Page 51 of The Princess and the SEAL

Chapter 23

Giselle

ICLIMBED INTO RYAN’S BED LATER that night, but he was fast asleep. The next morning, we didn’t talk about his past. It was so horrifying; I didn’t want to pry. I regretted asking him to open up, especially because he was right. No matter what, I was going to leave.

We spent the day lounging on the beach. Ryan even taught me how to surf. I’d always been so scared to learn, but with Ryan by my side, nothing seemed impossible.

Back at his place, I relaxed on Ryan’s sofa. He turned on Netflix, grabbed a beer for himself, poured me a glass of Chardonnay, and put his arm around me.

I glanced around his small apartment. The coffee table was spotless, and he even had some cozy throws on the back of the couch. I closed my eyes—what it would be like to live with him. Could I get used to the simple life that I’d always proclaimed to crave, or would I miss my royal world? I guessed I would never find out. There was no way I was going to abandon my country and my family. Not even for Ryan.

Especially not for Ryan, a man who’d told me repeatedly that he never wanted to get married or start a family.

Ever.

What kind of future could we possibly have together? He would probably tire of me when the challenge wore off.

Ryan flipped through shows, and I couldn’t stop staring at him. He was perfection. His arms were muscular, his profile was distinguished, and he had an adorable grin that could seduce a nun.

A nun, but not a princess.

“What are you in the mood for? There’s supposed to be this great documentary about World War II. You game?”

I pursed my lips and forced myself to answer him. I was constantly impressed that he binged history, not reality television. My long-held stereotypes of Americans’ viewing habits didn’t hold true—at least not when it came to Ryan. “Sure.”

The truth was, it didn’t matter what we watched, because I simply couldn’t focus at all.

My mind was focused on only one thing.

Him.

We had only a couple days left together. A couple days before I flew back home to Santa Cariña.

And less than a month before I got married to Miguel.

How could I ever go through with it? Say “I do” to a man I didn’t love now that I had actually been in love?

Wait…

I was in love.

I’d just admitted it to myself. It wasn’t a casual thought. It was the truth.

I loved Ryan.

I needed to tell him now. Even though we could never be anything. Even though we would still say goodbye. I needed to tell him this so that for once, I could know what saying those words to someone I adored really felt like.

Before it was too late.

I place my hand on his thigh, and he put his hand on top of mine. He was so kind, and shockingly, still a perfect gentleman. It baffled me that we had been hanging around each other every day for more than a week, and we still hadn’t had sex. When I’d first met him, I thought that he would try to pressure me into having sex with him, but he never had.

He’d never seduced me.

Maybe, it was my time to seduce him.

But first, I had to tell him something.

“Ry. We need to talk.”