Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Stellan
It’s early in the morning when I wake. At first, I just open my eyes and stare at the ceiling.
It takes my system a minute to boot up, to realize where exactly I am and that I am not alone.
I roll over onto my side and see Margot sleeping there, her outrageous pink hair sticking out in every direction.
She sleeps on her side, her face drawn into her chest. It almost looks like she’s trying to protect herself, even in her sleep. But from what?
I repress a sigh and look at her lovely face. Her skin is radiant, her cheekbones high, her eyes large and expressive. For Satan, but she is pretty.
There are faint circles under her eyes.
I am actually partially to blame for that.
We stayed up most of the night fucking. Well, doing everything but fucking actually…
she sucked my cock until my eyes rolled up in my head over and over.
I fingered her and licked her until she came screaming.
Her taste still lingers faintly on my lips and tongue.
I don’t actually mind that. She tasted sweet and musky; there are far worse things to wake up smelling like.
The point is, I was exceedingly careful where my sperm went.
Even drunk, I know better than to actually spend my seed inside of random girls. If I accidentally got a girl pregnant and the press found out about it…
Ah, there it is. The faint pounding of my head, between my eyes. It’s funny… for a minute, just brief window of time, I almost forgot that I was a royal.
Almost.
I hear a noise outside of the bedroom door. Cocking my head, I frown. Is that Erik, then? Where did he end up last night?
Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I sigh. I really need a glass of water and a headache powder to even begin dealing with today.
Erik slams the door open, holding up a phone. Margot stirs and panics a little, sitting up too.
“Erik—” I start.
He has eyes only for Margot, though. “You fucking bitch!”
My eyes narrow. Margot looks alarmed. “What? Don’t call me a bitch…”
“Erik, don’t call her that. What do you want?” My head pounds, less faintly this time and more like a jackhammer.
Erik looks at me, beyond aggravated. “She posted pictures of you two together to fucking Instagram, Stel. Intimate photos.”
That gets my attention. “What?”
I have a vague memory of Margot snapping a couple of pictures with her phone last night. A cold fist of worry forms in my stomach.
I look at her, clutching the comforter to her chest. Always protecting herself. My eyes narrow.
“Is it true?” I ask.
Her delicate brows descend, making her eyes darker. “Well… yeah… I didn’t realize that you guys had a weird hang up about Instagram or whatever…”
I flinch, then look at the ceiling. Scrubbing my hand over my face, I try to think. I want to scream at her. But that won’t help anybody.
When I speak, my voice shakes with barely contained fury. “You have to take them down.”
Erik hisses. “It’s too late for that. Her post went viral.”
“What?” Margot says, confused. “Why?” Her gaze darts to me, accusing. “What don’t I know?”
I avoid her gaze, looking at Erik instead. “Can we shut it down? Have you already talked to the royal press office?”
“I called them first. They are working on it, but they don’t know if they can squelch the info. Once it’s out— “
“It’s out.” I bury my head in my hands. “Fuck.”
“I’m sorry. What the fuck are you two talking about?” Margot clutches the comforter to her chest as she rises to stand beside the bed.
I don’t fight her for it; I have plenty of things to be embarrassed about, but my body isn’t one of them.
Instead I grab my boxer briefs from where they lay on the floor in a discarded heap. Stepping into them with a curse, I turn to Erik. “Grandmother is likely going to have two heart attacks at once when she hears about this. Give me five minutes… I will meet you out in the living room.”
Erik gives a curt nod, shooting Margot one last glare before he stalks out of the room. I find a shirt and pull it on. I can’t help but feel the dread growing in my belly, threatening to take over everything.
Margot starts putting on her clothes. Her face is drawn and she’s muttering a little. “I don’t have to stick around for this. You act like I’m not even here!”
I pull on a pair of pants, casting a dark look her way. “You don’t even realize the shit storm you have managed to stir up, Margot.”
She shoves her hair back out of her face, looking outraged. “Do you want to explain why? Or do you just want to go vent about it to Erik some more?”
I cross my arms. “I’m the crown prince of Denmark, Margot. The heir to the throne. And the last thing I needed was for you to run around telling people on the internet who I hook up with.”
Her eyes go wide with shock. “What?”
“Didn’t you notice Erik’s reaction to having his photo taken?
