Page 15 of Heavy Crown

All the color drains from her flushed cheeks in an instant. “You even know about that?”

“You said he was cheating. A few well-placed phone calls got me everything else.”

Her eyes widen. “I told you my boyfriend was cheating on me?”

I purse my lips to avoid letting my smile rise to the surface. “And that you were broke.” The lack of friends or family on the island would only rub salt in her wounds.

“Oh my God.” She covers her face with her hands. “This is so embarrassing. Why would I tell you that?”

“I suspect it’s because you didn’t realize I was Prince Alexander at the time. But I have good news—I’m just Alex again.” I splay my hands out in a ta-da motion.

“But you’re not, are you?” She drags her palms down her face.

“Perhaps it’s not as simple as I’m making it out to be. The offer stands, though. Roof over your head, a place in the kitchen.” A wry grin rises to the surface. “I always thought suggesting a woman’s place was in the kitchen would get me in trouble.”

“If I was anyone else,” she says. “It probably would.”

“Yet another reason to keep you around. All my great jokes will finally land.”

“I have news for you,” she says with a hint of a smile. “They’re not great jokes.”

“Hmm.” I pretend to think. “Perhaps that’s why they didn’t land.” No matter what, I don’t want her to leave. I’ve never been so comfortable in a stranger’s presence. Like her expressive face, there’s no room for pretense between us.

She cocks her head. “You’re not what I expected.”

“You’ve thought about me, have you?” The realization spreads a new warmth across my chest.

“Hard not to when you’re plastered across every national paper, and even some of the international gossip magazines. Especially…” She scans my face. “You know, with everything going on right now.”

“My father being sick, the referendum, me taking over as king.” Those are just the things the public knows about. The realization that her interest in me is the same as that of any other citizen of Bellerive stings.

“And your brother getting married.”

The reminder of Nick and Jules causes a cloud to descend over my mood. “Yes, that as well.”

“You don’t seem happy about that?”

I chuckle. “No, it’s a joyous experience. Everyone is incredibly pleased for them.”

She runs her fingers along her cheekbone and tucks a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “Of course.” The tone of her voice suggests she sees more than I’d like.

“What do you say?” I gloss over the awkward topic of Nick and his soon-to-be-wife. “Shall I get you set up in an apartment on the estate?”

“I’m going to wake up tomorrow and the last twelve hours will turn out to be from a medically induced coma because I really did go over the cliff.” Her gaze ping-pongs around the room. “Or I’m dead. That’s the other explanation.”

I laugh. “Those are the only two possibilities?”

“Things like this don’t happen to people—my long-term boyfriend cheats on me, sending me fleeing from my shared apartment on my birthday, and I almost go over a cliff. But instead of dying, I’m rescued by a literal prince who then offers me a chance to lead a totally different life.”

“Well, when you recap it like that…”

“Right?!” She sits forward in the bed. “I have to be dead.” She reaches for me. “I bet my hand will go right through your arm.”

Another laugh escapes me. “You just ate a whole meal. Did that go right through you?” Instead of letting her touch me, I lace our fingers together. A shot of awareness races up my arm and across my body. “Not a mirage,” I murmur as much for myself as for her, and I raise our linked hands.

She stares at our intertwined fingers and then raises her gaze to mine. Her green eyes are wide, like she’s been caught out doing something she shouldn’t. “Oh,” she breathes out.

The solitary word hits me right in the gut and sends a blaze of desire to my dick. God, what I wouldn’t give to hear her say that word, just like that, while more than our fingers were against each other. The picture rises in my mind before I can smother it, and I drop her hand. Sinking into the armchair beside the bed, I rub my face and try to focus on something other than the breathy sound of her voice.