Before I could get across the suite,I heard the telltale click of the bathroom’s lock. I pounded a fist again the door. “Hannah, we need to talk!”
“We don’t need to do shit! Besides, I think we’ve talked enough. I’m going to get dressed, and then I’m going home.Youcan go fuck yourself.”
“Hannah, please!” I pounded again, but she didn’t answer. I was giving careful thought to forcing my way into the bathroom when Aristide clearedhis throat at the bedroom door on the opposite side of the room.
“Je suis désolé,Votre Altesse.”
“Oh, so now you can speak French.”
It was barely noticeable, but Aristide flinched before he spoke. “Pardon, monsieur. You said earlier it was rude to speak in French in front of your, er, guest.”
I tilted my head. “That would imply you knew Hannah was in my bed, as you were speaking Englishbeforeyou so shrewdly discovered her.”
“Non, monsieur. I uh, erm…”
“Je m’en fou. I don’t give a fuck. You’re fired.”
“You can’t fire me. I’m employed by the palace. His Highness himself hired me.”
“Fine, consider yourself reassigned. You are no longer my assistant. Nicolas will arrange your flights home.”
“But—”
“GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT!”
I registered his quickly retreatingfootsteps as the bathroom lock clicked. I ripped open the door before Hannah could open it herself.
“Oh!” She jumped back, now clothed in her outfit from last night. It was a bit wrinkled from the night before, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. I couldn’t look away from the tears glittering in her eyes. “Excuse me.”
“Hannah, we need to talk about this.”
“Actually, we don’t need to doanything. You got your one-time fling with the carefree local, so this lowly commoner is going to go home where she won’t bother you.”
“Argh, you’re so aggravating.”
“So everyone tells me. Excuse me.” Hannah bumped her shoulder into me as she attempted to walk around me but stopped short when I wouldn’t move. “Luc, don’t do this, okay? You’re right. There can’t be anything more between us, sowhy bother pretending?”
“Give me a chance to explain.”
“As you so adroitly put it, there is no us. We were a fling. We flung. Now it’s time for everyone to go back to their own realities.”
“Of course there’s an us. I just meant that it didn’t start out that way. We were supposed to be a fling, but you made me feel so much more. I want—”
“That’s just guilt talking.”
“No, it’s not. When wewere looking into the mirror last night, I said you were too good for me, and I meant it. I have feelings for you. I don’t know how we’re going to make this thing work between us, but I want to try. I want to be there for you.”
Hannah shook her head. “It can’t work. You’re a prince, and I cut hair for a living. Hell, I’m anout-of-workcosmetologist. So no, it’s not going to work. It’s ridiculousto think it might.”
“We can do anything we want to. Just please, give me a chance. Let me try to make this right. Come, we’ll talk over breakfast. Aristide—well, I guess I can order us something from room service.”
Hannah opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think twice. She bit her lip as she watched me, then after a moment, she nodded slowly. “Fine. But only because I’m hungry.I’m not agreeing to a relationship. Just breakfast.”
“It’s a start, I suppose.”
Hannah shook off my guiding hand, so I led the way down the hall to the salon. Where another scene waited for us.
“I don’t care what you say!” Aristide shouted at Nicolas in French. “That fucking pretender prince doesn’t have the authority to fire me. He can’t make me go.”
