Page 17 of The Prince and the Puck
Lizzy had given me her address—she lived in a tall condo building I was surprised she could afford on a PR salary, but then again, I knew very little about her family situation or her past. Maybe she came from royalty too.
Ha.
As she’d directed, I let the doorman know who I was, and he called up for me.
“She’ll be right down,” the guy told me, giving me a wide smile.
“Thanks,” I said.
There was an awkward pause while I waited for Lizzy, and the man kept smiling at me. I glanced his way again, feeling incredibly uncomfortable since it was just the two of us in the small lobby and his attention was so completely focused on me.
“I’m a fan,” he said after another long beat of staring and smiling.
“Thanks, man,” I said, hoping that would be it.
More staring. More smiling.
“Did you want me to like, sign anything?” I asked. It wasn’t my usual interaction with fans, but I wasn’t usually in such a confined space with someone refusing to look away.
“Oh, that would be amazing,” he said, and to my horror, he peeled up the top half of his uniform and presented me with a very broad, very pale gut.
“You want me to sign your… stomach?”
The man grinned harder and nodded, his eyes sparkling as if this was the best day of his life.
I took the Sharpie sitting on the counter and knelt to get myself into position.
And then the elevator door dinged, and I heard someone step into the lobby, catching me on my knees in front of a partially clad doorman.
Lizzy’s gasp came immediately. “Declan?”
This was not exactly the impression I’d hoped to give Lizzy on our first official fake date.
CHAPTER 14
LIZZY
The prince jumpedto his feet and Arnold tucked his uniform back around his sizable middle. I stared at them both.
“He asked for an autograph,” Declan said, a blush turning his handsome face pink.
“I.. sorry, ma’am. I forgot myself.” Arnold couldn’t hold my gaze. And for good reason. He was an unofficial member of the King’s Guard, and the behavior I’d just witnessed was a fireable offense. He could be excommunicated for such disrespect to a member of the royal family.
I shook my head. I couldn’t blame him for being overcome, so close to his prince.
I felt a little overcome myself every time I was caught in the glow of Declan’s blue-eyed gaze, whenever he put a hand to my low back as we walked together into a room.
And now, standing there in a pair of long shorts and a T-shirt that proclaimed that “surely not everyone was kung-fu fighting,” I was battling some kind of chemical reaction inside my body that I was powerless to control.
“It’s fine. Should we go?” I asked the prince.
“Yeah. See ya,” he said to Arnold, who still looked frightened and ashamed. Good. I’d have to talk to him later. He’d beenappointed as a cover—to keep an eye on the building and report anything suspicious.
As we climbed into Declan’s truck, he tried to explain. “I wasn’t doing anything weird, you know. I just needed better leverage. His tummy was so low.”
“I’d rather not discuss it,” I said.
“Oh, yeah. Totally.” He pulled the big truck away from the curb. “You ready for this?”
