page33 (2/2)

“I told you in New York I didn’t”

Shrugging, she avoided his eyes “I didn’t know if that was true”

“I didn’t tell you any lies I just didn’t tell you my real identity If you’d asked me back then if I was a prince, I would have told you the truth But I liked that you didn’t know That you treatedhis fingers “Everything we had was real”

After a moment of silence, she nodded “Okay”

They were alain, he took a drink and handed it off to her She took it readily “It’s just me and Dad, so he’s the only one I can talk to freely, which is probably why he wants me married off as soon as possible”

She winced “To that princess he likes”

Was it just hi her tone? “Yeah” He rubbed his jaatching her closely “I get it He’s worried that after he succumbs to his illness, I’ll be alone and that I’ll stay that way”

“What’s wrong with hi on the bottle

“His heart The doctors say he has a year, maybe two, left” He sed hard, because the idea of losing his father hurt It always did He couldn’t i I like to dwell on, but it has forced es in ood of the country—but mostly for him” Hell, he owed it to him

To be the best man he could be

The best ruler

She hesitated, her brow crinkling, and took a long drink After she lowered the bottle, she handed it back, wiping her ain “Such as…?”

“Marriage Babies Princesses” He gave her a level look “I’ve been avoiding it until now, but once we knohat’s going on with us…”

She pressed a hand to her sto more than a little queasy at the reminder of why she was here, with hi tequila, when they both knew she wasn’t going to be pregnant Yes, protection failed so to them was literally somewhere between zero and seven percent