The Royal Heir Read online

  “Oh my god. Are you going to do this the entire month? I mean, come on, think about us single girls.”

  I pulled back from Erik’s embrace, feeling him wrap his arm around my waist as we both watched Jeanie walk toward us, a smile on her face. It was like a no-brainer to ask her to join me, not sure of how this relationship with Erik was going to work out in the long run. I wanted to have someone here that was going to have my back regardless.

  “Hello Jeanie,” Erik said warmly. “Welcome to Maltan.”

  “It’s cute,” she said, looking around the airport. “Can we get a drink or something? I’m dying here.?”

  Erik squeezed my waist before letting me go, and I feel the disconnect instantly. “Come on,” he said, motioning to the open door on the car. “Let’s get going.”

  Jeanie climbed into the car, and I started to before Erik pulled me against him, his sexy smile making my stomach flip over. “Can I have a kiss?”

  I slid my arms around his neck and brought my face close to his, so close that I could see my features mirrored in his sunglasses. “I suppose so.”

  He chuckled and pressed his lips to mine, causing all kinds of electric sparks shooting off in my body. Gah, I had forgotten how he made me feel, how he tasted!

  He pulled back before I had a chance to deepen the kiss and I groaned. “There’s more where that came from,” he said softly.

  “I hope so,” I remarked, climbing into the cool interior. Erik climbed in as well, and we were moving before the door closed.

  “You know,” Jeanie said as we zipped through the unfamiliar streets. “I thought you were lying about this whole future king thing, but man, if you are, you are playing it up very well.”

  Erik chuckled as he took his hand in mine, his thumb drawing circles over the top of my hand. “I promise you, I haven’t lied about anything. I hope that you enjoy your time here in my country and if there is anything you wish, I will do my best to make it happen.”

  “Don’t tell her that,” I groaned, seeing the light flicker on in Jeanie’s eyes. “She can come up with some virtually impossible things.”

  “Hey, it’s vacation,” Jeanie said as the car started to slow once more.

  I turned my attention to the motion of the car, looking out the window as we passed through some tall iron gates. “Are we already here?” I asked.

  “Maltan is a small country,” Erik supplied, releasing my hand.

  “Good,” Jeanie replied as the car slowed to a stop. “I barely know New York as it is.”

  The door opened, and Erik climbed out, reaching back to help me out. “Welcome to my home,” he said with a grin. I accepted his hand, looking up at the massive residence he was calling his home. Oh, by holy, it was gorgeous, a large imposing stone structure with windows everywhere. I could hear the sound of the water nearby, the smell of the sea heavy in the air as Erik led me down a stone path lined with guards, guns strapped to their sides. They all saluted as Erik walked past and I wondered if I would ever get used to the fact that I was dating the next king of Maltan.

  We all stepped into the cool interior of a hallway, and I marveled at my opulent surroundings, the wide sweeping windows that overlooked a turquoise sea. I was truly in paradise and Erik was a part of it, finally.

  Erik tugged on my arm, and I followed him down a smaller hallway, the chatter of the group disappearing with each step. “Taking me to the dungeon?” I teased as he tried the first couple of doors.

  “No,” he said, grabbing me. “I’m doing something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time.”

  “Wha?” I said as he pushed me into the dark room and shut the door, his arms going around me instantly. His mouth found mine, and he kissed me hungrily, with such passion that I felt it all the way to my toes.

  “I missed the hell out of you,” he whispered against my mouth, turning us around so that I was sandwiched between his hard body and the door. “You couldn’t get here soon enough, you know that?”

  “I-I missed you too,” I breathed as his lips found my neck, his hands sliding downward until they found the edge of my dress. I ceased to breathe as his fingers touched my bare thighs, sliding upward until they were touching the lace of my panties.

  “Damn,” he groaned, his lips on my collarbone. “You are so wet.”

  I squirmed, urging his fingers to the aching center that begged for his touch. “It’s been a long time.”

