Prince of Midtown / Marriage, Manhattan Style: Prince of Midtown

This was so wrong.

A strange noise pierced the air. It took her a full five seconds to realize it was her cell phone. She dived for it, dragging her sarong over her bare legs.

Patrick. His work number. He’d called three times this morning just to “see how she was.”

How could she talk to him now, while her inside pulsed with desire for another man?

Guilt speared through her as she pushed the button to send him straight to voice mail.

“Now can we see the files? I’m kind of a workaholic, so I get neurotic if I’m not allowed to work.”

“You are working. You are my assistant and you are assisting me in enjoying my day.” His arrogant expression dared her to argue.

She fought the urge to laugh. Obnoxious jerk!

And he was right, too, which made it worse.

She sucked in a deep breath and tried to compose herself. All she had to do was survive her two weeks’ notice without doing anything stupid, then she could get on with the rest of her life.

“Do you have jeans?” His question yanked her back to the present.

“Yes.”

“Great.”

He shrugged his white linen shirt back on, right over his wet skin. It clung to his ripped chest in a very disturbing way. She was still attempting to tear her gaze from the sight when he looked up. “What are you waiting for?”

“What am I supposed to be doing?”

“Getting your jeans.”

“Oh.”

Sebastian looked at her as if she’d lost a cog or two. He was right. Of course, it was all his fault.

“I’ll, uh, be right back.” She strode into the palace, hoping she could find her way to her room.

In the wide, colonnaded hallway she passed the queen, who was talking at top speed on a cell phone. Despite her damp and seminaked appearance, Tessa prepared her brightest smile. Her Royal Majesty glanced up but didn’t make any acknowledgment.

Ouch.

What did she expect? She was Sebastian’s assistant, not a visiting princess. Get over yourself already.

Six

Sebastian drove through the gates that kept the rest of Caspia outside the palace walls. He negotiated his Land Rover through the narrow cobbled streets with expert ease, pausing for an occasional chat through the window.

“I think it’s really nice that the royal family is so intimate with the people,” Tessa remarked. She thought, too, that Sebastian seemed more relaxed here than in New York. There he often looked tense and rushed.

“Ha. It drives my mother crazy. She prefers to maintain a majestic distance. But my dad and I like people too much. We couldn’t be cool and distant if we tried.”

He leaned out the window to beckon a flower seller, then exchanged one of Caspia’s large, colorful banknotes for a ribbon-tied bunch of pink, bell-shaped flowers.

He handed it to Tessa.

Now he was giving her flowers?

“Smell them.”

She wanted to laugh. Typical of Sebastian to buy her flowers then order her to smell them.

She buried her nose in the soft petals. “Mmm. They smell like honey.”

“Our Caspian honey smells like these flowers. It’s the most delicious honey in the world.”

“Of course it is.” She grinned. “Is there anything in Caspia that isn’t the best in the world?”

Sebastian turned to her—while continuing to speed along a windy, narrow stretch of road—and gave her an incredulous look. “You’ve spent a day here. Surely you know the answer to that already.” He faced front again and she loosened her grip on the door handle. “We’re headed for the place where these flowers grow, in the cool and shady crevices of our mountains.”

“Let me guess, they’re the most beautiful mountains in the world?”

Sebastian stared straight ahead as he drove. “You’re catching on.”

The Land Rover climbed toward the sky, bumping along a narrow, unpaved track. Grasses and wildflowers grew sparser as they rose through the rugged terrain, past the occasional grazing goat.

When it seemed as if surely they’d scrape the roof of the car on the hovering white clouds, he screeched to a stop in a cloud of dust.

“Jump out.”

She did. And it was quite a jump, onto loose shale. She skidded then got her footing on the desolate crag they’d ascended. She was about to make a crack along the lines of “where’s the royal pavilion?” when she looked up and the view made words shrivel on her tongue.

The land descended right from her toes in a sweeping cascade of rock, grass and flowers still brilliant in the dusk. A wide plain of grazed meadows punctuated the dramatic slope, then the land descended again to the city, where the red clay roofs of the ancient buildings hugged the hillside as it ringed the harbor.

“We’re two thousand feet above sea level.”

The ocean, far below, crinkled and twinkled in the setting sun. She could make out the dots of bright colored fishing boats returning to the harbor, and others setting out for the night’s catch.

Smoke rose from chimneys, no doubt rich with the aroma of Caspian dinners being cooked.

The lowering sun just touched the wide, dark sea, a bright orb that bathed land and water in transparent golden light.

It was so beautiful Tessa could hardly breathe.

“Now you’ve truly seen Caspia. This is our whole nation.”

Sebastian’s deep voice drew her gaze from the view. His pride and emotion were written plainly on the strong features of his face.

