Free Bad Boy Prince: A British Royal Stepbrother Romance by Vivian Wood Page A

there’s no harm in opening the door.
    Still, I don’t argue. What do I care about his stupid little hobby ?
    “Fine,” I say. “I have some rules of my own, though.”
    His brows rise as he presses the coffee and pours it into waiting mugs.
    “What makes you think you get to make rules?” he asks.
    “Don’t be an ass. You need me. Or at least, you need me to stay out of the press. We have a shared fate now, remember?”
    He stands there for a moment, holding both mugs of coffee. For a second, I think he’s about to turn and dump mine in the sink.
    Instead, he drops it before me with a hard thunk . The amusement of moments before has vanished, which makes me happy in a weird way.
    If I’m not happy, he shouldn’t be either, right?
    “I’d love to hear what your rules are, Lady Katherine.” His sarcasm is nothing short of withering.
    “You didn’t always have such a temper,” I tsk, picking up my coffee cup and taking a sip. “And my rules are simple. I want the same respect you’ve asked for, plus one more thing.”
    “Do tell,” he says, his voice a throaty rumble.
    “Clothes. I want you to stay fully clothed in communal areas,” I say. “Kitchen, living room, office.”
    His expression goes from bewildered to massively amused in the blink of an eye.
    “Damn, you are hard up for it, aren’t you?”
    I set down my coffee cup.
    “I’m sorry?”
    “You didn’t get your jollies with Charles, I know that much. I think you’re worried that if you see me walking around au naturel you’ll be unduly tempted.”
    “That is NOT it,” I assure him. “It’s just… you know, being respectful. I don’t need an eyeful every time I want a glass of water.”
    “You don’t want to get wet every time you walk into the living room, you mean?”
    I stand, my face growing hot.
    “That’s enough of that,” I say, trying to sound as stern as possible.
    “Seems like you missed out on that, too.”
    “Missed out on what?” I ask.
    “On having a real man around to talk dirty to you. Charles didn’t fuck you, didn’t even fuel your fantasies.” He sips his coffee and shakes his head. “Sounds like you probably have an awful lot of pent-up desires, huh?”
    Then he laughs and shakes his head.
    “Damn, I just realized that I’m the only one who’s ever fucked you, Kitten.”
    If my face gets any hotter, I will actually become lava.
    “Shut up,” I say, not bothering to deny it. “I hope you enjoy your little memories from upper forms, because they’re all you’ll ever have of me.”
    His lips curl in a challenging smile.
    “You think I couldn’t seduce you if I wanted to?” he asks, his voice soft and husky, sending a tingle low in my body.
    “No, I don’t think ,” I snap. “And besides, considering our circumstances, I don’t know why you’d want to.”
    “Because it’s taboo now, you mean?” he asks, his eyes sparkling. “I’d think you know that’s right up my alley.”
    “Just… stop,” I say, growing frustrated. “I like you better when you’re just ignoring me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to start unpacking. It looks like I might be here a while.”
    I pick up my coffee and head toward my new bedroom.
    “Don’t forget the rules!” he calls after me, but I don’t stop.
    The whole way to the back hallway, I can feel his eyes on me.
    I only wish I didn’t like it so much.

7
Rex
    I spend the next couple of days watching as Kit’s possessions start to take over my flat. The whole place, usually sleek and modern, is slowly filling with her things.
    Seeing a pair of her floor lamps and a leather armchair tucked into the corner of the living room is the final straw. She can put all her shit in the spare bedrooms, pack them full of her junk if she wants.
    But the living room was designed by a famous interior decorator, for fuck’s sake. It’s already perfect as it is, without Kit’s personal touches.
    “Kit, for the love of god,” I say, pushing open her