoughts had headed. Holy sweet Jesus, but why did it seem like she was thinking of the prince more and more when she should be thinking of Grant and what he did to her?

“I’ll make sure to let the rest of the staff know, signorina, ” Igor was saying.

She cleared her throat. “Uhh, thanks, Igor.” Think of Grant. Stop thinking of the prince. She repeated the words in her mind desperately, but somehow all she could see was a black-haired, green-eyed prince who made her shatter with the slightest touch—-

Moisture teased the triangle of her legs as memories flooded her, and she swallowed back a cry of shocked dismay.

Oh God, what was happening to her?

The older man looked at her in concern. “Is everything alright, signorina? You look rather flushed.”

“Me? Flushed?” She forced herself to laugh. “You must be imagining it.” But because she also knew Igor was too perceptive by half, she tried distracting him, asking, “Anyway, I was wondering about something.” She gestured vaguely at her surroundings. “Why is the prince’s room so... girly ?”

Igor coughed at Fawn’s choice of term. Girly. He would have to tell Noah and the others about Fawn’s reaction later. But for now, he addressed Fawn’s concerns, explaining, “It is one of the master’s earlier attempts to combat his homesickness. The design reminds him of his home in England.”

“I s-see.” But actually, Fawn didn’t, and Igor’s words only made her head hurt more. Who would’ve thought someone as seemingly invincible as the prince could be vulnerable enough to pine for his family?

“If that’s all, signorina , may I show you the adjoining suite?” He gestured to the door next to the prince’s en-suite bar, and at her nod, Igor led the way to the other room. Opening the door, he explained, “We have been able to collect all your belongings from your previous residence—-”

Face gulped. That was fast, seriously fast. How could the prince have managed such a thing in so short a time?

“—-and you will find all of them here.” To demonstrate, Igor opened a few cabinets and pulled out drawers, and Fawn saw all her stuff, neatly arranged. “If you believe anything is missing or has been misplaced, please let us know, signorina. ”

Igor walked farther into the suite, and Fawn followed behind him. He stopped in front of another door, and opening it, Igor murmured, “We’ve drawn your bath, signorina. Please take your time while I have one of the maids prepare your clothes for the night.”

Bath? Fawn cleared her throat. “The thing is, Igor, I’m not actually staying—-”

Igor’s expression turned grave. “Ah, so that how it is now, signorina .”

She blinked. “What?”

“I have been instructed to ensure you relax and have a bath before going to bed. As you know, the prince is quite strict, and I fear I shall lose my employment if he learns of my failure. But of course, because you are now the prince’s special lady, you probably no longer care—-”

“Stop trying to pull my leg.” When Igor’s grave expression didn’t change, she said uneasily, “Right?”

Igor sighed deeply. “If you care to risk my employment on a whim, signorina, then there is nothing I can do—-”

Guilt won over common sense, and Fawn’s shoulders slumped. “I get it, I get it. I’ll take a bath, okay ?”

Igor was suddenly all smiles again. “Splendid, signorina .”

Fawn scowled. “Traitor.”

“My loyalty is to the master, and as I have told you once upon a time—-”

“Yes, yes, what the master wants, blah, blah, blah.” Fawn’s teeth gnashed as she realized how the prince had successfully outmaneuvered her through Igor. “You have an evil master.”

“If you think so, signorina, and yet – you are now his very special lady.”

Argh! “Stop calling me that!”

Igor’s eyes were brimming with amusement. “ Signorina , you are blushing.”

“N-no, I’m not.” Fawn scowled as hard as she could, but Igor’s next words proved that it did no good.

“I shall tell the master you’re pleased at being called his very special lady—-”

“No!”

“Very, very pleased,” Igor interpreted her protest as such.

“Igor, you’re evil , too!” And before the prince’s right-hand man could torment her further, Fawn rushed inside the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

She was not pleased at being called the prince’s special lady.

She was not!

And yet her cheeks remained flushed as she stepped into the tub, which was filled with hot, rose-scented water.

Evil prince, evil right-hand man, this was definitely the house of evil!

Fawn took her time bathing and only stepped out of the tub when she was absolutely sure her cheeks were flushed from the steam and not from anything else. Coming out of the bathroom, Fawn was surprised to see Paula bent over the bed.

“Paula—-”

The brunette turned around, Fawn’s pajamas in her hands. “Hi, signorina .”

Fawn blinked. “What are you doing with those?”

“Readying it for you?”

“What?” She rushed to the other girl with a shake of her head. “You don’t have to do that—-” Fawn stopped dead at her friend’s suddenly grim look. “P-Paula?”

“I thought Igor was joking, but I guess not, signorina .”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“The prince specifically chose me to be your personal maid, signorina .”

