by Sara Hantz
“Probably not a good idea,” Lauren agreed.
“Exactly. Though I’d love to photograph him. His angular jaw and those extraordinary eyes. He’d make an awesome study.” Her nerve endings tingled as an image of Nik floated in front of her.
“Geez, Amber. You’ve got it bad.” Lauren chuckled.
Heat rushed up her cheeks, and she turned her head back to the closet to prevent Lauren from seeing. “No, I haven’t. What makes you say that?” She focused on the pair of green pants in her hands, wondering if they would do.
“Apart from you blushing a bright shade of red, you mean?”
Amber sneaked a peek at Lauren, whose amusement was plastered across her face.
“You try sticking your head in a closet and not get hot.” The excuse was lame even by her standards.
“That aside. Just listen to yourself. Angular jaw. Extraordinary eyes. What’s that if not love-struck?”
Definitely not. She wouldn’t allow it.
“You’re talking out of your butt. Yes, he’s cute. And I’m not alone in thinking that, since half the school is drooling over him. But apart from that, I just like him. That’s all. I’m certainly not all gaga over him like you are over Josh.”
She’d always believed that when pushed into a corner, the best way out was to fight back. Not in a mean way. It was only kidding around. But at least it could take the focus off her and Nik.
“Don’t bring me and Josh into this.” Lauren raised her hand up to her chest, as if wounded. Like Amber was going to believe her.
“So you’re not totally in love with him, then?” Amber turned and faced Lauren head on.
“Stop changing the subject. We’re discussing you and Nik.” Lauren placed both hands on her hips and returned the stare. “For your information, I do like Josh a lot. More than a lot. As you well know. And there’s nothing wrong with you feeling the same way about Nik.”
Easy for Lauren to say. She hadn’t been through the worst time ever over the last twelve months. Amber just wanted a smooth and easy life, at least for a while. Which meant not getting involved with anyone. Relationships were full of uncertainty, and she wasn’t prepared for that. Not now. “Nothing apart from my decision to keep well away from boys this year. After all that happened with Wade, no way could I go through that again.”
Her stomach was in knots as she walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. She’d managed to keep clear of Wade since returning to school. Whenever she saw him in the cafeteria or walking around, she’d made a detour. It was easy enough. She doubted he’d even notice. Or care, for that matter.
“Nik is nothing like Wade.” Lauren sat beside her, resting her arm around Amber’s shoulders.
“All guys are the same. Apart from Josh.” She paused for a moment. “We hope,” she muttered under her breath.
“I heard that.” Lauren scowled and removed her arm.
Amber instantly regretted making the flippant comment. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset Lauren. “Sorry. But you know what I mean. Josh is nothing like Wade. Then again, Wade didn’t seem like Wade at first, and look how that turned out.”
Tears pricked her eyes, and she stood up and walked over to the window, wanting to hide that she was upset. If she didn’t talk about stuff that had happened, she was able to keep it at the back of her mind. It wasn’t as if she had any feelings for Wade. He was a jerk. It was more the betrayal that she struggled to get past. Especially as it had happened at a time when she’d been at her most vulnerable. When she’d had no idea whether she was going to live or die.
“You can’t live your whole life not trusting guys because of what Wade did to you,” Lauren said gently.
Amber mentally shook herself and drew in a long steadying breath. She turned to face Lauren. “You’re right. I know that. But all I want to do is get some perspective on my life. Plus, this internship is the most important thing happening at the moment. I’m desperate to be successful. Which means romance is out. Period.”
She had to succeed at something, and she wanted it to be photography. Even though she knew the competitive internship was a long shot, she was going to throw herself into it and not allow any thoughts about not achieving it to enter her head.
“I think you’re being ridiculous. For starters, the internship isn’t until next summer. Once you’ve applied, then that’s it. You can enjoy yourself with Nik.” She jabbed her finger toward Amber to punctuate her sentence.
“Stop being so rational. It doesn’t suit you.” Amber grabbed the pink heart-shaped cushion next to her on the bed and wrapped her arms around it, clutching it to her.
“And you stop being so deep. You don’t have to be in love with every person you go out with. Just think of Nik as a diversion. Someone to put some fun back in your life.”
Fun. Was she ready for that? She didn’t know. She enjoyed being with Lauren and Josh. It was easy and lighthearted. But fun with a guy or, more precisely, Nik? That was a totally different matter. They’d had a few moments while being together, but there were also more than a few un-fun instances. Too. Much. Drama.
“Nik isn’t like Josh. Even if he isn’t as arrogant as I first thought, there’s still something distant about him. Something about him doesn’t quite ring true. Plus, he’s not that easy to be with.”
That had to be the understatement of all understatements.
“So what is it about him that’s pressing all your buttons?” Lauren asked.
Good question. Amber wasn’t sure herself.
…
Nik pulled open the door to the changing room and stepped out, wanting to show Amber the dark, distressed jeans and gray striped V neck T-shirt that she’d picked out for him to try. He thought they looked good but wanted to get her approval. She wasn’t sitting where he’d left her, so he scanned the shop and saw her flicking through the sale rack.
