King’s Chosen Read online

Touching him, smelling him, feeling his hands on her, it was all too much. "Let me go," she breathed, her voice sounding unconvincing even to herself.

  "Tell me you feel nothing for me, and I will. But if you lie, I'm going to spank you again, and this time I'll make sure the sting lasts."

  Damn.

  As her breath caught in her throat and her traitorous nipples hardened, she couldn't help but glance down at Thorsten's big hand on her thigh and imagine it cupping her breast. A wave of desire washed over her, making her dizzy. Feeling faint, she swayed in his lap.

  What was he doing to her? Why was he affecting her like that?

  Thorsten adjusted his grip, stabilizing her. "I'm waiting."

  "I had a crush on you when I was ten. What I feel is probably echoes of that." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either.

  Thorsten's other hand roamed over her back. "You're clever, Annabel. But I know you better than you think I do."

  She turned in his arms and looked at his smiling eyes. So cocky, so sure of himself. "Tell me what you think you know about me."

  "You're beautiful, and smart, and feisty. I know that you like to read a lot and to paint. I know that you're curious by nature, and I know that you're kind. I knew all of that before I came here. What I needed to find out, though, was if you're power and status hungry like the others. Which you're not. And also if you're passionate. I intend to be faithful to my wife, which means I'm not going to marry someone who's cold to me."

  "And what's your verdict?"

  His grin was so broad that his face must have hurt. "Oh, you’re passionate alright. But I still need to run a few more tests."

  Was he suggesting what she thought he was?

  "I'm not going to let a man who's not my husband touch me."

  "How about your fiancé?"

  Annabel shook her head. With him so close, she couldn't think straight, and the way he kept pushing and cornering her, she wasn't going to manage one coherent thought.

  "I need to think. You swept down on me like a thunderstorm, scrambling my brain and confusing me with the liberties you've taken. I need a few moments to breathe."

  Resting his hand possessively on her upper thigh, he had his long fingers dangerously close to where she ached the most. "I'll give you more than a few moments. I'll give you until nightfall. But before I do, I want to make a few things clear."

  That should be interesting.

  She nodded.

  "The reasons you had for refusing me are no longer relevant. I'm not the monster rumors painted me to be, and I'll make sure that your queenly duties will be limited to what you're comfortable with. I need a wife first and a queen second. I know you have some feelings for me because you admitted it yourself, which is more than you'll have for any other jackass who will come courting. You're a logical woman, and you must realize that I'm the best choice for you. The only thing that is holding you back is fear."

  He wasn't wrong.

  Thorsten was like a force of nature. Of course she was terrified of giving him so much power over her. But maybe she could negotiate with him while he was still willing to make concessions. Being a princess, Annabel had learned a thing or two about power plays.

  "I'll make a deal with you," she said hesitantly. He might take offense to her trying to negotiate the terms before even agreeing to marry him, and she might end up over his knee again—bottom up.

  Surprising her, he smiled. "By all means."

  "If I agree to marry you, and I'm not saying that I will, I want you to grant me the freedom to visit my family as often as I wish."

  "Agreed. But unless we visit them together, I don't want you gone for more than one night."

  "That's reasonable."

  "What else?"

  "I need you to promise me to always treat me with respect. In public and in private."

  He frowned. "That's a given."

  Apparently, they had very different ideas of what constituted respect. "I need you to promise that you'll never spank me again."

  He shook his head. "No. Next."

  "Why not? It's disrespectful to me."

  "No, it's not. It turns you on, and I plan on doing it often. But in private.”

  Damn, stubborn man. Just as she thought she was making progress with him and was starting to consider him seriously.

  "That's not what turned me on. I had a huge crush on you as a kid. Now that I'm a woman, touching you, smelling you, feeling your hands on me, that was what stirred something in me. Not your display of brutishness."

