Page 27 of Incognito

Dante didn’t move. He stood there like a starstruck kid and watched a stunning woman bounce around him like a madwoman. A very beautiful madwoman, with her dark, shimmering hair streaming out behind her like a chocolate ripple, her hazel eyes glittering gold in the soft moonlight filtering through the castle windows, and a cheeky smile on her face he’d never seen before.

He’d seen her forced smile, her polite smile, her business smile, but he’d never seen her this carefree. For the first time since they’d met she looked genuinely happy, and he was glad.

He’d been completely honest with her earlier, as much as it pained him to discuss his situation back home. Not that he thought they would get romantically involved, but he wanted to be upfront in case… what? He lost his mind and indulged in a fling with a woman who’d been nothing but pleasant and obliging?

No, he couldn’t go there, despite finding her incredibly attractive. But as she continued to jump around him, poking her tongue out in a taunt, he intended on enjoying her company for however long it lasted. Time enough to face his responsibilities when he returned to Calida.

“Come on. Let’s see who can jump the highest.” Her cheeky grin widened as she placed her thumb on her nose and wiggled her fingers at him. “Unless His Highness is too chicken, that is.”

With a mock growl, Dante crouched, before pushing up with all his strength, propelling himself high into the air. Natasha clapped her hands and laughed loudly. Until he came back down.

With the force of his jump, his landing wasn’t soft, and the rubbery floor moved in a wave beneath his feet, tossing her into the air like a featherweight. She landed in an undignified heap in the far corner of the castle and for an awful moment Dante thought he’d hurt her. His chest tightened, but before he could make his way towards her, she leaped to her feet and bounced towards him like a man walking on the moon.

“Good one. Lucky jump,” she said, grinning.

“Are you all right?”

“Never better.”

He had to agree. Her eyes hadn’t lost their sparkle and her cheeks glowed with vitality. And that mouth… with a jolt, Dante realised he wanted to kiss her. Badly.

When he kissed her outside the hotel as part of his pathetic ruse, it had been an impulse. Yes, he’d enjoyed it, and yes, he’d been fantasising about more. Hell, he was a red blooded male and who wouldn’t want the luscious woman before him in their arms.

But this was different.

He’d just been mentally chastising himself about not toying with her, yet all it took was her eyes meeting his in a mock challenge and he couldn’t think about anything else but having her.

His gaze strayed to her lips, riveted by their fullness, their gloss, their delicious shape. He wanted her with a ferocity that stunned him and there weren’t too many things in this world that surprised him anymore. He’d seen a lot and done a lot in his time.

However, nothing in his past had prepared him for this unfamiliar helpless feeling, like he wanted something but had no idea how to go about getting it.

Or what he’d do if he got it.

“Okay. You asked for it.” Natasha jumped, breaking his concentration, and he appreciated the distraction as they laughed and jostled like a couple of kids.

“I haven’t laughed so much in ages. I’ve got a stitch,” she said, as she flopped onto the rubber floor of the castle, holding her side. “This is the best.”

“It certainly is,” he said, falling in an undignified heap next to her as they ricocheted off each other again.

However, he wasn’t talking about the castle, and by the glint in her incredible eyes, she knew it.

He expected her to look away as she’d done repeatedly when he’d half flirted with her before, but she surprised him. She rolled onto her side, propped her head on her hand, and stared right back.

“You know we’re lying where thousands of grubby kids have jumped before?”

“So?”

“We’ll probably get kid cooties.”

“Cooties?”

She smiled, a soft upward tilting of her lips that had him aching to reach out and trace their shape. “You really are a prince, aren’t you?”

“Did you doubt it before?”

Her smile widened, her teeth gleaming white in the filtered light. “You don’t exactly look the part.”

“And how do I look?”

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