Royally Relinquished: A Modern Day Fairy Tale Read online

  We board the plane, and I’m a little overwhelmed that we’re sitting in first class. We’re offered cookies and a cocktail, and I quickly take them up on the offer, needing a rum and coke to help me relax a bit.

  “How are you not nervous?” I ask her.

  “Why? I’m pretty sure the pilot doesn’t want to die today, so he’s going to do his best to get us to Sin City in one piece,” she shrugs.

  My eyes widen at her words. She’s absolutely right, and I’ve never thought of it like that before. I find myself completely relaxed by the time the plane takes off, and I even fall asleep for the duration of our flight.

  Madison and I arrive at the Aria, on the strip. It’s the nicest lobby I think that I’ve ever been inside of, in my life. Then when the elevator opens on our floor and we walk into our room, I almost faint. It’s a two-bedroom suite. It’s bigger than any place I’ve ever lived in before. It’s huge.

  There is a bedroom on each side of the suite with a living area, kitchen, and full dining room separating them. The first thing I do is slip my shoes off and feel the plush carpet against my feet. It’s like walking in heaven.

  The kitchen has marble flooring and matching marble countertops, along with all stainless-steel appliances, and even a full-sized fridge.

  I hurry to my bedroom and squeal when I see it. It’s as big as my entire apartment. The bed is a king size, and I’m a little afraid to lie down on it. It looks so plush that I may never want to leave. Then, I walk into the bathroom, and I let out an involuntary whimper at the infinity tub that is placed in the middle of the room.

  “You can’t lose yourself in that tub just yet, Cait,” Madison says. “We’re going down to the pool first,” she announces before she turns and walks to her room.

  Staring after her for a few seconds, I then shake myself out of it and walk over to my suitcase, grabbing my swimsuit and quickly changing.

  My suite isn’t anything special. It’s a silver triangle bikini top that doesn’t hide much and has silver bottoms that tie on the side.

  I usually don’t wear a swim suit in public places. Though I’m comfortable enough with my body, I don’t like to show it off. I already know that I’m definitely not going to be the fittest girl at the pool, so I nab my little see-through cover up and put my long dark hair in a huge knot at the top of my head. I then slip on my dollar black flip flops and head into the common living area to wait for Mads.

  Madison walks out wearing a leopard print wrap cover-up, and black high heels, along with a huge black floppy hat. She looks like a famous movie star, especially as she slips on her oversized sunglasses.

  “You ready?” she asks, arching a brow.

  “Yeah, let’s do this,” I almost groan.

  I watch her walk into the swimming area. Fuck me. She’s an absolute knock-out, and she has no fucking clue, I can tell by the way she walks with her head slightly down, and her shoulders somewhat slumped.

  She’s walking with a friend, a slim girl, with blonde hair, in high heels. But blondie isn’t my focus. I can’t take my eyes off of the curvy brunette. Like a creep, I watch as she takes her cover-up off once they’ve reached their cabana.

  My cock twitches at the way her swim suit fits her. It’s a tiny little silver thing, and she’s got so much skin showing, I want to throw a towel over her so that nobody else can see her.

  Fuck me—she’s stunning.

  She talks to the waiter and smiles before she walks over and reaches for something. Her friend says something and walks away, but my girl, she lies down, unbothered by anything else, and begins to read what looks like a book, an honest to god paperback book, which surprises me. I can’t remember the last time I saw a woman read a paperback book.

  My eyes are glued to her; I couldn’t look away if I tried. Then I see as she lifts her head before she stands and makes her way over to the pool where her friend is. It’s when she arrives at the pool and sits on the edge that I notice two men with her. One eyes her and even licks his lips. I don’t understand the rage that bubbles in my blood at seeing the man look at her.

  When the one talking to her reaches out and grabs ahold of her bicep, yanking it in a way where she almost falls in the pool, I know that it’s time for me to intervene.

  I walk right over to where she is, standing right behind her, looking at each prick before I speak.

