The Royal Contract

"Would you like me to put some lotion on your back?" Alex asked her as they both laid on the lounge chair.

They were now enjoying lazing on the beachfront, underneath a makeshift tent, after their kissing session in his room earlier.

"Sure," Dani answered, wanting to feel his hands against her body once again. She could still remember what they just did a while ago.

She was tired of fighting what she felt for him. After that kiss that they shared, she knew she could never deny him anymore.

She laid down on her front, exposing her back to him. He took the lotion from the table next to them and started putting some good amount on his hands. Then he unclasped the lock of her bra, exposing the skin of her back to him.

He started rubbing the lotion on every inch of her skin, not letting any part of it unattended. The act was pure, but his thoughts were not. He wanted her, and he could not deny it anymore. He could not keep up with the lie of only wanting her for his charade. He wanted her in every sense of the word.

But he was still skeptical if she was ready to be a part of his world. Because as of now, his life was starting to become more complicated than he ever imagined it would be just because he agreed to have his birthday here.

"Hey, you two. Join us. We are going to play volleyball, and we need more players." Jacky shouted not far from them, breaking the spell cast upon them by the moment.

Jacky could see that Alex and Dani were getting closer every day that they spent time together. She only desired what was best for her friend, so if Dani was happy around Alex, then who was she to stop them. She would be there to support her a hundred percent.

"Do you want to join them?" He asked her as he finished rubbing her back.

"I think we need to." She replied to his question. Although she would opt not to, it was not a choice she could take. She also needed to spend time with her friend. She had forsaken Jacky long enough. 

"Ok, we'll be right there," Alex yelled hesitantly at Jacky, fixing back the clasp of Dani's bra, then moving slightly away from her.

If it were up to him, he would rather stay with her underneath this tent and enjoy the whole day talking to her. But he knew that the others would not stop bugging them until they joined them. 

She quickly fixed herself before standing up. "Thanks for your help." She uttered as she tied her hair in a ponytail. "Shall we join them?"

They both move in the direction of the group that was waiting for them. There were already four people waiting for them at the sandy court, Jacky, Lance, and two other cousins of Alex, who were joining them on this trip. 

When she scanned her surroundings, she found Marcus sitting not far from them, sipping on his drink, relaxing underneath a tent.

"Alex, will you excuse me for a moment. I need to do something." She pointed to Marcus, and he appeared to understand what she was planning to do.

"Go ahead." Alex encouraged her as he went to talk to Lance while she moved in the direction of Marcus. 

"Marcus, what are you doing here alone?" Dani sat beside him and also poured herself a glass of what he was drinking.

"Just enjoying some time alone. I rarely get to experience this." Marcus answered her question with a forced smile.

"Come on, join us play some ball. Let's have a good time." Dani insisted, unable to take that he was sulking alone on the sideline while all of them would be having a good time.

She believed that whatever happened to him and Jacky should be put to rest and let go. For now, she wanted all of them to have a good time. Marcus had been a friend to her, and she did not want to see him in this condition, no matter what a douchebag he was to her friend.

"Don't worry about me. I'm good here. Besides, you already have an even group. You will need another one if I join." Marcus reasoned as he declined to join the game.

Marcus was still feeling out of his element, not knowing how to deal with Jacky and their ruined relationship. He knew he wanted her back, but he also knew that she would be expecting more from their relationship. Was he ready to give her that, or should he just let her go?

"We'll look for one more player. I'm sure we could find one more who would like to play." Dani insisted as the others waited for them to start the game. She could see the conflict in his eyes. She was not sure if she should blame him for his condition or take pity on him.

"What about me? I want to play." She heard someone spoke from her back. She was not familiar with the voice, but he sounded like she had heard that voice before.

When she turned around, she recognized the man standing behind her. "Hi, Edward. I did not know that you are also here." She slightly bowed and greeted the prince as she recognized him as the one, she danced with during Alex's birthday party.

"Well, Aunt Katherine was kind enough to invite me to join. So, I could not pass up the chance to be with my family." Edward explained why he was present at this event.

"I am glad that you were able to spare us some time with your busy schedule." Dani had no problem with him being around. He was a member of the family of Alex, so he was more than welcome to be here.

"Can I join the game?" Edward asked, walking closer to her.

"Of course, that would be perfect because we need one more player to complete the team." She told him as she looked at Marcus. "Come on, Marcus, I found you another player." 

This time, Marcus had no choice but to join, hearing that the prince would be playing with them. He could not leave Alex alone with his cousin, even if he did not want to play, knowing that they had a bad history.