The Rebellious Princess Chooses Two Lovers Read online

  He frowned slightly. “You don’t strike me as a girl who likes the usual things.”

  Was she that transparent? Her heart fluttered in her chest as words formed on her lips. Words she could never utter with Molly in the room.

  As if he’d read her mind, he turned toward Molly. “I assure you she’s safe with me. Give us a few moments alone.”

  Cadence bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look of incredulity on Molly’s face. She wasn’t used to being dismissed from the room. She raised her eyebrows in a question, glaring at Cadence.

  “Run along, Molly. I’ll ring if I need anything.”

  The two locked gazes for a few seconds and Cadence thought Molly was going to defy her in front of the Prince, but finally she stomped off and slammed the door behind her.

  Dominic chuckled. “She must take her duties seriously.”

  “She takes everything seriously.”

  He pushed his chair forward until their knees were touching. Cadence struggled to take a full breath. Her laces felt like they’d tightened on their own and she was so wet she could feel the juices leaking onto her upper thighs.

  “And what about you, Cadence? What do you take seriously?”

  All sorts of clever answers ran through her head in the space of a few seconds and none of them would have been acceptable in front of Molly or her parents. She’d waited for this moment and now that it was here she wasn’t sure how to respond. A sliver of fear tried to force its way into her mind. He was a stranger and a great deal bolder and more forward than most men she had met. Even the Knights and other noblemen of her Kingdom never acted in such a manner toward her. She mentally shook away the uneasiness. Dominic was a Prince. She had nothing to fear from him.

  He seemed to sense her apprehension, because he sat back in his chair and gave her an apologetic smile. “Forgive me, Cadence. I fear I’ve let my mouth run away with me. It’s just that I’ve never met anyone so enchanting… so beautiful.”

  “No apology necessary, your Highness. I’m flattered by your words.”

  “Then perhaps you will indulge me and answer a different question? One less bold?”

  She nodded to cover her disappointment. He’d slipped right into acceptable court manners as soon as she had shown the slightest hesitation. Was that because he’d been putting on a show or because he didn’t want to offend her? If only she could simply say what was on her mind and put an end to all these silly games.

  “I would very much like to walk in the moonlight with you after dinner. Will you accompany me?”

  Oh my…

  “Your Highness, I would love to.”

  He winked. “Perhaps alone, under cover of darkness, you will speak your mind?”

  Cadence bit her lip as she wiggled on the sofa cushion. His streak of rebelliousness was exactly what she’d been waiting for. This was going to be a very interesting night.

  The Princess Took A Stroll In The Garden…

  Dinner was interminable. Dominic stared at Cadence the entire time despite the disapproving looks her parents gave him. Cadence didn’t care. They’d invited him so they couldn’t very well send him away. Such an act would offend his family and might even start a war.

  When she was finally able to extricate herself from the dining room, she paced the hallway while Dominic made small talk with her parents. They might have objected to his gawking at their daughter during dinner, but the sounds of their hearty laughter and easy banter told Cadence they were enjoying themselves now. Cadence patted her hair and smoothed her skirts while she waited for him to leave the dining hall.

  “You appear too anxious for his company, Highness.”

  Cadence glared at Molly. “Hold your tongue. And don’t follow us outside.”

  Molly drew herself up to her full height, which was considerably taller than Cadence’s stature. “You know I have to accompany you.”

  “Not tonight you won’t. And I don’t want to find you waiting in my bedchamber when we return from our walk.”

  Molly clucked her tongue. “You make a mockery of your parents’ efforts to find you a husband.”

  “I’m not interested in finding a husband.”

  Molly was still shaking her head as Dominic strode toward Cadence, his blue eyes flashing with lust. This had better be a short walk or she would explode with unbridled desire.

  He offered his arm and Cadence took it, enjoying his flexing muscles underneath the fabric of his embroidered tunic. She glanced at Molly. “Run along. We’ll be fine.”

