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“Maybe. Then again…maybe not.” She glanced at the empty cup he hadn’t touched. “Where’s your wine?”
“I’m on the job.” He gave her a pointed look. “And I don’t drink on duty.”
“Then consider yourself off-duty.” She gave him her best princess in command look. “I’ll be insulted if you don’t drink. My whole country will be insulted if you don’t drink with me. You alone could be responsible for starting World War Three. Choose your next words carefully.”
He snorted. “So be it. I’m not drinking, because in a few minutes I’ll have to drive you back to the hotel. After you’re safely in your room, I’ll crash on the couch outside your door and make sure no one comes to kidnap you. I can’t do that drunk.”
She stared at him, the wine making her head spin in circles already. She rarely drank, and when she did, it was only a sip here and there. Not a whole glass…and then more. The second glass he’d given her was already half empty. How had that happened?
And then a dangerous thought hit her mind. Sure, she’d stopped him earlier in his bedroom because he’d made a rude remark. But what was stopping her from crawling into bed with Gordon now?
What was stopping her from having a little bit of fun, for once in her long, prim, proper life? Nothing. That was what.
Locking eyes with him, she took a deep breath and then jumped in with both feet for once in her life. “What if you didn’t drive me home?” she asked breathlessly, unable to believe she’d actually asked. It was time to take a chance. Time to try to have some fun before she signed her life away on the dotted line. “What if I stayed here with you?”
He froze, his impenetrable brown eyes locked on her. “You want to stay…here?”
And just like that, she chickened out. “I mean, in a different room, of course. Not with you, with you,” she said, staring at her wine the whole time and feeling like a fool. Her cheeks were on fire. “You have a guest room, right?”
“I don’t think that would work. What would your people say?”
She smiled. “We already took care of that, remember? They know I’m safe and sound in the hands of the man they hired to keep me safe.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he muttered.
“If you did let me stay, you could bring me back in the morning. It’s late anyway, so it might be better if I showed up in the morning instead. It’ll look like I slipped out for coffee, or whatever. If we go there now, people might get the wrong idea.”
Lame excuse, but she wanted to stay. Wanted a chance to get to know more about this man. He was an enigma she wanted to unravel. Or however the saying went. Also, she couldn’t lie. He intrigued more than her curiosity. She wanted to be with him. To touch him. She wanted to have one fun, thrilling night before she met her unknown, possibly future, fiancé tomorrow.
Just like he’d promised her he could deliver.
Unexpectedly, the guilt came back full force. But it wasn’t as if they were engaged yet. After tomorrow evening, they very well might be. But not now. Not here. She hadn’t even seen a photo of the man. She had no idea what color his hair was. If he was kind or cruel. All she knew was that he was from a country similar in size to hers, his military force was stronger than hers, and she was supposed to marry the bloke.
How was that fair?
“Princess? The only bed I have in this house is mine,” he said, his voice level and deep. He trailed his fingers over her thigh, keeping the touch innocent yet somehow dirty at the same time. “If you want to sleep in that alone, then you’re more than welcome to. I could sleep on the couch.”
She met his eyes slowly. “Or not…”
“Careful.” His jaw flexed. “You might give me the wrong idea.”
She handed him her wine. “Drink this, and you’ll get the right idea.”
“Isabelle…”
That was the first time he’d used her name. She shivered, clenching her thighs together tight. “Yeah?”
He picked up an empty glass and poured himself a healthy dosing of wine. Chugging it back with one gulp, he set the glass down and captured her chin. “Let me put this clearly. You want a fuck? I’ll fuck you. And it’ll be a great time. I’ll make you scream so loud you’ll have to whisper the whole day tomorrow to make up for it. But that’s all it’ll be. You live halfway across the world. After you leave, we’ll never see each other again. And while you’re here, I’ll still be your guard. You’ll still listen to me, despite our night together.”
She swallowed the last of her wine. “I know this is just a one-night thing. I already told you. I’m supposed to marry for my—”
“Country,” he said, his voice flat. “I know.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“That’s barbaric,” he said, his fingers tipping her head back. “Insane.”
She agreed, but it was her country’s custom. Her parents own marriage had been arranged, and they’d been happily married for twenty-eight years now. She could have that, if the fates decided as much. She might fall for this Prince George fellow.
