Courted By The Mountain Prince: An Arranged Marriage Romance Read online

  I stop. Telling my future wife that I have women delivered to me won’t do much for her opinion of me—not that she probably has much of one at this point. Still, I don’t want her to think I’m as much of a fuck-up as I really am.

  Yeah, I’ve had plenty of women brought out to me over the years, women anxious to have some royal cock—but Violet doesn’t need to worry about that, or even know about that.

  I’m not sure she would believe me if I told her I didn’t want those other women anyways. Hell, she offered me the opportunity to have my own mistress the moment we met.

  But, damn—one taste of her sweet pussy juice and I know I don’t need any other pussy for the rest of my life.

  “I know the stories, Hunter. You don’t need to be embarrassed or tiptoe around me. I’m a grown-ass woman.”

  “Grown-ass woman, huh?” I laugh, shocked a little at her use of the word ass. She comes off as prim and proper.

  “Hunter, do you not remember what we just said to one another in the snowmobile? I’m pretty sure the words we exchanged were a little bit more rough around the edges then A-S-S.”

  “Damn, woman, you’re right. You like to talk dirty. I didn’t expect that from you, is all.”

  “There’s a lot I didn’t expect about you either.” Violet’s eyes meet mine as I open the front door. “For starters, I didn’t expect you to be open-minded.”

  I cock an eyebrow at her as she steps into my house. “Open-minded?”

  “Yes, Hunter. Open-minded. About me. I honestly thought you would write me off as this inexperienced girl who was in the way. But you’ve been good to me. You haven’t treated me poorly, or made me think you want me gone—even though I know you do.

  “I appreciate the way you’re willing to expand your horizons, if you will. I know you could force me to bed and consummate this marriage at the end of the week, but back there, when you kissed me and touched me? It didn’t feel like this marriage is something you’re fighting. It feels like something you actually want.”

  Violet surprises me once again. She isn’t pretending, or trying to be anything but herself, and it’s refreshing to be around a woman like this. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been around a woman like this in my entire life, a woman so completely okay with who she is.

  “Violet, I think you have a lot of wrong ideas about me. This thing between you and me is not something I might want. It is something I absolutely want. My father told me I was marrying you yesterday, and that was the last thing I wanted or expected. But not because of you. Because of the entire fucking situation.

  “I don’t want to be king. And I don’t want to live in the palace, and I don’t want to be tied down to a life that I didn’t choose. But honey, you and me? That has nothing to do with my father. What’s happening between us is our own making.

  “So whatever we do together is no one else’s business. Whatever deals we strike, whatever agreement we come up with, it’s our life. Neither of us chose this. But what we do with it, what we do next? No one gets to write that part of our story.”

  I walk over to her, dropping our bags on my hardwood floor. Kicking shut the massive oak door, I pull her in my arms, not wanting her to think for one motherfucking second that I don’t want this.

  I want to rule her body. I want to be the king of her motherfucking castle.

  14

  Once again I’m pulled into Hunter’s arms, and I don’t want him to ever let me go. This wave of emotions has rocked me so hard and so fast. I didn’t expect it at all when I came here yesterday. I didn’t expect him to be so vulnerable, so real. The tabloids I’ve read over the last several years depicted Hunter as a complete playboy.

  Of course there’s a part of me that wonders if he’s completely playing me, but I don’t think he is.

  His arms wrap around my waist, and I feel precious in his arms. Like something fragile, like something valuable. I melt into this feeling. It’s a feeling I didn’t know I wanted or longed for, but clearly I have because my entire body responds to it instantly.

  We kiss as he carries me into his home. He lifts me up, and my legs wrap around his waist. His fingers press against my ass; my arms wrap around his neck. He has me. Neither of us wants to let go.

  This house is a place I’ve never been before, but I don’t want to look around just yet. He sets me on the counter and our mouths separate, my arms still around his neck and his hands still on my waist. We look into one another’s eyes.

