“Excuse me, Your Highness. Lady Zara.” Olivia is back at my side. “Are you ready to move on to the next exhibit?” Zara tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, coming to stand by my side.
“This was beautiful.” Her eyes are still roaming over the instruments. Running my hand down Zara’s arm, a shock of electricity hits me.
Shite, that’s new. Zara’s eyes swing to mine, and her eyes look so brown they’re black. Did she feel that too?
“Are you ready?” Olivia’s voice brings me back to the present.
“Yes, let’s go.” Zara breaks the staredown we’re having. The soft sway of her hips as she walks away from me has my dick stirring in my pants. This is bad. This is very, very bad.
Chapter Ten
Zara
“So was the Royal Flower Show everything you’d hoped it would be?” James’s presence is a calming weight behind me. It had been an interesting afternoon with him. I’ve felt the growing desire with him this past week, but today, it was like he felt it too.
“It was brilliant.” Pushing open the black door to my house, James lingers in the doorway. “Would you like to come in for dinner?” I ask suddenly. A few flashbulbs are popping across the street. James’s smile is bright as he follows me inside.
“Are we ordering takeaway?” He toes off his shoes as I kick off my wedges. James follows me into the kitchen. It feels intimate, him in his bare feet padding across my house. Never in a million years did I think I’d have the future King in my house.
“If you’re okay waiting, I can whip something up.”
He’s rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. The fine dusting of dark hair on his arms is drool worthy. James is at ease here, helping himself to a drink.
“I’m happy waiting. Can I be your sous-chef?” He’s swirling the drink, leaning against the counter. He looks so at home. I like having him here with me.
“Make me a gin and tonic, and then you can help.”
“You’ve got this bossing people around thing down. You’re fit to be Queen,” he chuckles, winking at me.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m marrying a prince.”
He winces at that comment, as I get everything out of the fridge. Maybe he’s a bit more sensitive to this arranged marriage than I thought.
“Is salmon okay?”
“Perfect.” He hands me my drink, our fingers brushing. Lingering. I’m not supposed to fall for this man. It makes it that much harder to hold on to my anger towards my father if whatever this is between James and me is real. He has a kingdom to lead. I have students to teach. There’s no way this can be real.
I take a large sip of my drink, needing to cool off.
“Alright, what do I get to do?” James claps his hands, rubbing them together.
I place a bag of carrots and a knife in front of him. “You’re making the veggies. Just need to peel them and cut them.”
“Peel and cut. Can’t be too hard, can it?” He gives me a smirk, before opening the carrots. The salmon’s already prepared, so I turn the knobs to start the oven, but my focus is on James.
The delicate way his fingers move the knife is hypnotizing. He’s butchering the carrots, but he’s doing it with such pride, I can’t stop him.
“What?” He holds his hands out, like he can’t understand why I’m staring at him.
Laughter bubbles out of me. “It’s just, you’re not doing it properly. You need to peel them, then cut.”
He looks down at the mess he’s made. “Shite. I’m not doing a very good job impressing you, am I?”
“That would mean I want to be impressed.” I hip check him, moving in beside him.
“Ouch. You sure do know how to make a man feel special.”
“Here, let me show you.” I grab his hand with mine, the carrot with the other. My hands are dainty compared to his. I slowly move my hand, guiding his movements. Heat is radiating off him.
