Yours Royally (Billionaires and Brides 3)

Good thing I'm wearing tennis shoes, she thought, as she squeezed Marco's hand and quickened her pace, leaving the beignets behind.

The two ran as fast as they could down the sidewalk, away from the cameras. Sabrina had no clue where the people had come from or how they had found out that Marco was at the coffee shop. He'd been wearing his hat and sunglasses, but apparently it hadn't been enough to disguise him from the invasive eyes of the paparazzi. She wondered yet again who he was that other people knew who he was. She wished she could just look him up rather than staying true to her contract, but that wasn't her.

Her adrenaline was pumping. It wasn't like they were in physical danger. But regardless, they were most certainly being chased and that was enough to set off her survival instincts. Her chest burned and her pupils became pinpoints.

“Marco, our hotel is right here,” Sabrina panted, still running. “Should we go in?”

“No, no,” he said. “That won't work. We can't let them know where I'm staying. Just keep running.”

Sabrina glanced over her shoulder to find that the strangers were gaining on them. She couldn't believe how fast they could run, especially considering t

he cameras they carried.

Valetta wasn't joking when she said the paparazzi was serious, she thought. I had no idea.

“Marco, we have to hurry,” she said, speeding up her pace even further. “They're catching up”

Marco dropped Sabrina's hand. Then the two of them turned their run into an all-out sprint, giving it everything they had to get away from the camera-carrying strangers that followed them. They got to the end of the block and then turned the corner. Halfway down was an alley way.

“Come on,” he said. “Follow me.”

They made their way down the sidewalk and to the entrance of the alley. Once there, Marco grabbed Sabrina's hand and pulled her into it.

“We can lose them in here,” he said, his words broken up by his panting. “We need to hide for a moment.”

Sabrina glanced behind her as she followed Marco into the alleyway. The paparazzi hadn't turned the corner yet, so if they could get hidden in the alley, there was a chance that they wouldn't be found. The only problem was that there didn't seem to be any great placed to hide, with the exception of a lonely green dumpster.

“Where do we go?” Sabrina asked, panic stricken.

Marco walked quickly, leading Sabrina down the dimly lit alley. On either side of them were towering high-rises, which shaded the area. It had probably been years since that concrete had seen actual sunlight.

“Over here,” Marco said.

There was a doorway into one of the buildings. He tried the door, but it was locked. It didn't matter, though. The doorway was indented a foot or so into the wall of the building, just enough space for the two of them to step into. It was tight, but they didn't have much of a choice.

“Come here,” he said, pulling Sabrina toward him.

She scooted as closely as possible, shrinking up so as to limit the possibility of being seen from the street. Her face was pressed against Marco's muscular chest, which rose and fell in cadence with his breathing. She could hear his heartbeat as it pounded against his rib cage. The sweet smell of his sweat mixed with his cologne filled her nose.

Outside of the alley, they heard the footsteps of the paparazzi approach and then slow down to a stop.

“Where in the hell did they go?” the man asked, his voice echoing down the quiet alleyway to where Sabrina and Marco were huddled.

“I don't know,” the woman responded. “I don't see them down here. They must have gone further down the road. We'll catch them, we just need to hurry.”

Sabrina held her breath until the footsteps of their pursuers faded away. Then she looked up at Marco, who was still holding her close. He looked back, flashing a playful smile of relief.

“That was close,” he whispered. “I believe they're gone now, though. Hopefully anyway.”

Sabrina took a moment to catch her breath. She didn't release Marco, though. She didn't want to. Standing there next to him made her feel safe.

“Are you sure they're gone?” she asked.

Marco poked his head out into the alley and looked both ways. “I don't see them.”

“I never thought I'd say something like this, but thank God for this sketchy alleyway,” Sabrina said, still speaking quietly out of fear that the paparazzi might be nearby.

Marco laughed softly and nodded in agreement. His hands were still clamped firmly onto the top of Sabrina's hips. It was as though neither of them really wanted to leave that spot. Their eyes were locked and they were embraced like a loving couple.