The Cursed Prince, Teresa Roman [the reader ebook TXT] 📗

nodded. Nicolai got up from the chair and slid into bed beside me. I rested my head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. I felt safe in them, and warm.

“I’m so sorry about what happened to your father.”

My heart splintered. I knew eventually I’d have to deal with my grief, but that would come later. “I can’t talk about it right now.” I bit my lip, fighting the urge to cry.

Nicolai stroked my hair. “Then don’t, Willow. Just sleep. When you wake up in the morning, I’ll be here. I promise.”

The tea Maria had given me must’ve been some sort of sleeping potion because, despite the gnawing pain in my heart, I fell fast asleep.

As soon as I woke up the next morning, the pain returned. I wanted last night to have been a bad dream, but I knew better than to hope for that. Nicolai lay beside me, worry etched on his face.

He managed a smile and reached out to brush my hair back with one of his hands. “Good morning.”

“You stayed.”

“I told you I would.”

I looked away from him. “What am I going to do, Nicolai? I hurt so bad I can’t even think straight.”

“You don’t have to do anything. My brothers and I will take care of everything. Whatever you need. All you have to do is say the word.”

“What I need is to have listened to Maria when she tried to warn me. My father’s dead because I didn’t believe her. How am I supposed to live with that?”

Nicolai took one of my hands in his. “The fault lies squarely on Peter’s shoulders, not yours.”

Before I could respond, Maria walked in with a tray full of breakfast. She set it down on the dresser.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

“The same.”

She cocked her head to the side and clasped her hands together. “I can’t bring your father back, but together we’ll figure out a way to make Peter pay for what he’s done.”

Her words sparked a fire inside me. I was filled with regrets, but none of them would bring my father back. The only thing to do was look forward. And like Maria had just said, make Peter pay. Not just for murdering my father, but for deceiving me.

“How?” I asked. “Does anyone even know where he is or how to find him?”

“We won’t need to find him,” Maria replied. “Sooner or later he’ll be back … for you.”

“When he returns, my brothers and I will be the ones who take care of him,” Nicolai said. “The last thing I want is you anywhere near that leech.”

“Willow is stronger than you think she is,” Maria said.

“It was my father he murdered. I’m not just going to sit back and do nothing.”

“If something were to happen to you—”

“We can discuss this later,” Maria said, cutting Nicolai off. “After the two of you have had something to eat.”

She got up and left the room. Nicolai took the breakfast tray from the dresser and laid it on the bed in front of me. “Eat,” he commanded.

“I’m not very hungry.”

“Please, Willow.”

I managed a few bites of toast and sips of juice. It was enough to appease Nicolai. He excused himself so that I could get dressed. I brushed my hair and stared at my pale face in the mirror. I looked as sick as I felt. But there was no time to dwell on that. My father’s final arrangements needed to be made, and while I had no problem accepting help from Nicolai and his brothers, there were some things I’d have to do, like call my brothers and let them know what had happened. I took a deep breath before reaching for my phone, and then hesitated. How was I supposed to explain to my brothers that our father was dead?

For the first time in my life, I wished I didn’t have three brothers because having to tell the same heartbreaking story of how I’d found our father lifeless in his bed over and over took so much out of me. By the time I hung up the phone, I had to fight back a fresh round of tears.

Nicolai returned and walked over to me. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head because the lump in my throat made talking impossible. He wrapped his arms around me. I looked up at him and, without thinking, slid my hand around the nape of his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him. At first, he seemed hesitant, as if he was afraid if he kissed me back, I’d break like a delicate piece of china. I needed him, though. His arms around me and his lips on mine made everything hurt less. Being with him was the only thing that made things bearable.

As I deepened the kiss, he relaxed and drew me closer. I pressed my body against his, pushing him toward the bed until he stumbled backwards and fell down on it. I fell with him. Our kiss broke, but only for a moment. I was so hungry for Nicolai that I brought my lips back down on his. I kissed his neck, his fevered gasps exciting me more. My hands traveled to the collar of his shirt, and one by one I unbuttoned it to his waist and ran my hands over his sculpted chest. I reached for his belt, but Nicolai stopped me, clasping my hands with his.

“What are you doing?”

I stared at him blankly. “I thought you wanted me.”

“I do,” he said. “Desperately. But not like this. Not when you’re in so much pain.”

“You help me forget.”

Nicolai sat up and pulled me onto his lap. He brushed my hair over my shoulder. “I want our first time together to be special. Perfect. Which means I’m not going to take advantage of this situation. I will wait until you’ve healed.”

I was in such a dark place that I wondered if that would ever happen. People lost loved ones all the time, but my father’s death