Page 28 of Seven Princes: A Very Dirty Fairtytale

Claudia wanted to wipe that smug smirk clean off his face, but she knew that it probably wasn’t a good idea. She forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand as she got through her routine with a flourish. She didn’t usually add a twirl to the end of her show considering it was mostly hip hop with a dash of contemporary dancing, but she felt that the move went with the dress, so she spread her arms and let the dress billow around her as the men hooted and hollered.

Claudia had the satisfaction of seeing Archer look grim, and a little miffed. She grinned, blew the audience a kiss, and went backstage where she was greeted with warm applause from her fellow peers.

***

“I’ll meet you there, okay, Chas? I’m finishing up here!” Claudia called out as she looked around for her ballet flats which she could’ve sworn she left somewhere in the vicinity.

“No problem,” Chastity called back, and she heard the sounds of their laughter receding as they left the building. She sighed as she let her gaze travel all over the room, frustrated at being unable to find such a small thing. She dropped to the floor, got on her hands and knees and began to search for it underneath the chairs and clothes.

“Now there’s a sight I could get used to.”

Claudia cursed as she shot up and ended up hitting her head on one of the nearby shelves. She scowled as she began to rub the sore spot on top of her head as her blurry vision tried to make out who said that.

There stood Archer Paisley in the flesh. Looking amused with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his tie hanging askew, his hair looking he’d raked his fingers through it, and his blue eyes smoldering, tearing a hole in the side of her head.

Claudia stood up with as much dignity as she could muster and dusted off her clothes before she let her eyes slowly trail up and meet his. “What are you doing back here? You’re not allowed to be back here.”

“You are if you know exactly who to bribe, or how to get past them.”

A flood of anger shot through Claudia at their security personnel’s flippancy. They couldn’t let just anyone back here, and they knew it. Their blatant lack of disregard for women’s safety made them a liability, and she had half a mind to go over there right now, and let them have it, but first, she had to deal with the rather large, devilishly handsome problem at hand.

“Yes, well, regardless of how you got here, you need to leave.”

Archer tossed his jacket on one of the chairs and gave her a pleasant smile. “Now, why would I do that when I’ve got a lovely view right here?”

“Mr. Paisley, as I’ve already told you, you aren’t supposed to be here, and we’ve been through this before.”

Archer stepped forward and stood in front of her. “Been over what before?”

“This,” she gestured making a sweeping hand gesture, “between us. Whatever you think exists between us. Nothing exists between us.”

Archer stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Are you sure about that?”

Claudia nodded her head empathetically. “I’m positive.”

“Now, Claudia, I know that you’re smarter than that. If nothing was going on between us then why does my presence unnerve you so?”

Claudia snorted. “It doesn’t unnerve me, what makes you think it does?”

Archer looked thoughtful as he eyed her speculatively. “The fact that you took a step back just now, that you can barely make eye contact with me for more than a few seconds, and that you can’t stand to be alone with me for more than a handful of minutes.”

Claudia turned her gaze on him. “Is that why you think I do that? Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Paisley. I don’t do any of those things because you affect me. I do them to avoid spending time with you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Claudia narrowed her eyes into slits. “As Rhett Butler would say, ‘Frankly, my dear. I don’t give a damn.’”

Archer stared at her with an unfathomable expression for a minute or two before his face broke out into a smile, and he let out a whoop as he slapped his leg.

“I know you were feisty, but damn, I had no idea you had this much fire, Claudia.”

Claudia bristled with barely concealed annoyance. “Look, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I hardly think your comments are appropriate.”

One eyebrow shot up in amusement. “You think complementing you on your spark is inappropriate?”

Claudia made a dismissive hand gesture. “It’s not the fire thing I’m talking about specifically, it’s what it represents.”

A smile twitched on the edge of his lips. “And what exactly does it represent?”

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