by Ana Ashley
"Life, death situation."
"Alive, you are very alive," I said, pressing Charlie farther into the wall and taking another kiss.
A cough from the other side of the room reminded me that we weren't alone, so I placed Charlie back on the floor with some reluctance.
Charlie looked over my shoulder and straightened his T-shirt and his shorts. "Shall we go take a shower and then grab something to eat? I'm ravenous."
I agreed. I could definitely do with a cold shower after having Charlie's slim body pressed against mine, although now I wasn't so sure if it was a good idea to be in the proximity of a naked Charlie.
In the end, we did keep our hands off each other, thanks to the individual shower cubicles during the shortest and most frustrating shower in history, but I didn't miss Charlie's sudden shyness. If only Charlie had seen what his presence was doing to me.
I'd never thought about Lydovia's internal politics or replayed old soccer tactics in my head so much before as I did in those ten minutes, which also reminded me I needed to call Aleks for an update on the press situation.
Not that I was eager to go home now. Meeting Charlie had certainly made the short exile a lot more interesting, even if I had to be careful about getting too involved. After all, even though we were both single and free to pursue a relationship, I was a prince with a reputation, and Charlie was just too good for someone like me.
I didn't speak to Charlie until we were both fully dressed and walking back to the Old Mill. It was less tempting that way.
"When do you have to see your family?"
Charlie went from relaxed to super tense in the blink of an eye.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes, I guess. Just nervous about this whole fake boyfriend thing."
"Hey, don't worry," I said. "There won't be a single person at the wedding who will doubt that we are madly in love."
Charlie looked like he wasn't so sure.
"Are you doubting my acting skills?" I teased, bumping my shoulder against Charlie's.
Charlie kept his eyes on the ground. I wanted to know what was bothering him so I could fix it.
"No, it's…never mind, you're right. It'll be fine."
I knew my family was different from most royal families. Aleks and I hadn't even known our parents were royalty and that we were a royal prince and princess until we were old enough to understand it.
I'd only really grasped the reality when my mom had died and suddenly every news headline was about the young prince and princess that had lost their mom so young. As we'd grown up, every move we'd made was reported as though it was a direct cause of losing a parent.
It hit me then. Charlie didn't want to deceive his family. It was one thing giving Rory the wrong impression, but another to do it to his family.
"Mom and Dad are the best," Charlie said. "Hannah has always had her own individual style, colored hair that changed every week, clothes she made herself, and she was a bright, bubbly girly girl. When she told them she wanted to be a lawyer and specialize in family law, the only thing they said was for her to never lose her individuality no matter where she worked, because the families she'd be working for were just like her. Real."
I took Charlie's hand in mine as we walked. I saw a blush and small smile tease Charlie's lips as he carried on talking about his family.
"How about Connor? That's your brother, right?"
"Yeah, he's great. We're not that close, though, but we get along well enough."
"Why aren't you close?"
"I don't know. I guess when I was young, I was always in my quiet corner drawing while he was out climbing trees with Rory or playing video games. We're not that far apart in age, but I suppose we just had different interests."
Hearing Charlie talk about his family really cemented in my mind what Charlie was worried about, and I promised myself that I wouldn't do anything that would put a strain on Charlie's relationship with his family. My sole goal was to keep Rory away and make sure Charlie enjoyed his sister's wedding just as he'd been looking forward to.
"So, when will I have a chance to meet this amazing family of yours?"
"There's a barbecue tomorrow for my family and some close friends, and in a couple of days is the rehearsal dinner."
"When's the wedding?"
"This weekend."
"So I still have you all to myself for the rest of the day."
Charlie didn't say anything, but he came close enough that I was able to put my arm around Charlie's shoulders and pull him even closer.
"Kris?"
"Yes?"
"You know how we kissed, well, a dozen times now?"
"I wasn't counting." I chuckled. "Go on…"
Charlie was trying so hard to hide his face from me, but it was pointless because I could see Charlie's flushed skin at the back of his neck, and damn if I didn't want to kiss it so bad.
"Are you…are we…is it going to happen again?"
"Would you like it to?"
"Yes," Charlie said, "very much."
We were close to the Old Mill but not close enough, so I pulled Charlie off the road by his hand and didn't stop until we were surrounded by tall bushes.
I put my hands on either side of Charlie's face, placing a kiss on his cute button nose and taking some time looking at the little freckles under his eyes.
"Charlie, I need you to know that while our relationship may be fake, how I feel about touching you and kissing you isn't."
10
Charlie
Kris's words only half calmed me because, while it was true that I was worried about lying to my family or being found out, there was something else that worried me a lot more. Falling for Kris.
Kissing Kris felt right, more so than anyone I'd ever kissed before in my entire life.
When I was fifteen, I'd gone to an art gallery in New York with my aunt and uncle. They'd been looking to buy art for their new home and had brought me along because they knew I'd enjoy looking at all the paintings and drawings. They never found out how that visit changed how I saw life and love forever.
I'd roamed the walls of the gallery, sneaking photos of my favorite pieces with my cellphone, until I saw a drawing on the wall that had captured my attention more than the rest. The pencil drawing had depicted the kiss between a man and a woman.
