“Ah, Casey.” He went to her, sat, and pulled her into his arms. “Things will get better.”

  “Your father hates me.”

  “He doesn’t hate anyone.”

  “He really, really doesn’t like me.” She stared up at him out of wide blue eyes. The expression made him want to slay dragons. Unfortunately, the only dragon around was his father.

  “Everyone else adores you,” he said. “Felice is thrilled to have you here.”

  “They’re very sweet.”

  “Friedrich will come around.”

  She leaned into him and hugged his ribs. “Why did I have to say ‘you bet your ass’?”

  “Because that’s how you talk.” He rubbed her back. “It’s part of what makes you such a delight.”

  “Delight, that’s me,” she said. “And my boobs were nearly bursting out of Felice’s gown.”

  “Ach, before I forget. We’re going shopping tomorrow. Dresses, shoes, whatever you need,” he said. “Felice is coming with us.”

  She pushed away from him. “I can’t afford all that, and I won’t let you pay for it.”

  “I don’t see why not. You wouldn’t need any of those things if I hadn’t brought you here.”

  “Your father will think I’m after your money.”

  “We did the same for Felice,” he said.

  “I’m different.” She sighed and rested against him, her head under his chin.

  He couldn’t argue the point, unfortunately. Felice had shown up at the palace unprepared just as Casey had. She’d even won the heart of the Crown Prince, Friedrich’s heir. Felice hadn’t called her parents, either. Granted, Felice had never used salty language around Friedrich, but the chilly reception was already in full swing when Casey had slipped up.

  Granted, Friedrich hadn’t initially approved of his oldest marrying an American commoner, but he’d loved Felice like a daughter from that first dinner.

  Why in hell should Casey ruffle his feathers? Friedrich couldn’t possibly want to control who his second son married as much as he’d hope to dictate who would become the next reigning princess. Kurt sighed, too, and snuggled Casey closer. He’d have to find some way to understand what was going on here because now that he’d found Casey, he wasn’t letting her go. He’d fallen in love, most likely the night she’d “fanny dialed” him. No other woman had ever made him feel the way he did about her. Slaying dragons, cherishing, and wanting her with every inch of his flesh. And speaking of inches...

  Just as he was about to make his move, she made it for him, tipping her head upward and parting her lips. He hesitated for a second or two, allowing himself to savor the invitation. Then, he took her mouth gently, one soft kiss at a time.

  As with every other time he’d touched her, it wasn’t enough. Angling her head, he tasted her lips more deeply. She answered with a hitch to her breath and a little sound in the back of her throat to tell him she wanted him. Her passion always urged his on, and he claimed her lips with all the pent-up need inside him.

  Who knew how much need could get pent-up after the mere hours since they’d made love on the jet? But she created such a hunger in him, perhaps because of the way she acted as if he were some kind of treasure—wonderfully endowed and an expert in touching her all the ways that most excited her. After their time together, he knew a few tricks to make her engine purr. He’d use those and learn more...for the rest of his life, if he could manage. For now, he’d treat her like the princess she was, his father’s opinion be damned.

  Bending, he scooped her up into his arms and rose.

  “Hey, I’m heavy,” she said.

  “Light as a feather.” And a precious, warm bundle in his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Because her maid had already turned down the covers, he set her on the sheets where she rolled onto her side and propped her head on her hand.

  She loved to watch him undress. If she hadn’t told him that flat out, he’d have figured it out by the expression on her face as he removed his clothing. He’d never seen so much lust and admiration in another woman’s eyes as he did in Casey’s. She made him want to preen and strut as though he ruled a harem when, in fact, he only needed one lover to feel he ruled the world.

  But just for her enjoyment, he took his time toeing out of his slippers and undoing the knot in the belt of his robe.

  He let the clothes fall into a pile on the floor as he stripped, so foreign to the care he took with things in his previous life. B.C. Before Casey.

