Page 11 of A Princess for Christmas

Was he mistaken or did he detect a hint of derision in her tone? Like she knew Lucrecia and found her not very lovely?

“There.” He pointed. TheLovely Lucreciawas still docked. It was glowing with lights, and laughter and conversation spilled from its deck.

“Thank you so much,” she said again, her voice all quivery. She gave him a little wave and set off toward the boat.

He was about to turn away, but he noticed the back of her dress was gaping. It looked like it was supposed to be tied up with a pair of pink ribbons that were hanging loose. She’d worn some kind of fur cape thing in the cab, but she was currently carrying that over one arm, leaving her back exposed. Almost bare.

“Wait. Your dress.”

“Oh! Oh, I forgot!” She ran back to him and turned around. “Please, can you do it up?” Her voice was even shakier than it had been before, and as she lifted one of the ribbons as if to hand it to him, her hands trembled.

This was definitely not just a party. Something else was going on.

“It’s like an exercise shoe,” she said. “Tighten the laces and tie a bow at the top.”

She was misinterpreting his inaction as confusion. And it was, in a way, just not over the mechanics of how her dress worked.

He was confused by the fact that she was apparently so afraid of whatever awaited her on that boat that she was shaking like an abandoned baby bird. But also by the sight of her almost naked back, covered with a fine sheen of sweat despite the cold evening air.

Clearing his throat, Leo moved to tighten the ribbons. He triednot to touch her skin. His clumsy hands were too rough for her. But he couldn’t entirely avoid it.

Goose bumps rose on her back when his hand brushed her spine. Goose bumpsandsweat. That was... something.

He tied off the bow, hoping he’d done a decent enough job. There was probably some kind of royal knot he didn’t know about. “There you go.” His voice had gone low. Husky. It was those goose bumps. They were fucking with him. But those goose bumps only meant she was cold. His brain was moving slowly for some reason, so the realization was belated. He sincerely hoped the boat was heated. Who had yacht parties in the winter?

Absurdly rich people, apparently.

He took the fur cape from her and settled it over her shoulders. Then he patted her back—which was now covered with silky fur. Somehow, nonsensically, that fur didn’t seem as soft as her actual back had been.

She didn’t move, just stood there under his hand, breathing hard.

The boat made another of those jarring hornlike noises.

Galvanized, she smiled at him—reallysmiled. And unlike when they’d been seated side by side in the car, he was looking at her straight on.

She had dimples. Two of them.

“Thank you, Mr.Leonardo Ricci. You saved the day.”

Before he could think how to respond, she whirled, hitched up her skirt, and took off running.

He watched her run all the way down the dock and leap onto theLovely Lucreciajust as it started moving.

He stood there for a while, watching the boat begin to inch out of the marina.

Hell, he probably would have stayed there until it was out of sight had Gabby not appeared beside him, Max yapping excitedly at her feet.

“That was wild. Also, I’m starving.”

“Let’s get Ralph’s on the way home.”

“Yay!” She slipped her hand into his—which was not something she did much anymore—as they walked back to the cab. Oh, his heart. His heart could not take any more of this little-sisters-growing-up business.

He squeezed her hand as hard as he dared.

Chapter Three

An hour and a beer later—hehadstopped for some Moretti; that washistreat—Leo was feeling a little more in control of things.

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