The Princess Finds Her Match

Lexie had turned over onto her stomach to let Blair rub a generous amount of sunblock onto her back to prevent getting burned. She knew it was a business deal, but it rankled that the only allure she had for him was that dratted horse. She had seen his true colors now. He was tender and considerate that night but now that he knew it was harder to access the “goods”−Lexie cringed at the euphemism−he had stopped the pretending and the sweet talk.

“Shit! You’re one crazy bitch, Lexie!” Blair cried in mixture of awe and alarm.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” Lexie turned over to her backside, clutching her untied bikini top in sudden anxiety.

“I can’t believe you really got inked!” Blair looked as if she was flailing. “And with a dude’s name? Don’t you know that tattoo is going to take longer to erase than a celebrity marriage in Hollywood?”

“Oh that,” Lexie said dourly. “Remind me never to do the spontaneity thing again. It’s our fatal flaw. It never ends well for a Liguerian.” Her impulsive, crazy parents had, on a whim, decided to go skydiving for their wedding anniversary. They never came back to tell the tale. “At least I had the presence of mind to look for the parlor’s health license.”

“It can’t be all that bad,” Blair consoled her. “Being fun and spontaneous landed you a hot hook-up for the night. I’ll squeeze you in for an appointment with my dermatologist and we’ll get that thing lasered off in no time.” A ringtone went off. Blair glanced at the LCD display of the mobile before passing it on to Lexie. Her expression grew mischievous. “And speaking of not bad, your Argentine Stallion is calling.”

Lexie had already swiped the answer button on the screen, but the sunblock made her grasp slippery and it almost fell to the ground. “Damn! Fuck! Shit!”

An amused chuckle came from the phone. “Last time you were mouthing off those same words, rojita, my tongue was in your other mouth.” Nic’s voice came through loud and clear, that hint of Spanish accent lacing his words deliciously. She must have hit the speaker button, too.

“Merparoata!” Lexie cursed again before she could stop herself. She really should stop this stress swearing.

Blair clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes going wide, stifling a laugh. Lexie turned off the speaker, her face as red as her hair. Blair pouted and silently mouthed, “Spoilsport!”

“What do you want?” she said brusquely. After days of keeping her in the dark, she was in no mood to be pleasant.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Manners, Princess. I think I like you better when you’re drunk,” he drawled tauntingly.

Lexie could only gasp in indignation. Recovering her dignity at the insult, she shot out, ”I was tipsy! And I never get drunk.” Liar, her nonna’s voice whispered in her ear.

“Alcohol suits you. You should drink more often,” he shot back maddeningly.

Lexie could only grit her teeth in sheer annoyance.

“I’ll pick you up at 6 o’clock.”

“You mean now? As in today?” she squeaked.

“Can’t think of a better day. Oh, and Princess,” he murmured, his voice husky and sensual. Lexie braced herself for another sexually explicit statement, but all he said was, “dress casually.”

He hung up, leaving Lexie irritated and strangely disappointed.

* * *

Nic rang the doorbell on the front door of the McMansion, feeling like he was picking up his bloody date for a dance. He figured he’d delay the inevitable and give his blood time to cool down before facing her, his kryptonite, and so he deliberately did not get in touch with her. Fucking smart idea, Fernandez. All he had thought about for the past two days was a certain redhead who had played with his mind and dick before leaving him in the middle when things started to get too rough and muddy for her to handle. Never again. He had his taste of high-maintenance women with Melissa, and he wasn’t coming back for seconds.

He just had to stick to the “Sanitize the Princess’ Reputation” project for a few weeks, armor himself against a pair of cat eyes that had the tendency to make him lose his mind, get Pygmalion, and get the hell out of her orbit.