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No matter how many warning bells should be clanging in his head, he found himself leaning closer to her, arrested by the tug of her dark, beguiling eyes.
The bathroom door swung inward, almost hitting Hattie from behind. They’d forgotten to lock it.
“Oh, excuse me,” a young mom holding an infant said.
“Excuse us,” Steffan said, pushing his sunglasses back on and escorting Hattie out. “All right,” he told her quietly. “I’ll catch up soon.”
She gave him a resolute nod and strode quickly to the exterior door. He had a hard time letting her out of his sight. Was it only worry about where Franz might be or what he might be planning? Or was it because Steffan simply wanted Hattie close for a very long time?
Chapter Nine
Hattie didn’t like walking away from Steffan, which should have worried her. She was used to being independent and having her friends, especially her male friends, follow her around like sheep.
It was unusual to be around a man who was a prince, an obviously alpha male, strong in every way possible. Instead of making her feel diminished around him, she felt appreciated, valued, and protected. The doctor prince reminded her of her dad. She hadn’t had a man pay for something or hand her cash like Steffan had done since her dad died.
Steffan. What a man he was. A man like him needed someone strong like her to stand by his side. The way her parents had worked and accomplished so much good and stood side by side, happy and loved and secure.
For her, such a love was a pipe dream. She couldn’t stand by Steffan’s side. Be his princess. Not without exposing herself to the manipulative and evil Rindlesbachers and giving poor Jensen a load of stress he didn’t deserve. Jensen was once again helping her, and she really needed to vacate this gorgeous country and never return. For her own safety, but more importantly so Jensen and Steffan wouldn’t be in trouble because they’d helped her.
Striding along the picturesque trail, she reached the spot where the overgrowth was thick. She was soon surrounded by trees and bushes from the sides and above. Anybody who might be looking from the visitor’s center or another trail couldn’t see her now. She slowed her pace so Steffan could catch up. She’d hiked and backpacked all over the world, sometimes with friends, sometimes by herself with a gun and pepper spray in her backpack. At the moment, she had nothing besides the clothes on her back and her trusted Sorrels, and she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted Steffan. He was the first man since her dad that she trusted and wanted to stand side by side with and rely on when necessary. Like right now.
Footsteps approached from behind. For an instant, fear filled her throat and made her hands sweaty. That was silly. It had to be Steffan. She checked over her shoulder and then realized she was saying a prayer in her head, Help me, help me, quietly repeated over and over.
She had to stop that. She wasn’t going to allow herself to pray just because she was in such a low spot.
Steffan would help her. If it was him.
She checked again and breathed a sigh of relief. There he was. In all his manly glory.
Her stress level lowered, but her awareness of him revved right back up. Had he really said he had a thing for her? The look in his glorious blue eyes definitely backed up those words.
A thrill of pleasure traced through her. Hattie had traveled to many of the most romantic spots in the world. She’d never thought she’d long to kiss someone in a public restroom, but with Steffan it had seemed to be the most romantic spot she’d ever seen. She smiled at her foolishness.
He returned her smile and reached her side. “You all right to hike a bit?”
“What’s a bit?”
“About six and a half kilometers, if I remember right. I haven’t come this direction in a while.”
“Oh, sure. I’m in incredible shape. In case you hadn’t noticed.” She loved teasing with him.
“I had noticed that, actually.” He chuckled.
They increased their pace and were able to walk side by side on the trail.
“We’re going to your brother’s cabin? The mountain man prince?”
“Yes. Curt’s a newlywed, but they’ll welcome us with open arms. His wife Aliya is from the States as well. Georgia.”
“A Southern girl? I like her already.”
“She speaks a lot more Southern than you do.”
“I’ve been traveling for so long, sometimes I forget my roots.”
He gave her a concerned look. It was interesting because he was so firmly attached to his roots. Seeing Jane killed then being robbed of her parents had hacked hers apart. She’d done even more damage with her selfish lifestyle, pulling up any remaining roots from her hometown and her faith. She’d always kept to Christian values and didn’t sleep around, drink or do drugs, lie, cheat, or steal.
And she was waxing far too philosophical.
