Page 19 of Incognito

She’d been gullible, trusting, and sweet in the past. Not anymore.

Dante had something she wanted and vice versa.

She hoped she wouldn’t confuse exactly what she wanted from him.

11

“You want my help withwhat?”

Natasha stared at Dante like he’d just asked her to strip naked and dance down Bourke Street.

He shrugged, a sheepish expression on his too-handsome face, managing to look needy and gorgeous at the same time. “You live in Melbourne. You’d know where all the best toy stores are and who I can hire to organise the best party.”

“For a two year old?”

She shook her head and blew her fringe out of her eyes. She should’ve stuck with the chignon. That way, she could’ve taken out the pin holding it up and stabbed him with it.

“It’s hard work,” he said, imploring her with those mesmerising eyes. “I spent the whole day traipsing around your city and came up with nothing. I have a few days to get this party organised and I don’t know where to start.”

“Then why did you take it on?”

His eyes glittered with emotion and she swallowed her next sarcastic retort along the lines of ‘what would an Italian prince know about kiddie parties.’

“My sister is a scatterbrain. She isn’t the most organised person in the world and from what I’ve seen so far, planningstuff like birthday parties isn’t her forte, and I want Paolo to have a special day.”

A day the two-year-old probably wouldn’t remember when he was older, but she kept that gem to herself too.

She couldn’t fault the prince for caring about his nephew. But planning a kid’s party? She knew as much about organising that as she did about knighting deserved recipients. Absolutely nothing.

“Think you can do it?”

She met his challenging gaze head-on, knowing she’d make this work if she had to don a clown costume and take a crash course in juggling herself. This was too important. Getting Dante’s reciprocal help at the end of the week was vital to the survival of Telford Towers.

Tilting her head up, she said, “You bet I can do it.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

He smiled, another of his run-of-the-mill smiles that made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. Obviously a practiced part of his prince charming act, something he used to coerce people to bend to his will on a daily basis, but boy, did those curving lips pack a powerful punch.

“First up, I’ll need to do an extensive online search and come up with a concise list. It’ll save us loads of time. Then I’ll narrow down the choices with your help and check out your chosen options.”

“Very efficient.”

“Okay then. I’ll get started.”

He arched an eyebrow, the imperious prince questioning a serf’s insubordination, and she stifled a smile at the analogy.

“I thought we’d be working on this together?”

He thought wrong. Spending one on one time with the gorgeous prince, work or not, wouldn’t be good. He awakened feelings in her she’d rather suppress. Feelings of beingappreciated, and worse, feelings like he saw her as an attractive woman and she wouldn’t go there. She couldn’t. She’d done it before with a handsome man and her battered self esteem still hadn’t recovered.

“I don’t need you.”

That came out a lot harsher than she intended and she bit her lip, wishing he didn’t make her feel so gauche and out of her depth.

“You sure about that?”

A teasing glint lit his eyes as he leaned forward a centimetre yet it felt much closer, like he’d infused her personal space.

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