The Crown Jewels (7 page)

And of course, seated right next to me again, was Will.

Catherine took one look at my black shift dress and offered to take me shopping the next day. I was beyond grateful.
Anything to get me away from Will’s prying eyes,
I thought. He hadn’t stopped looking at me since I walked in and it was so unnerving that I couldn’t look back at him.

I knew that’s what he was waiting for.

Some sign or look that everything was alright between us, or that I had forgiven him. But he could keep looking because it wasn’t going to happen.

He’d left me when I needed him the most, and I didn’t see myself forgiving him for that anytime soon. I’d be civil, keep things peaceful, for my father’s sake, but anything outside of that was out of the question. Him touching me was out of the question, no matter how much electricity I felt when he did. I didn’t need a man like him in my life again.

By the time dinner was almost over, I was bored to tears from hearing every detail about the twin’s trip to Iceland. My father caught my eye and smiled. I smiled back, the pang of guilt still there.

To my dismay, I was seated in between Will and Catherine, which meant that not only could I feel Will staring at me, I could smell him. All this, in addition to that white hot heat that engulfed me by merely being in his presence, had me a befuddled mess. He smelled amazing. And familiar. Which was mind-fucking me, as well.

The twins were still droning on about Iceland, only now they were complaining. A lot.

“It’s terribly cold,” Cousin Beatrice whined, wrinkling her nose.

“And the horses are so small! They’re like big dogs or something, which is ridiculous. How do you jump horses like that?” Cousin Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. They couldn’t have been more than eighteen.

“And the men!” Beatrice exclaimed. “They’re like Vikings! So big and hairy!” Vicky and the others were listening intently, and I tried to concentrate on my food. When I felt Will’s hand brush mine under the table, I jumped. I slipped up and looked at him, despite my best efforts. When our eyes met, the heat intensified like wind to a flame and my insides melted.

I pulled my hand away, burying it in my lap to avoid making that mistake again.

He was the last person I wanted to touch these days.

Once upon a time, I was quite taken with the Prince. That was a long time ago, but now the feelings washed over me once more, reminding me that there was a time when I didn’t hate him touching me. I desired his touch more than I wanted anything else. I wanted to be around him every minute - talking, laughing, making love. I craved everything about him, and I soaked up every word that came from those full lips like a woman dying of thirst. His arrogance didn’t bother me so much then. In fact, it turned me on immensely.

I’d been so damned desperate back then, I was almost ashamed of myself. I’d never had a boyfriend, never done more than hold hands with Jake, a stupid boy in my eighth-grade class. I’d spent my time studying while I was growing up, not letting myself get so distracted by boys like all my friends in high school did.

I was determined to get through college using the same philosophy.
Books before boys
. And I’d been pretty successful at it, too.

Until I met Will. Then all my good intentions flew out the window. I was smitten. He swept me off my feet, wining and dining me, even taking me ballroom dancing to prove to me that he could dance a waltz. Of course he could, he was a Prince, right? They’re cultured and educated, schooled with etiquette, horseback riding and dance lessons. I’d only pretended to not believe him, just to see what he would do. He’d been more than willing to show off his skills.

I’d pretended a lot of things back then. Like the fact that I wasn’t a virgin. It’s not like I had flat out lied, I just hadn’t told him at first. When he did find out, he was a little freaked out, but after a day or so, it seemed to turn him on, too. When I asked him to be ‘the one’, he agreed. When I asked him to take charge, his interest peaked even more. He relished the idea of telling me what to do. His eyes lit up when I asked him to show me everything I didn’t know how to do, everything I didn’t know I could feel.

We had a wonderful month of dating, fucking, and getting to know each other after that. It was amazing. It was decadent, delicious and sexy as hell. I was fucking the sexiest Prince in the world. How could it not be amazing? But then all of a sudden, it wasn’t.

When I was younger, I was amazed at how quickly one’s life could take a turn for the worse. I was used to it now. I’d even grown to expect it. But that’s what happens, isn’t it? Life teaches you through experience. The hard way. But there’s no bigger lesson than the first time.