  “But your Highness—”

  “Molly, we’re only going out into the gardens. Honestly, I don’t need you to assist me with walking.”

  Cadence turned on her heel, leaving an open-mouthed Molly, her dark eyes flashing with anger. Once she and Dominic were outside, she let out the breath she’d been holding. She had been certain Molly would go straight to her parents and persuade them she must chaperone her mistress and the Prince.

  “Are we finally alone?” Dominic’s voice was soft but raspy. Lust rolled off him in waves making her feel woozy. Cadence took a deep breath, letting the fragrance of geraniums and penstemon fill her head. The night was warm. A half moon shone bright overhead and the comforting song of insects filled the air.

  “As alone as possible in a castle full of nosy people,” she said as she smiled up into his rugged face.

  “I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you. Forgive my bold speech, Cadence, but I’m a man who must speak my mind.”

  “I prefer a man who speaks his mind, Highness.”

  “Call me Dominic then.”

  A shiver ran through Cadence. This was going to be easier than she’d imagined. With most men, she had to convince them that making love to her wasn’t an act of treason. This man would be no challenge at all. He’d probably come to her bedchamber right now if she asked him to.

  “Dominic. Such a strong name.”

  “I’m glad you approve.”

  They strolled along the path through the gardens, lit by torches along the way.

  “This is very pretty,” he said. “Do you walk here often?”

  “Yes, I love being outdoors.”

  He stopped to touch her cheek. It was just a light touch, but it sent a jolt straight to her throbbing clit.

  “Your eyes are the most unusual shade of green I’ve ever seen,” he said. “They remind me of the sea.”

  “Have you seen it?” Cadence’s heart began to pound.

  “No, but there is a lake near where I live that is said to be the same color. It’s high on a mountain and no matter what color the sky is the lake remains the color of tourmaline.”

  “It sounds beautiful. Any large body of water sounds beautiful.”

  He grinned. “I don’t suppose you have one close?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing but sand and rock as far as the eye can see. The closest lake is two miles away.”

  “Yes, it was quite a difficult journey to make.” Dominic took her hand and lifted it to his lips. “But braving the desert was worth it to meet you, Cadence.” He kissed her hand and let his lips linger. “I’m amazed you haven’t chosen by now.”

  Cadence glanced around, half-expecting to see faces peering from the many windows that overlooked the gardens.

  “Are you uncomfortable with my behavior?”

  “Oh no, not at all. I haven’t chosen because the men my parents have invited to the castle aren’t… aren’t what I’m looking for.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  She opened her mouth to speak as a man’s voice floated near them. Cadence spun around, but no one was there. Sighing, she looked into Dominic’s eyes. “I wish we had more privacy.”

  “What would we do if we had more privacy?” His voice was low and ragged.

  Cadence bit the inside of her cheek to stifle the moan in her throat. Her heart raced and her entire groin throbbed. It had been three months since she’d had a man in her bed, because her parents had ke
pt her occupied with the visiting Princes. She was out of her mind with desire for this bold, sexy man.

  Cadence mentally dropped all pretenses and let her lust for him shine through. She was tired of putting up barriers and playing at being a proper Princess. This man wanted her and she wanted him. And he was a Prince! Her parents couldn’t object. “What do you think we’d do, Dominic?” she whispered.

  Dominic flicked his tongue over the back of her hand where it burned her skin like fire. She shivered, swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat. He dropped her hand and moved closer, the heat from his body as hot as the desert sun at high noon. When he bent his head to kiss her hair, she moved against him and put her arms around his waist. The bulge in his breeches pushed against her lower abdomen, rock hard and huge. This time Cadence couldn't hold back her moan, and as it escaped his lips found her neck.

  “If you tell me to stop I will,” he said.

  She had no intention of telling him to stop. His tongue and teeth teased her neck. He planted soft kisses and tiny bites along her jaw line. Cadence moved her hands down to his ass and caressed the muscles through the fabric, eliciting sounds of satisfaction from him.

