Page 34 of Royal Hottie
“It is. Things are finally looking up.”
I look over at her and she turns, our gazes locking for a charged moment.
She looks away and takes a big swallow of wine. “What was it like growing up here?”
I take a sip of wine and then set it down. No one wants to hear a prince complain about duty, obligation, and public scrutiny. I was born into wealth and never wanted for anything. “It was great. I know I’m blessed.”
She leans in. “That sounds like a canned answer for the press. Tell me what it was really like.”
“I appreciate everything I have. My brothers and I had fun running around the island, exploring the dunes and caves, swimming and surfing in the waves.”
“Don’t forget cruising around on the yacht.”
I grin. “That was more of a launching pad to dive into the sea. Of course, we took out the jet skis too.”
“Of course!”
“See, it sounds like luxury. It was. Like I said—”
“I know, I know, you appreciate what you have. What’s it like to have no privacy? To have your every move documented and commented on?”
“I learned to embrace it. I’m a people person and, while it’s intrusive at times, for the most part I don’t mind.”
“Even with your ex?”
“I loved being part of the golden couple. It seemed everyone loved us together as much as I did. I thought we’d marry, and then we didn’t.” My voice chokes. “I seem to pick beautiful, vain, shallow women. Maybe so I won’t be tempted to commit.” I pause, surprising myself with the insight. I never proposed to Lana, and I set up everything for maximum sabotage with other women for more than a year now. I press my lips together before admitting the truth. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for commitment.”
She gives my hand a squeeze. “Anyone would take a breather from commitment after her. I know she dumped you for a really old guy, so guess what? You’re better off. She sounds like a gold digger, and maybe she knew your kingdom wasn’t doing so well economically.”
“She did know that. And I’m glad they broke up.”
“Ha-ha. Sweet revenge. I wish bad things for my ex too, even though I feel guilty because he’s about to be a father to triplets with his wife.”
I straighten. “His wife?”
“Yup. I was the other woman, though I didn’t know it. We lived together for a year. Awhole year, Phillip, where I was stupidly, ignorantly happy.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.” She sits up and says fiercely, “When he told me he was leaving me because his wife was expecting triplets, he wanted me to be happy for him! I’m just standing there, stunned, and then he says, ‘By the way, you have to move out. This is my parents’ vacation condo and they’re coming for a visit because of the triplets. We’re all so excited!’” She downs her wine in one long swallow. “Well,Iwas not excited. I was devastated.”
My heart aches for her. I feel her pain. I know that kind of pain. “Shit. That sounds awful.”
She sighs and relaxes into her chair again. “Yeah, it was. I lost my job because I just couldn’t function. I moved back in with my parents, trying to get a freelance career going—mostly recovering—and now here I am two months later in a completely different headspace. At last, the cloud has lifted. I have a real chance at a cool career on my terms. I’ll be able to get my own place, and they’ll have my room for the baby. Everything is working out just as I hoped.”
I take a deep breath. “It seems we met at the wrong time.”
She studies me for a long moment, and I get a bad feeling that she’s about to stomp on my heart. “I really like you.”
“I like you too.”
“But I think you had the right idea before. Neither of us is up for more devastation. We’re still recovering. At least I am. And I know I said let’s go for it for a one-week happy memory, but that was lust talking.” Her gaze searches mine. “We can be smarter than that. I mean, you’re still recovering from Lana, right?”
“Yes.” I must be if I’m so spitefully glad Lana was dumped.
“And we’re going our separate ways soon.”
I exhale sharply. Why couldn’t I have met Ruby a year ago? Except I’m just kidding myself. I couldn’t have committed a year ago any more than I could now. I’d sabotage it in some way and end up hurting her. Maybe I’m only drawn to her because I know we have no future.