When Will left, I’d never known pain like that, because I’d never let a man in like that. In the span of a month, he’d wrenched his way into my closed heart, and then left it shredded and bloody and raw.

It’d been closed ever since. I know, I know. First love always hurts, they say. But for me, it was a big enough lesson to keep me from straying too far off into it again. I hit the books hard, determined to learn everything I could so I could be the best teacher I could be, and I turned my back on the very idea of having another romance.

Why go through all that again when it would just end up the same? Why force myself to learn that lesson again? The iron was hot. I believed it the first time.

After I graduated and found a school to teach at, I gave romance a few more tries, but nothing ever stuck. I was used to being alone by then. The few guys I did go out with bored me. They were so good, so polite, so bland. After having a taste of Will, it was like nothing else was quite the same. After a few bad experiences, in and out of bed, I gave up. I had a few friends, I had my dad, I didn’t need anyone else.

It was easier that way.

But now? Nothing was easy.

Sitting here, part of me wishing Will would touch me again, parting of me imagining sinking under the table and pull him along with me and another part wishing I could stab him in the cock with a fork, wasn’t easy. My body still ached for him, much to my dismay. Luckily, my heart and head were standing their ground so far, as well my ability to restrain from following through on my violent fantasies.

Dessert was served in a flurry of activity, the staff making a huge spectacle of removing the dinner dishes and presenting an entire buffet of desserts with such fancy names that I had no idea what was in them.

There was some weird cake called Prinsesstårta, which Will explained meant ‘Princess Cake.’

“I used to call it a Catherine Cake,” he said, laughing. Catherine giggled at my side, and I smiled in spite of myself.

“It’s incredibly fattening,” Catherine said, wrinkling her nose. “But it’s delicious as hell!”

“Catherine!” Vicky admonished.

“Oh, God, Mom, all I said was hell,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m the future Queen, I can say whatever I want.”

“It would best serve the family if your language was more ladylike, Catherine,” Vicky replied, her voice icy and stern. I noted she only spoke to Catherine and Will like that, and in a weird way, it made me miss my mother. I’d love to confide in her right now, to have another woman to talk to besides Sally.

Next up was some sort of waffle-looking thing called spettkaka.

“Spettkaka is a southern Swedish delicacy,” Will explained, as he began piling the lattice shaped cakes on his plate. “They’re also called the “pyramid cake” in English, because the English had a problem with the Swedish name which translates to “spit cake”, because it’s baked on a rotating spit.”

“Like a pig!” Catherine said. “Why didn’t they call it pigcake?”

Will groaned and rolled his eyes, “that’s so stupid!” he said.

“Stop it, you two!” Vicky said, and they both stopped closed their mouths. “You’re making a bad impression on Julia.”

“Oh, no —,” I replied, shaking my head.

“—you’re right, Mother. We should hear more about Iceland,” Will said. “Tell us, Beatrice and Elizabeth, how many Vikings did you end up fucking while you were there?”

Aunt Ora spit water everywhere and began coughing. Bertolf rushed over from the corner and began patting her back.

“Wilhelm!” his mother barked. I jumped and looked over at Will. His arrogant smile spread across his face and he winked at his mother. Her anger visibly melted as she looked across the table at her son, and she shook her head. The table erupted in laughter, except for Beatrice and Elizabeth, who tried to smile but looked slightly mortified.

“Julia, you’ll have to excuse my son. He can be a little crass. He has a mischievous streak,” she said to me with a warm smile.

As if I didn’t know
, I thought.

We finished our spit cake and the dishes were removed immediately, replaced by a small warm bowl of water. I watched as Will and Catherine casually dipped their fingers in it before drying them on the hot towel next to the bowl. I copied them, feeling awkward, even though the hot towel felt nice.

“Before we all go our separate ways, I want to remind everyone to be dressed and ready to greet the guests by seven o’clock on Friday night for the party,” Vicky stated.

“Party?” I asked.

Vicky looked at me and nodded.

