leaned down and kissed the girl right on her perfect lips. They were as soft and as sweet as he imagined.
Cecelia quickly pulled out of his arms. “Prince Alexander! What in the world has come over you?”
He wanted to taste her lips again. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’m fully sound at the moment.”
She was surprised when a giggle popped out of her. Never had she seen him look so bewildered. “You simply cannot go about kissing girls in their mother’s rose garden during broad daylight. It is just not done. Especially ones you feel nothing for and could care less about.” Her hand unconsciously touched her tingling lips, marveling at the sensation he was able to create.
Appalled at how ungentlemanly she must think him now, he immediately began to apologize. “My dear Miss Hammerstein-Smythe, you must forgive me—”
Her blue eyes turned to steel. “If you say one more word I’ll box your ears.”
Alexander’s eyebrows rose.
“No, sir. You do not get to now tell me how deeply sorry you are for ruining my life. Indeed you did not ruin my life, you simply enhanced it.”
“Enhanced it?” He pursed his mouth together to prevent the grin from forming.
“Yes.” She bit her lip again to stop her own chuckle. “It was very nice, and I am not sorry it happened. However, you can never do it again.”
“Never?” He took a step forward.
She laughed and put a hand between them. “Never, ever again.”
“And why is that?” asked the prince coyly.
“Because you and I despise each other and always have. Besides, then everyone would assume we were engaged.”
Engaged.
To Miss Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe.
Princess Cecelia.
His princess.
He had never wanted anything more.
While Alexander’s heart was learning how to beat properly again, Cecelia had obliviously and quite cheerfully continued to chatter as she began to search for the perfect rose.
“So how did you meet the wolf? Isn’t he simply astonishing? Did you know he can read? It was so inconceivable to see him lying down and reading a book when I met with him last night. I’ve never encountered a magical creature like him before, have you?”
She stopped and turned, a beautiful yellow rose in her hand. “Prince Alexander?”
He shook his head and stepped forward. “Uh, yes?”
“Have you?”
He sheepishly grinned, looking like a boy in a top hat and princely finery. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t attending. What did you ask of me?”
Puzzled, she glanced over him. “Did you hear none of it, then?”
Alexander put his hands behind his back and admitted, “None.”
“Oh.” Cecelia looked at him peculiarly for a moment and then said, “I guess what I wanted to know most was, how do you know the wolf?”
He’d been pondering that exact same question, knowing without a doubt she would ask it of him, so he was definitely prepared to answer it. “I came across him one evening in the woods a while ago. We’ve been friends ever since.”
“Isn’t he fascinating?”
Alexander shrugged and then nodded. “Yes, I guess that’s a good word for him.”
“Were you startled when he began talking to you?”
The prince chuckled. “Yes. I was grateful he spoke, actually. Because it proved he could communicate and wouldn’t eat me.”
Cecelia laughed and continued on down the path, the prince close beside her.
“Did he frighten you?” He watched her closely.
“Yes. He did a little.” She slowed and turned more fully toward him, her skirts swirling below her. “But then, I don’t know what happened, when I looked back and replayed the meeting over and over again, I just knew I could trust him.”
“Good. You can always trust him.” He touched the soft petal of a yellow rose next to him as he walked past. “Do not doubt he is the most dependable creature you will ever come across.”
It was interesting to see Prince Alexander so serious and calm. Honestly, she could hardly believe he was the same person she’d met
Cecelia quickly pulled out of his arms. “Prince Alexander! What in the world has come over you?”
He wanted to taste her lips again. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’m fully sound at the moment.”
She was surprised when a giggle popped out of her. Never had she seen him look so bewildered. “You simply cannot go about kissing girls in their mother’s rose garden during broad daylight. It is just not done. Especially ones you feel nothing for and could care less about.” Her hand unconsciously touched her tingling lips, marveling at the sensation he was able to create.
Appalled at how ungentlemanly she must think him now, he immediately began to apologize. “My dear Miss Hammerstein-Smythe, you must forgive me—”
Her blue eyes turned to steel. “If you say one more word I’ll box your ears.”
Alexander’s eyebrows rose.
“No, sir. You do not get to now tell me how deeply sorry you are for ruining my life. Indeed you did not ruin my life, you simply enhanced it.”
“Enhanced it?” He pursed his mouth together to prevent the grin from forming.
“Yes.” She bit her lip again to stop her own chuckle. “It was very nice, and I am not sorry it happened. However, you can never do it again.”
“Never?” He took a step forward.
She laughed and put a hand between them. “Never, ever again.”
“And why is that?” asked the prince coyly.
“Because you and I despise each other and always have. Besides, then everyone would assume we were engaged.”
Engaged.
To Miss Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe.
Princess Cecelia.
His princess.
He had never wanted anything more.
While Alexander’s heart was learning how to beat properly again, Cecelia had obliviously and quite cheerfully continued to chatter as she began to search for the perfect rose.
“So how did you meet the wolf? Isn’t he simply astonishing? Did you know he can read? It was so inconceivable to see him lying down and reading a book when I met with him last night. I’ve never encountered a magical creature like him before, have you?”
She stopped and turned, a beautiful yellow rose in her hand. “Prince Alexander?”
He shook his head and stepped forward. “Uh, yes?”
“Have you?”
He sheepishly grinned, looking like a boy in a top hat and princely finery. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t attending. What did you ask of me?”
Puzzled, she glanced over him. “Did you hear none of it, then?”
Alexander put his hands behind his back and admitted, “None.”
“Oh.” Cecelia looked at him peculiarly for a moment and then said, “I guess what I wanted to know most was, how do you know the wolf?”
He’d been pondering that exact same question, knowing without a doubt she would ask it of him, so he was definitely prepared to answer it. “I came across him one evening in the woods a while ago. We’ve been friends ever since.”
“Isn’t he fascinating?”
Alexander shrugged and then nodded. “Yes, I guess that’s a good word for him.”
“Were you startled when he began talking to you?”
The prince chuckled. “Yes. I was grateful he spoke, actually. Because it proved he could communicate and wouldn’t eat me.”
Cecelia laughed and continued on down the path, the prince close beside her.
“Did he frighten you?” He watched her closely.
“Yes. He did a little.” She slowed and turned more fully toward him, her skirts swirling below her. “But then, I don’t know what happened, when I looked back and replayed the meeting over and over again, I just knew I could trust him.”
“Good. You can always trust him.” He touched the soft petal of a yellow rose next to him as he walked past. “Do not doubt he is the most dependable creature you will ever come across.”
It was interesting to see Prince Alexander so serious and calm. Honestly, she could hardly believe he was the same person she’d met
Similar Books