  “What happens next?” I ask.

  “Do you want the grand tour?”

  I watch as he adjusts himself in his jeans. He looks mildly uncomfortable, and I have this animalistic desire to soothe him, even though I don’t exactly know what that entails.

  I think it would involve me getting on my knees and pulling down those jeans and taking his cock—the one that is rumored to be royally large—and putting it in my mouth.

  I want to do things with his cock, things that I’ve only read about. I want to lick him and taste him; I want to be filled with him.

  But he’s talking about giving me a tour of this cabin.

  Okay, not exactly third base.

  And I’m not going to be the one taking the lead on this part of the evening.

  “Sure,” I tell him, setting my hands on the counter. “Tell me everything about this place. It’s yours?”

  Hunter steps back and pulls me off the counter. We’re in his kitchen, which is gorgeous and completely unlike anything in Elexia. Elexia is full of whitewashed walls and soft woods, bamboo floors and open-air rooms, skylights and silky canopies over patios that lead to the ocean.

  “I built a lot of it with my own hands, of course, but one man couldn’t build this entire place. It’s eight thousand square feet of modern conveniences mixed with the rustic interior.”

  “It doesn’t look rustic to me. I mean, Hunter, this place is insane. Did you design it as well?”

  “Yeah, I did. I know it doesn’t look rustic necessarily, but compared to the castle it is. I don’t know about your home in Elexia, but you stayed the night at the castle; it’s state-of-the-art everything. This place doesn’t have an indoor pool or hot tub. Though it does have a sauna.”

  I laugh, still not understanding. “Hunter, this cabin is state-of-the-art everything, too. You have a flat screen TV and gorgeous furnishings. This kitchen alone has fancier appliances than any house in Elexia.”

  “But Elexia is considered to be, what, twenty years behind the times?” Hunter shrugs. “Hope that doesn’t sound rude. It’s what people say about your country. I’ve never been there myself.”

  “I’m aware that people have a lot of opinions about Elexia. I know it isn’t considered some powerhouse of a country, but it’s the most amazing place in the world. I mean, Hunter, imagine an ocean breeze, perfect 83-degree temperature all the time. The scent of fresh pineapples drifting through the air, and everyone smiling all the time because there’s nothing to be truly upset about.

  “Even though the castle has spotty electrical and spottier WiFi, it’s still the happiest place on earth. People there aren’t concerned with the newest cell phones or cars or clothes. People in Elexia are content.”

  “Except for the whole ‘being bankrupt’ thing. And your education system is in disrepair. I heard that the one college in your country doesn’t even have full staffing.”

  “Okay,” I say shaking my head, irritated at Hunter’s tone. He doesn’t know anything about Elexia. “Yeah, we don’t have the finest educational structure, but it isn’t because we don’t want one. It’s just we haven’t had the financial backing to make it happen. I have so many ideas about how we can fix things. The first step is reworking the infrastructure to maximize our ports. We have so much potential.”

  “I’m impressed,” Hunter says. “I didn’t know you were so civic-minded.”

  “I am. If I could be anything, do anything with my life, I would stay in Elexia and would work alongside my cousin and help him
put things in order.”

  “Why don’t you explain all this to your father? Couldn’t he start doing some of that now? I mean he could still be ruling his country for the next thirty years.”

  “My father is a loving man with good intentions, but he doesn’t value my opinion when it comes to running a country. We joked about it earlier, about how he’s old-fashioned? And he really is. I hate to say it, because I love him, I truly do … but he is a chauvinist.”

  “And you’re a feminist?” Hunter raises an eyebrow.

  “I don’t like labels. But I do think women have good ideas. What about you Hunter? Do you think women should have a say in the way a country operates?”

  I cross my arms and look at him. We’ve walked into his living room, and are standing in front of a massive stone fireplace. He bends down and adds some logs to it, then looks for a match. Finding one, he strikes it and adds it to the wood. He crumples some newspaper and kindling and gets the fire started quickly. It’s impressive—and honestly, it’s attractive.