There wasn't much more than the outline of their faces and joined lips, but what I'd seen in the picture was the desire between two people, the connection, the love. It had been as though the picture was moving, and I could see the kiss in real-life three-dimensional Technicolor.
That day, fifteen-year-old me fell in love with the idea of being kissed the same way. I'd known I wouldn't be truly in love until I was kissed like that man and woman in the drawing.
I didn't have the opportunity until two years later when Rory stole my first kiss in my parent's kitchen on Christmas Day. It had been quick and had left me in shock because I'd always thought Rory was straight.
It had taken another six months of stolen kisses for our secret relationship to take off, but even though I'd thought I loved Rory, deep down I'd always known I wasn't in love with Rory. Our kisses had never made me feel the same way I'd imagined.
Now Kris's kisses, those made me feel that way and more. That's why I needed to set some ground rules now before I got my heart broken again.
"I can't sleep with you. I…I know I'm giving all the wrong signals, with having jumped you earlier and how hot our kisses were…because yes, well, they were hot, but it doesn't mean I want to…Crap, this is coming out all wrong. Shit." I turned away from Kris, feeling all kinds of embarrassed.
"Hey," Kris said, turning me around again, "that's okay. We don't have to do anything you don't want to." His voice was gentle and reassuring because of course he would be a good person on top of being the sexiest man I'd ever seen.
"Thanks, er…it's not that I don't want to, because I do…"
"You're afraid of how it may complicate things
between us."
I nodded.
"I agree with you. God, Charlie, you're the easiest person to be around. You care about people and how your actions impact them. You have no idea how much that resonates with me." Kris ran his fingers through my hair. "You're also stupidly hot with your fiery red hair and those cute-as-fuck freckles."
I laughed. "You're making no sense."
"I know." Kris's eyes bore into me. "What I mean is that I will consciously need to stop myself from falling for you, so I agree that keeping things light will help us both."
"Because, in the end, you will go back to Lydovia and I will go back to Boston."
Kris paused for a moment but then nodded. "I hope I can still kiss you half stupid though. I mean, you already agreed to that, so no backing out now."
I sighed and leaned into Kris for a toe-curling kiss that got all those silly butterflies in my belly excited. I was going to be truly screwed, but fuck if I was willing to stop kissing Kris or able to find a good enough reason not to. I'd just need to deal with the fallback when I was back in Boston.
"Come on," Kris said. "You need to help me pick what to wear for your family's barbecue because my assistant picked all kinds of random things, and I have no clue what goes with what."
"You have an assistant?"
"What? No, no, I said my sister. She got me some clothes, but I haven't tried them, and I'm not that clued up on fashion. Will you help me?"
I wasn't sure why Kris had backtracked. Kris had clearly said it was his assistant that picked his clothes. He was obviously wealthy. Not that it bothered me at all or made me feel uncomfortable, but maybe Kris didn't want to seem to show off.
"I am just the man for the job," I said, pulling Kris in the direction of the Old Mill. "I mean, I'm no Tom Jones, but I still work in a men's fashion department."
"Tom Jones?"
"My roommate, he works with me in the store."
"Your roommate is called Tom Jones?"
"It's not unusual…"
Kris let out a belly laugh that gave me the giggles. We didn't stop until we reached the Old Mill. Olly was at the front, working on the flowers that adorned the entrance to the building.
"Hi, Olly. Still hard at work?" I asked.
"Oh no, it's not work when you get so much from it. Looking after the flowers is like spending all day with a friend. They don't much talk back at me, though." He smiled to himself. "And you? Have you had a good day? Hope you didn't meet Steve the swan on your walk by the river. He's not the friendliest."
"We met Charlie's aunt earlier. I'm sure that's why Steve kept away," Kris said, and I poked him in the ribs.
"Ouch…see, Olly? Maybe I need to see Steve for some protection."
I didn't miss the way Olly looked at both of us as he carried on working.
"These are purple wisteria; they symbolize good luck for the start of a business or marriage." He looked at Kris. "They're also good to express your affection after meeting someone for the first time." Then he looked at me. "See you later."
I smiled at Olly's random parting of information about his flowers.
"See you later, Olly," Kris said as we walked into the building holding hands. There was a tiny part of me that wanted to believe the meaning and significance of the flowers as we walked by the arch that would soon be covered in beautiful flowers.
I stopped before the point of no return. The receptionist at the local hotel had informed us that my family was all gathered at the back of the gardens in the barbecue area, so I cleaned my damp hands on the legs of my jeans, took a deep breath, and walked toward the doors that led to the gardens.
"Are you okay?" Kris asked.
I looked up at Kris and then at my family through the glass panel of the double doors. "Yes, just a little nervous."
"Charlie, are you attracted to me?"
"What? Yes, you know that. Why are you asking?"
"Because I am very attracted to you."
I narrowed my eyes, not understanding what he meant.
"That's all they need to know about us. We're going to go out there, I'll charm the pants off everyone, and you can enjoy seeing your family."
"No pants off. That's a rule," I said.
