Chapter 11

Zara met Noah in the kitchen again, wondering if the man ever slept. When she asked him, he said, “Very little, actually.”

“Why’s that?” she asked, accepting the cup of coffee he handed her.

“My mind never shuts off,” he said simply.

“There are pills for that, you know.” Their eyes met, and that zing between them was almost familiar now. Hot and quick and like lightning, but familiar.

“I’ve heard.” He nodded her toward the garage exit, and she went that way, fire erupting through her whole body when he put his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the door.

She moved on wooden legs, and he must’ve noticed, because he said, “Sorry,” dropped his hand, and hurried around toward the passenger door.

Zara threw her bags in the backseat and got behind the wheel. She turned on the ignition and sat there, her fingers curling around the wheel. “Noah?” she asked.

“Yeah?”

She stared through the windshield at the immaculate door leading into the house. “Are we just playing a game here?” She couldn’t believe she’d asked him, but the question had been rotating through her mind for hours and hours.

He reached over and took one of her tense hands from the wheel, lacing his fingers through hers. Instant comfort spread through her, and she relaxed into the seat. “I’ll be honest. I like you, and we’ll probably need to take things one step at a time to make something…long-lasting work.”

“How many steps do you think it’ll take?”

“A lot,” he said honestly.

She looked at him, and his dark eyes drank her right up. She couldn’t quite get a decent breath, and she had the strangest desire to tell him things she hadn’t told anyone else.

“Have you looked up anything about me?” he asked.

“Not much,” she said. “Should I?”

He shook his head. “I’d rather you not.” He drew in a deep breath and swallowed. “So before I came here, I was living in Venice. I met a woman on my way home from dinner one night. She was crying and her hair was a mess.” He squeezed her hand, and Zara liked this soft, vulnerable version of the bad boy prince.

“So I took her back to my condo, and she told me this big story about her boyfriend. We agreed that she’d stay with me for a couple of days, long enough to get him off her back.” He sighed and leaned his head back against the seat. “But she stayed longer than that, and when I finally asked her to leave, she went straight to the press. Told them that we were married and that I’d broken up with her when she’d lost our baby.”

Zara blinked, trying to make sense of all he’d said. She came up with, “Baby?”

“None of it was true.” He looked at her again, his expression earnest and sincere. “I wasn’t married. We didn’t sleep together. There was no baby. She was just staying in another room in my place.”

“Kind of like me,” Zara said, recognizing the similarities there.

“Yeah, but you’re not going to go to the press, are you?”

“No.” She shook her head. She couldn’t imagine a scenario where she’d go to the press and tell them anything about Noah.

He leaned forward, almost like he’d kiss her right then, and Zara’s heart tumbled through her chest. But his lips touched her forehead, the gentlest of touches. “Thanks. So can we go surfing?”

She flipped the car into reverse. “Surfing. Yes. Let’s go surfing.”

She pushed into the surf shop first, the rays of sunlight just starting to paint the sky behind her gold. “Morning, Rich,” she said to the man standing a few feet away.

He turned toward her. “Zara.” A smile filled his whole face, and he embraced her. Rich was probably ten years older than Zara, and his family had owned this surf shop for generations. They’d been friends since she was a little girl and her grandfather had brought her to the beach to learn to surf.

Her mother, of course, had not approved, but Zara had persisted in her pleadings to her grandfather, and they’d both won the argument.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” he said, stepping back. His gaze flickered to Noah, who entered the shop behind her.

“Well, my show starts in less than a month,” she said. “The rehearsals are so long.” She hooked her thumb at Noah, mentally trying to come up with a way to introduce him. “This is...Holden. A friend I’m teaching to surf while he’s here this summer.”

The words tasted bitter in her mouth, but she kept her smile in place.

A friend.

She wanted to be a lot more than friends.

Holden.

Not even his real name.

While he’s here this summer.

What would happen then?

The defenses around Zara’s heart needed strengthening, because she did not want to wander the beach, looking for the broken pieces once Noah left Getaway Bay. And he was the prince of another country; there was no way he could stay.

Still, a nagging part of her brain wondered if he could. That maybe they just needed to talk about it, and make a plan, and everything would be fine.

Fine.

Another word that bounced around Zara’s brain as Rich and Noah shook hands.

Nothing in her life had ever worked out to be just fine. She clawed and practiced for what she had, and sometimes she wished her life had been more like Noah’s.

“So he needs a board,” Zara said. “It’ll probably have to be custom-made for his height and all that, but I’m wondering if you have something we can start with this morning.”

