Player's Princess (A Royal Sports Romance)(15)

He sits and sits, his firm, muscular stomach moving as he breathes.

I cock my head to the side. "Deal or not?"

"I'm thinking. It's a big choice."

"Dude," Akele booms, "don't."

"I need better terms."

"I'm not offering you any more properties."

"Maybe it's not a property I want, Princess."

I roll my eyes. "Then what?"



Jason



I won't make it around the board again even with passing Go. She offers me a trade that would give me a monopoly on the far side of the board, so at least I'd have something. Of course, I'd get dinged every time I roll, practically.

Late game is like that. I take a moment to think about it.

"I'll do it if you kiss me."

"You must be joking," she says, laughing softly. "I'm only allowing you to stay in this game because you amuse me."

"Oh, really? Trust me, Princess. I can be really amusing."

"I'm sure you can," she says slyly. "I'll give you a kiss as part of our deal, but I want a favor from you."

"Great."

I hand over the properties and she even gives me some cash, enough to cover the rent from my landing on her tile.

"Where's my kiss?"

"I didn't say you get it now."

"Oh yeah? I feel cheated. You don't get your favor until I get my kiss."

"Duly noted."

She rolls the dice and nervously pays rent to Aheahe. Anastasia doesn't have much. If one of them doesn't land on her monopoly she won't even be able to put hotels on her new one.

Thankfully for Ana, Aheahe pays her the top rent from one of her properties. She puts down hotels, and I roll.

I land on her twice, on one side of the board, then the other. Our house rule says I forfeit everything to her, so I hand over all my properties.

"Bro, you can mortgage," Akele protests.

"It's my choice. If this is the price to serve my princess, I pay it gladly."

Anastasia sticks her tongue out at me and rolls.

I lean back and watch the game. Dee lasts one more roll, and she's out. Anastasia has a slight edge, but it's gone when Aheahe goes bankrupt on Akele and gives him almost total control of two sides.

The buzzer on the dryer goes off.

"Okay, we need to go," Dee announces.

"But the game isn't over!" Ana protests.

"We tally up our money and properties and whoever has the most wins," Akele says.

After adding it all up, Ana is the winner, by ten dollars. Seriously.

She bounces up and down in her seat and claps, full of excitement.

"I win!" she declares.

"You still owe me that kiss."

She blushes when she looks at me. "So I do. Come get it."

I lean in, and she darts away, bursting from the couch to grab her bundle of clothes and run for the back door. I leap the couch and chase after her, running through the kitchen to catch up.

Anastasia and Dee are already on the back porch.

"You promised."

She shrugs. "So I did. Here."

She darts to me, jumps up, and plants a kiss on my lips. I try to grab her waist. It's a good kiss, and I'd like to keep it going. She even tastes sweet.

She slips out of my hands before I can get ahold of her.

"Now I collect my favor."

"Which is?"

She sighs, and a sad look takes over her soft, beautiful features.

"I like you, but forget about me. You'll be happier."

She turns, takes Dee by the hand, and runs.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. No, I will not forget about you."

She stops and looks at me, blinking. "Oh. Ah. I'm leaving now."

"Wait!"

"It's not you. I promise. I just can't."

Anastasia gives me one last, longing look before she vaults the fence. Wow, she's very flexible.

I walk to the door and lean on the frame, staring after them.

"Damn, that's cold," Aheahe says.

Akele joins him a moment later.

"Did she say 'forget about me'?" Akele asks.

"Yeah." Aheahe nods.

"Not a chance in hell," I say to no one in particular.





Chapter Three





Anastasia



"What was up with that?" Dee asks me as we take the long walk back.

"With what?"

"That 'forget me' routine."

I look away from her, toward the horizon. It must be near noon. I have been gone far longer than I intended, and I may have hell to pay when I return. I should have Dee leave before she is seen with me.

"You know what was up with it," I sigh.

"Not this again."

"You know how it must be."

I've known it since I arrived here. Being a princess comes with duties. Expectations. Responsibilities. When I return home, I will be expected to marry. Whichever man I take as my husband must be appropriate to my station.

Mother has been trying to find me a husband since I was nine. We no longer marry cousins, and half the island is related to me anyway, so that meant looking abroad.