though I won every single round of the card castle game, I still drank my fair share of whiskey with Theo.
I couldn’t help it. It’s been months—years—since I’ve been able to let loose. It felt like old times, or maybe like the start of my new life. One where I’m free to get drunk if I feel like it, or leave on an international adventure when I want to. One where I chase my own dreams, instead of living the life that’s been prescribed for me.
But as my head thumps, I’m almost regretting it.
Almost.
The yacht rocks, and I groan into my pillow. I can hear Prince Theo moving around in the cabin next to mine, and I wonder if he’s feeling as groggy as I am. I don’t know if it’s the hangover or the weather, but the waves feel choppier than they did yesterday.
Shuffling out of my cabin, I emerge at the same time as Theo appears in his doorway. His hair is mussed and his eyes are hazy, but a tiny kernel of warmth flames to life in the pit of my stomach. Has he always been this handsome?
I clear my throat, trying to shake the feeling away.
Maybe I’m still a little drunk.
“How’d you sleep?” the Prince asks, rubbing his palm over his jaw.
“Fine, I guess. I think it was more passing out than sleeping. How much did we drink last night?”
The boat heaves, and Theo stumbles toward me. He catches himself against my doorway, but not before his chest brushes against mine. The heat in my gut expands as I inhale his scent, not even bothered by the hangover that still pounds in my head.
My thighs clench. My heart stutters.
This is bad.
I’m not supposed to feel this way about Theo. It’s wrong on so many levels.
I must be lonelier than I thought. Three years without Luca has taken its toll. It’s just hormones. That’s all.
Right?
“Coffee?” Theo grunts, nodding toward the galley kitchen at the back of the yacht. I nod, following him down the narrow passageway. My eyes drop to his butt, mesmerized by the motion of it as he walks. Glancing away, I curse myself.
I’m definitely still drunk. There’s no other explanation. My thoughts aren’t my own.
We make it to the kitchen, where Chef Alfred has prepared a full spread for breakfast. The chef, dressed in his crisp white uniform, bows to the Prince and me before offering us a selection of food.
My stomach gurgles violently. I shake my head.
“Just coffee, please.”
“As you wish,” Alfred says, pouring coffee halfway up the mug. The boat rocks, sending the hot liquid sloshing up the sides of its container.
“Maybe a mug with a lid.” He smiles.
I nod gratefully, accepting the travel mug. Theo’s already collapsed on one of the banquettes, his hand over his face as he groans.
“Remind me again why we invented that game? This happens every year.”
I chuckle, joining him on the long, cushioned bench. “What did you think was going to happen?”
“I was hoping I’d whoop your ass, for once.”
“Dreamer.”
Prince Theo groans, and I smile into my coffee.
“Maybe we’re getting too old to play it,” I say with a shrug. “I don’t remember being this hungover last time.”
Prince Theo’s long limbs are stretched over the seat. When he shifts his body on the bench, the edge of his shirt rides up his stomach, exposing a strip of bronzed flesh. My heart thumps and I have to look away.
The coffee is bitter and hot, and it burns on the way down. I focus on the sensation, because at least then I’m not thinking about Prince Theo’s body.
Has he always been this attractive?
I’ve never thought of him as anything other than a childhood friend. When I was dating Luca, Prince Theo was going to be my future brother-in-law. Theo had always been a little more distant than the other Princes. He’s the King-in-training, after all. I’ve always thought of him as a person who puts duty above everything and takes his responsibilities very seriously.
He was never someone I looked at as anything more than my friend and future King. Plus, I was dating his brother. I was in love, or so I thought.
Now, everything’s changed. Luca and I aren’t together anymore. It’s been years since a man has looked at me, let alone spent any time with me. I’ve been lonely. Alone. Isolated.
My parents have raged and ranted about the dissolution of my engagement to Prince Luca, my mother always cursing me for letting it fall apart. I