“Sure,” Rich said easily, the way he did everything. If he’d ever been upset or worried about something, she’d never seen it. “I’ve got something he can use until we get his made.”

“Who makes the boards?” Noah asked, and Rich smiled at him.

“I do. Step over here, man, and let’s get you measured.” Rich worked around Noah, taking notes of his height, his arm span, his weight, all of it.

About twenty minutes later, Noah had paid for a custom board that would be ready in seven to ten days, and he had a rental leaned up against his shoulder.

Zara’s nerves pranced around inside her body, urging her to get down to the water and get this lesson over with. Then she could go to work, where the mental and physical requirements of her job would push any fantasies of Noah out of her mind.

They left the surf shop and faced the ocean. A handful of others were already in the water, and Zara set her sunglasses in place. “Let’s go down this way a bit,” she said, stepping to her right.

Noah came with her saying, “That was great. He was nice.”

“Yeah, Rich is great.”

“He reminds me of a friend I have in Triguard.”

“Triguard?” she asked. “Is that the name of your country?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Marco is easy-going too. Always brings me my favorite candy on my birthday. Doesn’t seem to care that I’m a royal and he’s a mailman.”

Zara smiled at the nostalgia in Noah’s voice. “When’s the last time you saw him?”

“Last year, before I went to Venice.”

“What’s your favorite candy?” Probably something foreign she wouldn’t be able to get.

“Peanut butter cups.”

She almost tripped over her own feet, the loose sand half warm and half cold against her skin. “Really?”

He chuckled. “You thought it was going to be something weird, like Turkish delight.” His eyes held that flirty, playful glint that had Zara’s pulse in a tizzy.

“Yeah, sort of,” she admitted, letting a smile touch her lips as her eyes dropped to his mouth. “I mean, peanut butter cups are so normal.” As they stood there and watched one another, Zara realized that Noah was indeed normal. And that somehow made him more attractive.

“Yes, well, I’m human,” he teased. “And for the record, Turkish delight is delicious if done right.”

“Isn’t that rose-flavored?” Zara made a face and started walking again.

“Yes, and the kind that is covered in powdered sugar and is super soft? It’s divine.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Some people cover it in chocolate, but that ruins it for me.”

“Anything covered in chocolate is better,” she said.

He laughed then, a truly happy sound that filled the sky around them. Zara couldn’t help joining in. Something sparked between them again, in this joyous moment with the sun just coming out to breathe life into the day.

Their eyes met, and he slung his arm around her shoulders. “Thanks for doing this,” he murmured just before pressing his lips to her temple. “I know your days are long, and I appreciate it.”

Zara gazed up at him, wondering if she could kiss him right there on the beach. There were other people around, but not many, and they were dozens of yards down the sand anyway. Her skin sizzled where his touched it, and the insanity of their situation somehow felt...sane.

She tipped up onto her toes and he bent down, brushing his lips against hers almost like he was seeking permission.

But she’d already given it, and in the next moment, he kissed her like he meant to, and everything in Zara turned into that super soft Turkish delight covered in powdered sugar.

She was aware of his rented board falling to the sand. Of both of his hands cradling her face and then moving into her hair. Of the way they moved together, fit together, breathed together.

Zara hadn’t kissed anyone in a while, but wow. This was the best kiss she’d experienced in her life, and she felt as if Noah had just ruined her for any other kiss.

He pulled away first, and Zara drew in a deep breath. He kept his face in the hollow of her neck, his breath washing over her bare shoulder and making her shiver.

“So I guess we should probably figure out what steps we need to take,” he whispered.

“Probably,” Zara said, not wanting to complicate things with steps and talking and plans. She just wanted to exist in this moment with Noah for a while longer.

He kept her within the safety and comfort of his arms for a few more seconds, and when he inhaled as if to speak, she said, “But let’s surf first, okay?”

She took a micro-step back and met his eye. He searched her face and finally nodded. “Okay.”

Facing the water, the waves she loved, she said again, “Okay.”

That night, after her practice, Zara texted Noah to see if he needed anything from town.

Just you came his response, and it filled her with warmth from head to toe.

“Ooh, who’s Noah?” Suzie asked, splashing ice water on Zara’s memories.

She flipped her phone over and said, “No one. Just some guy I’m working with.”

“And he wants you.” Suzie sat on the tiny bench and pulled on her running shoes. “So I guess you’re not coming jogging with us.”

“No.” She glanced up at Jill who snapped a headband around her forehead.

“So how are you getting your exercise in this week?” she asked. “Ian will be livid if you say you’ve laid by the pool for seven straight days.”

