Page 14 of Tempted By the Princess

Genny recovered first.

“I’m going to, uh, use the bathroom if you’re finished.”

“Yeah, I am. I’m, uh… I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

“Sure, of course, see you in the morning.”

She turned on her heel and raced into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. It was only once she was out of my sight that I was able to move again. Gripping my towel, I headed into my bedroom and put on my pajamas, operating on autopilot. My body knew what to do while my mind was replaying every second of that kiss.

I was still replaying it when I got into bed. My phone buzzed with a text from my sister.

Lizzie: How’s it going? You’ve been quiet this weekend. Working?

Carrie: I worked Friday but I’ve been distracted with other things this weekend.

Lizzie: Distracted? By what?

Carrie: I met someone, kind of.

Lizzie: Is this a situationship or the start of a relationship?

Carrie: I don’t know what it is. Not yet.

Lizzie: I hope you’re being careful and whoever this girl is, she’s going to treat you right. You deserve nothing less. [heart emoji]

Carrie: She’s wonderful. Unexpected. But too young. Plus we’re very different, and she’s way out of my league.

Lizzie: Transfer to a new league then.

Carrie: LOL

Lizzie: Is it too early for me to meet her?

Carrie: Definitely. I’m not even sure what we’re doing yet.

Lizzie: Well let me know when you figure it out so I can meet this woman who’s discombobulated my sister.

Carrie: How do you know I’m discombobulated?

Lizzie: Sister intuition. Listen, I’m heading down to L.A. for a work trip, but I’ll be back Friday night. Call me if you need me though.

Carrie: I will. Have a safe trip. Stay out of trouble.

Lizzie: What’s the fun in that?

Genevieve

Carrie smelled like a daiquiri. The combination of her coconut shampoo and strawberry bodywash reminded me of my favorite cocktail. And her lips were now my favorite thing to taste.

I wasn’t sure what happened. One minute I was walking down the hallway, then I caught a glimpse of her wrapped in that tiny little towel and for the first time in my entire life I’d acted purely on instinct. And my instincts had urged me to press myself against Carrie and kiss the stuffing out of her.

It was a mistake. I knew that logically. For one thing, we were practically strangers. I’d stowed away in her catering van and invited myself into her home. My parents had investigators looking for me and I had no clue what to do about their little engagement stunt. My sister had seemed as surprised as I was by whatever was going on with them.

The situation was complicated. Besides that, Carrie was older than me, grumpier, a perfectly normal American while my life involved being in the spotlight every time I returned to my home country. Even with the relative anonymity I enjoyed here in the States, I still was always on guard, always worried about a photographer recognizing me or some random fortune seeker trying to scam me.

Carrie wouldn’t scam me, I knew that. She seemed completely uninterested in my money or the fact that I was royalty. In fact, if I had to bet, I’d say those things were marks against me with her, not something in my favor.

After I finished in the bathroom I tossed and turned in my borrowed bed for way longer than I would have liked, my mind racing with everything that had happened since Friday. How could things change so much in three short days? It was crazy.