Page 10 of The Prince's Green Card Scheme

PAOLO

The last thing I expected from this was to actually really get on with the woman I’m trying to marry. Obviously, I know that it would help matters, but I’ve never felt this before.

Chloe’s funny and gorgeous and smart, and best of all, she talks to me like I’m a human being. She doesn’t just like me because of my status. She likes me because of who I am.

Or at least I hope she likes me, anyway.

This plan seemed completely insane when Schultz suggested it. But for the first time since then, I really feel like it could work.

I glance at my watch and realize we’ve been talking for hours. It barely feels like any time has passed at all. If it wasn’t getting late, I could keep going forever.

“I’m really enjoying this,” I tell her.

“Are you?” she says. “So am I.”

“Good,” I grin. “Good. Me too.”

There’s a beat of silence, and I decide to try my luck. “Chloe,” I say. She hums and raises her eyebrows in question. “I think I’d quite like to kiss you now.”

She flushes a little, bringing her hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

“Would that be okay?” I ask.

“Yes,” she says quietly, a smile growing on her face. “Yes, I think it would.”

It doesn’t take much to lean in and close the distance so I can press my lips against hers. She’s soft and warm and pliable, and as soon as our lips touch, she melts into me, letting out a small moan of pleasure.

Suddenly, it’s not enough. I need to feel more of her. I get up, round the table, and wrap my arms around her, pulling her in for another kiss, harder this time. Deeper.

Her tongue flicks out to explore my mouth and I let her, our teeth clacking gently against each other, my hands roaming her back as hers do the same for me. My heart is racing, beating like a drum, like she’s holding the stick and playing me like a melody. I’ve had my fill of girls over the last year, but all of them have felt ephemeral, impermanent.

Somewhere inside me, I know Chloe won’t last either, but there’s a part of me that almost wishes she would.

A rapid vision rushes through my head of a life that I could have with a woman I’d never known before today. One where we have a marriage, a baby, a family. A lifetogether.

I pull back with a jolt, my own mind frightening me. As soon as I do, her hands drop to her sides, leaving behind a cold ache on my body.

“You okay?” she asks.

I shake my head, then nod quickly, realizing I’m giving her a mixed message. “Yes,” I say breathlessly. “I’m okay. More than. Chloe, I know this is sudden, but I would just love to go home with you.”

Her blush deepens. “I can’t. I mean, my mom. Our apartment, it’s just not… it doesn’t work.”

“No, I get it,” I say. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I meant, I’m staying in a hotel for the week and I would absolutely love it if you would come back and share it with me tonight.”

Her mouth opens as she draws a breath, looking deeply into my eyes like she’s trying to solve a puzzle, and then she nods slowly. “What the hell,” she says. “Promise me a good time and I’ll say yes.”

“I wouldn’t promise anything else.”

She grabs the front of my shirt and pulls me in for another kiss, hard and passionate, full of a lust that wasn’t there before. Every kiss we share seems to be better than the last.

“Come on,” I say, offering her my hand. “Let’s get out of here. I have access to the private bar at the hotel. Let’s get a drink.”

But we don’t even manage to make it that far.

As soon as we step into the elevator, I lean in close to her. She turns to me with that smile again, and I feel that magnetic compulsion to kiss her.

She melts into my lips and, without thinking, I wrap my hands around her back and pull her close to me. I’m half-expecting her to pull away, but she doesn’t. Instead, she grinds her hips into mine, and I feel a rush of blood flood to my groin.

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