Page 50 of Royally Tempted

She grinned. “It does, thanks.”

“Would some bubbly help even more?”

“Definitely.”

I laughed as I linked my arm through hers and steered us towards the bar. Tonight was looking better already. Was I going to find my prince charming tonight? Nope. But Iwasgoing to drink champagne with my favorite cousin, listen to some classical ballroom dancing music, and try not to worry about the fact that I was only twenty-one and already somewhat jaded with the idea of love.

“Oh, shit.”

My arm suddenly jerked as Adele stopped short in her tracks. I turned to see her face pale, which was saying something considering the usual tone of her alabaster skin.

I frowned. “Are you okay?”

“I— yeah, it’s fine.”

Her head whirled back to me for a second from wherever she’d been looking. “Actually, I need to go.”

I shook my head. "Wait, what?”

I followed her eyes across the room, and I froze as I saw the dark-haired, bearded, ruggedly handsome man in all black staring right at her from across the ballroom.

“Um, someone you know?”

Adele said nothing, her chest quietly rising and falling.

“Adele?”

She shook her head, turning back to me. “Uh, yeah, no. I mean, I’m not sure.”

I raised a brow at her. “You know you’re not making any sense, right? Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “I just need to go, now.”

“I’ll come with—”

“No, Ilana,” she gave me a quick look. “I'll catch up with you later, okay?”

She slipped away, scurrying out of the ballroom. And then I was alone, shoulders slumping and my fun night of blowing this whole thing off with Adele withering under the hard gaze of the mystery guy from across the room.

Wonderful. First Isla, then Imogen, and now Adele. Which meant now I wasaloneto wander this dumb ball. It was definitely time to get some champagne.

“It's a sad day when a princess as beautiful as yourself finds reason to frown.”

The voice teased over me like silk and whiskey, sending a shiver down my whole body. I swallowed, feeling my head swim slightly under the sheermanlinessof that voice before I turned.

My heart flip-flopped.

I’d been positive I wasn’t going to find my prince charming that night. Fate had decided to step in with a sense of humor by sending metwoCharmings.

Literally.

At first I thought I was seeing double, until I focused on thetwogorgeous, staggeringly handsome men dressed in crisp tuxedos standing in front of me.

Of course, I knewofthe Charming brothers of Marland, but I’d never met them. And of course, they were handsome in pictures in tabloids and on news websites.

Tabloids and websites hadnotdone them justice.

Because here in the flesh, both of them standing right in front of me with two sets of piercing blue eyes lancing right into me, their presenceenvelopedme. And yes, I’d known they were good-looking guys, but up close, a foot away from them?

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