Hattie practically purred as Roman’s hands ran down her back before gently kneading her muscles; not that she had a single knot or fraction of tension in her body that required such attention.

The last three weeks being alone with her new husband on the royal yacht had been utterly perfect. They’d swam in the ocean, sunbathed on the deck, and visited several little seaside towns she’d never been to—or even heard of—as they slowly sailed around the country’s coast. She’d loved the few days they’d spent tucked away in Atlas Cove, barbecuing on sandy beaches only accessible by boat, and snorkelling in the beautiful clear blue depths, delighting in watching the fishes and other sea creatures going about their business.

It hadn’t been her first choice for a honeymoon, but it had been wonderful just being alone with her husband. Knowing she was Roman’s sole focus, and he hers, had really given them a chance to connect and find their feet at the beginning of their marriage. Roman had been nothing but impeccable, her complete ideal. Everything was about her, and Hattie had to admit, it was nice being someone’s number one priority for a change.

She’d also been pleasantly surprised to find that aboard the yacht, she hadn’t felt the slightest bit of morning sickness. If she got back to land and it returned, she might just ask Dick if she could live on the damn boat until the baby arrived.

‘I was thinking,’ he said, his voice quite contemplative considering she was naked beneath him and he had free reign to touch her. Every other time she’d been naked, he’d been like a moth to a flame and unable to resist her. His hands and mouth all over her body until each of them cried out in ecstasy and collapsed in a hot, sweaty, tangle of limbs. Kisses and smiles exchanged afterwards along with soft words of endearments.

Hattie had caught herself a couple of times in the throes of passion on the precipice of declaring her heart’s true feelings for the man who made her feel so complete. She’d had to bite her lip when she saw that brightness in his eyes, always moments before she tripped over the edge of her pleasure, him following a second later.

It was like their bodies were made for each other. She’d never been so eager to be in someone’s bed, never felt an intense need to touch them and be wrapped up in them like she did with him. It was almost as if he were an extension of herself, and she a part of him as he never seemed to want her to be far from his reach either.

He was constantly touching her; running his hands over her shoulders or caressing her thigh when they were sat together. His arms encircled her every night, spooning her against him, his palm flat against her stomach as if he were keeping both she and her unborn babe safe from anyone who might harm them.

It was all so close to everything she wanted. The only thing that was missing was—

No, she’d told herself she wasn’t going to think about that. She could be perfectly content with this. She sighed, long and deep.

‘That’s not a happy noise,’ he murmured as his hands moved down her shoulders, his fingertips skimming the side of her breasts. The sigh turned into a pleasurable moan and Hattie shifted on the bed as a tendril of pleasure brought a throbbing pulse between her legs again.

God, she was like a teenager; perpetually horny in his hands. She moved to roll over and Roman shifted to accommodate her. When she was on her back, he moved over her, one leg slotted between hers and propped himself up on elbow as he stared down at her with curiosity.

‘Talk to me?’

Hattie took a deep breath before releasing it slowly, biting back the smirk as his eyes dropped briefly to her chest at the action before immediately meeting hers again. She felt the evidence of his arousal growing against her thigh. He trailed a finger down her shoulder and over her chest until he met one dusky-pink nipple. The digit lazily circled it, the bud swelling and hardening under his touch.

Hattie gasped, arching her back and pushing her hips up slightly, revelling in the feel of his strong thigh as he pushed against her just enough to give her the friction she sought.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked as he gently pinched the nub between his finger and thumb. ‘Cat got your tongue?’

‘I don’t want to get off this boat,’ she finally confessed, the words coming out on a gasp. She just caught the hint of bemusement lightening his eyes, before she had to close hers as need and pleasure overwhelmed her senses.

‘Where you not listening to what I just said?’ he chuckled. ‘Am I too distracting?’

Hattie struggled to think— Think! He’d said he’d been thinking… And then she had got distracted by sexy thoughts again. Damn, it was so easy to lose focus on anything but him when he was naked and doing naughty things to her.

‘Sorry,’ she said, embarrassed he had caught her daydreaming. ‘What did you say?’

He smiled at her before slowly lowering himself and pressing their lips together in a slow sensual kiss. Hattie gave a little moan—his hand moved lower, cupping her breast and gently squeezing it before sliding down her body. Her stomach quivered as his fingers lightly brushed her skin, heading towards its ultimate destination.

Her legs fell open of their own according, inviting him to do what he would with her; she had no qualms with leaving her pleasure in his more than capable hands.

As his fingers slipped into the thatch of curls that crowned her sex Hattie wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, sliding her tongue against his as she deepened the kiss.

A knock at the door, caused both of them the groan and she broke the kiss just long enough to shout Go away! before eagerly returning to her very enjoyable afternoon activities. Her hips moved in time with his caresses and she felt the thrum of pleasure gaining momentum as she clung to Roman, her hands never tiring of exploring every inch of him that she could reach.

The knock sounded again, this time louder, more insistent.

Roman tore his mouth from hers, his voice harsh and firm as he told their interloper to Fuck off!

Hattie moaned in delight as he returned to her, his mouth moving down her body, trailing kisses along her flushed skin as she writhed beneath his ministrations.