Amber glanced over her shoulder and then looked him up and down to check out the clothes, her gaze conveying appreciation.
Who’d have thought that he’d have enjoyed going shopping with a girl? Normally, designers would bring clothes to the palace. A visit to the mall in Lutgenstadt was totally out of the question for him; it generated way too much interest. The only time his family went into a shop was when the whole mall had been shut down for them, and they were the only people in there, apart from their security. It was nothing like he was experiencing now.
Shopping was kind of cool.
“Earth to Nik.” Amber’s voice cut across his thoughts, and she swept a hand up and down in front of his face.
“Yes?” He hadn’t realized that she’d walked back over. She stepped away now that she had his attention and stood with one hand on her hip, studying him from top to bottom. He inwardly squirmed under her gaze and hoped that she couldn’t see how much she was affecting him.
“Love the jeans on you.” Her gaze remained firmly fixed on the faded denim—people in America actually bought new jeans with holes in them!—and her expression had a softness he’d never seen before.
Warmth coursed through his veins. Which struck him as odd. He was used to hearing nice things about himself and reading them in the papers. And seeing people get a little starry eyed when face-to-face with him and his family. It came with the royal territory. He had been voted “Lutgenstadt’s Most Eligible Bachelor” a few months ago, and he was only seventeen. The royal office had been kept much busier than usual dealing with all the incoming emails and social media interest that followed. Mainly from women, of all ages, offering themselves to be his bride. He didn’t see any of it, just heard the details from Kurt, who looked after his safety when he was at home.
So why was one small compliment from Amber affecting him?
“Thank you.” He started to incline his head, as he usually did, but righted himself quickly.
“You’re getting better at remembering not to do that,” Amber said.
“Not to do what?” he asked, although he knew she was referring
to the gesture he’d just aborted. It wasn’t easy fixing something that had been ingrained since he could walk.
She smirked, her former softness replaced by the all-too-familiar teasing sparkle. “The head bow.”
He blinked. “What?”
She pursed her lips, lowered her eyelids to half-mast so she appeared to be looking down at him despite being nearly a foot shorter than he was, and bowed her head regally at him.
Do I really look like that?
“Enough said.” Her gaze flicked back down to the jeans. “Yeah. Really cute.” She ran her tongue along her bottom lip.
He was overcome with the urge to kiss her. Except he knew that if he did, it would be a disaster for both of them. They’d already insisted that they were just friends. And he wanted that. So he could experience normal.
Normal dating would work, too.
“Cute?” He arched a brow. Was she trying to tell him the jeans weren’t working? “Cute” didn’t sound very masculine to him. Girls were cute. Unless it was something applied to guys as well over here.
“Yeah. Is that a problem?” Amber’s eyes twinkled.
She was teasing. He hadn’t realized because he wasn’t used to girls treating him the way Amber did—like he was a normal person instead of someone worth 30 million Euro, who could get them an audience with the queen or take them to the nationally televised Winter Ball. He wondered whether she’d continue in the same vein if she knew who he really was.
Actually, he didn’t want to find out. He was enjoying himself too much.
“I’ve never aspired to be cute before,” he countered, dragging his fingers through his hair.
“Well, now you can. Aspire that is. Where do you get those words?”
“It’s the way we talk in my country. At least in my family.” Josh had already warned him about the way he spoke, but he struggled with speaking any other way, especially since English was his second language. He might have studied the language for years, but being totally immersed in it the way he was now was very different. For a start, everyone seemed to speak so fast. And don’t get him started on the different accents. He had to concentrate very hard to comprehend what some people said. Fortunately, Amber was easy to understand.
“It’s very formal,” Amber said. “And everyone talks like you?”
An image of his family and the company they kept rushed through his mind. They were exactly like him. Clones of one another, almost. Of course, they weren’t the majority of the population.
“Not everyone,” he replied, glad that there were at least some things he didn’t have to mislead her about. He preferred thinking of it as misleading rather than straightforward lying.
“Anyway, what do you think of the jeans and tee?” Amber asked.
He glanced at his reflection in the full-length mirror next to him. The outfit certainly looked different from his usual attire. He liked it, especially if she did.
“Does it make me look like a regular American guy?” he asked.
“Is that what you aspire to?” Amber giggled.
Irritation shot through him, but he quickly quashed it. She was having fun with him. That was what having a friendship was all about. If Josh was here, he’d be reminding him to chill.
“I want to be part of your culture. I’m here for a year and want to make the most of it,” he admitted.
“Oh yeah. I remember. Only a year.”
He detected a note of sadness in her voice. Or was he imagining it?
“At the moment. It was hard enough to get my parents to agree to one year. Longer could be problematic.” He gave a hollow laugh.
Though longer would be good. Or would it? He loved the freedom, but did he really want to be away from his family indefinitely? Maybe not indefinitely but a bit longer, certainly. He could always fly home during the vacations. He’d have to keep well under the radar to make sure the Lutgenstadt press didn’t find out his movements and expose him. But that shouldn’t be too difficult.
“Well, you have to enjoy yourself while you’re here. And yes. The clothes are much better. Less straight adult and more teen. How much do you have to spend? Because I’ve found some more pants and a cool hoodie on the sale rack.”
