Page 21 of Royal Icing

“Yes, you should have.”

“Let me make it up to you,” he said. His eyes were sincere. Something tingled deep in her. He may have been a sneaky fuck, but he was irresistibly charming.

“I promised I would go to the winter carnival tonight,” he added. “Will you come with me? I’ll give you a tour of the village. Maybe it’ll help.”

She crossed her arms and debated. Leo had grown up here, and he was the son of the person she was trying to impress. He was her best shot at getting this money and starting her new life. And he had apologized. Maybe he deserved a second chance. Or maybe his chiseled jawline was skewing her judgment.

“Fine.”

He suppressed a laugh. “I’m sorry. I’ve never had anyone agree to plans so begrudgingly before.”

“You’ve got a lot to learn, Your Highness.” She wheeled the cart around him.

“Emma?” he called after her.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “What?”

“Where are you going?”

She pointed at the cart. “To the kitchen.”

“Kitchen’s that way,” he said, then pointed. “I’d be happy to escort you there, but you’ll have to downgrade the hostility a millimeter or so.”

Emma’s shoulders slumped. It was her turn to apologize. “I’m sorry. I’m incredibly sleep-deprived.”

“Have you slept at all since you arrived?” the prince asked gently.

She shook her head.

He put his hand over hers on the cart, and electricity jolted her awake.

He gently tugged her hands off the handle. “I’m going to take this back. You need some rest.”

Her lower lip quivered. Maya would be mortified if she knew Emma had let the prince take the cart back. But she was going to fall asleep leaning against this cast-iron sconce if she didn’t find a bed in the next ten minutes.

“Do you need help finding your way to the apartment?”

She shook her head, even though she had no idea which direction it was. She would figure it out, even if she had to climb out a window to get to the outside.

“I’ll pick you up at seven. You might want to wear a disguise.”

A disguise? Did he think she had a carry-on full of fake mustaches and monocles or something?

“In case the paparazzi bothers us,” he clarified. “They sometimes take an interest in who our family…spends time with.”

Ah, shit. She didn’t have time to invent a disguise and come up with a plan that would put Maya’s to shame. But she also couldn’t cancel on him—she needed insider information. A big hat and bulky coat would have to do. Besides, no one here knew who she was.

CHAPTER EIGHT

EMMA

“Hold on,”Lola said on speakerphone. “You’re telling me Cooper peed on a member of the royal family? And you weren’t immediately extradited or imprisoned?”

Cooper raised his head from his reclined position on Emma’s unmade bed. The gatehouse apartment had proven to be very cozy. The nap had done wonders for her emotional stability, but she was still tired. A responsible night of sleep would have to wait until after the winter carnival.

“Well,” Emma said, rifling through her suitcase, “I did kind of make up for it by saving his life. It would be a bad look for them to deport me. Plus then Maya would be completely screwed. Maybe Ishouldconvince him to deport me.”

“Holy shit,” Lola said. “I am so jealous of your life right now. You know what Mateo and I did last night? We put together a thousand-piece puzzle of Big Ben. How are you peeing on princes in foreign countries while I’m stuck in Chicago doing puzzles and getting my ass blown into the river?”