“I don’t want that!”

Paula’s lips pursed in visible disappointment. “And here I thought you were still my friend, signorina .”

“You are,” she insisted.

“Are you speaking the truth, signorina ?”

“Yes!”

“Then...why don’t you want me as your personal maid?” Paula took a step towards her. “Why don’t you want me to have this amazing promotion—-” Paula took another step forward, “—-which pays more for less work?”

When Paula closed the distance between them, Fawn did her best to resist the urge to lean back, asking weakly, “A-are you saying you w-want me to be my personal maid?”

Paula smiled sweetly at her.

“Oh. Umm. Okay?”

“Yay!” Paula pulled her up. “I knew it, you’re still my friend, signorina .” She gave Fawn a quick hug. “Now, I’ve readied your pajamas, and once you’re done, please go to the master’s room, he’s waiting for you there.”

Evil bullies. It was all Fawn could think as she watched Paula cheerfully attend to her task. That was the exact term for it, and this house was full of them.

Five minutes later, and Paula had successfully dragged Fawn into the prince’s room.

The prince, seated elegantly on the settee next to the window while sipping a glass of red wine, looked up as Fawn stumbled into his room.

“Thank you for doing such a great job, Paula,” said the house’s biggest and most evil bully. “As promised, you will get your bonus tomorrow.”

Hearing that, Fawn mouthed furiously at Paula, Traitor. First Igor, and now Paula. Was no one in this house on her side?

Paula blew her a kiss, mouthing, Money talks, signorina. Then she turned to the prince and bowed. “Thank you, sir.”

The door closed behind Paula, leaving Fawn alone with the prince.

She waited for the prince to speak, but he didn’t, and the silence in the room was only interrupted by the sound of rustling clothes—-

Her head jerked up, and to her shock, she found the prince actually pulling his shirt over his head, revealing his sculpted chest inch by inch.

Her throat dried.

She had seen the prince bare-chested more than a few times, but even so she didn’t think she could ever get used to the sight of it. He was just so magnificently sexy, it was hard to breathe when seeing all those tight, whipped muscles—-

The prince’s lips curved in a grin. “You can also touch, you know.”

A squeak of embarrassment escaped her as she realized that the prince knew she had been staring the whole time. “I wasn’t—-what are you p-planning?” She tried not to panic as the prince started walking straight at her, an alarmingly dangerous glint in his green eyes.

The prince was just a few feet away now.

I’m not going to let him think he’s scaring me—-

The prince was just a foot away now.

Who cares if he knows the truth?

She was scared!

Fawn whirled around to run away, but it was too late, and she heard the prince release a low, dark chuckle just as he swept her up in his arms.

“Put me down—-”

And he did, but on his bed, and then he was joining her. She tried to roll away, but again the prince proved too fast. He moved on top of her, and she froze at suddenly having the hard, hot weight of the prince’s body pressing down on her.

The prince calmly reached for the switch next to the bed, and the incandescent light coming from the wall sconces went out, plunging the room into darkness.

Was this really happening? It seemed like she was fated to ask this question over and over, but—-

Was it really happening?

Was she actually sharing the same bed with the prince?

“Nervous?”

She could hear the smirk in the prince’s tone, and if she weren’t so nervous, she would have thumped him for it. Of course she was nervous. She was in his bed, and he was on top of her. She had just seen her boyfriend doing another girl, and an hour later she had let another man make her come—-

“You’re overthinking again,” the prince chided gently.

“I can’t help it.”

“You should try harder,” the prince purred, “if you don’t want me to make you come again.”

“Um.” Her voice came out all strangled.

The prince’s grin flashed in the moonlight. “Did that actually make you hesitate about which one is a better alternative?”

“No!” Yes.

The prince’s lips grazed her cheek, and she shivered under him. “While I’d love to make you come...I’m afraid that’s the one thing I can’t do tonight, parthena mou.” The prince suddenly rolled off her, leaving Fawn blinking in bemused shock. “Don’t be too disappointed, mm?”

“I’m n-not.” And she wasn’t. Her body was just aching because she was...tired. Yes, that was it. Her emotions had been all over the place, and it had taken its toll on her.

“Mm...” The prince sounded skeptical.

“I told you, I’m not.” But not wanting to let him argue the point, she changed the subject, asking, “What does parthena mou mean?”

The prince smiled in the darkness. “Care to take a guess?”

“My...something?”

“You’re half correct.”

“So...what does the other word mean?”

“It’s what I plan to take from you tomorrow night.”

She gasped. “My soul?”

The prince scowled. “Very funny.”

“Then what? It’s not like you need more money, and I don’t know what else I have that you don’t.”

“Think very carefully,” the prince advised, “and it will come to you.”

