Page 45 of Expecting Royal Twins!
Isabel was his wife, but another man had just accepted her proposal to marry her. Anything they did would be wrong. Illicit. Hurtful to the two people they’d agreed to marry.
Niko lowered his arms and stepped out of her embrace.
Disappointment pinched her face. Her smile faltered, but only for a moment. She handed him his phone. “I’m sorry for getting carried away with my celebrating.”
“You do not need to apologize.”
Izzy glanced around. “If someone saw…”
“You are my wife. We hugged. That is not a crime.”
“Yeah, a hug.” She sounded disappointed. “No big deal.”
“Right.” Though it had felt like a bigger deal to him. He missed her body touching his. Her warmth. The feel of her moist breath.
“Jules wants to work with me today.” Isabel wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Princess lessons.”
He couldn’t deny the chemistry between them, but that was a complication he couldn’t afford. Whatever he was feeling was strictly physical. He hardly knew Isabel. “I have things to take care of myself.”
“I’d better get going. I need to remember where I took off my shoes.”
“If you can’t find them…” He was about to offer to help her, but he couldn’t. He needed to limit his time with her. “Ask one of the staff to assist you.”
Izzy nodded. “See you later?”
She was a fair princess. And he didn’t want her anywhere near him.
The words of—it might have been Shakespeare—swirled through Niko’s head.
“Perhaps.” Unless he could convince Julianna to join him for dinner after they went sailing. He needed her to take his mind off Isabel. “Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.”
Two hours later, Izzy walked through the library with a book on her head. Okay, “through” was a slight exaggeration. She only made it three steps before the book fell off and landed on the wood floor with a thump.
“I don’t see why I need to do this.” Izzy blamed her lack of concentration on not sleeping last night, but the real reason was Niko. She couldn’t stop thinking about hugging him and wanting to kiss him. “It’s not like anyone will ever be watching how I walk.”
“Princesses need to have perfect postures,” Jules said.
“But I’m not going to be a princess.” Izzy stared at the etiquette book she’d been balancing on her head. None of this stuff Jules was trying to teach her mattered. Not now anyway. “I’m going to marry my friend Boyd and go back to Charlotte. As long as I put my napkin in my lap at mealtime, I’ll be good.”
“Being good isn’t enough. You must be the best. People have certain expectations,” Julianna said, proving once again why Niko wanted to marry her. “You are a princess no matter where you live.”
“Yeah, but if someone ever calls me by my title I might have to deck them.”
Jules cringed. “Izzy…”
“I know.” Izzy sighed. “Princesses don’t punch.”
“You are allowed to fight back if attacked.”
What defined an attack? Since arriving in Vernonia, she felt as if she’d gone nine rounds. She was exhausted, confused and frustrated. Not to mention attracted to her soon-to-be-ex-husband and the soon-to-be-husband of her new friend. “I just want to go home.”
“I’m so sorry, Izzy.” Compassion filled Jules’s eyes. “I know exactly how you feel.”
The beautiful princess who would marry the handsome prince and live happily ever after as they ruled Vernonia had no idea how Izzy felt. No one could. Still she didn’t want to be rude. That went against princess protocol. “Thanks.”
Jules started to say something, but pressed her lips together. Niko and King Dmitar used the same gesture. Maybe it was a royal thing, stiff upper lip and all that.
“I’m good. Really,” Izzy added. “At least I get to pick who I marry, right?”
“Yes. You are quite fortunate in that regard.” Jules removed a heavier book from one of the shelves. “Try again. Remember…shoulders back, chin up and smile as you walk.”
