A Prince's Ransom: Kidnapped by the Billionaire (8 page)

“Open up,
darling
,” he practically purred into her ear. “You were so good about keeping quiet at the club so no one saw, but just because we’re properly alone this time doesn’t mean you get to be too loud. Besides, with such a foul mouth, this seems a much better use of that tongue.” He grinned into her skin, and she flushed deeply as she elbowed his ribs.

Eric grunted, and then his grip on her tightened. Before she had to react, Katherine yelped in surprise when he turned her around and pressed her against the wall. Her back molded against the cool tile between the shower knobs, and she looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. His own were smoldering down at her as he caught her wrists and held them against the wall on either side of her head. Her throat tightened, but she managed to smirk at him a little bit.

“What? Did I upset Prince Eric the Great?” she teased softly, and his eyes narrowed at her dangerously. She gulped. He was pressed tightly against her, her breasts mushed flashed against his chest.

“You really do talk too much, my dear,” he growled to her before slamming his lips down on hers, silencing her despite the squeak of surprise. She leaned into his kiss hungrily, wanting to take as much of it as she could, trying to pull herself free from where she was pinned. He tasted like the wonderful spiced wine they’d had at dinner, heated and exotic and unlike anything she’d ever tasted before, his lips questing at hers with the same greed she was kissing his. Softly, Katherine moaned into his mouth, allowing her eyes to flutter shut, and nipping softly on his lower lip.

He pulled back, and she gasped in surprise, looking up at him. “Seriously, how many times are you going to stop too soon?” she whined, squirming and trying to lean up to catch his lips again.

“Hmm…” Eric mused, glancing up at the water rushing over the two of them. Without letting her escape, he let go of her hands and reached for the showerhead, pulling it loose so its coiled hose snaked down. She blinked at him, confused, crying out in surprise when he caught her hands again and wrapped the coil around her wrists. It was pliable enough that her wrists were tied up above her head and the water was soaking her again. Katherine stared at him in disbelief.

“Okay, I’ll give you this. This is a first for me,” she breathed, startled at being trapped. She had a feeling she could get loose if she tried, but there was something heart-pounding and exhilarating about being trapped as he looked down on her.

Eric was obviously satisfied, one of his hands brushing against her jaw while the other found her breast again, cupping it and squeezing it. “We wouldn’t want you getting cold now would we, ma chérie?” he growled softly to her, and she bit her lip as he started to graze the edge of his nail around the sensitive pink tip he’d left so vulnerable. “Let’s try this again. Open your mouth, Katherine.”

Deprived of a way to get him back for the command, she just stared at him for a moment, and then parted her lips, swallowing. He smirked, and pressed two of his fingers into her mouth, rubbing the tips against her tongue before pressing in a little deeper. A blush worked its way to her cheeks, and she mumbled at him incoherently.

“It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full.” She scowled at him, and was immediately chastised by his thrusting fingers, making heat swirl down to settle in her loins. Holy crap, he was way better at this than he should be. Definitely way better than any of the guys she’d ever been with before.

“That’s a good girl. Let’s see what we’ve to work with, hmm? You receive high marks for your body and I do enjoy these breasts.” He pinched her nipple, and she let out a soft squeal at the sensation, the tip hardening against his touch. “Not too large and yet the perfect size for my hands, I’d wager. What else…” He let go of her breast and drifted his hand along her stomach and her hips. “I did find more to be enjoyed in that tight ass of yours, by the way. You do make it look good in those short skirts and high heels you’re always wearing. Not appropriate for a princess, mind you, but something we can work with. But for the pièce de résistance…”

There was a husky tone in his voice now. His hand lingered at the crop of soft brown curls he’d discovered before. Katherine’s eyes opened, looking down over herself as his fingers slowly made their way lower, not quite touching her lower lips but pressing at the gap between them and the crease of her thigh. One fingertip made the entire length that way, and then wrapped around the other side, moving back up until he was poised again at the tip. She was shaking all over, moaning into his fingers and squirming, able to feel her heat, her need swelling inside of her.

