Page 5 of The Promised Prince
“Mangum.” Trev reminded her. “You know, get his attention for you.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t want Mangum’s attention.”
She deserved payback for the fake drowning. “So then you wanted mine?” Trev grinned as her jaw dropped in surprise.
He probably shouldn’t be flirting with a random country girl. He was engaged, after all. But this was more talking than flirting. Surely there was no harm in that.
“I didnotdo this to get your attention,” she objected. “I already told you I wasn’t expecting anyone else.”
“It’s fine. You can admit it.” He gave her a sly smile.
“First of all, I don’t know you. Second, even if I did know you, and I was purposely trying to get your attention, I would have done it so much better.”
“Is there a better way to pretend to drown?” He smiled, unable to hide his amusement.
“Well, if I had been trying to be appealing I would have worn a dress, not a man’s oversized shirt—”
“I agree. It’s painful to look at you.” That wasn’t true. She was very attractive.
“And not just any dress,” she continued, pointedly ignoring his comment. “I would have done some investigating and found out what your favorite color was—”
“Blue,” he interrupted.
“What?”
“My favorite color is blue.” Then he gestured for her to continue.
She rolled her eyes, but Trev saw her smile. “All right, I would have worn a blue dress—”
“A colored dress? That’s expensive. You’d do that for me?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I would have worn a blue dress”—her eyes warned him not to interrupt—“that hugged my body, leaving little to the imagination.”
Trev didn’t feel the need to add anything. He liked what he heard.
“Then I wouldn’t have floated there lifeless.” She threw her arms in the air, making waves with her hands. Trev leaned away to avoid being hit. “I would have splashed around, wailing and crying, to make sure that you stopped and rescued me.” She dropped her hands into her lap. “Then you would have heard my cries for help and dove into the water—”
“Like I did today?” he deadpanned.
“Yes. Apparently, you havesomeredeeming qualities.” She took a breath before jumping back into her reverie. “Once I was safe on shore, I would have looked up at you, held your gaze, and waited.” She paused and turned her head to look at him.
“Waited for what?” he asked, amused and absorbed by her story.
“For you to kiss me, of course,” she said matter-of-factly like it was the only obvious outcome.
“You kiss people you don’t even know? Right after you’ve met?”
“No!” She shook her head with an edge of annoyance. “It’s just a pretend scenario. We already know each other in the story. That’s why we kiss. Why would I want your attention if we don’t already know each other?”
Trev raised the corner of his mouth into a slight smile. “Because I’m so good looking?”
She turned and looked him over, pretending to consider. “No,” she decided, her expression impassive. “You’re not that good looking.”
Ouch. Trev’s ego was wounded, but her answer came too quickly for him to really believe she didn’t find himsomewhatattractive.
“Well, I’m afraid it would take more than a pretty, colored dress and some eye contact to get me to kiss you.” He folded his arms across his chest. “You’d have to be interesting and confident too.”
“Which I am,” she added.