He stared at her. His gaze heated her face, but she couldn’t find words to cut through a new tension that thickened the air.

He reached out and again he played with her hair. She couldn’t move. Her synapses crackled as excitement rushed through her.

The golden light burnished Sebastian’s complexion to a warm bronze, making him more handsome than ever—like a prince from an ancient myth, here to rescue her from the humdrum reality of life and transport her to…

Somewhere like this.

“She must have looked like you.” His words were almost a whisper. His fingers roamed in her hair as his gaze wandered over her face and neck.

“Who?” She tried to ignore the hum of arousal vibrating through her.

“The golden statue.”

“The one that used to stand in the harbor?” Tessa squinted at him. She expected to see his face crease into a laugh, but it didn’t.

“Yes.” He tilted his head and gazed into her eyes. “The ancient statue of Andara that used to watch over our bay. The guardian of the people of Caspia.”

He paused and his eyes narrowed. “Now that I see you here, with your bright hair streaming in the breeze and the sun on your golden skin, I can picture her perfectly.”

Embarrassed, Tessa pushed a stray hair off her face. She could feel heat rising to color her cheeks. “I’m glad sunset in Caspia suits me, but I’m just Tessa from Connecticut. Trust me on this.”

His eyes held hers, unblinking. “Tessa from Connecticut, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

He spoke with such conviction that the breath crept out of her lungs.

Then a shard of good sense peeked through the sudden fog of desire: This is Sebastian Stone, world famous seducer.

“You’re not bad yourself, in the right light.” She tried to laugh, but no sound came out.

She stood transfixed by the hot gaze of his dark eyes. Something in her said “run!” but she didn’t move a muscle.

Then he stepped forward and pressed his lips to hers in a swift motion that almost buckled her knees.

His hard torso brushed her breasts, tightened her nipples into peaks. He gathered her into his arms, his strong hands covering her back as he pulled her closer.

Gentle at first, his kiss deepened, becoming forceful, intense. A current of heat seared her as his tongue touched hers.

His rough cheek against her own sun-heated face roused her senses. He smelled like sun and earth and salt air—not the things you’d expect a prince to smell like—but magic, and she couldn’t help but respond.

Her arms slid around his waist, against the hard muscle of his back. He groaned as his pelvis bumped against hers. The rough denim of his jeans chafed her. She wanted to slide his jeans down over his powerful thighs and…

Tessa! The shocking thought tugged her out of the haze of raw, pulsing lust that deprived her of her common sense.

What were they doing?

Well…right now Sebastian was devouring her neck, his mouth hungry and unforgiving, his teeth scraping deliciously against the ultrasensitive area behind her ear.

And she was moaning…Or would that sound be better described as whimpering?

Stop!

The word formed in her brain, then dissipated into a fog of desire as Sebastian took her mouth again in a hot, unrelenting kiss.

She didn’t want to stop. Not at all. The sensations pouring through her like thick honey made her want to beg for more.

So what if he was her boss?

If he was a prince?

If he only wanted her for one hot, raw, ravenous night?

She shivered, her desire for him almost too much to bear.

Her fingers clawed at his shirt, then reached under it to touch his hot, hard muscle. She ground her hips against his and he responded, molding himself to her.

Her breasts crushed against his chest, her nipples thick with sensation as he hiked up her shirt and slid his hand over her bare back.

Then Sebastian unbuttoned her shirt. Slowly, carefully, his big fingers handled the buttons with gentle care. He eased it down her arms.

Her own breaths were ragged and unsteady in the quiet dusk. She saw the last copper rays of the sun as it sank behind the sea, taking with it the heat and bustle of the day.

And leaving the rich, thick darkness of the night.

Through her bra Sebastian laved her nipple with his tongue. Sharp sensation skidded over her and she almost lost her footing. His quick hands and strong arms soon righted her. He held her steady, tight, as he lowered his mouth and sucked—hard—on her other nipple.

The rough gesture aroused her to the point of agony.

“Come.” He took her hand.

His thick arm supported her across a patch of slippery shale and up the side of a rocky ledge.

He stepped through a narrow opening between two boulders and gestured for her to follow.

Tessa’s legs shook under the weight of unfamiliar feelings and sensations, as she stepped through the rocky opening. Behind the rocks lay a flat patch of hilltop, lit only by a slim, crescent moon.

Soft, thick grass tickled the sides of her feet above her sandals.

High rocks hid them from everyone and everything but the slender moon. Sebastian pulled her close and she shivered as he wrapped his powerful arms around her and held her tight.

Being wrapped in Sebastian was perfect.

Too perfect.

“Um, what are we doing?”

