Page 17 of My Prince

“Oh boy,” I whispered, mortified and breathless.

“You okay?” Fade asked, his voice full of concern.

“Just mortified,” I whispered again, unable to meet his eyes.

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against my ear. “I’ve got you, cupcake. Just take it easy.”

I clung to him, my heart racing from the near fall and the embarrassment of the situation. “Thanks,” I managed to say, my voice shaky. “I didn’t mean for you to see... all this.” Lord have mercy, this was the last thing I wanted. I wasn’t a small, petite woman. Zero thigh gap, stomach rolls, and a double chin that was making more of an appearance than not lately.

I was not the type of woman a man like Fade wanted to see naked.

“From where I’m standing, cupcake, you don’t need to apologize for a damn thing,” Fade said, his voice low and comforting.

That was surprising. Maybe a naked body was a naked body when it was pressed against you. Who knows.

I couldn’t help but feel the warmth of his body so close to mine, the way his hands held me steady. It was an intoxicating feeling, being this close to Fade with no clothes on. I liked it more than I cared to admit. His grip was firm but gentle, and he didn’t make a move to let me go.

“Uh, well, I think I’m okay now,” I stammered, trying to find my bearings. “I must have sloshed some water on the floor, and, well, you’re holding what happened.” I cringed inwardly at how awkward I sounded. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m just glad I was here to help, cupcake,” he replied, his voice a soothing rumble.

My towel was draped over the sink, just a few feet away. “Uh, do you think you could close your eyes for like five seconds?” I asked, my cheeks burning. “My towel is over there.”

“I think I’ve already seen it all,” he chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. “I don’t think five seconds will matter.”

Ugh, I wished I could disappear into thin air. Or go back in time and make sure my clumsy ass didn’t fall. “Well, yes, but maybe we could just forget about that while you close your eyes and I grab my towel,” I suggested. Why do things like this happen to me?

I almost wish I would have fallen on the floor and knocked myself out instead of having to feel so foolish in Fade’s arms.

He smirked, but to my relief, he closed his eyes and put a hand over them. “Alright, cupcake. Five seconds.”

I quickly lunged for the towel and wrapped it around myself, feeling a bit more secure. “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

Fade dropped his hand and smiled at me, a genuine, warm smile that made my heart skip a beat. “I think I liked you the other way, cupcake.”

I nodded, trying to shake off the lingering embarrassment. “Uh, okay.” I was clueless on what to say. Was he flirting with me? Did he like what he had seen? Had I fallen into the twilight zone of Fade? “I should probably get dressed and...” I trailed off, unsure of what to say next. I just knew that if I didn’t get away from Fade real quick, I would dissolve into a puddle of embarrassment. The man had only ever infuriated me, and now here I was, standing in front of him in just a towel, secretly wishing he would pull me back into his arms.

Fade ran his fingers through his hair and looked around. “I’ll just be...” he pointed at the door, “out there.” He walked out and closed the door behind him.

I stood there for a good thirty seconds, trying to process what had just happened. What a crazy day. It had all started normally, with a plan to get Fade to agree to be interviewed, and now, at eight at night, I had tailed Fade, been shot at, and then found myself dripping wet and butt naked, pressed up against him. Yeah, this was a crazy day.

I drained the tub, the water swirling down the drain as I wrapped the towel tighter around myself. I picked up the pajama set I had brought in earlier, which was gold-colored with light blue flowers on it. It was soft and comfortable, exactly what I needed after everything that had happened. I brushed my hair, the repetitive motion calming my nerves.

I contemplated putting on some makeup so I didn’t look like I had just had a day from hell, but I decided against it. Fade had already seen me at my worst, and now I just had clothes on. That was an improvement.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and opened the door. Fade was standing by the window, looking out into the night.

“Uh, keeping watch?” I asked.

“You should really close these curtains at night,” he advised, turning to look at me.

I walked over and pulled the curtains shut. “Thanks for the tip.”

He nodded, his eyes lingering on me for a moment before he looked away. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “Just needed a moment to collect myself.”

He gave a small smile. “Understandable. It’s been a hell of a day.”

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