Chapter Thirty
CHAPTER THIRTY
Emma flipped through the hotel’s coffee table book with its black-and-white pictures of bridges, bridges, and more bridges. She listlessly untucked her feet from the sofa and thumped the hefty book back in its place. She glanced toward the bedroom, where Michel had sequestered himself.
“Reaching carbon neutrality in fifteen years is not an improbable goal for a country such as ours…” She could make out some of his conversation on the phone with a minister from Rouleme. “Our people are conscientious and dedicated to environmental protection…”
Our country… our people…
She assiduously avoided the topic of his royal status when they were together to prove to him that it made no difference—that he would always be Michel Chevalier to her. Even so, she couldn’t help but google “Prince Michel of Rouleme.”
He was… amazing. He worked so hard for the betterment of his people and his country, including the environmental reform he was fighting for on the phone right this moment. And the recently passed social services addendum he spearheaded was receiving worldwide praise. What he did… he made a real difference. Because he was Crown Prince Michel of Rouleme.
And it was becoming more and more difficult to ignore who he was, as urgent matters from Rouleme arose with increasing frequency. He was their prince, and he was needed back in his country. Emma’s stomach twisted with panic at the thought of him leaving. She squeezed her eyes shut until her heart rate returned to normal.
For the first time, she allowed the question that had been simmering at the back of her mind to come to the forefront. Why is he here? Why in the world was the prince of Rouleme in LA as a visiting professor at USC? It shouldn’t matter. He was here, and he was leaving in a few weeks. The why shouldn’t matter to her. Not really.
But why?!?! Did she even want to know? What if it was some top secret mission and the future of his country depended on it? Then again, he was a prince, not a secret agent. She worried her bottom lip. Honestly, she was afraid to ask. She was scared of getting more confirmation of how different they were—more reminders that he belonged in his country.
Tired of being alone with her thoughts, Emma walked to the front door and flung it open. Sophie shot up from her seat by the open door of her suite.
“Hey, Sophie,” Emma said from across the foyer. “Can you keep me company while Michel puts out another fire?”
“Bien s?r.” Her friend’s lips quirked in a half grin.
They settled down on the opposite ends of the sofa—Emma with her back against the arm of the sofa, her knees drawn up to her chest, and Sophie with her back ramrod straight and her feet firmly planted on the floor.
“So how are things going with Gabriel?” Emma asked, remembering her self-imposed matchmaking duties.
“I have no idea.” Sophie shook her head. She’d shared that she and Gabriel had dated briefly before he moved to the US, but Emma had read between the lines and gathered that her friend’s heart was broken when he left. Even so, there might be lingering feelings on both sides. “At any rate, he’s a terrible flirt and a distraction.”
“And you like that?” Emma wiggled her eyebrows. Sophie and Gabriel would certainly make a striking couple.
“Yes.” Her friend barked out something between a sob and a laugh. “And it’s a damned inconvenience.”
“Oh, honey.” Emma rushed to her side and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. This might be more serious than she’d thought. “I’m so sorry. How can I help?”
“It’s pointless.” Her friend’s head drooped. “Nothing has changed. His place is here, but my duty lies with the prince and Rouleme. It could never work.”
Emma’s heart constricted painfully at the similarities of their plight. The only difference was that she had accepted the fleeting nature of her relationship with Michel while Sophie seemed torn.
“Have you thought about just enjoying the time you have with him?” Emma squeezed Sophie’s shoulders once and dropped her arm.
“I… I fell apart when Gabriel left ten years ago.” She shivered and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Emma had never seen her look so vulnerable. “If I let him close again… I don’t know what it would do to me.”
Encouraging her to hold on to false hope might be the worst advice Emma could give. Sophie and Gabriel were like water and oil. They were unlikely to last even if circumstances had been different. No, Sophie didn’t need a matchmaker. She needed a friend with a good head on her shoulders.
“Then you have to protect your heart,” Emma said softly. “You have to tell Gabriel to stop flirting with you. It’s obviously tearing you apart. Your heart wants to give in, but your mind is telling you no. Listen to your mind. Draw a clear line he can’t cross. I know it’s hard, but it’s the only way to stop yourself from getting hurt.”
“You’re right.” Sophie sat up tall. “That’s exactly what I need to do.”
“Once you’re back in Rouleme, everything will be back to normal.” Emma wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince—herself or her friend. It was true for both of them. Once Michel returned to his country and his duties, she would resume her life where she’d left off. She and Sophie were both going to be fine.
And Emma didn’t need to know why Michel came to LA. All she had to remember was that he would be leaving soon. Whatever brought him here had allowed them to have this time together. She would always be grateful for that. And that gratitude would help her hold herself together when he left. No matter how much it hurt, she would have no regrets.
“I apologize for the interruption.” Emerging from his bedroom at last, Michel took long-legged strides to reach her side. “I see Sophie’s been keeping you company.”
“Now that you’re back, I’ll return to my post.” Sophie addressed Michel formally and said as a quiet aside, “Thank you, Emma.”
“Anytime,” she murmured, hoping her friend would find her peace soon.
“What was that about?” Michel sat down beside her and tucked her into his side. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, unwaveringly affectionate.
“Just some girl talk.” She snuggled closer to him. “Is everything okay?”
“‘Okay’ might be an overstatement.” He wiped a weary hand down his face. “But yes. Everything is fine. For now.”
“I could leave if you need more time to work.” Emma tried to pull away, but Michel tightened his arm around her shoulders.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Michel tipped her chin up, and she shivered at the heat in his eyes. “I think we were in the middle of something very important before we were so rudely interrupted.”
“Were we? I’m not sure if I remember…” She dragged a finger down the front of his shirt. “You’re going to have to remind me.”
Michel arched an eyebrow and leaned toward her. She licked her lips in anticipation, but he shifted at the last minute and kissed a trail down her jawline. Her gasp of indignation quickly morphed into a hiss when he lightly scraped his teeth on the tender skin of her neck.
“Do you remember now?” His low voice rumbled deep in his chest and vibrated against her body.
She shivered and wiggled in her seat but said, “You’re going to have to try harder than that.”
Despite her taunt, Michel didn’t quicken his pace. He languidly drew his lips back up the length of her neck and licked a spot right behind her earlobe. She moaned and clenched her thighs together.
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t recall?” He slid his hand up her torso and cupped her breast over her shirt, his thumb grazing the hardened peak. “Because I get the sense that you do.”
“Vaguely,” she breathed, burying her fingers in his hair to drag his mouth to hers. “Tell me if I’ve got it right.”
She crushed her lips against his, demanding entry. He opened up with a guttural growl. Without hesitation, she plunged her tongue into the heat of his mouth. When his tongue tangled with hers, hungry and wild, she climbed onto his lap.
“So?” She bit his bottom lip, then let go to allow him to speak.
“You got it spot-on.” His words sounded muffled because she was busy licking away the sting of her bite.
“I’m so pleased.” She shifted on his lap to straddle him. “Do I get a reward?”
He pivoted his hips off the sofa, digging his hardness against her center. “Oh, I think you should get multiple.”
Her first reward came deliriously fast as she shamelessly ground herself against him, both of them still fully dressed. Her second reward came with his beautiful golden head between her thighs. Her third reward undid her with him deep inside her, perfect and whole. And they didn’t even leave the living room sofa.
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” she said as she lay draped over Michel, his hand running up and down her bare back. “I got distracted at the end.”