  Her eyes widened when the pants of his pajamas joined the shirt on the floor. As usual, no more than kissing her had made him fully erect. And as usual, she’d give him pleasure so intense it would take him to an altered universe where nothing mattered but her fulfillment and his own.

  But first, he’d have to get her naked. She scooted over, making room for him, and he slid in beside her. Linking her hands at the back of his neck, she gave him a radiant smile. “I still can’t believe you’re a prince.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I’m not exactly princess material.”

  “I disagree. You’re the perfect princess for me.” They hadn’t discussed marriage, but given the level of intimacy they’d achieved, imagining them together for the long haul was only natural.

  “Your father wouldn’t think so.”

  “My father isn’t here right now.”

  “No, he’s about a mile away at the other end of the palace,” she said.

  “And that’s a good thing,” he said. “Want to know why?”

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  “Because he won’t hear a sound when I make you scream.”

  Laughter crinkled the corners of her eyes. “You think so, huh?”

  “Have I ever failed before?”

  “Do your damnedest, your highness.”

  “I plan to.” When he tugged on the hem of her t-shirt, she lifted her arms so he could remove it. She also had to help him rid her of her pajama bottoms, and he tossed them aside, aiming at the pile of his own clothing. Now, he had her deliciously naked, her curves accessible to his hands and mouth. Plush. Not like the stick-models in magazines.

  He kissed her again, her lips molding themselves to his as he eased himself over her. With his weight supported on his forearms, he could slide his body lower. The skin of her neck carried the scent of roses, and as he nibbled his way to her collar bone, the perfume clouded his brain. That and the fact that his erection pressed into her softness.

  Her hands roamed over his shoulders as he went lower. He stopped at her breasts, of course. They were small but rounded, the peaks stiff and begging for his mouth. He lavished them with all the devotion they deserved. He sucked on one nipple while massing the other breast with his fingers.

  Her breath had already become labored, and now she made soft sounds that spoke of heightened arousal. Arousal he had caused. The knowledge made him want to give her more and more, and he would.

  Lower still, and he found himself between her parted legs, her treasure only inches from his face. She gave off the clean scent of a woman ready to be loved. He parted the petals of her sex and found her clitoris, already distended. Waiting for him.

  When he touched it with his tongue, she gasped, and her fingers dug into his hair.

  “Oh, God,” she cried.

  “I told you I’d have you shouting.” He brushed the bud with his finger and then licked it again, this time lingering on it.

  “Oh, Kurt…”

  Her voice came out as a ragged whisper, telling the story of a woman near the edge. Slipping a finger into her, he pushed her higher. Moisture seeped out of her onto his hand. She’d accept him now. He could slide in easily and set a rhythm that would make them both climax. But he could do more than finish them. He could make the pleasure play out longer.

  When he slid himself up beside her, she whimpered.

  “You stopped.”

  “Only for a moment,” he said. “I want to watch you when you climax.”

  “Why would you want to do that?”

  “Your face contorts right before you come, and after, you have the most amazing smile.” He ran his fingertip along the valley between her breasts. “And you turn bright pink here.”

  She put her fingers over her mouth. “I think I’m embarrassed.”

  “With me? Never.” Embarrassed or not, when he parted her pussy lips and stroked her clitoris, she lay back and closed her eyes. Now he could create the miracle of her climax and witness her response.

  She seemed to prefer a circular motion of his finger over her clitoris because when he used the right pressure, the pitch of her voice rose as her breathing turned to gasps and cries. The telltale flush of mounting excitement spread over her chest and up to her throat. He increased the pressure and gazed at her as her orgasm neared. Aside from her beauty…and at this moment, she had to be the loveliest creature on earth…the trust she gave him tugged at his heart. That he could do this for her…that she’d allow it…gave him an awesome responsibility. One he wouldn’t fail at.

