Page 29 of His Beloved Princess
“You said that you two have mutual friends, right?” Bastian interrupted our staring contest, and my heart skipped a beat when I turned to look at him. I noticed curiosity swirling in his eyes mixed with...doubts? I really hoped that it was only my paranoia that made me see that glimpse of mistrust. “Who?”
“Dylan,” Peter answered without hesitation, “you know him—tall, blond, kind of moody.”
“I have no idea who you are talking about,” Bastian stated, scowling at his brother before he turned to me. “How do you know him?”
“They attended university together,” Pete again replied instead of me. I gave Bastian a wide smile while nervously clenching my palm until his face softened, and he smiled.
“Is he also a private assistant?” he asked, winking at me. I opened my mouth to say something, but Pete beat me.
“No, he’s a drug dealer.”
I snapped my head in his direction as he nonchalantly shrugged like it was no big deal.
Thankfully, out of nowhere, Frederick appeared beside me, grinning like a little boy in his radiant yellow suit with black dots, and my eyes widened. I was used to Bastian’s ties and socks, but this was on a totally different level. He looked gorgeous, yet coming to the grand opening dressed in this was unusual at best.
“Hello, darlings,” he greeted, obviously enjoying our shocked expression. Well, I was shocked. Bastian made an impression of a sick person, and Pete was totallyout of words. Still, Frederick’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself smiling back at him. He was adorable.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Bastian hissed, staring daggers at his younger brother. I instinctively grabbed his forearm, trying to discreetly remind him that curious people surrounded us. Making a scene over a suit wasn’t a very clever idea.
“You don’t like it?” Fredy shot him a surprised stare, which he obviously faked, and looked down at his jacket. “It’s the latest fashion.”
“You look like a clown!” my man said through gritted teeth, but Fredy’s grin only widened.
“Are you afraid I’ll overshadow you on the stage?” he provoked Batian, winking at me, and I grimaced. This wasn’t necessary. This day was significant for Bastian, and his brother should respect that.
“The little bee hardly overshadows the lion,” Bastian stated confidently, his face hardened, and yet again, Fredy only smirked.
“You should never underestimate the power of little ones, big brother,” he lectured, peering at his expensive black watch, which was in huge contrast with the color of his suit.
“Of course,” Bastian groaned, shaking his head. “We should go. I don’t want to be late for my company’s ceremony.” He gently took my hand and entwined our fingers, ignoring the two behind his back, who were chuckling about something.
“Nervous?” he asked again when we walked around the room. A few people tried to get to us, but the bodyguard quickly stopped their efforts.
“Just don’t laugh,” I warned him, giving him my best smile, but truth be told, my insides quivered, my heart rate increased, and I was sweating profusely. The usual adrenaline rush, which I hadn’t experienced for a long time, made my chest tighten with the familiar fear of performance and failure.
“You’ll be amazing. I know it,” he whispered next to my ear, and goosebumps appeared on my neck and arms.
“Thank you,” I breathed. Our noses almost touched when I turned my head to look at him. We were standing next to the stage, hidden from the nosy eyes of the guests, and, of course, he had to use this opportunity to tease me.
“You’ll thank me later,” he muttered, leaning closer, brushing his nose against my cheek, “on your knees, naked,” his fingers traveling down my arm leisurely, making the small hair covering my skin stand, “worshipping my cock with your splendid mouth.”
I took a sharp breath, grabbing his jacket for support because my head spun from all the images that flooded my mind.
“I promise you, princess,” he continued, torturing my ears with his deep baritone and my body with subtle touches, “you’ll be thanking me for the whole night, and I’ll use everything your body has to offer.”
“Mr. Thorn!” A piercing female voice destroyed our intimate moment, and I licked my dry lips, trying to cover my flushed face. I had perfect makeup, which should be able to cover the heat in my cheeks, yet I didn’t feel comfortable when she was staring at me like I was some intruder.
“Please, follow me on the stage,” the woman said, glaring over her shoulder when Bastian took my hand, and we walked behind her. She probably thought he would leave me there, and I smirked, noticing the surprise on her face when he motioned for me to take a seat and sat next to me.
A feeling of satisfaction spread from my chest while I looked into the room. Nonetheless, Bastian decided that I was the best person to speak on his behalf, and I hoped in the deepest recesses of my soul that my mother would one day see this, too.
The official part of the ceremony started exactly on time, and I had to say that, despite thinking it would be tedious and lengthy, I found myself enjoying it. A few intriguing men talked about Bastian’s extraordinary effort to put things together and be able to start with all of this. I didn’t know that the project included a pharmacy factory and that scientists had the space and resources to work on discovering cures for rare diseases. Also, the business of drones was new to me. I didn’t have any idea that Bastian had his fingers in any of those fields. Thorn Enterprises was a telecommunication company, and despite knowing that my man owned a few others, this was totally fresh information.
As the speeches continued, I realized that everything was slowly ending and my time was about to come. I clenched my palms, taking a deep breath, and just when I released it was time, the man introducing every speaker said my name. It was so quiet in the room after that announcement that I could hear nothing but people staring while I was walking to the microphone.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous. My voice didn’t tremble, my expression was soft and welcoming, and I managed to give the guests a sincere smile. It was terrific. I knew it. And when I turned to Bastian, joking about him letting me speak instead of him, he flashed me such a satisfied grin that my knees felt weak, and I almost melted into a puddle.
I did it. I made him proud.
