13. Alejandro
ALEJANDRO
THIS WAS FUCKING torture.
I should’ve given in last night and put my dick out of its misery. Because now I was forced to stand beside Gabriel twelve hours later at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new community park and try not to remember the way his lips had devoured mine.
My name being called vaguely penetrated my thoughts, and I forced myself to smile and wave as I was introduced and thanked for being here on behalf of the royal family.
Which was exactly why Gabriel shouldn’t even be here.
He wasn’t Solterran, but had been invited to take part for reasons I couldn’t pretend to know.
Wasn’t he homesick yet? Missing his grey, drab Valoria?
It was like he’d been sent here specifically to drive me crazy, not to mend the relationship between kingdoms.
I’d succeeded in avoiding his gaze on the way here, but he wasn’t shy about trying to get my attention.
“How was the rest of your evening?” he said, keeping his voice low for only the two of us to hear.
“Perfect.”
“Find anyone worthy?”
I slowly turned my head to look at him, keeping my face blank as I said, “Yes.”
Then I went right back to ignoring him and hoped that came off convincing. The last thing I’d do was admit I’d gone back to my room alone with a bottle of wine. Or that I’d gotten myself off more than once as I thought about the way we’d gone at each other on the rooftop.
It was so hot, even more than I’d anticipated, and my expectations had already been high. All I’d wanted to do was forget there was a gala happening and fuck Gabriel senseless right there on the table. To shut him up once and for all and prove there was nothing gentle or “kitten” about me.
“I’d love to hear about it,” he murmured, his mouth barely moving as he smiled out at the crowd. “Every delicious, dirty little detail.”
He was calling my bluff, and that only made my irritation rise at the situation. There was no worse idea than getting involved with Gabriel Valemont, and for some reason he’d made it his mission to wear me down.
Not happening.
The mayor handed me the huge scissors for the ribbon cutting, and it was all I could do not to turn them on the menace beside me.
Instead, I walked center stage, held the sheers open, and said, “It gives me great pleasure to declare the park officially open.” Then I cut the ribbon and the crowd cheered as the gates were pulled wide for the first time for entry.
“Thank you so much for being here, Your Highness,” the mayor said before his gaze shifted to someone walking up beside me. “And we’re thrilled you could join us today, Prince Gabriel. We’re honored to have you both.”
“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you,” Gabriel said, his voice oozing charm that had the mayor blushing as he shook his hand.
I didn’t need to be standing here hearing about his pleasure. Or thinking about it. Or wishing I could have him between my thighs or down on his knees—
I shook the thought out of my head and straightened, not sure what I’d missed the mayor saying, but Gabriel had him eating out of the palm of his hand.
“I’d be happy to give you a personal tour of the park if you’d like?” The mayor looked at me and added, “The both of you, of course.”
“Oh, we couldn’t intrude when it’s such a big day for you,” Gabriel said smoothly. “We can find our own way around, but thank you for the offer.”
A hint of disappointment flashed across the mayor’s face, but he quickly forced a smile. “Absolutely. Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything.”
As he walked off, Gabriel turned to face me, those blue eyes sparkling with interest.
And mischief.
“What do you say, Your Highness? Wanna come play with me?” He waggled his brows.
My body wanted to. Thank God my mind still realized that was a bad idea.
There were still cameras. Still onlookers. Still entirely too many people around for the kind of look he was giving me.
“Play? With you?” I smirked at the way he was looking at me expectantly. “Sure. Let’s start with hide-and-seek. You go hide.”
“We could hide together,” he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I’m sure there are all kinds of secret spots in a park where no one could find us.”
It was tempting, the idea of going somewhere private with him. If only to potentially bury his body.
“I see you’re thinking about it.”
“Oh, I’m definitely thinking something.” I started off in the opposite direction to him, but, in true Gabriel form, he kept pace with me.
“Now, why do you have to be like that?”
“Like what?”
“Hostile. Combative.” He leaned in. “You know it makes me hot.”
“Not my intention.”
“Yes, well, we can’t always help whom we’re attracted to. You should know that.”
I stopped in my tracks. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Was he making some kind of jab about his brother falling for his footman instead of me? Because so help me God—
“Just that no matter how much you try to hate me, we both know your body wants me.”
Oh…
That.
“Luckily for me, I’ve developed what they call impulse control. You should try it.”
Feeling rather proud of myself for not letting him bait me into some kind of verbal foreplay, I headed toward the shaded area where water fountains and benches sat under the building for the hotter Solterran days.
I was about to go and talk to a few people who’d gathered underneath the awning, but strong fingers gripped my elbow and began guiding me in the opposite direction.
“What the—”
“Careful, Your Highness. People are watching.” Gabriel waved at several in the crowd, and then pretended to point in the opposite direction, around the structure. “Why, I’d love to see what’s behind the shaded area. Thank you.”
It took everything I had not to stick my foot out and trip the presumptuous ass.
But if I did that, I’d draw everyone’s attention back to us, and that was the last thing we needed.
Instead, I followed him behind the back of the building, about to ream him a new one, but suddenly I found myself spun around, back up against the cool stone surface.
“Are you out of your mind?” I asked, looking past his shoulder, half expecting to see the mayor himself wandering around the corner. “Anyone could come over here.”
“They could. But they won’t. I paid off your security.”
I blinked at him like he was stark raving mad, because he was.
“You paid my—”
“Security, yes. You really should talk to them about that. It was ridiculously easy.”
I raised a brow. “More like they didn’t see you as a threat.”
He turned in toward me, and I found my back flat against the wall.
“And you? Do you find me threatening?”
Yes, I did.
To my body.
My peace of mind.
And, God help me, my common sense.
“Not at all.”
“Such a liar…” He reached for my chin and took it between his fingers. Then he leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “Why are you being so stubborn?”
“Because I hate you.”
“I don’t really like you either. But you don’t see me being stubborn.” He nipped at my lower lip, and a soft moan escaped me. “Just think, if it’s this hot when you hate me, imagine how hot it’s going to be when you finally admit it’s more…”
My hands went to his hips to push him away, but instead of shoving him off me, I found myself pulling him in closer.
“If I agree to this,” I said, “it doesn’t mean I like you.”
Gabriel chuckled and lowered his head to kiss his way up my jaw to my ear. “Hate me all you like. Just hate me in your bed.”
Fuck.
The feel of his warm lips on my skin was quickly erasing any fight I had left.
I wanted him.
It went against every single shred of common sense I possessed, but the more time I spent with him, the harder it was getting to resist. He knew it, and so did I. So why was I still fighting?
He was single. I was too.
This didn’t mean anything. It was just physical.
But before this went any further, there needed to be some ground rules.
I pushed him back slightly, and I could see the flash of disappointment in his eyes. He thought I was about to end this, send him on his way just as I had in the past. But not this time.
“Not here,” I said, sliding out from where he had me pinned. “Tonight. Midnight. My chambers.”
“Not to throw me off your balcony, I hope?” he said, straightening his jacket.
I turned and looked at him over my shoulder. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”