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If she’d known he was a prince would she have let him close to her? Probably not, and that made her stomach twist in a way she didn’t like at all. Because this man standing in front of her was the man who’d made electricity flow through her skin. The man who’d kissed her in a way that no one else ever had. She couldn’t ignore that. No matter how much other stuff was going on in her head.
She looked around. It was pitch black. They were in the middle of the palace gardens in the dead of night. For a few minutes more she could try to forget about the prince part. She could try and remember the gorgeous man she’d wrapped her legs around in the ocean and raced to the buoy.
She stepped forward and gave him a smile. ‘How about, for now, we just be you, and me?’
She saw his shoulders relax. It was as if a weight had just lifted from him. ‘Show me your maze, Philippe,’ she said quietly, leaving all the titles to the side.
He slid his hand into hers in agreement. ‘Come on, then.’
They entered the maze. The hedges were at least eight feet tall; there was no way either of them could see over. ‘I should have tried to memorise what this looked like when we were on the steps above,’ she murmured.
He gave a laugh. ‘Lots of people try to do that. Most of the time it doesn’t work.’ He turned around so he was walking backwards and facing her.
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Isn’t there a thing you’re supposed to do in mazes?’ She held up her hand. ‘That’s it, if you keep your left hand running along the hedges you’ll always find the way out.’
He shook his head. ‘Old wives’ tale. No truth in it at all.’
‘Really?’ She was suspicious now, not sure whether to believe him or not. The further they went into the maze, the darker it got. Shadows seemed to lurk around every corner. ‘I think I might have preferred this in the daytime,’ she joked.
‘Oh, come on,’ he teased. ‘What do you think is in here? Lions, tigers and bears?’
She shook her head at the film reference. ‘I was thinking more like goblins, warlocks and trolls.’
‘Ouch,’ he said. ‘What kind of kids’ stories did you read?’
‘The good ones.’
They kept walking. He backwards and she forwards. It was odd. It was cute. They were shielded from the world. She liked it that way. Here they could be anyone they wanted to be. Here, she could be with anyone she wanted to be.
They turned a corner and the maze changed. There was a paved area with a star in the middle and a wrought-iron bench. ‘Is this it? Have we reached the centre?’
He nodded and pulled her down onto the bench. She perched on the edge of his lap. ‘So,’ she said with a smile on her face. ‘Now we’ve reached the middle, what happens next?’
The words hung in the air between them. They both knew exactly what she meant.
Philippe slid his hands up around her neck. ‘How about you make good on the sacrifice you offered to make a little earlier?’
She frowned. ‘What one was that?’
He pulled her closer. ‘The one where you offered to heat me up,’ he whispered, his lips making a trail down the side of her face.
Their skin brushed together. Full of intent. ‘Oh, I have a rule,’ she said huskily, ‘that I always make good on my promises.’
A smile danced across her lips. ‘Somehow I like that,’ he said as his lips met hers.
And for a few moments she forgot about everything else. About the palace. About the press. And the fact she was kissing a prince. And just concentrated on the man whose lips were setting her world on fire.
CHAPTER TEN
BY THE TIME afternoon came around she was anxious to get started. The jet lag finally seemed to have eked its way out of her system, and her brain could only focus on how much time she’d spent kissing Philippe last night.
Her brain told her everything about it was wrong. Silly. Nothing could ever come of it. They were almost at opposite ends of a scale.
But her heart? It seemed to defy every piece of logic her brain could throw at her.
She took a quick glance in the mirror and pulled her fitted black suit jacket straight. They were visiting the hospital today so she could give him some feedback and advice about his future plans. She’d decided on the more professional look. She wanted people to take her seriously, to know that she was always committed to providing good health services. She picked up her bag and gave her lips a swipe with rose-coloured lipstick. The knee-length skirt and fitted jacket were smart—she knew that. But her bright blue shirt gave the splash of colour that revealed a bit more of the person that she was. Most professionals would pair the suit with heels but Arissa had spent enough hours in hospitals to know better and she slid on a pair of comfortable flats.
The knock at the door was almost simultaneous with her pulling it open. ‘Oh,’ she said in surprise.
Philippe was standing in a dark blue suit, paired with pale blue shirt and dark tie. She hadn’t seen him since last night and that first sight took her breath away.
He gave a casual grin. ‘You’re ready. Perfect. Do you need to eat before we go?’
She shook her head. ‘Nope. All ready. Let’s go. I can’t wait to see the hospital.’
He pulled a face. ‘There’s so much work to be done there. Don’t set your expectations too high. I keep telling myself if I want to build a proper health service for the country, I have to start somewhere.’ He gestured his elbow towards her and she slid her arm into his.
‘Well, that’s why I’m here. I’ve worked in Malaysia, the US, did a spell as a student in England, and have volunteered for Doctors Without Borders in Romania. You’ve travelled too, you’ll have seen enough health service systems to know what you want for Corinez.’
He gave a nod and led her along the corridor. Neither of them mentioned the kiss. Neither of them mentioned the conversation last night.
And to be honest, she was glad.
* * *
He knew he was only scratching the surface of the problem. Both in the hospital, and with Arissa.
He’d spent most of last night wondering what he’d done. He’d invited her here because he’d really, really wanted her to come. He couldn’t deny the attraction between them. He couldn’t pretend that it didn’t matter that he knew
Arissa liked him for just being him. It meant more than she could ever know.
But some of the things she’d said last night had thrown him sideways. He wasn’t him. He would never just be him. He would always be Prince Philippe—no matter how much he tried to hide from it.
As a child he’d thought it was normal to be photographed and in the media constantly. It hadn’t bothered him—more than a few of his teenage misdemeanours had been captured for the world to see. The Playboy Prince tag had been following him around for the last few years as well.
But now, as an adult, when his time of freedom was gone—when his time to return and help shape the healthcare changes had arrived—it was making him more than a little uncomfortable.
For a guy who’d always known who he was and exactly what his role would be, he found himself questioning everything.
And that bothered him more than he could ever say out loud. It wasn’t even a conversation he could have with anyone else.
But as he showed Arissa around the hospital he got more and more uncomfortable.
She shone. That was the only way he could describe her. She got down on her knees to talk to the kids in the children’s unit. She made several suggestions about gaps in services. Both for children and for babies and mothers. She was good at linking pieces of the puzzle together—throwing in things he hadn’t yet considered. She challenged him. She made him think.
She talked through the most basic maternity care. Then, they talked about the maternity care he would really like to offer. She helped him make realistic targets and goals. And he needed that. He needed someone to keep him grounded and make the plans in his head into something more tangible.
But they didn’t spend all their time in maternity services. Arissa wanted to see around the whole hospital.
She sat for a long time, holding the hand of a war veteran who wanted to reminisce with someone.
The staff and patients loved her. She was relaxed. She knew when to laugh, and when to be serious. He’d always known she would do well here, but seeing how much Arissa got to be herself made him realise how much of a prince-like status he had to keep in place.
