A Royal Mess and Her Knight To Remember

Lissa was grinning stupidly at them. “You two really do have a thing for one another.”

“What?” Annie managed to laugh through her mask-stiffened face. “Don’t be silly.”

“It’s adorable.”

“It’s crap,” Annie said.

“I didn’t know princesses could say crap,” Kyle said.

“You like each other,” Lissa insisted. “I can see it all over your faces.”

“Lissa, my face has an inch of green stuff on it.”

But Lissa wouldn’t be deterred. “I’ve heard all about stuff like this, how under immense strain and pressure, especially under the threat of death, people who are polar opposites-and believe me, the two of you are polar opposites-come together.”

“We did not come together,” Annie said, flicking Kyle a dark look when he simply lifted a brow.

“Know what I think?” Lissa continued to bestow a proud, happy look at them. “I think there was more than a kiss. I think you did the wild thing.”

“Okay, here’s what I think.” Annie didn’t care if her hands were going to tingle forever, she put them back on Kyle and once again tried shoving him out the door. “I think we need to get rid of the single male ruining our female party.”

“Oh, Annie, that’s so sweet,” Lissa said, putting her hands together. “I didn’t know you were so into it.”

“I’m…into…it,” she puffed, trying to budge the unbudgeable Kyle. “Help, please.”

“No, you know what?” Lissa let out a smile that didn’t ease Annie one bit. “We’re done here. I think we’ll just leave the two of you alone. In case you have more…wild things to do.”

“Funny,” Annie said, but started to panic when the girls all packed up their stuff and headed for the door. “Wait! Don’t go! My face-”

“Just wash off the mask in five more minutes,” Lissa said.

“But my hair-”

“Take out the curlers in ten.”

Annie plastered herself to the connecting door. “You can’t go.”

“Why?” Lissa asked.

“Yeah, why?” Kyle echoed.

Because then she’d be alone with Kyle, who stood there looking so damn sure of himself in jeans, a soft-looking shirt and hiking boots. Sort of like a walking advertisement for Outsider Magazine. She loved that magazine.

“Lissa, the breast cream,” she said in a desperate, last-ditch attempt. “It didn’t work. We need to do it again.”

Lissa grinned and tossed the jar to Kyle, who caught it with ease.

“I love applying breast cream,” Kyle said.

Annie felt a scream of frustration coming on, even as Lissa tugged her away from the door. “But-”

But nothing. The door shut in her face.

Leaving her alone with Kyle Moore. Cop. Best man, not groom. Tough and big and gorgeous. Holding breast cream.

Please, her body begged.

No. Flings weren’t for princesses. She knew this for a fact, as she’d tried hard to make it work for her before. Flings weren’t for women with secret dreams of happily-ever-after.

And how are you supposed to get that happily-ever-after if you keep shoving everyone away, a little voice asked.

She ignored the little voice. She stared at the wood door in front of her and willed herself to relax.

You are not attracted to the man behind you.

But she was.

Well, then you will not admit to being attracted to the man behind you.

No matter what he did or said.

“ANNIE?”

She didn’t move, just stared at the door in front of her.

“Annie?”

“Go away, Kyle.”

“But I just got here.” He watched the back of her head covered in curlers, imagining he could see the wheels inside turning like crazy.

Poor baby. She was studying the wood grain of the door as if it held the utmost fascination for her.

She held the utmost fascination for him, though he felt vaguely uncomfortable with that realization. She wore only a skimpy little tank top and boxers, nothing else. Her bare feet curled into the rug. Her legs were toned and tanned and looked silky smooth. So did her arms. But it was the back of her neck, exposed by her tipped head and the fact that her hair was being tortured by the curlers, that really drew him.

He wanted to kiss her there. Then turn her around and dip his gaze to see for himself what that breast cream had done for an already perfect set of breasts and the most mouthwatering nipples he’d ever seen.

But she didn’t move, and he sighed. She was going to be difficult.

“Problem?” he asked.

“No. No problem. What makes you think there’s a problem?”

“Because you won’t look at me.”

“Maybe I don’t like to look at you.”

“Annie.”

“Why are you here?” At her sides, her hands fisted. “Haven’t you humiliated me enough today?”

“Humiliated? You’re kidding, right?” He took a step toward her, so that the only thing that separated them was the ridiculous curlers in her hair. The tip of her head didn’t quite come up to his chin, and the oddest feelings slammed into him.

Protectiveness.

Possessiveness.

Oh, man. Big mental step back here. Biiiigggg one. “I never humiliated you.”

She let out a low laugh and continued staring at the door.

Ah, hell. Why was he here? He could no longer remember, but felt certain it had something to do with wanting to tease her about the strippers and her reaction to them. About offering to strip for her, just so she didn’t feel left out.

He hadn’t expected his tomboy to be wearing a facial mask and breast cream, looking so…well, vulnerable.

“I’d like you to leave-” She gasped when he tossed the breast cream to the bed and whirled her around.

“That’s better,” he decided, keeping his hands on her shoulders to prevent her escape. “Talk to me, not the door.”

“The door cares about my feelings more than you do.”

That stunned him for a moment, during which time he realized he was still holding her. She felt good in his hands, damn good, and before he could help it, he’d shifted a little closer. “I care about your feelings.”

“No, you care about the cream.”

His gaze dipped down to the edges of the tank top, and the smooth curves plumping out of it.

“You’re wondering.”

He looked into her face. “Wondering?”

“If I still have the cream on.”

No, he was wondering which bridesmaid put it on for her and if they’d let him watch next time.

“Kyle?”

He was lost in the fantasy. “Hmm?”

“I’m waiting with bated breath to hear why you’re here.”

Why he was here. “The strippers.” He was pleased to remember. “You were bothered by them. And I…” Nothing to do here but speak the truth. “I was going to offer to make you feel a little easier about it. You know, the