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Forcing his eyes away from her jeans-clad butt as she preceded him up the stairs, Rafe stopped to speak with his pilot while Alexa buckled herself into her seat. No doubt she wouldn’t be impressed by his plane. He might be a prince, but he wasn’t a king. He couldn’t offer her anything that she didn’t already have.
And why was he even thinking like this? Their marriage wasn’t real. It wasn’t even damned convenient when it came down to it. It wasn’t anything. They were two people who were doing each other a favour. So why did something that wasn’t supposed to be monumental feel as if it was?
The circular nature of his thoughts warred with the constant need to put his hands on her and did little to restore his usual good humour. He wasn’t sure anything could.
Using work to distract himself, he opened his laptop to go over the latest specs on a building he’d just purchased in Scotland. It was a grand old edifice that had once been a cinema and his COO was urging him to tear it down rather than restore it because the cost would be exorbitant. There was something charming about it though and, while he was all about the bottom line, he had an inclination to go in the other direction this time.
He wondered what Alexa would make of it and then scowled at the thought. It wasn’t as if he was going to ask her. He might have to live with her for the next two weeks but that didn’t mean they had to interact. In fact the less they saw of each other the better. Because wanting her was driving him to distraction.
Perhaps he could discreetly settle her into a hotel, then he wouldn’t have to see her at all. Which would work right up until the press got hold of the information and blew their whole ‘love story’ out of the water.
‘Sorry.’ She gave him a small smile. ‘I feel sort of responsible for all of this honeymoon palaver, and I know you’re not happy about it.’
‘You’re not responsible.’
‘Well, at least you didn’t try to make me feel better by pretending to be happy.’ She gave a strained laugh. ‘But I know you didn’t want anything to change and it clearly has.’
‘That was a bit short-sighted, given the monumental interest in our wedding.’
‘Yes. It seems that my father was right about our marriage moving everyone’s attention from problems to pleasure. Do you know they even have a mug and tea towels with our faces on it?’
‘Quaint.’ He noticed the purple smudges beneath her eyes that he hadn’t seen before and wondered if she’d had as little sleep as he’d had over the past fortnight.
‘I know. My people went all-out. I think after your brother ditched me no one thought I’d ever find anyone else to marry.’
At the mention of his brother Rafe was reminded of the way she’d gazed at Jag only hours earlier. It had appalled him to think that she might still have feelings for his brother, and he didn’t like it.
‘Why would anyone think that you wouldn’t get married? You’re the heir to the throne of Berenia.’
‘Thanks for pointing out my most saleable quality.’
Her self-deprecating tone made him frown. ‘That is not your most saleable quality.’
He’d say her lips were definitely high on the list. Along with her legs, and the keen intelligence that shone from those magnificent green eyes. ‘My brother fell in love with someone else. That was hardly your fault.’
‘Some saw it differently.’
Noting the way her shoulders had tensed, Rafe’s eyes narrowed. ‘Define “differently”.’
‘I can barely remember.’ She waved her hand between them as if the whole thing was inconsequential. ‘Something about me not being womanly enough to keep hold of him.’
Rafe made a rude noise in the back of his throat. ‘I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous.’
Or wrong.
‘Anyway.’ She made another flicking gesture with her hand. ‘I was thinking that if your apartment isn’t big enough for the both of us, then I could stay in a hotel.’
Even though Rafe had come up with the same idea only moments earlier, the fact that she would prefer a hotel to his home chafed. ‘My apartment is big enough.’
‘Still, I could—’
‘It’s big enough.’
‘You didn’t let me finish.’
‘I didn’t have to. How do you think it would look if I set my beautiful wife up in a hotel straight after our wedding?’
‘I suppose.’ She fidgeted with her phone so he knew there was more coming. ‘And your staff? Will they think it strange when we have separate bedrooms?’
