The Royal Contract

"I am sorry." Cassie immediately looked away, pulling herself out of his reach. "I should not have done that." She went straight to the balcony, needing the distance and some fresh air to cool her face, which was probably burning red from embarrassment.

She internally reprimanded herself for acting out her fantasy about him. She should not have assumed that his act of kindness meant more than just the friendship he offered. 

After a few seconds, she sensed that he had followed her outside, but he had not spoken a single word. He just stood behind her, probably quietly contemplating what prompted her to do what she did.

She knew Jacob was a good person. He would not say anything that would break her heart, but still, she knew that it would not change a thing. He just did not like her that way.

"Cassie, we need to talk." Jacob was a bit confused. At the same time, he felt elated.

He was initially shocked by her action. He was not expecting that she would kiss him. He did not know that she was attracted to him in that way. 

She had never shown anything that would indicate that she wanted him more than a friend. Or was he just so dense that he did not notice it before?

"If it was about the kiss, it did not mean anything. I am sorry, but I was just lonely." She quickly made her excuse, not wanting to embarrass herself any further. "I guess it is making me act crazy."

She did not want to lose their friendship because of her stupidity. She should not have acted out on impulse and allowed her feelings to cloud her judgment.

Well, it had been a while since she had a male companion. She believed it was not about the sex but what she felt when she was with him. 

But she could not discount that she might be feeling like this about him only because of her circumstances. But she could not also deny that he had most of the qualities she liked in a man.

"What if I say that you should not be sorry?" He whispered as he continued to stand right behind her, leaning closer until his breath almost touched the skin on the back of her neck.

He wished that their situation was different. But the fact was, it was what it was. He could not change it even if he wanted to. He could only live with it and make the most of it.

As of now, he was tired of fighting against their fate. He could not keep denying the pull that made it hard for him to stay away from her.

"What if I told you that I liked it when you kissed me?" He finally admitted also to himself that he enjoyed her lips on his.

He had wanted to kiss her for the longest time but was hesitant not to take advantage of her situation. He was not turned off that she made the first move. Actually, he was glad that she did.

But now, it was his turn to continue what she started as he turned her around to face him. With the help of his fingers, he made her look at him again. 

She looked so adorable with her cherry cheeks on display, he thought as he continued to stare at her face. "Now, can I kiss you?" But he did not wait for a response as he lowered his face towards her. 

He took it as a go signal for him to continue when she closed her eyes and did not object. He touched his lips gently to her red ones, tasting them once again. But, he did not linger long as he pulled back to look at her again.

She still had her eyes closed as if she was waiting for him to continue. But this time, her lips parted as if she was giving him permission to kiss her once again.

He did not need any additional encouragement as he kissed her again, this time more intensely. His hands encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him. While her hands tightly held his shoulders as if she did not want to let him go.

"I think I like kissing you." He finally said after a while of just making out on the balcony. 

When their lips touched, it felt like they fitted perfectly together. The kiss felt so natural that it seemed like they had been doing it for a long time, even though it was just their first kiss. 

"I like it too." She confided in him, feeling relieved that he also felt the same way.

She was ecstatic to learn that she was not alone, that he felt the same way too. That she was not the only one harboring a secret. She was glad that she was finally free to show him how much she liked him. 

"But I think we should take this slow. I don't want to ruin our friendship if this does not work out for the both of us." He told her as he pulled a strand of hair away from her eyes that got loose from the tight bun on her head.

He knew that rushing into a relationship might only make them regret it if it did not work out in the end. He did not want to lose the friendship they had built over the time they were together.

She had played a significant part in his life. He never wanted anything that could possibly hurt her or jeopardize their relationship.

"I think you are right. I am just glad that we are on the same page." She had seriously considered his explanation. She could not agree more with his conclusion.

After all, getting into a relationship with him in her situation was not ideal. It would be messy and complicated. Especially when it was his brother who wanted her dead.

Maybe taking it slow and examining her feelings for him more thoroughly was the right thing to do. She did not want to jump to anything that might worsen her situation.

After a few more minutes, locked in each other's embrace, he finally said his goodbye. He promised he would return soon when the matter was less dangerous. Then, they would talk more about them.

He was whistling as he walked out of the elevator, still reminiscing the kiss he had shared with her a few minutes ago. He could still taste her on his lips as he ignored the people around him. 

It had been a while since he had been in a relationship, but he believed she was different. If only the situation was not complicated, he would have liked to go on a date with her properly and show her how special she was.

"Jacob?" A loud voice suddenly shouted at him, calling his attention as he walked into the lobby of the building. 

If not for the familiarity of the voice that called to him, he would not have stopped. However, he did recognize the person walking toward him.

He was not expecting to see a familiar face in this place. Let alone found his brother standing not far from his position. He was suddenly alarmed that he might be following him.

On the other hand, Cassie still stood on the balcony of her room, oblivious of what was happening downstairs. She stared at the open sky and then looked down at the street, immediately realizing the high position she was in.

She suddenly remembered a part of a fairy tale about a princess who could not wait for her prince to find her, save her, and set her free. 

She could not help comparing herself to the princess with the long hair, locked in the tall tower.