XX

XX

I was not really coming. But here I was, standing outside the backdoor of the Palace. This was where Clarissa and I entered the Palace on my first day. It was near the elevator and fire exit.

The weather was cold and hazy. Since it was early in the morning, the sun had not yet risen. However, people were already busy working in their respective areas. I saw the kitchen staffs unloading the truck nearby. They held boxes of, I assumed, raw foods. On the opposite side, the guards were patrolling and observing every act as though they doubted all individuals.

Patiently waiting, I tried to warm myself by rubbing my hands with each other. Thank goodness, Prince Alexander told me yesterday to bring a jacket. Speaking of that Prince, where was he? I stood here for about ten minutes. Would he come?

I would kick him if he would not show his face here. I knew it was only his game and I wanted to prove him something, but he had no right to play with my time of sleeping! I woke up very early just to prove I was not jealous to his prostitute. He should not dare me.

I waited for another minute, when finally, he went out of the door. He wore a black jacket while its hood covered his head, and dark sunglasses were in his eyes. He put on the jogging pants, like how he wore his usual slacks; both screamed his hotness. I never saw a man before who could do that on the same clothing. Prince Alexander was the only one.

He smiled once he saw me, and I only rolled my eyes. He was late, for all sake!

"Let's go?" he said when he reached me.

I furrowed my eyebrow. "What are you saying?" I asked, "I thought we would only see each other here and then return to our respective beds."

He smirked, amused, "Ms. Accountant, sometimes, don't use your pretty head only in numbers. You can also use it in real world."

I smacked his arm, "Your Highness, I'm using it properly, you don't need to say that to me." I glared, "How do I know what you are planning?"

"Just come with me, you will know," he held my hand as if it was fragile. A shiver ran through my spine, possibly, because of the coldness outside or because of his long fingers interlaced with mine.

The guard nodded to the prince when we passed the gate. Still holding my hand, we stopped outside the fence of the Palace. From this vantage point, I could see how big and magnificent the palace was. I wondered if I could see the window of my room from here.

"We can jog here to go to our destination," he said and I suddenly looked at him.

I wore jeans, I thought we would hang out and came back to bed after. Luckily, I thought of wearing sneakers. Okay, I could still jog while these fitted pants bothering me. It would be a difficult morning for me. Why was this prince suddenly think about jogging?

"You're getting fat," he answered my unspoken question. Wait, how did he know what I was thinking? Maybe my face was obviously interpreting what my thinking was.

"Seriously?" I panicked and stared at my stomach. It was Katherine's fault! She always dragged me to the Dining Area to eat anything we could see there.

He stopped the grin forming on his face by biting his lower lip. Oh my gosh. He was unthinkable hot when he did that. "I want to help you," he said, "That's why I invited you this morning to join me in my jogging."

"Wow, thank you for your concern," I sarcastically said. It was his satisfaction to insult me no matter what it took. Telling a girl she was fat, what a gentleman?

"You're welcome," he chuckled, "Let's start our morning."

I felt the cold again when he released my hand. Without any word from either of us, we started to jog along the wonderful breaking dawn of London. The streets were still quiet and there were some people doing their morning exercise.

We passed some structures that were historical and I was amazed because I only saw them on Google. I had never been in this area for my first few weeks of staying here. Katherine always dragged me to the place, where all kinds of food located. I did not know why that girl never got fat. She was like Lola.

There were a few people looking in our direction, checking out the man beside me. In the corner of my eye, I saw a boy following us.  I looked back and noticed the camera, he was holding. He put it on his face when he saw me looking at him.

Prince Alexander immediately wrapped his arm on my head and forced me to turn it in front of me.

"Don't stare at them," he pulled me in a narrow street, "They are searching for my newest mistress."

"They saw the wrong person," he just smiled at what I had said.

We continued to jog until the road under our feet changed into a grass. Plants and trees replaced the buildings surrounding us earlier. We were in the middle of unfamiliar place, for me. For sure, Prince Alexander knew this place.

He grasped my hand when we stopped near the river. We sat on the grass, which was a little wet because of the morning fog. Surrounding us were large trees and across the river were houses. The place seemed peaceful and silent even during the busiest hour of the day. I wanted to live in this kind of area; a beautiful view was an addition.

"What are we doing here?" I asked him after a few seconds of breathing catching. We jogged for about two kilometers. Who could do that after without having a difficulty to breathe?