She did as asked, and after several moments, she said uncertainly, “My scholarship?”

The prince wondered how it was possible that Fawn could make him want to fuck her and laugh out loud at the same time.

He said finally, “No.” And before she could drive him crazier, he said calmly, “ Parthena mou means ‘my virgin.’”

Oh.

“But once I’ve taken your virginity, I’ll make sure to call you by another name, of course.”

OH.

Telling herself that she couldn’t let him think he could call all the shots, she said determinedly, “I w-won’t let you.”

“Really?” And in the next second, the prince had pulled her under him again, and as his weight pressed down on her, this time she also felt something else. She also felt something growing against her belly, throbbing like it had its own life.

OH.

With Fawn’s audible gulp telling him that she was now aware of his rigid erection, the prince pulled her more tightly against him, his hands cupping the sweet, tight cheeks of her bottom. Brushing his mouth against her ear, he whispered invitingly, “Shall I make the pain go away again, parthena mou?”

She whimpered.

“You want it, don’t you?” He began to rub his cock up and down against her, and the folds of her pussy started to swell.

Fawn’s teeth sank into her bottom lip. “N-no.” And she had to say that. It was the only right answer, the only thing she could say that wouldn’t make her—-

“You’re lying,” the prince said softly.

She felt the prince’s mouth move over her cheek.

“But it’s alright.” The prince’s lips touched her forehead. “I don’t plan to touch you tonight.” He rolled away the second time, saying levelly, “I want you too much.”

Just when she was about to feel rejected, his last words made her heart skip a beat, and Fawn winced at the realization of how much power the prince seemed to wield over her. He only had to say a word, and her mood would be swinging like a pendulum.

“Is that a bad thing?” she whispered. “Wanting me?”

“Right now...it is.” She felt the bed dip as the prince turned to lie on his side, facing her. A shaft of moonlight touched his face, and she saw the way his emerald green eyes were focused on her completely.

“In this case, it’s pretty easy to understand how your mind works, parthena mou. The moment I let myself touch you, I won’t be able to control myself. But if something happens between us tonight, you’ll wake up hating yourself tomorrow.” The prince paused. “Won’t you?”

Oh. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Shouldn’t I?” If something did happen tonight, it wouldn’t be rape. She swallowed. “I’m just like them, aren’t I?”

“No. You’re not.” The prince’s tone was succinct.

“How do you know—-”

“Because if you were, then we would have been fucking for months now.”

“ Prince .” His words made complete sense, and yet – did really he have to put it that way?

“Just relax and go to sleep, parthena mou. Nothing will happen, much to my... conana’s dismay.”

She cringed. “Will you never let me hear the end of that?”

“It depends.” The prince’s tone was lazy. “Do you think you’ll be able to say the word co—- ”

“No!” She knew she was being downright silly, but she didn’t care. Something told her that if she allowed herself to say the word—-

It would be completely over for her.

“Are you certain? It’s just one word,” the prince cajoled. “C-o-c-k.”

“I just can’t.” But she was laughing this time. At the same moment, the prince reached for her, his fingers twining with hers, and Fawn stilled.

“What?” the prince bristled.

“You’re holding my hand,” Fawn said dumbly.

The prince’s teeth gnashed together. Trust Fawn to say what was embarrassingly obvious.

“Why are you—-”

“Stop saying it,” the prince cut her off irritably. “You’re just making me feel more juvenile.” His fingers tightened around her. “It’s all I can let myself touch. Okay ?”

Silence.

Then—-

“You’re so sweet,” Fawn blurted out.

The prince’s grip started to tighten painfully.

“I mean, sweetly...cruel?”

Ah, if only he could kill her without hurting her. “Just stop talking,” the prince said grimly. “You’re only going to make it worse every time you open your mouth.”

A full minute of silence passed.

“Prince?”

He knew it. She wouldn’t be able to shut up. She never had been able to, so why did he even think this time would be different?

“I’m sleeping.”

“I just want to say—-”

“Don’t say it.”

“—- thank you for being so nice. ”

Dammit. He could feel color staining his cheeks at the sweet sincerity in her voice, and his balls started to ache at the need to have that sweetness surround his cock. Glaring at her in the dark as the need for revenge filled him, he said darkly, “Thank me with your body tomorrow.”

Fawn gasped.

“Make sure you scream really hard while you’re at it.”

Another gasp.

“And while we’re at it, I also want you to say, I want your conana every time I thrust—-”

“Oh my God, I’m going to sleep.” She flipped to the other side, turning her back on the prince, and grabbed the ends of her pillow to cover both her ears.

But the prince wasn’t finished. “Yes, you should have as much sleep as you can since I won’t let you sleep a wink tomorrow night. I’m going to explore every inch of your pussy, and you’re going to suck my conana—-”

“LA, LA, LA!” She sang off tune to drown the sound of his words.

