The Royal Contract:

Chapter 2: One Night

"So, Nick," she said, trying to sound casual. "Do you make a habit of approaching women who look like they want to be left alone?"

"Only the interesting ones."

"And what makes you think I'm interesting?"

"You insulted me before I even sat down."

"Maybe I have a terrible personality."

"Then we have something in common."

She laughed before she could stop herself.

He smiled, looking pleased with himself.

"See? I knew you weren't as unfriendly as you wanted me to believe."

"And I know you're far too confident."

"Is that a complaint?"

"Not yet."

His eyes held hers.

"Good. I'd hate for our evening to end before it begins."

For the first time that night, Brooke forgot about the contract, the cameras, and the mountain of work waiting for her in Bellacourt.

He asked about her work and actually listened to her answers. When she explained that she was a photographer, he wanted to know what she loved most about it.

"Capturing moments people don't realize are important until they're gone," she told him.

Something in his expression changed.

"That sounds like a beautiful way to see the world."

"Sometimes it is. Other times, it means spending six hours editing while surviving on coffee."

He laughed again.

"What about you? What do you do?"

For the first time since they had started talking, Nick hesitated.

It was brief, but she noticed.

"I work with my family's business," he finally said.

"That sounds serious."

"It is."

"Do you enjoy it?"

He looked at her as though nobody had asked him that question in a long time.

"Some days."

"And the other days?"

"I wonder what it would be like to do something nobody expects me to do."

"Then do it."

"It's not that simple."

"It rarely is. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try."

He studied her face.

"You give advice to strangers often?"

"Only the handsome ones."

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Nick's smile widened.

Brooke covered her face with one hand.

"Oh, my God."

"You think I'm handsome."

"Forget I said that."

"Never."

"You're impossible."

"And you're blushing."

"I'm hot."

"Of course."

She pointed a finger at him. "Don't start."

He laughed, and this time she laughed with him.

Somewhere between their second drinks and the music getting louder, the distance between them disappeared.

They talked about travel, food, terrible dates, and the strange things people did when they thought nobody was watching. Nick told her about a trip he had taken to Italy years ago. Brooke told him about the time she accidentally photographed a groom falling into a swimming pool.

He laughed so hard at that story that a woman at the next table turned to stare.

Brooke liked that. She liked that he didn't seem to care about looking perfect in front of her.

And she liked the way he looked at her, as though the crowded nightclub had disappeared and she was the only person in it.

At some point, Nick reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.

His fingers barely touched her skin.

Still, Brooke went quiet.

"Is this all right?" he asked softly.

She looked into his eyes.

Then she nodded.

His hand dropped, but he didn't move away.

"Brooke."

The way he said her name made her heart beat faster.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to kiss you."

She should have made a joke.

She should have told him that she didn't kiss strangers.

Instead, she looked at his mouth and whispered, "Then stop talking."

Nick smiled once before leaning toward her.

Their lips met.

* * *

By the time they left the nightclub, it was past two in the morning.

They walked beside each other, their fingers brushing every few steps, both of them pretending they didn't notice.

Outside, the cool night air touched her face.

Nick stopped beside a black car waiting at the curb.

"Let me take you home."

Brooke glanced at the car, then back at him.

"Do you always have a car waiting for you?"

"Usually."

"Must be nice."

"It has its advantages."

"And disadvantages?"

His smile faded slightly.

"More than you'd think."

For a moment, she wondered what he meant. But he was looking at her again, and the question slipped away.

"My hotel is nearby," he said. "Would you like to come up for a drink?"

Brooke looked at him for a long moment.

She knew what he was asking.

He knew she knew.

And she also knew that going with him would make tomorrow morning complicated.

But she was tired of thinking about tomorrow.

Tonight, she wanted to do something simply because she wanted to.

"One drink," she said.

"Of course."

"And if you turn out to be a terrible person, I'm leaving."

"Fair enough."

"And don't think your expensive car impresses me."

"I'll try to recover from the disappointment."

She laughed as he opened the car door for her.

She checked her phone in the car. Harper had sent twelve messages, all of which were teasing. The last one had said she was going home and asked her to have fun.

Brooke responded that she might not be back tonight.

Minutes later, they were standing inside his hotel suite.

The room was beautiful, with tall windows overlooking the city and soft lights glowing against the walls. Nick took off his watch and placed it on a table before turning to her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The playful mood between them had changed into something warmer.

Something harder to ignore.

Brooke swallowed.

"I should probably go."

Nick didn't move closer.

"If that's what you want, I'll have the car take you home."

She looked at him, surprised by the answer.

He wasn't trying to stop her. He wasn't telling her she owed him anything because he had bought her drinks or brought her to an expensive hotel.

He was giving her a choice.

And somehow, that made staying feel even more dangerous.

"What if I don't want to go?" she asked.

His eyes darkened.

"Then I'll ask you to stay."

She took a step toward him.

"Ask me."

"Stay with me tonight, Brooke."

She smiled.

"All right."

When he kissed her again, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

The rest of the world could wait until morning.