She wanted him, too.
The man. Not the prince.
He tugged on her hand and she got up from her chair and followed him to the sofa, where he sat beside her and trailed his fingers lightly over her forearm.
She was afraid. Afraid of starting something that could never end well. Afraid of losing her heart. Of losing everything.
And yet she was helpless to do anything but close her eyes as he leaned closer and touched his lips to hers.
He kissed her with such tenderness. With such . . . care. He wasn’t anything like the papers said. He loved, deeply. He looked after his family behind the scenes, asking for nothing in return. All he wanted from her was this moment. She cared for him too much to deny him.
So she slipped her hand up over his collar and along the back of his neck, drawing his lips harder against her own.
And oh, could he kiss. Soft, yet sure. Slow, but with a pulse-accelerating seduction that stole her breath. He wrapped her in his arms as they fell back against the cushions, lips and tongues tangling as their bodies pressed together. Rose’s tender skin tingled uncomfortably, but she ignored it in favor of the bliss of being held firmly yet carefully, as if she was something delicate and special.
His hand spanned her ribs, then slid beneath her sweater to cup her small breast. She’d only put on a bralette when she’d changed, and his hand was warm through the thin cotton barrier. She pressed against his palm.
He slid his mouth away from hers. “Your face is so hot,” he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose. “And I can’t promise I’ll have much more willpower. Let me help you with the aloe.” He removed his hand from beneath her shirt.
It was like being doused in cold water, or stepping outside on a raw January evening in Surrey. She’d been prepared for . . . everything, she realized. She’d moved into his embrace, sure that they were going to end up in her bed. Now he was putting on the brakes, and rather sharply.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, braving a look at him.
“No,” he answered, his voice low. “You did everything right. But I don’t want to rush. I want us to take our time. Be really, really sure. This is . . .” He looked down for a moment, and then back up. “This is too important to take lightly, Rose. I want to see where it leads, but I want to be careful. For all our sakes.” He held her hand as he spoke, a token of his sincerity.
She’d expected seduction, but not such sweet, serious consideration. She appreciated it, more than he probably understood. She knew all about wanting to do the right thing for everyone. Most of her life choices had been made according to that philosophy.
“Wait. See where it goes?” She bit down on her lip, both excited by the prospect and terrified, too. It was different when she was just thinking about this one night. This one moment. But was he talking about . . . dating?
He sighed. “I want to see where this leads. I’m not in the habit of kissing nannies, or confiding in them. I don’t want to treat you cavalierly, either. You’re too important to my family.” He hesitated. “To me. Caution seems like the right approach.”
“You’re worried,” she said, squeezing his fingers.
“A little. And I want us to get to know each other without a lot of input from my family or the press or anyone else. Can we do that? What you said today was so right. Privacy is a rare commodity. Can we at least cling to what little bit we might have until we figure things out a little more?”
“It’ll feel like sneaking around,” she replied, sitting back against the cushions.
“I know. But don’t we deserve to get to know each other without an audience?” He frowned. “That’s all I’m asking. Just a chance for us to sit like this. Talk. Kiss a little.” The impish grin flitted across his mouth once more. “Be normal.”
It did sound lovely. And despite her misgivings, she saw his point. If they were really going to explore what was happening between them, it made sense to do it privately before creating a stir in the household. It might give them a chance to decide if it was really worth fighting for, or if it was going to burn out as quickly as it had flared to life.
He kissed her again, and it was several minutes before they sat up straight again. Rose’s head spun, both from the kisses and from the heavy beating of her heart.
“Go put that shirt on again,” Diego said. “It’s been hours since you got back. You really need to take care of your sunburn.”
She did as he asked, slipping into her bathroom to change her sweater back to the sleeveless tank. When she came back out, he was squeezing some of the gel onto his hands.
“Sit,” he commanded, pulling out one of the chairs next to her table.
She did as he said. The light scent of the aloe filled the air and the first touch of gel to skin was a cold jolt. She gasped and then laughed, and then closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the cool sensation as he carefully smeared the gel over the back of her neck, the crests of her shoulders, and down her arms. He rubbed some on his hands and placed them on her cheeks, then dropped a soft kiss on her lips before adding more to his palm and placing it on her chest.
Another few moments, a shift of his hand, and they’d be back in seduction land again. But he didn’t go there. He stayed a perfect gentleman, to Rose’s disappointment. His fingertips gently rubbed the cool gel into her skin, easing the heat and the tight feeling the sunburn had caused.
“Thank you,” she murmured, her voice strained.
“De nada,” he murmured back, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I don’t want to fight any more like we did today, Rose. I will be honest with you from now on. May I see you tomorrow?”
“Of course.”