‘Roman,’ she gasped as he slipped lower still, his hand moving away as he shifted down her body and Hattie had to resit the urge to help him get there faster by pushing him down by his shoulders and—

‘Hattie I’m sorry to bother you—‘

‘What the fuck!’ she gasped, actually pushing at Roman—except it was to get him away from her. The mere idea of her sister overhearing, well, what she’d been hoping for, made her skin crawl and completely killed the mood. ‘What the hell are you doing here, Pippa?’ she shouted back, scrambling from the bed and grabbing her robe. She threw Roman’s at him as she headed to the stateroom door.

She took a second to glance over her shoulder, ensuring Roman was indeed covered before she slowly pulled the door open.

‘I am so, so sorry,’ Pippa began the moment the door cracked open. ‘But I’ve been sent to get you both.’

‘What? Why?’ Hattie asked, her heart hammering in her chest. Nothing could be wrong with Victoria or Alexi. That would have been an immediate phone call to the ship, a boat to shore immediately dispatched, and a helicopter sent to collect her. She’d have met her sisters at whatever hospital they’d been taken to. This was something bigger, something they couldn’t discuss even over secure lines…

‘The King’s been taken into hospital.’

Hattie’s eyes widened in shock and surprise at the news. ‘Is he…?’

‘Alive and clinging on, I’ve been told. He’s sedated and comfortable—‘

‘Thank God,’ Hattie breathed. She might hate her grandfather, but the idea of her uncle, Grand Duke Harold becoming King was terrifying. Even more so currently being under the King’s protection. The Grand Duke being made Regent was going to be horrible enough for—what she hoped—was the short term.

‘So why exactly are we needed?’ Roman asked coming up behind Hattie, his fingers curling around the door above their heads as he peered out into the corridor at his new sister-in-law. His hand around Hattie’s waist, pulling her back against him sent a thrill chase down her back. ‘Its not as if you’re—‘

‘It’s protocol when a change of power—even a temporary one—occurs,’ Hattie said with a sigh, her shoulders slumping. They had another week on the yacht and then they planned on a night of “camping” at their future home before returning to Renfrew Hall.

‘It also looks good for the nation to see the family united at such a time,’ Pippa added, pushing her glasses up her nose. ‘I’ll leave you both to get dressed. I have a boat waiting to take us to shore.’

As soon as the door closed, Roman had her pinned to the solid oak, his mouth on hers, feasting on her eagerly as he hoisted her up. Hattie wrapped her legs around him, kissing him back as fiercely as he kissed her. By his thick, hard cock pushing against her, it was clear he had no inclination of leaving as quickly as Pippa wanted and Hattie had to admit, she wholeheartedly agreed.

However, as much as she wanted him to take her, they couldn’t. They really did have to leave immediately.

‘Roman, stop,’ she murmured against his lips, even though her hands were pushing his robe from his shoulders. ‘We really do need to leave right away.’

‘I’m sure they can wait half an hour,’ he told her between kisses. ‘Maybe an hour?’

She chuckled at that. God, she wanted to spend forever in his arms, but right now she had to put her stupid sensible head on and go do the one task she hated doing—being part of her family.

‘They can’t,’ she said, canting her head back away from him, but the action didn’t deter him. Instead, he turned his attention to her neck, nipping and licking his way down to her breasts that she’d thrust forward with her action. ‘Roman, please,’ she whined, really not even trying to stop him. Her fingers flexed, nails digging into his shoulders as his mouth closed over her budded nipple. ‘We really need to—‘

The banging on the door behind her, made the two of them jump. Roman almost dropped her as he tried to get her away from the thing just as she was trying to lean away from him and his tempting lips.

‘Get a move on love-birds,’ Pippa called through to them. ‘I’m waiting right here and can hear everything.’

Heat filled Hattie’s cheeks and she knew the flush was making its way down her body. Roman glared daggers at the door and Hattie couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up from deep within her as she buried her head into the crook of her husband’s neck.

‘Put me down and lets get ready to go,’ she said, her voice muffled by him. His deep sigh, however, told her he’d heard.

‘I swear he’s done this on purpose,’ Roman muttered as he carefully lowered her so he feet could once again touch the floor. He tucked her curly hair behind her ears as he gazed down into her dark eyes. ‘Couldn’t even give us four weeks could he?’

‘Whatever it is he’s done, I doubt he’s done it on purpose,’ she said, only half believing it. She drop her eyes as she spoke, instead focusing on her fingertips tracing the smooth muscles of his chest. Which probably wasn’t the best idea because she was already considering giving her sister an audible show if she wouldn’t leave the doorstep. ‘He doesn’t like the Grand Duke. If he could cut him out of the line of succession without ruining Alistair’s chance of taking the Crown, he’d have done it long ago—Grammy would have made sure of it.’

Roman rubbed his hand over his eyes as he sighed in defeat. ‘Fine, he’s not plotting his own demise just to piss us off.’

Hattie smirked up at him. ‘I promise to make it up to you.’

His hands stopped their movements and he spread his fingers wide to peek down at her again. ‘Yeah?’ There was curiosity in his voice. ‘How?’

‘Depends on how fast you can be ready to go.’

He pressed a fleeting peck to her nose before he dashed into the en suite making her chuckle before her eyes dropped to his naked arse and she sighed in appreciation.

Dick had better be dead or dying, she decided before collecting her own things together to get ready for the long trip to Avon.