Player's Princess (A Royal Sports Romance)(64)

"I'd like to see all this someday," he says.

"Jason, you—"

"I know I can't," he says bitterly. "I know, I know, I'm not good enough for you, really. This can only be a fling."

"I did not mean it that way. You know that. You are good enough. More than good enough."

"Am I?"

I bite my lip, trying to find the words to soothe him, but all I can say is "Jason. I've been royalty all my life, but only you make me feel like a princess."

He looks genuinely shocked. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes." I nod. "If things were different, if they were…."

"You're right." He takes my hands. "We shouldn't do this. Do you like your food?"

"Yes, but there is too much. I cannot eat all this."

He nods. "Yeah, me either. They feed you in these places, no denying it."

As we leave, Jason takes my hand. We start back toward town, and I slow my steps, extending the walk. He has practice in the morning; he will need his sleep.

"I do not want to go back," I sigh.

"Home?"

"To the house. To the old ways. I want it to be like this now."

His grip tightens on my hand.

"You have to decide what you're going to do."

"It would be easier if we could just be ourselves. If I could just be me and you, you. If we could go where we want, do what we want. I no longer wish to hide. I would like to walk down the main street with you."

"Let's do it. Throw back your hood and let's just walk and let everybody see us."

I stop in my tracks. "You jest."

"I don't. What are they going to do?"

"I told you, I will be sent home by morning. They'll take you away. I already wonder if I should even be here. I can't keep you."

His expression is blank. "You wonder if you should be here?"

"Nothing I've done with you is a mistake. I regret none of it, except that I cannot keep you. Do you not see?"

"Who says you can't keep me?"

I cry out in frustration. "You refuse to listen!"

"Yeah, I refuse to listen to nonsense. Run away with me."

"I cannot do that."

"Yes, you can. We'll just run. Disappear. Nobody will look for me, it'll be you that's the problem. Get a haircut and dye your hair. I'd hate to see it, but I'd hate to lose you."

"I want to," I whimper. "I wanted to as soon as you said it, but I can't. Don't make me think about it ending."

I throw myself at him, and he wraps his arms around me. We stand for a while before we begin to move.

"I'm going to make Friday really special, I promise."

"I believe you."

"Come on, let's get you back to your castle."

Resigned, I walk with him, hand in hand.

"Tomorrow we'll just hang out at the house. I'll tell the boys to get lost for a while, give us our space. We can study or watch TV or just sit together. Whatever you want, Ana."

"Thank you," I sigh.

We kiss deeply before I return to the house. Once I'm back in my bedroom, I close the window and sulk, sitting cross-legged on my bed, eating a fortune cookie.

I flop back and stare at the ceiling. It offers me no answers.

One floats into my mind.

I could abdicate.

I chew my lip, and send a video-call request to Konstantin. It's midafternoon back home, so I may not reach him at all. I wait for a minute and nearly give up before he answers.

"Sister!" he says, beaming into the camera. "What troubles you at this late hour?"

I sigh. "Konstantin, how would you like to be king?"

He starts laughing. "No thank you. I've seen enough of what Mother goes through to want to chafe my ass on a throne. I have important philandering to attend to."

Huffing, I scowl at him. "I'm serious. I just had a thought…."

The blood drains from his face. "Don't you dare."

"I could."

"You can't."

"I should."

"You mustn't."

I smirk. "Why, afraid you'll come down with a case of responsibility?"

He snorts. "No. If you abdicate the throne, then I'll have to abdicate the throne, and poor Illiana will have to abdicate the throne, and it'll just be anarchy. We can't have anarchy, sister. Sorry, you were born into the top spot. I'm just the spare, and I like it that way."

I fold my arms over my chest and give him a sharp look.

"You look so queenly. The subjects will just love you."

"Konstantin, this isn't a joke. I…"

His smirk fades. "What?"

"I think I'm in love with him."

"It'll pass," Konstantin sighs. "Trust me, I've seen it pass many, many times."

"When I am queen, I will be putting an end to your womanizing, brother. You're going to settle down."

"I changed my mind, you should abdicate."

"It's different with you," I snap. "You want them to leave you."

"I always make it clear I'm only interested in a temporary arrangement."