Feisty Princess

“Oh, sexy, sexy. Can Yamada video you? We put that shit on the Internet and make you famous. Dime Piece could be a centerfold model.”

“Good night, Yamada.” I quickly cut him off before he expands his idea about showing Margo’s body off to the world because I fucking hate the very idea of that.

“Is he upset?” Margo asks.

I stare down at her and run my fingers through her thick hair. “No, just seemed disappointed. I wouldn’t worry too much about him, though. Yamada is pretty resilient. The man loves a good party, and it doesn’t matter who it’s with most of the time.”

“He said you two went to college together.” It’s a statement, not a question. “It’s hard to picture the two of you as such good friends.”

I smile as I think back on the night I met Yamada. “It’s hard not to like the little asshole. He has a way of making you have so much fun that you don’t care how absolutely ridiculous you look while doing it. The first night I met him, he was able to talk me into doing a few keg stands in order to get noticed by a girl.”

“Was it Jess?” she asks, and instantly, my body stiffens.

“How do you know about her?”

It wasn’t a secret. Those who know me well knew I was in a long-term relationship with Jess, but I don’t like to talk about it. Some things need to stay fucking buried because they hurt too damn much.

“Yamada . . .” She shrugs.

Figures. He never did know how to keep his mouth shut. Now, I need to figure out exactly what my friend has been telling her about me.

“What did he say?”

“Not much,” she admits. “He only said that I was the second girl who you were ever able to get before him—Jess was the first, but then she broke your heart.”

I blow a rush of air out of my nose. “I don’t like to talk about her.”

Margo chews the inside corner of her lower lip. “I can respect that. Relationships suck. Promises aren’t always kept and people get hurt, which is why I decided a long time ago that I never wanted to fall in love.”

“That’s good that you protect yourself because love is for suckers.” I trace the contours of her beautiful face and wish that I didn’t believe that. “I’m glad we both can see what we’re doing here for the physicality of it and nothing more.”

There’s a flicker of pain in her expression before she nods. “It’s good we’ve both agreed this is just fucking then.”

My heart squeezes at that thought. Suddenly, I wish I had never said that. I didn’t mean to make her think that what was happening between us didn’t mean anything to me because it does. While I’m certainly not in love, I do feel a definite attachment to her. It would be so easy to fall for Margo if I allowed myself to open up, but deep down, we both know a relationship between us would never work. We’re both too controlling, and when I go behind her back and make this deal with Yamada to tear her father’s company apart, she’ll hate me even more than she ever did. I know it. That’s why this has to be just fucking. That’s why, as much as I want to have her in my bed just like this every damn night, it can never happen. However, I have the urge to at least let her know this time we have spent together meant something to me.

“Would it be strange to say I’m no longer excited by the thought of divorcing you?”

She shakes her head. “I was just thinking the same thing. It’s weird to say that I would like to date my husband.”

I chuckle. “It definitely does sound odd when you put it like that. As much as I would like to say we could try dating, I think we should wait and see how things go between us for a while. I mean, it was only last week that you hated my guts.”

“That’s true. Perhaps you’re right.”

A cocky grin spreads over my face. “I usually am.”

She rolls her eyes and then pushes herself up from the bed and heads to the bathroom.

A few hours later, we’re in a helicopter heading toward Yamada’s island. He’s going to be pissed that we’re here so late, but I know he’ll eventually get over it.

I’ve never seen a sunrise like this before. The sky lights up as the sun pops up above the rippling water, lighting up the ocean as far as the eye can see. The turquoise waters meet the multicolored sky. I’ll give the little shit one thing. He picked one of the most beautiful places on the planet to buy an island.

“It’s beautiful,” Margo exclaimed into the microphone that’s attached to the headset. “It’s been so long since I’ve been to the beach. I’m actually looking forward to this.”

“Let me guess. You were too busy earning two degrees that you didn’t get out.”

She nods. “Yep. That’s exactly right.”

I smile at her. “In that case, Princess, I’m going to make it my personal mission to see that you have a good time while you’re out here.”

Finally, a small island comes into view. Trees cover the tall, rolling hills of most of the place, but there are some visible paths and roads, not to mention the large resort sitting along the back shoreline.

This is the kind of place where famous people come to party out of the spotlight.

The chopper hovers over the landing pad and then steadily descends. Yamada sits in a white topless Jeep that has no doors while he waits for us to land.

When we’re on the ground, the crew opens the door and helps us out. We duck as we walk over to Yamada.