Page 65 of A Royal Promise
I want this to be real so badly it hurts.When she tugged him back to her lips with an impatient sound, he softly tilted her head back to deepen the kiss.
Only when Clarissa cleared her throat beside them did Drew finally pull back. His heart raced, and his mind swirled with thoughts ofOh my goodness, I can’t believe that reallyhappened.When he opened his eyes and saw Bri looking up at him, wearing the same kind of disbelieving expression, he smiled.
It gave him hope to see her chest rise and fall to catch her breath and the love-dazed look in her eyes. Though it wasn’t much, even the smallest implication she might love him too made his heart swell with optimism.
A grin spread across Bri’s face while he was still reeling from the effects of her lips all over his. “How’s that for real?” She placed her hand on her hip as she turned to Clarissa.
Clarissa’s face was so red with anger he was surprised steam wasn’t coming out of her ears. After a few deep breaths, she looked at Bri with pinched lips before turning to Drew. “You can’t honestly say you would pickherover me.” Clarissa spouted her words with vitriol.
Drew held onto Bri’s hand as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. All he wanted to do right now was press his lips to hers again, but that would have to wait. He kept his gaze on her as he said, “I would choose Bri a thousand times over.”
Clarissa pressed her lips into a thin line. “Then why was she alone all day yesterday? For being engaged, it seems you don’t spend much time together.”
“We spend plenty of time together, but I have royal duties that require my attention, as I’m sure you know.” He paused, the reality of her words hitting him. “Wait, how do you know she was alone yesterday?”
Clarissa shrugged, but her cheeks flushed. “I was only trying to get a few photos to expose your engagement for the sham it is.”
“So, you were the one outside her window?” When she didn’t deny it, he continued, “I don’t understand how you could take photos to sell to the paparazzi. As someone who holds royal standing, you know what it’s like to have your entire life undera microscope. I’m appalled you would stoop so low.” Frustration oozed from Drew, holding no room for discussion.
Clarissa sputtered, looking back and forth between them. When she realized no one was going to come to her defense, she stood tall, and her eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to apologize for it. We’re meant to be together, Andy. You might be fooling everyone else, but you’re not fooling me.” With that, she spun on her stilettos and marched down the hallway and out of sight.
Bri popped her lips once they were alone. “Well, that was…something.”
“At least we know who was outside your window yesterday.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It makes sense that the guards wouldn’t have stopped her since her family visits frequently enough.”
“Honestly, I should’ve known it was her. She said she was going to keep a close eye on us at our engagement ball. I didn’t realize she would go to such extreme measures to try to prove we aren’t together.”
“I didn’t either.” He rocked on the balls of his feet, not wanting to address the elephant—the kiss—in the room but knowing he should. “Should we talk about what just happened?”
Bri blushed a bright shade of pink. “I—”
“Oh, good. There you two are.” His mother stepped out of the family dining room. “We need to eat now if we’re going to make it to Westridge in time for family game night.”
Drew was about to tell her they would be in shortly so he could talk to Bri about the kiss first, but she answered before he was able.
“Right, so sorry we’re late.”
His mother smiled, looking between them. “Don’t apologize, dear. I know what it’s like to be so caught up in the honeymoon phase that the rest of the world around you fades.”
Bri’s blush deepened, and Drew felt his own cheeks flush. “We’re not in a honeymoon phase. We’re not even married yet, Mom.”
“Oh, pish posh. You’re young and in love and distracted by each other’s company. It’s the same difference.”
Does it count if only one of us is in love?Drew shook off the thought. He felt like Bri had to feel something, even the smallest inkling of feelings for him, after that kiss.
Drew was able to remain quiet throughout most of dinner and the ride to Westridge, only participating in conversation when he was directly asked a question.
“Are you all right?” Bri nudged him with her shoulder as they sat side by side on the couch while they waited for her father to pick out a game to play that evening.
“Yeah, of course. Everything’s fine.”
But it wasn’t. His mind was going a million miles a minute. He wondered what Bri had thought of their first real kiss. He wondered if her feelings for him had grown beyond friendship or if she’d only done it to get Clarissa off their backs. Drew felt like there was a big red flashing “Just Kissed” sign over their heads, and he wondered if their parents could see it too.
It was ridiculous for him to think that. They probably assumed he and Bri had already kissed. They thought they were engaged, after all. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt awkward around them. But everything felt different to Drew now that he’d fallen asleep cuddling Bri last night and kissed her for real today.
Maybe it was because he hadn’t been able to talk to Bri yet when all he’d wanted to do was talk to her about the kiss, confess his love, wrap her in his arms, and kiss her again.
When Edward announced that his game of choice was charades, Drew bit back a groan. He was tired ofthischarade—tired of acting like this was all fake around Bri when it was sovery real to him. And he didn’t know how much longer he could pretend.