  He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and his forearms flex, the muscles large and evident. Once again I’m reminded that Hunter is capable, confident, and secure.

  The fire roars; he stands, dusting his hands off on his jeans, and looks at me as if he didn’t just make something out of nothing.

  “I’m a feminist, sure,” he tells me. “Look, I think most of that stuff about running a country is bullshit anyways. I honestly don’t care. I want to stay out here and track the wildlife, make sure the natural environment of Cressia remains intact.

  “I knew that stuff about your country because I’m always looking up information about how other governments create laws to preserve their forests. Sometimes that research leads me down a rabbit hole.

  “Elexia may be a bankrupt nation, but their rainforest preserves are spectacular. No other country has kept so much land untouched. Most countries end up selling portions of their forests to big conglomerates. Elexia doesn’t get mixed up with that shit.”

  I smile, impressed that Hunter knows that. There’s a lot about him I don’t know. “My mom was actually the reason those preserves are in place,” I tell him. “She loved Elexia and its beauty.”

  “Really? That’s incredible. So you’re more like your mother than you are your father?”

  “That’s what my dad tells me.” I bite my bottom lip, nostalgically remembering the way my mother put her heart and soul into her role as the queen. I remember going with her to give food to the poor, to help build wells and schools for the people who live on the outskirts of the country. She was a good woman. “What about you, Hunter? Who are you like?”

  Hunter shakes his head, the heat from the fire not seeming to warm him.

  “I don’t know, Sunshine,” he tells me. “I’ve always wanted to be myself.”

  “Then tell me about you, Hunter.”

  15

  She wants to know about me. The things I don’t tell anyone else.

  “What you see is what you get with me, Sunshine. I’m not complicated.”

  “I don’t know, Hunter. It seems like you tell yourself and anyone who will listen that you don’t give a crap, but then you start talking about the environment and your country and your research. It seems like you actually care a lot about Cressia. Why are you fighting so hard against that?”

  “Violet, you’re killing me. I think you’re reading too much into things.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not. I think you’re making your own life more complicated than it needs to be. You love this country. You can serve it, and you can be the King one day. You can have everything you want; stop fighting it so damn hard.”

  “Oh, really?” I shake my head, not wanting to argue with Violet. “Does that mean I can consummate this impending marriage too? Because right now, Sunshine, that’s what I want most of all.”

  “Hunter, I’m serious.” She groans. “Look, what do I know about ruling a country? I’m just a princess.” Violet shakes her head, smiling with a hint of red rising on her face. “Truly, though, I’m not trying to be intense with you. Seriously, Hunter, I’m not. I mostly want to get back to that place where we were in the snowcat. Back to when you told me you wanted to get me naked and do all sorts of things to me.

  “I’m not trying to judge you or change you. I’m being pretty honest about where I’m coming from. I came here to marry you, because my father requested it. And you don’t want to marry me. And I get it; we’re both forced into something that we didn’t choose. But then when we’re together … don’t things seem … possible? You seem like someone I could give my everything to.”

  “So you’re saying you could see us together?” I take a step toward her. The fire blazes behind us, and the night sprawls out as ours. Her words cause a streak of desire to cross my heart.

  “I think so. Is that crazy?” She laughs nervously. “It feels crazy to say that. I mean, you’re Hunter, the most sought-after prince in the world, and I’m Violet, a princess with no experience from a bankrupt country. On paper we’re a terrible match. But in person? Maybe were not so—”

  “Not so bad?” I put my hands around her waist and seize her. As I pull her to me, my hands cover her ass cheeks, the ones that are round and ready to be squeezed. I need this woman. “Because, Sunshine, I remember the way you pulled down your panties in the snowmobile. You were bad. We were bad.”

  “Then maybe I want to be bad with you. Maybe we’re so bad, we’re good?”

