Free The Princess Affair by Nell Stark

wash away her lingering arousal. She’d been such a fool. An undeservedly fortunate fool. But as she turned back toward Holywell Manor, one comforting thought pierced through her self-recriminations.
    At least she would never see Princess Alexandra again.

Chapter Five
     
    Sasha was finishing her first cup of coffee in front of the morning news when Miranda emerged from the suite’s second bedroom wearing only a terrycloth robe monogrammed with the hotel’s insignia. Sasha downed the dregs of her mug in an attempt to mask her disappointment. She’d been hoping to slip out before Miri could notice.
    Miranda blinked at her, clearly surprised. “You’re awake. And dressed.”
    “I’m going out.”
    “If you give me twenty minutes, I’ll go with you.”
    Seeing as it usually took Miranda nothing short of an hour to prepare herself, twenty minutes was quite the concession. Still, Sasha firmly shook her head.
    “Don’t bother. I’m going to drop by a breakfast for the Rhodes scholars. Hopefully, that will placate the trustees. And my father.”
    Miranda’s eyes narrowed. “Bollocks. You just want to see her again.”
    Sasha’s mind’s eye focused on the memory of Kerry as she’d looked just before they’d kissed: her sunset hair, her tropical eyes, her parted lips. The mental image made her heart skitter in her chest. Miranda’s accusation was spot on. Her desire to see Kerry again had been strong enough to drive her out of bed before ten o’clock—an exceedingly rare event—but she wasn’t about to admit it.
    “Believe what you like.” Sasha rose, smoothed the front of her dress, and headed for the hall closet.
    “Why are you being so cagey?”
    Biting back a quick retort, Sasha took a deep breath as she shrugged into her pea coat. It wasn’t Miri’s fault that she hadn’t slept well and was in a sour mood. Still, a line needed to be drawn.
    “When I want to explain myself to you, I will. For now, I’m leaving. I’ll be back by noon.”
    Before she had to witness Miranda’s pout, Sasha stepped into the hallway. Ian was waiting outside, and after bidding him a good morning, she fell silent again. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything beyond returning the sentiment, and she made a note to get him something extra nice for Christmas this year.
    As he preceded her through the revolving door, she turned up her collar against the morning chill. Last night’s rain had washed the streets and purged the humidity from the sky. Breathing in the crisp air, she smiled at the first taste of autumn. Ian moved toward the car idling at the curb, but she reached out to stop him.
    “Would you mind if we walked?”
    He looked up and down the street, and she could practically hear his internal debate. The sidewalks were busy but not overly crowded, and she was making an unscheduled trip only a few blocks away. Her request didn’t pose much risk. Finally, he nodded.
    “Very well, ma’am.”
    As they walked, Sasha indulged her own nostalgia, hearkening back to the pub crawls, the theme parties, the late nights spent “studying” that had devolved into prank-playing. Her years as a student here had been mostly happy ones, marred only by a few unpleasant conversations with her tutors and the administration about her less than stellar academic performance.
    When she indulged in a sigh, Ian looked over in concern. She smiled, wanting to reassure him. At times like these, she wished she could treat him like a friend—to link their arms together and ask his advice on matters of fashion, or laugh at the social faux pas from the previous evening, or confess her latest crush.
    Unbidden, the image of Kerry’s face rose again to the forefront of her mind. Sasha shook her head, silently vowing not to think about her in those terms. They’d barely spoken, after all. They knew next to nothing about each other. What’s more, Kerry had rejected her. Once Sasha had returned to the dance floor, she had scoured the club to no