Elias pulled her to the very edge of the table, then he thrust into her, hard and fast. His teeth sank into the sensitive skin right where her neck met her shoulder. Kelsey let her head fall back. He let loose a string of words in his native language.
“Translation?” she panted.
“You drive me wild. You are…extraordinary.” He anchored his hands on her hips and jackhammered even faster. “Are you close, my treasure?”
“Always, with you.” And then he shifted to rub his thumb across her center, and she was gone. Splintered into a thousand shards of pulsing satisfaction. Kelsey started to scream his name, but he swallowed it with a kiss as he snapped his hips one last time before clenching his fingers into her flesh.
It was quiet, then, with only their rasping breaths and the low hum of the heater. Elias kept kissing her. Deep, long kisses that made it seem as though they had all the time in the world. Kisses that made the room spin every bit as much as her orgasm had. Kisses that almost made her admit just how deep her feelings ran.
But Kelsey had watched enough episodes of The Bachelor to know you didn’t share that with a man until you were positive you weren’t on the verge of breaking up with him. The four days she had left with Elias in no way promised any future together.
So she squeezed her eyes shut, imprinting a mental picture of everything about this moment: the softness of the near-stubble on his head, the sharp slant of his cheekbones as she caressed his jaw, the near-bruising pressure of his hipbones against her inner thighs.
Elias finished with a soft kiss on her eyelids. When she reluctantly dragged them open, it was to see him licking the fingers that had been inside her. “I want this flavor in my mouth when I choose our wine.”
“You’re wicked,” she gasped.
“Merely savoring the moment.” With a final lick, he winked. “I think we’ll need champagne. Nothing else could be as sweet and effervescent as you.”
Okay…one more thing to remember about tonight.
That he’d been dirty-talking their wine selection when Kelsey stopped fighting it and admitted she was falling in love with Elias.
Chapter Eighteen
Elias was used to people being obsequious around his best friend, while simultaneously ignoring him. It went with the territory when you hung out with the heir to the throne, but he wasn’t used to the prime minster all but licking Christian’s boots.
Prime Minister Skeggit pointed through the rotunda of the parliamentary building to the stone steps that arched across the front. The attempt at still keeping some level of secrecy had them meeting in the entranceway, rather than going out to the steps that abutted a large park. “After a short speech by myself, we’ll—”
Christian cut her off with a sharply raised index finger. “And a speech from the king. After all, at its heart, the reappearance of Princess Kelsey is a family matter.”
“Of course. After the king’s speech, we’ll come back to the state receiving chamber for a luncheon with the royal family and parliamentary leadership. Would you like to choose a private room for the family to wait in prior to the announcement?”
Right. Every second in Christian’s presence bought Skeggit political capital, or so she thought. It was blindingly obvious to Elias that every additional second was just ticking his friend off.
Time to intercept. Elias stepped forward from his customary four steps behind the prince. “Prime Minister, I believe that’s something that Sir Kai is already working on with your staff. We appreciate your time, but we don’t want to keep you longer than necessary. It’s hard enough to explain Prince Christian’s continued presence here.”
“Oh. Very good. As for our cover story…” She winked. Oddly. It was painful to watch, it was so out of character. “We have the artist unveiling a new portrait of the prince to hang in the Hallway of Royals. Your Highness, he’ll be thrilled if you attend.”
“I’ll let you know how thrilled I am once I see it.” They all gave obligatory chuckles. Even though Elias knew Christian wasn’t joking. At all.
“I noticed you called your sister Princess Kelsey. Wouldn’t it have a greater impact if we continue to call her Princess Valentina?”
Not this again. Elias ground his teeth together. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come to her defense. That ball was in Christian’s court.
But the prince simply laughed off the suggestion. “Ha! It’d have an impact, decidedly so. Because she wouldn’t answer to it.”
“Surely the princess can be informed of the optics of her using an American name to be declared the missing Villani. It simply isn’t appropriate. What if, God forbid, something happens to the rest of the family and she becomes Queen? With that name?”
Tasteless. In the extreme.
“Well, if you manage to survive whatever tragedy takes out my father, me, and my sister, then you can attempt to have that argument with the new queen. I wish you luck. Until then”—Christian pinned her with a glare the way you’d harpoon a goldfish—“you will respect the wishes of the king and address her as Princess Kelsey.”
Well done. Christian didn’t throw around his authority very often. He didn’t need to, but when he did fully assume the royal mantle, it could be intimidating as hell.
To everyone but Elias.
An aide scurried forward, bowing repeatedly. After glancing at the note she’d been handed, Skeggit sent him off. “I’m sorry, but I have to oversee a vote. With your request that we keep this meeting a secret, I must stick to my official schedule.”
“I understand. I’ll wander about aimlessly until it’s time for the portrait ceremony.”
Her jaw dropped at his suggestion. “Your Highness, we can get you coffee. Some pastries, perhaps? You may use my office, of course.”
“Go. I’ll be fine. I’ve got Captain Trebanti here to keep me company.”
She bowed and rushed out of the room.
“Wander aimlessly about the building?” Elias snickered. “Were you trying to give the PM a heart attack?”
Christian shrugged. “Just a mild headache. She was annoying me even more than usual.”
“Skeggit got my hackles up, too.”
“She sees the reappearance of my sister as a boost to nationalism. Thinks that suddenly the vote will swing her way, and Moncriano won’t join the European Union. I won’t let her use Kelsey. She’s not a symbol to be appropriated.”
Bravo. And what a relief that Christian voiced everything Elias was thinking. “You deserve a free beer for that speech.”
“I won’t stop you.” They walked down the white marble hallway, Christian with hands clasped behind his back. With the vote going on upstairs, the corridors were deserted.