I reached for Bash’s hand and tugged him forward. “Let’s get out of here,” I whispered.
Without hesitation, Bash ushered me out of the ballroom and we practically raced down the castle hallways on the way to our rooms, hampered by the tight fit of my dress and my wobbly heels. We walked in silence toward the guest wing and I heard some of the King’s Guard trailing us as our security detail.
I tried to walk faster, but my dress was too tight around my thighs, which drastically limited my movements. Bash finally looked over at me and stopped walking, swooped me up in his arms, and hustled toward the guest wing with long, purposeful strides.
“Who’s lacking patience now?” I joked, but when I received a growl in response, I shut up.
When we reach the guest wing, Bash kicked the doors open, walked in, and slams them shut behind us with his foot as the guards take their posts on either side of the door. He strode toward our bedroom with single-minded purpose; once we were inside, he closed the door and placed me on my feet. Before I could turn around to face him, Bash ripped the beautiful dress apart from the back.
I let out a little shriek in surprise as the dark green mermaid dress fell to my feet in soft tatters, leaving me standing there in my undergarments. I spun around to face Bash with surprise etched on my features. When I saw his look of desire, I hastily kicked off my heels. He pulled me toward his chest and I grabbed onto the lapels of his tuxedo the instant before his lips crashed onto mine in a frenzy of pent-up emotion. We walked backward toward the bed and I tugged his bowtie loose as he removed his suit jacket, leaving both piled on the floor. I started unbuttoning his shirt and got about three buttons loose before he tossed me onto the bed.
“Bash …” I murmured as he crawled toward me in just his perfectly pressed black slacks.
“Hmm?” He trailed his lips from my leg, up my thigh, and up my abdomen until he hovered over me.
“You shouldn’t have torn up my dress,” I offered lamely as he kissed along the sensitive spot on my neck, making me moan.
“I’ve been dying to get you out of it all night,” he breathed against my neck.
“What if Alexander asks us to go back?” I asked softly, my thoughts scattered and trying vainly to focus.
“He won’t.” Bash grinned as his hand slipped between my thighs. I arched my back, losing all control, and happily gave myself over to him.
A knock at the door stirred me awake and I tightened my hold on Bash as I’m draped across his bare chest. I cracked one eye open to see it was already morning. Bash’s arm stiffened around me and he glided his hand up and down my naked back.
“How long have you been awake?” I grumbled against his chest.
“I just woke up,” he said as he kissed the top of my head. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” I smiled in response just as someone knocked on the door again. “Be right out!” I yelled.
I reluctantly rolled off Bash and off the bed, crossing the room to grab my robe draped across the back of the armchair by the balcony door. I shrugged into it and tied the belt, then looked over at Bash to make sure he was covered up before I opened the door.
“Yes?” I answered the door to find one of the King’s Guard standing before me.
He blushed at the sight of me. “Princess, yer father is requesting yer presence in the council room.”
I rested my head against the door. “Really? Now? What time is it?”
The guard cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. I probably had sex hair. “It’s eight in the morning, Princess.”
I sighed. “Well, damn. Can I at least have some brekkie?”
He shook his head apologetically. “No, Princess. Ye must go now.”
“Fuck. Okay, let me get dressed.” He nodded respectfully and I closed the door.
“Council meeting?” Bash asked as he leaned against the cushioned headboard, the bedsheet covering his very naked lower body.
“Yeah, probably about what happened last night.” I stumbled over to my closet and started picking out some clothes.
“Well, you better hurry. You know they don’t like it when you make them wait.”
“I don’t care,” I retorted from the walk-in closet, which was expansive enough to be considered another bedroom. “I’m taking a shower first. I’m not going in there smelling like sex.”
“You’re stirring the pot, Mackenzie,” Bash sang.
I poked my head out of the closet. “The only reason you’re saying that is because you just want to mark your territory, so hush. I’m showering, and that’s final. They can wait.”
It took me a scant twenty minutes to shower, get dressed, and make my way to the council room, escorted by the guard who came to get me this morning. I felt anxiety rolling off him in waves because I made him wait. While I kind of felt bad for him, hygiene was important to me.
The guard stepped past me and reached for the double doors, opening them to let me into the room. Everyone was already in their assigned seats, grumbling about my tardiness, but I walked in with my head held high and a megawatt smile plastered on my face. I sat beside Alexander, feeling chagrined because I knew my antics were giving him unnecessary gray hairs.
“Now we can commence,” Alexander announced as he straightened in his seat. He stabbed a finger on the mahogany table and demanded, “I want to know what happened last night. Who caused a scene?”
Everyone stayed quiet, studiously avoiding eye contact with each other.
What a bunch of pussies.
I rolled my eyes. “For Christ’s sake,” I muttered, then shifted in my chair to face
