Royal Opposites (17 page)

Tom stood and contemplated the shower. Cold might be a pretty good choice. Although his muscles were feeling quite sore and he could use the heat to relax them.

“Do you want the top or the bottom?” Joan’s voice seeped through the door and interrupted the life or death decision he was trying to make. Her question took on a whole new meaning in his mind and the only answer he could think to give her was,” Both, please”. He rubbed his temples.

“Tom? Which bunk do you prefer?”

The bunks. She was talking sleeping arrangements. He sighed. The arrangements he wanted to talk about didn’t have a whole lot to do with sleeping. “You decide,” he called back and flipped on the cold water.

He didn’t have to stand beneath the stinging spray for long before his libido cooled and various aches and pains took over his attention. Tom adjusted the temperature to the hottest he could stand and twisted so the water could massage his protesting muscles. When it started to cool without his touching anything, he twisted off the water knob and stepped from the shower.

He rooted through the clothes he’d purchased and found clean underwear and one pair of sweat pants left. Joan must be wearing his last shirt. He groaned. He’d have to hop back in the shower if he dwelled on that thought for too much longer. Instead, he focused on brushing his teeth. He hesitated when he reached to open the door.

He had to go out there sometime. It would’ve been much easier if he’d been able to afford two cabins, but the remains of their funds didn’t allow such luxury. Still, there were two separate beds and they were adults. They could behave like adults. He rubbed his temple at the thought. Wasn’t that what he was afraid of? That they’d behave like adults? Tom hitched up his courage and pulled the door open.

The first thing he noticed was the solitary light in the room came from the bathroom where he stood. His eyes hadn’t adjusted enough to see where she was and he was at a distinct disadvantage standing there backlit the way he was. His hand found the switch and plunged the cabin into darkness. While he waited for his eyes to adjust, he began to think it was for the best that he couldn’t see her.

“I hope you don’t mind the top.” Joan’s voice found him in the darkness in an audible caress that swept over him from head to toe. And what had she just asked him? Did he want the top? Heck yeah! And bottom and everything in between.

“Since you’re taller than me, I figured you could use the extra head room. But I’ll switch bunks if you want.”

Bunks. Crap. “No, no. Top is fine.” Tom’s eyes had adjusted enough for him to make out Joan snuggled beneath the covers on the bottom bunk. He couldn’t see much more than that, but judging by the direction of her voice, she was looking right at him. He was so thankful he’d flipped off the bathroom light.

He crept across the small space and climbed up onto the top bunk. His muscles relaxed into the bed that felt a whole lot better than it should have. “Ahhh.”

“Nice, huh?”

“Oh my.” He pulled the covers over his tired body. “I didn’t think it was possible to be this exhausted.”

“It has been an exhausting few days,” Joan agreed. “But it’ll be over soon enough.”

He couldn’t explain the sadness that settled over him at the thought they were nearing the end of their forced flight together.

Why wasn’t he happier that he could soon sleep in his own bed and wear his own clothes which had been tailor-‐-made for him and clean? The minute he got back to Rafferstonia he was going to order up a feast of all his favorite meals and stuff himself to the gills. “What are you going to do when you get home?” Tom asked, curious to learn Joan’s plans for when this fiasco was over.

“You mean besides the longest bubble bath in the history of man accompanied by a large pizza with all meat toppings?

Simultaneously.”

Tom had to smile. “Yes.”

“I don’t know.” He heard the covers below him rustle when she rolled over. “I guess the first order of business is to find a job.”

Tom’s smile faded when he considered the reality that must be her life. His own life would get right back on track with very little prodding from him. He expected a bit of a media circus at first, but soon enough the furor would die down and he could get on with his new kingly duties. Joan’s life, however, would never be quite the same again.

It was on the tip of his tongue to offer her a job, but that would mean she’d have to further uproot her life and move to a foreign country.

“Hopefully, it won’t take long to clear this bank robbery off my record. I can’t imagine any employer willing to hire someone with that type of criminal background.”

