Page 26 of Royal Player
She looks surprised. “No, actually. I mean, in college a few times, but Marge is very effective man repellant.”
I grimace. “He was out of line. You told him you’d be at the business meeting, and he was disgustingly flirty with you. He should’ve been professional.”
“Thank you for your assessment of the situation,” she says pertly.
I stiffen. I was just trying to help her out.
We reach the elevator, and I stand back with my brothers, letting the women get on first. “You sound jealous,” Adrian says under his breath to me. “Cool it.”
I shoot him a dark look.Jealous.I’ve never been jealous in my life. Charles was out of line. Besides, he doesn’t have a chance with Polly. She’s practically engaged.
I step inside the elevator and glance at Polly. She’s twirling her long ponytail around her finger, creating a single corkscrew curl. If I gave it a tug, it would probably spring back. Her guard is in the corner behind her.
I shove my hands in my pockets and look straight ahead. I can still see her in my peripheral vision—dark hair, creamy skin, silver scrap of a dress. What if she asks Charles to go down on her? Why was I so damn sensible? I should’ve taken her up on it. There’s a lot you can do besides actual…no. I need to protect her from lusty men, including myself.
I glance sideways at her, our eyes meeting for an electrifying moment. The attraction is a living, breathing thing between us. Her gaze is almost…longing before her lashes flutter down and she looks away.
I swallow hard. I need to do the right thing, even though every cell in my body is drawing me to her.
“We should elope tonight Vegas style!” Alice announces.
Lucas smiles widely. “Really?”
Alice beams. “Yes! Let’s get married!”
“Are you drunk?” he asks gently.
She holds her fingers up, pinching a tiny space between her index finger and thumb. “Just a little, but I do want to marry you.”
Lucas swallows visibly. “Alice, darling, I would love nothing more than to marry you, but you can’t elope Vegas-style in Monte Carlo. They don’t have that here, legally speaking.”
Her shoulders droop. “Oh.”
I exchange an amused look with Adrian. It’s bizarre to witness a sort of proposal in the tight space of an elevator.
The doors open, and we head out to the white marbled lobby.
“It’s better not to elope,” Lucas says. “You want your parents at our wedding, right?”
“Yes,” Alice admits. “It just seemed so romantic to be swept away in a Monte Carlo moment, but you’re right. A rush wedding wouldn’t be as romantic as a wedding with everyone we love.”
Lucas strides ahead of her and then stops in the center of the lobby, holding a palm up to us to wait.
We all stop to stare at him.
He crooks his finger at Alice, and she rushes forward. He takes her hand and speaks in a clear voice that carries like he’s speaking his truth for the world to hear. “I’ve been waiting for your signal, and you just gave it to me. I love you. There will never be another for me. You are my beloved, my life, my everything. Sweet Alice, I will spend every day for the rest of my life making your reality better than fiction.” Very appropriate for a romance author.
“Sweet Lucas,” she says on a sigh.
And then he shocks all of us by dropping to one knee and pulling a small velvet box from his inside blazer pocket.
Alice claps a hand over her mouth. “Lucas!” She drops her hand. “Were you carrying that ring around with you this whole time?”
“I’ve been waiting,” he says hoarsely. “I’ve never wanted something so much in my life.” He opens the box and offers her a round diamond set on a platinum ring. “Alice Segal, will you do me the great honor of being my wife?”
“Yes!” she cries.
He slides the ring on her finger, rises to his feet, and sweeps her into his arms for a passionate kiss.
