Page 44 of A Girl and HER Prince
She put her fingers up in the “okay” sign and began to move away.
Taking her cue, he inched back, and it was absolute torture. He couldn’t bear to tear his gaze away from her too, and he wouldn’t.No, this is stupid! I’m fighting for her!He snatched her hand, pulling her closer. “I don’t think anything about this is a mistake,” he whispered into her ear. “Why do you?”
Livvy’s face filled with anguish. Her eyes watered.
His stomach twisted like it always did at the sight of tears. How did he make this better? Before he could say anything more, Bris shrieked out beside them and pointed. “Dolphins!”
They swam alongside the motorboat—the sea messengers of the god of Poseidon. Their gray, sleek bodies danced over the waves as they neared the island. Scheria was a pretty massive landmass as far as private islands went, and Venice could see the ancient ruins near the top of the bluffs from where they were. One side of the island was covered in forest and the other was made up of rocky crags like this one. He noticed large structures on the mountain near the beach. Were those homes? They were practically built into the clouds. Whoever owned this island was loaded.
Turner slowed their boat near the front of a stunningly high rocky coast. An arched rock made of limestone guarded the caverns ahead, though underneath the glimmering waters was a world that was far more magical.
And Venice didn’t care about any of it. His eyes were only on Livvy as she struggled to give him a convincing answer. They weren’t a mistake, and he’d prove it. He lightly skimmed his knuckles across the top of her hand, not wanting her to abandon the best thing that could ever happen to them. “Don’t give up on us, okay?”
“Venice,” she whispered, her voice trailing off.
She was killing him. He took a deep breath and prayed for patience. He’d give her time, even if every moment apart was excruciating; ifsheneeded this—they needed this.
The engine on the boat was cut and they were surrounded with the noise of crashing waves and crying birds. The cicadas sang out from the forest on the island.
They’d officially landed in paradise.
Achilles was beside himself with excitement. He swaggered to the back of the boat like a pirate ready to find treasure. “Count yourself lucky that you’re one of the few who get to see this shipwreck underwater.” Besides Scheria Island being privately owned, Greece had barely lifted depth restrictions and recent laws that forbade visitors from exploring archaeological sites off their shores. They were in a rare window of time where the seas were completely open to them. “We’re one of the first explorers to see it.”
Venice met Livvy’s questioning gaze and shrugged. “I guess Greece needs more tourism after the world got shut down for a while.”
Turner nodded, though he didn’t look particularly happy about the change of rules. His expression brightened when he glanced over at Bris. “You ready for some fun?” he asked her.
Predictably, Venice’s sister looked nervous. She glanced over at the darkening horizon. “Did anyone else hear about the storm coming in today?”
“A storm?” Achilles was quick to tease her. “I’ve never seen a prettier day. What’s your problem? You getting cold feet, or are you just afraid of not being able to talk our ears off when we go underwater?”
She tilted her head at him with an annoyed breath. “I don’t ever bother talking to you, Killiefish. You sure you’re not referring to your new girlfriend?”
Venice intervened before this got out of hand. “How about we get our gear on?”
Livvy stood quickly. Her gaze shot to the equipment. Yeah, she was as terrified as Bris was about the dive. He hoped that was all this was. Steadying himself, he found her BCD vest that held the tank and all her breathing equipment. No matter how this day ended between the two of them, he’d make sure she loved diving after this. “Come here,” he said. “Let’s get this gear on. I’ve got you.”
He lifted the vest, resting the tank on his knee while she spun like their dance from last night, putting in her right arm and then her left. As soon as it was securely on her shoulders, he closed the Velcro and then turning her to face him, closed the buckle over her stomach.
Every time he touched her, she sucked in her breath.
Glancing up at her, he saw that her cheeks were rosy with those blushes that always came so quickly when he touched her. Yeah, the spark hadn’t died between them—it blazed hotter, if that was possible.
He had to tear down these obstacles between themnow! “If you thought we were a mistake,” he asked, “why’d you meet me here?”
Her eyes flashed again. She was doing her best to appear unfazed, but he saw right through her. “Deedee wanted to come,” she said in a husky voice.
He didn’t have to look back to hear that the TalkieTalk star was having the time of her life trying to put him in his place. “For once, I’m glad she got what she wanted,” he whispered back to Livvy. He adjusted her shoulder straps.
She straightened, sweeping that glorious mane back into a ponytail, doing her best to appear like this meant nothing to her. The hitch in her breath gave her away. She was either terrified or that kiss meant something to her too.
He closed the chest strap on her vest next. “Have you ever stopped to consider that she might not be right about me?”
Her hands went to his shoulders as he worked on inflating her vest to check for leaks then deflating it again. He put three breaths in. The whole time, she didn’t say a word in defense of her new coldness, though when she let him go, she wasn’t quite able to get her hair into that ponytail either. Those curls kept escaping her shaking fingers to fall all over her face.
“You should give me a chance to prove myself,” he said. “I might not beallbad.”
The irony of what he said hit him—because he wasn’tallgood either, especially since he should’ve been done testing her vest by now, but he was taking his time and finding every excuse he could to get lost in her beautiful, fiery gaze.
