Page 59 of The Prince Who Loved Me

Wendy hadn’t been kidding when she said he looked like a prince. The casual pants and blue silk shirt whispered in understated elegance, and his dark suit jacket fit him like it was tailor made. Which it probably was. He looked delicious.

“You rented a limo?” She grinned as she closed her door.

He took her hand and pressed a kiss along the back, maintaining eye contact. The simple gesture made her flush,made her heart beat faster. This tender intimacy was a far cry from the friendly kisses he’s shared with her and Jordan and Wendy over the years. This was solely hers.

And she loved it.

“When you’re with a prince, you date in style,” he said, opening the door.

She stepped inside, choosing a seat on the smooth leather interior near the back where Sebastien joined her. While there was room for at least three more couples, the extra seats had been removed and replaced with a bar and small fridge.

“Fancy.” She looked around to hide her nervousness.

“You look incredible.” His eyes followed the cut of her neckline and lingered on the exposed skin. Her nipples hardened under his gaze, but her nervousness climbed up another notch. If this turned out poorly, their friendship would be forever ruined.

“You clean up pretty nicely yourself.” The blue in his shirt brought out the hue of his eyes. He had shaved, too. Usually red-gold stubble decorated his chin this time of night, but now his jaw was smooth.

“This old thing?” He grinned. “It was just something I had lying around.”

The limo pulled onto the main road and Brandi watched the trees slide by. “So where are we going?”

“Out for a nice, simple dinner.” Sebastien pulled down a panel, revealing a charcuterie with various meats and cheeses, fruits, and some nuts. “But it will take us a while to get there, so I brought snacks.”

“How long?”

“About three hours.” He stabbed a meat slice with a toothpick. “Salami?”

“Three hours?” The Old Brandi would have eaten the salami with him still holding the pick, her eyes making promises.This Brandi took the toothpick from Sebastien. “What are we doing, speeding to New Orleans? How fast does this limo go?”

“That would have been a good idea.” He popped a grape in his mouth. “We’re flying to Cape Cod.”

Brandi laughed, and took some cheese. “No, seriously.”

He didn’t say anything, only lifted a royal eyebrow.

Oh. He wasn’t kidding. She shifted in her seat, the food hardening in her stomach. What was he doing, trying to impress her? Not only that, but there was no way she could reciprocate something like this. Their playing field was so uneven.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he took her hands, rubbing his thumb over their backs. “Your senior year, you played an exhibition game in Boston,” he said softly. “It was a quick trip, there and back, and you lamented how you didn’t get to explore the area or take in any of the culture. You especially wanted a bowl of real New England clam chowder.”

“That’s right.” Emotions caught in her throat and tears formed in her eyes. So many of her relationships had been her giving and giving and giving, always giving so her boyfriend wanted her around. So she would be needed. This was the first time someone gave back. “You remembered.”

“I remember everything about you.” His velvet voice caressed her.

She let go of her nerves and pulled hard on the trust.

They pulled up to the private air field, with Massimo opening their door as soon as the car stopped. He offered his hand to Brandi and helped her out of the limo. “The flight plan has been filed and the plane is fueled and ready to go, Your Highness.”

A white plane sat gleaming on the tarmac, a small red carpet leading up to the plane’s staircase. A light breeze lifted her hair as she turned to Sebastien. “You’re flying us?”

“I’d rather spend the time with you.”

Sebastien took her coat from the limo and led her up the steps, then moved to the side so she could enter. The interior was even more impressive than the lustrous machine’s exterior. Sleek chairs and luxurious couches, a wet bar, a large television. “This is fantastic.”

“Sit wherever you like.”

She ran her hand along the back of the leather sofa, but chose to sit in a bucket seat by a window. Sebastien buckled in across from her, his eyes lighting up at her delight.

After take-off, she watched as the low sun flirted with the clouds before disappearing. The blanket of stars guided her on a path of wonder. That this man chose her.