Page 34 of That Prince is Mine
They found a cozy love seat in the back of the café and settled there with their tea. White flowers blossomed in their mugs, and the heady scent of jasmine perfumed the air around them. She took a careful sip, savoring the hint of earthy bitterness on the back of her tongue.
“This tea is beautiful,” she said, setting down her mug on the coffee table in front of them.
“So are you.” Michel’s eyes roamed her face with unabashed appreciation.
Her heart tripped in her chest as warmth spread low in her stomach. “And you’re cheesy.”
“Since when has honesty been cheesy?” His lips tipped into a lopsided grin.
“I feel like I’ve been hustled.” She wanted to taste that cocky smile of his. “I thought you were supposed to be ‘hopeless at this dating business.’”
“I am.” He took a sip of his tea and placed his mug beside hers. “Utterly hopeless.”
“You are so not hopeless.” Her words prickled with accusation. Since she was horrible at dating, it should definitely count as an incompatibility.
“I’m glad to hear that.” He picked up her hand and toyed with her fingers in the narrow space between them.
“I’ve never… The thing is…” Emma became fascinated with how their hands looked tangled together—the golden tan of his skin against her fairness. There was beauty and harmony there. “I don’t know if I want a fling? I’m not even sure I know how to have one.”
“That’s not what I want either.” Michel gently brushed her hair off her forehead.
“Then how do you… why do you want to be with me?” she asked with wide eyes.
“I want to know everything about you. Your hopes and dreams. Your favorite ice cream flavor.” He cupped her cheek, and she instinctively leaned into his touch—warm and strong. “And I want you to know me as well. My most embarrassing childhood memories. My favorite song.”
“I’d like that.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. She wanted to learn everything about him to prove how incompatible they were, right? “I would like that very much.”
“Make no mistake. I want you, Emma. Desperately.” He swept his thumb across her bottom lip. When her mouth parted at his touch, he sucked in a rough breath. “But nothing will happen unless you want it to. I am… at your mercy.”
Even as she heard his words, she was already lifting her head toward his, her eyes fluttering shut. But she couldn’t kiss him. She couldn’t think properly with the lure of this attraction clouding her mind. And how was kissing going to prove that they had nothing in common? Still, she didn’t move away. She couldn’t.
“I would definitely be at your mercy”—he brushed his lips on her temple as light as a whisper and pulled back—“if you knew the sound I make when I see a spider.”
“That I have to hear.” She smiled tremulously, grateful to him for giving her the space she needed.
“Oh, you would love it.” His eyes sparkled with mischief and lingering lust. “I sound terribly manly.”
“So what is your favorite song?”
“It’s an old folk song from my country,” he said quietly. “My mother used to sing it for me when I was little… before she passed away.”
“Oh, Michel. I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand.
“It was a long time ago.” He squeezed it back. “What about you?”
“My mom left when I was ten,” she said, surprising herself. She didn’t talk about her mom very often. “It’s been just me and my dad since then.”
“That must’ve been hard for you.” He held her gaze as though he really wanted to know.
Most people shied away from asking about her mom or brushed it off as More than 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Emma really didn’t need a reminder that she was just part of a statistic, so she’d gotten used to not talking about her parents’ divorce. But she realized she wanted Michel to understand.
“Yes and no.” She thought for a moment. “My parents fought a lot. They couldn’t agree on the simplest things. So in some ways, I was relieved that they wouldn’t have to fight anymore. But that also meant I wouldn’t have my mom around.”
He nodded slowly. “Do you keep in touch with her?”
“Apart from our annual Christmas call?” Her mom couldn’t seem to bother with remembering her birthday even before the divorce. “No, not really. She’s a partner at a fancy accounting firm. Her job keeps her pretty busy.”
“No job is important enough to keep someone away from their family so completely.” He linked his fingers through hers. “I’m sorry.”
