Page 16 of Royal Charmer
“Do you now? What do you know?” I’m expecting her to declare all men are pigs, myself included. She did call me that at dinner, but she surprises me yet again.
She taps her temple. “I know how they think. Just ask any of my readers. I believably capture the male point of view.”
I halt. “Wait. Are you telling me your experience with men is solely an intellectual exercise?”
“No!” Her cheeks flush bright pink.
Is she embarrassed over her lack of experience? That’s easily remedied. Any man would want her, and it’s not terribly difficult to get a guy to sleep with a sexy woman.
A gentleman would let it drop. I really am a scoundrel. “Well, you just said to ask your readers.”
She pulls out a pink lacy scrap from her purse. “Would an inexperienced woman own this?”
My mouth goes dry. It’s a lace and mesh chemise with half cups that would likely push up her ample breasts. It’s sheer in so many places, and my imagination fills in soft smooth skin, the curve of her hip, and lower. Skinny straps hang from the bottom of the chemise, meant to clip onto thigh-high stockings, probably sheer white. I can see it all much too vividly. Sweat breaks out on my forehead.
She shoves it back in her purse. “I thought not,” she says smugly.
I keep walking, trying to think of anything but that sexy lingerie. I can’t act on this attraction. I outline the reasons in my mind—
This is a vulnerable woman in need of a shoulder to cry on.
She is a temporary guest here.
She just swore off men.
Her ex isn’t quite out of the picture.
Even knowing all this, my cock rises to the occasion. Hell. I truly am the worst.
Chapter Five
Alice
I follow Lucas through the palace courtyard, enjoying the tickle of grass on the sides of my feet. “Hold on. I’m going to take off my sandals.” I wobble as I try to balance on one foot, and he holds me firmly by the upper arm, steadying me. Warmth spreads from the spot where his large hand meets my bare arm. I ignore it. A biological reaction to skin on skin, maybe a chemical reaction. I don’t know. I’m not sciencey. Why won’t this stupid sandal come off? The strap is too tight. I need to unbuckle it. I give myself a stern talking-to about being here to heal, not to notice chemical reactions to people who are simply helping me. I grunt in frustration as my fingers fumble to set my foot free.
“Need some assistance?” he asks.
“No, I got it,” I say through my teeth. The last thing I want is his hands on another part of my body. I can only ignore so much heat.
“Let me,” he says. “It’s the buckle, right?”
“I got it.” Finally, my foot is free. Now for the other.Come on!This shouldn’t be so hard. Heat flushes my cheeks, only now it’s because I desperately need to put some space between us. He smells amazing. And that doesnotmatter. There is no way someone like him—a gorgeous prince who dates models and movie stars—could ever be interested in a plain nerdy girl like me. And I’m not interested in starting something anyway. I’ve got baggage that reaches across the Atlantic, across the entire US, and back to Oregon. So much frigging baggage it would crush any man in my vicinity. And I’m sure Lucas comes with his own baggage. Everyone does, and I can’t deal with all that. I really can’t.
Mercifully, the sandal cooperates, and I’m finally barefoot in the grass. I continue our walk, keeping my mouth shut so I don’t babble something inappropriate that gives away my errant thoughts. Lucas is quiet too. I can’t help but imagine what he might be thinking. It’s a writer hazard that I invent dialogue, spoken or internal, for the people around me.
Lucas (secret thoughts):This woman is a hot mess. So out of sorts over the Ordeal she can’t even remove her own sandal.
Confident Alice (retaliating telepathically):You try removing a sandal while the hottest man you’ve ever met is touching your arm (substitute woman for yourself) and suddenly rebound sex is sounding like a fantastic idea.
Alice (spoken in shock and longing as he leans kissing close):“Wh-what’re you doing?”
I grit my teeth. Stop the madness!
My God, I have a sick mind. All that from his hand on my arm. I need to get a grip on reality. Iama hot mess, and Lucas wouldn’t be interested in me even if I wasn’t. Hello! He’s the world’s most eligible royal bachelor. He could have anyone, and his preference, as anyone who’s ever seen a tabloid, TV, magazine, or the internet knows, is always a glamorous woman. Sometimes he branches out from superhot actresses to superhot models, but he doesnotseek out abundantly curvy, nerdy authors.
Rebound sex.Right, Alice, like you would ever.I have never been a casual-sex kind of person. At least not on purpose. It was the guy running out the door that made it so. I stifle a sigh. My romantic expectations have so rarely been met.
A few minutes later, we’re past the courtyard, heading into the formal gardens. It’s so breathtaking I stop trying to talk myself out of my attraction to Lucas. The gardens are shaped by box hedges in straight lines with manicured trees, some of them perfectly round, others a wavy shape. Four long terraces of grassy slopes lead down to the sea. The moon is nearly full and lends a romantic glow over everything. Too bad I’m here to burn romance. Badass priorities.
