Page 21 of His Forever Princess

A commotion came from behind him. Voices.

"I think they came in here."

He had Alessandra moving with a hand at her back before whoever it was made it through the front door.

They ducked down the dark hallway toward what he hoped was a rear exit. Alessandra went tense in the darkness, her breathing hitched.

“I’ve got you," he whispered.

"Is it—?"

"It's not assassins. Some dumb teenager with a phone must've recognized you."

"If they get a video of you on social and it goes viral..."

He didn't have to finish the sentence. She already knew. A random small-town teenager could bring down a heap of trouble on them.

He found the exit door with his hand. Prayed it wouldn't set off some kind of alarm as he pushed it open.

It didn't. No lights flashed or siren rang out. Probably the teenagers who worked here used the door to sneak in a friend every now and then.

Out in the alley, he took his bearings. There was a single lane running behind the buildings on this side of main street. No cars parked back here and a clear view to the end of the block on both sides. No foot traffic.

Thank God for small towns.

Alessandra took the gray scarf she'd had wrapped around her neck and tucked her hair up under it, did some magic until it was tied around her head like she was a movie star in an old-fashioned film.

"That ain't gonna work," he commented lightly. "Now everyone's just going to focus on your pretty face."

She rolled her eyes, but he got the blush he was trying for.

She tucked in closer to his side and he let his arm wrap around her shoulder. He wasn't too worried. This alley would put them out right across the street from where he'd parked the SUV.

But if she wanted an excuse to be close to him... well, he wasn't going to complain.

He hustled her into the car, the dark tinted windows a measure of safety, when he spotted the teen girl cruising the street, looking in all directions. The boy she'd been with was trailing behind her, looking miffed.

"Time to vacate this area," he said as he turned on the engine.

Alessandra didn't look up from buckling her seat belt. "Whatever you think."

She was going along without protesting?

"It might be a long ride."

She looked at him, and he felt the force of her gaze in his soul. "Good."

That knot in his gut twisted tighter.

He pulled out into traffic, making his way out of town and back down the mountain. She settled in, curling one leg beneath her and pulling a thick sheaf of papers out of the leather satchel she'd tucked in the floorboard earlier.

They'd both taken precautions and brought all their stuff out of the cabin. Not that they had much.

He snuck glances at her as he drove. She pored over what must be the big proposal she'd been so worried about when they'd first come up the mountain. She tapped her pen on the page. Then scribbled something. Clamped the end of the pen between her teeth.

Every once in awhile, she glanced over at him. The warmth in her eyes hadn't been there on day one.

After almost an hour, she put away her papers, tucked her head against her bent elbow, and drifted off.

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