LITMIR.BIZ

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brushed a kiss against her cheek. ‘Then let’s find out.’

      * * *

      She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, instantly feeling the coolness of the air-conditioned room. Her cheek burned from where he’d kissed her.

      Kissed her—and left her. Walking down the corridor, leaving her to fixate on his backside and broad shoulders. She felt like someone from a bad movie.

      Her stomach was turning over and over. ‘Let’s find out.’

      She’d waited ten years to find out. Ten years of secret thoughts and wild imagination. Did this mean anything between them was destined to fail?

      She picked up her mobile and pressed the quick call button. She’d never needed to talk to someone so badly.

      ‘Polly? Are you free? Can you talk?’

      ‘Ruby? Where on earth have you been? I tried to call you three times yesterday. Are you coming home?’

      ‘No. Not yet. And maybe...’

      ‘Maybe what?’ Polly got straight to the point. ‘What’s happening with you and Prince Perfect?’

      Ruby sighed and leaned against the wall. ‘He just kissed me, Polly. He kissed me and I didn’t want him to stop.’

      ‘Oh, no. Don’t start all this dreamy kissing stuff again. Does this guy have stars and rainbows in his lips? One kiss and you go all squishy.’

      She smiled. It was true. Trust Polly just to come out with it. ‘I’m worried, Pol. He’s told me he wants to give us a chance. He’s asked me if I’m willing.’

      ‘Willing to what? Flounce off into the sunset on matching unicorns? What exactly does he need you to be willing for?’

      ‘To give us a go. To see where this takes us.’ She started to slide down the wall. ‘But I can’t think straight, Pol. I’m just Ruby. I’m not a princess. I’m not a supermodel. How can I possibly live up to the expectations he has? I don’t even know what fork to pick up at dinner.’

      ‘Ruby Wetherspoon, you listen to me. This isn’t about his expectations. This is about yours. You don’t need to be a princess or a supermodel. You’re better than both. He is lucky to have met you. He’s lucky you agreed to go and help with his daughter. This isn’t about you being good enough for him. The question is: is Prince Perfect good enough for you?’

      Trust Polly. She could always boost her confidence and make her feel better. It was like having her own professional cheerleader and piranha all in one. But whilst she loved what Polly was saying, she just wasn’t sure she believed it.

      Polly hadn’t finished talking. ‘And as for the forks—just start on the outside and work your way in. Never fails.’

      Ruby was shaking her head. ‘I like him, Polly. I really like him. But this is a whole other country. There’s so many people watching me. So many people watching him.’

      ‘He’s a prince, Ruby. What do you want?’

      She sighed. ‘I want to do normal things. I want to get to know him better. I want the chance to go out and have a glass of wine with him. I want to go to the cinema and fight about who is the best action hero or the best Star Trek captain—’

      ‘Picard.’ Polly cut her off quickly. ‘It’s always Picard.’

      Ruby heard the squeak of furniture as Polly obviously sat down.

      ‘I hate to break it to you, honey, but going for a glass of wine and heading to the multiplex is probably a no-no. Anyway—doesn’t Alex have a whole cinema in the palace?’

      ‘Probably. I don’t know. I just can’t think straight around him, Pol. He walks in a room and my whole body—it just tingles.’ She gave a little shake as she said the words.

      ‘Oh, no. No tingling. Definitely no tingling.’

      ‘People here—they’re different. The way they treat Alex. The way they treat me when I’m with Alex...’

      Her voice drifted off as her train of thought started to take her down the railway line to mild panic.

      ‘His mother spoke four languages. I can’t do that. I know nothing about politics. Or history. Or modern studies. I only got a passing grade in geography because I memorised stuff about eroding coastlines.’

      ‘What exactly do you think you’re auditioning for here, Rubes? You’re a speech and language therapist—an expert in your field. You’ve published professional papers. You work at one of the finest hospitals in London. Why do you think you’re not good enough for him?’

      She started shaking her head. ‘It’s not that I think I’m not good enough. I’m just worried. Alex wants to give us a chance—I want to give us a chance—but what about the rest of the world?’

      ‘Hang the rest of the world, Ruby. This is your life. Not theirs.’ Polly groaned. ‘You know I want you back here with me. But ten years, Ruby. Ten years you waited for this guy to come back into your life. You can’t let what anyone else thinks matter.’

      Ruby straightened up. Polly was right. Alex was right. He was just trying to prepare her. Trying to let her understand that things might be difficult.

      But Alex de Castellane wanted her—Ruby Wetherspoon. It had to mean something.

      She walked over to the other side of the cabin. ‘Oh, Pol. He’s bought me clothes.’

      ‘Again? What is he—a personal shopper or a prince?’

      She lifted up a scrap of material from the bed and squinted at it—trying to imagine what it covered. ‘Well, they’re not clothes, exactly. More like tiny bits of cloth. I think they’re supposed to be for swimming.’ She started to laugh and shake her head as she moved her phone to snap a picture and send it to Polly. ‘What on earth is that supposed to cover?’

      There were five different styles of swimming costume on the bed, along with a whole host of scraps doing their best impression of itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny bikinis. She picked up the first and checked the label. At least they were her size—but there was no way she was wearing one in front of Alex. Not right now anyway.

      There was a screech at the other end of the phone as Polly got the photo. She started howling with laughter. ‘Gotta go, honey—the baby’s crying. But, please—if you wear that you’ve got to send me a photo!’

      Ruby smiled as the call was disconnected. She always felt better after talking to Polly. But Polly’s life had moved on. They were still best friends. But Polly had a husband and a baby. She’d found her happy-ever-after. What about Ruby’s?

      She picked up a red swimsuit, slightly padded with a ruched front. Perfect. Something that actually covered the parts it should. It only took two minutes to put it on, and she grabbed a sheer black sarong to knot around her waist.

      It was time to get out there.

       Let’s find out.

      * * *

      Alex was doing his best impression of a male model in white trunks. She gulped. She was going to have to avert her eyes. Either that or put a sign on her head saying that if she looked at that area it would make her knees go weak.

      He was waiting for her out on deck and he led her around to the back of the yacht this time. Again there were some seats, but Alex had also laid down towels on a flat area overhanging the edge. There was no ladder down the side. This flat part seemed to have been designed purely for getting in and out of the sea.

      She sat down on a white towel and blushed as she noticed his appreciative gaze. ‘What do you normally use this for?’

      ‘Diving. I used to do a lot of diving with friends. Nothing too spectacular. Just for fun. So when I commissioned the

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