Page 21 of A Wise Prince

“Darling, how is everything?” she asks. My mother is…an interesting lady. She’s a ridiculously smart, former pediatrician. My parents met in undergrad. Their lives were somewhat normal until my dad’s older brother was killed in an accident at an intersection where there had been several accidents over the year. He rallied the community and got a traffic light installed, and his politic career was cemented. My mother went along for the ride, begrudgingly. She’s actually a bit closer to my younger sister, Ashlyn. Ash is a freshman at Georgetown. She wants to work for the United Nations. She’s an idealistic do-gooder with a heart of gold. I’m more of a daddy’s girl. Although, I don’t see him much these days. We’re always like two ships passing in the night. He keeps threatening to visit me since I’ve been here studying, but so far, his schedule has not allowed it. Aside from last Christmas, the few times I’ve come home, he’s been traveling. No matter how long he’s been president, I can’t think of him like that; he’s just…my dad.

“I think Daddy and I are going to come to visit,” she says excitedly.

My eyes widen. “Really?”

“Yep. He has meetings in Barcelona, and afterward, we want to spend a few days at Carol’s house in Saint Tropez. Would you be able to get down there?”

Of course, my parents would get to the continent and want me to travel across it to meet them. I sigh. “Yeah, sure. I just turned in my thesis draft, so I have some free time now.”

“Wonderful! I’ll get it all arranged. It should be next week. We leave for Barcelona in the morning.” I sigh again. My parents are notorious for making last-minute decisions. You’d think they wouldn’t be able to do that, but nope, they keep the Secret Service on its toes.

“Great, have Linda send me the info.” Linda is my dad’s personal secretary, who I know will arrange every detail of this visit.

“Shannon already has it and will send it to you. How’s school?”

“Fine. Mom, can we chat later? I just got to the Summer Palace and I want to go explore,” I say.

“Oh, sure, darling. Can’t wait to see you.”

“Bye,” I say as I disconnect and flop back on the giant bed. I take a breath allowing myself to relax. And then there’s a knock at my door. Fuck me.

“Yes?”

The door opens and Auggie stands there, looking like a model in a cologne commercial. He has dark stubble dotting his face, his dark eyes look piercing, and he’s wearing a pair of jeans that hang low on his hips and a white linen button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He has on some sort of pair of expensive leather shoes. His left wrist has what I assume is an overpriced watch in a silver or titanium metal, and his hair…his hair looks like he either just rolled out of bed or just got fucked. I squeeze my thighs together because…damn.

“Hey,” he says as he leans his arms upon the doorframe, exposing his lower abs as his shirt moves up his body.

I bite my lip and will myself to breathe. I shouldn’t be attracted to him. He would just break my heart. I let out the breath. “Hey.”

“I heard you just arrived and figured you might need the ten-cent tour.”

“Sure.” I get up from the bed and walk toward him. OK, I sort of sashay toward him in my dress. I love this dress. It’s blue and is form fitting on the top but the skirt is more of the nineteen-fifties style, and it has pockets.

He pushes back and holds out an arm. I tuck mine in it as he leads us down the hall.

CHAPTEREIGHT

August

Hot damn.Everything I thought I knew about Kate is…wrong. She’s sexy as motherfucking hell. And that dress. Its low neckline means when I stare down at her, I can see her cleavage, and yes, I’m an asshole and have looked multiple times as I lead her down the hall and show her the newly renovated wing.

Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, leaving her neck exposed. I want to suck and lick my way down that neck and then fuck those perfect tits. Yep, I’m definitely an asshole.

After showing her the upper levels, I take her around the main floor of the estate, saving Tessa’s cookies for last.

“Oh, you found Auggie,” Tessa says when we enter.

“I think Auggie found me,” Kate corrects her with a laugh.

“You have to try these,” I say to Kate as I open the cookie jar and pull out two of Tessa’s world-famous cookies—OK, maybe not world-famous, but definitely famous in our family.

I watch as Kate takes a bite. Her eyes close and she hums her appreciation. My cock suddenly comes to life. Down, boy! I notice a crumb on her lower lip.

“You have a little something,” I say to her, motioning to her lip. Her tongue darts out and I have to stifle a groan. She’s killing me. She’s so seductive and she doesn’t even know it! She misses the crumb, so I bring my thumb up to her lip and slowly wipe it away. I bring my thumb up to my mouth and suck the crumb from it. Her eyes follow my hand, and I see her inhale sharply. Interesting. Kate is as affected by me as I am by her. Game on.

I decide I need a new tactic. Kate isn’t my normal type of conquest. I need to give her a little more time, take it a little slower. This is the game that I’m good at. I love the challenge of seducing a new woman, making her mine and ruining her for any other man she’ll ever have. I’m not good at relationships and I’m not good at feelings, but Kate is from America. She’s not going to stay here anyhow. I might as well make her time in Europe memorable.

“Would you like to go for a ride?” I ask her.

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