Page 64 of Lust and Little White Lies

I burst out laughing. "Mishap queen? Really?"

"Yep, it'll be my special moniker for you, seeing how the boss directed me to closely and carefully watch you since your mishaps tend to cause chaos and mayhem wherever you go."

"Like a knight in shining armor—my protector."

"Absolutely. But now, the task."

"Okay, what is it?"

"We need ice cream."

"Ice cream?" I stare at him in surprise. "That's your important task?"

"Of course, and I must confess I have a horrible weakness for the stuff. So, which way do we go?"

"There's an ice cream shop in the opposite corner of the plaza," a stranger says, pointing his finger. The man grins at us as he walks off.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Dane calls out. He holds my hand as we stroll across the plaza.

We reach the ice cream shop, and Dane opens the door for me. He gives me a formal bow and motions inside. "My queen, the sanctuary of cold and creamy goodness awaits your presence."

I hear feminine giggling along with a man's deep laugh. Turning, I see Iris and the others walking up behind us.

I can't help grinning at them. "It seems I have a knight in shining armor."

"That she does." Dane motions to the open door and smiles. "Ladies, sir, would you like to join us?"

"Dear, we would love to," Iris says. "But we're getting pretzels from the shop next door."

"It's too cold for ice cream anyway," Dahlia complains. She pulls at the collar of her coat and scowls.

"Enjoy your pretzels." Dane smiles and tips his head at Iris. Then he takes me inside.

We browse the display case of multiple flavors, and I'm having difficulty deciding what I want. After a second look, I choose dulce de leche and tiramisu and ask for my scoops on a cone. Dane picks mango and pistachio. He pays for our ice cream, and we go outside, strolling the plaza's perimeter while we window shop and eat our cones.

"Did you want to try mine?" I ask when we stop in front of a jewelry store. "I ate the dulce de leche, but I have some of the tiramisu left."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind having a taste." Dane leans down and kisses me, his tongue teasing and exploring my mouth. "Mmm, tasty," he says when he pulls away.

"That wasn't what I meant, and you know it. I was asking if you wanted to take a lick…like this." I take a long, exaggerated lick of the ice cream, my tongue lingering on the creamy treat before circling the top.

"Oh, fuck. Stop that."

"Stop what?" I say innocently, my tongue slowly sliding across the ice cream again. I make a moaning noise as I scoop some off the top with the tip of my tongue, then I put the entire peak in my mouth and lightly suck on it as I slide it back out.

"Brittany, I swear to God you're making me hard. Knock it off before people notice."

I laugh, seeing a bulge forming in his pants. "Okay, okay. I'll stop. I'll have to pretend you're my ice cream cone when we're alone tonight."

"Christ, I have such an erotic picture in my head right now."

"Good. We'll have to see if I can replicate it."

"Oh, my queen. I have no doubt."

We continue our stroll, ending at the fountain. While we wait for the others, Dane steps behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me against his chest. I lean my head back, tucking it into the crook of his neck, and smell the leather and spice of his cologne. He feels warm and comforting, and I savor the moment, wishing it could always be like this.

Our stragglers show up, and Liesl leads us to the bus. Dane and I retake our seats in the back. I snuggle against him as we leave Nuremberg and begin our drive back to the ship. I'm comfortable and relaxed, and it isn't long before I tune out Liesl's commentary and feel myself start to doze.

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