of the royal family weren’t supposed to eat shellfish,” I say.
Xander shoots me a side-eye. “Yes, for public dinners, luncheons, and when travelling we’re not supposed to eat it because of food poisoning chances.” He pauses and rolls his eyes. “Keep in mind, I fear getting sick from undercooked chicken more than prawns, so I think that rule is stupid and outdated. As I think a lot of monarchy rules are.”
I feel my own eyes widen in surprise at how candid his remark is.
And I decide to tell him so.
“That’s much more candid than me admitting I fall asleep before nine o’clock,” I tease.
He grins. I swear, I feel my whole body light up inside knowing I made him smile in the way he is right now.
“I don’t know, confessing to senior citizen hours is pretty candid,” he jokes.
“Fair enough,” I say. I go back to studying the screen. “Have you had the chicken jalfrezi? Is it good?”
Xander shakes his head. “I don’t deviate from the prawns, sorry.”
“I hope it’s spicy. I like things spicy,” I say.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Xander quips, shooting me a mischievous smile.
“Oh, stop!” I cry, laughing. “I like spicy food.”
“Well, now that’s a pity,” he teases.
The roots of my hair have never burned so much in one day as they have now.
“You’re very cute when you blush,” he says.
“I’m glad to know you find my tomato-coloured skin attractive,” I reply.
“It’s on my online dating profile. Seeking a bright, ambitious, beautiful woman. Must speak in narratives and have tomato-hued skin.”
Before I even think about it, I instinctively pop him on the arm. He stares at me in shock, and then I realise I’ve just smacked the future king.
It’s so crazy, all of this, that I burst out laughing.
To my surprise, he does, too.
And the sound of our laughter is filling his kitchen, and just like before, happiness fills me from that sound. Of our laughter intermingling as we’re picking out our takeaway.
The moment is simple.
Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
And for the first time in my life, I can’t wait to see what other surprises await me tonight with Xander Wales.
Chapter Seven
Sloane Square
“Do you need a refill?”
Xander tips the bottle of wine in my direction. We’re sitting across from each other at his kitchen table overlooking his garden. The sky is now inky black, as it has grown late. We finished our takeaway hours earlier.
But we’ve stayed in the exact same spot. Engrossed in conversation. Asking questions. Laughing together. My heart has continued to flutter. My stomach still has that weird, tingling feeling. I find myself blushing when he teases or compliments me, and I love it when I can make him smile.
This, I think as I study his handsome face, is wonderful.
Xander is the most interesting man I’ve ever met. Okay, yes, being a future king automatically makes him that—but there’s so much more to him than being a royal. In fact, he hasn’t talked much about growing up as a royal or in Buckingham Palace. But I understand that. Xander has to be so careful of who he trusts, of who he shares details of his life with, and I certainly don’t expect him to be telling me what goes on inside palace walls just because he’s asked me to stay for a glass of wine and a curry.
Instead, he shared stories about his time at the Sandhurst military academy. His service in the army and how much he loved simply being Xander Wales. How he’s secretly taking university classes online now to prepare him to engage in his full-time duties as the Prince of Wales. He talked about his love of horses, how he is happy on a polo field, but anytime he can ride, he’s in his element. One thing that surprised me is the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of Scotland and how much he enjoys the lands up at Balmoral. I always thought the playboy prince would be happier on an island with cocktails and beautiful women in bikinis.
But it was only one of the many things I had wrong about him.
Xander, however, isn’t one of those guys who merely talks about himself. He wanted to know about my childhood, growing up in Wales, if I spoke Welsh—and oh, embarrassment—Xander speaks more than I do! I told him about my time at uni and how Isla and I always planned to have a great London adventure. While he’s been around the world, I told him I’ve