  His mouth found hers and he shoved his tongue inside. She sucked it and rolled her own around as his fingers tangled in her hair, dislodging several of the pins. He pulled away, his breathing shallow and rapid.

  “Cadence, we cannot continue like this out here…”

  “I agree.”

  She took his hand and led him through a doorway that opened to a hallway behind the kitchens. The only people who’d see them in this part of the castle would be scullery servants and they’d never dare approach her parents. Let them talk among themselves. She no longer cared.

  Once they emerged from the kitchen area, Cadence led Dominic into the stone passageways behind the walls. It was hardly a place a Prince from another land would be shown on a tour of the castle, but it afforded them the means to reach her apartments without detection.

  Cadence moved aside the damask drapery shielding the opening to the passageways and peered out into the hallway leading to her sitting room. She half-expected Molly to be pacing in front of the door.

  “Unfortunately,” she whispered, “the passageways don’t lead directly to my rooms.”

  “I love your sense of adventure.”

  A shiver ran through her at his words. With any luck she’d be showing him first-hand just how adventurous she could be in a few moments. She reached up and kissed him again, passion surging through her. All the reasons why she should show some restraint raced through her mind, but she mentally shook them away. Her parents wanted her to choose a Prince. Well, here he was, hard, ready, and willing.

  He released her mouth, pushing her gently toward the set of double doors at the end of the hallway. “I assume those are your rooms?”

  She stifled a giggle as she took his hand. “Let us hope Molly isn’t waiting inside.”

  “Perhaps she would care to watch?”

  Cadence suppressed a loud laugh at the thought of Molly watching her fuck someone. The poor girl would probably have a heart attack. She opened the doors and stepped across the threshold, stopping to listen. No hurried footsteps greeted her ears.

  “So far, so good,” she whispered.

  As she pushed open the door to her bedroom a loud crash greeted her ears. She clamped a hand over her mouth, reaching for the nearest lamp.

  She Took The Prince To Her Bedchamber…

  After lighting the lamp she moved it in a slow arc, looking for the cause of the crash. There was no one in the room and nothing appeared disturbed. Her curtains billowed in the soft breeze through the open doors leading to the balcony. Was someone out there?

  She crossed the room and peered through the doors, but only darkness greeted her. Turning she found Dominic standing directly behind her, a gentle smile on his handsome face. He took the lamp from her hand and placed in on the nearest table, then gathered her in arms.

  “I want you to know I don’t do this all the time,” he said.

  “Hold a girl in your arms?” she asked, knowing full well what he meant.

  He chuckled softly. “Beautiful Cadence, this is your last chance to send me to my own rooms.”

  “I don’t want to send you to your rooms. I want you to lock the door to my sitting room so we won’t be disturbed.”

  He released her, took the key from her hand, and crossed the room into the other chamber. She listened to the sound of the key turning in the lock as desire coursed through her veins. When he returned to her bedchamber, he closed the doors behind him and tossed the key on top of her dresser.

  Dominic put his arms around her again, sending a deeper thrill through her. “I appreciate a woman who knows what she wants.”

  Cadence inhaled his musky scent and pulled him closer, enjoying the way his bulge pressed rock hard against her. She let her hands wander over the soft fabric of his tunic, wondering if he wore a linen shirt underneath as the Knights did.

  Dominic purred deep in his throat and caressed her hair, sending shock waves of desire straight to her throbbing clit. This was really going to happen! Cadence could barely contain her excitement and passion. She was seized with a compulsion to tear his clothing or grab his ass, anything to hurry things along.

  When he bent down to kiss her, she shoved her tongue into his mouth and clung to him, giving him no doubt of her intentions. He responded in kind by capturing her mouth in a kiss so rough she nearly came. She reached up to tangle her fingers in his soft hair, pulling the silk tie free and letting it fall to the floor.

