“I’m not a very good sous-chef if you’re doing most of the work.” His breath is hot on my cheek.
“Everyone has to learn somehow.” Tilting my chin upward, his lips are right there. It would be so easy to lean up and capture his lips. To feel the stubble under my fingers as I take what I want.
“Zara.” James’s free hand wraps around my neck, his thumb on my pulse. No doubt he can feel the rapid beat. The heat of his hand settles in my core. Butterflies are dancing in my belly as he moves closer, his lips only an inch away from mine.
The ding of the oven breaks through the fog of lust clouding my brain. “Guess you better get that in the oven.” James pulls away. I lament the loss of him.
I set the salmon on a pan, putting it in the oven before helping James finish the carrots. The tension from earlier is gone. It’s for the best, right? Falling for this man is a bad idea.
“Put the carrots in the pan, and then I’ll top off our drinks. Shouldn’t take long for them to cook,” I instruct.
“Look at me. Making dinner like a pro.”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me. “I’ll give you an A for effort.”
“Guess I’ll stick to leading the country, eh?”
I shrug my shoulders. “How about another A for effort?”
“Is this what I have to look forward to for the next fifty years? Cheeky little bugger, you are.” The smile plastered on James’s face matches my own. I like this side of him. He never shows it to the press, but I like that I get to see it. It goes beyond the charming façade. He’s fun, but also has a vulnerable side.
James and I continue our easy conversation while dinner cooks. I didn’t think it would be like this. I thought it would be hard to be around the future King. But it’s anything but. It’s easy and carefree.
The buzzer sounds, pulling me away from the man holding my attention. “Grab some plates and we’ll be ready to eat.” I point in the direction of the correct cabinet, and he grabs what we need.
Plating dinner, we move to my small table that overlooks the back courtyard.
“Cheers.” James clinks his glass against mine, extending his long legs across the small space.
“Cheers.”
My eyes are drawn to him as he takes a bite, years of royal protocol obvious in the way he eats. “Zara, love. This is delicious. Better than any Michelin-starred meal that I’ve had.” He dives right back in, taking another hearty bite.
“You flatter me. It’s not that good.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” The wink causes those butterflies to stir again. This is why he’s the “playboy prince.” This charm he has always makes everyone fall at his feet. I hate that I’m one of them.
“So, how are you doing with everything?” I ask, digging into my own meal.
“Everything?” He looks up, midchew.
“With the whole reason why we’re here. With you now first in line for the throne.” He puts down his fork, giving me a pensive stare, his brow furrowing slightly.
“At first, I wanted to be mad at Ellie. But then I could see how miserable she was, and I couldn’t really blame her.” He swirls his drink before taking a sip. “And now, the pressure is on. I can no longer run around and ignore the duties of what I was born to do.”
James’s shoulders are tense as he leans over the table.
“The press is no longer eating out of the palm of your hand?”
He grins as he goes back to eating. “No, I wish. They were much easier to please when I could just flash a smile and continue on my way. Now, I actually have to do more than just shake hands.”
“Have you given any more thought to which charities are going to be your new patronages?”
“They’ve already been hand-selected for me, so just a matter of deciding. Not that I’ll get much choice there either.”
“And you really won’t get a say in what you want to do?”
James’s deep blue eyes stare into mine. It’s so easy to get lost in them. “They are handpicked by the Queen.”