  Madison calls me over to the pool, and I roll my eyes, letting out a breath before I stand. Madison is inside of the pool, chatting to two guys when I walk up. I slink down and let my legs fall into the water as I sit on the edge.

  The guys she’s talking to are full of thick, bulky muscle, and they look like they survive on whey powder and lean protein alone. They’re pretty intimidating.

  “Vinnie and Trey, this is my friend, Cait,” Madison introduces as I sit down.

  I smile and wave, trying not to roll my eyes behind my glasses.

  “Hey, babe,” Vinnie grins as Trey just lifts his chin in my direction.

  “You girls gonna party with us tonight? We’re going over to New York, New York to that Coyote Ugly bar,” Vinnie announces, his eyes bouncing from Madison to me in question.

  “We’re really here for a girl’s trip, but we might catch you there later tonight,” Madison says, trying to brush them off.

  I open my mouth to come up with some kind of excuse to never catch up with them when Trey opens his mouth, speaking before I can.

  “You ladies gonna show off those sexy bodies tonight when you come?” he asks. I scrunch up my nose at his question.

  “I think I want to gamble a little, maybe dance later, but gambling for sure,” I say, trying to avoid both men’s gazes.

  “I’ll take you dancing, baby,” he says, reaching out and wrapping his hand around my bicep as he tries to pull me into the water.

  I yank back on his hold when a shadow falls over the back of me. Trey releases his hold on my arm, and I take that moment to turn around and look up into the most beautiful pair of green eyes I have ever seen before—in my life.

  “There a problem here?” he asks.

  His accented voice washes over me. He’s British.

  “What’s it to you?” Trey asks.

  I can’t even look back at the men in the pool because my gaze is focused, and my neck is craned back staring at this man standing behind me. He’s so tall, and his board shorts hang loosely off of his washboard, six-pack abs. His shoulders are broad, and his body is packed with long, lean muscles. Everything about him is sexy, even the slight stubble on his face, and his aviator glasses that are pushed up on his head.

  “You’re bothering the lady. I could tell from across the way,” he states.

  “Stand down, fancy pants. These bitches aren’t your concern,” Vinnie announces.

  My eyes widen at Vinnie’s words, but Mr. Sexy Green Eyes doesn’t show any type of response. In fact, he completely ignores both Vinnie and Trey, keeping his focus solely on me.

  “You all right, precious?” he asks, holding out his hand.

  I place my own in his waiting palm, and I swear as soon as my skin touches his, I feel sparks between us. Trying to ignore the instant pull toward him, I stand up next to him.

  My breath hitches when he wraps his golden tanned arm and hand around my bare waist. My mouth drops open in awe, and my body sways slightly, off kilter from the heat that’s rushing through me. He’s touching me. This gorgeous Adonis is touching me.

  “You coming, luv?” he asks, looking at Madison.

  I turn my head slightly to look at her, and I swear I see her entire body do a shiver before she swims to the edge of the pool. She jumps up and quickly follows beside us to our cabana. He doesn’t even ask us where our cabana is, he already knows. I’m too awe-struck by him to even question it.

  “Thank you,” I finally manage to whisper after we’re in the shade.

  I watch as Madison walks away to give us some privacy, and then my attention is back on this stranger in front of me.<
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  “You really should be more careful who you engage in conversation,” he warns, tilting his head and then looking toward Madison.

  “How can I thank you? I don’t know what I would have done had you not stepped in,” I mutter, trying not to sound so damn breathless.

  It’s hard with those eyes staring back at me, and his body so close to mine.

  “You want to thank me?” he asks, quirking a brow, “come out dancing with me tonight, precious,” he murmurs, running the tip of his index finger along my hairline, down the side of my face and to my chin.

  I want him to slide his fingers through my hair. His touch feels like heaven.

  “Okay,” I whisper, unable to meet his eyes.

  He asks my room number and informs me that he’ll pick me up at nine o’clock for dancing. I want to squeal, and I want to jump up and down like a freaking idiot teenager, but I try to stay as cool as possible and I do neither of those things.

