“Excuse me?”
She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Are. You. Afraid?”
“Afraid? No. Of course I’m not afraid. I just don’t think it sets a good precedent for the man who is second in line for the throne to go around flouting laws, even if they are just city ordinances. It gives the impression that I think I’m above the law and I don’t. I’m not.”
“Flouting the law? By climbing a park fence?”
“It’s the principle of the matter.”
“Is it really?” She crosses her arms, giving me a look that can only be described as taunting. “Or is it that you don’t know how to climb a fence?”
“Of course I know how to climb a fence! I’m a prince, not an imbecile.”
“You sure about that? Because from where I’m standing…”
“You don’t actually think you can goad me into doing this, do you?”
“I don’t know. Can I?”
“I’m not a child.”
“Hmmmm.” She tilts her head to the side and studies me for a few seconds. “Okay, then.” She grabs the bottom hem of her blouse and pulls it up and off in one clean sweep.
This time it’s not only my security detail making choked noises. “What are you doing?” I demand.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” She reaches for her waistband.
“Stop that!” I don’t mind her getting naked—hell, I’m more than happy to watch any striptease Lola wants to put on. But not in full view of my security detail, or anyone else who might happen to be walking by.
I don’t think anyone followed us from the restaurant—since the kidnapping, citizens and reporters alike have been pretty respectful of my non-public time. Especially since Bastian and Samuel are really good at intimidating anyone who chooses not to be as respectful. But that doesn’t mean some guy isn’t out walking his dog or stumbling home from a local bar. The last thing I want is for Lola’s beautiful, naked body to be plastered all over every social media platform in the world.
She obviously doesn’t have the same concerns, though. “Stop what?” she teases as she unbuttons and unzips her pants, then starts to tug them down. “Is getting naked in a public park also against city ordinance?”
“Apart from topless and nude beaches, public nudity is frowned on pretty universally, I think.” I watch as she slips her pants down her curvy legs and prepares to step out of them. “Okay, fine. Here, hold this.”
I thrust the pastry box over the fence at her, followed by our coffees. Then I grab hold of the top of the fence and push off, vaulting over it in one clean sweep that has me landing next to her on the other side.
It’s dark, but I can see her face well enough to know that this time she’s the one who is all agog, eyes and mouth wide open as she stares at me. Looks like those seven months of painstaking physical therapy were worth every drop of sweat.
“Now, will you please put your shirt back on?” I ask, dusting my hands together before taking the food containers back from her.
The shock doesn’t last long. “Technically, you didn’t climb the fence,” she says, but still, she hands me back the food and picks up her blouse.
“Don’t be bitter.” I reach out with my free hand and grab one of her glorious curls, rubbing it between my fingers as I try not to notice the black currant and honeysuckle smell of it. Of her. I haven’t wanted anyone—or anything—this badly since my rescue came through. Or, more precisely, I haven’t let myself want anyone or anything this badly since I was freed—except the throne.
The thought is as unsettling as it is captivating—kind of like Lola herself, and I can’t help wondering what would have happened if I’d met her before the abduction. Would her free-wheeling, take-no-shit attitude have attracted me as much then as it does now? Or would I have been too busy being The Crown Prince to even bother with her?
“Don’t be sanctimonious.” Still, she grins at me as she pulls her blouse back over her head. While I’m mostly relieved that she’s covered again, there’s a part of me that wishes she weren’t. That wishes I didn’t have to worry about a simple game becoming fodder for worldwide gossip headlines.
“So,” I say once she’s finished getting dressed, “now that we’ve broken at least three laws getting into this park, why are we here exactly?”
Lola tosses a mischievous look over her shoulder as she starts down the nearest path. “You’ll see.”
“Of course I will.” For a guy who’s used to leading, I’m spending an awful lot of my time following this woman. Not that I mind. Her take-charge attitude is sexy as hell.
As I trail her through the park, I hear the unmistakable sounds of my security detail scaling the fence behind me. Now that I’m responsible for three more people breaking the law, I really, really hope we don’t get outed on any of the gossip channels.
We follow the path for about five minutes before Lola turns to the right. Seconds later, a giant fountain comes into view. “Seriously?” I demand. “We did all this for a fountain?”