  His hand glided up, his fingers so close to the moist place between her legs that she could almost feel them. "I'll make you a deal of my own. Tonight, when I come to your bedroom, we're going to test your theory."

  "You can't come to my bedroom!"

  "I can do whatever I want. If you're concerned about your reputation, get rid of your maids and make sure no one disturbs us."

  For a moment, Annabel didn't have a response. The truth was that she could fume and fuss, and still, Thorsten would do as he pleased. No one was going to stand in the way of the Crown Prince of Algenia. But would he stoop as low as forcing her?

  "I can't believe you would do that," she whispered.

  She knew the exact moment her meaning dawned on him. The hand on her thigh tightened painfully. "What kind of a man do you think I am?"

  He looked scary, but that didn't mean she was going to let him off the hook. "The kind who does whatever he wants."

  His fingers on her thigh loosened their grip and Thorsten sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm so used to issuing orders that I no longer know how to talk any other way. My intention is to seduce you, and I know you're going to let me because you want me as much as I want you. But if you say no, I'll respect it."

  Annabel lifted a brow. "No questions asked?" she teased, repeating his own words.

  "No questions asked. I'll treat a no from you as a command to be immediately obeyed."

  "Every no?"

  "Each and every one."

  "What if I say no to attending court?"

  "Then it's a no. I'll make up an excuse for you."

  "But you didn't listen when I told you to put me down."

  "You didn't say the magic word."

  "Please?"

  "No. The magic word is no. Plain and simple."

  Hmm. Those were terms Annabel could accept.

  8

  As Thorsten neared the barracks, he forced the stupid grin off his face. The commander of his personal guard hadn’t been happy about him going to see Annabel without an escort, but that hadn’t been the first time they’d argued about Thorsten’s solo excursions.

  Crown prince or not, Thorsten refused to give up his freedom. The compromise they’d reached was a commoner’s garb and a hooded cloak to hide his face, which was overkill. His facial features weren’t all that unique, and although he was tall, his height wasn’t unusual. Without the princely attire, Thorsten was indistinguishable from many other young men.

  Unless someone paid close attention, the plain clothing was usually enough to hide who he was. What he needed to be careful about, however, was his attitude.

  As long as Thorsten slouched his shoulders, walked with a slight shuffle, and didn’t do much talking, no one paid him special attention. That was how he could spend many an evening in the local taverns, listening to people talk and learning first hand what troubled his subjects. It was invaluable information that he had no other way of obtaining. His advisers told him what they wanted him to hear, and he never completely trusted his mother’s spies and who else they were reporting to.

  The disguise also worked great for visiting ladies who weren’t part of his court.

  Thorsten had made a point to avoid those vipers. His rejection must’ve rankled, and he suspected they were the source of the nasty rumors about him. Especially the ones about him being a brute with women.

  “My prince.” The commander bowed as Thorsten entered the barracks. “Would you
like to inspect the accommodations?”

  “I trust you took care of everything, Thomas. You can give me an update while we train.”

  “Certainly, my prince.” Thomas bowed again. “I’ll get our gear.”

  “Were there enough bunks for everyone?” Thorsten asked once Thomas returned and they stepped outside.

  “Half of Mondera's so-called army is accompanying the royal family on their visit to the in-laws, so there was plenty of room for our men.” Thomas cast him a sidelong glance. “How did it go with the princess?”

  Now that they were out of the soldiers’ earshot, there was no longer need for formality, and Thorsten could talk freely with his old friend. “Splendidly.”

  “Why didn’t she answer the summons? Was there someone else?”

  That was what Thorsten had been afraid of and what had brought him galloping to her tiny monarchy in person. Finding out the real reason was one of the happiest moments of his life.

  He smirked. “The lovely Annabel doesn’t want to be a queen.”

  Stopping mid-stride, Thomas turned to him. “And you believed her? She’s manipulating you, my friend. I haven’t met a girl yet who doesn’t dream of becoming the next queen of Algenia.”

