Royally Bad (Royally Wrong Book 1)

where his phone is—”
“Vesper?” Comes a muffled voice, followed by banging on the door.
“I’ve got to go,” I tell Mina, before running to open the door. Theo bursts in. His big body crowds me back.
“Theo, what are you doing? You’re missing your interview.”
“Fuck the interview,” he pulls me into his arms. “I don’t want to talk to those people. I want to be with you. You’re the only one who sees me.”
His mouth claims mine, lighting me up with an electric kiss.
I break it off, even though it physically hurts to do it.
“You can’t be here,” I say to his throat. “You can’t be seen with me.”
“Because you were an escort?”
“Yes—”
“I don’t care.” He kisses me again, separating only to murmur. “I don’t care about any of that.”
I should protest, but his desire inflames mine, and sweeps all thought away. I cling to him as he lifts me, his large hands cupping my ass as we walk to the bed.
“I want you,” he breathes, wild-eyed. I nod. He yanks down his pants and produces a condom from his pocket as I shuck my own clothes. As soon as he rolls it on he sits on the bed and I straddle him, sinking slowly onto his thick staff. Once he’s sheathed inside me, my hips rock, my mind blanking as I ride him. He holds me gently, supporting me until pleasure rolls through me, gentle as an ebbing tide.
I gasp, calling his name.
“My turn,” he growls, and grips my hips. I cry out as he drives into me. My breasts bob up and down as I bounce on his cock.
“Fuck, Vesper, fuck,” he chants. His fingers bite into my ass. I hang onto his shoulders, feeling his marble hard muscles bunch and tighten under my hands.
His cock hits a pleasure spot deep inside of me, and I jerk out of control, bucking with my orgasm.
With a curse, he thrusts upwards, body taut as he cums.
We collapse back on the bed.
“That was—” I gasp, and shake my head, unable to finish.
“Yeah,” he agrees. We both laugh.
“No comment,” I say, but my humor dies.
I sit up. “I should go.”
“No.” Theo reaches for me and I shake him off, grabbing up my pants. “That was a nice fuck but—”
“Stop,” he orders, and I do. “Vesper. This is not goodbye.”
“No?” I go to touch my glasses, and when they’re not there, I push back my hair instead.
“I’m not.” He shakes his head. “I’m not ready for goodbye.”
“You were this morning, with blondie.”
“Who? Oh, you mean Nessa?”
“Yes, Nessa,” I spit. “Why was she in the bedroom with you?”
Theo’s brows knit together, which only makes me madder. He doesn’t get to be indignant. Not about this. “Fuck if I know. She said you and Evans sent her to help me get ready for the interview.”
“Oh, I’m so sure,” I snarl. “Did she fluff you before you slept with Pepper Spice, too?”
“What the fuck?”
“You. Are. A. Slut,” I scream. “You’re a crown prince who’s slept with roughly half the women on the planet. At least three of whom have been caught on camera. Me included.” I sag onto the bed, my anger passing like a summer storm. “I can’t believe I was so stupid. I can pick them.” I cover my face with my hands. Forget glasses. I’m going to have to wear a bag over my head for the rest of my life.
Theo closes his hands around mine and draws them down. “Vesper, stop.” He kneels before me. “Don’t be hard on yourself. You’re right. I don’t deserve you. Please.” He kisses my hand. “Please just give me a chance.”
“It’s not going to work. The press is right. I was an escort before I got my degree. That private club I told you about? That’s where I met my clients. One of them got me my first internship that turned into a job.”
“Vesper, I don’t care.”
“The world does. The board of your father’s company does. I bet your grandmother does. You can’t just stride into Sweden with me on your arm. It doesn’t work like that.” My throat burns from holding back tears. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“I’m sorry. If it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t have dug it up.” He threads his fingers through mine. “You told me everyone has secrets. We’re probably the only two people in the world with none.”
“I made my bed.” The words come out hollow. “I’m going to lie in it.”
He rises and stretches out beside me, drawing me down onto the coverlet. “Lie in it then. With me.”
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t have to deal with any of this. It’s bullshit. I don’t care what these people think of me. I care what you think. And you’re right. I have enough wealth, and enough of a platform, I can do something. I can make a difference.” He kisses my hand again. “Help me.”
“Theo.” Now my throat clogs. “I should’ve asked you from the beginning, day one that I started working for you. What do you want? I can make Theo Kensington. But who do you want to be?”
He closes his eyes. Opens them. “I want to be happy,” he says. “I want to be free.”
“Paint the picture for me. Let me see it.”
“I want to get up in the morning and do something that matters. I want to skateboard on the weekends. And come home to a beautiful woman.” He caresses my cheek.
“Beautiful, intelligent woman,” I correct.
He rolls on top of me. “Beautiful, intelligent woman.” He punctuates each word with a kiss. “Stay with me, Vesper. I don’t know what I’m going to do about the board, and the queen, but I don’t care. I want you.”
We get distracted for a few minutes, and then my phone rings. Out of habit I look for it. Theo, gentleman that he is, grabs it for me. “Evans,” he grimaces, and answers it. “You’re fired.” He tosses the phone on the bed and climbs back to me.
“What was that?”
“He sent Nessa to