Prince's Addiction (The Exiled Royals Series Book 2) (5 page)

“She ran off?” his cousin, Xavier Rostov, the once and maybe future prince of Ruminea asked.

All of the cousins’ lives had taken a serious hit. Their mothers, all sisters and queens of their respective nations, had taken the notion that the best way to cure their ne’er do well sons of their flaws was to exile them and threaten to cut off their inheritance. His cousin, Raymond, had suffered that indignity due to his former womanizing ways. He’d weathered that storm, mostly, but Alex and Xavier were both struggling in their exile. Xavier was a haughty, egotistical jerk who could even grate on Alex’s nerves. He was a great guy to have in a bar fight and loyal to a fault, but he always had to be the best at everything.

If you asked Xavier, he simply
was
the best at everything.

His cousin shook his head and ran his hands through his thin goatee. Xavier wasn’t as tall as Alex was, but few men were. He was maybe six feet but had always loved soccer so he had a svelte yet muscular build. He was dark-haired with startling hazel eyes that seemed to see into your soul and, frankly, cut through any bullshit you tried to pedal.

Alex also resented that gift of his cousin’s as well.

He wanted to curl up in his bullshit and hide from it now; he’d never had a woman reject him before, and he didn’t want to admit that was what Kate had done. He’d kissed her, hoped for more, and she’d rabbited faster than anyone he’d ever seen; she’d practically set a land speed record on the way to her front door.

Sighing, he took up position to spot for his cousin. They were taking turns in the gym at Raymond’s hotel with the bench press. He’d already done two-hundred-fifty pounds but, of course, Xavier being Xavier, he had to go for the full three hundred. He was about to do it too, even as he cut Alex down.

“So, seriously, you laid one on her and she just ran off?”

Alex squatted by his cousin and readied his arms even as the bar left the bench press rack. “Yeah, I kissed her and she kissed me back. Then, she ran off,” he groused, as Xavier strained and his vein on his forehead popped out as he lifted the bar up and down a third time.

Bastard was going to give himself a stroke.

Good
.

“Damn, you like her don’t you?” Xavier asked, gritting out between steadying breaths.

He rolled his eyes. “You’ve done five. Don’t your poor arms need a rest?”

“I can do ten, you bastard. Let’s keep talking about how you got shot down, cousin.”

“No, let’s not,” he said, grabbing the bar and setting it in the rack. “You can get someone else to spot you with an attitude like that.”

Xavier smirked as he sat up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that being rejected hurt so much. Of course, come to think of it, no lovely lady has ever been able to resist my wiles.”

“With confidence like that, why wouldn’t she want to knee you in the crotch?” he joked, tossing a towel to Xavier. “I’m serious. Kate’s not like any girl I’ve ever met. She’s special, and she ran away so fast.”

“Then maybe you need to pursue her. You have her number right?”

“Definitely, but I don’t know. The first time, she barely consented at all to go out, and then she insisted on calling the shots. She wanted to leave right away on the dance floor and then ran so fast after the kiss. I don’t know if I want to call her and get rejected all over again.”

“And if you have it this bad, man, then even I know it’s not going away either.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” he said. “At least I can keep trying. She’s just…you have to see her, Xav. I’ve never seen a prettier girl. I’ve never
felt
anything like this.”

“Then go on and call and then kiss the girl.”

He nodded and fished his phone out of his shorts pocket. As he did, it started to ring already. Curious, he looked down to see a number that he didn’t recognize. Frowning, he pressed his phone on:

“Hello?”

“Hey, this is Joan. I’m Kate’s friend. She was slammed at work but she wanted me to invite you to join us on Saturday at the
Rattler’s
family fun day. They’re the double A team in town. They do this fans play the team thing. You put your name in a hat and they make a team of twelve. It’s a fun time. Can you come out?”

He grinned at Xavier.
Who was striking out now
?

“Tell Kate that I’d love to.”

There were a few things that having connections could do for you, and, to be honest, Alex had never been afraid of using his family’s inroads when he needed a favor. For example, the general manager and owner for the
Rattlers
were huge fans of his cousin’s casino and hotel. In exchange for a free stay, he and Kate were put on the fans’ roster. He couldn’t control everything, but when he’d texted her the good news, she’d texted back with quite a few smiley faces.

Clearly she was excited for the chance to play some softball in a friendly match with the
Rattlers
. They didn’t play actual baseball for the yearly tournament, apparently because the pitches were slower and safer.