  “Not Annabel.” Thorsten kept walking. “She hates court politics, which I empathize with wholeheartedly, and the idea of being the center of attention terrifies her.”

  Thomas shook his head. “I might have believed it before the ball. I’ve never known women could be so vicious to each other. But apparently, when the prize is the crown prince, all bets are off.”

  “They are of no consequence. The only one I ever wanted was Annabel.”

  “What about Rowenia? She assumes you are hers for the taking.”

  The mention of that name had the small hairs on the back of Thorsten’s neck stand to attention. He wasn’t afraid of any man or an army, but that woman scared him.

  Before meeting her in person, he’d assumed that the nasty rumors about the Crown Princess of Deluvia were the same as the ones about him, an attempt to tarnish her reputation by those opposing her future rule. But now he was inclined to believe that the woman was indeed a witch.

  No wonder Rowenia had assumed that she was the winner in the competition for Thorsten’s affections, and that he was going to choose her as his queen.

  She was beautiful, almost unnaturally so, stately and confident, but she was also condescending and cruel. He’d seen the way she’d treated the staff, and yet, once she’d entered the ballroom, he’d felt compelled to spend the rest of the evening with her.

  But as much pressure as she’d put on him to announce her as his betrothed, he’d had no trouble resisting her bewitchment. All he had to do was to think of Annabel’s beautiful face and get furious at her for not showing up.

  Hopefully, Rowenia got the message and found some other prince to sink her claws into. If not, there would be hell to pay once he announced Annabel as his fiancé.

  Deluvia was a powerful monarchy with a strong army, and Rowenia’s father had probably been hoping for an alliance of marriage with Algenia. Spurning his daughter might entice him to seek consolidation of power in a different manner. He might go to war or seek an alliance with a different superpower.

  All in all, it would’ve been most beneficial for Algenia if Thorsten had chosen Rowenia. But not for him. Annabel was the one dream he wasn’t willing to sacrifice for his country. But even if Annabel refused him, he wouldn’t wed the Crown Princess of Deluvia. She was bad news.

  “I wouldn’t wed Rowenia even if she were the only princess available. The woman is nasty.”

  “And dangerous.”

  Thorsten's lips thinned in determination. “When the time comes, I’ll deal with the threat she represents. First, I have to woo the one I want. Annabel is not mine yet.”

  Thomas grinned. “I wish you best of luck, my friend. I’m just glad you haven’t fallen under the evil witch’s spell.”

  9

  After soaking in a bath full of soothing aromatic salts for more than an hour, Annabel should’ve been relaxed. Instead, her hands shook as she tried to braid her long hair.

  Thorsten loved it loose, but if she didn’t braid it first, it was going to be fuzzy and stick out in all directions.

  "Let me, my lady," Mary offered.

  Annabel was about to refuse but then thought better of it. Mary liked to gossip while brushing her hair, and she could give her updates about Thorsten, and what he’d been up to since they’d parted at the bottom of the hill.

  “Here you go.” She handed her the brush. “Was Prince Thorsten satisfied with his accommodations?”

  “Oh, yes.” Mary gently brushed the long strands. “He said they were adequate and ordered a bath to be drawn for him. But he didn’t retire to his rooms right away. He and the commander of his personal guard sparred in the practice yard.”

  “Sparred? Not fenced?”

  “They did that too, but first they sparred.” Mary fanned herself with her hand. “When they took their shirts off, the other maids and I swooned. They are both so handsome.”

  With a frown, Annabel glanced up at Mary’s reflection in the mirror. “They were showing off for the staff?”

  Thorsten was about to be king. Taking his shirt off in front of a bunch of maids was undignified. It irked her to think of them lusting after her man.

  Mary rolled her eyes. “They didn’t know we were watching them. We were taking turns peeking through the second-floor window, but then stupid Ida had to giggle and give us away. I almost withered and died when the prince looked up and frowned at us. He is so scary when he’s angry.” Mary smirked. “But still no less enticing.”

