Free Claimed: Gowns & Crowns, Book 3 by Jennifer Chance Page B

blogger isn’t exactly upwardly mobile. The moment I have an accident or get tired, there’s someone else out there who can do it every bit as well, and at a lower price. So I think I’ll find a real job before I worry too much about finding a real boyfriend, you know?”
    Stefan watched her as she spoke, turning all the information around in his mind. She was single in every sense of the word, unmoored from either place or person. He already had the sense that she would rather fling herself off a cliff than build a house on one, and the image amused him. He suspected she wasn’t telling him everything, but that was okay. First off, he didn’t truly need to know. Secondly, they had time.
    In fact, if he had any say in the matter, they would have lots of time during the remainder of this trip to get to know each other…starting now.

Chapter Seven
    Nicki sat back in her chair and watched the sun dropping lower over the horizon. She’d been to Turkey before, of course. This exact location, less than a year earlier. But she hadn’t come here via private yacht, she’d come by economy plane, and she’d stayed in a quaint hotel that had shared bathrooms down the hallway.
    Viewing the country from the deck of freaking a royal yacht was definitely a step up in the world.
    She knew that Stefan was watching her, but for once, the prospect of his attention didn’t fill her with nervousness or doubt—merely excitement. And not the excitement of cliff diving either. Or not exactly. The jump was the same, sure…but she knew she’d be totally safe at the bottom of the drop. Maybe she wouldn’t be the second time she stepped into the open air, but this time…yes.
    The thought made her twist her lips ruefully. Her one-time-only preference was really less of a rule than what had become the natural order of things, but it seriously worked for her. She scared off most men before they got to the first kiss, though that clearly hadn’t been a problem with Stefan. The rest of the few men she’d kissed she’d never really cared to see again, but those she did—after the second time, that was it. Sometimes the decision was mutual, sometimes the guy simply drifted away. Most of the time she distanced herself—usually, by heading off on a new adventure living halfway around the world. Her heart was unpredictable, and she would not—could not—endure the expression on someone’s face when they learned that she had an off-the-charts risk factor that had nothing to do with her next snowboarding run.
    But Stefan had a built-in failsafe. First off, he was a highly placed component of a freaking royal family. Secondly, he was clearly filling time between real girlfriends. Thirdly, he—
    His amused voice cut across her thoughts. “Do I want to know what you’re thinking?”
    “Hmm?” Nicki refocused. “Nothing too deep, I promise,” she said. “It’s so incredibly beautiful here—and so peaceful.” She gestured to the coastline with her wine glass. “Which is amusing given what goes on in this country. It’s not peaceful at all, I’m sure. But from out here…”
    “Altering distance can provide an enhanced perspective,” Stefan said. He laid his napkin on the table, then stood. He reached out a hand and she put her fingers in his, feeling the zing of anticipation when he drew her to her feet. “For example, I find my perspective improves greatly when I’m closer to you.”
    He turned her in his arms until she was facing outward again, her back to his chest. She could feel the pulse of his heartbeat in this intimate embrace and the strength of it startled her. Stefan was alive, real, more than she had ever experienced in a man before. He was capable, yes, but it went beyond that. She never once had felt endangered today at the scavenger’s encampment, when by all rights she should have. And the moment Tamas had urged her to move into Stefan’s sight line, she’d experienced an almost surreal sense of calm—her