Yet another thing he hadn’t considered. Their lives were so different. “It’s not like you’ll ever have to worry about money.

Once I pay off our bet, I have no doubt that you could stretch it far enough to live off for the rest of your life. You and your coupons.”

He heard Joan laugh. “I do believe I made a convert.”

“Yes. You’ve made a convert.” Tom’s chuckle joined hers.

Oh how good it felt to lie here talking with her like this. No danger.

No running this way and that. Just the two of them having an easy conversation that didn’t involve their survival for the next few hours. It was nice.

“You still have a lot to learn, but you’ve made a good start.”

“Excellent. I’m glad the teacher approves.”

“I didn’t say all that.” He was relaxed enough to pick out the teasing note in her voice. And welcomed it. He teased her back.

“Just what are you saying?”

“You’ve made some progress.” She heaved a heavy sigh.

“But, I’m afraid you’re still making rookie mistakes.”

“Well, I guess you’re going to have to put the class back in session. It is simply not fitting for royalty to be a ‘newbie.’” She laughed outright at his faux snobbery. Still, she didn’t come back at him with the retort he’d expected. He listened to the silence. Her soft breathing wasn’t even like she’d fallen asleep on him. He wanted to roll over to hang off the edge of the bunk where he could look at her. But he was also afraid of what he might see even in the darkened room. Was she already withdrawing from him? He hoped not. Even if a romantic relationship wasn’t in the cards for them, he’d like to think they’d be friends for life. After all they’d gone through together; he couldn’t imagine what life would be like without her in it in some shape or form.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?”

The quiet question startled him. Along with the abrupt change of subject. He was in no way mistaken. She had just changed the subject. Though he couldn’t figure out why.

“What’s beautiful?”

“Look out the window.”

Tom frowned, but obeyed. He sucked in a breath when the full moon beamed its light through the window. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he was able to take in the desert plain bathed in moonlight while they rumbled through. She was right. The view was breathtaking. It was one that seemed to be designed with lovers in mind.

“Yes. It is lovely,” Tom agreed, then squeezed his eyes closed. The view would be perfect if only they were more than friends. It didn’t take much for him to imagine how perfect it would be if they shared a bunk. He could picture the moonlight bathing her smooth, caramel-‐-colored skin in its glow. He would devour her body with his eyes before his mouth joined the fun. She would writhe and moan under his ministrations. Her back would arch to…

“Tom?” The fantasy blew away just like smoke facing down a strong breeze. “Did you say something?”

He rubbed his jaw. He hadn’t groaned, had he? That would be embarrassing. “No. Just admiring the view.” It was part of the truth anyway.

Her silence told him she wasn’t buying what he was selling.

Still, she let the subject drop.

“Could you imagine living out here? Yeah, it’s pretty right now, but I would think the elements could be deadly.”

He was grateful on so many levels for the change of topic. It went a long way toward derailing his dangerous train of thought.

They still had twenty plus hours before they reached Dallas. The last thing he wanted was to spend that time frustrated or in the shower. He pressed his hand to the window and shivered.

“It must be cold out there. Feel the glass.”

“Yikes! That is chilly. No wonder these curtains are so thick.

Passengers would freeze otherwise.”

“Maybe not freeze.” He smiled at her exaggeration. Tom was glad to have the conversation back on some type of even footing.

“Darn near,” Joan contradicted and they fell into a good-‐-

natured argument.

From there they talked about any and everything under the sun. Tom surprised himself by sharing some of the concerns he’d have to face once he became King. He’d always known this day was coming, but he didn’t expect the depth of the anxiety that had settled in his heart over the last few weeks of his year away. And he certainly wasn’t expecting her to understand or give him the wise council that wiped out his doubts in a few short sentences.

Not for the first time, he thought about how wonderful it would be to have her at his side all the time. He made up his mind then and there that they’d always be friends, but it would be nice if they had the time to become more. While he listened to her voice he smiled and realized she was no longer making sense. Given how heavy his eyelids were, he was sure he wasn’t either. He drifted off to sleep thinking he could pretend they were more for now and let tomorrow take care of itself. Tom slept with a smile on his face.