“I’m surfing in the morning,” Zara said, thinking of it on the spot. “So I run a bit there, and then paddle and swim and all that. It’s quite strenuous.”

Jill looked doubtful, but she shrugged and said, “Okay. Just don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I won’t.” Zara had worked with Ian before, and she knew what it took to earn his approval. She stood with a groan and rubbed her back. “See you guys tomorrow.”

“Can’t wait to hear about Noah,” Suzie said with a dangerous glint in her eye. Zara just smiled and waved at her friends as they left. A pit opened in her gut at the fact that Suzie knew his real name. She probably should’ve put his pseudonym in her phone, but she hadn’t. Suzie had already seen it.

Just you.

She shivered again, hoping tonight would include as much kissing as talking.

She showed up at the mansion with sushi and Chinese takeout, hoping Noah hadn’t cooked. Even if he had, she could eat sweet and sour chicken for breakfast. After all, Chinese food was delicious any time of day.

Thankfully, the kitchen was devoid of food when she entered and set all her bags on the counter. “Noah?” she called, and a moment later, Boomer barked...from outside.

She turned that way and found the dog wagging his tail furiously from the other side of the French doors that led into the yard. She walked over to him and let him in, scrubbing him down with a smile and the words, “Where’s Noah, huh?” The car he’d obviously driven at some point was still in the garage, but the house felt empty, and Boomer’s body was hot, as if he’d been outside for a while.

Concern rippled through her, but Zara pushed it back. Noah was a grown man. He could leave the mansion if he wanted to. The gate had been closed. The garage too. Still, she straightened and watched Boomer run over to his water bowl and begin to lap at a speed unknown to other dogs.

So, as she walked down the hall to make sure Whitewater was okay, she pulled out her phone and called Noah, hoping she wouldn’t come off as too desperate or too worried.

He didn’t answer, and she let her hand fall to her side. What should she do now? She filled the cat’s food and water bowls, ready to go find Noah.

Her phone rang, and she practically threw it as she swung it wildly up to check who was calling. “Noah,” she said once she got the call connected. “Where are you?”

“I fell asleep,” he said, his voice still a bit on the slumbery side. “Are you home?”

“Yep. And I brought sushi and Chinese food.”

“On my way down.”

She hung up and went to meet him at the bottom of the steps. He swept her easily into his embrace, both of them laughing. “Hey, beautiful.” He leaned down and kissed her, and it felt like the most natural action in the world.

“Hey,” she said breathlessly when he pulled back.

“So,” he said, taking hold of her hand and leading her into the kitchen. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh, boy,” she said. “Sounds dangerous.” She unpacked the white Chinese containers and started popping them open.

“Ha ha.” He took out the sushi and got out silverware and plates. “Anyway, I’d need to talk to my parents about leaving Triguard, but I don’t see why they’d make me stay there.”

Zara’s eyebrows went up. “Are you serious?”

“I mean, I’m a prince, but I’m not going to be King. Ever. So why would I need to stay there?”

“I don’t know,” Zara said, her mind spinning a million different ways. “Family solidarity? United front? That type of thing.”

“Yeah, they don’t need me. I cause more problems than anything.”

Zara watched him take a California roll and then scoop ham fried rice onto his plate. She heard the measure of regret and sadness in his voice. “I’m sure that’s not true,” she said.

“Trust me, it is.” Noah met her eye briefly and went back to the food. “So anyway. I’m thinking of calling my mother tomorrow and talking to her.”

Zara let a few seconds go by while she thought about how to phrase her next question. “Will she be...will you tell her about us?”

“Of course.”

“And she’ll be okay with you having another girlfriend only a week or two after your last one?”

That got him to look up, and when he met her gaze, she found sharp edges in his. “Katya wasn’t my girlfriend. Ever.”

“Did you kiss her?”

Noah’s teeth clenched, and he said, “Yes.”

“Ah, well, then she was your girlfriend.”

“Is that a rule?”

Zara wanted to sigh and roll her eyes. “I realize different people have different benchmarks for such things,” she said. “But to be clear, when I’m kissing a man, he’s my boyfriend.”

The fire in Noah’s eyes changed from angry to something more like passionate. “Noted.”

Zara took her food to her spot at the bar, thrilled when Noah sat right next to her instead of leaving an empty barstool there. “So, you think you can move to Getaway Bay permanently?”

“I do.”

And that was a huge step in the right direction. One that filled Zara with all kinds of emotions she didn’t know how to sort through. Happiness, but also a bit of trepidation. Because if he moved here permanently, she didn’t have an excuse for why they couldn’t be together.