  Instead of acting crazy, I give him a shy smile and watch him wink before he turns and walks away from me. With my eyes glued to his firm ass, I suddenly realize that I don’t know his name, and he doesn’t know mine.

  Then it hits me that I gave a perfect stranger my room number, and I agreed to go out with him alone. He could be a serial killer, and I just took the bait because he’s pretty.

  “You look like you’re gonna be sick,” Madison whispers in my ear.

  I jump slightly and turn to her.

  “I just agreed to go dancing with him,” I croak.

  “Holy shit,” she grins like crazy.

  “He could be a serial killer, Madison. I just gave him our room number,” I bark as my heart starts to beat rapidly in my chest.

  I can feel my body filling with anxiety. I’m going to have a panic attack; I can feel it coming on.

  “You need to calm down. It’s no different from an online date. You’ll only be in public, and I know what he looks like. Nothing will happen to you. For once, Cait, please, be a little spontaneous.”

  “If I end up dead in the Nevada desert, it’s all on you,” I grind out.

  “I can live with that,” she shrugs.

  I’M STANDING IN FRONT OF the full length mirror in my bedroom just staring at my reflection.

  I’m wearing one of Madison’s dresses. It’s too short and way too tight. Madison is a good fifteen pounds thinner than I am, and her chest is a good two cup sizes smaller. I’m also at least three inches taller, at five-foot-eight.

  Needless to say, my breasts are spilling out of the top just as much as my ass is hanging out of the bottom. I look like I belong walking down the strip instead of going out on a date with a stranger.

  The dress, or lack thereof, is strapless. With my chest, I should never go strapless. But the dark teal fabric is stretched to capacity and leaves no room for a bra underneath; plus, it’s so short, if I move the wrong way, my ass will definitely make an appearance. Also, because of the tightness, I can’t wear panties with it, and I really don’t like that.

  I try to ignore the fact that I’m sans undergarments as I slip on the silver sparkly high heels that Madison forced me to wear. They’re hers and, thankfully, though we aren’t the same dress size, we are the same shoe size.

  I washed my hair and left it to curl naturally, and it is a massive bulk of rings. Usually, I spend time straightening it, but I don’t have the time this evening. Luckily, Madison knows how to style it when it’s curly, and she always does the best job.

  It looks so wild and sexy.

  She always knows how to style my hair and how to accentuate my makeup to play up my best features. She does my makeup as well, and it’s absolutely flawless. Mads should have really gone to beauty school.

  My normally freckled spattered nose and cheeks are smooth, without a hint of the freckles that lie beneath the makeup. My dark blue eyes pop and stand out just as much as my light pink, glossy, full lips.

  “Mads, I can’t wear this,” I announce, staring at myself.

  “You can and you will. Trust me when I say that fine piece of man candy is going to flip his shit. You look outstanding,” Madison grins.

  “You’re crazy. I look like I should be hooking the strip, not going on a date, and especially not with a guy as hot as he is. I should change,” I murmur.

  A knock on the door causes me to jump, and my eyes go from Madison to the door, frantically.

  “Go,” Madison says as she pushes me. I practically fall on my face, stumbling toward the door.

  She’s not going to give me the opportunity to change. She’s determined to let me go out with some stranger, looking like a five-dollar hooker, and she gives not one single shit about it.

  I take a deep breath and stare at the closed door, knowing that the beautiful stranger is on the other side, hoping that this night doesn’t turn into a complete disaster.

  “Open the door,” Madison urges on a whisper in my ear.

  I turn to her and narrow my eyes, but she’s too busy smiling to care about my irritation. I sigh heavily before I open the door. When I look at the man before me, I swear my mouth waters at the sight of the nameless stranger.

  He’s dressed in dark denim jeans that hug his sculpted, long, lean legs perfectly. He’s wearing a white button down shirt that is tailored to fit his broad chest, arms and waist. His hair is still a messy, wavy, dark mop on top of his head, and my fingers itch to run through it. It looks so incredibly thick and soft.

