Lone Prince (Royally Unexpected #7) - Lilian Monroe Page 0,31
want to laugh. Smile. Have a snowball fight for the first time in decades.
I carry Rowan toward the lookout, tossing her into a big snowbank and watching her sink down, arms and legs sticking up in the air.
She pushes her hat back from her forehead and blows a strand of hair away from her face, grinning. “Fine. You win.”
“Of course I win.” I smirk. “What did you think was going to happen?”
She extends a hand toward me and I yank her upright, spinning her around to look at the landscape that extends below us. My arms rest on her shoulders and she leans back against me, letting out a long sigh. “Wow.”
“Now, do you understand?” I say softly. “You need to appreciate this place if you’re going to redesign it properly.”
“I hate to say this,” Rowan says, turning to glance at me over her shoulder, “but you might actually be right in this one particular situation.”
My lips tease into a grin. “You’re too sassy for your own good. Have you forgotten that I’m a prince?”
“How could I forget when you keep reminding me every four freaking seconds?” She nudges her shoulder against me. “Check your ego and maybe you’ll get more respect from me.”
Rowan steps away from me and looks back, arching a brow.
Heat winds through my core, and I know I’m in trouble.
Rowan doesn’t need to be saved. Doesn’t need to be protected. She’s not some damsel in distress who needs me to swoop in and be her champion. Rowan is stronger than that—and it makes me want her even more.
12
Rowan
Dog sledding is something I never knew was missing from my life. It’s exhilarating and peaceful. It’s quiet, fast, and makes me feel an odd sort of power. There’s nothing but the soft clinking of the harnesses and guidelines, the breathing of the dogs, the scraping of the sled along the white snow.
There’s no motor. No smell of gasoline. No artificial warmth and comfortable leather seats. Just me, the Prince, the dogs, and the quiet natural beauty that surrounds us.
I can’t believe I thought this place was harsh and unforgiving. When I first arrived at the train station, I hated Nord. I hated the cold. I hated the fact that I was alone and afraid. I hated that no matter what my heritage says, I’m not from here.
Now?
I see past the cold to the beauty beyond. Every minute that passes, I watch as the Prince relaxes, unwinds, and shows me more of himself.
As we ride toward the visitor’s cottage, I glance back at him and see him smiling. Truly smiling. Not a mocking smirk, or a triumphant grin. Just a soft tug of his lips as he watches the dogs run ahead of us.
My heart squeezes—shit. That’s bad. This isn’t some heady desire winding its way through my core. This is more.
Last week, I thought he was the biggest asshole to ever walk this earth, and now I think I might like him? Unacceptable. Wrong on so many levels.
The only way this can end is in disaster.
He’s royalty, for one. People open doors for him wherever he goes, moving up and down so much to bow and curtsy they probably get seasick. He’s lived in luxury since he was born.
And me?
Mom struggled with three jobs and died in poverty, saddled with debt with a brave smile on her face. I watched her work herself to the bone, slowly being worn down by life’s constant assault. Putting me first all the time and protesting when I tried to sacrifice for her, for once. No one curtsied for her. No one bowed for me or called me Your Highness. I had to work from the time I was fourteen until now. I’m under no illusion as to how difficult life really is.
The Prince and I come from different worlds. Even if we did have some connection, it would never work.
My head is a mess.
I’m not here for him. I’m here for work.
Work is what I do best. It’s my anchor in a stormy world. It’s the only thing that gave me purpose after my mother died. Work is the only thing that gave me the opportunity to have true independence. To stand on my own and know I’m a burden to no one. It’s everything to me.
So why do I feel like it doesn’t even matter right now?
We arrive at the visitor’s cottage and the Prince tosses me a set of keys.