Page 7 of Royal Extra After

As they headed for the movie trailer with DIRECTOR posted across the door, the princess felt her heart somersault. She wasn’t sure what excited her more, being back on the movie set or having a chance to see Ned again. The attraction she’d felt for him was undeniable. She’d never been drawn to anyone like this before and that both thrilled and scared her.

While she had met plenty of suitable men through her parents, Ned was different. Instead of being polished and perfect in a tux or suit, Ned had a rugged swagger in his jeans, black t-shirt, and black baseball hat. She knew his sexy smile melted many more hearts than hers. Just like she knew nothing would ever come of her crush.

She was leaving America in a few days. But while she was in New York City, on the movie set with Ned, she wanted to experience and feel everything, so she could use it later in her writing. How was she supposed to ever write about passion and love if she’d never experienced it herself? The way she saw it, just like she’d told Benson, Ned was her research project, and she couldn’t wait to get started.

When she glanced at Benson, he still looked tense. She knew he was worried about her.

He was always so protective of her, especially when it came to men. Was it any wonder that she’d never had a chance to truly fall in love yet? There had only been Austin, and what she’d felt for him she would never call love.

She’d grown up with Austin. Their parents were close friends. They often vacationed together as kids. Finally succumbing to their parents’ endless matchmaking efforts, they tried dating but quickly discovered they were better off as friends. Still, whenever there was a royal engagement, and she needed an “acceptable” plus one, she knew she could always count on Austin and vice versa.

She took a deep breath when they got to the director’s trailer. Her hand shook as she reached out to knock on the door, but it flung open before she had a chance to open it, making her gasp and jump back.

“Well, hello,” Ned said. “You’re right on time. Thank you for that.”

The princess felt a sudden attack of nerves. She clutched her sweaty palms together. “We’re always on time. It’s a royal thing.”

Benson did a double take.

Ned laughed. “Then I need to hire more royals. Are you ready for this?”

When he locked eyes with the princess, she felt her heart pound so hard she felt like everyone could hear it. She tingled all the way down to her toes. She wanted to write down exactly how she felt, so she’d never forget this adrenalin rush. She took a breath to steady herself and looked deeply into his eyes. “I am so ready…”

“I’m really glad you came,” Ned said as he left the trailer, and they all three started walking.

The princess tilted her head to one side. “Did you think I wouldn’t show up? I always keep my word. Do you?”

For a second, Ned looked confused.

“The answer here would be yes,” Benson said, giving Ned a sharp look. “Yes, you keep your word.”

“Of course,” Ned said quickly.

“Good,” the princess said. “Then we shouldn’t have any trouble at all working together.”

Ned picked up their pace. “And that work is waiting. Let’s get you to the set. I want you to see how we’ve set up the tea party, and then we can talk about costumes. My costume designer Sarah is looking forward to meeting you. She agreed with all the points you made yesterday.”

The princess smiled. “I like Sarah already.”

“Just remember this is fiction, not a documentary,” Ned warned. “I don’t have the time or money to completely redo everything. We’re just looking for your insight and any suggestions of things we can change quickly.”

“Understood,” the princess said, leaning into him as she held up her phone. “Say royal!”

“I thought no pictures allowed,” Ned said with a laugh. She snapped the photo. It was a great picture. They both were smiling.”

“Unless I take them,” the princess said, beaming back at him.

They shared a smile. Benson, watching their playful banter, frowned.

The princess was checking out the photo when she tripped over some cables. Both Benson and Ned tried to catch her, but Ned got her first. His touch sent shivers down her spine.

“I got you,” Ned said.

“Thank you,” she answered breathlessly, blushing. Aware that Benson was watching her, she fought to pull herself together. If Benson knew what she was feeling for Ned, she knew he’d hustle her out of the park so fast it would make her head spin.

“You really do need to be more careful, Princess,” Benson said as he stepped in between her and Ned, separating them.

“It must be a hard job trying to watch this one,” Ned said with a laugh.

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