Still, it was with a bounce in his step that he approached the field.

The stadium for the team wasn’t much. It wasn’t even a big enclosed concrete affair, not for double A. It was a modest field with some bleachers and a few stands for hot dogs. He’d seen colleges with better equipment and facilities to be honest. Still the team was friendly enough and their manager was fast in explaining for him what the rules were and which of the dugouts to take.

He smiled broadly when he spied Kate. She was in short shorts that highlighted all the delicious curves of her legs and hugged her ass. Her t-shirt was a size too tight and made her breasts look even perkier than he thought possible. Blood was quickly rushing to other places than his head, and he felt his shorts get just a little tighter.

“Kate, you look gorgeous, darling.” And, indeed, she did. The sun was streaming down over her hair and making it appear even more dappled and golden.

She nodded and gave him a quick hug. That was enough to drive him mad, just the feel of her soft curves against him as well as the soft scent of her perfume, so like raspberries. It felt a bit like a tease because all he could think about, even as she pulled away and started making small talk and started swinging the bat, was more.

The feel of her lips on his own.

“Hey!” she said, brightening. “Look in the stands. My best friend Joan and my sister, Lily, are here to cheer us on.”

He looked to where she gestured. There was a tall Asian woman in the stands and beside her was a tow-headed girl with long hair and eyes as brilliant as Kate’s. The family resemblance was clear. She was holding up a big purple and green sign that said “Go Rattlers” with the “s” backward. There was something familiar about the woman, Joan, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. Maybe she just had one of those faces.

“They’re cheering against us?”

“Lily loves the
Rattlers
. We come to every family night game. Besides, she made the sign before you were beyond awesome and got us the spots on the bench. Man, I’ll never know how you did that.”

“My cousin has his uses,” he admitted, chuckling. So far, he had to admit that Raymond had been far better in helping him with his lady troubles that Xavier had been. “But,” he said, stepping closer to her, and running a few fingers over the side of her cheek. “You’re something else, something amazing. I’m happy to do this for you.”

“Hey, Kate, who’s your friend,” some idiot in the same team uniform—the fans who were playing were all in gray away uniforms—asked. He was slight, maybe about 5’9” with a wiry build and black, curly hair. He draped an arm over Kate and hugged her tight. Unlike with him, Alex noted, she didn’t push this creep away.

“I’m Alex,” he said, cringing at the hug and the ‘friend’ designation. There wasn’t much bonding Kate to him yet, and it made him feel weak and easily dismissed. Two things a prince should never feel. “Who are you?”

The man considered him and took his hand while still keeping his other one wrapped around Kate’s shoulders. “I’m Ben. She and I go way back. I guess you could say that once Kate said she was on the team, I took a page out of your book. I own a few bars in town and called in for a favor too. Free booze for the team for a year at my place for a slot on the team.”

Alex laughed a little, even if there was a cruel edge to it. “I suppose that everyone on the bench might just be a business person or someone else who pulled some leverage.”

Kate grinned as she finally—finally!—pulled away from that grinning schmuck. “I think we’ve definitely found that pattern, haven’t we?”

Ben shrugged. “I’ve been playing ball since I was seven, even played a little in college. You don’t seem to be much into American pastimes. I mean, that’s an Eastern European accent, right? And Kate mentioned you’re a chess nerd.”

Kate frowned and batted at Ben’s arm. “Hey! That’s not nice.”

“It doesn’t have to be nice. I’m going to clean up in this game,” Ben said, sneering up at him. “I’m wondering if you can even hit.”

Alex narrowed his eyes at the rat. “I don’t play a lot of American sports, that’s true, but this can’t be that hard to pick up. Besides, I think I could hit a homer run.”

“It’s a homerun, Comrade,” Ben sneered. “It’s called a home run. You know, ‘swing for the fences’ is the expression.”

“Fine,” he said.

Kate rolled her eyes and patted both of them on the shoulder. He bristled at the gesture and found it vaguely condescending. He wasn’t a puppy and he wasn’t just showing off. Okay, engaging in some home run dare was a bit like staking out a claim or territory. He understood that much. Still, she’d started it by just being oh-so-thrilled that this guy had come along and being snuggly with him.

Alex was just going to end it.

By crushing the baseball.

Ben nodded. “You’re very confident, should we place a bet on this?”

