Page 12 of The Prince and the Double Shot (Runaway Prince Hotel #2)

ZANE

“ Y ou have really sucked all day, do you know that? What’s happening with you?” Di scrubbed the back counter where some syrup had spilled.

“I’m… Sorry. It’s been a very weird few days.”

“Does it have anything to do with the tall, dark, and handsome guy who ordered that double shot? He’s hot. I saw the way you couldn’t stop staring at him. He didn’t take his eyes off you either. So, you’re fucking?”

“No! I mean… He’s gonna meet me here at the end of my shift. Maybe we’ll have dinner or… No. He’s… You know how this place is, Di. He and I cannot be a thing.”

Her eyes got big. “Oh… One of them, huh? Of course. I mean, you can’t spit in this fucking town without hitting a prince sometimes. I think it’s seasonal. They always seem to arrive with the sun, don’t they?”

“He’s… It’s complicated.”

“Honey, everything with you is always complicated. You do that to yourself, I’m sure. Your choices have never been the best. It’s like you run away from anything that could ever mean anything except for this job.”

“Like I said, it’s very complicated and nuanced.”

“Your secrets have secrets, Zane.” She hiccupped. “Fuck.”

“I’m private – I know that. You know how much I wanted to escape my past. I’ve told you that.”

“I know, boo. You know, I secretly think that your parents are mafia, right? You like… come from this drug cartel or something, and you're on the run.”

“It’s not quite like that,” I laughed. “But it’s just as fucked up.”

“You’ve never even told me where you’re from. Aren’t you tired of keeping all of this to yourself? It has to be lonely, babe. You won’t even let yourself get close to one of the guys who’ve fallen head over heels for you. It has to be so lonely. I worry about you. Do you know that?”

“I… I do, Di. You know more than anyone, I guess. But…”

“It’s safer for me not to know, right? Look, I’m not being pushy or anything, because I have my own secrets too.

We all do. But if you ever want to… unload, I’ll listen, you little shit.

When I became your friend, I went all in.

I’d help you bury the body if it ever came to that,” she laughed. I knew she meant it.

“I know, babe. You’re the only one that I’d ever… One day, maybe.”

“I’m here.”

“I think I’m supposed to ask you about some kind of ball that the hotel’s throwing. Layla kind of interrogated me about not sending an RSVP or something.”

“Of course she did. She wants all of us there to help celebrate. She and Sheena have always been there for all of us. I think they’re hoping that we’ll be there for them.

You should send in the RSVP, Zane. It’s supposed to be a big shindig.

People are coming in from all over the world, from what I hear. ”

“That does not make me want to go.” It made me know that I needed to stay away. It wouldn’t be safe.

“Afraid you’ll see someone you know?”

“Quit fishing,” I huffed as I finished stacking some mugs. “I have to hurry or he’s gonna get here before I can leave.”

“A second date?” She looked up. “No, the sky is not falling.”

“Har-de-har, ho.”

“Oh, you used my Christian name. Aren’t you sweet? But seriously? I’m impressed that you didn’t fuck and run.”

“Well, there’s still time, isn’t there? Who knows what the future holds?”

“Do you, babe? I know that you like working here, and not having any real commitments, but at some point, isn’t this going to get old? I worry about you.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are, and I know that it’s… that I should think about it. I do… But it’s hard to plan for a future when you’re not even sure what kind of future you can have.”

“Is it worth it? Is it really worth it, Zane? Maybe they’re not even looking for you–whatever they are? Maybe you really are free?”

“I can never be free. Trust me. My life before is not the kind of life you walk away from. Not without major repercussions.”

“I wish you could just… I wish you would just tell me.”

“I think I will one day.”

“Cool. That’s enough.” She glanced up. “I think that your next appointment is here. Are you really going out in your work clothes?”

I turned to see Phil standing outside the door in the courtyard. I waved. He looked too good, and I sniffed myself to see how bad I smelled. I was ok.

“I brought clothes, but I forgot to go get them from the car. It’s cool. I’ll change shirts before we leave. Do you want me to wait for Justice, or are you ok?”

“It’s my long shift, so go. I’ll be cool since it’s so late.

Go on your date and have fun. Maybe even get to know him,” she chuckled, but I knew what she meant.

I didn’t usually get to know the person beyond how much fun they were or were not in bed.

But Phil had already started to crack my shell.

I needed to figure out what that meant, didn’t I?

He had already been hurt, and I didn’t want to be the cause of him getting hurt again.

“Alright, babe. See you soon.”

“Be good, Zane. Maybe be good to yourself too.”

I hung my head as I left. She was right, of course. But how could I plan for anything when I was ready to run away at a moment’s notice if I had to? I opened the door, and the breeze blew my curls down into my face.

“Hey,” Phil greeted me with a smile that brightened his eyes. I swear they almost twinkled.

“Hey.” I leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before I could think better of it.

“Oh… Ok.” His laugh was musical, and it made my stomach flip.

“I thought we could go to the beach today, but you look perhaps too nice for that.” I winked. “Want to grab dinner?”

“I guess I could eat, but a walk on the beach sounds lovely. I haven’t really explored much of the town.”

“Beach it is, then. There’s a sweet place by the marina we could walk to. They have great fish.”

“Perfect. I’ve been eating a little too heavily since I’ve been here. Fish sounds great. How was work?”

“Busy, but good. My friend Di was working with me, and she’s my favorite.

