The Royal Contract

As expected, the press was present at the airport. Alex was not surprised anymore. He knew that his secret would come out on his birthday, and there was nothing he could do about it. His parents respected his request for anonymity until this day. 

Alex could not complain since he had his freedom, even if it was just for a while. He was glad that he was able to hide his identity for this long. He was able to live like a commoner, even for a short while. 

Now, his life was about to go back to what he was born to be, Prince Alexander. The prince, whose destiny was to take over his father's position if he chose to accept. To once again subject himself under the law of their kingdom. 

"Are you ready for the madness?" He asked Dani, who had lived her life in this scenario until she turned her back from it.

"Do we even have any other choice?" Even if she said no, they both knew that nothing would change. They would still have to face the crowd and reporters waiting for them outside. "Let's just get this over."

It is one of the few things she was not expecting to happen in this arrangement. To find her face, splattered again in the society pages. But it was unavoidable in their current situation since her name was now attached to his.

She could already predict what would happen next. The press would not stop until they uncovered all the juicy details of their love affair. They would be the talk of all social gatherings. They would be the flavor of the month.

"I have never thanked you yet for doing this for me. So, thank you." He placed a simple kiss on her cheeks as they stood at the top landing of the plane, facing the people that awaited their arrival.

"You don't have to. Remember, I am not doing this for you as a favor. I am also getting something in return from this." She better put this in its proper perspective before things got of hand.

He was a charming man, and his actions did make an impact on her. She did not want to lose focus on what this was all about. A reminder that this was a business arrangement where they both got something in return, nothing more.

"Yeah, I guess you are right. Now, smile at the cameras. We are about to hit the trending." He took her hand and assisted her as they stepped down from the plane.

"Do I have a choice?" No, she did not. She plastered a fake smile on her face, hoping that nobody would suspect anything amiss in their relationship.

What she did not expect was what happened next. "Are you ready? Because I am about to kiss you." He pulled her closer to him as soon as their feet landed on the ground. He looked into her eyes before he lowered himself to claim her lips. 

She did not have time to react as his lips touched hers. It started slow but eventually got more intense in a few seconds. To her, everything seemed to fade away. She felt they were suddenly alone, and nobody else mattered.

Alex and Dani continued kissing until Jacky and Marcus stepped into their space and interrupted them. "Hey, you can continue the show later," Jacky whispered near them. "I think they got enough pictures to flood the entire social media." Pointing to the cameras.

Immediately, the two separated, unable to fathom what just happened. Alex intended to give Dani just a peck on the lips, but as soon as he tasted her lips, he knew he wanted more. He could not stop what he did next as he deepened the kiss to satisfy his craving.

"We have to make sure that they would believe our act," Alex whispered back to Jacky before he started to usher Dani to their waiting cars.

"Yes, we don't want them to suspect that we are just faking it." Dani also added after she recovered from the situation.

As soon as they were inside, Dani was relieved that Jacky and Marcus were in another car. She was glad she did not have to face her friend as she evaluated what just happened. Until now, she did not know how she would react to it.

"I think we did a good job." He downplayed the kiss, not wanting to give any significance to it.

He had always wanted to kiss her again. Every time she was near, his mind always went back to the time they were together. If he was honest with himself, he wanted more than just a kiss. He wanted her. However, it was never part of the bargain. 

He just had to be more careful next time. Make sure that it did not get out of his control.

"Yes, we did." She acknowledged his claim, hoping that it was just that. An act that they were both playing. She did not want the reaction her body was creating every time that he was near. 

When his lips deepened the kiss, she knew she was ready to give him more. She was transported back to where she felt so alive under his ministrations. She knew if it were to happen again, there was nothing she could do to stop him. 

She just had to be more careful next time. She had to prepare herself mentally not to give in to her cravings for more.

"Do you think the press bought it?" She asked him, trying to divert her attention away from the kiss.

"I think so. Even Marcus and Jacky seemed to think that it was real." He wanted to express to her that what happened was just an act coming on his part. He did not want her to emphasize the kiss as anything more than a part of their role-playing.

"Yeah, I think I can now make a career in acting." She, too, would not allow him to think that she seemed anxious about the kiss.

Both of them knew that there was no future if they give in to what their body desired. Both were not ready to commit to anything beyond what the contract entailed. Both would rather pretend to act rather than to be discovered wanting more.

"I hope you did not mind the short notice, but expect more of that in the future." He wanted to give her a fair warning.