Alex’s throat went dry. Gambling was something he was trying to fight. Yes, he still struggled daily with the online problem and, if he were honest, it wasn’t getting better. That was something private though, something he could hide from his cousins and his parents. This was small time, some deal between teammates, so to speak, but it made him feel uncomfortable, as if he were backsliding even more than he was.

“I’m not sure. Can’t we just play for pride and bragging rights? That would work fine for me, Comrade,” he said, lowering his voice a little and standing—not looming—up to his full height.

Kate chuckled and hugged him, leaning in close enough that if he were just a bit surer of her reaction, he’d have kissed her. “Come on. It’ll be fun. Just a little bet.” She batted those big blue eyes up at him, and then Alex really knew he was in trouble. After so short a time, she could easily get him to do anything—had power over him.

If it makes her happy…

“Fine,” he said, shaking hands with Ben and thrilled to find that Mr. Successful had a limp-wristed grip. “Set the price and I’ll crush the pitch.”

“The price? Fifty bucks says you can’t hit a home run.”

“Then that’s it because I definitely have fifty bucks that says you’re wrong.”

“We’ll see, won’t we?” he said.

***

Alex stood at the home plate. It was the top of the ninth inning, and there was no way mathematically he’d be up to bat again. So far he’d done fine, being walked twice as well as hitting a double and a triple. It wasn’t that hard a sport to get the hang of, not at all. Still, that huge hit had eluded him.

The first pitch sailed past him and he swung, feeling the disappointing rush of air as his bat cut through nothing but empty space. The second pitch was high and to the right and he ignored it. The count was even then, but he just needed a hit. There was no way he was going to be embarrassed by that smug prick, and even less of a possibility he was going to fail in front of Kate. He was going to impress the hell out of her and a home run was the way to do that.

The next pitch was lobbed and it was almost as if time stood still, something in his gut told him this was
his
shot. He swung the bat, his arms straining and pushing through the space easily and he felt it.

The connection.

The fierce ringing in his arms as metal and the leather of the softball met.

He didn’t even hesitate, he just ran for first as fast as his 6’5” frame could carry him, and God bless long legs. As he rounded the base toward second, he realized everyone was screaming loudly and, frankly, the opposite team was cursing. He looked out to the far fence edge where some fan in the opposite end of the stands was holding up the ball and shouting.

He’d done it.

He knew it.

As he rounded into home, Kate rushed out of the dugout and he swept her into his arms and kissed her, feeling twice the passion flaring between them as in the car previously.

What a home run.

Hell, it was a grand slam.

She didn’t expect this.

She was just trying to congratulate Alex on a great hit and for essentially winning the game for them. After that grand slam, there was no way the actual
Rattlers
were going to rise above their shutout status and win. No way. Still, she’d only intended to hug him and now his arms were wrapped around her and she wasn’t sure what was going on. He was there, so powerful and male, and she was being so weak, just thrilled to be in his strong arms, protected and loved by him.

His tongue was doing sinfully amazing things to her mouth, and she loved it—had never loved anything more.

But that was wrong.

After the prognosis from Dr. Johnson, she was more determined than ever to sink him. This whole forced bet was part of her plan—she couldn’t fall for him. She pulled back as the rest of the team crowded over them, patting Alex on the shoulders. Kate was swept back in the force of the milling bodies, like being shoved out to sea. She could see those soft brown eyes of Alex’s as he regarded her, studied her, frankly, as if she were the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

“I’ll see you soon!” she said, as the mess settled.

She wasn’t up to bat, not that it mattered much. It gave her enough time as the the teams were settling back to nominally finish the ninth inning to sneak up to a spot near the stands. As she looked through the fence, Joan worked through the crowd with both Lily in tow as well as a camera.

Kate forced herself to smile even if her stomach burned and it was growing harder to breathe. “Did you get it?”

Joan nodded and held up the camera. “I was very sneaky. I was around close enough to pick it all up from the bleachers when they placed the bet. Filming the end result and such was just the icing on the cake. We have proof that Prince Alex is definitely taking bets and staging them in public.”

“Yeah,” Kate said, feeling hollow. “But it’s small potatoes. It’s still only part of the puzzle. I mean, I consider this the sad-ass Plan B. It’s not enough to get him in real trouble. It might anger his parents but it’s not drastic. But what I’ve seen of him? The little bets and the struggles? I just
know
if I can get into his place, just get an hour alone, I can prove everything I need.”

“Kate what’s going on?” Lily asked, her lip wobbling. “What are you talking about?”

