lips. My legs feel like jelly and my brain hasn’t quite managed to function normally again, either. Pink, fluffy clouds of brain fog obscure my every thought, and all I can do is collapse against the other chair as I struggle to catch my breath.
The Prince chuckles, glancing over at me. “You’ll end up like me. Just two injured idiots touring around the Kingdom, pretending we know what we’re doing.”
“Who are you calling an idiot?” I grin at him, leaning my head against the back of the chair.
Vaguely, at the back of my mind, I realize that I just had unprotected sex with the Crown Prince of Argyle. Pink, fluffy brain fog chases the thought away.
It’ll be fine. I just had my period recently, didn’t I?
It’s just one time.
But as soon as the thought crosses my mind, I know that I don’t want it to be only one time at all. The Prince and I stare at each other from our respective chairs as the waves crash on the shores below. As the clouds in my head clear, I hear seagulls squawking and the pool filter gurgling next to me. Wind rustles through the trees, and a soft, warm breeze wraps the Prince’s scent all around me.
No, I don’t want this to be the only time we make love. A flush blooms over my cheeks as all my familiar fears and insecurities swell up inside me. I blink rapidly, looking away from Theo’s face.
This shouldn’t happen more than once, but I still hope it will. I can’t marry him, even though my family wants me to. We can’t be together. There are too many things standing between us. Too many obstacles to our happiness. Too much baggage to drag around.
Theo senses the shift in me and lifts himself off the chair.
“Come on,” he commands in his familiar voice as the future King of Argyle. “Let’s shower.”
He nods to an outdoor shower on the opposite side of the pool, and I push my fears away. For now, I’m here. I’m with Theo. I can ignore the future looming in the distance, when we tell our family that we won’t go through with the marriage.
For now, we’re pretending, and that’s enough for me.
13
Theo
Watching Cara slip her thin sundress off makes my breath catch. In the solitude of our royal villa on the Island of Arlian, our relationship feels almost real. We’re tucked away on the edge of the Atlantic, with no one but seagulls to keep us company.
When we’re together, I’m whole. I’ve spent so long thinking I could become King on my own that I haven’t stopped to wonder if I might be missing something.
Love. Laughter. The companionship of a good woman.
Ever since my mother left, my father has shrunk away from his responsibilities. Our relationships with the neighboring countries deteriorated, and trade agreements have expired and turned sour.
As Cara turns on the faucet and tests the temperature of the water, I start to wonder if maybe this relationship is exactly what I need.
Argyle isn’t a behemoth of a Kingdom that needs its old, dying King. It’s a bright, vibrant nation that needs new life. New trade. New industry.
A new King.
Maybe a new Queen, too.
Have I been so focused on fulfilling my duties and being responsible that I’ve neglected the importance of being happy?
Cara glances at me, nodding to the shower. “It’s warm now. Is your sling okay to go in the water?”
I nod. “It’s fine.”
My eyes drift down Cara’s body. She’s curvy, lithe, and completely breathtaking. She’s athletic and feminine all at once, probably thanks to being born a swimmer. With my uninjured arm, I push her long, brown mane of hair to one side and drop a kiss on the back of her neck.
She sighs, leaning her head back against me. I lay a trail of kisses down her shoulder, reaching around her body to feel her skin beneath my hand. Cupping her breast, I kiss her neck again, then her ear, her jaw, and when she turns her head, her lips.
Every movement feels natural. Underneath the stream of water in the shower, I kiss this woman like she’s going to be my wife.
I know it’s all fake, but right now it feels real. Our worries fade into the distance, and I just hold her close and kiss her with the strength of my passion.
We wash each other, staring down at the strip of beach that belongs to the royal family—to me.