“Party is a bit of an understatement, actually. It’s actually our annual Christmas ball. There will be thousands of guests with an orchestra in the main ballroom for invited guests and a receiving line for the general public. It takes several hours to get through, and by the time it’s over, we’re usually ready to let our hair down a little. It’s quite a lovely, festive evening. I trust you’ll enjoy yourself, Julia.”

“Don’t worry,” Will said, putting his hand over mine. I stared down at him. He was touching me again. I told myself I wasn’t going to let him do that, but there it was. Flesh on flesh. Electric. Like a fucking light switch. “I’ll take care of you.”

“Take care of me?” I muttered. I didn’t need his care, and I was just about to state as much when Catherine spoke up.

“What he means is, we will
both
take care of you. You won’t want to get too lost in the crowd,” Catherine said, covering my other hand with hers. “It can get a little hairy.”

I looked at her gratefully, and slowly pulled my hand out from under Will’s grasp. His skin slid across mine like silk. He had a Prince’s hands, that was for sure. Smooth, strong, hot-blooded.

I shook my head, realizing I was staring down at them.

“Thank you,” I said, nodding and looking up at my father. He was lost in Vicky’s smile, and it was then that I knew he wasn’t going to save me from this.

This was going to be my life. Even when I went back home to teach, I’d still be related to these people. This wasn’t just a vacation. This was no fairy tale. This was real.

“Ben and I are going for a walk in the gardens,” Vicky said as we all stood up from the table. “Would any of you care to join us?”

“I’m tired,” I blurted out. “I mean - it’s been a long day. I’m going to go to my room and read for a while before bed.”

“Of course, darling,” Vicky said, kissing my cheek. “Make yourself at home, you can do anything you please.”

“Thank you, Vicky,” I replied, kissing her cheek back, feeling her paper thin skin under my lips. She seemed so fragile, so old, until she spoke, or you looked into her eyes, and you could see she was quite vibrant, despite her age. No wonder my father loved her.

“Good night, sweetheart. I’ll call you tomorrow. We can go out for dinner, if you’d like,” my father said, hugging me.

“Sure, Dad. I’d like that.” I watched them walk away, said goodbye to Catherine, Aunt Ora, the cousins and everyone else, and avoided Will’s eyes again as I turned to begin the journey to my room, which was actually down three long hallways that were lined with all kinds of expensive art. It was like a museum. I spotted a Monet and a Van Gogh, and a faberge egg in a glass case. There was even a collection of knight’s armor standing menacingly in a corner by the grand staircase.

I was halfway to my room when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Will’s half smile smirking at me, with Willy following along behind him. Willy ran up to me, rubbing his body against me. I reached down to pet him, my heart melting.

“What?” I asked Will.

“You,” he replied, his arrogant grin taking over his entire face now.

“Me what?”

He stepped closer to me, and then kept walking forward, gently pushing me back against the wall, until I was pressed against it, trapped by his large towering frame, trapped in his gaze, in his heat.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you’ve become?”

“Because I was so hideous before?” I shot back.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. You know I thought you were beautiful back then, back when we were together,” he whispered, his voice low and seductive. He was wearing a dark blue suit, with no tie, his shirt opened at the neck, revealing a sliver of his firm, smooth, tan chest. “But you’re different now. You’ve grown up. A lot.” He reached out, resting his hands on the side of my hips as he continued. “You’ve got curves now, Jewels.”

“
Julia!
” I hissed. I wanted to wiggle from his embrace, but his hands on my hips has me plastered in front of him as he continued his verbal assault on my senses.

He pulled his head down, until his lips were mere centimeters from mine. I bit my lip. My breath stopped.

“You know,” he whispered, “I can still remember what you taste like, Jewels. How your body felt writhing under mine. How your lips tasted…” His head tipped forward slightly, his lips pressing against mine like a feather until I melted under his touch. When he felt me relax, his kiss turned harder, firmer. I’d thought about kissing Will again for years, and it was everything I remembered…and more. He kissed me with the same passion I remembered. The unabashed wildness and intention of a hungry man.

And this time, I knew exactly what that intention was. Gone was the naive girl who just wanted the Prince to like her. Will was kissing a woman who knew what that kiss meant. Who knew the question it was asking?