Page 38 of The Prince's Game
My room was about twice the size of the one I stayed in at the hotel, with a full couch, entertainment center, king-size bed, and windows that overlooked the back of the property. The pool was lit up outside and being used by a few of the girls. It was huge, with hot tubs on either side and lounge chairs sprawled around it.Heavenly. Too bad everything else was a nightmare.
I unpacked my suitcase and took advantage of the empty closet and dressers. If I was going to be here for a month and a half, I would at least make myself at home.
The bathroom was as gorgeous as the room, with a walk-in shower, Jacuzzi tub, and double sink. As amazing as a bath sounded, I was worried I might fall asleep after the day I had, so I rinsed off in the tiled shower. Evan knocked and entered the room as I was pulling a tank top over my head. I grabbed my shorts to tug them over my thong and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Typically, it’s customary to wait until the girl opens the door.”
He swallowed. “Sorry, you weren’t answering the phone.”
“Yeah, it’s on the nightstand and currently off.” I walked back into the bathroom to grab a comb for my hair. He stood off to the side, leaning against the wall, hands in the pockets of his jeans, his eyes pensive. His red shirt stretched across his chest, and his feet were bare. This was like being on a diet and trying to say no to dessert. The devil on my shoulder was whispering all sorts of naughty things in my ear.
One bite won’t hurt you, Sarah. Just a few licks. You’ll be okay. You can start the diet tomorrow.
“I think we need to talk.” He took the words right out of my mouth.
“I think we do, too.” I set the brush down and followed him over to the couch instead of the bed. It seemed we both had the same conversation in mind. The realization made my chest hurt. I knew this had to happen, but that didn’t mean I wanted it to. Breaking up with my boyfriend of eighteen months hurt less than ending this, and Evan and I weren’t even dating. It was because I had a chance to grow tired of Kevin, but what I had going with Evan was new and fresh. We were killing it before it had a chance to bloom, and that’s why this bothered me.
I would get over it.
Eventually.
“So today sucked,” was his eloquent start.
“An understatement.” I hugged my knees to my chest. He sat opposite me on the couch, leaving a foot of space between us.
“I’ll get right to the point, Sarah. I don’t want things to end between us, not when they’ve only just started, but I also don’t want to hurt you. The way you wouldn’t look at me today tells me I’ve already failed on that front, so I need to know, what do you want to happen here?” His matter-of-fact tone was a breath of fresh air. No games. No apologies. Just a straightforward assessment of the issue.Very businesslike.
“You’re right; today hurt. I don’t want to stop these nightly visits either, but it’s what we need to do. Before whatever this is gets messier and hurts me more.” I bit my lip, contemplating what else I needed to say. “I went into this with my eyes wide open. I knew what would be required of you, and I accepted it, but today taught me there’s a difference between acceptance and handling the reality. I don’t think I can handle it. It’s not your fault; it’s mine. And I’m sorry for it.”
His brow wrinkled. “Did you just apologize to me for not being able to handle my dating nine other women and making out with them in front you?”
“Well, yeah. I told you it wouldn’t bother me when this started, but now I’m saying it does. That’s not okay.” His gaze was assessing, and then he shocked me by laughing. A full-hearted, belly-aching kind of laugh that could no doubt be heard in the hallway. Affronted, I glared at him. “This isn’t funny, Evan.”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed, still laughing.
“Then why are you laughing at me?”
“I’m not. Well, I am. A little.” He chuckled again, making me want to kick him. “Any other woman—hell, any other person—would expect me to apologize in this situation. Not you.”
“And that’s funny to you?”
“Not at all. I’m shocked. I came here tonight expecting to grovel, and you’ve thrown me for a loop. Of all the scenarios I expected, this was not one of them.” He gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry for laughing at you.”
It was the dimples that did me in. I missed seeing them today. “Fine. You’re forgiven.” His laugh was so full of life and pent-up emotion he needed to let out. I couldn’t fault him for that. And he was too adorable to stay angry at.
“Look, I’m sorry for the last twenty-four hours. Paul was out of line, especially when it came to you. I should have put a stop to it.” He lifted his hand as if to touch me, but thought better of it. “I’m sorry.”
“Ishould have stopped him, not you.” I didn’t need him to fight my battles for me. “You don’t need to apologize for anything here. I get it. And if we weren’t involved in this damn show, things between us might be different.” I would have never met him, for one.
“Sarah, I like spending time with you. I like kissing you as well. But I can keep my hands to myself if that’s what you want. What do you think?”
I think that I like kissing you, too. And I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself at all.But I couldn’t tell him that. “What exactly are you proposing?”
“That we still see each other at night, just without the physical component.”
“Like friends.”
“Exactly. We’re going into business together, after all—might as well start building that relationship now.”
