Page 104 of The Princess and the Fraud

But I paused mid-step when my gaze locked on the front of the room.

Aaron walked through the ballroom’s doors, framed by the golden light spilling in from the hallway behind him. His dark hair was tousled just enough to look deliberate, and his sharp jawline was clean-shaven, making him look more like a man who could have stepped out of a magazine. His tailored black suit hugged his frame in a way that made him seem effortlessly put together, yet there was something about him that seemed almost… distant. Like he didn’t belong.

His posture was stiff, more guarded than I had ever seen. Almost like he was here on some sort of mission, not to celebrate the charity’s first fundraiser.

And then, as Aaron scanned, his eyes found mine from across the ballroom. My chest tightened, and even though we were in a room filled with people, for that brief second, it felt like it was only the two of us. Aaron’s lips parted, and last night’s kiss reared up in my memory like a cruel tease.

For a split second, time felt like it had slowed, and everything else in the room faded into the background. My heart skipped in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

This was how I’d pictured it’d be like seeing Grant waltz through the doorway with his girlfriend—or maybe fiancée—on his arm. But when I’d seen Grant, I’d felt nothing. All those butterflies had been reserved for Aaron Astor, taking off in a rush at the sight of him. I wanted to dump my tray on a table and cross the room, to breathe him in, to dosomethingother than watch him from afar.

But someone stepped in front of him and eclipsed him from my vision, severing the connection. The world veered back into focus, the chattering in the room going fromsilenttoloud.

I hurried to the kitchen now, eager to dump the dishes off and steal a moment with Aaron. Now that he was here, the loyalty to the country club and my job grew weaker. Just five minutes—no, just a minute. Just to make sure he was all right, just to hear his voice.

Remember what I told you before about love?I wanted to say to him.You have to choose it. And I choose you.

It might’ve been corny, but it was honest. With Aaron… it was different. I didn’t know him entirely, and yet every moment with him felt soreal. So undeniable. Maybe it was crazy and corny and fast, but I couldn’t ignore how he made me feel alive for the first time in five years. I couldn’t walk away from it. Not when it was likethis.

I came out of the kitchen doorway without my tray, nearly running into Aaron as he wavered just outside. A small gasp escaped me, because if I thought he was handsome from afar, he was even more dreamlike up close.

Aaron’s expression was neutral, as if he hadn’t completely vanished from the music hall the night before. “Different uniform?”

I glanced down at myself. “For big events, the uniform is all black.” I touched the black apron wrapped around my waist. “It’s classier.”

“You had this one on for Annalise’s wedding.”

I blinked. “I… yeah.” I didn’t realize he’d seen me that night. He’d never said.

Aaron’s eyes traced me lingeringly, and I held perfectly still, letting him. It wasn’t fair that Aaron almost never got to see me outside of my work uniforms, but strangely enough, it made me feel even more seen. Even in my ugly uniform, his eyes roamed me like a physical touch.

He forced himself to look away. “I didn’t want to come,” he murmured, picking at his tie. “The last event I attended in this space didn’t go well.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen tonight.” Unable to fight the urge, I reached up and fixed how his tie sat at his throat. He must’ve done it in a rush; the knot was rumpled, uneven. “Not to you, and not to me.”

“To you?”

“Grant’s here.” My fingers slipped underneath the fabric of the tie at his throat to smooth down his shirt collar. “With his new girlfriend.”

“Shall I spill champagne on him?”

Aaron’s attempt at teasing took some of my tension away. “You and Annalise, that’s your go-to, huh?” I shook my head. “You’ll have to wait until it’s been poured.”

He didn’t smile, but his eyes lightened, just a bit. Something was wrong, but I didn’t know what.

It was highly inappropriate, what I was doing. A staff member touching a guest. The closer I leaned, the more intoxicating the scent of his cologne on his skin became, making my head heavy. If anyone looked over, I was sure the whispers would’ve spread like wildfire. But I didn’t care, and neither did Aaron. He watched me through the adjustment, not breathing.

His voice dropped to a murmur, almost a plea. “Promise me something.”

Anything, I wanted to say. “Depends on what it is.”

“Promise that you won’t regret things with me.”

My fingers fumbled at his collar, my gaze lifting. A small smile began curving over my lips, becauseyes. A white flag. Ihadcracked through the surface last night. He could see my sincerity, and was double checking one last time. “Never.”

Aaron closed his eyes for a moment, something like pain flashing over his expression. And in that second, I had a thought ofwhat if I’m wrong?What if that wasn’t a white flag? What if it was a red one? “Lovisa, I?—”

“Lovey.” As we’d been talking, Grant had gotten up from his table and made his way over, finally through with casting the longing looks my way. The puppy dog eyes were even wider up close. “Can—can I speak with you a moment?”

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