  He dropped a kiss on my collarbone, his breath on my cheek now. “We will be making up for lost time, I can promise you that.”

  My knees buckled as his fingers started to dance over my wet panties, delving inside and colliding with the hard nub waiting there. “Oh god.”

  He chuckled, and it was the sexiest thing I had heard in quite some time. In this moment, he wasn’t a king, and I wasn’t just a peasant. It was Erik and Carrie, and I wished for that time to last just a little bit longer.

  His fingers started their slow circle, and I felt the pressure building, my breath coming in pants now. This was what I had craved over the last month, my own fingers not giving me enough release to ever feel satisfied.

  “Yes,” he urged, taking my mouth in his, our tongues doing a dangerous tango. I whimpered as the first orgasm hit, nearly biting his tongue in two as I tore from his kiss, my cries echoing in the dark, silent room.

  Chapter 21: Erik

  Holy hell I was hard as a rock.

  I gritted my teeth as I heard Carrie ride the pleasure wave, my cock straining against my pants uncomfortably, as it had since the moment she had walked off that plane and back into my arms. I had been happy as hell to see her, the last month torture for the both of us and I hadn’t been able to wait to get my hands on her.

  But now she was shuddering under my touch, and there was no way I was going to let it stop there.

  I had come prepared for this moment.

  Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the condom I had stuffed there before leaving to get her, placing it in my mouth so I could rip it open without moving my fingers from her quivering body.

  “You had a condom in your pocket?”

  I grinned, hearing the question in her voice. “Of course. I haven’t seen you in a month.”

  “You’re so crazy,” she sighed happily as I reluctantly removed my fingers to start working on my pants. After fighting with the button, I succeeded in getting them undone, letting them fall to the floor as I rolled on the condom and grabbed her hips. “This is going to be fast and furious,” I growled, pushing into her.

  “We have time to make it up,” she gasped as I buried myself in her, pressing my forehead against her shoulders. “Oh, you feel.”

  “So good?” I supplied as she shuddered around me. Damn, I was going to lose myself pretty quickly in her. I started to move as she gripped my shoulders, not caring that the door was rattled against the doorframe with every thrust.

  She bit back a scream, and I felt the pressure start to build within me, my thrusts increasing in their intensity as I let go, the orgasm nearly buckling my knees. We stayed like that for a few moments, my blood roaring in my ears. I felt like I could go sleep for days now, with Carrie curled up beside me.

  But there were people to see and work to be done.

  Unfortunately.

  With a groan, I pulled out of her. “Well,” she said as I pulled off the condom. “I’ve never had that happen before.”

  I grinned. “You’ve never been with royalty before either.”

  “You’re right,” she said softly, her voice dropping a notch. “I haven’t.”

  I wanted to take her again, all over this palace until there wasn’t a square inch we hadn’t soiled. “Find a light, will you?”

  I heard her fumbling to do so as I pulled up my pants, the used condom still in one of my hands. I couldn’t very well walk out with the damn thing in my hand. I had done my damndest to keep Carrie’s arrival a secret, but the walls of this palace had ears, and the heir to the throne walking around with
a used condom in his hand was bound to make for front page news.

  The room suddenly flared with light, and I laughed as I realized I had just had sex in one of the laundry storage rooms. Finding the nearby trash can, I tossed the condom before looking at Carrie, who had an amused smile on her face. “This is a first as well.”

  “Me too,” I said, closing the distance between us and taking her face into my hands. “Have I told you yet how much I missed you?”

  Her eyes softened as she leaned into my touch. “A few times.”

  “Well I did,” I said, blowing out a breath as she fell into my arms. I had missed her, terribly, not realizing how much she had impacted my life in such a short amount of time. After I had arrived back in Maltan, I had dealt with my interfering uncle, successfully getting him out of the country with the help of my father.

  Now he was overseeing a small estate in Ireland, much to his disapproval, but at least he wasn’t interfering in my life any longer.

