Page 114 of A Girl and HER Prince
Presently, Venice’s arms wove around her like they’d been waiting to capture her this entire time.
“I’ll never get through this book.” Her complaint lacked conviction as she snuggled into his chest.
“Why do you have to read that old thing,” he asked, “when we can live it?” His eyes locked with hers and she felt herself get lost in that molten hazel gold.
Livvy loved when he watched her like that. The dimples set deeply in his cheeks stood out against the week’s growth of beard he’d been cultivating on their impromptu vacation, reminding her of the time they’d been stranded on Scheria Island.
She ran her hand across his rough jaw. “That’s only if you listen to Deedeelicious.” Her friend had done a whole documentary on the love story of her bestest friends in the whole wide world, and how they’dtotallyreenactedThe Aeneid. Her followers weren’t really Greek mythology nerds like Livvy was, but they loved a good romance and so they’d been glued to their screens anyway.
“Deedee has that right. We should listen to her…” he said with a mischievous kiss against her cheek. “I heard she’s got a viral show on her hands.” He grappled for his phone under his chair and held it up, capturing them both on the screen. “I think I have an idea for an episode that will bring in more views. He pushed record on the phone. “Livvy…?” Mischief spread across his face. “I have something important to ask you in front of a random, terrifyingly huge audience.”
Heat flooded through her cheeks and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t usually Venice’s thing to document their lives in front of others. “What are you doing?”
“Sorry.” He set the phone down on her knee. “Notthat!Honey, this moment’s entirely between you and me.” He swallowed, turning nervous. He didn’t usually act that way unless their lives were on the line. “Um… Luvvy?”
“Yeah?”
His gaze shifted behind them to the sliding doors. They were open between the spacious deck and the dining area with its dangling chandeliers.
Glancing behind them, she didn’t see what he was looking at.
His phone went off and groaning, Venice turned the screen over to see who was calling. Achilles was on the other end. Rolling his eyes, Venice pressed on the speaker. “Hey, Achilles,” he sounded oddly deflated. “You’re on speaker with Livvy. Don’t say anything stupid.”
“Get your father off my back,” Achilles said bluntly. “These peace talks are a joke. He has to know his brother’s up to something.”
Venice stiffened and Livvy studied him. They’d been afraid of what Atreus Mnon would do in retaliation after his father had declared Venice the future ruler of Tirreoy.
“I’m not like you,” Achilles grumbled. “No one tells me what to do.”
Unintentionally insulting, but Venice never took the bait. She’d never seen a man more certain about his decision for the future than Venice was. After facing down the evil of what awaited Tirreoy if he didn’t accept his duty, he’d agreed to take the throne, even if it was only to stop the Myrdons.
Livvy stood behind him every step of the way.
“You should’ve known your stepfather would never let you go,” Venice warned.
“Stepfather?” Achilles snarled. “Don’t ever call him that again—he’s nothing to me, and he’d better not push me again. I’m not marrying Bris.”
This was being discussed in these peace talks? Livvy sucked in her breath, although she could also hardly wait to spill this latest development to Deedee. Bris would be having her own fit. Her scorching phone calls were about to burn through Venice’s phone to snuff out Achilles’s enraged complaints with her own.
Not that a match between those two firecrackers wouldeverhappen, which was why Livvy was having a hard time keeping back her smiles. Venice’s father didn’t approve of a marriage between them, which Venice tried to get across to his best friend with little luck.
Achilles snorted. “Try telling that to my mother. I’ve had it! If I have to hear another lecture on why a marriage between us will heal the rifts between the Myrdons and the Tyndarians…”
Venice turned serious. “She’s wrong. It wouldn’t do anything. You should probably take a break from talking…”
“I’m not stupid!” Achilles didn’t let him finish. “I know it’s nothertelling me that, okay? She’s just going to say what her puppet master wants her to say.” The duke let out a breath, perhaps blurting out more than he wanted. “You know what? Atreus Mnon is going to learn real soon that he doesn’t rule me.”
Why did those feel like famous last words?
“Just talk to my father,” Venice said. “He isn’t as bad as you thi—”
“I don’t trust him!” Achilles exploded. “I’m telling you that he’s working out something behind our backs.Youshouldn’t trust him either!”
“Livvy’s here…” Venice reminded him.
“She’s going to be part of the family soon anyway. She might as well know what she’s getting into.”
A smile touched Venice’s lips. “You know what?” He glanced behind him at those opened doors again. “On that note, we want a few minutes to ourselves to make that happen. Okay?”
