Lightning entered the foyer of the Bodhum palace, feeling as awkward as ever. She'd been the crown prince of Eden's bodyguard for almost a year now, but she still hadn't gotten used to interrupting meetings between royalties.

The prince was standing in the middle of the foyer, chatting with three young, crown-wearing women in ornate gowns. The prince himself was wearing an ordinary white suit, and he'd refused to wear his crown as usual. Lightning couldn't help but feel a bit amused by his reluctance towards anything revolving his royal status.

"You're highness?" she said, tapping the prince on the shoulder. "The car is ready."

"Thank you, Ms. Farron," Prince Hope Estheim replied before turning back to the three princesses of Bodhum. "I'm sorry, ladies. We'll have to continue this another time."

He gave each princess a kiss on the cheek before returning to Lightning's side. The princesses giggled loudly, whispering things behind his back. Lightning had to force herself not to glare at them.

"We have an hour until your next meeting," she told the prince as they walked towards the black limousine waiting for them outside the palace. "We could stop for refreshments somewhere if you'd like."

She held up the door to the limo for him and then joined him in the backseat. When she closed the door behind her, Hope had already moved over to the glass partition separating the backseat from the driver's seat. He knocked on the glass to make the chauffeur open the window.

"Could you give us some privacy?" Hope asked the chauffeur. "Just thirty minutes or so."

The chauffeur nodded and immediately left the limo.

Lightning frowned. "You're highness, I'd really prefer if we left at once. Your next meeting is in Palumpolum. Wouldn't it be better if—"

"You're in a bad mood," Hope interrupted, looking at her intently. "Why?"

She crossed her arms. "I'm not in a bad mood."

"Yes, you are. What's going on?"

"I just don't like this outfit, that's all." It wasn't exactly a lie—she really did dislike her outfit. Hope had told her she looked too aggressive in her suit, so he'd ordered her to wear a blazer and a pencil skirt instead. She looked like some kind of secretary and she didn't like it at all.

Hope smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. It's just that everyone gets more relaxed when you don't look like you're ready to pull out a gun at any moment."

"Those princesses sure looked relaxed alright," she muttered.

"Is that what this is about?" He got up from his seat and sat down next to her. "Are you jealous?"

Lightning felt her cheeks heat up. "Of course not." She avoided his eyes by fixing her gaze on the floor. "You're going to have to marry someday—sooner rather than later, according to your father. I know that. Those princesses are as good as any."

A gloved hand touched her chin and tilted her head back. She looked up and found Hope staring at her, his eyes burning.

"Don't lie to me, Light."

He burrowed his fingers in her hair and kissed her hard on the lips. She gasped in surprise, and he used her moment of distraction to deepen the kiss. A part of her brain knew she should pull away, that what they were doing was wrong, but she still couldn't stop herself from kissing him back.

"I don't care about the princesses," he murmured as he pulled away from her lips to trail kisses down her neck instead. "I don't care about my father's plans. I don't care about the kingdom. I. Don't. Care."

Before she could object, he'd unbuttoned her shirt and begun to kiss his way down to her chest. Using all the mental strength she could gather, she pulled away from him and scrambled backwards until her back was pressed against the door.

"Your highness, we can't do this," she said, blushing furiously. "Not in here. Someone could see us."

Hope moved closer to her again, cornering her against the door. "So?"

"I could lose my job!"

He grinned. "I'd never accept another bodyguard. My father knows that." He cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her again, his other hand traveling down her body. "I don't care what anyone says. One day, I'm going to make you my queen, Light."

He unhooked her bra and pushed it out of the way before lavishing her breast with kisses. His teeth grazed her nipple, and something sounding suspiciously like a moan escaped her lips. Her head was spinning, and she felt like her whole body was on fire. He always had that effect on her. No matter how many times she promised herself to never let him kiss her again, her body always ended up betraying her anyway. When he touched her, she seemed to somehow forget that he was the crown prince of Eden and that she was just his bodyguard. Moments like this, she felt like they were equals.

Hope kneeled down in front of her on the limousine floor and grabbed her legs, aligning her hips with the edge of the seat.

"It's really too bad you hate wearing skirts," he murmured, kissing his way up her inner thighs. "Your legs look absolutely amazing in them, and they definitely make it easier for me to do things like this." He pulled up her skirt and pressed a kiss between her thighs.

"H- your highness," she gasped. "Are you seriously thinking . . . in here? What if someone . . . your highness!"

He nipped her thigh hard enough to leave a mark. "Don't call me that. Not when it's just the two of us. Say my name, Light." He slowly removed one of his gloves with his teeth before pulling down her underwear. She blushed as she realized what he was planning to do. Her body shuddered in expectation.

He leaned forward until his face was so close to her to her core that she could feel the warmth of his breath. She entangled her fingers in his silvery hair and tried to pull him closer, but he wouldn't budge.

"Say my name, Light," he repeated. "Say my name."

"Please," she moaned, aching with need. She didn't care about the risk of getting caught anymore. She didn't really care about anything—all she wanted was for him to touch her. "Please, Hope, please."

He gave her a smug grin before running his tongue over her center. Her back arched, and another moan escaped her lips. He pressed a finger inside her as he continued to tease her clit with his tongue. Her hips moved like they had a life of their own, attempting to speed things up, but Hope grabbed her thigh with his free hand and held her down. His tongue and finger moved with perfect synchronization in an almost painfully slow rhythm. When her desperate moans grew louder, he nudged a second finger inside her.

"You're so gorgeous, Light," he said in a husky voice. "I love you. I love the taste of you. You're so gorgeous."

His fingers pushed at her inner walls and he flicked her clit harder and faster with his tongue. She squirmed helplessly against him. No one knew how to work her body like Hope did—not even herself. The sounds she was making were so loud they could without a doubt be heard outside the limo, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't in control of her own voice anymore.

"Hope, oh god, please, Hope," she moaned, her hands tugging at his hair. She glanced down at him and saw him staring up at her with an almost feral look in his eyes, and that look was enough to push her over the edge. She threw her head back and screamed as the orgasm hit her. The waves of pleasure pulsated through her shuddering body. Hope continued to pump his fingers inside her, helping her ride out the storm.

"Feeling better?" he asked smugly when she opened her eyes again. She was still too out of breath to speak so she simply nodded instead.

"Good." He stood up on his knees and leaned his forehead against hers. "I really mean it. I don't care about what other people think, especially not my father. You're mine, and I'm yours. The only person I could ever marry is you."

Lightning smiled and kissed him. She could taste herself on his lips but she didn't mind it. Her body was moving on its own again. She knew how wrong their relationship was, but every time he touched her, she found that she didn't really care. The attraction that pulled them together was simply too strong to ignore. Every time he kissed her, she just knew. It didn't matter that he was a crown prince and that she was his bodyguard. They were supposed to be together.

"I'm yours," she said, placing a hand on his chest, "and you're mine." With a gentle push, she made him sit down on the floor. She straddled his lap and began to unbutton his shirt. "How long do we have?"

He glanced at his wristwatch. "Fifteen minutes."

"Perfect."