CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Saturday, 11.18 a.m.
OVERTIRED, OVER-EXPOSED, over-stimulated and overwhelmed by everything, Elsie stared. Her eyes were scratchy and dry, her skin felt flayed, while her heart felt as if it had been whipped until raw and bleeding. She’d seen the flash before he’d turned away. She was struggling to recover from that intensity and the fall from ecstasy couldn’t have been more sharp or more sudden.
Now he stood with his back to her, his head bowed, and he was walking already. ‘I have to leave.’
Without another word? Without even facing her?
‘What was that, Felipe?’ she called as he reached the door.
His shoulders straightened. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.’
He thought he’d taken advantage of her? As if she hadn’t been involved, hadn’t been taking every bit as much as he had? As if she hadn’t been giving?
‘I’ve never let you take advantage of me,’ she said proudly. ‘I’ve taken what I wanted. What did you want? Why did you just come in here?’ she asked. ‘Was it for one last quickie? To take the edge off before your big show? Is that what this was?’
He turned, his back to the door, anger reeking from his rigid stance. ‘I came to tell you—’ He inhaled sharply. ‘My private jet is ready. It has clearance to leave as soon as you’re onboard.’
She stilled. ‘You want me to leave now?’
‘Yes.’
‘Not on the commercial flight later? Not after your coronation? Now?’
‘Now. Yes.’
‘What about all the other royals and their security? Isn’t this problematic?’
Why was he so desperate to get rid of her that he was bending all the damn rules?
‘Not at all,’ he clipped.
So she could request a flyover of the damn cathedral in which his coronation would be happening—make such a noise he couldn’t ignore her? Why wait for some jet when she could do that now?
Because what those last few minutes had proven more than anything, was how human he was. How deeply he too needed connection. Needed love. Of course she’d fallen in love with him. He wasn’t perfect. He was as flawed as she, in as much need of play, laughter and love. She needed to be honest with him. And now she had her chance.
‘No.’
‘No?’ He stared at her. ‘What do you mean no?’
‘Not used to hearing that word, are you?’ She tried to smile but failed. ‘You try not to be, but you’re still spoilt in some ways, Felipe. You still expect to get whatever you want, whenever you want.’
He paled. ‘I just said I was sorry—’
‘I’m not talking about what just happened. I wanted that too. We both know that,’ she interrupted. ‘I’m talking about the rest of your damned life.’
He stared at her.
‘You’ve carved out time in these last twenty-four hours. They should have been the busiest yet, but you got yourself out of it. Meetings with advisers that you blew off? You did that to see me. Why can’t you do that the rest of the time? Your life doesn’t have to be completely conscripted. You could have the time and space for a personal life. I think you choose not to because it’s easier for you not to.’
‘Easier?’ A scoffing snort.
‘Putting yourself first sometimes isn’t a crime, Felipe. You’re allowed to want things for yourself. You’re allowed to want me. Maybe even for more than one day.’
She bit her lip. She wanted him to more than want her. She wanted him to need her, to love her. And she had to speak her own truth.
But he shut down. ‘You need to go, Elsie. Now. This is over.’