"I wanted to ask you some questions," he answered, lacking of hesitation. He already removed his sunglasses that gave me the great view of his stunning green eyes.

Wow. He brought me here that resulted to aching feet, just to ask me a question. What a man?

"Questions?" I wondered, removing my little irritation.

He directly said, "Why do you want me to leave my sex life?"

I swallowed and looked away. "Your Highness, I'm concerned with your health. You might get a disease if you continue your affairs with a lot of random women."

"You're concerned with my health?" he appeared disappointed, "You're not jealous?"

"Of course not, that's why I'm here with you."

"I'm hurt," I gave him a what-the-heck-are-you-saying-look, "Because I like you, Shirley Woodman."

I felt everything stopped including the earth's revolution around the sun. My heart thumped my rib cage ten times faster than usual. My lungs did not function anymore, and I was thinking if I were still breathing.  I could not move. Same with what I felt during his confession in the island. When he told me, while I was sleeping, I was his sky. However, it was different when I was awake. It was more real and more affectionate.

Blood crept on my cheeks. It still gave me goose bumps when he said my name. But saying in front of me that he liked me, that was poles apart. I did not know what to say, so I just told him, "You're having your nightmare."

"I can forget all those women, just say you like me, too," he did not pleaded he ordered it. "For your info, the last time I checked, I haven't gotten a disease yet," he added.

"So you're waiting to be infected before you stop doing that to your women?" I asked, hard to believe about what was running in his mind. I shook my head and sighed, "Who knows, there is already a virus living in your body and it infected first your brain."

Prince Alexander pushed me on the ground having no reluctance. I put my hands on his chest to prevent him from moving closer but he just held it and positioned himself on top of me. Trapping my both hands above my head, he started kissing me. Deeply. Passionately. Longing.

He said between our kisses, "Let's see if I already have the disease."

Supposedly, I would reply but his mouth started moving as if it owned mine. He caressed my hip using his free hand; he bit my lower lip that gave him an access to enter my mouth, simultaneously. He moved his tongue slowly; savoring our time and making me felt how expert he was in this kind of activity.

He left my mouth and started to kiss my jaw, down to my neck, across my collarbone and back to my jaw again. When I regained my consciousness, I bravely asked.

"Are we very fast for this kind of thing?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me, "I don't care," he chuckled, "Time is not a problem. Who cares if we only knew each other for a day? We will still go there, right? This," he pointed his chest where his heart was located, "I never felt it to anyone but you."

I shook my head. "Trust me; you only feel compassion to me because I am poor. That is nothing more."

"I don't think so," he shrugged, "I like you, do you like me?"

I exhaled noisily. I had no choice but to be honest. "I don't know how to say it, but," I bit my lower lip and gave him a sorry look, "I don't like you."

As soon as those words left my mouth, his grasp on my wrists unfastened. However, he was still on top of me and if ever he would think a bad thing, he could do it without any difficulty.

Shock was visible in his face. I had no idea if he was already angry. I suddenly sensed the urge to take back my words and changed it. Now, confusion made its way into my mind. Did I really have no feeling for him? It was only a friendly feeling, right? No more. No less.

He laughed. Yes, he just laughed but so evil that I found myself thinking about escaping from him. Who knew he would murder me here for saying I did not like him?

"This is the first time," his laugh was still there, "A woman told me that she doesn't like me." He immediately became serious and stared at me in the scariest way. Was this man crazy? I mean, he could change his emotion for just a snap. "Do you think I will accept that easily?"

"What are you trying to say? Are you going to kill me?" I gave myself one clap for sounding very brave.

"I'll never do that," he stated, "What I will do is to make you mine, Shirley." He lowered himself again until our mouths were an inch apart from each other.

"In your dreams, Your Highness," I leveled his authority, "I will never be yours." I did not know where the courage I have come from.

"Be my guest," he smirked.

He almost closed our gap again when my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I knew he also felt it because he stopped and gave me a foot space. We just stayed in that position while he was looking at me intently and I got my cell phone in my pocket.

A new message from an unknown number showed on my screen. I clicked one of the buttons on my keypad to read the message. It said:

Good morning Shi. Meet me in the London's eye 2day @ lunch. Paulo :)

This was not real.

(A/N: Forgive me for a very late update. By the way, I have a picture at the side of the actor who really fit for Prince Alexander's character. What can you say about our Prince's personality? Do you like him? I'm excited to see all your comments! Thank you! GOD bless. I'll update soon!)