Page 59 of Royal Icing

“And I wouldn’t say there’snothinggoing on here,” he added before she could say anything.

He pulled her to him, lowered his head until his lips were inches from hers. Or centimeters. Whatever they used here.

What was she doing? She was putting her future in jeopardy. But she had always done the right thing for her whole life, and it had gotten her nowhere—underemployed, taken advantage of, and alone in the world other than her mother. Maybe just this once, she could be a little selfish. She was worthy of adventure and excitement, especially since Leo was willing to keep it a secret.

His eyes smoldered as they searched hers. Fuck it.

Emma crushed her mouth to his before she could think better of it. He hesitated for a split second, then he gripped her by the hips roughly, powerfully—like she was anchoring him to the earth. Gone was the gentle Leo of yesterday.

There was a fire in him. His hands skated up her body, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. He picked her up like she weighed nothing and put her down on the kitchen table. Right on top of the blueprints. She pulled back to protest, but he dragged her to him and kissed her again. All thoughts of work vanished as his lips moved lower, down her neck, his breath hot on her collarbone.

My god, the sensations flowing through her right now. Her synapses were firing, sensations screaming by like she was in the dark tunnel of a rollercoaster. His hands slid beneath her T-shirt and tugged it up and over her head.

She was normally a five-to-six dates kind of girl. But they were short on time, and Leo had awakened a visceral hunger in her.

She yanked his shirt off, savoring the shifting power in his back and shoulders. His mouth moved to the curve of her breasts, which she hadn’t bothered to trap in a bra after her shower.

He teased a nipple with his teeth, and her fingers curled, head tipping back. She was totally at his mercy. He was made of marble, but warm and sexy and…okay, her brain had completely shut off now.

He leaned past her and made a sweeping motion with his arm. Paper rustled. She glanced at the floor, where the blueprints for the gingerbread house now rested. He returned to her mouth, investigating with his tongue. Thank god she had brushed her teeth.

He leaned her gently back onto the table, and she shuddered at the cold wood pressing into her spine.

His fingers slipped into the waistband of her sweatpants, and suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Fuck. She sat up abruptly, nearly cracking her skull into his.

He froze, shirtless and looking panicked.

“Hide,” she mouthed to him.

“Where?” he mouthed back.

“Bathroom,” she whispered, as though it was obvious.

“Who is it?” she called in a louder voice as she hopped off the table, lips still stinging from the intensity of their kiss.

“It’s Beatrice, miss. The queen asked me to check on you.”

“Oh. One second,” Emma said.

Leo darted into the bathroom. Holy shit. She had nearly had sex with a prince. In a castle. And they had nearly been caught by the second-to-last person she would want to find them.

She struggled into her T-shirt and cast one last look around. The apartment wasn’t neat, but at least Leo wasn’t trying to hide behind the potted plant. Shit, his clothes. She plucked his T-shirt from the floor and tossed it into the comically small refrigerator, then threw his shoes in the oven.

Emma pulled the door open and put on her brightest smile. “It’s so kind of you to check on me. I’m feeling well and ready to work.”

Beatrice smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Cooper ran over to her, and she gave him a distracted pat as she looked past Emma and into the room.

“You haven’t seen the prince, have you?”

Oh, shit. Did she know? Time to lie.

“John? No, why?”

“Not John. Leopold.”

“Not since this morning,” Emma said delicately. Her cheeks burned. Was she blushing? She wasn’t used to lying. It didn’t feel right, but if that two-minute preview was anything like the main event, she would lie to every employee in the castle to score more time with shirtless Leo. Principles be damned. “You guys should really consider putting an AirTag on him.”