  And now Carrie was here. I couldn’t wait to show her off to my father, to get his approval on the woman that had dumbfounded me back in the states. “Come on,” I finally said, pressing a kiss in her hair before letting her go. “I want to show you your room.”

  She grabbed my hand as I pulled open the door, glad to see that no one was waiting out in the hall for us to finish. That would have been very awkward, but not unusual. I was used to people not allowing me to have my personal space.

  I led Carrie back down the hall and took a series of turns until I reached the private apartments for distinguished guests, not far from my own suite. “Wow,” she breathed as we passed the windows, the sun streaming in and onto the marble floor. “When you said you lived in a palace, I was thinking a mansion.”

  “It’s been in the family for generations,” I explained, nodding to the guards that were stationed at various posts along the hall. While they were stationed here, my father had one rule and one rule only: No guards past the doors that marked our private suites. He had, as much as he could, attempted to keep some sort of normalcy for me growing up.

  About as normal as you could get being the heir apparent to the kingdom. “This way.”

  We made a turn past the doors, and I pushed open the first set to our right, stepping back so Carrie could enter first. “Welcome to your home away from home.”

  “Oh my god,” she said as she stepped inside. “This is like twice as big as my apartment!”

  “Wait until you see the bathroom,” I joked, finding myself fidgeting with my watch. I wanted her to be comfortable here, to not be intimidated by my title or my lifestyle.

  Most of all I wanted her to still like me after she saw this side of the world. It was my biggest concern that this would be all overwhelming to her and once her time here was done, she would not come back.

  “It’s gorgeous,” she stated, turning back to look at me. “Hey, you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, clearing my throat as I pushed that thought aside. “My suites are down the hall and through the next set of doors.”

  She cocked her head to the side, a slight smile coming over her lovely face. “You won’t be staying here?”

  I swallowed. “As much as I would love to do just that, my father, well, he demanded that you have your own set of rooms. He’s kind of old-fashioned.”

  Carrie moved toward me, and I felt my cock twitch as she placed a hand on my chest, her lips grazing my cheek. “Too bad,” she sighed.

  “Minx,” I laughed, grabbing her wrist as she tried to turn away. She grinned, and I kissed her quickly, stepping back before I got into trouble again. “Get dressed. Dinner is in an hour, and I want you to meet my father.”

  Chapter 22: Carrie

  I bit my lip as I scrutinized the two dresses I had picked out tonight to meet Erik’s father. No, he wasn’t just Erik’s father. That I could do.

  A knock sounded on my door, and I crossed the luxurious suite to open it. “Why aren’t you dressed?” Jeanie asked as she stepped inside. “I mean you have like ten minutes.”

  “I know,” I sighed, pointing to the dresses. “Which one should I wear?”

  Jeanie put her hands on her hips and shook her head sadly. “Neither. Oh my god Carrie you are going to meet the king of this place, not just eat dinner! Where is that black one we packed?”

  I watched as she crossed over to my suitcase and started digging through the mounds of clothing I had been forced to bring. Honestly, I had thought less was more in these situations and up until the moment I arrived, expected that I would be in bed with Erik more than I would need clothes.

  But then he had dropped the bombshell. We wouldn’t be sharing a room. I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was a bit disappointed. We had a month, and I had planned to spend as much of it as possible making up for lost time.

  “Here it is!” Jeanie announced, pulling the short dress out of the suitcase and holding it up. “Not even wrinkled. This is the one you should wear.”

  I eyed her hot pink one, long and flowing with a slit clear up to her thigh. “Don’t you think it’s a bit risqué?”

  She laughed and shoved it toward me. “Come on! You have to be a knock out on the first night. People are all abuzz about the prince’s girlfriend.”

  “I’m not his girlfriend,” I grumbled, snatching the dress out of her hand.