“I have no budget.” Amber’s eyes widened. It suddenly struck him that maybe having no budget implied that he had a lot of money. Then again, he was at a school full of people with money. “Just a credit card,” he added.
“Lucky you. My parents stopped me using mine after I maxed it out three terms in succession. Now, it’s just for emergencies. For everything else, I have to rely on my allowance.” Annoyance flashed across her face.
“I can buy you some clothes if you wish. Tell me if you see anything you’d like,” he offered.
“Thanks, but no.” Amber’s eyes narrowed as if she was offended, but why? “You don’t need anything new?” he asked.
“Need, no. Want, yes. But I’m not letting you buy me anything.” Her tone was quite determined, and the look on her face clearly showed that this time, she wasn’t teasing.
“Why not?” he asked.
A stern expression crossed her face. “For starters, we hardly know each other. And secondly…well…whatever. I’m fine, thanks.”
“I didn’t mean to offend.” He clenched his fists by his side. Just when he thought he was beginning to understand the protocol over here, he made yet another mistake. In Lutgenstadt, girls would have loved to have him buy them clothes.
Correction. Lutgenstadt girls would have loved to have Prince Niklas III buy them clothes with his royal allowance.
“You didn’t offend,” she replied. “It’s just that most people don’t offer to buy clothes for someone they hardly know. It’s too much. I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you.”
He would remember that for next time. “Can I buy you something to eat after we’ve finished here? Is that acceptable?”
“Totally acceptable. Come on, I’ll show you what’s on the sale rack.” She took hold of his arm, and he allowed himself to be steered toward the back of the shop, trying to ignore the sparks of desire her touch was sending through him.
Was he enjoying himself a little too much? Pretending to be an ordinary guy in an ordinary world? It was going to end in a year. And if he wasn’t careful, the ending could bring with it a crushed heart.
But would it be hers or his?
Chapter Seven
Amber tried to hide her amusement when Nik held out the high-backed wooden chair for her and then waited until she was seated before sitting himself.
She glanced around noticing how busy the café was. They were lucky to get a seat. The Blue Pacific was a small retro café just inside the mall. It had a juke box and sixties advertising slogan banners on the wall. It was one of her favorite places to eat, and she was happy Nik had agreed to give it a try. The freshly baked cupcakes were binge-worthy.
“Thanks.” She grinned, unable to stifle her feelings any longer.
“Have I done something funny?” A hurt expression crossed his face.
Amber immediately wanted to smack herself. She hadn’t meant to make him feel bad. It was just that his old-world manners were so…lovely. And unusual in a seventeen-year-old guy. Who wouldn’t want a guy to open doors and be so considerate? It would just take some getting used to without feeling the urge to collapse in a heap of laughter every time.
“Sorry. No, of course not. Does everyone in your country treat girls like this?” Her eyes locked with his ice-blue ones, and it was like an electric current shot down her spine. It was a good thing she was already seated, because she suspected her knees might have given way. Not the look she was going for.
“What do you mean?” Nik frowned.
“You know. Opening doors. Standing when they get up to leave. Holding chairs. It’s so old-school. Like you’d read about in novels.”
She’d always loved historical books and movies. Her friends thought she was weird, preferring Jane Austen’s Darcy to Iron
Man. But for her, there was no comparison.
“Manners are important at home.” He rested his arms on the table. A lazy smile played at the corners of his mouth. She sensed he was relaxing more. She liked it.
“Not like here, you mean?” She worried that he might think she was rude.
“It’s different,” he replied after a few seconds, his brow wrinkled. It seemed like he was trying to find the right thing to say. She hoped it wasn’t her previous remarks making him so cautious.
“How?” she encouraged. She loved listening to him speak. His lilting accent was incredibly hot, especially the way he accentuated the letter i in a word.
“It’s much more relaxed here. Where I’m from, everything is very traditional.”
That she could believe, just from his whole demeanor. She doubted he ever messed around in class or sassed his parents. “But you do have internet and stuff, don’t you?” She immediately regretted asking such a dumb question.
“Of course. I said traditional. Not archaic.”
She let out a soft groan. “Sorry. Stupid thing to ask. Ignore me.” Just once when talking to him, it would be nice if she could engage her brain before speaking.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he replied gently, his eyes appearing to linger on hers for longer than would be considered normal for friends.
Amber’s palms were sweaty. She felt like Mowgli in The Jungle Book when he was with Kaa the snake. Except it was Nik who was drawing her in and bewitching her. Making her think that anything was possible when they were together.
“So what else is different here from your country?” She sat upright in her chair and focused on the small vase filled with mini sunflowers on the table between them. Anything to keep her eyes from watching his lips move.
Who knew being just friends would be so complicated?
“My life at home is very formal. We dine at certain times, and only certain types of attire are acceptable. We’re generally more quiet and don’t get excited about things in the same way as over here.”
She averted her gaze back to him. No sign of humor on his face. He had to be telling her the truth. “You have to wear certain things when you eat? Like in Downton Abbey? You’re kidding, right?”
