Page 44 of The Problem with Princes
I release a breath. Good, maybe now things will go back to normal. Or as normal as it is to be at the beach with a prince.
He leans back on one elbow and takes a bite of his sandwich, looking out over the water. “I’m glad you agreed to come to dinner that first night. I can understand why you may have been hesitant.”
I thought we were past this. I sigh. “Yeah, I’m glad I did too.” I take a bite so that I don’t have to say anything more for the time. We eat in silence, both of us watching the waves as they crash lightly onto our little beach. With barely half of my sandwich gone, I groan and drop the rest onto my napkin.
Ty pops the last bite of his into his mouth. “You aren’t too full for dessert, are you?”
I eye him. “That depends on the dessert.” I toss my braid over my shoulder and grin. “Aw, who am I kidding? I don’t really care what kind it is as long as it’s dessert.”
He motions to the water with his head. “Do you want to go back out?”
“Nah. I already know my leg muscles that weren’t already sore are going to hurt tomorrow. And youdidmention dessert, remember? You can’t bring something like that up and then think a girl will just go about her business. I want dessert.”
He drops his head back and laughs.
The tension that has been building in my body since Tyrone saw my stomach washes away at the sound of his genuine laughter. “Then I better get the lady some dessert.”
He jumps up much quicker than I imagine myself doing. He puts out his hand and helps me up, pulling me gently to him. I bump into his chest, and he puts his hands on my waist and looks down at me. Is he going to kiss me again? I really want him to, but then will our conversation be all stilted and weird?
He takes a deep breath. “I can’t put into words how sorry I am about the coffee.”
I shake my head. “Please. Can’t we just pretend it never happened?”
He takes a step back. “No, we can’t, because it did happen.”
I open my mouth to protest but he places his finger on my lips. “I won’t continue to mention it, but I need you to know how deeply sorry I am.”
This feels like a boyfriend talk. Not a just-a-friend talk. I pull away from him and scrunch up my nose. “Eeww. Do you know where your fingers have been?” That doesn’t come out exactly as I had intended. It may have sounded rude. But I’m trying to ease the jittery feeling creeping up from the tips of my toes. I rub my hand across my lips, attempting to wipe the tingle from them.
He tips his head to the side, studying me for a moment. I feel completely exposed. Like he can read every thought in my head. And I’m not sure whether I want that or not. His mouth settles into a soft smile. “You have a very good point there. No fingers on lips without prior hand washing.” He leans forward and brushes a kiss against my lips. “But surely lips are okay.”
I nod. “Yeah, that’s a good rule.” Especially the part about the kiss.
We gather up the chairs and towels and I stuff the bag of chips back into the insulated bag. Ty stuffs my half-sandwich and our napkins into a paper sack.
I grab my bag and the duffle, but he takes the duffle back. “You have plenty to carry. I can get this stuff.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, please. There’s hardly anything in it. Now give me the duffle bag or I’ll tell Sander you said he is fat.”
He chuckles. “Actually, it might almost be worth it to see that conversation.” Still, he hands me the duffle bag. I sling it across my chest, and it rests at my side. My other bag rests on the opposite hip. I’m sure I look like some overly packed tourist just without the Hawaiian shirt and knee socks.
Tyrone snatches up my hand and laces his finger through mine. It’s beginning to feel more natural. What am I going to do once I return to DC and no longer have Ty’s hand to hold. It isn’t something I am anticipating in the least.
ChapterFifteen
Tyrone helpsme into the car and shuts the door once I’m settled. He moves over to Sander and hands him the insulated cooler bag. Sander dips his head and then speaks to his men, as he hands them each a sandwich.
“Off to get dessert then? Or have you changed your mind?” Tyrone asks as he slips into his seat.
“I never change my mind about dessert. If anything, we’ve taken so long, I’ve made more room for it.”
Tyrone laughs. “Then I will get to it.”
We leave the same way we came in, waiting while the gate opens and closes. It only takes about ten minutes until we pull up to a little store in a nearby town.
Ty comes around and opens my door for me.
The bell above the door tinkles as Sander pushes it open. He makes his sweep of the shop and then stands to the side.
