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She was drawing a line in the sand. And she was right.
He knew she was right.
He met her gaze and touched her cheek. ‘I want us to have a chance, Ruby Wetherspoon. I’m not your everyday guy, and what I have isn’t your everyday job. I’d like to see where this can take us, but I understand the pressure of being here and being with me. I don’t want to expose you to anything before you’re ready.’
She shook her head. ‘Not enough. Who am I, Alex? Am I Ruby Wetherspoon, speech and language therapist for your daughter? Am I Ruby Wetherspoon the hired help who might catch your eye? Or am I Ruby Wetherspoon the girl you might decide to date?’
She stood up and walked across the deck, held on to the railing, looking out over the sea.
‘You touch me, Alex. You kiss me. You bring me out on day trips that make my brain spin. What are you doing, Alex? What are we doing?’
He stood up to join her, and then slowed his movements as he neared. He didn’t want to stand next to her. So he did what was the most natural thing in the world. He stood behind her, his full body against hers, with his arms wrapped around her waist, sheltering her from the sea winds.
He lifted his hand and caught her hair that was blowing in the breeze. ‘Ruby, you can be whatever you want to be. But be warned: being around Alex de Castellane isn’t easy. If you want to be the woman I date, that’s fine. If you want to do that in public or private, that’s fine with me too.’
He moved closer to her, whispering in her ear, nuzzling her.
‘I lost you once, Ruby. I don’t intend to lose you again. But I’ll take your lead on this.’
He held his hands out towards the cliffs and the view of Euronia.
‘The world out there can be hard. I want to give this a chance. I want to see where this will take us. I’d love to be able to walk down the street with you without everyone whispering—but that will never happen. I’m public property, Ruby. The world owns me. I don’t want it to own you too. At least not until we’re both sure about what we want.’
She turned herself towards him, tears glistening in her eyes.
He lowered his hands and wrapped them around her waist. ‘What do you say, Ruby? Are you willing to give us a try?’
She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, whispering in his ear. ‘I think I might need a little extra persuasion.’
‘What kind of persuasion?’ He liked the thought of where this might go.
‘I might have questions. Conditions.’
He was surprised. ‘Okay...’ he said slowly. ‘Like what?’
This time the expression on her face was a little bit cheeky, a little bit naughty. ‘If we start dating do I get to look in all the palace rooms that are currently out of bounds to me?’
‘That’s what you want to know?’ He couldn’t help but smile.
‘I also want to check for secret passages and dungeons.’
He nodded solemnly. ‘That might be difficult. I’ll have to see what I can do.’
‘Can I slide down the banister?’
‘That might be taking things a bit far.’
She shrugged. ‘It’ll save the staff from polishing.’
He nodded. ‘True.’ And then he sighed. ‘I wish I’d thought of that explanation twenty years ago. You could have got me out of a whole heap of trouble.’
She stood up and whispered in his ear again. ‘How about painting the palace a brighter shade of pink? Doesn’t every girl want to live in a pink palace?’
He laughed. ‘You don’t think it’s pink enough already? It might be every girl’s dream but guess what? It’s not every teenage boy’s. I told you—I hated living in a pink palace.’
She shook her head. ‘Silly boy. You just don’t know what you had.’
He stopped smiling and touched her cheek. ‘But I do now.’
She bit her lower lip again. He couldn’t help but fixate on it. They weren’t entirely alone on this boat. But right now he didn’t care. It seemed as if he’d been waiting for this moment for ever.
He bent forward and captured her lips against his. She met him hungrily, pushing herself against him and letting her fingers gently stroke the back of his neck. The sensation shot directly down his spine and into his groin.
He pulled back. There was a whole host of things running through his mind right now. But none was as important as being here with Ruby.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.
‘There are seven staff on this boat. They would never disturb us, but things aren’t exactly private here. If we’re going to see where this takes us we have to agree what you’re comfortable with.’
She looked a little unsure. But her face was flushed and her hands were touching his waist—almost as if she didn’t want to let go.
He glanced down at them and gave a laugh. ‘Careful, Ruby. You’ve no idea where my brain’s currently taking us.’
He opened the door and pulled her along a narrow corridor,
‘I’ve made plans for us today. Let’s cool off. There are some swimsuits inside this room along here. We’ll anchor the boat, do a little swimming, and then have some dinner.’ He stopped outside the door of one of the rooms and hesitated. ‘It’ll give you time to think.’
He was aware that she hadn’t said anything—was terrified that he might have frightened her off. Ruby probably hadn’t considered the real consequences of being involved with a prince and he’d just laid them all bare to her.
He’d lived with press intrusion all his life. But in his world it was slightly easier for men than women. When the heir to the throne in the United Kingdom had got married his new wife had been constantly under the glare of the spotlight. Even now every outfit she wore, every friend she spoke to, even the appointments in her diary were scrutinised continuously.
Euronia might not be the UK, but it was a hotspot for the rich and famous. The press were always lurking somewhere in the background. He was surprised no one had commented on Ruby’s presence before now. She must have slipped under the radar as a member of staff. But that wouldn’t last much longer.
Her smile faltered. ‘Alex, what if we’re making a mistake? What if we’re both caught in the memory of ten years ago and what we’ve imagined and reality is totally different?’ She looked up through heavy eyelids. ‘We might not even like each other.’
His stomach twisted. It was true. It was a fair comment. But it went against his gut. It went against how he truly felt.
He didn’t know Ruby that well. Someone, somewhere in the palace would have a report on her—they had one
on every staff member. And his security staff would have the report from ten years ago on the woman he’d been with when they’d found him at the café in Paris. Someone would know which schools she’d attended in England, what the occupations of her mum and dad were, if she had any political affiliations.
But he didn’t want to find out from a bit of paper. He wanted to find out in real time—with Ruby.
So he did what his gut told him to do. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her cheek. ‘Then let’s find out.’
* * *
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, instantly feeling the coolness of the air-conditioned room. Her cheek burned from where he’d kissed her.
Kissed her—and left her. Walking down the corridor, leaving her to fixate on his backside and broad shoulders. She felt like someone from a bad movie.
Her stomach was turning over and over. ‘Let’s find out.’
She’d waited ten years to find out. Ten years of secret thoughts and wild imagination. Did this mean anything between them was destined to fail?
She picked up her mobile and pressed the quick call button. She’d never needed to talk to someone so badly.
‘Polly? Are you free? Can you talk?’
‘Ruby? Where on earth have you been? I tried to call you three times yesterday. Are you coming home?’
‘No. Not yet. And maybe...’
‘Maybe what?’ Polly got straight to the point. ‘What’s happening with you and Prince Perfect?’
Ruby sighed and leaned against the wall. ‘He just kissed me, Polly. He kissed me and I didn’t want him to stop.’
‘Oh, no. Don’t start all this dreamy kissing stuff again. Does this guy have stars and rainbows in his lips? One kiss and you go all squishy.’
She smiled. It was true. Trust Polly just to come out with it. ‘I’m worried, Pol. He’s told me he wants to give us a chance. He’s asked me if I’m willing.’
‘Willing to what? Flounce off into the sunset on matching unicorns? What exactly does he need you to be willing for?’
‘To give us a go. To see where this takes us.’ She started to slide down the wall. ‘But I can’t think straight, Pol. I’m just Ruby. I’m not a princess. I’m not a supermodel. How can I possibly live up to the expectations he has? I don’t even know what fork to pick up at dinner.’
