Free Seduced (Royal Expat Series Book #1) by Abigail Snow

what anyone else says,” Damian said. “I want to show you everything, Matilda, not just this city. I want to take you with me to Europe, to Asia, to each and every country on the planet, just to see your face as you discover something new.”
    “That sounds incredible,” she admitted, and her heart yearned to do it even as her mind gave her an update on all the reasons she couldn’t. “But I can’t leave. I have a job here, and my family would never allow it.”
    “I understand you not wan ting to leave your job, but you’re a grown woman — I can’t say I understand why your family holds such sway over you,” he said, a touch of impatience in his voice.
    “It’s complicated,” Maatilda sighed. This was the last thing she wanted to get into with Damian. She wanted to enjoy her time with him, not to be reminded that she could never really be with him.
    “T hen explain it to me,” he said.
    “It’s not important. Let’s just enjoy our time together now,” she said.
    “No,” Damian replied. “I want to be with you, Matilda. I want to travel with you. This isn’t just a fling for me, no matter what it is for you. I want to stay with you, explore new things with you — and I can’t do that if you’ve put some sort of sell-by date on us because of your family.”
    Matilda felt tears welling in her eyes at the harsh tone of voice Damian was using, and blinked them back. She felt as if she had been punched hard in the stomach just from this small reprimand. Had she really fallen so far that Damian could affect her emotions with a few words?
    “It’s not that I’m trying to keep anything from you,” she said desperately, “I just — there are things about me that aren’t great, and I don’t want you to hate me for anything outside my control.”
    “Everything can be controlled. You just need to be brave enough to do it,” Damian said. “If you’re not, then maybe you aren’t the woman I thought you were.”
    “Maybe I’m not,” Matilda agreed, a heavy feeling in her stomach. It was over. It was already over between them. She tried not to let the despair swallow her whole. Quickly, she rose with a splash from her seat next to the water, trying to pull away, run home.
    Damian caught her around the waist, holding her tight and burying his face in her hair. She could feel his remorse for his hard words in every point of contact between their bodies.
    “I’m sorry,” he said gently, kissing her softly on top of her silky hair. “I didn’t mean that.”
    Matilda turned around and kissed him tenderly on the lips, trying to tell him without words that he was forgiven. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, and she was left gasping when he finally pulled away, her hair a mess and her heart thudding. A split second later, Damian pulled her towards him again for a second savage kiss, bruising her lips with his intense passion, holding her so tight that she could barely breathe.
    He pulled away finally, and they both fought for breath. Matilda knew she was flushed, disheveled and a complete mess, but the frantic kisses had turned her on to the point that she didn’t care. All she wanted was to feel Damian’ s touch again. But before she did, she needed to tell him the truth about who she was.
    “Damian, I… I need to tell you,” she said. “I’m…”
    Somehow, the words wouldn’t come out of her mouth. I’m a member of the Royal Family and every aspect of our relationship would be hounded by the press or more likely forbidden by my father if it came out in the open. She couldn’t say it.
    “I don’t want to hide anything from you,” she said eventually. “My family is somewhat well known in England. That’s why I can’t just do as I please. I have them to think about. But I don’t want to disappoint you, either. I want to travel with y ou. I want to be free. I just — it’s too much to think about right now.”
    “Don’t worry, babe. We’ll work it out,” he promised.