The Prince's Scandalous Wedding Vow

“Luckily for us, solar works incredibly well, allowing the foundation to live completely off the grid. We use solar energy for almost everything. Light, heating, cooking, powering the radio—when the radio actually works—and now for desalination.”

He’d been studying the solar panels, but she noted how his interest was piqued by the mention of their desalination system.

She walked him back to another frame, this one with its own set of panels, plus tubes, dials and black rectangular features, and motioned for him to crouch down beside her. “This is our baby and my personal favorite because this one gives us all our fresh water. In the beginning, we had to bring everything in, including gallons and gallons of water. We’d collect rainwater when we could, but if we had no rain, we’d begin to panic. Now, thanks to a partnership with my father’s university, we’re able to turn salt water into drinking water using only solar energy. Although there are over eighteen thousand desalination plants across the world, this one is unique in that it combines solar energy with brand-new technology allowing a family to generate enough clean water for individual use.”

“How is it different from traditional desalination?”

“You’re familiar with the desalination process?”

“Salt water is brought to a boil, creating steam. The steam is run through a condensing coil.”

“Right. The traditional method is very energy inefficient and requires expensive, complex infrastructure. Over half of the cost of a distillation plant is spent on energy.”

“So this is membrane distillation?”

She was impressed he knew that much. Perhaps he’d studied science in school, or something environment related. “Yes and no. The university took conventional membrane distillation, where hot salt water flows across one side of the porous membrane and cold freshwater flows across the other, and added in a layer of carbon-black nanoparticles. The carbon-black nanoparticles attract light, heating the entire surface of the membrane, converting as much as eighty percent of sunlight energy into heat, giving us more water with less energy. It’s ideal for us with a compact footprint, but it will also revolutionize the way the world desalinates water because the nanoparticles are low-cost and commercially available.”

“Fascinating,” he murmured, studying the section with the nanoparticles and then the tubing where water dripped into a clear canister. “By integrating photothermal heating with membrane distillation you’ve created more productive and efficient technology.”

“I haven’t. The university program did. We’re lucky the scientists and engineers agreed to let us work with it here. We’ve had it eighteen months now and it’s transformed our lives.” She nodded toward the small garden off to the side. “Tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, and more. All possible now due to a never-ending supply of clean, drinkable water.”

“I’d heard about an American university developing something like this, but it’s amazing to see it in use here on Khronos and to know it’s not just theoretical.”

“It’s a game changer for the world.”

“Indeed,” he murmured, and yet he wasn’t looking at the system but rather at her; his gaze locked on her lips and she felt his scrutiny all the way through her.

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. She felt overly warm, her skin exquisitely sensitive, and she looked away, trying to hide how flustered she felt. She wanted his kiss and yet she feared it, too.

She wasn’t experienced, and she knew most women her age would have had a number of significant relationships by now. She suddenly wished she’d had a more conventional life, a life where she’d had dates and boyfriends so she’d know what to do and how to respond.

She wanted to respond. Could he tell?

“You’re bored,” she said huskily, rising and brushing the coarse dirt from her hands.

“I’m not,” he answered, rising, as well. “I’m fascinated by everything here. Not just by how you’re managing to survive in the middle of nowhere but by you and this father of yours. I can’t imagine any other father leaving his only daughter defenseless in such a remote spot.”

“I’m not defenseless. I have the radio—” she broke off, lips tightening. Her heart was racing and her stomach churned and she felt close to tears and didn’t know why. Nothing had happened, and yet somehow everything was happening and she seemed to be losing control. “Normally it works. I’ve never dropped it before. I’ve never broken it before. That accident was a fluke, just like you being here is a fluke. I’ve spent four years on Khronos and we’ve seen plenty of yachts, but none have ever stopped here before. And we’ve certainly never had any castaways, either—”

“Why are you afraid?” he asked, interrupting her torrent of words.

“I’m not.” And yet her voice was high and thin, breathless.

For a long moment he was silent, studying her, and then he reached out and lightly traced her eyebrows, the right and then the left. Her breath caught in her throat as the touch sent sparks of hot sensation shooting through her veins. She stared at him, deep into his eyes, as he continued to explore her face, his fingertips light as they caressed the length of her nose, and then her cheekbone, and finally down along the line of her jaw.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice deep and rough.

She felt his voice and his touch all the way through her, an erotic rasp that teased her senses, making her skin flush and her body ache.

“No makeup, no designer clothes, no expensive blowouts. Just beautiful you,” he added. “I didn’t know women like you even existed.”

“You say that now, but if you put me next to your lovely ladies from the yacht, you’d see how I’d pale in comparison.”

“I don’t think there is any comparison. You’re extraordinary. Your mind. Your passion for your work. Your beauty. You’re perfect.”

“You’re going to give me quite an ego.”

“Good. You should know you’re special. One in a million.”

She drew back to look him in the face. He didn’t turn away, letting her look, allowing her to see the flare of heat in his eyes.

“If you really feel that way, would you kiss me?” she whispered. “Unless that’s not how you feel—”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you from the moment I opened my eyes and saw you in the room looking like an angel.”

She swallowed hard. “I’m no angel,” she murmured, even as her pulse beat double time, and her gaze drank him in, lingering on the hard, clean line of cheekbone and the shadow of a beard darkening his strong jaw. He shaved every morning, using her father’s kit, but by late afternoon he had that shadow again. And then there was that mouth, his wide, firm mouth, his lips lovely. She’d loved drawing his face and loved his mouth most of all, wondering what it would feel like against her own. Wondering what he’d taste like. Wondering if kissing him would be different from kissing alcohol-fueled Ethan in Honolulu two years ago. That kiss had been so awful and sloppy that it had killed all desire to date.

He closed the distance between them, his hands circling her upper arms, bringing her in against him. His blue eyes glowed bright, the heat in the depths holding her, trapping her. Life seemed to slow, and the world shrank to just them.

Josephine could feel the thudding of her heart, and his hands wrapping around her arms, his skin so warm. She shivered at his heat and the way his hard chest pressed against her breasts, making her conscious that she was braless, and her nipples were tight and yet tender, and so sensitive to every breath he took.

This was what she wanted. This was all she wanted. Just to feel his mouth on hers...

His dark head dropped and very slowly his lovely, sensual mouth captured hers, sending sharp hot sparks of sensation through her. She heard a whimper and prayed it wasn’t her. His hand rose to cup the back of her head, holding her still while his lips traveled over hers, teasing, tasting, discovering. Sh

e shuddered as more sparks of feeling shot through her, the heat making her melt on the inside, her brain flooded with wildly contradictory signals. She wanted more, so much more, even as another part whispered that she was out of his league.

“Second thoughts?” he murmured, lifting his head, his blue gaze meeting and holding hers.

“Um, yes. No. No.” Because truly, she’d never felt so alive and so full of yearning about anything, but this was crazy. Her feelings were crazy. Excitement filled her veins, making her feel daring and wild...two things Josephine was not, nor ever had been.

And yet, it felt so good to feel excited and alive.

It felt so good to be touched and kissed.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said, stroking her cheek, sending rivulets of fire through her, fire that she could feel in the tips of her breasts and deep between her thighs.

“Because it’s obvious you’re thinking.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for it—”

“Don’t be. Talk to me.”

She drew a quick, shallow breath before blurting, “Do you think you could be married?”

“No.”

“So you don’t think you have a...a wife...somewhere?”

“No.”

“How can you be so sure?”