  My cock is hard again, her eyes are alive with passion, and I can’t hold back anymore. I don’t want to, and I don’t need to. I’m taking her now. I pull off my shirt, watching as she takes in my solid, chiseled chest. She moans—in a whisper, but I hear her—and as she looks me over, her eyes land on my hardening cock.

  The rise and fall of her chest teases me. She unzips her jacket and drops it to the floor; I lift the hem of her sweater and pull it over her head. Her little tank top is in the way—I need to see her big round tits, and I need to touch them, suck them, bury my face in them.

  I take the tank off, too, and then she’s before me in a sheer lacy bra, her nipples erect underneath the gauzy fabric. Damn, I want to lick those nipples. Twirl my tongue around the hard little buds. Leave a trail of kisses across her skin.

  I unbutton my jeans, kick them off, and stand before for her in my boxer briefs, ready to see her in her little panties, ready to watch her slide them off her hips, ready for them to drop to the floor.

  She takes off her pants and we’re left in our underclothes. Her stomach is flat and bronzed; she’s sun-kissed everywhere. Her hips are nice and curvy, and I’m already imagining her thighs wrapped around my face as I lick her cunt up and down.

  “Are you ready for this?” I ask. “Because once we start, there’s no going back. You said you wanted to wait until our wedding night. That’s still three days away. I don’t want you to have any regrets, Violet.”

  “I don’t think I could ever regret this.”

  “There’s one benefit of consummating our marriage tonight.”

  “Only one benefit, huh?” Violet teases. Her fingers hook in the waistband of her panties, and I know they’ll be on the floor in a moment. Then I can see her bare pussy in all its glory.

  I’m ready to drop to my knees and lick her up and down. I want her sweet juices all over my face; I want to kiss her until she drips.

  “One benefit being that no one will hear when you come over and over again. On our wedding night at the castle, everyone will be listening. But here, in the woods, there’s no one but us.”

  “Then don’t make me wait any longer. Hunter, make me scream. Make me come. Make me a woman. And make me yours.”

  I drop to my knees and pull off her little panties. The black lace hits the floor and my hands are on her ass, pulling her pussy to my face. I kiss her belly, and I kiss her entrance—inhaling her scent, memorizing her coconut lotion and her clear-sky skin. She tastes good.

  My
hands reach for her tits, rolling them in my hands like I dreamed of. I stand and unclasp her bra, groaning as I take in her full breasts, perky and bigger than I can hold in my hands. I pluck her nipples. Then I pull one into my mouth, sucking softly. My cock strains in my boxer briefs as I twirl my tongue over her hard bud. My erection presses against her belly, begging to be free.

  “I want you on your back,” I tell her. “I want to lick you properly.”

  She nods in submission, wanting to be told what to do.

  On the floor, lying on the bearskin rug, her dark hair fans around her, her tits rising and falling with each breath she takes, her knees raised. I gently part her legs, coaxing them down, and I swear I’m going to explode at the vision before me.

  “Violet, you are fucking perfect. Every inch of your skin is like a gift.”

  “Don’t, Hunter,” she says, covering her face with her hands.

  “Don’t what? Speak the goddamned truth?”

  “You’ve been with so many women … do you really see me like that?”

  “You’re more than a gift. You’re a treasure.”

  I take hold of her hands, lower them from her eyes, and lean over her, kissing her softly. My body presses against hers, our skin connecting as desire envelopes us.

  She moans against my mouth. I nibble at her bottom lip, restraining myself, because what I want is to fill her completely without looking back.

  Because in this moment, when I look at her, I only see a future.

  16

  Hunter’s hands cover my skin. The weight of his body presses against me, and he rests his forearms on the floor on both sides of me. In this moment, I feel protected by him, so close to him. But the massive hardness pressing into my belly reminds me that soon I’ll be filled with him even more completely.

  I close my eyes, trying to memorize this moment.