turned back, and his face was smirking, she had to fight the urge to punch him and kept her hands fisted beside her.
“Yes, Charlie? Ready to invite me inside?”
“Never! How dare you? Touch me again, and you’ll barely be able to use your hands and mouth again.”
“Why is that?” he asked, still smiling, clearly not getting it.
“Because I’ll have beat the shit out of you, asswipe. I am not a toy. I am a human being and you do not do anything to my body that I don’t want you to. I’m contacting Coco immediately and letting her know that I’ve been harassed. You’ll be lucky if you get to wash the dishes after this.”
Pierre’s face remained smooth, though his smile was now clearly forced. “You American women, you always mistake proper culture and etiquette. I guess someone with your background wouldn’t know, but it’s customary to kiss goodnight in Europe. You’ll get used to it. Bonsoir.”
He started walking away before Charlie could respond. Fuming with anger, she turned and slammed the door, missing when he blew her a kiss from down the hall.
Inside her room, she tugged the robe even more around her, despite the fact she had remained covered throughout the whole ordeal. Her hair was still damp and, though she’d had a shower barely thirty minutes ago, she now felt dirty again. The heat of shame flushed her body, though she couldn’t understand why. She did nothing wrong, so why did she feel like this?
Pierre’s jab about her upbringing also stung. Hadn’t she heard it all before? Others had made similar comments to her face, some whispered behind her back. She knew some thought she shouldn’t be anywhere near a palace, especially after she covered Prince Nathaniel in cake. So how could Coco think she’d be right to run the whole kitchen?
Charlie had just collapsed on the couch, head in hands, comb forgotten on the floor, when another knock came at the door.
She sighed. “Go away, Pierre.”
There was a pause before a voice spoke. “It’s not Pierre.”
Charlie gasped and rushed to the door. She wrenched it open, though she knew who it was.
“Prince Nathaniel. What are you doing here?” He looked wonderful. His hair hung loose and was still slightly damp; he’d clearly had a shower recently, too. He looked just as sexy in casual clothes as he did in a suit with his hair pulled back.
His eyes raked down her body and her state of dress made her blush once more. Contrary to the way Pierre’s gaze had made her feel, the Prince’s perusal of her body made her feel beautiful.
She wondered what normal women felt in this situation; her body was made differently, and it took a long time to coax any sense of desire from it. She knew it was one of the reasons why she was alone. It wasn’t just her past that was broken; it was her.
“I apologize for disturbing you,” the Prince said and glanced down the hall, where Pierre had gone. “I didn’t consider that you might have been entertaining company.”
Her brows furrowed. “I don’t have any company.”
His head gestured down the hall, while his hands remained firmly in his pockets. “I saw someone walking away from you as I was coming down the hall.”
She gasped and blushed again. How much had he seen or heard? “As you said, they were walking away.” Hopefully, for good. “And why do you care?”
“I don’t know, but I do.” He sighed and pulled one hand out of a pocket and ran it through his hair. “I just came to see how you were.”
Charlie blinked. “You came to check on me?” She shook her head. “Why?”
“Because you were upset earlier, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. I also wanted to let you know that I thought your second cake was just as delicious as your first.”
“You did?” Why was her heart beating faster? One compliment had never sent her pulse racing like this before.
“My family
“Yes, Charlie? Ready to invite me inside?”
“Never! How dare you? Touch me again, and you’ll barely be able to use your hands and mouth again.”
“Why is that?” he asked, still smiling, clearly not getting it.
“Because I’ll have beat the shit out of you, asswipe. I am not a toy. I am a human being and you do not do anything to my body that I don’t want you to. I’m contacting Coco immediately and letting her know that I’ve been harassed. You’ll be lucky if you get to wash the dishes after this.”
Pierre’s face remained smooth, though his smile was now clearly forced. “You American women, you always mistake proper culture and etiquette. I guess someone with your background wouldn’t know, but it’s customary to kiss goodnight in Europe. You’ll get used to it. Bonsoir.”
He started walking away before Charlie could respond. Fuming with anger, she turned and slammed the door, missing when he blew her a kiss from down the hall.
Inside her room, she tugged the robe even more around her, despite the fact she had remained covered throughout the whole ordeal. Her hair was still damp and, though she’d had a shower barely thirty minutes ago, she now felt dirty again. The heat of shame flushed her body, though she couldn’t understand why. She did nothing wrong, so why did she feel like this?
Pierre’s jab about her upbringing also stung. Hadn’t she heard it all before? Others had made similar comments to her face, some whispered behind her back. She knew some thought she shouldn’t be anywhere near a palace, especially after she covered Prince Nathaniel in cake. So how could Coco think she’d be right to run the whole kitchen?
Charlie had just collapsed on the couch, head in hands, comb forgotten on the floor, when another knock came at the door.
She sighed. “Go away, Pierre.”
There was a pause before a voice spoke. “It’s not Pierre.”
Charlie gasped and rushed to the door. She wrenched it open, though she knew who it was.
“Prince Nathaniel. What are you doing here?” He looked wonderful. His hair hung loose and was still slightly damp; he’d clearly had a shower recently, too. He looked just as sexy in casual clothes as he did in a suit with his hair pulled back.
His eyes raked down her body and her state of dress made her blush once more. Contrary to the way Pierre’s gaze had made her feel, the Prince’s perusal of her body made her feel beautiful.
She wondered what normal women felt in this situation; her body was made differently, and it took a long time to coax any sense of desire from it. She knew it was one of the reasons why she was alone. It wasn’t just her past that was broken; it was her.
“I apologize for disturbing you,” the Prince said and glanced down the hall, where Pierre had gone. “I didn’t consider that you might have been entertaining company.”
Her brows furrowed. “I don’t have any company.”
His head gestured down the hall, while his hands remained firmly in his pockets. “I saw someone walking away from you as I was coming down the hall.”
She gasped and blushed again. How much had he seen or heard? “As you said, they were walking away.” Hopefully, for good. “And why do you care?”
“I don’t know, but I do.” He sighed and pulled one hand out of a pocket and ran it through his hair. “I just came to see how you were.”
Charlie blinked. “You came to check on me?” She shook her head. “Why?”
“Because you were upset earlier, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. I also wanted to let you know that I thought your second cake was just as delicious as your first.”
“You did?” Why was her heart beating faster? One compliment had never sent her pulse racing like this before.
“My family
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