She sighed and patted her sister’s head through the chain link. “It’s nothing important, just adult stuff. Why don’t you and Auntie Joan get some hot dogs on me?”

“Can we afford that?” she asked. “What about the hospital bills from last time?”

“It’s fine.”

And it would be. If Lily’s treat tonight meant that she didn’t eat dinner herself one time later this week, then Kate would gladly make that sacrifice. She always did.

“Okay,” Lily said.

Joan gestured to the dugout with her chin. “Looks like your team might still need you. We’ll regroup at the diner after this, figure out how to get him to ask you out, and get you back to his place and his browser history. Still,” she said, waving the camera and wearing a wide grin. “This could be good collateral too and it
never
hurts to have a Plan B.”

“Yeah,” Kate said glumly. “But without a Plan A—and soon—then all of this doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Joan said, her resolve firm. “Now, Lily, let’s get you some food.”

“Good, I want nachos
and
cotton candy.”

“One, pick one, Lily Anne,” Kate chided before heading back to the dugout. The kiss was fresh on her tingling lips, but the butterfly bracelet of her sister’s was weighing even more heavily on her wrist.

***

“So, maybe this wasn’t the diner I had in mind,” Joan said, sighing over greasy pizza.

“Yes, but at
Paul E. Pony’s
Lily can be distracted by ski ball and we can commiserate and plot over pizza away from little ears. I gave her like twenty tokens. She’ll be busy for a half hour, you know?”

“I suppose. I mean, damn Kate, I saw the way he looked up to bat. Swinging those muscular arms? They look like damn tree branches. Also, can I just say that his channeling his inner Casey-at-the-bat is sexy as hell?”

Kate sighed and bit into the greasy lump that technically qualified as pizza. Technically, the same way that Cheeze Whiz was actual cheese…sure. “There’s nothing he does that’s not sexy. That man could probably make teeth brushing hot.”

“Man what an ad for oral hygiene!”

“I’m serious. You’re supposed to be here to help me keep perspective on Alex, you know? I’m
not
supposed to like him.”

“Well, I have to say that I wasn’t near you because of being in the crowd and all, but from that lip lock? I’d definitely say that you’re far from disliking him. Admit it, Morrison, he’s under your skin now and you have to accept that you like him. It’s not a mortal sin.”

Kate folded her arms across her chest, “It is a bit since I’m basically using it against him to screw him out of his inheritance.”

“And if
Ops for Kids
doesn’t get the funding from the government of Lavinia and soon, then you’re completely screwed. It’s like survival of the fittest. So he won’t be king? I don’t mean to be harsh, but so what? He’ll still be rich probably—and he’ll be alive. We both know that Lily can’t say the same and she’s the best part of basically planet Earth. Yeah, he’s got great biceps and a killer smile, but it’s not the same.”

“I know, but I guess,” she said, taking a sip of her soda and trying to blot the grease off her pizza. It was an unsuccessful attempt. She was pretty sure the chief ingredient to hold the damn slice together
was
grease. “Maybe I didn’t realize there’d be real stakes here, a real person to hurt. He’s nice. If he were a jerk or greedy or just using me back for a quick date, then I’d feel better. I guess I just wanted him to be as bad as the tabloids made him out to be.”

“A few dates and run-ins don’t mean you know the guy’s soul or something. Again, Lily’s worth anything. It’s just the sacrifice we’re making. Now, we just have to make sure you’re set up to get close to his computer. What’s the next plan?”

Kate sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “Okay. After the game, we arranged another date. He’s taking me to a smaller magic show on the strip. If I play it right then I might be able to have him take me back to his place.”

Joan snorted. “Oh, honey, you only have to bat your eyelashes at him, and he’ll totally do that. There’s no worries at all that you won’t be ‘invited’ home.”

“So I can just seduce him, and then raid his private files and safes. That sounds ethical. I just…” she sighed, smiling when she saw Lily. She was on the Dance Dance Revolution machine, and it made her smile to watch her sister’s wide, joyful eyes. Lily hadn’t had much energy since her attack and it was nice to see that vivacious glee back in her sister. It was just a question of how much longer it would stay. “…I wish there were other choices.”

“There aren’t, honey,” Joan said, her tone not unkind. “You need to do this and, yeah, it’s a big case of the ends justifying all means but neither of us could stand to lose her. You just have to deal with the fact that saving her might stain your soul a little.”

Kate shook her head even as her sister laughed and danced in the corner of her eye. “No, it’s going to stain me
a lot
.”