Chapter Sixteen

Joan buried her face in the pillow trying to shut out the bright light that was disturbing the best sleep she’d had in days. In spite of the fact that Tom had kept her up talking long into the night. She smiled. Okay. Well maybe not long into the night seeing that they’d settled in not long after dark. She listened to see if he were awake. The smile faded when she noticed the room seemed quieter than expected.

She rolled over and blinked in the bright sunlight. “Tom?”

There was no answer. Joan pulled the curtains closed blocking out the morning sun then sat up. Was he still asleep? She wanted to think that was the case, but the only breathing sounds Joan could hear were her own. She had no need to check the top bunk for confirmation. Her instincts told her it would be empty.

Joan lay back down and tried not to let the sadness get the best of her. After all, it was her own fault for pretending they were anything more than roommates while they talked over everything under the sun before drifting off to sleep last night. She’d known the fantasy would end sooner or later, she just hadn’t expected it to hit a brick wall the moment she opened her eyes this morning.

With a sigh and determination to move on, Joan settled back in her bunk. Maybe she could get a few more hours of sleep. At the very least, it would stop her from wondering where he was and what he was doing and with whom. She was pretty sure she didn’t care much for the jealousy that speared her heart. Instead, she tried to tell herself she was worried because the conductor had confined them to their compartment. If the man caught Tom out, they’d be tossed off on their ears.

Not long after she closed her eyes, she felt the air move when the door opened. Yeah. The relief that flooded her heart had nothing to do with the consequences of the conductor catching on to their scheme. Still, she didn’t have to be all the way pathetic.

Determined not rush into her first sight of him this morning like she wanted to, Joan remained curled on her side with her back to the door. Still, that didn’t stop her from being in tune with every move he made.

There were clanks and rustles and tinkles like he could care less if he woke her or not. Already irritated, Joan flopped over nailed him with an annoyed look. It didn’t faze him in the least. He just grinned and said, “Oh good. You’re awake.”

“No thanks to you,” she groused even though her souring mood had a lot less to do with him than with her stupid little schoolgirl fantasy that had gotten crushed.

“Not much of a morning person, are we?” He observed then poured orange juice into a glass. At last she noticed the silver trays which had made an appearance with him.

“What’s all that?”

“I thought we could use a little breakfast.” He strode over to the bunks and folded the top one away. Joan had the perfect vantage to admire his flat tummy when his shirt stretched taut across it with the movement. Her memory supplied the details of the muscles she’d find there and she refused to let her eyes drift lower. At least for not more than a moment. She dragged her gaze away just in time to meet his smiling one.

“It took a little convincing, but the chef allowed me to bring it back here. I thought you could use breakfast in bed for a change.”

He moved away so he didn’t see her jaw drop open. He was going to serve her breakfast in bed? The fantasy came rushing back and she didn’t put up too much up of a fight. “I’m sorry to wake you up. But I didn’t want it to get cold.” He picked up the tray and gave her one of those devastating smiles. “Forgive me?”

“Are you kidding me? I’m being served breakfast in bed by a hot prince and you think I’m upset about being woke up?” Joan snorted while she sat up and tucked the sheet around herself trying not to be too self-‐-conscious about her braless state. Tom froze halfway to setting the tray down on the table he’d unfolded next to her bunk. A curious half smile settled on his lips.

“You think I’m hot?”

Joan rolled her eyes. “Do you expect me to believe there’s a woman on this planet who thinks otherwise?”

He laughed and set the tray down then sat in the seat opposite her. “There are lots of women who disagree. Until now, I thought you were one of them.”

Joan dropped her gaze in an effort to appear nonchalant. “It wouldn’t do to have you go getting the big head now, would it?

We’ve had enough of a problem keeping up with the few meager possessions we do have. The last thing we needed to worry about was trying to get your head to fit through doorways.”

Tom laughed. He uncovered a plate piled high with sausage, biscuits, bacon, and eggs. “So, you think I’m hot, huh?”