Mitch didn’t seem to notice her surprise, or her withdrawal. He cupped her face in his large, competent hands and stared at her. ‘‘You’re so beautiful,’’ he murmured. ‘‘And one amazing kisser.’’ A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ‘‘I’m impressed, princess. You’ve got me all hot and bothered.’’
He pressed his mouth to her forehead, then her nose, her cheeks and finally trailed damp kisses down her neck. Shivers rippled through her. She could only cling to him and pray that he would never stop what he was doing. How could she, an inexperienced, sexually unaware woman, have turned on someone like him? The thought thrilled her and gave her a sense of feminine power that she’d never before experienced.
She tested her newfound ability by touching his chin and drawing his mouth back to hers. ‘‘Tell me about being hot and bothered,’’ she murmured.
He swore under his breath, right before he claimed her mouth. This time when he hauled her up against him there was no mistaking his need. It flexed against her belly in a way that made her thighs start to melt. She wanted him. She, Princess Alexandra of Wynborough, actually wanted to make love with a man so desperately she didn’t care about anything else. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and experience what it was most other women took for granted. She wanted to be naked and vulnerable and—
Reality crashed in on Alex. For one brief second she saw herself as if she were an observer of the situation instead of a participant. She saw herself as if this moment had been captured by a tabloid photographer and plastered across every newspaper in the world. Despite her desire, despite how much she liked Mitch, she wasn’t a regular woman and this wasn’t a normal situation.
She broke away from him. ‘‘I can’t,’’ she whispered. Even though she wanted to. Perhaps evenbecauseshe wanted to. She looked at Mitch. ‘‘It’s not you, it’s me.’’
She thought he might protest or ask for an explanation. Instead, she read understanding in his eyes. ‘‘I’m sorry,’’ he said. ‘‘I shouldn’t have—’’
‘‘Don’t apologize,’’ she told him. ‘‘I’m glad we…’’ She made a vague gesture with her hand. Then she shrugged. ‘‘I just can’t.’’
They stood less than a foot apart, staring at each other. The silence turned awkward, and when she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him, Alex walked out of the room.
* * *
Shortly after three in the morning, Alex gave up trying to sleep. She figured she might as well get started on her day. But instead of getting up and dressing, she found herself reliving the magic of Mitch’s kiss. For the thousandth time. She closed her eyes and imagined herself back in his arms. She could inhale his scent, taste his sweetness on her tongue and, most amazing of all, she could feel his need pressing against her.
When she found herself squirming in bed, she opened her eyes and sat up. What was it about his kisses that had made such an impact on her? Why him and why not some other man? Was it their circumstances and the fact that they’d been thrown together? Was it some chemical thing? A combination of hormones and timing? Was it that he saw her as a woman rather than a princess?
‘‘It doesn’t matter,’’ she said aloud into the darkness. For some reason, kissing Mitch had been different from kissing other men. While the news was potentially interesting, it didn’t have to mean anything. It had been one kiss, or at least one series of kisses. No harm had been done. She was in Arizona, trying to find out about her long-lost brother. Mitch had been a momentary distraction. They had kissed. Now they simply had to put the experience behind them.
She flopped back on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Except she couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d done. Even as she gave herself the lecture about being sensible, half her brain was caught up in the memory of his hands touching her rear. She stifled a giggle. No man had ever touched her there, yet Mitch hadn’t even hesitated. He’d just reached down and squeezed. If she hadn’t stopped him, he might have touched her in other, more interesting places.
Instead of the thought appalling her, she found herself wondering what it would have felt like. Would he have taken her dress off? Would he have touched her breasts? The image left her breathless.
‘‘Stop being a fool,’’ she told herself, trying to be stern. ‘‘He’s not for you.’’
And he wasn’t. The thing was, she’d never really thought of herself as the passionate type. Except, in Mitch’s arms she’d certainly been passionate and willing. So what was different? Was it him? Or her? Or both?
Did it matter? She couldn’t pursue anything with Mitch. She was the oldest daughter of a king, and he was a rancher. Her life was in Wynborough and his was in Arizona. Even if she wanted a relationship with Mitch, it wasn’t possible. Besides, would he want more than just sex with her?
‘‘I just won’t think about it,’’ she said firmly. ‘‘I will put the kiss and all it implies out of my mind. I will pretend it never happened. I’m sure Mitch will do the same. We’ll go on as before. Nothing has changed.’’
That decided, Alex turned on her side. She would make one more attempt at sleep. But instead of growing drowsy, once again she found herself caught up in the memories of the magic that had been Mitch’s kiss.
* * *
Two days later when Alex walked into the barn in the early afternoon, she was shocked to see Mitch standing in front of one of the stalls. She hadn’t seen him since the night of their kiss. That next morning, after she’d slept until nearly ten, which was startling in and of itself, she’d found that she was on her own. Betty had informed her that Mitch had left shortly after dawn to buy a mare he’d been interested in for some time.
Alex had tried not to take the news personally and after sternly lecturing herself two or three more times, she’d actually been able to put him and their kiss out of her mind. She’d spent the last two days working in her office in the morning, then out in the barn in the afternoon. She’d only thought about Mitch every ten or fifteen minutes and the kiss maybe half as many times.
But now he was here, and all the physical sensations and emotional confusion crashed in on her. She didn’t know if she should announce her presence or make a strategic retreat. Before she could decide, he glanced up and saw her.
‘‘Come meet the new lady in my life,’’ he said, motioning her forward.
Alex walked over to the stall and saw a beautiful bay mare. But instead of moving toward her visitors, the animal shuddered and backed into a corner.
Mitch’s expression tightened. ‘‘She’s one of the best brood mares I’ve ever run across. I tried to buy her three years ago, but the owner sold him to a neighbor. Unfortunately that particular bastard isn’t known for treating horses well. He’s got her so spooked, she hasn’t foaled in eighteen months. I finally convinced him to sell her to me.’’
He turned his attention back to the mare. ‘‘Come on, sweet thing. You’re going to be happy here.’’ The mare flattened her ears and bumped into the corner.
Mitch moved back a couple of steps. ‘‘Her offspring are prizewinners, but it’s going to take a lot of time to get her relaxed enough to breed again.’’
Alex didn’t know what to say. She was torn between responding to his conversation about the mare and wondering how he could act so…so…normal. Then she reminded herself that their kiss might have only been significant to her. Maybe Mitch felt that kind of passion all the time.
