Page 43 of Falling Princess

Scarlett was there, and the party’s fun. Hot, with the press of bodies reminding me of those stolen minutes in that club in Beijing. She passed me a cup of dark-colored liquid. I took it, sniffed, and wrinkled my nose.

“What is it?”

“Rum and Coke. Give it a try.”

It’s both too sweet and too harsh on my tongue. I shuddered. “Disgusting.”

Scarlett laughed. “I’ll take yours.” Then she leaned over and whispered, “What is it with your guard? He never takes his eyes off you.”

Wordlessly, I took back the cup, tipped it up, and drained it. I suppressed choking by pressing my wrist to my mouth. “Yes. Well. That is the entire point of his job.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Scarlett said, speculatively, a statement I choose to ignore. “Want another?”

“Yes, unless you have something better.”

I drank another rum and Coke. A third. The night blurred after that. I talked to people, although I quickly tired of being asked variations on the question, “what is it like to be a princess? Have you met PrincessHallie?” (I have, briefly. She’s even more isolated than I am.)

At some point, a dark-haired boy with soft features and nice brown eyes sat next to us. He seemed to know Scarlett, which was recommendation enough for me. I tried to make witty conversation, but as this J-person’s face went in and out of focus, I could tell I should probably shut up, and did.

Lorcan’s gaze bored a hole through me the entire time.

“You’re the princess, right?” he asks, tilting his head with curiosity. “The Auralian one?”

“That’s right,” Scarlett confirms for me.

I hiccupped. “For what it’s worth, yes.”

My disinterest in this line of inquiry must not have been evident, because he asked, as every other person has done this evening, “Do you like being a princess?” He sat a little too close. I didn’t mind, exactly, although it struck me as a bit forward of him, considering I can’t even recall his name. Jason? Jasper? John? He sounds American, maybe.

“I have nothing else to compare it to.” I hiccupped again, and covered my mouth. “Excuse me.”

He laughed. And then, before I realized what was happening, he leaned forward, pressed his lips to mine and I was astonished to find that I was being kissed.

It wasn’t altogether unpleasant, so I didn’t immediately protest. But it was strange. Especially when he tried to stick his tongue past my teeth, which felt a bit like a large earthworm wiggling its way forward. I pushed him firmly away.

“Stop.”

Instead, he came back at me for another try.

“I said,stop.” My hands came up and made contact with his chest, but I’m not very strong and couldn’t really budge him.

Everything happened quickly after that. There was a blur of motion in my peripheral vision, and a yelp of surprise. Possibly mine, because my wrist was then manacled by an unyielding grip. Lorcan pulled me to my feet with a terse, “We’re leaving now.”

Outrage flared in my chest. How dare he? My first kiss, andhehad to intervene. I dug in my heels before he could get me out the door.

“I want to stay.”

He turned to face me. His eyes are storm clouds over a dark sea. Good. Let him be mad.

“You’re drunk.”

“Probably.”

Definitely. So what? Everyone here is, except my goody-two-shoes guard.

Scarlett and Kenton hurried over. There’s something to the fact that they were both missing, but I can’t quite piece it together at this moment. I’m too mixed-up and, frankly, humiliated. My first kiss, and fucking Lorcan had to barge in and shut it down.

Arsehole.

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