The Prince and the Pie Maker (The Rebel Royals 2)

eye settled down.

Wherever she’d gone, she’d come back to him. Alex wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He had no idea what had just happened, but he was determined not to let her go.

“Prince Alex, is it true? Are you finally off the market?” It was Lila Drake.

Alex wasn’t surprised that the rag paper had the funds to send their ace reporter on a continental journey. Stories about him were The Royal Times’ bread and butter.

“Ms. Peppers.” Lila turned her attention to Jan. “Tell us how a woman like you landed one of the world’s most desirable bachelors?”

All mics pointed at Jan. But she remained mute. Alex seethed at the comment, but he didn’t lash out. He knew that would only play right into their hands.

He laughed to cover up the silence. “I never imagined in all my years that I’d find a woman such as Jan Peppers.”

All cameras, microphones, and heads turned to him. Including Jan’s.

“I’ve traveled the world for years. Have been to the most exotic places, met some of the most glamorous women. Meanwhile, the woman who would capture my heart was right here in the Big Apple.”

Jan raised her eyebrows. Her lips parted as though she were going to say a quip, likely something about the only organ she had captured of his was his stomach. Alex took advantage of the moment to plant a brief kiss on her lips.

Partly to keep her quiet. Partly because, well, he’d been craving another taste of her since the other day. The scent of honey on warm bread met his bottom lip. But there was a hint of something more—there always was with this woman. Today there was also the spicy taste of ginger on her upper lip.

Alex had only meant the kiss to distract her. But he found himself sidetracked when the brief kiss lingered a second longer than he had planned for it to.

He couldn’t help himself. There was something more on her upper lip. His culinary brain begged him to hold still, to take another swipe to figure out the component. But the flashes brought him back to reality. When he pulled away, he still wasn’t entirely clear what the ingredients that made Jan uniquely Jan were.

Jan’s eyes had stopped twitching. Her lips were still parted. Her body was warm in his arms.

“I fell deeply in love with her sweetness,” he said. “She was the spice in my life I never realized I needed.”

“How did you do it, Ms. Peppers?” Lila Drake looked skeptical. Her overly made-up face was contorted into a sneer of disbelief. “The women the world over will want to know. What’s your secret?”

Jan swallowed. She gave her head a little shake as she turned to face the microphones. And then, in typical Jan fashion, she told the unblemished truth. “I just gave him some pie.”

“Is that sexual innuendo?” Lila shoved the microphone directly under Jan’s nose.

“No.” Jan stepped back into Alex’s side. “Just a secret recipe.”

And with that, Alex gave Jan a tug. They ignored further questions and headed up the stairs into the awaiting private plane.

“That went well.” Alex took his seat and strapped himself in. “I think they all bought it.”

“You can’t keep doing that.” Jan stood over him peering down.

“Doing what?”

“Kissing me like that.”

“It’s part of the agreement. We’re engaged.”

“We’re fake engaged. That means fake kisses. There’s no need for tongue.”

“I didn’t …” But he did. He had. “Sorry. Occupational hazard. Next time have garlic before I kiss you.”

“But you like garlic.”

Alex chuckled. He did like garlic. He’d never met a food or spice that he didn’t like. It just so happened he liked the way Jan put them together, whether in a pie, or in a soup, or, apparently, in her own mouth.

“Jan? What happened back there?”