Page 13 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 5-8

I stand as he heads for the door. I should let him go. But I want just another minute or two before the fantasy is over and I slip back into real life. “Why did you do something so nice for me?”

He stops. His hands flex at his sides before he slowly turns. “What?”

I gesture toward the table. “This?”

“Dinner?” His brows draw together. “Was I unkind before?”

“Not unkind, just…” I look away. I should have just let him go. “Sorry. You’re right, we both need sleep.”

“No.” He advances toward me, every step sending my pulse skyrocketing. “You have to start standing up for yourself, Princess.”

One corner of my mouth curves up as he stops a couple feet away. “An odd statement coming from the man who just an hour ago was chastising me for not listening to him”

He tilts his head to one side, his eyes fixed on my face. “You can be cool, detached. But I’ve noticed that when it comes to subjects and topics you care about—the effect on the palace, the country, your people—you have no problem expressing yourself. Except,” he adds, his voice dropping into a lower tone that slides across my skin much the way his hand did across my back at the masquerade, “when it comes to things you want, you stand down.” Another devastating smile curves his lips. “Unless, of course, you’re standing up to me.”

I know I need to breathe out, let go of the air I’m holding. But it’s trapped inside my chest, much the way I’m ensnared by his dark brown eyes fixed on me. “Part of it…it’s just me being stubborn.”

“I can agree with that.”

I try to bite back my smile and fail miserably. “And part of it is I feel like you’re the first person to treat me like I’m not just a princess. Not a pretty toy to be used.”

His eyes darken as his gaze drops down to my lips. My mouth dries.

“It was interesting,” he murmurs, “seeing the woman beneath the crown.”

“You’re the only person who’s bothered to look in a long time.”

His eyes drop once more to my mouth. “Don’t look at me like that, Princess.”

His growl thickens my blood.

“Like what?”

“Like you want me to kiss you.”

My heart starts to pound. I told myself I wouldn’t do this, wouldn’t cross the line with my bodyguard. Wouldn’t be like my parents or my brother.

But with every second that passes, the desire I’ve been fighting for months spreads, strengthened by the unexpected moments of camaraderie and the insight into a man I’m coming to realize has far more good qualities than I ever estimated.

I took a leap tonight when I went to the masquerade. One that made me feel alive for the first time in far too long. A feeling I’m not ready to relinquish.

I lift my chin up. “What if I want you to?”

Chapter Five

Dominic

I have never once slept with a client. I’ve never been tempted. I certainly never imagined I’d be tempted by the woman I internally thought of as the Ice Princess.

But as I gaze down into Sophaya’s upturned face, I know I’m just inches away from breaking my one rule. I’ve learned more about her in the last two hours than I learned in all the dossiers and articles I read, more than all the time I spent guarding her at conferences and balls.

She’s much more than I expected. And that, coupled with her stunning beauty, is tempting me to sin.

Beneath the royal exterior is an intelligent, caring woman. One with complex layers I can’t help but be fascinated by. I date, but I’ve always kept things brief, focused on the physical.

Yet as I watch her watching me, I accept there’s something more than just physical attraction here. She’s unpredictable, yet when it comes to taking up the crown her brother threw away, she’s doing what’s necessary. Her interest in medicine, her genuine heartbreak at having that career taken from her, her kindness to Maryanne, all swirl together into a fierce storm that threatens to pull me deeper. I recognize her, a lonely soul who shows the world one face while hiding the other. A connection I’ve never experienced with a woman.

And the way she’s looking at me right now with raw desire in those navy blue eyes…