Page 15 of Incognito (Royally Reckless #1)

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“ Y ou call that jumping?”

If Natasha laughed any harder she’d tear an abdominal.

Dante glared at her, standing with her feet firmly planted on the ground, while he bounced like a lunatic on a huge inflated plastic castle.

“If you’re so clever, Miss Telford, why don’t you show me how it’s done?” He folded his arms, which didn’t improve his situation. He wobbled and would’ve fallen flat on his face if he hadn’t spread his legs wider to brace.

“I’ll be glad to show you,” she said, clambering into the giant mock castle, complete with turrets and windows. “Now move aside, and you’ll see what jumping’s all about.”

Dante didn’t move. He stood there like a starstruck kid and watched a stunning woman bounce around him like a madwoman. A very beautiful madwoman, with her dark, shimmering hair streaming out behind her like a chocolate ripple, her hazel eyes glittering gold in the soft moonlight filtering through the castle windows, and a cheeky smile on her face he’d never seen before.

He’d seen her forced smile, her polite smile, her business smile, but he’d never seen her this carefree. For the first time since they’d met she looked genuinely happy, and he was glad.

He’d been completely honest with her earlier, as much as it pained him to discuss his situation back home. Not that he thought they would get romantically involved, but he wanted to be upfront in case… what? He lost his mind and indulged in a fling with a woman who’d been nothing but pleasant and obliging?

No, he couldn’t go there, despite finding her incredibly attractive. But as she continued to jump around him, poking her tongue out in a taunt, he intended on enjoying her company for however long it lasted. Time enough to face his responsibilities when he returned to Calida.

“Come on. Let’s see who can jump the highest.” Her cheeky grin widened as she placed her thumb on her nose and wiggled her fingers at him. “Unless His Highness is too chicken, that is.”

With a mock growl, Dante crouched, before pushing up with all his strength, propelling himself high into the air. Natasha clapped her hands and laughed loudly. Until he came back down.

With the force of his jump, his landing wasn’t soft, and the rubbery floor moved in a wave beneath his feet, tossing her into the air like a featherweight. She landed in an undignified heap in the far corner of the castle and for an awful moment Dante thought he’d hurt her. His chest tightened, but before he could make his way towards her, she leaped to her feet and bounced towards him like a man walking on the moon.

“Good one. Lucky jump,” she said, grinning.

“Are you all right?”

“Never better.”

He had to agree. Her eyes hadn’t lost their sparkle and her cheeks glowed with vitality. And that mouth… with a jolt, Dante realised he wanted to kiss her. Badly.

When he kissed her outside the hotel as part of his pathetic ruse, it had been an impulse. Yes, he’d enjoyed it, and yes, he’d been fantasising about more. Hell, he was a red blooded male and who wouldn’t want the luscious woman before him in their arms.

But this was different.

He’d just been mentally chastising himself about not toying with her, yet all it took was her eyes meeting his in a mock challenge and he couldn’t think about anything else but having her.

His gaze strayed to her lips, riveted by their fullness, their gloss, their delicious shape. He wanted her with a ferocity that stunned him and there weren’t too many things in this world that surprised him anymore. He’d seen a lot and done a lot in his time.

However, nothing in his past had prepared him for this unfamiliar helpless feeling, like he wanted something but had no idea how to go about getting it.

Or what he’d do if he got it.

“Okay. You asked for it.” Natasha jumped, breaking his concentration, and he appreciated the distraction as they laughed and jostled like a couple of kids.

“I haven’t laughed so much in ages. I’ve got a stitch,” she said, as she flopped onto the rubber floor of the castle, holding her side. “This is the best.”

“It certainly is,” he said, falling in an undignified heap next to her as they ricocheted off each other again.

However, he wasn’t talking about the castle, and by the glint in her incredible eyes, she knew it.

He expected her to look away as she’d done repeatedly when he’d half flirted with her before, but she surprised him. She rolled onto her side, propped her head on her hand, and stared right back.

“You know we’re lying where thousands of grubby kids have jumped before?”

“So?”

“We’ll probably get kid cooties.”

“Cooties?”

She smiled, a soft upward tilting of her lips that had him aching to reach out and trace their shape. “You really are a prince, aren’t you?”

“Did you doubt it before?”