The prince laughed. “Good night, parthena mou .”

“You’re evil,” Fawn mumbled. “Everyone in this stupid house is evil.”

“Sweet dreams.”

“Evil.”

But a minute later, and the prince actually heard Fawn start to...snore.

Unbelievable.

He rose up to a sitting position, wanting to know if she was just faking it, but one look at her face told him that she had really fallen asleep.

Unbelievable.

It was their first fucking night to share a bed, and while his cock felt like it was about to burst out of his pants any moment, Fawn had fallen asleep like a baby.

The prince slowly shook his head. Unbelievable. And yet, he was more amused than angry.

He looked down at her hand, which still clasped his even in her slumber, and his smile faded.

Fawn.

She really was here with him.

But was it the right thing to do?

His phone vibrated against the bedside table, interrupting his thoughts and forcing the prince to carefully pull his fingers out of Fawn’s hold. Taking the phone off the table, he stepped out to the balcony to avoid disturbing her sleep.

“What is it?”

Noah reported his findings. “It’s not yet a hundred percent confirmed, sir, but we’ve enough reason to believe Davos has offered a bounty for anyone who can kidnap Beatrice Crichton.” Noah’s voice became grim. “Dead or alive.”

“If he thinks that will get me to give Beatrice Crichton up, he obviously doesn’t know me well enough.” The prince’s gaze turned hard. “Stay on top of this, Noah. But in the meantime, I also want you to triple our security.” His place was a fortress that had never been breached but even so, he wasn’t going to take any chances, especially with Fawn living here.

“Yes, sir.”

“Have the safe house on the island prepared as well, just in case we need to transfer her.”

“Understood, sir.”

When the call ended, the prince slowly walked back to his bedroom. For one long moment, he simply stood over Fawn, watching her sleep. He had thought he would have more time with her, but the way things were going—-

A month, the prince thought.

At most, he would have a month with her before he had to take action and make sure that Beatrice Crichton would be out of Davos’ reach until she took the witness stand in court.

The prince’s fists clenched.

A month to make memories with her, a month to pretend that he deserved someone like her before he let the dream go. A month before he had to remember who he was—-

The Prince of Darkness.

And people like him always stood alone.

“TIME TO GET UP, parthena mou .” The prince’s low murmur slowly woke her up, and when Fawn felt the prince sweep her off the bed, she simply snuggled closer and sleepily wrapped her arms around his neck.

Don’t think, she reminded herself drowsily. The prince told her that overthinking would make the pain worse so from now on, she was not going to think. She wasn’t even going to let her brain function in any way. She was just going to go with the flow, and that was that.

When Fawn felt the prince lower her to the floor, a startled sound of protest escaped her as she felt the icy cold marble under her bare feet. Wondering where the prince had taken her, she forced her eyes to open—-

OH MY GOD, I SHOULD HAVE USED MY brAIN!

The prince had taken her to his private bath, and right beside them was his marble-inlaid hot tub.

“W-what are we doing here?” Fawn stammered.

“What do you think?” As the prince smiled at her, that was the only moment she noticed that he was wearing nothing but a black towel wrapped low on his hips. Everything else was completely exposed—-

Completely.

His broad shoulders, his rock-hard chest that was packed with muscles, his strong long legs—-

Fawn’s senses started to swim in a familiar sensation that was both painful and glorious at the same time.

This was bad. This was good. This was—-oh she was so confused!

The prince’s emerald gaze captured hers, and it was like having her soul sucked out of her. Holy, holy, holy sweet——

Oh, the way he looked at her with hooded lids—-

“Take off your clothes, parthena mou .”

Aaaaaaah.

Her fingers slowly reached for buttons of her pajama top—-

Wait.

“Oh my God,” Fawn moaned. “Why am I even following you?”

The prince’s smile widened. “Because you know this will keep the pain away.”

“That’s starting to sound like a line,” she accused him.

“Or you can tell yourself I’ve successfully hypnotized you.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Then perhaps...you never loved Grant, and it’s me you’ve loved all along?”

She burst into laughter.

He didn’t smile.

She stopped laughing, saying uneasily, “You weren’t joking?”

“So falling in love with me is that impossible?”

“Uh yes? I mean, no? Like seriously—”

The prince lifted her off her feet—-

“Prince!”

—-and dumped her into the bath, which was half-filled with ice cold water.

“Prince!” Her teeth immediately started to chatter, but she had no time to worry about freezing when the prince immediately started methodically removing her clothes. She thrashed about the water, but one by one, the prince was able to strip everything off her.

Her pajama top – gone.

Her pajama bottom – gone.