  When my eyes finally meet his, I notice that he’s taking me in as well, assessing me. I wish I knew what he was thinking, but his facial expression is extremely cool.

  “Good evening, precious,” he murmurs.

  I let his deep voiced English accent wash over me. Jesus, but that is hot. I need panties. No, he would just melt them off. It’s probably best I don’t wear any at all.

  “Hey,” I whisper, clutching the little silver bag I borrowed from Madison to my ample, spilling-out-of-this-little-dress, chest.

  “I never got your name,” he says with tipped lips, his eyes staying focused on mine.

  “Caitriona,” I reply, all the while cringing.

  I really hate my name. My freaking mother.

  “Beautiful. I’m Henrik,” he says with a grin.

  Before I realize what’s happened, he slips his arm around my waist and pulls me into his body. My chest pressing against his, all of my softness against all of his hardness—and good gosh, is he so freaking hard.

  “Nice to meet you,” I mutter in a daze, my eyes fixated on his lips, full and pink.

  They look so soft, too.

  I wonder what they would feel like—everywhere.

  “You stare at my lips much longer, luv, and we won’t even make it out of your suite,” he murmurs, his voice rumbling.

  I shake my head and lift my eyes up from his soft looking lips to take in his face again. Shit, he’s pretty.

  “Let’s get dancing,” he announces before he takes a step back from me.

  “Bye, kids. Have fun,” Madison calls out from the room.

  I wave my hand behind me, too enamored by this man to even attempt to look away from him.

  Henrik keeps his arm wrapped around my waist as we walk toward the elevators. Unfortunately, Madison didn’t give me lessons in walking while wearing her unbelievably high heels, and I trip three times before we even make it to the elevator doors. Henrik has the good manners to pretend not to notice, though I’m not sure how. I’m a complete embarrassing disaster.

  “I’m sorry, I’m not used to shoes this high,” I admit once we’re inside of the elevator car.

  “They aren’t yours?” he asks, arching his brow.

  “Uh, no,” I snort. “Madison dressed me, like her very own Barbie doll. Nothing I have on is mine,” I laugh.

  “I think I like Madison. No… I think I adore her,” he chuckles.

  I suck in a breath as his hand travels to the lowest part of my back. I feel his fingertips dance along the top of my
ass, and it takes everything inside of me to keep from groaning.

  All I want to do is to get on my tip toes so his hand would actually be on my ass. I can imagine how his fingers would dig into the thin fabric, and I shiver.

  “She’s a pain in the ass,” I say with a smirk.

  “How long have you known her?”

  “I’ve known her and her husband, James, since we were all five,” I say matter-of-factly. “Madison and James are my best friends in the whole world. We all met in kindergarten. Madison pushed James off of the swings and told him ladies got priority. Then he countered back and told her that he didn’t see any ladies around. She tackled him and I separated the fight. That’s been the story of our lives from day one. They fought and I mediated. Then, as we got older, I stayed out of their fights because they usually ended in sex,” I announce, unable to stop myself from rambling like a total fool. Henrik chuckles. It’s deep, rich and sexy as hell.

  “Where are you from, then?” he asks as we continue to walk toward the dance club.

  We’re going to the one inside of the hotel, Jewel, which I’m thankful for. My feet are already starting to hurt from these freakishly tall heels.

  “Portland, Oregon,” I say.

  Madison, James, and I moved to Portland when they started college. I couldn’t wait to get out of my mother’s home, so I tagged along. We’re originally from a small town, a town of only ten thousand people; but when Madison and James were accepted into Portland University, we all ran as far away from small town life as we could. I’ve never been back, but they go from time-to-time to visit with their families.

  “Where are you from?” I ask, knowing with his accent he must be from somewhere in England.

  “London,” he says as a look of confusion settles over his face.

  He’s looking at me with something I can’t quite describe, but it’s as if he thinks I should have already known. Then, as soon as it crosses his face, it’s gone. He settles his features and he grins down at me before giving my waist a squeeze as we arrive at the club’s entrance.