Her smile widened, her teeth gleaming white in the filtered light. “You don’t exactly look the part.”

“And how do I look?”

“Like the type of guy my mother would’ve warned me to stay away from.”

“Ouch.” He clutched his heart in mock pain, wishing she hadn’t lost her smile when she mentioned her mother.

For some bizarre reason, lying with her in the semi-darkness on a smelly old piece of rubber invited questions, confidences, and he didn’t want to lose the tentative connection he’d established with her.

He thought he’d made a start on building bridges last night when she accepted his invitation to have a drink with him, but it hadn’t happened and they’d parted on uncomfortably formal terms.

For some reason, he sensed she didn’t trust him, and though he liked her honesty, Natasha harboured secrets, an undercurrent of emotion tinged with sadness.

Perhaps if he drew her out, got her talking about herself, she’d learn to look at him like he wasn’t a ruthless king hellbent on dictating rules to his serfs?

“You haven’t mentioned your parents much,” he said, expecting the shutters to come down and pleasantly surprised when they didn’t.

“My dad is in Perth on business for a month. He’ll be back soon.” She paused, sadness flickering across her face like a shadow. “Mum died a while ago. Heart attack.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, placing a comforting hand on her arm before thinking better of it.

Touching her so soon on the heels of his earlier impulse to kiss her wouldn’t be good. No telling what he might do in the muted evening light in a mock castle with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Sadness fell across her face like a dark cloak. “Thanks. It was tough. We were really close.”

“And I was complaining about my mother earlier.” He winced. “You must think I’m heartless.”

And an unfeeling clod for blundering into territory he wished he’d never entered. Inviting confidences was one thing; making her sad after the evening they’d had was downright stupid.

“Everyone has their own demons to battle.”

She softened her words with a tentative smile, but not before he glimpsed darkness in her eyes again, a darkness bordering on fear, the same fleeting expression he’d seen several times, as if she had an awful secret weighing her down.

“I think all that jumping around has rattled our brains and made us morbid,” he said, intent on changing the subject and lightening the mood. “How about we have a coffee?”

He wanted to say a meal, but thought better of it. She’d refused his dinner invitation last night, he wouldn’t push his luck. He’d made inroads tonight, establishing more of a friendly interaction in how they related, and he didn’t want to ruin it.

Besides, he had another favour to ask, and he had a feeling she’d draw the line at this one.

“Sounds great.” She jumped up and dusted off her butt, sending a sizzle of heat shooting through him.

She had a great body and knew how to accentuate it. Tonight, she wore a soft, turquoise cashmere jacket, clingy beige top underneath, and camel hipsters with matching high-heeled boots. The outfit highlighted her light tan and chocolate brown hair to perfection and he’d been staring at her all night.

For a guy who’d socialised with the most beautiful women in the world—supermodels, actresses and princesses—he’d never been as drawn to anyone as he was to her. Ironic, considering he couldn’t do anything about it no matter how much he wanted to.

There was a price to pay for his birthright, and at times like this, it stifled him more than he cared to admit.

After sliding to the ground first, he held out his arms to help guide her down. She hesitated a fraction and he wondered why. Surely he hadn’t scared her off that much?

“I promise I won’t drop you,” he said, lifting his arms higher.

“That’s not what I’m afraid of,” she muttered under her breath, and as she leaned forward, he placed his hands around her waist and gently lifted her to the ground.

If he were prone to ridiculous theatrics, he could’ve sworn time stopped as she stood toe to toe with him, her hands braced lightly against his chest while his rested on her waist, their gazes locked as tension stretched between them.

Her floral fragrance enveloped him, teasing him to do what he wanted to do earlier; pull her close and kiss her senseless, to savour her warmth, banish her demons, and do whatever it took to assuage the burning need he had for her.

“Thanks,” she said, breaking the loaded silence, snapping him back to reality.

He couldn’t do it to her. By her reticence, Natasha had problems she hadn’t shared with him, and he didn’t want to add to them by having a quick fling with her before heading home. She didn’t deserve that. No matter how much he wanted her.

“At your service.” He released her and did a mock bow, relieved when she laughed. “If my lady is tired of playing in her castle, we can retire to the nearest café?”

“Lead the way,” she said, and as she tucked her hand into his proffered elbow, he wished it didn’t feel so damn right.