Page 51 of Royally Tempted

They were freakinggorgeous.

The identical men were built like linebackers — broad shoulders, and muscled arms and chests that filled out their tuxedos. Strong jaws, split by two slightly cocky, and for lack of a better term,charminggrins, and two pairs of intensely melting blue eyes.

“Um, hi,” I said, cringing a little at how lame a response it was.

“I’m Cade,” the first one said in a smooth, velvety baritone. “And this is my brother Caspian.”

“The Charming brothers,” I said, nodding politely. “I know you. Well, I knowofyou. I guess we’ve never met. I’m—”

“Princess Ilana,” Caspian finished for me, his eyes burning right into me and sending a shiver through me. “And how in the world is it that we’ve never met?”

I smiled to hide the eye roll. I mean, what aline, right? That and the first one about “a sad day when a princess frowns.”

I mean,please.

I’d heard it before. I’d heard them all from so many different princes over the years, at functions, or fundraisers, or dinners, or balls like this. Gems like “I didn’t know King Lucian was a thief, but he stole the stars out of heaven and stuck em in your eyes!”

Seriously I knew the lines, and they did nothing for me, even from gorgeous, heart-stoppingly sexy guys like these two.

“Just shook out that way,” I said cordially with another plastic smile.

The two of them were just staring at me, neither saying a word.

My brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, is there…” I trailed off.

“Sorry,” Cade chuckled, shaking his head. “We’re not, uh, we’re not usually tongue tied like this, it’s just that you’re—”

I laughed, cutting him off. “You know what, you can save them, okay?”

The two of them frowned.

“Pardon?” Cade said a brow raised.

“Look, no offense, really, I’m just not...” I shrugged. “I’m just not that girl.”

A smile teased Caspian’s lips as he glanced at his twin before narrowing those eyes on me.

“And what girl might that be?”

“The one that falls for lines like that?”

He laughed, and even his brother seemed to grin a little.

“Well you’re in luck, because we’re not thoseguys.”

“And which guys would that be?”

“The kind thatuseslines like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t born yesterday, and trust me, I’ve heard every one that princes like you can come up with.”

Cade smiled, shaking his head before his eyes met mine. “See, if asked you if it hurt? You know, when you fell out of heaven?”

I had to smile as I rolled my eyes at the cheesy line.

“Now,that’sa line.”

“Good, we’re agreed.”

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