Page 41 of A Royal Disaster
She brushed the tips of her fingers over her lips. Even without a mirror, she could tell they were swollen. Well kissed, Nia would’ve said. So much for subtlety. She could only imagine what Jack and Ethan would think.
So not the point.
“Why did you do that?” she said.
He’d taken a step back, giving her a bit of space. It wasn’t much. Just enough to breathe and pump the breaks on the rapid-fire thoughts racing through her mind.
Liam flashed her a smile, the one that showed off his dimples. “Why not?”
“I’m serious,” Lena said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Why did the man have to be so sexy? This would be a thousand times easier if he were a hideous troll. But no, he had to be the fully loaded fake boyfriend model with perfect cheekbones, arctic eyes, and those perfectly symmetrical goddamn dimples she couldn’t stop drawing, let alone thinking about. It wasn’t fair. Even his hair, despite being mussed—had she done that?—was perfection. How could she possibly be expected not to fall for him? It was like they said on that space show Chad made her watch, resistance was futile.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t do things on her own terms. “There’s no press here,” she said, gesturing to the empty storage room. “So why did you kiss me?”
“Because I wanted to, and I thought you wanted it, too.” Liam raked a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. Lena’s fingers itched to smooth it down, but she pinned her hand to her side. She needed to hear what he had to say and if she touched him, there would be no more talking.
“I find you refreshing. I’m attracted to you in a way I’ve never been attracted to a woman before. I…” He paused, casting his eyes about the room as if searching for the right words. It was an uncharacteristic display of vulnerability from the always confident prince, and Lena’s marshmallow heart melted just a bit as he floundered. “I care about you.” Their eyes met and held this time, as if he was determined to show her the truth of his words. “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met before.”
It was a hell of a compliment, but it was unexpected and she wasn’t prepared for it. It was too much, too soon. He couldn’t possibly mean it, could he? Not the way it sounded, anyway. Lena was a realist and she knew the main point of difference was that she was a woman used to wading from one craptastic disaster to another.
“And you actually think that’s a good thing?” she said.
Liam’s face hardened almost imperceptibly, the corners of his mouth going taut. She might not have noticed if they hadn’t spent so much time together, but she was starting to learn his tells. Oh, they were far more subtle than most, thanks to years of living in the spotlight, but he had them.
“I apologize if I’ve overstepped. I’ll see myself out.”
His words were stiff and formal and they gutted Lena, because she knew instantly that she’d hurt him, though it hadn’t been her intent. It occurred to her that while she was saddled with the kind of bad luck baggage that made her question everything, Liam wasn’t exactly free himself. The burden of his crown would be a strain not only on him but also the people in his life. On anyone who dared enter a relationship with him.
Hadn’t she experienced it herself, albeit unwittingly?
Ay bendito.He’d told her that his court was full of sycophantic backstabbers, and the one time he let himself be vulnerable, she turned it into a joke. Really, it was par for the course where she was concerned, becauseof courseshe’d fuck it up.
But she could still fix it.
Probably.
Liam gave a curt nod and turned to go.
“No,” she said, her voice wavering, despite the determination that swirled in her belly. “Don’t you dare do that.”
Liam paused, his brows knit together in confusion. “Do what?”
His words were cautious, but they gave Lena hope. “Don’t you dare apologize for kissing me.” She took a step toward him and he turned, once again meeting her eyes. His expression was guarded, but his eyes shone with that icy light she knew burned as hot as any flame. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me.”
This time, it was Liam who took a step forward, and it was all the encouragement Lena needed. Fuck her bad luck and the paps and every other shitty thing in her life. Liam was here and now and he wanted her. She wanted him, too, and she wasn’t going to deny herself this moment of happiness—no matter how fleeting.
She launched herself at him, rising up on her toes to capture his mouth with hers. They connected in a tangle of arms and legs and lips, and the core of her being vibrated with anticipation at what was to come. She opened herself to Liam, savoring his cool peppermint breath as his tongue slid along hers, probing and thrusting with reckless abandon. His hands were tangled in her hair, and the pencil securing her updo clattered to the floor and rolled out of sight even as she splayed her fingers over his abs, cursing the EVA T-shirt that hid them.
“We should go,” Liam panted between kisses, “to your office.”
Lena started to argue and then thought better of it. She’d always wanted to do it on her desk.
She nodded in agreement as Liam kissed his way down her neck, making her thighs quiver with need. Then he was grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the office, as if he couldn’t get her behind closed doors fast enough. She kicked the door shut behind her and when Liam turned to face her again, cupping her chin in his hand as he lowered his mouth to hers for a gentle kiss, she lost all sense of propriety.
She needed this man inside her—now.
Lena pushed him up against the back wall, ignoring the rattle of pottery as they crashed into the shelves. Then she grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling the soft cotton over his head as she lowered her mouth to his nipple, rolling it between her teeth. He let out a tortured groan and threw his head back, letting it rest against a shelf of clay banks.
“Fuuuuck. Don’t stop, love.”
