AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Yet, she knew it was much more complicated than that. Her cousin, Jiovanni Alarik, planned to lay claim to the throne if she didn’t fulfill her father’s last bequest and marry within the next three months.
Marriage. Shivers prickled her skin. And not to just anyone. Only a man of royal heritage would do.
Unfortunately, the spoiled playboy royalty she had grown up socializing with left her insides cold.
Which is where the bachelor she’d insisted be sent a personal invitation came into the picture. He did not leave her insides cold. Quite the opposite.
She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath.
“When a representative from your television network approached me, I agreed for many reasons.” Namely, she’d been searching for a way to see the man she’d not been able to forget while she’d been doing mission work in the name of her country.
“Although Jane is fabulous, I still think you should have done the show yourself. It certainly would have simplified things.”
“No.” She’d had to see him one last time, but being forced to interact with him in front of the prying eyes of the film crew held no appeal. “I am not an actress.?
?
“To play yourself, you wouldn’t have needed acting skills.”
“But the woman your television is portraying is not me.” She’d watched the films of the woman’s great athletic abilities. Her father would never have allowed her to develop such masculine talents. Charity work and looking beautiful was still the expected behavior of female royalty. Unfortunately, her country had much to learn about women’s rights.
Which is why she couldn’t just walk away and allow Jiovanni to control the throne. Her stoic cousin might set them back a hundred years on equality issues. She owed it to her people to marry soon.
And she would accept one of the offers she had received once the filming had finished. For now, she would continue her period of mourning while hidden away at Strovanik castle.
“My heart is my own, but for a short while longer. My methods may not make sense to one such as yourself, but I will take this time for myself, then I shall do what is right for my people.”
“Yes, your Highness.” He saluted her with the goblet, before taking another drink.
Foolish man to guzzle the wine when one was meant to drink slowly and savor the flavor.
She walked to the window facing one of the many gardens below. She gasped at the sight of the embracing couple.
“I have indeed made a grave mistake in allowing this invasion of my home.”
And of her heart.
# # #
Crap. Would it look bad on National television if she spit to rid herself of Jeff’s kiss? Kissing him just didn’t evoke passion in her blood. It was nice enough, she supposed, but it felt kind of like kissing a brother--if Jill had a brother, which she didn’t. One trouble-making sister was more than enough.
Jill suppressed her inclination to spit--just in case.
What a good little princess she was, she thought in ill humor. Her partner didn’t notice. Seems all was forgiven from her boxing match abuse. She glanced at him and smiled. He had been talking a mile a minute prior to their kiss. Uh-oh. What had he just said to her?
She hadn’t a clue. No matter his lips covered hers again. It was bad enough she’d had to pretend her heart wasn’t breaking because of one man, but she’d bit the bullet and kissed another.
It felt so wrong. As if she was cheating.
She hadn’t had a choice. Rob had won their game fair and square. Okay, so she hadn’t thought he really meant for her to kiss one of the dirty dozen, but obviously he had or he wouldn’t have reminded her. But if Rob had wanted to stop her, he could have. Then she wouldn’t be surrounded by lush and exotic flowers, kissing a man she genuinely liked, but who left her insides cold.
Was Rob in the studio watching? Of course he was. This show was what he cared about. She pumped up the enjoyment factor--fake though it was. So what else was new? Everything she did seemed fake these days--except for her kiss with Rob. That had been all too real.
“That was nice,” Jeff said when he finally lifted his mouth.
“Nice doesn’t begin to describe your kiss,” she cooed, hoping lightening didn’t strike her. There wasn’t a cloud to be found in the bright blue sky, but she had to be tempting the fates with her wordplay.
“Guess I’ll have to do it again, then.”