She only works at the shop every now and then when they need someone.

She left us for another job in her field, and…

Come on.” I grabbed his hand, and he laced his fingers through mine.

We held onto each other tightly as I walked him towards my car. “Was your day nice?”

“Yes. I’ve been blessed to have my hands in the dirt. While I was… recovering, I buried that part of myself away. The plants here were needy, but in good shape. They just needed someone to listen and to give them what they were missing.”

“You like to garden?”

“It’s not just a hobby if you love it. It becomes your life’s work, an obsession even for those that the soil calls to. My… uh… house is filled with plants.”

“I think you can say palace to me, can’t you?”

“Yes. I forget myself, I suppose. The lands around our palace are green and fertile, and the plants grow without hesitation. I love them.”

“Greenery?” I filed it away. It didn’t really matter what country he was from, and as long as he wanted to keep it a secret, I would not pry. Not even on the internet. It didn’t matter. The lives that we led were too different – I knew that, even if I was trying to forget it.

Besides, if he told me where he was from, he would expect the same. I wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t tell him if he asked. My walls were crumbling around him, and I didn’t have the strength or desire to shore them back in place. I needed to be careful.

We got to my car and I let go of his hand before opening the back door.

“I want to change out of this shirt if you don’t mind. I know you like coffee, but…”

I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it into the back seat. His eyes widened as he looked at me. I flexed my chest quickly. I couldn't help myself. Old habits die hard. I grabbed the polo in the back and pulled it slowly over my head before sliding it down and into place.

“You are really… muscular.”

“I work out,” I chuckled. “About all I do is work, go to the gym, and have a drink at the bar. Besides that, I have no life.”

“You’re full of life. You just… ignore it, maybe?”

“Let’s not get too deep, Phil,” I smirked. “Ready?”

“I haven’t driven in years. I’m not sure that I could even be trusted any longer.”

“Well, we do drive on the wrong side of the road in America. It took a little getting used to.”

“I’m sure.” He opened the passenger door and sat down before fumbling with the seat belt.

I reached over and helped him. Our hands touched, and our faces were so close. I heard him take a deep breath, and before I knew it, I leaned in and placed my lips against his. It was careless and spontaneous, but I wanted it badly. He stiffened, and I froze.

I had misjudged. I started to pull back, and his hand caught the back of my head.

His lips opened, and the fire that shot through my body as we breathed into each other…

The heat of his tongue against mine. I melted.

His lips were hungry as they pressed into mine.

My hand slid across his firm chest and onto his shoulder as our kiss intensified and deepened.

I lost myself in him.

His deep chuckle broke us out of our reverie, and our lips slowly parted.

“Sorry, I… That was the first time that I’ve… kissed someone in a long time.”

“Was it… ok?” I asked sheepishly, feeling like I might have crossed a line.

“The kiss or the… kissing me?” He smirked.

“It was… The kiss was wonderful, and I think that kissing me was not… It’s been a long time since I’ve kissed someone.

It's been longer since I’ve kissed anyone but Petra.

I think that I needed it, but… I’m going to have to…

I feel like I should feel bad about it, you know?

But I don’t – not really. I’m glad you kissed me, Zane. ”

“I didn’t think about… I just… I wanted to. It’s weird. I’ve spent my whole life trying to live in the shadows, and as soon as I meet you, I start throwing it all away.”

He sighed and reached over to take my hand.

“I like you, Zane. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here, would I?

But this… whatever this is… it has limitations, doesn’t it?

I want to make sure that neither one of us gets our hearts wrecked in some kind of fallout from what we do.

I am going to leave and go back to my country, where I will rule one day.

That day will happen sooner than… Well, than I’d like.

But I have a duty to my family and my people. ”

“And you can’t be with someone like me?” I nodded, feeling a knot grow inside.

“That’s true. I will eventually have to marry someone of royal blood. It is what’s expected.”

“Do you wish you could just run away? Leave all of that behind and have the freedom to do what you want – to fall in love with whoever you choose?”

“Once, I did. But I didn’t.” He sighed heavily.

“You have to understand that this is my life, even if it is something that I was born into and didn’t choose for myself.

It’s still a worthwhile life. It’s important.

The things that I do will affect all of my people.

I love them and am willing to serve. But sometimes it is too much.

I’m sure that it’s hard for you to understand. ”

I stayed silent and let his words wash over me. “Not that hard.”

“I once thought… When I couldn’t marry Petra, I could throw it all away for love.

But something inside me – the way my people looked at me – it prevented me from running away.

I like my life. Isn’t that funny when your life doesn’t truly belong to you?

Not in the way it does for you. You can do whatever you want or go wherever you wish, but different rules govern my life.

Some are stupid, and others are for the safety of my homeland.

It’s… a lot that I have to consider, and before we start something, I thought it best to put this all out in the open. ”

“I didn’t expect you to marry me, Phil. I know that your life and mine are… different.”

“Good. I… I really do like you, Zane. Leaving here will not be easy when it’s time for me to go.”

“I think I’ll miss you more than I care to admit.” I dammed up the emotions that I didn’t even know I was capable of.

“So… Are we good?”

“Are you ready to go to the beach?”

“Where you lead, I will follow.”

The choices I’ve made were coming back to roost. Life was totally unfair. We saw each other almost every day for the next two weeks – but something had shifted. We still flirted and enjoyed each other’s company. There were a few stolen kisses, but what I had said – something shifted.