"Really? Because that guy over there—"
I stopped Kris with a demanding kiss but had my tables turned on me when Kris pushed me against a nearby wall and covered my body with his, pressing us deliciously together.
"Fuck. You don't play fair," I said, struggling to draw a breath.
"Nope."
"Oh, Charlie, there you are."
I straightened at the sound of my mom's voice. She approached for a kiss, and I prayed she didn't notice I'd just been ravished within an inch of my sanity by one single kiss.
"Mom. Um, this is Kris. Kris, this is my mom, Caroline."
I stared as Kris took my mom's hand and placed a kiss on the back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Williams."
"Oh, um…yes, same, I mean, nice to meet you. Please call me Caroline."
I rolled my eyes. Another woman in my family swooning over Kris. Not that I could blame them, Kris was very swoon-worthy.
"Shall we go check on the burned burgers, or have you warned the staff to keep Dad away from the barbecue?" I said.
"Your uncle is keeping him busy."
We walked out into the gardens where my family was gathered, some sitting on chairs, some on the ground, and some on picnic tables.
I couldn't remember the last time we'd all been together, so it was nice to look at them chatting away before they noticed us approaching.
Hannah was sitting cross-legged on a rug, having her blue and purple hair braided by Ellie. She looked so happy and relaxed.
"Is that Hannah?" Kris whispered in my ear.
"Yes, cover up your ears," I warned.
As predicted, when Hannah saw me, she screamed so loud dogs in Boston would have heard it. She got up and ran to me, jumping up and wrapping her legs around my waist, which caused me to nearly fall backward as I struggled to hold her.
"Ah, it runs in the family then." Kris chuckled next to me.
Hannah bounced back on her feet just as quickly. "So, you must be the Kris who got Aunt Gina's panties all wet. I can see why." She looked Kris up and down appreciatively.
Kris looked at me, confused.
"Don't mind her, it's all a pretense. She really doesn't care much for boys," I said.
"I really don't," Hannah said with a shrug. "I'm all about the girls."
"For the love of god, you two. It's like I raised a couple of savages."
"Sorry, Mom," we both said like we'd done so many times growing up, and then chuckled to each other.
"Nice to meet you, Kris," Hannah finally said, introducing herself. "I'm really happy you're joining Charlie for the wedding."
"Thank you for letting me barge in at the last minute."
Hannah waved her hand at Kris dismissively.
"Where's Connor? Has he arrived yet?" I asked.
Hannah frowned and looked around before she spoke.
"Something isn't right with Connor. He hasn't been around much lately."
"Is he here?"
Hannah nodded.
"On his own?"
"Sadly not. Anyway, I don't care about her. I just don't think Connor is well."
I'd seen Connor only four weeks ago when he'd had to go to Boston for work and had stayed with me. He'd seemed okay then, maybe a little tired, but I'd put it down to his new job.
"Have you spoken to him? You two have always been closer," I said.
Hannah was going to speak but then stopped herself when Rory approached us with a beer in hand.
"Hey, bridezilla," he said, kissing her cheek. "And who do we have here?"
"Rory, this is Kris, Charlie's boyfriend," Hannah said.
I felt Kris come closer and put one arm around my waist while he stretched the other to shake Rory's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Rory. You
're Connor's best friend, right?" Kris asked, looking back at me for confirmation as though he didn't know exactly who Rory was.
"Yes…that's right," Rory said, his eyes boring into me as though they could burn through my skin.
I shivered from Kris's soft strokes on my back and felt myself leaning ever so slowly into him.
"How are you, Rory?" I asked, trying to be polite.
"I didn't realize you were seeing someone. Must be serious if you brought him to your sister's wedding."
I was lost for words. Not only was Rory publicly showing more interest in me than he ever had for fear of being outed, but he was also extremely rude talking about Kris as though he wasn't there.
"Baby"—I turned to Kris—"shall we grab a drink?"
"Thought you'd never ask," Kris replied, placing a kiss on the tip of my nose.
"Charlie, why don't we grab the drinks, and we can let Hannah get to know Kris better?" Rory said.
I was torn. I didn't want any alone time with Rory, and I didn't want to leave Kris's safe side, but I knew I'd need to get Rory to back off without an audience.
"I'll be right back," I said to Kris.
11
Kris
I didn't want to let Charlie go with Rory, but I'd understood Charlie's silent message. He needed to do this on his own, to set things straight with Rory. As much as I wanted to be there for Charlie, I had to give him the space he needed.
"So, Kris, since I'm the bride—one of them, anyway—I'll let you buy me a drink so you can let me tell you all my brother's secrets."
I laughed. I was starting to really like Charlie's sister.
"Lead the way."
I was introduced to Charlie's dad, Martin, and his uncle, John, who were both within safe but commanding distance of the barbecue, making sure everyone got what they needed. Martin was a pleasant man, and I saw where Charlie got both his red hair and his personality from.
"Okay," Hannah said, "first of all, you need to know that if you hurt my little brother, I will cut your balls, I will cook them, and will make you eat them after. And you know what the worst part of that is?" She looked at me and paused for effect. "I'm a terrible cook."
