Keeping My Prince Charming by J. S. Cooper Read Free Book Online

anything but dreamy. I turned back around and frowned to myself as I realized that I’d lost sight of Lola. I’d allowed myself to get distracted at the wrong time. I didn’t know where she was. Who was after her? Who would be the first one to test her? I wanted to slam my fist against the wall. The games had started and already they had the upper hand. I looked around the room quickly to see if I could find her, but she was nowhere to be seen. And then I saw Stephan, hurrying up the stairs with a smile on his face, and I knew. It had started. And suddenly I was afraid. I was afraid that I was going to lose, and in that moment I wished that I’d never brought Lola here with me.

Chapter Eight
    Lola

    Heart beating fast. Check.
    Temperature rising. Check.
    Sexy man in front of me. Check.
    Mind racing in fear. Check.
    And then he said my name: slowly, deeply, softly, enjoying the taste of it as it slipped from his lips.
    “Lola.” He said my name again and I froze.
    This princ e — this strange r — knew my name. I knew his name was Stephan because he’d been speaking to everyone at the front of the room. He was obviously the man of the night. He’d not been introduced to me, though. We’d not even been in the same vicinity until this moment. He hadn’t even glanced at me, except for that one moment when he was speaking. That one moment that Xavier had said was a direct challenge to him. I shivered in the cool room. My resolve was leaving me. I wasn’t sure that I was ready for this game that had seemed so easy when arriving at the palace. Xavier had tried to warn me that it wouldn’t be easy. That this was a dark world. I hadn’t realized what he meant, but now I did. It wasn’t just dark because of the people I was with. It was dark because of my feelings as well. Stephan smiled at me, his eyes looking at my lips for a few seconds before looking back into my eyes.
    “Lola is such a beautiful name,” he said in his beautiful, melodic voice, his German accent somehow sounding more sexy than guttural.
    I froze as I stared at him, wondering what was going to happen next. Who was this man? I’d never met him before this night, but he knew my name and his eyes were staring into mine with a fiery, passionate look. I swallowed hard as I wondered what he knew, how he knew, if he knew everything that was going on. Even more worrying to me was the wonder of what he wanted. I took a step back, wanting to leave, and then he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me toward him.
    “Kiss me,” he commanded, and this time his words were hard and impatient. I shivered as I felt his body pressed against mine intimately. He was turned on and that made me happy and powerful, for some inexplicable reason. I closed my eyes and leaned forward, ready to taste him, wanting to know who he was, but then I pulled back, my brain overcoming the shroud of lust that filled me every time I gazed at him. He was too handsome for his own good. Too sexy. He had too much charm and I shook my head slightly, feeling embarrassed that I’d gotten caught up in the moment so easily.
    “How do you know my name?” I stared up at him with wide eyes. And I knew my expression showed my surprise when he chuckled.
    “What don’t I know about you, Lola?” His eyes darkened for a second before he leaned down and kissed me softly. His lips tasted like salted cherries and I was unprepared for the shock that ran through me as his tongue entered my mouth, smooth and steady. I reached up and grabbed his neck to stop from falling to the ground as my legs started shaking. His eyes laughed into mine as he continued kissing me. I didn’t kiss him back, but I wasn’t able to stop him. In that moment I couldn’t think or act or do anything. I didn’t care who he was or what he wanted. All I could think about was the fact that his lips were on mine and burning a deep desire down into my soul, and then he pulled away. I groaned involuntarily and he laughed as he