Claimed by the Crown Heir novel Chapter 70

A few days ago, Alistair had suddenly announced he was going to help him make a fortune, then dragged him onto a flight straight to Bayside.

Alistair answered nonchalantly, "Some secrets are meant to be kept."

"Why are you acting so mysterious?" Nolan handed him a cigarette. "When you head back this time, Grandpa Howard is going to set up that meeting between you and Vanessa. Won't your real identity be totally exposed by then?"

"What's the rush?" A glint of pure intrigue flashed in Alistair's eyes. "I haven't had enough fun yet."

Remembering the words the woman had just breathed into the phone, he was already feeling a heavy rush of anticipation.

He wondered just what kind of surprise she had waiting for him!

...

The seaside villa.

Night fell, blanketing everything in total silence.

Vanessa sat quietly on the edge of the massive bed, draped in a sheer black silk and lace nightgown.

Her eyes were locked on the brief text glaring from her phone screen.

[I'll be there in five minutes.]

She had no idea how much time actually passed before the faint purr of an engine dying out drifted up from downstairs.

Vanessa's heart gave a violent jolt. In the dead silence of the night, the chaotic hammering against her ribs felt unbearably loud.

Her slender fingers curled slightly as she stood up and walked lightly toward the door.

Alistair stepped through the entryway, his gaze sweeping the space, failing to catch a glimpse of that familiar silhouette.

Just as he reached out to flip on the lights, a soft, delicate feminine voice suddenly sliced through the darkness, catching him totally off guard.

"Don't turn on the light."

His fingers paused in mid-air and slowly retracted, his eyes tracking the sound.

A slender figure descended slowly from the staircase landing, closing the distance between them step by step.

As she approached, the dim glow of the emergency lights in the foyer cast a pale halo over her.

The light was incredibly faint, yet it was just enough to let him see the woman before him with striking clarity.

The black silk amplified the luminous glow of her skin, the hemline skimming dangerously high on her thighs. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her almond eyes glittered like crushed stars.

The visceral contrast of black and white was breathtakingly seductive.

Alistair's gaze instantly darkened, his Adam's apple bobbing in a nearly imperceptible swallow.

"I love it."

"I love it so much... I want to lock you away."

The second the words left his lips, he crashed his mouth down onto hers.

It wasn't a gentle, testing kiss. It was fueled by a desperate, boiling urgency that had been suppressed for far too long, devouring her lips completely.

Vanessa went entirely weak, her fingers blindly clutching the fabric of his dress shirt as he mercilessly stole every last drop of oxygen from her lungs.

The only sound left ringing in her ears was the frantic thunder of their colliding heartbeats, and the faint, muffled crashing of the ocean waves beyond the window.

That night, she threw all caution to the wind, the two of them tangled together in intoxicating passion until the very early hours of the morning, when they finally succumbed to a heavy sleep.

The sky was just beginning to bleed a pale grey.

Vanessa slowly opened her eyes, quietly taking in the stunningly handsome face of the man sleeping soundly beside her for a long moment.

Then, she dressed herself perfectly and slipped out of the villa without making a single sound.

Sitting in her car, she fired off one final text to Alistair.

[Mr. Howard, I've paid back the favor I owed you. From now on, there's absolutely no need for us to contact each other again.]