might be comfortable around him, but she wasn’t comfortable around the palace. The formalities of palace life were difficult for her.
She didn’t ask or expect anyone to do things for her. Rufus had already mentioned how she’d ruffled some feathers by trying to do her own laundry or make her own toast.
‘What about your family?’
She smiled. ‘My mum and dad are both just about to retire. They’ve already told me they plan to move to the South of France. They bought a house there last month. They’ve holidayed there for the last ten years and have really got into the way of life.’
‘Have they ever been to Euronia?’
She rolled her eyes and took another sip of champagne, holding the glass up towards him. ‘Only billionaires come to Euronia, Alex.’
He was instantly defensive. ‘That’s not true. There are cruise ships moored every day in port, and we have bus tours that come across the border from France—’
‘Alex.’
She leaned over and touched his arm. The palm of her hand was cool from holding the champagne glass.
‘I was teasing.’
The smile reached right up into her eyes and he wrapped his hand over hers.
‘Sometimes I’m just not sure.’ He stayed exactly where he was. His eyes fixed on hers.
She wasn’t shy. She didn’t tear her gaze away. Her lips were turned upwards, but as he looked at her more closely her smile seemed a little sad.
‘What do you think would have happened between us, Ruby?’
He didn’t need to fill in the blanks. She knew exactly what he was talking about. He saw her take a careful breath in.
‘I have no idea, Alex,’ she whispered. ‘Sometimes I’ve thought about it—thought about what might have happened if things had been different. But neither of us know. Neither of us can really imagine. Ten years changes a person. I’m not the girl I was in Paris, and you’re not the boy.’
He nodded his head and grinned at her. ‘You thought I was a boy?’
Now he was teasing. But she was right. They could spend hours talking about what might have been but it wouldn’t do either of them any good. He’d spent too long thinking that Ruby had slipped through his fingers.
But she was right here. Right now.
He ran his palm along her arm. ‘I thought about you, Ruby. I thought about you a lot. When you didn’t reply to the message I left you I just assumed you’d changed your mind.’ He met her gaze again, ‘Or that you’d seen the news and didn’t want any part of it.’
‘Oh, Alex...’ She lifted her hand and stroked her fingers through her hair. Her head shook slowly. ‘I never got your message, Alex. And once I realised who you were I assumed you didn’t want to know me—plain old Ruby Wetherspoon. You were a prince, for goodness’ sake—with a whole country to look after. I didn’t think you’d even remember me.’
He reached up and touched her cheek. ‘You have no idea at all. And you’ve never been plain old Ruby to me.’
‘The flowers... They were from you—weren’t they?’
He nodded. ‘I didn’t want to interfere in your life. But then there came a time when it wasn’t appropriate to send them any more.’ His chest tightened as he said the words.
He didn’t need to go into detail.
He’d always harboured hopes about Ruby. But once he’d known he had to make a commitment to Sophia it had become inappropriate to keep sending flowers to another woman. Alex would never have done something like that.
‘I guess now I’m free to send you flowers again,’ he said quietly.
‘I guess you are.’
She gave him a little smile and set down her glass. The yacht was moving around the coastline, dancing along in the waves—just as they were dancing around each other.
‘Why did you ask me to come, Alex? Why did you want me here?’
There it was again. That tiny tremble in her voice. He loved the fact that she was fearless. That she was courageous enough to ask the question out loud.
Ruby wasn’t bound by a country. Ruby wasn’t bound by two whole nations hoping she’d be able to keep them financially stable. Ruby didn’t have to bite her tongue to prevent international incidents with foreign diplomats. Ruby had her own life—her own responsibilities. Could he really be honest? Was he willing to expose her to the world he lived in?
It was time to take a risk.
‘I didn’t just ask you here for Annabelle, Ruby. I need your help with my daughter. That much is clear.’ He reached over and took her hand. ‘But I asked you here for me too.’
She bit her lip. He could tell she was trying not to interrupt, but she just couldn’t help it.
‘But what does that mean, Alex? I need you to say it out loud.’
She was drawing a line in the sand. And she was right.
He knew she was right.
He met her gaze and touched her cheek. ‘I want us to have a chance, Ruby Wetherspoon. I’m not your everyday guy, and what I have isn’t your everyday job. I’d like to see where this can take us, but I understand the pressure of being here and being with me. I don’t want to expose you to anything before you’re ready.’
She shook her head. ‘Not enough. Who am I, Alex? Am I Ruby Wetherspoon, speech and language therapist for your daughter? Am I Ruby Wetherspoon the hired help who might catch your eye? Or am I Ruby Wetherspoon the girl you might decide to date?’
She stood up and walked across the deck, held on to the railing, looking out over the sea.
‘You touch me, Alex. You kiss me. You bring me out on day trips that make my brain spin. What are you doing, Alex? What are we doing?’
He stood up to join her, and then slowed his movements as he neared. He didn’t want to stand next to her. So he did what was the most natural thing in the world. He stood behind her, his full body against hers, with his arms wrapped around her waist, sheltering her from the sea winds.
He lifted his hand and caught her hair that was blowing in the breeze. ‘Ruby, you can be whatever you want to be. But be warned: being around Alex de Castellane isn’t easy. If you want to be the woman I date, that’s fine. If you want to do that in public or private, that’s fine with me too.’
He moved closer to her, whispering in her ear, nuzzling her.
‘I lost you once, Ruby. I don’t intend to lose you again. But I’ll take your lead on this.’
He held his hands out towards the cliffs and the view of Euronia.
‘The
