Page 62 of Not-So-Perfect Princess
“The sailing has been real. Kissing you was—”
“Not real.” If the kisses weren’t real, neither were her feelings. “I mean, we kissed. But we were caught up in the moment. Two consenting adults in each other’s arms. The opportunity presented itself. A kiss was bound to happen.”
“Perhaps we should find out if the kisses are real or not.”
Jules’s gaze flew up to meet his.
His intense gaze seemed to penetrate all the way to her soul. Her breath caught in her throat. She’d never felt so exposed, so naked before.
A chill rushed through her. Goose bumps prickled her skin. “We…can’t.”
“Why not?”
Her heart slammed against her chest. Logically she knew what she should say, but those words would contradict what her heart and her lips wanted her to do. “This can’t go anywhere.”
Alejandro traced her jawline with his fingertip. “I know.”
His light-as-a-feather touch tantalized. Teased. Tempted. “I’m marrying Enrique.”
“I know that, too.” Alejandro’s rich voice seeped into her, filling all the empty places with warmth. “The race begins tomorrow. This may be our last opportunity to be alone.”
Jules’s chest tightened. “This has to be the last time.”
He nodded and lowered his hand from her face. “That would be for the best.”
At least he agreed. Still, nerves gripped her. “But I…”
Silence hung between them, but instead of pushing them apart Alejandro drew closer. “Your move, Princess.”
Her move. Jules had never been in this position before, but she knew what she had to do. She raised her chin and pressed her lips against his. Hard.
A mistake? Probably.
But she wanted—needed—to kiss him one more time. She wanted to remember what his kiss felt like and how he made her feel.
Jules wrapped her arms around him and leaned in close. She tasted a mix of salt and heat. So delicious. She wanted to remember every detail, each texture.
As she deepened the kiss, sparks shot through her.
Okay, this kiss was real. She’d give him that.
The kiss made her quiver with pleasure and burn with desire.
But Jules didn’t know if the way she felt was real or not. She didn’t care. She just wanted to keep kissing him.
Because once she finished, Jules knew she would never kiss Alejandro again.
Tensions ran high the next morning. The first day of the Med Cup had arrived. Alejandro couldn’t believe how calm and cool Julianna was. She impressed the entire crew with her composure. She steered like a pro. The entire team worked together. The sweat and hard work enabled La Rueca to win their first race. Alejandro’s goal was one step closer.
And so was saying goodbye to Julianna.
He ignored the knot in his gut.
His father excused him from eating dinner at the palace that night. But Alejandro didn’t feel like celebrating as he sat at a tapas bar with the crew so he headed back to the palace.
Julianna.
She should have been with the crew tonight. With him.
Alejandro wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she begged him to stop or give her more. But he couldn’t.
This has to be the last time.
He’d agreed. Logically that made the most sense, but the way he felt about her didn’t make sense at all.
The kitten was waiting when Alejandro entered the apartment. “Hey, Boots.”
The kitten meowed.
Alejandro got an idea. “Want to go see Julianna?”
Another meow.
That was good enough for him. He swooped up the cat and went to Julianna’s room.
In the hallway, Yvette sat on a chair outside the door and read. She lowered her book. “Are you here to see Princess Julianna, sir?”
“Yes.” He showed her the kitten. “Boots wants to see her.”
As if on cue, the cat meowed.
“I’m sorry, sir. The princess is sleeping.”
Alejandro looked around. No one else was in the hallway. He smiled. “Please tell her I’m here.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Yvette repeated with a hint of disapproval this time. “Princess Julianna has an upset stomach and asked not to be disturbed until morning. Would you like me to tell her you and Boots paid a visit?”
