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“Jasmine,” she squeaked out.
Her mom looked faint and very, very relieved that Derek was being so kind to her daughter. A small crowd gathered at the end of the aisle, watching, but again, nobody broke ranks and approached them.
“Princess Jasmine.” Derek shook her hand, then went on one knee in front of her so he was on her level. His high-dollar pants would get dirty, but he didn’t seem to care. “It is an honor to meet you.”
She giggled. “I’m not a princess.”
“With that name, such a beautiful face, and your hair done like a crown, youhaveto be a princess.”
She giggled louder and looked back. “Mama, he thinks I’m a princess.”
“You are, angel. You are.” The lady’s dark eyes were bright, and Ellery fought emotion herself.
“Thank you, kind prince.” The little girl pointed at Ellery. “Is thatyourprincess?”
“Someday soon, she will be.” Derek glanced back at her. The warmth in his gaze and confidence in his words had her leaning into the grocery cart. “Princess Jasmine, this is Princess Ellery, but I like to call her Elle.”
“Princess Elle is much better.”
Ellery walked over to them. Derek straightened and wrapped his arm around her waist. Ellery noticed some of the crowd videoing, but she could only focus on how appealing it was to watch Derek interact with a little one and the exhilarating feeling of him holding her close to his side.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Jasmine.” Ellery shook the little girl’s hand.
“You are a very beautiful princess, but you should wear a pretty dress and not have your hair in a pony.” Jasmine tilted her head to Derek. “He looks more handsome than you do.”
“Jasmine,” her mom reprimanded.
Ellery laughed. “Prince Derek issucha pretty boy.” She gazed up into his blue eyes. “He’s more handsome than anyone, so I don’t mind you saying so.”
“No one is as beautiful as you, Elle.” The look in his eyes was sincere. She lost any ability to tease.
“Bye,” Jasmine called out, skipping happily back to her mom, taking her mom’s hand and tugging her down the aisle.
Her mom waved to them, mouthing, “Thank you.”
“Goodbye, Princess Jasmine and her mom,” Derek called out gallantly.
Ellery snickered and pulled away, thankfully breaking the mood. “You’re so smooth. No wonder you have all the women chasing you.”
Derek looked wounded. “I’m not smooth. I’m charismatic. Wait until you meet Malik, Tristan, and T’s best friend Chad if you want to see smooth.”
“Oh, great. What have I gotten myself into?” She smiled, but she was growing more and more concerned. An innocent interaction with a little girl and she was already falling deeper for him, which she didn’t think was possible. How would she spend a week with him without making a fool of herself and declaring her love?
Love? She didn’t and couldn’t love a prince, even one as kind as Derek.
“I’ll keep you safe from my twin, the crown prince, and even suave Major Chad.” He winked and tilted his head back. “And so will they.”
One of the bodyguards actually gave her half a smile. She wasn’t worried about being safe physically—unless Hattie Ballard really was alive and showed up at the wedding to stab someone else.
No, she was worried about staying safe emotionally.
They made it past the crowd at the end of the aisle and through the checkout line with the poor checker stammering nervously every time Derek spoke to him.
Derek tried to tap his credit card on the screen, but she screamed out, “No!” so loud half the store turned to look at her.
Derek slid his credit card back in his wallet while she shoved hers in the machine, her face red. He didn’t appear upset at all.
“I am paying for dinner,” he said for only her to hear.
