Page 13 of Cinder's Trial

For a second, I recalled the erection when I’d straddled him what felt like ages ago but had only been minutes. I held him tight around the neck, and my legs went around his waist and locked at his back. Tucked against him, we climbed. Or should I say, he did, and he wasn’t even huffing by the time we hit the opening where Killian waited.

The prince didn’t wait alone. We had an audience as we emerged on the first floor, the basement level being the one that had refused to open.

I disentangled myself from Levi and muttered, “Thanks.” I then didn’t say much as the Knight reported the rats and the destroyed elevator to the boss.

Hilda went on a rant. “How did those rodents get in the building? Someone call maintenance.”

“You need to do more than that. If they’ve infiltrated, we’ll need an exterminator and also a team to go floor by floor looking for more threats,” Levi interjected.

“Like I have the spare staff to do that,” Hilda huffed. “We’re already stretched thin.”

“It has to be done,” Levi stubbornly insisted.

Killian sidled close to me and murmured, “Think they’ll notice if we slip away for that lunch?”

As if Levi heard, his head swiveled, and he fixed me with a glare, not the prince.

“Oh, he’ll notice.” As expected, Levi followed the moment we slunk off and headed for the door.

I wasn’t actually hungry, but the idea of fresh air? Very welcome, along with the sunshine on my face.

We got our sandwiches, of which I only ate a few bites. Levi polished off the rest. Then we went with Killian to his hotel so he could go over the plans for the ball with a guest list that kept growing, as wannabe Cinderellas kept replying to the RSVP invitations that Killian swore he hadn’t sent.

When Hannah and Gerome arrived at the suite for added protection—more Knights under Levi’s watch—I took it as my cue to leave.

What I didn’t expect?

Levi to accompany me.

5

“I don’t need an escort,” I repeated for the umpteenth time.

“I disagree.” The same reply Levi gave each time I brought it up.

“You’re going the wrong way,” I stated when he turned in the opposite direction of the office. “The bureau’s the other way.”

“I’m dropping you at home.”

“No, you aren’t. My car’s parked at the office.”

“It will be fine overnight.”

“It might, but how am I supposed to get to work tomorrow?” I pointed out the flaw in his plan.

Of course, he had an answer. “I’ll pick you up before and bring you to meet with His Highness.”

“Who says I want to go see Killian first thing?” I grumbled as I slumped in my seat.

“You’re a princess. Shouldn’t you be eager to meet a prince?”

“I am not a princess. I am from a lower middle-class family, born and raised in the Midwest. Since you’re not familiar with the original Little Ash story, I’ll let you know that Cinderella is a regular girl.”

“Who, as part of her story, marries a prince and becomes a princess.”

My lips twisted. “I am not getting married. Not to Killian, at least.”

“Oh, you have another suitor in mind?” he asked casually.

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