  And there…the moment arrived. The exact seconds when she surrendered to her passion. She stiffened, and her voice rose to a crescendo. Her hips jerked upward a few times. He kept stroking her until she relaxed back against the mattress, and the wonderful, soft smile of a woman satisfied spread over her face.

  He removed his hand from her pussy and lay propped up on his side, taking in the sight of her. Everything inside him whispered “mine.”

  Finally, she opened her eyes and stared up at him. Something passed between them. Connection, frightening in its intensity. He couldn’t turn away but could only allow her to see deep inside him where no one else ever had.

  She smiled, and the moment ended. She lifted her fingers to his face. “You’re amazing.”

  “No, you.”

  “The man gives me a climax that makes my toenails curl, and he says I’m amazing,” she said.

  “Because you are.”

  “Then, why don’t I return the favor for you?” She reached down and curled her hand around his cock. Her small fingers could create chaos inside him, and they did now. The practiced lover in him would soon disappear to be replaced by the man full of needs. Thank heaven he’d taken the time to make her happy before he lost control.

  “I love this,” she said as she gave the tip of his cock a gentle squeeze.

  “He loves it right back.” And did he ever. Damn, that felt good.

  “Does he have a name?”

  “Right now, he’s something like Wants Casey.”

  “Caveman-y. I like it.” While she kept stroking him with one hand, the other reached beneath to his sac and feathered her fingertips over it.

  He gritted his teeth and groaned. “Better be careful, or he’ll throw you on your back and have his way with you.”

  “I’m already on my back.”

  “So you are.”

  “And I want you,” she said. “Come home to me.”

  Gott, yes. Though he prided himself on making his lovers happy, he was only a man, after all. Flesh and blood with very human needs. So when she stretched out her arms, he rose above her again, settled himself between her legs, and entered her with one deep thrust. Her answering moan of pleasure gave him all the permission he needed, and he surged into her, pulled nearly out, and buried himself in her again. Past the preliminaries, he moved like a man possessed. In truth, she had bewitched him with her hot breaths against his cheeks and how her muscles tightened around him. She moved her arms to circle his ribs and pressed the tips of her fingers into his back as she tipped her pelvis upward to meet his thrusts. He was so deep inside her now and lost…lost to everything except the scent of her, her wetness, her heat.

  The tide rose inside him, and though he gritted his teeth and fought for control, he couldn’t stop himself. He was going to come. Soon and hard. And the woman beneath him showed him no pity, begging with her movements and her cries that he give her more and more.

  In the end, he gave her everything he had. The orgasm started in his sac and spread outward to claim his body and his soul. Mindless, he continued plowing into her, and then, she was coming with him, her pussy grasping at his cock as he released his semen in waves. Their voices blended in a lusty duet and then softened as the storm subsided. When it ended, they lay in each other’s arms while her sex fluttered around his in the aftermath of her orgasm.

  Mein Schatz, Mein Liebling. “I love you.”

  She lay perfectly still for a moment as his heartbeat thundered in his ears. He’d said the words out loud. He hadn’t planned to, but they’d both known where they were headed.

  After a few seconds that felt like hours, she stroked the side of his face. “I love you, too.”

  “I’m glad.” He covered her face with kisses before rolling onto his side and pulling her against him.

  They’d made their love official now. They belonged to each other. The outcome was a given…marriage…although he wouldn’t push for that just yet. They had one hurdle—his father. What were they going to do about Friedrich?

  *

  After five shops, all the stuff Kurt had bought for her filled the trunk of the Bentley, and they’d resorted to putting more boxes in the front seat with the chauffeur. Casey’s mind was spinning with it all. Despite their declaration of love, Kurt wasn’t responsible for dressing her. She couldn’t afford any of the luxuries he’d paid for, but she couldn’t stop him, and Felice wasn’t any help at all. From the way she oohed and aahed and once or twice might have squeed, you’d think the trip was for her benefit.

