Page 5 of A Queen and HER Bad Boy
Even now, her beautiful hazel Tyndarian eyes scorched his back as he walked away. He didn’t have to look back to feel them—they were turbulent like her; they were a part of her soul that she couldn’t keep caged. And he’d detected a faint hurt in those depths when he’d introduced his latest girlfriend—
Good.Let her hate him. It was better than the alternative. After what he’d done on Scheria, after the blood on his hands, he had no right to those eyes looking at him with anything but contempt. And with the Myrdons circling like vultures, anyone close to him was a target. Better she stayed far away from the monster he’d become.
Chises Mnon had a lot to answer for!
“Ah, the Duke of Tirreoy!” Venice smiled at him, cutting Achilles off from his prey and forcing him to stop short.
Achilles took a deep breath, suddenly grateful that the princely groom couldn’t reach through his mind and pull out every sordid thought he’d just been entertaining about his sister.
“I thought you’d try to skip the dinner altogether!” Venice said with a jab in his side.
“Never!” And that sounded too raspy. Clearing his throat, Achilles reeled his date out from behind him, introducing her with flourish: “This is Charisse Oshear.”
His best friend’s brow went up.
Achilles recognized that look, but what did Venice know about a heart that warred with the mind? He was marrying the sweet and clever Lavinia Brooks… or Livvy as everyone called her.
Venice clapped Achilles on the arm and turned to Charisse, not doing a good job of keeping back his mirth. “I think we’ve met before?”
“Yes.” Her eyes lit up with pleasure. Trust the well-mannered prince to remember every guest on their ill-fated cruises. She’d been a guest when they’d sailed around Thrinacia. “It was my first adventure out in Greece,” Charisse said, “and you were very kind to show me the neighboring island.”
Achilles listened to her sincere gratitude, feeling a little guilty. He’d always liked Charisse as a friend, more than those other women who flocked all over him and Venice. She was classy and quick-witted, though it didn’t say much that she’d agreed to go out with him.
And still, he’d never have considered settling down if it hadn’t been for his desperation to shove Chises Mnon’s plans for an arranged marriage into his face. And Bris? Well, no eyes, blue or otherwise, could make him forget hers. They haunted him—and it was time to grow up!
“So how did you get tangled up with this guy?” Venice asked.
Charisse played with the pearls around her neck. “He was the only one who spent more time talking to me like I had a brain than those other guys flexing their abs by the pool.”
“That’s a—a surprise.” Venice knew him a little too well to know that Achilles wasn’t usually so intellectually focused on the ladies. He grinned. “Did he talk your ear off about ancient pottery shards and diving techniques? If you want my help losing him in the crowd, let me know.”
Charisse laughed and denied needing his services. “Well…” she held up her hands in defense. “Don’t get me wrong—I mayhave stolen a few glances at those rock-hard abs when he wasn’t paying attention.”
“Hey, no need to spare his feelings,” Venice said, laughing. “Blink once if you’re lying and twice if…”
Charisse interrupted him by blinking twice, and Venice turned to Achilles. “I think you’re in luck. She’s willing to run away with you to the Bahamas.”
Achilles couldn’t help his own chuckle as he watched his friend. Venice had never looked more content, perhaps even stood a little taller than the stressed-out prince from yesterday. His hand didn’t drift far from his beautiful, smiling bride.
Livvy’s fingertips brushed his, and seeing Achilles, she slipped under Venice’s arm like she’d never left him. “You made it!” She actually sounded happy about it. “Venice had his revenge planned if you didn’t show up for your best man speech.”
“What? That’s now?” he retorted. “I knew I should’ve waited another ten minutes.” The truth was no one could’ve kept him back, even if Venice’s belligerent old man tried to banish him again.
Chises Mnon had made Achilles’s life a living nightmare—constantly calling him out, humiliating him in front of everyone, tearing him down piece by piece until he couldn’t take it anymore and walked away… all because the controlling royal was terrified that the orphan he’d taken in had feelings for his daughter. Now that Chises Mnon had done a complete one-eighty, the irony burned like acid in Achilles’s throat.
Livvy reached forward and pressed his arm. “Thanks for being Venice’s best man. It really means a lot to us both.”
Achilles lowered his chin, briefly breaking eye contact. Livvy’s good opinion meant a lot, especially since the two hadn’t hit it off in the beginning. She’d thought Achilles was a snobby aristocrat and a womanizer, but it was worse! He’d joined the Myrdons,and they’d used him to get at his best friend. If it hadn’t been for her, Venice wouldn’t be standing here getting married.
Even if she’d forgiven him, he never would.
Livvy was different from anyone Venice had ever dated, a diamond. Her father was a history teacher from Sacramento, California. Even though he’d passed, she had plenty of volunteers to walk her down the aisle. Her protective brothers stood at attention behind her like bodyguards—nothing got more down-to-earth than that.
The girl was in for some culture shock when she entered her new life as a princess, soon to be queen.
A tinkling sound interrupted their discussion, and turning, Achilles saw Chises Mnon standing in front of a microphone, tapping his fork against a crystal glass. “My esteemed guests, thank you for gracing us with your presence on this most auspicious occasion. Allow me to offer a few words of congratulations before we bid farewell to the lucky bride and groom.”
Lucky? Not if Chises Mnon had anything to do with it. Venice was about to step into his role as the next ruler of Tirreoy. Achilles didn’t envy him the job. In fact, he feared for his best friend’s life in that war-torn country. The poor guy had been too long under his father’s thumb. Would he ever be able to break free and make his own decisions?
