His Princess - Stacy Gail Page 0,25
to mind breaking all the rules that exist in polite society. You demand rather than ask. You’re direct and speak your mind instead of playing games or trying for diplomacy. You’re like the conquerors of old—riding in and taking what you want.”
“Hell, yeah, I do. I learned a long time ago no one’s going to give shit to me, so I’d better take whatever I wanted when I saw my chance, and fuck everyone standing in my way. Which leads us to where we are now, my lady. I want you. So I’m taking you when I see my chance.”
“Oh, my.” Her heart zoomed up into her throat, and she couldn’t look away from his gaze if her life depended on it. “Is that an invitation to introduce me to the Mile-High Club?”
“I would if I thought I’d get what I want out of it. But I don’t think you’re quite there yet.”
“What you want?” She frowned, oddly deflated that he’d just turned down sexy times that would probably be the most mind-blowing of her life. “I thought you said you wanted me.”
“That’s only part of the puzzle. There’s more to it, and I’m pretty damn positive I’ll get there. But for now,” he added, reaching out to pluck up a grape so he could feed it to her, “I’m good with learning about you—and you learning about me.”
Gamely she tried keeping the sexy-times door open. “You know, you really do learn a lot about someone when you have sex with them. And if you’re worried that I’d freak out over being caught in flagrante delicto, you should know I’m not overly modest. In fact, it’s on my bucket list to go streaking somewhere public, like Millennium Park, or someplace like that. You see? Not modest.”
He burst out laughing. “Holy hell, now there’s something I didn’t expect.”
She couldn’t tell if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. “Not very princessy of me, is it?”
“No,” he managed between fits of laughter. “But it’s so fucking real I can’t help but love it. I wonder what the hell else I’m going to learn about you this weekend?”
“Heaven only knows,” she shrugged and took a dainty sip of her mojito.
Chapter Seven
“Hey, my lady. Time to wake up.” With the jet’s engines winding down and the door opening to let the golden glow of late afternoon sunshine pour in, Gus leaned over to where Joelle snoozed in her reclined chair. Most people looked a hot mess when they slept—mouth open, maybe drooling, probably snoring. Not Joelle. No matter how many times she haughtily corrected him that she was not a princess, that cultured sophistication wrapped around her and gave her an impenetrable aura of pampered perfection.
Even if she dreamed of streaking in public.
Hell, she’d probably do even that with dignity.
“Joelle. Baby.” He leaned over and kissed her closed lips, savoring their exquisite softness. God help him, everything about her was his kind of perfect, even the texture of her lips. “Wake up. We’re here.”
“Hmm? We’re here?” She didn’t jolt awake, like he’d half-expected. She simply opened her eyes and stretched. “Yay, we’re here. Where’s here?”
“California. San Francisco, to be exact. It’s a little after five local time, but we won’t stop for dinner until we get to where we’re going to stay for the weekend. They should have dinner waiting for us by the time we get there.”
“Sounds lovely.” She got to her feet and stretched some more. Her supple body had lush curves in all the right places, and was veiled in a peacock-colored dress that wrapped around her like a jealous lover. He’d died a thousand silent deaths from the moment he’d laid eyes on her earlier that day, wondering if that damn wisp of silky fabric would just fall off of her if he untied the belt at her waist. “I know we ate on the way over, but I’m starved. San Francisco has a lot of lovely little places along the water, though I think my favorite restaurant is in Chinatown. You simply have not eaten Chinese food until you’ve eaten at the Green Goddess. Have you ever been?”
“No, and San Francisco’s not where we’re headed. We just flew into the airport here because it was the one that was nearest to our ultimate destination. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
“You and your hints are designed to drive me completely insane.”
“So says the woman who has streaking on her bucket list.”
“Darling, nudity is natural, and I’m not ashamed