Eric had to know what he was doing to her—that was the point. He had already touched her there, after all. Desperately, she looked up at him where he was smirking triumphantly down at her, an eyebrow raised faintly.

“Ah, ma chérie, you are so eager for this, aren’t you?” He leaned down, nuzzling into the side of her neck and feathering kisses against her damp skin. “Just so easily, so
utterly
aroused. How many other boys touch you this way, hmm? Touch you for you, instead of merely sating themselves on your lovely body because you make it so… easy…” At last his finger moved between her nether lips and she squealed, a gush of wetness escaping her even though he’d barely touched her.

He snickered quietly, ignoring her clit to instead trace out the contours of her plump lips, gently easing apart her thighs until she was more or less standing on tiptoe, her arms still caught above her. “Of course, I have sampled this part of you already, and I was pleased with what I found even before you were properly prepared.
Now
, however, I am quite eager to experience it properly, to know for myself how such folds will feel wrapped around me.” His hand shifted between her thighs, his pinky finger was sliding into her. Katherine arched up, groaning when he pulled his fingers free of her mouth, and she gasped, her breathing ragged.

“Tell me, Katherine,” he whispered to her, catching her chin and tilting her head up. He hovered over her, one finger slowly searching upwards until it was poised just atop her clit, and she breathed out roughly. “For all your arguments about
choosing
your husband, finding someone to
love
… what American boy will ever touch you this way?” Eric’s lips brushed at hers, and she whimpered. “Could you
live
with never feeling it again?”

The question was punctuated immediately with more fingers plunging inside of her. She howled and arched hard against the wall, almost slamming her head back against the tiles except for how he had hold of her chin. His thumb and forefinger wrapped around her clit, rubbing at the edges and gently squeezing the tender button that made her mind flash white with growing need.

“Eric!” she gasped desperately, pulling harder than she meant to on her wrists and finding one free. Her arm immediately wrapped around his neck, but he only laughed that she’d managed it.

“Have I teased you enough then, sweet creature?” he whispered huskily into her ear. “Very well. Say it again—say what you want, and I shall give it to you. But know this, I do not think I could ignore my own wants a second time.”

“I want you,” she gasped, unable to try and hold onto her dignity this time. She was in a shower with him and he had just done things to her that had felt too damn good to deny. “I want you to take me!
My Prince
, please take me!”

“Good girl.” He pulled his hand out of her all at once, and jerked loose the coils binding her other arm. The showerhead fell, spraying their legs and hips as he wrapped his arms around her, gripping her ass and hoisting her into the air. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her other arm wrapped around his neck with the first, clutching herself against him, nails digging into his back and shoulders. Without waiting any longer, his cock slammed into her soaked, pulsing slit, and he groaned into her throat where his lips were buried.

“Katherine…” he growled into her, and she shut her eyes tightly, squeezing herself around him and pulling him closer, even as her hips started to spasm furiously.

“
My Prince
…” she whispered, and he let out a shout as he hilted inside of her, burying himself as deeply as he could and groaning into her skin. His hips jerked, and Katherine cried out, tiny mewls of desperation escaping her as she started to sag against him, panting and blinking blearily. She was completely unaware of the growing cold in their shower as she released against him, writhing as he came into her, buried against her like he actually cared.

Katherine blinked a little, realizing that it was still dark in her room with the canopy bed untied to keep out the eventual morning sun. The sun wasn’t here yet, though, and she rolled over to search for the clock on the bedside table. She made a face to see that it was only two in the morning, and started to roll back over to go back to sleep—only to stop at the sound of a click. Frowning drowsily, she sat up a little bit, looking toward the door and then looking to the spot next to her in the bed where Eric had ended up. They had half-destroyed the room for a few hours before finally being satisfied and collapsing into bed from exhaustion.