“Right now, I’d say we’re hugging.” He nuzzled her neck.

Shimmers of sensation danced along her shoulder and cascaded over her torso.

Her unclothed torso. Her shirt was out there on the rock face, somewhere.

“And now…we’re kissing.” The end of the last word blurred as his lips settled over hers.

His tongue danced with hers, making her insides twist and untwist in a pulse of excitement.

Her breasts met the night air as her bra came unhooked. “And now I’m undressing you,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to get the words out.

He slid her bra over her arms, his fingers gentle, his eyes hungry.

“Beautiful.”

His words caressed her along with his touch.

She did feel beautiful right now. Couldn’t help it, with Sebastian’s warm, dark gaze heating her blood.

She lifted his shirt over his head, which took some help, as it didn’t seem anxious to leave his thick muscles.

His torso shone like pewter in the scant moonlight, that line of dark hair twisting down into his jeans.

Jeans that bulged with arousal.

Tessa breathed out slowly, trying to keep a clear head as she unbuttoned the snap at his waist. He was hard as the rock they stood on. She reached in and took him in her hand, enjoying the force of his arousal, kissing him, breathing in the rich, male scent of him.

“Tessa.” His throaty voice caressed her ear like a summer breeze.

She heard the snap of her own jeans, but barely felt them slide over her thighs and down her legs. Her whole body sang with so much sensation.

Sebastian rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, which stood to attention. Her belly shuddered as he pressed his thick erection into her soft flesh.

His thigh pressed between hers, rough denim against her bare skin. He grasped her backside and pulled her closer, higher, pressing her breasts against his chest and crushing her mouth to his until she thought she’d catch fire.

“Take them off,” she breathed. Indelicate in her desperation, she shoved and pushed at the stiff fabric of his jeans. “Lie down.”

She thought she saw the gleam of his grin in the dark as Sebastian lowered himself into the cool, soft grass. She tugged his jeans and he sprang free, then she pulled them down over his legs.

Wow.

Sebastian’s muscled, athlete’s body looked like an ancient statue come to life. And why wouldn’t it? He was descended from the warriors and champions of the ancient world. The tribal tattoo on his arm only added to the effect.

His fierce arousal heated her blood as he rolled a condom over it. She climbed over him, hungry for his hardness inside her.

Her hair brushed his chest as she took him deep. Her moan pierced the silent night air and made her open her eyes for a split second.

She saw darkness. Silence. The stars.

And Sebastian.

She couldn’t stop now even if she wanted to.

Shivering with the force of her need, she rocked, drawing him deeper into her pulsing core.

Urgency kicked into a fierce rhythm, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could last without blasting out into the stars. Then Sebastian reversed their positions in a deft move that left him on top and her down in the soft grass.

She writhed under him, enjoying the contrast of his hot, hard body and the cool, yielding ground. Sebastian’s hands roamed over her skin, squeezing and enjoying her body. He sucked her breasts and the skin of her neck until she cried out.

Deep inside her, his erection danced, stirring sensations she’d never experienced before. Never even imagined.

She couldn’t stop moving, wriggling under him, pressing herself to him and shifting her hips against his, testing and enjoying each new wrinkle of pleasure and the fresh ache of raw passion.

Kissing was clearly Sebastian’s first language. His kisses came in unending variety—soft and teasing, wicked and sly, rough and hungry; or slow, controlled and throbbing with reined-in desire.

Strange, new feelings built inside her, consuming her, taking her over like an invasion.

She exploded into climax totally without warning, pealing out a sharp scream that rang over the nation of Caspia, followed by a series of hard gasps as sensation racked her body.

Her nails clawed into Sebastian as his own climax shook him. Then he lowered himself to her, heavy and breathless. He pushed his hands into her hair, holding her, and he pressed his rough cheek to hers.

Emotion swelled inside Tessa. Sebastian was so passionate in every other part of his life, should she be surprised that his lovemaking reflected his nature?

Stars danced in front of her eyes and she wasn’t sure if they formed part of distant solar systems or were the creations of her own bedazzled brain.

Sebastian eased himself off her and lay on the ground beside her, his arm wrapped around her chest.

She felt…protected. Cherished.

Not loved, though.

Even now she didn’t delude herself, even for a split second, that Sebastian Stone, Crown Prince of Caspia, could love her.

Which was fine. Because she had…

Ohmigod. Patrick!

She tried to sit up, but Sebastian’s arm was too heavy on her chest.

She’d just cheated on the man she planned to—potentially—spend the rest of her life with.

Horror descended over her like a bucket of cold water. She hadn’t even thought of him. Hadn’t cared at all about him.

His message was still flashing, unheard, on her cell phone.

She sank back into the grass, head pounding.

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