  His hands roamed over the back of her dress, playing with the laces. Cadence moaned into his open mouth, wishing he’d just rip them open. His mouth and tongue drove her to dizzying heights. She couldn't remember a time she was this aroused. In desperation she moved her hands down his back and told hold of his firm ass cheeks, pushing that impressive erection closer to her body.

  Dominic released her mouth and picked her up as if she weighed no more than a feather. His eyes blazed dark blue and a light sheen of sweat dotted his forehead. He crossed the room in three long strides and dumped her on the bed. Before she had time to arrange her tangled skirts, he covered her body with his own and pinned both wrists over her head with one hand.

  Cadence groaned, her breath now coming in ragged gasps. She was going to come and all he’d done was kiss her. She tried to move her legs apart but he held them firmly against the mattress. His strength excited her even more and her imagination ran wild.

  With his other hand he loosened the laces on her bodice, his gaze intense. He freed one breast and examined it for several torturous seconds before finally fastening his mouth on her nipple. She cried out as he teased it with his teeth and tongue, sending electric shocks through her entire body. Cadence arched her hips, squirming underneath him in an effort to find something against which to rub her aching clit. He freed the other breast and subjected that nipple to the same sweet torture.

  “Dominic, please. Fuck me.”

  Dominic lifted his head and grinned in a way that made her undergarments flood all over again. At this rate the bed covers would be soaked through before her dress had even been removed.

  “You are quite impatient, Princess.”

  “I cannot help it, Highness. I’ve never desired a man this much.”

  “I can see I need to teach you a lesson.”

  So swiftly she barely had time to register what he’d done, he untied the sash on his tunic, flipped her onto her stomach and bound her wrists together with the silk. Cadence ground her pussy into the mattress and as the contractions of her orgasm started, Dominic lifted her skirts and pulled down her undergarments to expose her ass.

  “Please…” she begged, rubbing her breasts against the bed.

  “Be careful what you ask for, Princess.”

  She yelped when the first hard smack struck her left ass cheek, followed by one on her right then several more
on each cheek. Her ass was on fire and another climax was already building. Cadence tried to speak, but all that came out were incomprehensible moans.

  “I think you like that,” he said, his voice as warm as fresh honey.

  She didn’t answer. She could barely form a coherent thought. All she could do was let the sensations fill her as he slipped a hand underneath and rubbed her pussy with his palm. She ground her hips into it and when his thumb grazed her clit she exploded in another orgasm, so crazy strong she saw spots behind her closed eyelids.

  One long finger slipped into her wetness, fucking the sensitive walls, then two, while his thumb continued to rub her sore clit. When she felt a finger circle her anus, a shiver of fresh anticipation shot through her.

  “Dominic, there is a bottle of oil on my dresser for that.”

  His fingers slipped out of her pussy and she felt him move off the bed. She tried to turn her head to see what he was doing but couldn’t, so she rolled onto her back to watch him rummage through the containers on her dresser. He held up a bottle of massage oil, frowning. “Did I give you permission to turn over, Cadence?”

  She giggled at the look on his face, a mixture of false anger and lust. “No, your Highness.”

  He strolled toward her, his gaze locked on her exposed breasts. Cadence found it difficult to take a full breath. He climbed onto the bed, untied her wrists, and removed the dress from her arms. Then he tied her wrists again, not saying a word. Cadence whimpered and watched his face, her clit and nipples aching for his touch.

  Dominic slid her dress completely off and tossed it on the floor. He cupped her breasts and squeezed hard. Leaning forward, he ran his teeth over the tips of her nipples as Cadence arched her hips, wanting more.

  Sitting back on his heels he removed the stopper from the bottle and poured some oil into his palms. He rubbed it over her breasts until they were covered with the warm liquid, increasing their sensitivity. Cadence squirmed as his rough hands slid over her skin. Only then did he remove her undergarments and part her legs, his gaze moving slowly over her curls and slick labia.