Mills and Boon Christmas Joy Collection. Liz Fielding

shrugged. ‘It’ll save the staff from polishing.’

      He nodded. ‘True.’ And then he sighed. ‘I wish I’d thought of that explanation twenty years ago. You could have got me out of a whole heap of trouble.’

      She stood up and whispered in his ear again. ‘How about painting the palace a brighter shade of pink? Doesn’t every girl want to live in a pink palace?’

      He laughed. ‘You don’t think it’s pink enough already? It might be every girl’s dream but guess what? It’s not every teenage boy’s. I told you—I hated living in a pink palace.’

      She shook her head. ‘Silly boy. You just don’t know what you had.’

      He stopped smiling and touched her cheek. ‘But I do now.’

      She bit her lower lip again. He couldn’t help but fixate on it. They weren’t entirely alone on this boat. But right now he didn’t care. It seemed as if he’d been waiting for this moment for ever.

      He bent forward and captured her lips against his. She met him hungrily, pushing herself against him and letting her fingers gently stroke the back of his neck. The sensation shot directly down his spine and into his groin.

      He pulled back. There was a whole host of things running through his mind right now. But none was as important as being here with Ruby.

      He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

      ‘There are seven staff on this boat. They would never disturb us, but things aren’t exactly private here. If we’re going to see where this takes us we have to agree what you’re comfortable with.’

      She looked a little unsure. But her face was flushed and her hands were touching his waist—almost as if she didn’t want to let go.

      He glanced down at them and gave a laugh. ‘Careful, Ruby. You’ve no idea where my brain’s currently taking us.’

      He opened the door and pulled her along a narrow corridor,

      ‘I’ve made plans for us today. Let’s cool off. There are some swimsuits inside this room along here. We’ll anchor the boat, do a little swimming, and then have some dinner.’ He stopped outside the door of one of the rooms and hesitated. ‘It’ll give you time to think.’

      He was aware that she hadn’t said anything—was terrified that he might have frightened her off. Ruby probably hadn’t considered the real consequences of being involved with a prince and he’d just laid them all bare to her.

      He’d lived with press intrusion all his life. But in his world it was slightly easier for men than women. When the heir to the throne in the United Kingdom had got married his new wife had been constantly under the glare of the spotlight. Even now every outfit she wore, every friend she spoke to, even the appointments in her diary were scrutinised continuously.

      Euronia might not be the UK, but it was a hotspot for the rich and famous. The press were always lurking somewhere in the background. He was surprised no one had commented on Ruby’s presence before now. She must have slipped under the radar as a member of staff. But that wouldn’t last much longer.

      Her smile faltered. ‘Alex, what if we’re making a mistake? What if we’re both caught in the memory of ten years ago and what we’ve imagined and reality is totally different?’ She looked up through heavy eyelids. ‘We might not even like each other.’

      His stomach twisted. It was true. It was a fair comment. But it went against his gut. It went against how he truly felt.

      He didn’t know Ruby that well. Someone, somewhere in the palace would have a report on her—they had one on every staff member. And his security staff would have the report from ten years ago on the woman he’d been with when they’d found him at the café in Paris. Someone would know which schools she’d attended in England, what the occupations of her mum and dad were, if she had any political affiliations.

      But he didn’t want to find out from a bit of paper. He wanted to find out in real time—with Ruby.

      So he did what his gut told him to do. He leaned forward and 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