He handed the towel to Conrad, who faded back, presumably heading off the beach. Which left only the two of them and the bodyguard, who stood several feet away, scanning the view back toward the castle.
The prince’s grip was warm and sure. "Valentin, if you please."
If she pleased. To be on a first name basis with the prince.
But as he squeezed her hand once and then released her, she saw that the wariness in his expression hadn't disappeared. It'd been joined by curiosity, maybe. But it was still there.
It had been his mother who'd called her, not the prince himself. Of course he was wary.
He nodded back the direction she and Conrad had come from, and she fell into step beside him.
"Your highness. I mean… Valentin." That was going to take some getting used to.
His strides were so long that she had to scramble in the sand to keep up with him. She grasped for professionalism.
"Thank you for meeting with me," she said.
"I'm afraid I don't have long." And his gaze was distant. As if he'd already dismissed her. "Frankly, hiring you was my mother's idea."
She knew that, but she hadn't expected his curt dismissal.
All the dreams she'd been spinning began to shimmer like a mirage. She felt a tremble start deep inside but masked it with a polite smile.
"And you're going along with it?"Am I wasting my time?
They'd reached the edge of the castle wall, where the sand met the stone pavers.
He turned to her.
And she realized she was standing with her only empty hand cocked on her hip. Probably it wasn't appropriate to speak to the prince with an attitude, but she didn't like feeling misled. The queen had insinuated that the job was Crystal's.
"I'll give you four dates. With different women or the same one, I don't care. Wow me."
What arrogance!
She opened her mouth to tell him exactly where he could put hiswow me, but what emerged was, "What are you looking for in a match?"
