Page 23 of A Girl and HER Prince
Ah yes, this was worse than she thought—for all of Deedee’s talk on trying to make the prince jealous, she really only wanted to win her ex back.
And was that so bad?
Livvy’s steps stilled on the cool deck.
Deedee might know exactly what she was doing. After all, she was the one who dated the most, not Livvy. What if putting herself out there for rejection was the way to go?
Feeling sheepish, Livvy decided that perhaps instead of lecturing her friend, she’d make sure she was okay and then let Deedee put herself out there—to fail or to succeed; that was what the champions did.
“Deedee?” she called.
She passed the private dinner for two, noticing it had been set up next to the Jacuzzi. A mini basketball drifted over the surface of the still water. The stars were mirrored against its glassy surface.
A romantic scene if she ever saw one.
Livvy should really just talk to Deedee later. If she hadn’t been trespassing before, then she definitely was now. Feeling regretful, she spun on her heel and shouted out in surprise when she got a good look at the prince—up close and personal. The very next instant, she was too close andtoopersonal. They collided with an “oof,” and she fell headlong into a bare, muscular chest, feeling the warmth of his arms reach out to steady her.
She caught her breath, stunned at once again getting caught in the prince’s unintended grasp. And what a grasp it was—her heart was doing all those stupid fluttering things as his hand lowered from her back to her waist, sending shots of electricity rushing through her as he muttered something about her being “okay.”
Was she? Her nose had been pressed up against him in a most unbecoming way, and yes, she got to feel for herself how built this guy was. Hot flames of embarrassment burned into her cheeks as she wondered if he’d even got Deedee’s note at all and he’d come out for a dip in his Jacuzzi instead. Her hair was all over him in a waterfall and he reached up and flipped some of it back over her shoulder, his hand lingering there too.
She startled, lifting her gaze to his amused expression at the accident… but it wasn’t an accident anymore. What were they still doing holding onto each other?
Scrambling back from him, she tugged her filmy wrap over her sassy ruby red swimsuit like a sea urchin fleeing back into her shell. “I am so sorry!” Her hand went to her head like she could push some sense back into her skull. “Sorry for…”not pulling away sooner?“Sorry!”
Venice smiled, not adding his own apologies to the mix, like he wasn’t sorry at all. He glanced over her shoulder at the romantic dinner-for-two and then at her with a confused grin. “You?” His eyes ran over her, and even appreciatively over her swimsuit wrap as if he actually liked it. “I was certain Deedee had written me that note, but was that… you?”
Livvy’s hands shot up, stopping just short of putting her fingers in a cross to ward off this latest humiliation. “No, no, that was not…” Livvy shouldn’t even know about that note without looking like an interfering busybody. “I came up to… speak to Deedee…” The door leading out of the partition closed behind the prince.
It made a very distinct clicking noise. Deedee wouldn’t?
“That’s not locked, is it?” she asked.
“No, of course not.”
Livvy wasn’t so sure. Slipping around Venice, she grabbed at the handle and sure enough, it was stuck. She tugged at it, hoping she was wrong, pulling and jerking at the handle.Deedee? What have you done?
There was bold, and then there wasbold…
Livvy wanted to scream in frustration. Deedee deserved every bit of that lecture she’d talked herself out of giving to her only seconds earlier. Unbelievably, Deedee’s secret rendezvous, complete with a locked door, had caught her best friend in… paradise basically, and with Deedee’s prince when Livvy couldn’t seem to keep a handle on her normally obedient emotions. It was too much!
She looked back at him over her shoulder. He looked flustered, not like a prince should—they were supposed to be quite imposing. No, it wasn’t that he wasn’tstillimposing, the guy had presence—he was athletic, vibrant, but he was just so real in his confusion, like any man would be. A very cute one.
Stop noticing that!
“Do you have a cellphone?” she asked him.
He checked his pockets… very empty-looking ones. She knew his answer before he broke the news to her, “No, I don’t.” His attention was caught on the sumptuous dinner for two set up by the Jacuzzi. “Luvvy, whatisthis?”
Was he trying to say her name or was he calling her love? He did grow up in the UK, and she’d seen enough shows from there to guess they dropped “love” like they did ma’am in the South. “I’m sorry.” She was apologizing again. This really was too ridiculous. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but it looks to me like we’re stuck here together.” He swung around to catch her in another contagious grin. “Shocking. Who knew this was how I’d be spending my night? Me and Luvvy.”
She laughed at the absurdity. He must be joking. “Livvy,” she corrected… just in case he truly did have her name wrong.
He looked surprised. “It’s not Luvvy? You sure?”
“Yes.” She felt like she was stuck in a ’90s comedy. “I know my name.”
