Page 34 of Royal Catch
But it’s Polly who makes me feel alive.
~ ~ ~
Anna
I’m paddling so hard my arms are burning from the exertion, especially after the greased-pole climb. Once again I’m distracted by man candy. Damn you, Gabriel, and your magnificent chest! Now Francesca is in the lead. I should’ve kept focused like Francesca the rowing machine over here. I swear she must row in her spare time. She’s unbelievably precise in her strokes. I have to win. I briefly consider ramming Francesca’s kayak, after all, she rammed mine, but that’s not me. I don’t take cheap shots. I give all I have, and if that’s not enough, then I pivot to the next opportunity.
I ignore my screaming arm muscles, the strain in my back, and put my last ounce of energy into the race. We’re nearly side by side, coming into the last stretch to the north shore, where a red banner between two poles on the beach indicates the finish line.
A wave sneaks up on us, lifting us and pushing us to shore. I paddle to stay ahead of it. Francesca stops paddling, letting the wave crash into her, probably hoping for some added momentum. I make it to the shallows, but she doesn’t. Her kayak capsizes.
I get out of my kayak, drag it to shore, and burst through the finish line.
“Polly wins. Francesca is runner-up,” Albert declares. “You both made it to the final round.”
Francesca is standing in the shallows now, soaked, struggling to right her kayak. The staff goes to help her. She’s furious and stomps to shore, not bothering to thank them for their help. I want to tell her not to worry, she’ll win in the end. I just needed this prize to help out a princess back home, and then I’m out of here. She’ll win the ultimate prize—Gabriel. I ignore the twist in my gut at the thought.
Like a sixth sense, I turn just as he reaches my side.
“You won,” he says flatly.
Somehow I know how he feels. I should be leaping up and down, whooping it up, but looking into his beautiful blue-green eyes the color of the sea, remembering what we shared, I don’t feel so much like cheering. Now I’m supposed to take the money and run, never to see him again. “Yeah.”
“Fair and square.”
“You did give me a boost.”
“Everyone had a boost.”
I lower my voice. “Not everyone had a boost with a muscle man.”
He smiles, and my heart thumps harder. His rare smiles are lethal. He dips his head and whispers directly in my ear, “Stay the weekend.”
I nod. I don’t have to think twice. It’s not like a lawyer can do anything for Polly on the weekend anyway.
He smiles widely and then seems to remember the small audience of staff members nearby and returns to a neutral expression.
Francesca joins us. “Your Highness, this was a tough challenge. I’m happy to be in the final two, even if I didn’t take first prize.”
Gabriel inclines his head. “You’ll both meet the family on Saturday at dinner, on Sunday you’ll meet with the queen, and on Monday one of you will return home and one of you will remain at the palace for two weeks. This will give us time to get to know each other before the official engagement notice is posted.” He meets my eyes, looks like he wants to say something more, and then changes his mind. He gives us both a small smile, turns, and walks away.
Francesca glares at me before stalking off to her waiting maid.
On Monday it will be Francesca who stays behind to live happily ever after with her prince. I try to reconcile myself to this reality, torturing myself as I picture their two weeks of couple time on Villroy—a shiny paradise-like time on this beautiful island—and then the big royal announcement. I stop there out of self-preservation.
Now I know why we had to commit to three weeks at the palace. I suddenly realize the weekend invitation Gabriel whispered in my ear wasn’t as intimate as I’d thought. But can I say no to him?
I stupidly fell in love. How did this happen? I’ve only been here for five days, yet there’s no denying the intensity of all I’m feeling. Maybe it was the stress of the competition, the time we spent just the two of us. Maybe it was just Gabriel and his gruff tender ways. The way I knew instinctively that he needed me. And maybe I needed him too. I’ve never met a man like him, strong, proud, but also capable of great care and affection. He treated me like a precious jewel.
No one has ever treated me like a jewel. Because I’m not. I’m a scrappy, tough, lying beautician from Tampa, who got in over her head.
And now I have to do the most difficult thing of my life—let Gabriel go.
Chapter Eleven
Gabriel
I spent last night with Polly, surprising her by seeking her out in her room when she didn’t come to mine. I knew it was wrong to show up there with Francesca right down the hall, but I couldn’t help myself. I can’t appear to be playing favorites, especially after giving Polly’s kayak a boost in today’s competition. Polly confessed she didn’t come to my room because she was trying to let me go. One kiss was all it took to remind us both of our intense connection.
