Page 28 of A Royal Arrangement
He wished he’d had the foresight to bring Isabella’s wedding band with him tonight. The comfort it brought him would really be helpful right about now. He hadn’t danced with anyone in an official capacity since losing Isabella. Yes, he’d danced briefly with Rosalie at the parade, but it hadn’t been a formal dance at a ball in front of a horde of other royals.
Colin didn’t have time to try Rosalie’s method of thinking of a happy memory before the song started playing, so he shoved his nerves down as best he could and focused on the steps. He led Rosalie around the dance floor and was a little shocked at how well they partnered together. Each move flowed effortlessly into the next. It was like they danced as one person.
But they weren’t. They were two very different people with little in common. At least, he thought they had little in common, though he couldn’t really say he’d taken the time to get to know her.
I don’t need to get to know her. This is strictly an arranged marriage. No feelings involved. Not knowing her is better for all parties.
“I thought you said you couldn’t dance,” Rosalie said, bringing him back into the moment and almost causing him to stumble.
“I said that Idon’tdance. I never said I didn’t know how.”
For the next move in the dance, Colin wrapped his arms around Rosalie’s waist and effortlessly lifted her into the air, spinning her in a circle. She was as light as a feather in his arms.
When setting her back on her own feet, she brushed up against him, causing a sensation he hadn’t expected…attraction. He shoved those feelings far down into an abyssdeep within—from where they would hopefully never resurface.
Colin could see on her face that she felt it too from her dilated pupils, slightly parted lips, and the flush of her cheeks. That was even more reason to stay as far away from her as possible. He didn’t want to lead her on, to let her believe there was something more between them than their marriage certificate.
He took her fingers, twirling her under the lights of the chandeliers. The song came to a close, and he bowed to her while she curtsied.
They stood there, staring at each other, but before either of them could say a word, Addie came racing over.
“I loved your dancing,” she squealed, bouncing on her toes, looking back and forth between the two of them with a wide grin on her face. Addie grabbed his hands and sent the full force of her smile up at him. “Will you dance with me, Daddy?”
“It would be my honor, little princess.”
Addie giggled as he picked her up, holding one of her little hands in his as he started swaying to the beat of the next song.
Colin couldn’t help but smirk as Addie babbled on and on about everyone’s ballgowns and—of course—unicorns.
“Isn’t Miss Wosie the pwettiest lady?”
He glanced over at Rosalie, who stood on the sidelines, watching them dance, with a big smile. It was obvious Addie was growing fond of Rosalie, which was exactly what he had hoped for. However, it still pricked at his heart that Addie was looking up to her instead of Isabella. She should still be here.
Colin forced a smile. “That title is reserved for you, Addie girl.”
She giggled as he spun them in a circle. Addie rested her head on his chest, wrapping both of her arms around his neck. He held her close. His favorite place would always be right here, wherever he was with Addie.
He spent the rest of the ball wrapped around her little finger. When he made it back to his room, he took a quick shower before collapsing onto his bed. He attempted to fall asleep, but his mind kept him awake, wondering if Rosalie had enjoyed her evening.
Colin felt like he was handling having a woman in the palace again well. He stuck to his routines as much as possible and sometimes even forgot Rosalie was there. It was like everything was as it had been before…except in the evenings.
Whenever he lay down at night to go to sleep, his eyes remained wide open at the awareness that she was merely feet away from him. All it would take to be with her was the simple unlocking and opening of the door connecting their two rooms, but that door would remain as closed and locked as his heart if he had any say about it.
Even though the door was shut, sleep continued to elude him as he thought of Rosalie, just a wall separating them.
She was everything he was not.
She was kind, while he was distant.
Her heart was open, while his was closed off.
She was excited about the world, while he was pessimistic.
She was pure sunshine, while he was a curmudgeon—Wes’s words, not his.
I don’t know how to deal with someone like her. That’s why I can’t sleep.There couldn’t possibly be any other reason for his insomnia.
Colin stared at the invitation card in his hands, unsure how to react.