He knows the drill. Nothing on camera, ever.
Because if it’s on film somewhere, someone is going to find it.
” I spread my hands wide. “And once the press has it, they will run with it. Make up all kinds of things. You should know… aren’t you friends with Pippa? ”
Her expression is sheepish, but the second I turn it around on her, she glares at me. Going over to her purse, she grabs a laminated badge and waves it in my face.
“I’m member of the press,” she says, her voice rising in pitch. “So maybe stop for a hot second before you malign my own organization to me, okay?”
Now it’s my turn to be shocked. “What?”
I’m vaguely aware of my heart pounding loudly. Oh god.
She’s one of them?
I really, really fucked up this time.
She stuffs her feet into her heels, glaring at me. Then Margot grabs her purse and tosses her hair. “I’m a photographer. And I think you are overreacting. Just because a couple of people reblogged my Instagram posts…”
I cross the bedroom, grabbing her by the elbow. “You don’t understand. I’m a member of the royal family. These jackals have hunted my family down for centuries. And once they scent blood…”
I shudder. But I’m not prepared for the way she looks at me, like I just kicked her puppy or something. She jerks out of my hold.
“We are human beings,” she grits out. “The only things separating you and your family from the rest of us are a few tiaras and a lot of fucking money. Money you didn’t even earn!”
I glare at her. “I knew that you were bad news the second I laid eyes on you.”
Margot tosses her hair and heads for the door. “I can’t believe I spent the night with you.”
“Wait!” I call.
She looks back at me. “I don’t have the time or the emotional space for this.”
I growl. “You don’t want to leave now. Let Erik find a way to smuggle you out of the building. Maybe if we do that and you take your Instagram posts down—”
“You are unbelievable. You know that?”
Erik comes back in, standing in the doorway. He stares Margot. “This is all your fault.”
Looking between us, she cocks her hip. “What, are you going to physically keep me here? I’m a hundred percent certain that there isn’t any amount of money in the world that will keep me quiet if you resort to false imprisonment.”
Erik and I make eye contact. I fidget. He starts toward her, a giant grizzly bear stalking his weak prey.
“Stop!” I call out. They both look at me. I square my jaw. “Let her go, Erik. If the story is out, it’s out.”
Erik pauses, but doesn’t move. “It was only two weeks ago that the royal family was in the news, apologizing about your uncle Heinlein and those call girls of his.” He looks back and forth between Margot and me. “The press will rip you both to shreds.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” she sasses.
He rolls his eyes and moves clear of the doorway. Margot is out like a shot, not another word to either of us. In a few seconds I hear the elevator chime.
Flinging myself across the bed, I bury my face in the pillows. My whole bed still smells like sex and flowers, a remnant of her perfume maybe.
“Your grandmother is going to have your head on a spike,” Erik says, sitting on the end of the bed.
I close my eyes. “I know.”
“I told you to be careful with a commoner.”
I grit my teeth. “I know.”
He sits there for a moment longer, then hoists himself to his feet. “I’m going to start arranging our trip home. I have to figure out where the fuck Lars is at the moment.”
I open my eyes and glance at him. “If you can’t find him, my brother can figure out how to get home on his own.” I repress a sigh. “I think we should leave as soon as possible. Grandmother will want to see me soon, I expect.”
He’s quiet for a beat. “Maybe it won’t be that bad.”
Groaning, I roll over. “Have you checked downstairs, then? Are the press not swarming all over every entrance to the hotel?”
He looks away. “They are. I really wish your girl would’ve let me get her out without a fuss… because they are going to go nuts when they see her.”
Shrugging, I think about Margot’s soft curves. I think about how she jammed that press pass under my nose, sending me into shock.
God, how stupid could I be? “I have other things to worry about now.”
“All right. Get your stuff together. I want to leave in thirty minutes.” He heads out of the door, leaving it wide open.
I wallow in bed for another minute, inhaling the smell of our scents mixed together. It’s funny; if none of this had happened, I could’ve really liked Margot.
Not that it would have done either of us much good… I’m still going to be saddled with some long-faced dullard from my grandmother’s list. This little event will actually only speed up the process, I fear.
Going to the closet, I start pulling down the suits and jeans hanging inside, my core filling with dread.