She thought about that for a second, then glanced down. ‘‘Oh, my. I see your point. That would be tragic.’’
‘‘For me more than you.’’
They stared at each other. She drew in a deep breath. ‘‘Was it awful?’’
‘‘What? Making love with you?’’
She nodded.
‘‘Why would you think that?’’ he asked. ‘‘It was incredible.’’
‘‘Then how did you know I was a virgin?’’
‘‘You were more tentative than I’d expected, and you seemed too startled to have done it before. But I wasn’t sure.’’ He grimaced. ‘‘And I was too much of a selfish bastard to make sure before I had my way with you.’’
Her blue eyes darkened. ‘‘So you’re sorry?’’
‘‘Only for how it affects you. I’ve changed you, Alex, and you can never go back.’’
‘‘I don’t want to go back. I’ve been saving myself for years, and I suddenly realized there wasn’t much point. I’m not engaged. So far my parents show no signs of arranging a match for me. I refuse to die an old maid.’’
‘‘You’re far from that.’’
She turned toward him and rested her hand on his waist. ‘‘I’m not sorry. I don’t have any regrets. Given the choice, I would do it all again…with you.’’ She moved closer, then lowered her hand and encircled him. ‘‘Speaking of which.’’
Her fingers were warm and tentative, but they were more than enough to get him hard again. He sucked in a breath. ‘‘It’s like being seventeen again.’’
‘‘Is that a bad thing?’’
‘‘Not if you don’t mind doing it five or six times tonight.’’
She smiled. ‘‘That sounds like a good plan to me. I have a lot of catching up to do. I want to learn everything and I want you to be the one to teach me.’’ She pressed her mouth to his.
He couldn’t resist her kiss any more than he’d resisted her touch, or the woman herself. As he began touching her, a little voice whispered that he was in way over his head. But he ignored the words, much as he ignored the sensation of his heart opening up to this very special, very unavailable woman.
* * *
‘‘Are you ready?’’ Alex asked as the limo pulled in front of the Century City Hotel.
Mitch nodded without speaking. He would rather be dragged around a corral by an angry bull than admit that he was nervous…but he was. It wasn’t every day that a man escorted a royal princess to a high-society event.
He and Alex were staying at a small, exclusive hotel in Malibu. Their suite took up the entire top level, and there were security people staying on the floor below. One of the royal bodyguard rode next to the driver in the limo, and there would be more security people—from both Wynborough and the United States Secret Service—at the fund-raiser tonight. Mitch had even been briefed on the proper etiquette for the evening.
The right rear door opened. As he’d been instructed, Mitch stepped out first, then assisted Alex. She straightened and smiled to the crowd. Instantly the evening exploded as dozens of flashes popped all around them. Mitch stayed in the background and was jostled and ignored as the press tried to get Alex’s attention.
‘‘What do you think of your stay in our country?’’
‘‘Where have you been hiding out, Princess Alexandra?’’
‘‘Have you met any Hollywood heartthrobs?’’
Alex kept smiling, then took Mitch’s arm and allowed him to lead her toward the entrance to the hotel. Mitch found that a firm right arm worked wonders in holding back the crowd. But there were too many people taking up too small a space. He was reminded of the time when he’d been eight and had fallen into a corral of milling steers. He’d been tossed and jostled until his dad had come to his rescue.
Just when he figured he’d had all he could take, they pushed through the last of the people and made it inside. The foyer of the hotel was open, well lit and relatively quiet.
A well-dressed man in his mid-thirties greeted them. ‘‘Princess Alexandra, welcome to America. I’m Miles Stanford, an attaché with the State Department.’’ He bent over Alex’s hand, then straightened and smiled at Mitch. ‘‘Mr. Colton, a pleasure.’’
Mitch wasn’t sure what to say, but Miles didn’t wait for any greeting. He took Alex’s arm and led her toward the ballroom, chatting all the way. Mitch trailed after them. There were dozens of women in fancy dresses partnered with tuxedo-clad men. The light sparkling off all the jewelry was enough to blind a person. Nothing about this event made him happy. He knew he was out of place and he figured just about everyone around them knew it, too. He should have waited back at their hotel.