  “You shouldn’t have been peeking at them when they obviously wanted privacy.”

  Mary giggled. “I’m sorry, my lady. We won’t do it again.”

  Right. And cows would sprout wings and fly.

  “Make sure to tell the others that Prince Thorsten is off limits. They can gawk at the commander and the soldiers, but not at the prince. You don’t want him to catch you doing that again. He might demand punishment to be meted out for your insolence.” And because he’s mine.

  Mary’s smile vanished. “Yes, my lady.”

  When her maid tied the ribbon to secure the braid, Annabel turned around and smiled at her. "Thank you, Mary. You have the rest of the evening off. Go visit your parents. You can stay the night and come back tomorrow."

  For a moment, it seemed like the girl was about to argue, but then she closed her mouth and nodded. Maybe because she remembered Thorsten's scolding, or perhaps because she was eager to visit her family.

  "Thank you, my lady." The girl curtsied and left.

  Alone at last, Annabel went over to the window and sat on the bench to watch the sun go down. As soon as it was dark, Thorsten was going to come, and she wasn't going to say no.

  To anything.

  Not because she suddenly wanted to be queen, she still hated the idea, but because she craved Thorsten the brute. He could deny it all he wanted, but the fact remained that the future king of Algenia wasn't a gentleman.

  The thing was, Annabel doubted a gentleman would've set her body on fire like Thorsten had.

  As a princess, Annabel had led a sheltered, boring life, and the only adventures she'd experienced had been in the stories she'd read.

  Thorsten was her chance of an adventure. She had no doubt that life with him would be a wild ride—far more exciting than anything she could've imagined as a wife of some minor princeling. Which was what lay in her future if she refused Thorsten.

  Marrying for love was a fantasy a princess couldn't indulge in, but where there was lust, love could one day follow.

  Undeniably, the one thing she and Thorsten had in abundance was lust.

  10

  When night fell, Annabel's heart began racing. What would Thorsten do to her? What would he demand?

  Somewhere in the back of her mind, there was a vague impressio
n that she wasn't a complete novice at this. Perhaps she'd dreamt about having been intimate with a man. But if she had, the dream must not have been very memorable because she couldn't bring up any details.

  Naturally, Annabel wasn't ignorant on the subject of sex. It wasn't in her nature to remain in the dark about anything. She'd read, and she'd asked questions, embarrassing the hell out of Cook, who she had caught on more than one occasion necking in the kitchen with her husband of more than twenty years.

  Lucky woman.

  That was what Annabel wanted. Love and passion so strong and so deep that they withstood two decades of marriage and five children. To have that, she would give up her title and don a cook's apron.

  A light knock on the door pulled Annabel from her reveries. Thorsten would've just barged in, she thought, so it couldn't have been him. Hopefully, it wasn't Mary or one of the other maids deciding to check on her.

  Padding barefoot to the door, she opened it a crack.

  "Are you alone?" Thorsten whispered.

  Her eyes widened at the sight of him. "Yes."

  He slipped in and closed the door carefully behind him, then turned the key to lock it. "One of your maids is dusting the paintings on the far end of the corridor. I barely made it without her seeing me."

  That was so sweet of him. She hadn't expected Thorsten to make an effort to keep their rendezvous a secret.

  "I forgot about Lorna. I gave Mary and Ida the evening off."

  "You did?" He seemed surprised.

  She dipped her head. "As per your instructions, your Highness."

  His smile reminded her of a wolf's. "Suddenly you're so agreeable. I like it."

  As he pulled her to him and kissed her, Annabel wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself melt into his hard body.

  Deepening the kiss, Thorsten ran his hands down her back and cupped her ass, squeezing and holding her as he pressed his hard erection against her soft belly.

  Through the thin fabrics of her nightgown and robe, she could feel it straining against his pants, becoming harder the longer he was kissing her.