  She snorted as I pulled off my robe and slid the dress on, fluffing my hair as I did so. “Yeah right and I am not going to be the next bestie to the queen of Maltan. Can’t you see that he’s crazy about you? I mean everyone is talking about how you both disappeared as soon as you set foot in this palace. People are not blind, Carrie.”

  My cheeks heated as I thought about what we did and how I wanted more, craved more. Erik was right. It had been a long, long month and I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him until his hands were on my body and I was kissing him.

  But it was more than just the physical sense. My heart had literally hurt at the sight of Erik, and I knew that the piece he had taken back to Maltan with him was now complete.

  “See? You look fabulous,” Jeanie said as I stepped into the strappy sandals. “A knockout.”

  I laughed. “Quit buttering me up.”

  She grinned. “It never hurts when royalty is on the line. Come on, let’s go meet his highness.”

  I stole a breath as we walked to the door, the butterflies in my stomach going around and round. I wasn’t ready to meet Erik’s father. What if he didn’t like me? What would Erik do? Jeanie opened the door, and I stopped in my tracks, taking in the man in question.

  Oh, be still my heart.

  “Hey,” Erik said, giving us both a grin. “I was just coming to escort you to dinner.”

  “Good,” Jeanie stated as I struggled to catch my breath. “I nearly got lost getting to Carrie’s room.”

  His eyes fell on me, and I could feel the heat rise in my own body. “You look great,” he said softly, reaching for my hand.

  The same could be said of him. I had forgotten how unbelievably good he could look dressed in a suit, the shirt opened at the neck to reveal that tanned skin underneath. “I, thanks.”

  He grinned and wrapped his hand around mine, giving it a light squeeze. “Come on, father can’t wait to meet his guests.”

  I swallowed hard as Erik led us down to a series of turns, stepping into a large room, dominated by the longest table I had ever seen. “What are you expecting, an army?” I whispered as Erik pulled me toward the head of the table.

  Well, it could have been the foot, but with the older gentleman sitting there, I imagined it was the head. He raised his head as we approached, a warm smile gracing a familiar face. Wow. They looked so much alike it wasn’t even funny.

  “Father,” Erik stated as we walked toward him. “This is Carrie.”

  “My dear,” he said warmly extending his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you finally. Erik has spoken very highly of you over the last month.”

  I took hi
s hand, unsure if I should bow over it or do that curtsy thing but the king immediately put me at ease, squeezing my hand gently. “It’s very nice to meet you as well.”

  “And this is Jeanie,” Erik said as my best friend stepped forward, taking the king’s hand as well.

  “Your Highness,” Jeanie said primly, bobbing her head before stepping back.

  “Charmed,” the king said with a wink.

  I liked the man immediately.

  “Well,” Erik said, clasping his hands behind his back. “Shall we join you for dinner father?”

  He waved a hand at us. “No, you two need some time together. I would not want to make you spend the evening entertaining an old man.”

  “I wouldn’t mind,” Jeanie offered, stepping forward.

  I stared at her, and she made a shooing motion to Erik and me both. She was taking one for the team, and I owed her big time.

  “Come then and tell me of your city,” the king said, gesturing toward one of the seats beside him. Erik tugged on my arm, and together we walked out of the dining room, Jeanie’s laughter floating behind us.

  “Do you think she’s going to be alright?” I asked, not wanting to throw her into something uncomfortable.

  Erik laughed, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I think my father will have the most entertaining of dinners in quite some time. Remind me to send something special to Jeanie’s room later on. I owe her.”

  “So,” I said as we walked down the hall. “What are we going to do with our free time then?”

  Erik stopped me and pressed a kiss on my lips. “Oh, I have an idea.”

  I did too, but I wasn’t about to let it out the box just yet. Curious, I allowed him to lead me down the hall and out a set of doors, leading to a balcony that overlooked the sea on the back side of the palace, away from the busy street. “Erik,” I gasped as I took in the small table laden with flickering candles, the smell of roses and the sea filling the air. “You planned this?”