Page 93 of Tabloid Princess

He snapped his eyes open. “It was utterly dull.”

“What was it about?” I didn’t want to talk. I wanted him to kiss me again so I could get more of that flavour from his tongue.

“No idea, my mind was otherwise distracted.” He flashed me a devastating smile.

“Oh?”

“Utterly.” He pecked a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “Completely.” Another kiss, the other corner. “Distracted.” My lips parted and we fit together with ease. My fingers slid through his hair, pulling at the strands. His erection pushed against my hip and it made me ache deep down in places I really hadn’t experienced before. It burned like a low flame, surprisingly pleasurable in its discomfort.

I shifted against him desperate to alleviate the aching.

“Nothing like the heir to the throne turning up with a hard on.” He smirked against my lips.

“It’s an unexpected development on my Friday night.”

He broke away from me then. “Is Daisy asleep upstairs?”

I stared at him wildly for a moment. “Yes. Talking about breaking protocols.”

He shot me a sheepish glance. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. I thought spending time with you last night at the gallery would see me through a couple of days.”

“It didn’t?”

“No. As discreet and professional as the staff were; it wasn’t the same as us just being alone.”

I flushed at the word alone and he chuckled, lifting a finger to my cheek. “You are utterly breath-taking when you get embarrassed.”

“Uh thanks. I think.”

I turned for the small interior of my house. “It’s not a palace, or a giant converted warehouse.” I grimaced a little and he chuckled again, stepping into my small front room.

“It’s perfect.” Not waiting for me to invite him further in, he went to the small sideboard where some photographs of Daisy and I sat in black frames. “She’s lovely.”

“Thank you.” My throat tightened. I hesitated. “What are you doing here, Oliver?”

He placed the picture back on the sideboard and turned, his green gaze troubled in its depths. “I told you last night. I’m having some difficulty staying away.”

The air huffed out of my chest. “But you could have been seen. My neighbours are nosy buggers, and the woman next door has already sold a story about me.”

His dark eyes flickered with steel for a moment. “I know. I read it. To be fair to her, she had nice things to say about you.”

“Hmph.” What he said took a moment to sink in. “Are you reading all the headlines about me?”

“Avidly. Especially the ones with pictures.”

I shook my head. He couldn’t be for real. I mean the chances of meeting someone like him in an ordinary life, some guy down the pub, would be slim. To meet him and know he was also destined for the highest of positions was mind boggling.

“They press seem to have backed off. There hasn’t been much since Patrick and I broke your heart.”

I could have sworn I caught a flicker of satisfaction across his face. He distracted me by clutching his hands to his chest. “It still hurts. It wounds me so bad.”

“Shush! You will wake Daisy.” I waved my hand at him and he caught my fingers, grinning as he wheeled me in, pulling me tight to his chest. “If we make out, we won’t make any noise.” He arched an eyebrow. “Well, unless things go too far.”

That aching burn instantly rekindled and I squeezed my legs together.

“And the prince likes to make out on tatty old sofas?”

His smile spread, slow and delicious. “There is nothing the prince likes more.”