  When they pulled up in front of a business so discreet it didn’t have a display window but only a sign above the door in German Casey didn’t understand, even her limited knowledge of where the upper crust shopped told her this place meant business. She gazed out the car’s window at the boutique. “Don’t you think I have enough clothes already?”

  Felice reached across Kurt to put her hand over Casey’s. “Trust me. You’ll need formal gowns if you’re going to stay around the palace for a while.”

  Which let the question hang out between the three of them. Exactly how long was she going to stay as an unwelcome guest in Friedrich’s home. She’d thought of bringing the subject up with Kurt, but what if the answer meant she’d go back to New York and he’d stay here?

  The chauffeur opened Felice’s door and helped her out. Felice was the princess, after all, and got the royal treatment. Casey could have gotten out under her own power, but the place looked intimidating and she didn’t budge until Kurt came around to her side, pulled the door open, and offered her his hand. That she couldn’t refuse, and the three of them trooped inside.

  They ended up in a very posh but understated waiting room…empty except for themselves. Casey only had a few seconds to ogle the Persian rug and antique furniture and the huge display of cymbidium orchids on a table at the far wall before a woman in her fifties or so entered. She wore a stern black dress buttoned up to her chin, and her hair was tied in a bun at the nape of her neck.

  “Your Highness,” she said in heavily accented English as she curtseyed in front of Kurt.

  “Frau Grunwald,” he said. “So good of you to have us on short notice.”

  “We’re honored to serve you any time.” Frau Grunwald turned to Felice and repeated her curtsey. “Highness.”

  “Please,” Felice said. “You needn’t…”

  Frau Grunwald next fixed her attention on Casey, but thank the Good Lord didn’t curtsey. “Is this the young lady?”

  “She is,” Kurt answered.

  The older woman gave Casey the once over, appraising the possibilities of selling Kurt whatever she sold. Oh, yes…formal gowns, Felice had said. Casey hadn’t owned a formal since the prom. The good Frau probably realized she had a greenhorn on her hands. If this made Kurt happy, she’d go through with it.

  “This way, if you please.” Frau Grunwald led them into a larger room and indicated some seats. Casey shared a gorgeous old settee with Kurt while Felice took the matching chair. In a moment, staff appeared and silently offered tea and espresso. Even though her nerves didn’t need caffeine, Casey sipped the tiny cup of coffee and watched as Kurt did the same.

  “I have several new designs to show you,” Frau Grunwald said.

  When she clapped her hands, a model appeared wearing a gown of emerald silk. It appeared modest enough, fastening behind the model’s neck, but when she turned around, she showed off a totally naked back all the way down to her waist. A huge bow at the bottom sat right above her butt.

  “Lovely,” Kurt said.

  “No…no, no, no,” Casey said softly.

  His brow went up, but his eyes twinkled with mischief. “You don’t like it.”

  She leaned toward him so she could whisper into his ear. “I’m not wearing that in front of your father.”

  “You think he won’t like it?”

  “Get serious.”

  Frau Grunwald pretended not to listen to them but clapped again. The first model left, and another one appeared. That dress had too low a bust line. Kurt’s father had seen enough of her boobs as far as she was concerned. So, they passed on that one as well. The third required model-length limbs to pull off. Eventually, Casey gave up on her coffee and set it on the table at her elbow. The whole enterprise would turn out to be hugely embarrassing if they rejected all of Frau Grunwald’s creations. She’d have to okay at least one of them, but which one?

  Finally, a model appeared in a gown that made Felice clap her hands together. “That’s perfect.”

  The gown covered the model’s back, and the neckline didn’t plunge. The empire waist would hide the fact that she could lose a few pounds. And yet, the dress was striking because of the radiant pink of the silk, and long, form-fitted sleeves gave it an air of elegance.

  “That will look so great with your complexion,” Felice declared. “We’ll do your hair up. You’ll look like a goddess.”

  Kurt smiled at Casey. “Does it appeal to you?”

  “Appeal?” she said. “It’s beautiful.”