Mateo slipped his fingers through Maia's as they walked along a glistening canal in the afternoon sun. The last time he was in Amsterdam was nearly two years ago on the trip he planned to propose to Saskia, but she sold his secrets to the press and he came on his own to get away from the news. Mateo sighed, looking over at Maia and the smile that graced her lips made his heart simmer. He was glad to be back here with someone who actually cared about him.
"Are you happy to be home?" he said, squeezing her hand.
"Yeah," Maia said, looking behind them at Willem and the rest of their plain clothes bodyguards trailing behind them. "But I don't think Willem is too happy that I prefer we walk the rest of the way to my house."
"Don't worry about it. He's never been a fan of me walking anywhere. He hates that I prefer to go to the markets in the city without any security," Mateo said as he eyed a few people at a local café snapping a few pictures of them. "This is no different."
"I'm sure you're used to random people taking your picture," she said, laughing. "I'm surprised there aren't many paparazzi around."
"Oh they're around," he said, leaning down to her. "That couple at the café are reporters from the Burgonian Tab."
"Oh really?" she said, leaning into him. "Do we need to play up our relationship?"
"No, we're doing enough," he said, kissing her head. "So, which one of these boats is yours?"
A grin curled over Maia's lips. "It's that one," she said, pointing to a cream and black barge surrounded by a thick green hedges and blooming flowers potted along a wooden plank leading to the boat.
Mateo's eyes were wide. "I thought you said you owned a little houseboat, liefje. Not a fucking barge," he said as he followed Maia across the plank to the spacious deck lined with more potted plants and a covered seating area.
"Yeah, I might've downplayed my house a bit," she said as she unlocked the sliding door leading to the helm of the boat that was converted into a foyer. "But I still have some work to do on it."
"Like what?" he said, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the coat stand beside the spiral wooden staircase.
"I want to convert a few more rooms into bedrooms," she said, slipping off her shoes. "Let me give you a tour and I'll show you what I mean."
"Alright," he said, taking her hand as she led him down the spiral staircase that opened up into a cozy living room with big round windows flooding the space with sunlight and capturing the view of the canal at the edge of the city. "Maia, this is really beautiful," he said as his gaze trailed over the artful figurines that sat in the curve of the smaller boltholes and flowed with the colorful abstract paintings that matched her jade green couch and reading chair. A small tv sat nestled in the corner as if it were an afterthought.
"Thank you." She grinned, sliding open a large wooden door behind the stairs. "This is my writing cove."
Mateo chuckled as he peered inside the room that was lined with books on the built-in wooden shelves. A desk covered with loose leaf paper and notebooks sat in front of a rounded window facing the canal. "Chaotic as usual."
"Of course." She laughed. "How else would I get any writing done?" she said, closing the door and padding through the living room across a paisley yellow and green rug covering the waxy mahogany floorboards to the open kitchen carved into the edges of the boat with sunlight pooling in from the windows that covered the ceiling. "And this is my beautiful kitchen where I hope you'll want to make me lunch."
Mateo grinned, sliding his hands over the marbled island. "You know I'm happy to cook anything for you," he said, eyeing the sleek black refrigerator in the corner. "But we didn't pick up any food yet."
"We don't need to," she said, opening the fridge. "My housekeeper always stocks it before I come back and she didn't disappoint."
Mateo raised an eyebrow. "So it's just in the Butte you decide to live off coffee and muffins, huh?"
"Yes," she said, closing the fridge as she bit her lip. "And I hire someone to shop for me when I'm here."
Mateo shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And here I thought you'd need to get used to the royal life, but you already live like a princess, don't you?"
"Listen," Maia huffed, sliding her hands to her hips. "I've worked very hard to live in comfort like this."
"I'm sure you have, my liefje," he said, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. "And there's nothing wrong with it. I'm just happy I get to know this side of you."
"Good," she said, sliding her hands up his chest. "Because I want you to see all of me."
"Mm," he said, leaning down to her ear. "I'd like to see what you do in private, mijn prinses."
"We haven't finished the tour yet, mijn prins," Maia said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I might show you some things."
"Please do," he said, sliding his hands over the curve of her ass. "I'd like to see where I'm sleeping tonight."
"I'm sure you would," she said, leaning up on her tiptoes, but frowned as she looked around him. "There's a camera poking out of my bushes."
"Don't look," Mateo said, catching her chin and turning her face back to his. "I'm sure it's the paparazzi. Our guards will take care of them, but before they do." He kissed the side of her mouth as he slid his hands to her waist and lifted her onto the island. "We should make a scene."
Maia's eyes filled with mischief as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "It's almost like you've done this before."
"Too many times," he murmured. "It's not a talent I'm proud of."
"Oh, I don't know," she said, kissing him softly. "It's kind of sexy right now."
Mateo's groin twitched at the sultry tone in her voice. "We really need to talk about your kinks, liefje," he said, gripping her hips. "Because this side of you is turning me on."
"We'll get to that, lekker ding," she said, catching his lips with hers.
"Yes we will," he murmured, drowning in the taste of her soft sweet lips.
