Kelsey didn’t belong here. And yet, this was the world they expected her to inhabit, that she was told was her birthright.
Yes, the people watching was tremendous, but she’d expected to do it while eating a dollar slice of pizza, with the faint skittering of mice in the walls rather than crashing waves against the rocks. How was she supposed to fit in? Feel like anything more than an observer? An outsider?
There was every chance her jewelry drawer in the palace had diamond earrings and emerald necklaces as nice or finer than the ones she saw below. But if she’d been wearing one right now, it wouldn’t make a difference. She still wouldn’t deserve to be here. Deserve to mingle with the glitterati of freaking Europe.
Her mind wouldn’t stop circling back to the absurdity of the situation being reversed—of people, once they knew she was royal, coming here to watch her.
The people in the square, having picnics while they listened to politicians. Those people she could imagine fitting in with. Ordinary people. Kelsey was just a girl from Michigan whose only claim to fame was admittedly mad graphic-design skills. That was the only way she’d ever pigeonholed herself.
Now that label had been ripped away from her.
So who was she? Really?
The more time she spent in the palace only made her feel more like an imposter. Yes, she was starting to feel ties to her family. As a daughter, sister, niece, yes. A princess, though? One whom an entire realm looked up to?
Not at all.
What would her family say if she let down the country? If, once the citizens got to know her, or even found out she was American, they called her out for not being good enough? Not royal enough?
Damn it, her one-track brain was spoiling this special night. Kelsey refused to spiral out about this any further. Two a.m. was a much better time to freak-out. She reached for the mineral water they’d ordered. But before she took a sip, Elias reappeared.
“Follow me. You can leave your things on the table.” He led her down the steps to the main terrace, then down a hallway to an elevator. Once inside, Elias inserted a keycard to access the lowest level. And took her hand as soon as the doors shut.
His touch smoothed away the last of her ill-timed introspection. “How’d you arrange this? Did you tell them I’m the princess?”
“No.” He snorted at the mere suggestion. “Definitely not. I’ve been here many times with Prince Christian. The maître d knows me and agreed to a private tour.”
“Impressively smooth.” The doors opened, and she goggled at the cragginess of the natural cave walls. Elias had to prompt her to step out.
A small wooden door with a glass window required another pass of the keycard to enter. Then it was floor-to-ceiling racks and racks of bottles, set into the stone. Sensor lights turned on as they walked. And wow, it was significantly cooler down here. Kelsey rubbed her arms as goose bumps broke out.
“This happens to be the most extensive—and best—collection of wines in the kingdom. The royal family has a rack specially curated, just for their use. But you can’t select from it tonight.”
The last thing Kelsey wanted was to give up her secret identity too soon. “No problem. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bottle of wine that cost more than twenty dollars. The royal-worthy stuff would be wasted on me. You choose.”
“As you wish, but I insist that you sample it. There’s a tasting room a little farther in. Heated. You’ll be more comfortable waiting in there while I select.”
“Perfect.” The farther they walked, the lights behind them turned off.
Elias turned left down another branch of the cave. He opened another door, but this room didn’t look like the rest of the cave. The walls were covered in brown leather, like she’d picture a Victorian smoking room. A long, high table had a few stools around it. Once she spotted it, Kelsey stopped looking.
And unzipped her shorts.
Elias shot out a hand to grip her wrist. “What are you doing?”
“Getting more comfortable, as you suggested.” This would be so much fun. A treat she could give him for all the wonderful times he’d given her. Kelsey’s confidence surged. She might not know how to be a princess. But she’d become very adept at being Elias’s lover. “Don’t look so surprised. You knew when you left the table that I didn’t want a tour.”
“I assumed I was calling your bluff. That you were teasing me.”
“This has been a really good night so far. Let’s make it even more memorable.” Kelsey wriggled out of her shorts. Left the shoes on, because this still carried an element of risk. The less clothing to be replaced quickly, the better.
“Are you sure?”
“Will anyone interrupt us?”
“No. The sommelier has been instructed not to do anything until we return.”
Kelsey knelt. “Then we’d better be quick. Don’t want to ruin dinner for the other guests.” It only took a few quick flicks of her fingers before his big cock was out, the veins already distended and the tip pointing straight at her.
She wrapped her lips around him and sucked hard, as if trying to get the chocolate shell off an ice cream bar. Once, twice, and then the third time she swirled her tongue. Elias drove his fingers into her hair with a groan. Impossibly, he swelled even more inside her mouth.
Lightly, and with great care, Kelsey raked her teeth along his length. When only the very tip was still inside her lips, she licked in a frenzy of tiny flicks. His knees shook against her ribs. And then she scraped her nails in a twisting circle around his balls.
Elias swore. “You’re killing me, Princess.” He pulled out and dug around in his pants to get his wallet and a condom.
She hoisted herself up onto the table, legs dangling. “What are you going to do about it?” Then she widened her legs, showing off the white satin panties embroidered with butterflies that had appeared in her drawer. It was weird to have a stranger pick out lingerie for her. But it was fantastic to have something sexy to make Elias’s eyes smolder like that.
He lunged for the dark wood buffet in the corner. Opened a drawer and pulled out a cloth napkin. Ha. No matter how hard she tried, he always stayed one step ahead of her. Elias tipped her forward over his shoulder, then put the napkin down under her butt.
“This is what I’m doing about it.” He buried his face between her thighs. Technically, it was unnecessary, as Kelsey was already wet from sucking him off. From hearing his throaty growls. But…she certainly wouldn’t stop him. Not when he already had two long fingers buried inside her, pumping in time to the slow rhythm he’d set with his tongue.
Her legs fell open, and then quickly scissored together around his head. Kelsey rocked against him, shuddering as pleasure built in waves. This was when everything else—the confusion, the ticking clock, the guilt, the worry—all fell away. With Elias she was simply Kelsey. No expectations, no demands. She was most herself in his arms.