Page 13 of Royal Affair
After I filled it, I added the salts and watched the water cloud into a soothing purple hue. Then I went back to the living room. Evangeline was sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine. I didn't even know why I cared so much about her, why she affected me differently from any client before her. I cleared my throat, letting her know of my presence. She didn't look good; she was pale and had her mobile by her side.
"I think you should go to your bedroom. There's a bubble bath waiting for you," I said, approaching her. She looked so vulnerable, and I fought the urge to take her into my arms, to hold her against me until the trembling stopped. I could barely control myself around her, which was becoming an issue. The attraction between us was strong, and I couldn't deny it.
Evangeline lifted her head slowly, widened her eyes, and stared at me with confusion.
"What do you mean there's a bath for me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. I cursed Jake and his broken hip under my breath. I would never have met her if it weren't for him. Remaining in London, I would have kept my quiet life, working remotely. That was a perfect life for me. Instead, I was in Luxembourg, protecting the princess of Bellavista—and I'd just prepared a bath for her because some bastard had tried to assault her at a party.
The absurdity sounded unbelievable even to me, but it was my new reality.
"I knew you were upset, so I ran you a bath. Go and relax. Try not to think about that Russian arsehole from the party," I said quietly, and then quickly added, "Also, please forgive me for what I said about you to Ella in the barn. I was out of line that day."
The words I'd been holding back were finally out in the open, and I didn't have to worry about them anymore. Still, I clenched my fists, hoping she would forgive me eventually.
"Mr. Banks, am I hearing you correctly? Are you really apologising to me right now?" she asked, with a hint of amusement as her eyes sparkled with mischief. Damn it, she was going to make me repeat myself. I should have kept quiet.
"I already apologized, Princess, so don't push me. Now be a good girl and go take your bath before it gets cold," I said, and her eyes widened. Did I just call her a good girl? What was wrong with me?
She swallowed hard, and then, unexpectedly and totally out of the blue, she threw herself at me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she was hugging me, her scent enveloping all my senses. I closed my eyes for that split second, savouring the moment.
Heat surged through my body, and I felt myself responding. I stayed perfectly still, not trusting myself to move whilst she was so close. When she finally stepped back, I had to take a moment to compose myself.
"That is so sweet, and I don't think anyone has ever done anything like this for me," she mumbled, then let go of me, but didn't move completely away. We stared at each other; I held her gaze, and she had mine as though fire was burning deep inside us both. As the seconds ticked by, we needed no words to understand what was happening.
I needed to take a breath, tell her that whatever she was thinking wasn't a good idea, or simply get up. Simultaneously, I needed to do something but couldn't move, and I didn't want to.
"I'd better go then. I really do love baths," she said, then picked up the glass of wine and left, leaving me completely stunned.
I stayed on the sofa, aroused and frustrated, feeling like a fool. None of this was supposed to happen. I felt guilty that I had allowed that bastard to get to her. I should have been watching her more closely. I ran my palm over my face, trying to focus on anything else—even imagining my Italian grandma back home with no teeth—but nothing helped. My attraction to Evangeline was too dangerous, and I had never acted on such feelings before. But seeing her so shaken, so vulnerable after what that bastard had done to her, shifted something inside me. This wasn't about desire anymore, but about taking care of her. In the past, I would have used my hands, or numbed myself with medication, not to feel anything, to forget about the part of me that was still human.
Time passed, and I sat there, still wanting to make sure that she was all right. The sound of water running from her bathroom made my imagination run wild. I could picture her sliding into that bath, her skin flushed from the heat...
Don't do it. Don't do it, James. You will regret it. She's going to be all right. You will be out of here in a few weeks.
I fought with myself for several more moments, then got up, accepting that this time, I had truly lost my mind. My legs carried me forward as if of their own accord, and about five minutes later, I was standing outside her bedroom door. I knocked, and when there was no response, I walked in. Her scent, a mix of vanilla and something unique to her, filled the room, and the incredible fragrance made me want to stay there forever.
I knew I was invading her privacy, but I couldn't leave. Some invisible force held me in place.
"Princess, are you all right?" I asked loudly enough for her to hear me, trying desperately not to imagine her lying there in that bathtub, completely naked.
"Yes, James, I'm fine. You don't have to worry; I won't drown. This bath is so relaxing, and I truly appreciate your effort. Maybe underneath all that grumpiness, is a man who has been misunderstood," she replied. The warmth of her voice caught me off guard.
"No, Princess, I just hate people. Everyone except you is suddenly irritating," I confessed. It was the truth, and that was the reason I wanted to live on a farm. She laughed, and I heard her splashing in the bath, sending my imagination into overdrive.
"I was silly to think that Vlad was interested in me. I haven't been on a proper date in years. Maybe I'm a little like you; sometimes, I don't enjoy being around people either. I spent the entire summer around them," she explained.
Her words stunned me. She hadn't been on a date for years? The princess Evangeline, stunning and breathtaking? I suspected that there were plenty of eligible suitors out there, and suddenly, even the thought of them near her made me want to hurt them all. What was wrong with me?
She deserved someone of her own station, not a broken ex-soldier with more demons than friends. I was the most rigid man, always following the rules. I never broke them; I fixed them.
"He's a spoiled brat who thought he could take advantage of you, and if you hadn't stopped me, I would have killed him then and there."
Silence followed, and now I felt guilty. My admission must have scared her. Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have said that.
She asked, "You really would have taken his life because he tried to force himself on me?" and I couldn't deny the truth.
"Yes, I really would have." The admission hung in the air between us, a confession that revealed more than I intended. I would kill for her without hesitation, and that realization terrified me more than any battlefield ever had.
Chapter Eight