Mateo sat his suitcase beside Maia's plush four poster bed with a mountain of pillows and sheer drapes tied to the thick posts and a smile graced his lips at the lavish, yet artful décor of her room. He trailed his fingers over her vanity built into the wall between her the bookshelves and was neatly organized with little perfume bottles, make-up and jewelry.
Her past life as an arts dealer was on full display in her home with different pieces of abstract and landscaped paintings covering her walls encased in thick ornate frames between her endless shelves of books. A frown knit his brow as he took in her eclectic genre of books of art history, royal traditions, fantasy and a plethora of romance, but a single black book without any markings sat on the center shelf. A grin curled over Mateo's lips as he eyed the seam in the shelf separating it from the others.
"There's some space in my closet if you don't want to live out of your suitcase while we're here," Maia said, poking her head out of the door next to her bed.
Mateo pointed to the black book on the shelf before looking over his shoulder at her. "What's this?"
Maia's eyes grew wide as a laugh choked from her lips. "I'm surprised you noticed that."
"Well if it's what I think it is, you have a secret room behind this bookshelf."
"I do," she said, crossing the room as she rubbed a curl of her hair between her fingers. "And how would you know that?"
"Because I have one in my study for all of my erotic interests," he said, sliding his fingers to her chin. "Is this where you keep yours?"
Maia bit her lip. "Yes, but I like to call it my room of desires."
Mateo caressed her bottom lip. "And am I allowed to see your desires?"
Doubt clouded Maia's brown eyes as she looked at the bookshelf and sighed. "I know you're into a lot of things and you probably won't be fazed by what's in that room, but it's been a long time since I've let anyone see this side of me," she said, rubbing a hand over her arm. "Sven wasn't into anything remotely erotic and being with him for so long made me feel ashamed of the things I was into and the people I enjoyed it with."
"I'm the last person you need to feel ashamed around and the last person who would ever judge you for anything you're into," Mateo said, kissing her softly. "You can be yourself with me, liefje. You don't have to hide."
"I don't want to," she whispered, reaching up to tug on the book and the shelf creaked open. "As long as you promise to keep my desires and my secrets safe."
"I promise," Mateo said, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss on her palm. "Je hebt mijn woord, mijn prinses."
"Ik vertrouw je, mijn prins."
And he'd never dream of losing her trust. He knew what that crushing, heart wrenching feeling felt like and he'd never wish that upon anyone, least of all someone he truly loved.
His heart thumped and simmered with need as Maia pushed open the door to reveal her room of desires and he took in the tasteful displays of various black stiletto heels, leather catsuits, toys and paddles along the deep red walls. A swing with a padded base and restraints hung in the corner beside the blacked out windows and a red cushioned couch with silver rings attached to the armrests sat nestled between a bookshelf lined with erotic novels and lewd magazines.
God, she was truly his match.
Mateo slid his arm around Maia's waist, pulling her back against his chest before he kissed the skin below her ear. "There's nothing here for you to be ashamed of," he whispered. "I want to explore every inch of your desires, liefje."
She turned her face to him as she thread her fingers through his. "I want that too," she murmured, kissing the side of his mouth and an aching tingle stirred in his gut at the heady look in her eyes. "But we have some things to take care of first."
"Mm, I can wait," he said, sliding his hand to her cheek. "but just know I intend to have you in this room before we leave for Oost den Burg."
Maia grinned. "And I intend to let you have me," she said, rubbing her ass over his hardening cock. "Because I want this."
"You can have whatever you want from me," he murmured, making a trail of kisses down her neck and enjoying the soft moan that left her lips. "I should make you lunch," he whispered, nibbling her ear.
"You should," she said, pushing out of his embrace and laughed. "I don't want to get carried away in here yet."
"Me either," he said as she slipped her fingers through his and led him out of the titillating room that had his mind whirling with the things he'd like to do with her. "But I'll be happy to forget the world with you in here."
Maia chuckled as she closed the door. "The last time someone said that to me, we spent three days holed up in my sex chamber and we don't have that much time here, sir."
An unexpected wave of jealousy rolled over Mateo at the thought of someone spending that much undivided time with her like that. That was what he wanted and what he craved. "Maybe not here, but we'll have time when we get to my estate."
"Oh, that's right," she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Because you have a secret sex chamber too, don't you?"
"I do." He grinned. "And now that I've seen yours, I think I might tie you up in mine for a few days and simply devour you."
"We can't do that," she said, laughing softly. "Not when you've got your brother to deal with and your kingdom to protect."
"That may be true," he said, pressing his forehead against hers. "But I promise to always make time for you."
He pressed a searing kiss to her lips as if to seal his promise. He may have no choice but to vie for the crown, but that wouldn't stop him or interfere with his plans to vie for Maia's heart either.
A/N: And they just keep getting spicier 😏 I love that Mateo told Maia that she didn't have to hide with him and she could be herself 🥰 He also seems hella determined to make sure they have the time and space to be together and I'm here for it! I'm also here for the moment they confess those 'I love yous' too, but maybe it's too soon and who knows if their relationship will be able to thrive when Mateo makes it known he plans to be king 😬
Translations:
Mijn Prinses - My Princess
Mijn Prins - My Prince
Je hebt mijn woord, mijn prinses - You have my word, my princess
Ik vertrouw je, mijn prins - I trust you, my prince