Page 2 of Forbidden Prince
Renee laughed. Seriously, work was nice, but it was family that made every day worthwhile. One day she'd have her own, but first she needed to find the right guy. She nudged her best friend. "If a prince with billions of dollars knocked on my door and asked me to marry him, I'd sayyes."
"Tell me that’s not why you said yes toTom."
"Tom was nice. I don’t know what happened." Renee's phone beeped. The text read that the pizza would be there in fifteenminutes.
"So you say I should sayyes," Kristin perched on the kitchen stool next to the island and drank her juice. "Just likethat?"
"Absolutely." Renee finished with the salad and kept the rest of her comments to herself. In reality, a prince would never be approved by her parents, who had strict ideas for happiness. Not a big deal since she wasn’t the one who’d beenasked.
With a sigh Kristin stood, left her phone on the counter in the kitchen and went to the cabinet to get cups and plates. "No. No, you wouldn't. You'd see through the BS, and wonder if there were any cameras tapingyou."
True. Renee walked out of the kitchen and put the salad bowl in the middle of the dining room table. "Oh, were you bamboozled in some awful prank I'll get to see onTV?"
"No." Kristin followed her out with the plates, centering each on a placemat. "He asked me, for real. I just feel like I was being played, like maybe I'm missingsomething."
Renee leaned against the table and crossed her arms. "Why does he want to marry you? Did you askthat?"
"Yes." Kristin went to the wine cooler. "He listed off my resume and personal information. It seems like I would benefit from the deal. I should have insisted that a secretary application wasn't a prescription for finding a wife. I feel so foolishnow."
"Pour some wine for both of us and we'll talk all about how you should be a princess." Being best friends with royalty who'd interact with the hot playboy prince would give Renee a shot at a dream—these days, Marco figured prominently. "And I can be a princess's best friend." Daydreams like this often made the boring reality of her day-to-day morepalatable.
Once Kristin was done pouring, she brought the bottle to the table. "Yeah, I've not been anyone's princess since my father walked out on my mother when I was eight. When he returned home six months later, neither of them was happy. They never really conversed again. You have no idea what it's like to grow up knowing your parents hate each other while they sit right next to you and speak throughyou."
No, she had no idea. Kristin handed her a glass of wine. Her parents were like those people on TV who live andloveliving in the suburbs. They hadn't understood when she’d moved to the city, and they'd not know what to do if she brought home aprince.
Renee clicked her glass with her friend and sipped. "Well, that was depressing. So let's lighten up, and you can tell me if he's as hot in real life as he is in yourphotos."
Kristin took a small drink and sat with her elbow on the table. "Renee, he's hotter. TV and photos...I don't know...make him somehow blander. He's sexy in such a raw powerful way that I was shaken up. I wasn't kidding—I almost said yes to his marriage proposal on thespot."
Antonio was the serious family member that Kristin dug. If Marco's dimples were even hotter in person, she might just offer to throw her clothes off and let him have her. And yes her fantasy was out of control today. "What exactly made you say 'you'd think aboutit?'"
Kristin swallowed her wine, emptying her glass. "Self-preservation kickedin."
"What are you talkingabout?"
Kristin lifted her chin. "Despite how attractive he is, I want love to be at least part of why I get married which is utterly stupid as I don’t believe the emotion evenexists."
Renee scoffed. "Then marry Greg in our building. He's clearly in love with you, if that's what youwant."
"No, I'm not into him atall."
Just then the doorbell rang. She put the glass down. Tonight was Renee's turn to pay. "That's the pizza! Can you get the door while I go find my pocketbook for thetip?"
"It's my turn to pay," Kristininsisted.
Renee stopped. Perhaps she'd bought last night. Kristin raced into thekitchen.
Renee walked to the door, swung it open and stared into deep brown eyes. Wow. This was the prince that made her friend's heart stir. If he’d seriously asked Kristin to marry him, then she needed to say yes. Now. Renee crossed her arms. "Nice to meet you, YourHighness."
"I'm looking for Kristin Wells." He took a small step closer, trying not to be obvious as he peeredin.
Renee held the door wider and said, "I'm hoping she saysyes."
Antonio Aussa, the older brother of her celebrity crush, raised his eyebrows, but followed herinside.
A moment later, Kristin walked out and stared at PrinceAntonio.
"You didn't tell me that the prince was..." Renee began but realized neither one of them werelistening.
