Chapter 4

Tamara

My hands shook so much that the text I sent to my sister came out garbled, but the message was clear. We need to go. Now.

I didn’t linger in the hall in case Dennis came down after me. No, not Dennis. Alexander. Prince freaking Alexander.

What had I done?

The fresh air felt like heaven on my feverish skin. I hung behind a group of people still milling outside until I caught a glimpse of Jo’s auburn head bobbing out the door, then grabbed her and leapt into a taxi.

“What’s the rush?” Jo asked, settling into the backseat.

“Nothing,” I said, slamming the door shut. I let out a relieved sigh and gave the driver my address.

Jo’s cheeks were flushed with drink and a dreamy smile eclipsed her face. Apparently satisfied with my answer, she started telling me about her night.

“You would not believe how amazing this guy is, sis,” she said, sighing. “Tall, handsome, incredibly smart. He’s a little geeky even, which I love. His name’s Tristan and he’s the son of a duke. Can you believe that?”

“I can,” I said, tasting the irony.

“I can’t wait to see him again. He said he’s going to take me on his boat down the river to see the sights. Don’t you think that’s the most romantic thing?”

I grunted in acknowledgement, mind whirring. How was I supposed to process the fact that I’d just had sex with a prince? Amazing sex. Phenomenal sex. The kind of sex you know you’re going to be thinking about when you’re old and gray.

No wonder he looked familiar. How had I not seen it earlier? Prince Alexander’s face was plastered on almost every tabloid in the country. His exploits with partying and women were so well-documented that someone who was a complete stranger moments before became somebody I knew an awful lot about. And now, I was just another of his conquests.

“Hey!” Jo waved her hand in front of my face. “I’m talking to you.”

I shook myself out of it. “Sorry. I’m distracted.”

“What happened in there? Is everything okay?”

I sighed and looked anxiously at the taxi driver. “I can’t tell you here,” I said. “Once we get home we’ll talk about it. I’m okay though.”

“Okay...” A troubled expression darkened her face, but we were close to my flat.

I wondered how Jo would react. She would probably think it was the best thing since sliced bread and demand to know why I left in such a hurry. But she’d never had her life unstitched and examined, thread by thread, by the public. She didn’t know how it felt to have her personal business broadcast to the world, or how it felt to be made a fool of. I’d been run over by the media circus before and I wasn’t keen for a repeat. If anybody found out that Prince Alexander and I had sex, the resulting explosion of news would knock me out. I couldn’t handle that. Not again.

The cabbie stopped at my flat and after I paid him, I darted toward my front door. I knew we hadn’t been followed but I still felt antsy and wouldn’t calm until I reached the safety of my home.

Inside, I dropped my stuff by the door and bee-lined for the kitchen. Jo followed me, stumbling a little.

“What happened, Tam-tam? You’re starting to freak me out.”

I grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and two glasses, pouring us each one. She waited patiently until I handed her a glass.

I took a gulp of mine. How to say it? Best just to get it out.

“What I’m about to say, you can’t tell anyone Jo.” I leveled my gaze with hers. “I mean it. Not a single soul.”

She crossed her heart. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

I believed her. She might be an annoying little sister at times, but I could always rely on her not to break my confidence.

“That guy tonight, the one I was with,” I said. I stopped and took another drink. “Well, I had sex with him.”

“And that’s why you’re so freaked out?”

I shook my head.

“I’m freaked out because I found out afterward that he wasn’t just any guy. He was Prince Alexander.”

Jo’s face fell flat for a minute as she processed, then her eyes grew wide as saucers. “The Prince Alexander?”

I nodded grimly. “He said he wasn’t supposed to be there so we used fake names. I had no idea.”

“Nope. Can’t be.” Jo shook her head, jogging toward her bedroom and coming back a second later with her laptop. “That’s impossible. What are the chances of running into a prince in disguise and having sex with him?”

“It doesn’t matter what the odds are,” I replied. “It happened.”

Jo tapped on her keyboard and then turned the screen toward me. She’d Googled images of the prince.

He looked different in the pictures from the way I’d last seen him—a curl of hair over his brow, face so close I could see the shadow of stubble on his chin, eyes glinting. Still, it was him.

“No doubt in my mind.” I poked the screen. “I just had sex with that guy.”

I gulped another mouthful of wine. Jo put her laptop down and did the same.

“Let’s go to the couch,” she suggested.

I nodded and followed her, and we both plunked down on the couch.

“I wish I could live your life,” Jo said.

“This isn’t a good thing, Jo.” I stared blankly ahead, grinding my teeth. “One false move and I could have had my face splashed all over the tabloids and nasty things written about me.”

“But you didn’t make any false moves. You screwed a prince and got away scot free.” She patted my arm. “And all I got was the son of a duke.”

I chuckled and went to take another sip of wine, when a flash of gold caught my eye.

Oh. Fuck.

I stared at the ring on my left hand with an expression of horror.

“I didn’t get away scot free,” I said. “I stole his ring! Oh God, Jo, I stole from the prince!”

I jumped up from the couch and started pacing the room, pulling the ring off like it was burning me. Jo got up and tried to stop me, but when I started to pace there was no stopping me.

“I’m going to get deported,” I said. “They’re going to catch me, arrest me, and deport me, and everyone’s going to think I’m some sort of nasty thief. I didn’t mean to take it.” I looked to the door like somebody might knock it down at any moment. “What am I going to do, Jo?”

Jo leaned against the wall, smirking. I stopped and glared at her.

“This is serious, Jo!”

“No, this is awesome,” she corrected. “You’re serious. Too serious.” She pushed off from the wall and came to stand in front of me, taking the ring and examining it.

“Looks expensive.” She grinned. “You got to have sex with a prince and you got free jewelry out of it. That’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned.”

“Of course you’d think that,” I said, snatching the band back. “It didn’t happen to you.”

Her smile softened and she rubbed my shoulder affectionately. “I know that what happened with Michael sucked and it’s stuck with you, but you’ve got to relax a little. Whatever happens is going to happen. Worrying about it won’t help.”

The last thing I wanted to think about when I was already stressed to high hell was my asshole ex. It was hard enough that I still had to see him on set every day.

“I’m going to bed,” I announced. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for the evening. I just want to get some sleep.”

Jo nodded. “Fair enough. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

I doubted that.

I bid Jo goodnight and went into my room, changing out of my gown into a pair of comfy pjs and hopping into bed. Since I didn’t know what else to do with it, I placed the ring on my bedside table.

I turned on my side in bed and stared at it.

Tonight was amazing. Spectacular. I wished I could live it over and over again, even with the way it ended. I hadn’t had sex like that since...well, ever. I hadn’t connected with someone like that in a long time either. That was one of the things that made this all so hard.

I wished Alex wasn’t a prince. Specifically, I wished he wasn’t a prince with a playboy reputation and an intense media following.

It was just my luck to have one of the best nights of my life ruined because the man I’d felt a profound connection to was the least appropriate match for me on the planet.

I decided I would try to see the events of the evening in a good light, not a bad one. Jo was right in her way. Apart from the ring, which I would deal with another time, I’d gotten away scot free. Alexander had no idea who I was, where I lived, anything. I got to have an amazing night and I could just take it at face value.

I just wished it wouldn’t have to be just that. I hadn’t felt that amazing for a long time, and knowing that I wouldn’t again for a long time was a tough pill to swallow. I’d had a taste of the prince and now I craved him.

I just hoped the cravings wouldn’t last.