Page 13 of Royal Darling
I let out a shaky breath. “They’re probably here because my sister-in-law had to send word to get the jet ready at the private airport nearby for my trip to Lake Como.” I take him in for a long lingering moment. He’s a primal beast of a man with his growly voice, raw sexuality, and loose-limbed masculine movements. I usually only meet buttoned-up, clean-shaven, meticulously neat men. He tossed me over his shoulder and patted my bottom. And I liked it. I bite my lower lip, heart pounding, butterflies dancing in my stomach. I cannot do this. Can I? I’m already in so much trouble. But if I don’t do something right now, then this is goodbye forever.
His gaze drops to my lips and jumps back to my eyes.
“Jackson, I so wish…”
“What?”
I shake my head. “I wanted to invite you to go with me to Lake Como, just for a week, but…I guess it was silly.”
He closes the distance between us, his gaze searching my features. “Why do you want to be with me so much? Are you a fan?”
“God, no. Your music rubs my nerves raw.”
He barks out a laugh. “I imagine you listen to classical music up at the palace.”
“Among other things.” I enjoy blues and folk music too, but I don’t think a rock god like him would appreciate that.
“Just call one of your friends to join you. I’m sure you run in some elite social circles.”
“Everything’s different now,” I blurt. “They won’t understand why I want a break from royal life.” And the truth is, I want everything he represents that I’m missing in my life. I know I’m not supposed to bring him with me to Italy, as per Anna, not that he wants to go, but maybe we could still have an…experience on the boat. It would be a huge step forward for me to experience the wild side that is Jackson, even if it’s just one time. I have to make every moment count during the brief reprieve I’ve been granted.
I steel my nerves and say simply and honestly, “I don’t want to say goodbye to you yet. I want you.”
He takes a step back. “Wrong bloke.”
I swallow hard, forcing a neutral expression. Clearly he doesn’t want me back. It hurts, but at least I know. Now I can move forward, no regrets, where he’s concerned at least.
I paste on a smile. “You didn’t let me finish. I was going to say I want you to teach me guitar.”
He gives me a skeptical look. “Right. Guitar.”
“Perhaps you could recommend a similar colleague?”
“A similar colleague,” he echoes.
I warm to the idea. It’s not ideal, but it might be the only alternative. “Yes, someone equally edgy and improper. Maybe your colleague could teach me to play guitar.”
His lips play at a smile. “I can’t think of any similar colleagues. Employ yourself a music teacher.”
I step closer and confide, “It’s the improper part I need more urgently. They say you become like the people you surround yourself with. I’ve spent my life surrounded by proper people. I’ve got one week to experience a different sort of life. Part of the Emma reinvention program.”
He stares at me for a long moment, and my hopes soar until he says, “You’re barking mad.”
I slam my hands on my hips. “Haven’t you ever felt like you were going along happy as a clam, everything going the way you thought it should, and then you just wanted to leave it all behind and start fresh?”
He blinks at my outburst, but says nothing.
I look to the ceiling, willing my tears back. Maybe I’m fooling myself. Maybe I’ll always be proper Emma Rourke, doing my duty, living the life laid out for me by others.
“Hey, don’t cry.”
“I’m not.” I dash at a tear that escaped. “Forget it. My brother knows some Hollywood types. Maybe a male actor with low inhibitions would be willing to spend some time with me.” I give him a watery smile. “I already know a low-inhibition female and she hasn’t had much effect on me.” Anna has been more of a curiosity than an influence, though she’s growing on me.
He crosses his arms and growls, “And what do you plan on doing with this low-inhibition male?”
His outrage seems like a good sign. Maybe he does want me.
I lift my chin and say in a breezy confident tone, “I haven’t decided what exactly I’d do with a low-inhibition male, but I know it would push me out of my comfort zone, and that is what I need. A shock to the system, something completely different.”
