“Well, it could be worse.” I shrug my shoulder. “You could be with Miss Tits back there and suffocate anytime she tried to cuddle with you.”
Laughter bursts out of James, and I muffle my own in the crook of his neck. That spicy scent of his is intoxicating.
“God, I can’t even imagine. He probably bought them for her.”
“I’m telling you right now.” I grab him by the chin, looking into his bright blue eyes. Eyes that I can get lost in. “I am never getting anything like that. I may not be well-endowed, but I would topple over if I had those.”
The air is sucked dry around us as James goes quiet. His gaze is so focused on my face, as if he’s trying to ignore the area of my body I just pointed out. His tongue darts out, licking that full bottom lip of his. I bet it would taste like the champagne we’ve been sipping on. What I wouldn’t give to suck that bottom lip into my mouth and taste him.
“We should probably get back out there. We don’t want people to think we’ve already ditched the party.” His voice is rough, filled with a need I feel down to my toes.
I take a settling breath, trying to recalibrate after this heated moment with James. “Right, fundraiser. A prince’s work is never done.”
Chapter Nine
James
I’m all over the place. For the last two weeks, I’ve been fighting all of my emotions for Zara. I was raging at Mum for setting us up. It’s the twenty-first century. Why are arranged marriages still a thing?
Then I was annoyed at Mum for finding Zara. She could have found someone that I didn’t like to make it easier to stay mad at her. But no. The woman I’m coming to know now is full of zest. Full of life.
And fecking hell, if that isn’t making me crazy. When she called me after the paparazzi attacked her outside her house, it took everything in me not to wring their necks. Instead of running, she doubled down on this crazy life with me, even if it means having a camera constantly shoved in her face.
It’s a fact of life. The paparazzi will do anything to get a shot of us. Especially if it’s in a compromising position. But when they hurt someone who’s been out with me one time? Rage. White-hot rage that I’ve never felt before. It meant that I couldn’t keep my hands off Zara at the fundraiser last night. It was like if I wasn’t touching her, she would disappear. I liked having her by my side. She was winning people over like I could only hope to.
I shouldn’t want more from her. I can’t want any more from her. I can’t destroy her life any more than I already have. Sure, she says she’s all in. But in this life? The paparazzi already following her every move? Already attacking her once? I hate to think of what else could happen to her.
My sweet, music-loving fiancée.
She doesn’t even know how sexy she is. How sensual. Fecking hell, I’m getting hard again just thinking about her. It’s been a struggle to push thoughts of her out of my head, but after a long day, I give in.
Taking my dick in my hand, I free him from his cotton prison. Just the thought of Zara has me ready to explode. Imagining it’s Zara’s nimble fingers and hot mouth on me, I give a few hard strokes and am close to coming. Those pouty lips of hers would know exactly how to suck me off. It’d be better than some nobody doing it in the back of a club, just for the need to get off. She’d look up at me with those big doe eyes, and bloody hell, I’m coming harder than I have in a long time.Fasterthan I have in a long time.
Feck. I’m covered in cum. Stripping off my shirt, I clean myself up before finding a new pair of boxers. I shouldn’t be jacking off to thoughts of Zara, but damn, this woman is crawling under my skin no matter how hard I try to fight it. I’m just going to have to try harder.
It’sthe day of the Royal Flower Show, and it’s going to be teeming with press. The Royal Flower Show was always Ellie’s event. But now, it has been passed off to me. Another duty I have to show that I’m fit to handle.
Standing at Zara’s door, I smooth my hands over the lapels of my jacket and ring the bell. I’m nervous. I can’t remember the last time I was nervous to take a woman out. But when Zara opens the door and ushers me in, all thoughts flee my brain.
Feck. What did I say about trying harder to not be attracted to her? She’s wearing a white jumpsuit that shows off all her curves, and her hair curls around her shoulders. She’s beautiful.
“Zara. You look incredible.” I kiss each cheek, breathing in her sweet scent. She’s radiant, and I can’t seem to stop staring at her.
“You look quite dashing yourself, James.” My khaki trousers and navy blazer are an easy outfit for an official, yet casual, event. Everyone always tries harder to make the flower show a fancier event than it really is.
“Are you ready to woo your citizens?” Shite, why am I acting like Granddad? No one says woo these days. What is it about this woman that drives me mad?
“As I’ll ever be.” She takes my proffered arm, and I lead her out of the house. Her hand on my arm tenses as we make our way to the car. The paparazzi are now confined to the other side of the street, thankfully, which means we can get in and out of her house without being swarmed. Sure, this moment will be splashed across headlines tomorrow, but at least I don’t have to worry about a camera being shoved right in Zara’s face.
“You’re doing beautifully, Z.”
She gives me a shy smile as my PPO opens the door for us. “So, is there anything I need to know about today?” she asks once we’re settled in the car.
“Other than oohing and aahing over a lot of flowers, no. Since I took over the patronage midseason, we didn’t do a stall. That will come next year.”
“Fawning over flowers, I can do that.” She nods her head, twisting her hands in her lap.
“I promise, you’ll do great.” I grab her hands, and they still under my touch. Her gaze is fixed on them. Running my thumb over her knuckles, I try to be as reassuring as possible.
