Page 35 of Powerful Prince
I was happy to discover that I was getting to know my way around the palace, as I correctly guessed where the main hall was.
“What will you do then?” I asked her.
She tapped her cheek like she was thinking about it. “I get to run wild and not be corrected.”
I tilted my head as we entered the main room. “That’s it?”
She walked me to the stairs that led to the private tower. “I’ve always admired the legend of Lady Godiva, riding through the streets completely naked to protest taxation. Though, honestly, Norden’s people have never once expressed anything to me that is so outrageous that I need to parade around naked like that.”
I coughed. I couldn’t imagine Emily riding naked through town on a horse. My face was hot, but I said, “It’s good that the people of Norden are happy. I am interested in how green technology fits into the world here.”
She waved me off and said, “Another reason you and my brother are perfect together. If Father is going to find me a husband, I hope I have half as much in common with my mystery man as you and Ryder have.”
“Thanks,” I called after her, and made my way up the stairs.
Commonality and a plan were why we were getting married. We weren’t perfect. We weren’t in love. It was just mind-blowing sex and the fact that we both wanted a sense of peace, without the world watching, that was our bond.
And friendship. He was the best man I’d ever met. That was nice, too. As I returned to my room, I saw Ryder was already in jeans and a polo shirt. He had muscles everywhere and I ignored how my heart pattered a little more when I saw him. My mouth watered for his kiss and I held out my hands and said, “Ryder.”
He came over and kissed my cheek and said, “There you are. I promised to show you the town, so I made reservations for us for dinner at a local restaurant.”
Thoughtful. Sweet. Kind. Seriously, Ryder was awesome, and our deal was a dream come true. This was all this was, and ever would be, but I squeezed his palm and said, “Let’s walk to the town.”
We walked down the stairs together and headed outside. Guards were stationed everywhere, but no one stopped us as we passed the gate and made it outside. Fresh air was good, and I could breathe easier now. As we made our way to a path, he asked me, “How was your morning?”
His steps and mine were in sync as I said, “Your sister thinks you and I are perfect together.”
The small town I’d spotted from my window was now visible down the road. My steps had an extra bounce in them as he said, “That’s good. I’m happy you and I have a plan and we have figured out how we’ll live once we get rid of the press.”
We reached the road. The smell of wildflowers permeated the air and I relaxed. However, as I took a deep breath, message after message popped in at once. I reached into my bag and said, “My phone is beeping like crazy.”
“Check them,” he said, and slowed down.
I stood on the sidewalk in my open-toed sandals and my heart thundered from the words I read on my screen. Heat coursed through me and my eyes began to mist. I blinked and said, “Wow.”
The words were all blurry on my screen, but I continued to scroll. Ryder asked, “What’s going on?”
#Fake #SellOut #FuckthisBitch
I rocked on my feet at a few of the comments on my picture with Emily. I wiped my tears away and turned it off. “Seems I’ve turned some of my fans into haters. They think I’m fake.”
He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight as he said, “Jealousy is a real thing. Don’t pay attention to this. You’re the opposite of fake, and your numbers overall are way higher than when I saw them in Vegas.”
He was right. But we were marrying, so I could turn this all off, not because we were in love. Iwasfake, just not in the way people read. I let him go and asked, “I am?”
He handed me a tissue. I hadn’t ever met a man before now who had a tissue in his pocket. I dabbed my eyes as he said, “You are the realest person I’ve ever met.”
“Thanks,” I said and crumpled the tissue in my hand.
Then, he kissed me. My left foot lifted off the ground and I wished I could just forget the world right now. Ryder’s kiss and touch were all mine now, and this had to be enough to last a lifetime.
Chapter 12
Ryder
Nicole cared about what others had to say. It was in her every action. And we had both agreed to this marriage because we wanted our freedom from public scrutiny.
Whatever was happening between us was a bonus. But we couldn’t change the deal because I ached for her body with mine.
