Page 151 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

But then he whispered against her ear, his voice husky with desire, ‘You see how much better it is if you wait… Miss Impatient.’

She choked out a laugh, trying to dismiss the frantic beating of her heart, the emotion like a boulder on her chest now.

‘You always have to have the last word, don’t you, Prince Egomaniac,’ she murmured, her voice muffled by the pillow.

Rolling off her, he gathered her in his arms. She could hear the thundering beat of his heart as she laid her head against his shoulder. He stroked the sweaty hair back from her brow and tucked a finger under her chin to lift her gaze to his.

With the three-day beard he looked more like a pirate now than a prince, but so gorgeous it made her heart skip several beats. And the doubts returned.

Had she made a terrible mistake agreeing to spend the night with him? Because their first night together—and the snatched sex of their first night here—paled in comparison to what they’d shared in the last twelve hours…

For all his faults, Rene was—and always had been—a generous and inventive lover. Why was she even surprised that being the focus of his skills for a whole night was even more addictive now than it had been four years ago?

‘Teasing you has always been irresistible,’ he murmured, the approval in his gaze making her heart hurt even more. He cupped her cheek, then leant down to press a kiss to her lips, which felt more intimate than the mind-blowing climax they had just shared.

What would it be like to be the focus of his attention for ever?

The question whispered across her consciousness, foolish and desperate and reminiscent of that insecure girl, the yearning terrifying in its intensity.

She blinked, struggling to contain the idiotic emotion, the desperate longing to be his for more than one night, which she knew was an impossible dream.

He would never commit to one woman, and she had no desire to waste any more of her precious confidence on hoping he would commit to her.

This is about sex, and chemistry. You don’t love him, Mel. You just want him. And he wants you. There’s a difference.

She sat up, trying to create distance, and control the endorphin rush caused by spending a night in his arms. His gaze drifted down to her nipples as the sheet slipped to her waist.

‘Those breasts really are a work of art,’ he said, running his thumb under one tender peak. ‘I could actually feast on them for hours.’

‘You already have,’ she said and forced herself to smile, even as the thought that their time was nearly up made her heart stutter in her chest.

She turned to discover the spectacular view of the gorge below them, which the chalet perched on the edge of, was ow clearly visible through the floor-to-ceiling glass.

The storm had passed. Their time was up.

‘We should get out of bed and see if the phone lines are working,’ she said, trying to be firm and practical. And ignore the massive weight now threatening to crush her ribs—at the thought of never being with him like this again.

This too shall pass, Mel. You’ve just reanimated an old crush, that’s all.

But as she sat up, suddenly desperate for some alone time to sort out her wayward emotions, he grabbed her arm.

‘Wait…’ he said, his gaze directed past her shoulder, his eyes narrowing. ‘What the hell is that?’

She turned and saw it, too. A small flying object, hovering above the gorge about ten feet from the picture window.

‘I have no idea…’ she began.

She stared at it, confused, as a red light blinked and then a white light flashed.

He swore viciously and dragged her back, flinging the sheet up to cover her bare breasts.

‘It’s a drone,’ he said, his eyes dark with fury. ‘And it’s taking pictures.’

Leaning past her, he slammed his fist on the button next to the bed to lower the shutter. But as the metal shield came down, protecting them from the drone, she could hear banging on the main entrance downstairs—and a muffled voice booming from a speaker.

‘Your Majesty, are you in there? Are you safe? This is the mountain rescue team.’

Rene framed her face. ‘It seems we’ve been found.’ Was that regret she could hear in his voice, or just another figment of her crush? ‘Stay here while I get dressed and let them in.’

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