Page 41 of The Prince's Game
“Tonight maybe, but what about next week? This is never going to work. I can’t make this just about lust anymore.”
“You seem to be under the impression that it’s only lust for me as well. Have you considered that it might mean more to me, too? I wouldn’t be here discussing this with you if all I felt was sexual attraction. I like you, Sarah. More than I should.”
“Don’t tell me that. Don’t make this worse than it already is.” Knowing how he felt would make this harder.
“I told you, I mean what I say. I won’t mince words around you, not about this. I want you, and not just because of the intense attraction between us. I want to know everything about you.” He kissed me softly, his lips firm against mine. It set off the butterflies in my stomach, making them flutter about in a dizzying pattern. How was I ever going to say no to this man?
“Evan . . .” I clung to his biceps, unsure of whether to push him away or haul him closer. My hormones were whispering naughty things in my ear, while my common sense told me to run.
“Don’t decide tonight, or even tomorrow. We’ll be friends first—nightly visits and movies, whatever you want. You tell me when you’re ready for me, and I’ll be there. I just wanted you to know where I stand.” He gave me another tender kiss that melted my heart. “Good night, Sarah.”
My lips burned long after he left. It took all my strength not to go after him.
Friends first.
Okay.
21
Seduction via Sunscreen
Two weeks later, there were six contestants left, and my hormones hated me. Evan spent every evening in my room and kissed me good night each time. No tongue. It served as a sweet reminder of what could be between us if I gave in to him, and it was killing me.
The dates were getting more elaborate with each round, and the tension in the house was high. One lucky woman went out with the prince to a location of his choosing during each round. What the girls didn’t know was that Evan and his parents were alternating rounds of selecting who won the single date. Tonight was his turn, and he picked me.
“I’m going with subtle,” Brenda said as she touched up my mascara. “You’re hot enough without all the goop.”
I grinned. “Charmer.”
The makeup artist was growing on me. When I went for a run my first morning here, I found her stretching outside. The sun was inching over the horizon, and neither of us was in a talking mood, but we found a decent pace and ran together for an hour around the Mershano Estate. Evan was right about the trees. I told him later that night how I longed for my camera. The colors of the moss-covered oaks paired with the early morning sky were phenomenal.
“He’s going to die when he sees you in this swimsuit.” She held up a sexy red bikini the producers picked for me. It went in a bag with a towel and a few other necessities.
“Where are we going swimming?” The Mershano Estate pool was heated, making it comfortable for outdoor swimming. But that wasn’t where we were spending our date.
“It’s a surprise,” she replied. That’s what Evan said last night, too.
I followed the crew’s instructions and took a car to an airfield where the prince was waiting on the tarmac. I set down my bag to hug him, and he lifted me up into his arms. He buried his face into my neck. “Hello, sweetheart.”
“Hi.” I eyed the small plane behind him. “Where are we going?”
He let me slide down his muscular form to the ground and settled his hands on my hips. “How do you feel about the Bahamas?”
“The Bahamas,” I repeated. “For the day?” He couldn’t be serious.
“Why not? It’s two and a half hours by air, and we have a jet. I also reserved a private spot with a cabana on the beach. Feel up for it?”
I gaped at him. “The Bahamas?”
His grin touched his eyes. “That’s the idea.”
Surreal. “Uh-huh. Sure. Why not? Lead the way, Mister Billionaire.”
I didn’t believe him until my bare feet hit the sand. The turquoise waves rushed the shore ten feet away, and the sun was hot against my shorts and tank top. A cabana sat behind me with a lounge chair rivaling the size of a king bed, a table with cocktails and snacks, and wispy curtains that flowed in the hot Caribbean air. Evan stood to the side in his swim trunks and open button-down shirt, looking sexy as hell.
“We’re in the Bahamas.” The shock wasn’t wearing off.
He grinned. “Yes, we are.”
