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We’re so alone here. Isolated. Nothing but the fire to keep us company. Would it be so very wrong to kiss the Prince? To feel those lips on mine and enjoy the touch of his broad, strong hands? Would I regret it tomorrow if I enjoyed his eyes drinking me in? All of me?
As the fire crackles beside us, it doesn’t feel wrong. It feels like the only right thing that has ever happened. Every hour I’ve spent building up my architecture firm has led me right here, to this moment. I tilt my head toward him, parting my lips. Asking for a kiss. Wanting him to take it. To take me.
But the Prince drops his chin and backs away, letting his hands fall away from my sides.
Disappointment crashes into me, closely followed by embarrassment. Silly girl. Of course the Prince doesn’t want to kiss me. Who am I, anyway? A young architect who naively thought she designed a beautiful palace when she didn’t understand the first thing about this kingdom. Why would he want to kiss me?
Wind rattles against the door, and the Prince walks to a window. His brow furrows. “Storm’s coming in.”
“Another one? Should we go back?”
He shakes his head. “It’s too late. The storms come in quick over the mountains, and it could be here within minutes. We could get lost and not make it back. It’s not worth the risk. We’ll wait it out.”
“Here?” I ask. “Alone?” I wish my voice didn’t tremble so much.
The Prince swings those amber eyes toward me, tugging his jacket’s zipper down. “Is that a problem?”
“I…” I clear my throat. “No. Of course not.”
Instead of answering, the Prince turns his back to me and tosses his jacket on a hook. I watch him strip off his scarf and hat, kick off his shoes, and readjust his other layers of clothing with a sort of sick fascination. He unbuttons his next layer, folding the sweater neatly and laying it on a bench by the door.
What if he…didn’t stop? Just kept undressing until we were alone here, naked, cut off from the world?
Blinking, I turn away.
What. Is. Wrong. With. Me.
I need to get a grip. Walking to the opposite end of the cottage, I start studying the walls. The artwork. The rugs. The intricate tile work on the dais, and the way the floor is brighter in a patch in the center where a throne once sat.
I look anywhere but at the Prince.
When I finally gather my courage and look back, he’s sitting in front of the fire, watching the flames. Lost in his own thoughts.
Definitely not lusting after me, so I can get that little fantasy right out of my head.
Taking a deep breath, I walk back to him and take a seat on the opposite armchair. He lifts his gaze to me, darkness dancing in his eyes. My chest constricts.
“Storm sounds bad,” I say. Good choice, Rowan. The weather. Stick to that topic. Definitely don’t mention how much you want to lick his chest.
The Prince grunts. He leans back, his long limbs stretching toward the fireplace as he lounges in his chair. My eyes snag on every inch of exposed skin. A little strip at his ankle. A tiny triangle at his waist. His rolled-up sleeves revealing muscular forearms.
I turn to stare at the fire. It’s safer.
“You can look, you know. I don’t mind.” The Prince flashes a grin at me, and my whole head bursts into flame.
I gulp. “Are you always this insufferable?”
“Now, now, Rowan, play nice. We’re stuck in here together.” The Prince’s eyes glimmer. My core ignites. Damn him and his stupid, sexy eyes, reminding me of how isolated we are in this little cottage.
“Your Highness—”
“Call me Wolfe,” he says, holding my gaze. “Please. At least for tonight.”
My breath catches. What else will we do, just for tonight?
I turn back to the fire, sucking in a deep breath. It does nothing to calm me. “Wolfe,” I start, liking the way his name sounds. The Prince lets out a low breath. I don’t have the courage to look at him. Instead, I stare at the fire. “You were right about my design. It wasn’t right for this place. It didn’t reflect the history or the people who have come before.”
When I find the nerve to glance at the Prince, a smile tugs at the corner of his lips. For once, it’s not mocking. He dips his chin. “I’m glad to hear it.”
