Page 34 of A Girl and HER Prince
Turner relinquished her with a bow.
And before she could shout out her objections, she was in Venice’s arms as if she’d never taken off from his ship to claim her fierce independence of him. She shook with resentment, even as she watched Bris hurriedly claim Turner as her own. Their heads immediately bent together like they were telling secrets.
Was there anyone in their group without any romantic entanglements? Feeling like she’d suddenly become the third wheel in Turner’s heart, she whipped her head away.
“I hope you don’t have a thing for him,” Venice said. That forced her attention back to the prince. His amused lips curled up in a grin that seemed more determined than when they’d parted. “My sister has been trying to work things out with him.”
Drama! Drama! And yet here she was in a prince’s arms—nothing got more dramatic than that, did it? His hands traveled to her waist, and she held her breath, pretending that she hadn’t been consumed with how he’d touched her the last time in the Jacuzzi before he’d leaned in for a k—
And well! He was holding her closer than he had then, and yet he didn’t mean it. Any of it! That forced reminder was the only barrier between them, and it was a brittle one at that. His eyes met hers as he moved with her across the dance floor. The white skirt of her dress fluttered around her legs, catching his long stride, though he didn’t bother with any of the intricate steps, only clasped her like he’d been thinking of her as much as she had him.
That was impossible. He’s far more experienced at breaking hearts. I’m just a passing flirtation. A commoner.
He didn’t watch her like that. Glancing up at him, she froze when she noticed his golden irises darken with the passion that she’d sensed in him all along. He seemed like a man half-starved and he was hungry for her. Livvy’s breath hitched.
This dance! It was far more intimate than it should be. It made that basketball game look like child’s play, and she had far less control. Livvy squeezed his shoulders, trying to catch her breath as the clanging charms in her bracelet settled back against her wrist. “It won’t work, Venice.”
His lips brushed her ear as he leaned down to whisper, “What won’t?”
“Using me to make Deedee jealous.” She lifted her head, her cheek almost running into his and worse! Her lips brushed past his ear. The contact forced a startled, not entirely displeased sound from him… actually,notdispleased at all. What was wrong with him? A liaison with her was entirely unbecoming. His gaze warmed on her. He seemed less taken off guard by her accusation than he was byher. She trembled in embarrassment, but she was onto him and she wanted him to know.
“Making Deedee jealous?” he asked. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“Why else would you…?” At his answering smile, she stumbled over her feet, feeling foolish. She looked away as he brought her closer to his chest in the dance. “I’m sorry,” she whispered under her breath. “Youreallywere helping out your sister.”
“Not really, Luvvy.”
Her head lifted from his chest, but not before she felt the quickening of his heartbeat as he twirled her into a dizzying spell of circling and spinning. She stumbled back into him, clutching to the broadness of his shoulders, holding onto him for balance, not sure if she was doing anything right, only that it didn’t matter because he held her securely against him and wouldn’t let her fall.
This felt so perfect, like she belonged to him, and yet someone like him would only be playing with her. Finally the thread of indignation that he’d spun with his devilish ways snapped.
She glared. “Then whatareyou doing with me?”
He shrugged, his expression falling into sober lines. “Has anyone told you how much you look like a Greek maiden with your dark… hair?” He was touching it now, like he couldn’t get enough of it. “So curly.” She froze with shock.
At her questioning look, he dropped his hand, although the dance wasn’t through with either of them. He caught her waist, his fingers skimming gently down to her hips. “I’m not quite sure what I’m doing to be honest, only that… I love your dress; you look so good in white. I had to come for a closer look.”
She couldn’t help the giggle that burst from her lips. “Point taken. I’ll be careful wearing white in the future.”
“No!” he argued. “You shouldalwayswear white.”
She fell momentarily mute, her heart racing so fast under his appreciative gaze that she couldn’t think straight. Livvy had never had to deflect so many compliments, ones with far deeper meanings that she could barely grasp, only felt in the deepest recesses of her soul.
She was in way over her head, and quickly losing any desire to lecture him.
Pressing her firmly against him, he partly led her, partly smuggled her far from where Deedee could ever reach them and into the crush of dancers. Her elbows ran into the others and, letting out a cry, she hid under his arms to keep herself safe until there was only him in a sea of people. Only him. She could smell him, feel him, breathe him.
Oh boy, I’m in big trouble.
She forced herself to notice the others in the crowd. The dancers around them engaged in that unusual Greek tango again, moving cheek to cheek.
Venice lowered his head to hers to do the same. Her breath squeezed from her lungs as the heat of his rough cheek met the coolness of hers. “I have something that belongs to you.” His breath tickled against her lips. Feeling helpless against her baser emotions, she tried not to smile. “You need to come back to me to claim it,” he said.
What could she possibly have left behind? Nothing of importance or she would’ve noticed it by now. “Keep it,” she rushed to say.
“You sure about that?” She felt his dimple against her skin. “It makes you look like a mermaid caught in soft seafoam, and it only looks ridiculous on me.”
A bubbling laugh erupted from her throat at him joking about her swimsuit wrap, though perhaps some of her delight stemmed from him comparing her favorably to a mermaid. He could be so unexpectedly sweet.
