Page 27 of That Prince is Mine
But in his heart of hearts, he knew there was nothing left for him to discover that would change his mind. This was it. She was it. Emma was his first and last chance at love. And he only had two months to convince her to start a new life with him in Rouleme.
“I want you.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I want to be with you.”
“You only have two months here…” She trailed off as her gaze roamed his face with part conflict and part yearning.
“Even if it’s only for two months, I want to spend my time here with you.” He ran his thumb across her knuckles, stopping himself from telling her he wanted to spend a lifetime with her. It was too soon for that. He didn’t want to scare her away. And there was the small matter of telling her that he was the prince of Rouleme.
“We have nothing in common,” she murmured, staring down at their entwined hands.
“Give me two months to prove you wrong.” He ducked his head to catch her eyes. “I’ll prove to you common upbringing and surface similarities don’t dictate how well two people fit together. I’ll prove to you that you don’t want perfect on paper.”
“I don’t think I’m wrong. I know what I want and what I’m not willing to risk…” She didn’t look away from him. “But if it’s only for two months, maybe it doesn’t matter which one of us is right.”
“Maybe,” he conceded without meaning it. She thought he was proposing a brief interlude, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I should go.” She pulled her hand from his grasp and stood from her seat.
“Of course.” He rose as his stomach plummeted to his feet. This couldn’t be the end. This could not be the end.
Michel saw Sophie’s door close discreetly as he and Emma stepped out to the foyer. Even with a secure floor, his royal guard had to stay alert while he was in the company of a nonfamily member.
As he walked Emma to the elevator, he contemplated begging her to let him see her again. His mind spun in frantic circles, looking for ways to stop this moment from being their last. Merde alors. Emma stepped inside the elevator, and he stood rooted to the floor of the foyer, his lips melded together. Even when she turned to face him, he couldn’t find the right words. He wanted to roar with frustration. Or prostrate himself at her feet and stop the elevator doors from closing with his body.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said.
He lurched forward as though someone pushed him from behind. “When? How soon?”
“I’ll text you.” A faint smile touched her lips just as the door closed.
With his back against a wall by the elevator, he sagged to the floor. He stretched a leg out and rested his arm on his folded knee. A chuckle rose from his throat, quaking his shoulders. He shook his head, pressing a loose fist against his forehead. When the top half of Sophie’s body materialized from behind her door, he lowered his fist to his lips to curb his laughter.
“Is everything all right?” she asked dutifully even as she leveled him with a stare that said he was a git.
“Everything is fine.” Another huff of laughter spilled out of him. “Against all odds, I’ve managed not to mess this up.”
“Congratulations, my prince.” The rest of her made an appearance as she leaned against the doorjamb, crossing her arms. “So when is your next date?”
“I don’t know yet.” He pursed his lips. “She said she’ll text me.”
“Sounds like you still have a chance to mess this up.” Sophie pushed off the door with an exasperated sigh. “Maybe you should read her file to learn more about her. It sounds like you need all the help you can get.”
“Her background check was about giving you peace of mind.” He stood up from the floor. “I have no wish to learn about her through a report. But I plan to learn every detail about Emma from the woman herself.”
I plan to learn every inch of her body so I can map out her pleasure. I plan to learn all about her hopes and dreams to help them come true. I plan to learn her fears and regrets to help assuage them. I plan to learn her past hurts to help her heal—and possibly to pummel anyone who had hurt her. I plan to spend a lifetime learning everything about her so I’ll know every way to make her happy.
“I don’t know,” she said solemnly. “I think you should learn about her porcelain clown collection before it’s too late.”
With an undignified snort, he turned his back on her and ambled toward his suite. If he was honest with himself, even a porcelain clown collection wouldn’t be a deal-breaker. The thought was rather alarming… and kind of wonderful.
“Good night, Sophie.” Michel waved over his shoulder, not bothering to look back. “And you’re sorely mistaken if you think a collection of creepy clown figurines is going to keep me away from Emma Yoon.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Emma had basically been wrong about everything. She was not smart when it came to Michel Chevalier. One date with him only made her want to spend more time with him. No, her little self-indulgence did not get him out of her system. In fact, it did quite the opposite.
Their date had been more than fun. It had made her happy. And the way he looked at her made bubbles rise inside her, fizzy and tingly like champagne. Even though she had Auntie Soo’s reputation and her culinary school to worry about, she was sorely tempted to see the sweet, considerate, and sexy-as-hell man again.
“Wrong, wrong, wrong,” she sighed under her breath.
