Page 28 of A Girl and HER Prince
She forced down her lips before she tried to do something stupid like respond to his charm with her own smile. Everything she was feeling was wrong.
Her friend’s eyes went to the meal they’d eaten and then to the water splashed all over the tiled deck where Venice had sat her down seconds before his arms had gone around her.
“It appears our dinner for two has been sabotaged,” Achilles said with a laugh that was far too knowing for Livvy to believe his sincerity. “Deedee kept telling me she had my favorite served… Moussaka!”
Livvy jumped. Had the letter been meant for Achilles all along? No, Deedee had written Venice… at least on one of the letters she had, and she’d thrown that one away.
The horrible truth about what had happened sent a chill of distaste through her. Deedee had practically detailed her whole plan to Livvy earlier in their cabin—Deedee was going after Achilles to make Venice jealous.
And now the whole tangled plot was unraveling in front of Livvy’s eyes—her friend had trapped Venice in here, so that she could come waltzing in front of his annoyed eyes with the duke and act like the note she’d painstakingly written and dropped where Venice would find it was meant for his best friend all along.
It seemed pretty low.
Breaking from Deedee, Achilles wandered over to inspect the half-eaten dish. “Ah yes, there it is. My favorite! Deedee, let’s eat. There’s still some eggplant left over.”
Deedee rolled her eyes.
The duke was so onto her prank it wasn’t even funny.
“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Venice said with a hard laugh. He turned to Deedee. “I didn’t know you had a thing for Moussaka. Yes, eat the rest. You have my blessing.”
She glared at him now. Venice wasn’t doing what she wanted—but unfortunately for her none of them were her dolls to be manipulated. Had Venice suspected something like this all along?
Livvy wriggled uncomfortably at what that meant for her—unlike everyone else, she’d fallen for the bait, hook and all. Venice had turned the tables completely on Deedee and was romancing her best friend instead. Livvy wasn’t prepared for the wave of hurt that rushed through her.
Yeah, she’d been played good.
Venice inched closer to Livvy, pressing his elbows into the tiles next to her knee. She gritted her teeth, doing her best not to give either him or Deedee any kind of reaction. She’d make them both believe that this meant nothing to her… though she could hardly wait to rush back to her cabin and start packing.
She’d never been in the middle of a breakup battle before. It was humiliating.
Strange that she had more in common with Achilles than anybody right now, though he didn’t seem to mind as much. The duke dug into the sumptuous meal and began picking at Livvy’s plate. Apparently the beef she’d left behind was too tempting.
Venice’s eyes were on Deedee. “Achilles is quite the catch, I hear.”
His best friend laughed at that as Deedee joined him at the table. She scooted a chair near Achilles before sitting, practically draped over his knee.No chair required.“I’ve heard the same,” Deedee said. “He’s next in line for the throne, after all.”
Achilles’s hand knocked against the lid at the surprising turn of the conversation. “Oh no, you don’t! Bris has that distinct honor. Nobody’s foisting their duties off on me.”
The prince gave an answering laugh. “Oh come now! You’re third in line to rule… that isn’t bad. Listen, if you and my sister are plotting my death together, don’t bother. What’s mine is yours. I’m over it.”
His eyes went to Deedee’s, leaving no doubt he meant her.
Livvy was insulted on her friend’s behalf. “Deedee?” she raised her voice. “We should go.”
“So generous,” Achilles told Venice as if Livvy hadn’t interrupted. He set down his fork and eased away from Deedee so that he could better reach Livvy’s plate. “I think I’ll pass on your offer.” His eyes went to Livvy’s frothy swimsuit cover draped against her vacated seat to the one who’d been wearing it minutes earlier.
Livvy tried not to look too guilty.
“How long were you stuck here?” Achilles asked Venice.
“Not long enough.”
Livvy startled as Venice’s hand found her wrist. He flicked the tiny dolphin on her bracelet with his thumb. Before she could react, he’d captured the tiny basketball and turned to shoot it into the hoop. “There,” he said. “Now I’ve got three too. I believe that puts us into overtime.”
“No!” He’dnotgo back to calling her Luvvy! She’d won fair and square. “You’re such a cheater!”
“How? I didn’t have equal possession of the ball.” She deflated as she realized that even playing with their skewed rules, he was right. “Guess we need more time to figure this out,” he said with that same contagious grin.