Except he wasn’t there now, and her throat tightened; her fingers brushed over the warmth he’d left behind, and she slowly leaned back into the pillows. Why was she surprised? Why was she even letting herself be surprised? She was just another convenience to him. Something necessary for his own desires. The things he’d said had meant nothing.

“Damn it,” she whispered, knuckling her hands into her eyes and then rolling over again, her back to where he’d been laying. Blinking back tears, she yanked the sheets up around her shoulders and stared at the clock, willing it to be nine in the morning already.

Somehow, when Katherine opened her eyes again, sunlight was blinding her. She’d been convinced that she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep after Eric had abandoned her, but the very eventful day and the lack of sleep the night before had caught up with her. It was better that she’d gotten some sleep when she had desperately needed it, especially if she was going to have to deal with Eric. She had to be strong, and not give him more sway over her than she already had. What had happened last night—several times—could not happen again.

But that didn’t answer the question of why there was sunlight shining in her eyes. She’d closed the canopy the night before. She blinked in annoyance, lifting her head off the pillows a little bit and looking around, only to freeze when she noticed that a maid was busy tidying up the mess.

For a long moment, Katherine was still and silent, staring at a girl who was obviously far too chipper and perky for that hour of the morning. “Uh… hi?” she said at last, breaking the silence.

The girl looked up immediately and beamed at her, stopping what she was doing and curtsying formally. “Bon matin, mademoiselle! His Highness requested that I tidy up your chamber and deliver some clothing for you to wear. He specifically wanted you to wear the dress on the bed this day, as you are to be having tea in the gardens with him.” All of this poured out in rush with an accent so thick that Katherine wasn’t sure she’d gotten all of it, so she just stared at the other girl mutely for a moment.

“Um, alright,” she finally answered, sorting through the words and ensuring she’d heard it right. She had needed new clothes, although as she looked down at the dress that had been laid out for her, an extremely unamused expression settled on her features. Oh, that freaking jackass… he had to be kidding.

“If there is anything else you need, mademoiselle, do not hesitate to let me know!” Before she had a chance to stop the maid or say anything else, the chipper girl pretty much bolted from the room with what looked like all of her clothes. She clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth, and then stared down at the dress again.

Without abandoning the warmth of the bed, one of her legs escaped the sheets and poked at it with her big toe. She grimaced and poked it again, certain it was going to come alive and eat her. Seriously, it was
pink
. The pinkest dress she had ever seen—and not a good pink, this was cotton-candy pink with layers of ultra girly chiffon. Katherine was shocked that there were even dresses like this in her size, and that she wouldn’t end up drowning in all the floaty layers that practically drifted off the bed. She glanced at the floor, searching for lacy ankle socks and little black shoes to match.

And there was a hat. A pink hat. With a pink flower attached to it. He seriously expected her to wear this? She would be better off wearing her own not-quite-appropriate white lace dress as opposed to this abomination. But, of course, her clothes were gone. The only piece of her clothing that still remained, other than her shoes, was her bra. There was even a pair of panties laying on the bed next to the cotton-candy dress. She was going to look like a goddamn dress-up doll with this thing on.

Glowering at the dress in silence for a long moment, she kicked at one of the sleeves and looked around the room. Somehow, she doubted that the other clothes the maid was supposed to deliver were actually here yet, so that she couldn’t wear something other than what he had requested…or rather, ordered. Eric wasn’t good with that, people ignoring his orders. Well, perhaps she would just take him down a peg or two.

Last semester, largely just to fill a curriculum requirement, Katherine had taken a costume class out of the theater department. It’d actually ended up being one of her favorite classes so far, and while she’d never used a sewing machine a day before in her life, she had been really good at cutting.

So, where did that leave her? She shoved out of bed and looked around the very nice suite. It was normally reserved for foreign dignitaries and very important guests to the royal family—which meant they would very possibly have business they needed to attend to and require certain things. She marched over to the desk, absolutely naked, and started opening up the drawers. There were some rubber bands, paperclips, a tape dispenser… and at the very back of the center drawer, a pair of fine scissors.