Page 9 of A Not So Prince Charming

“BeingCharming.”

He laughed. “Maybe I’m just like this with you.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I highly doubt that.”

The silence settled between us as the night quieted. Even the sounds of the party inside dwindling to a dull murmur as people headed to their dorms and houses.

“Tell me something,” I asked. “Something real.”

Because I wanted this to be real. Wanted the heat in his eyes to mean something.

He looked up at the moon, high in the sky. “Sometimes I just want to say fuck it all and run away. Get on a plane, and go be someone else, somewhere else.”

“Where would you go?”

He shrugged. “Anywhere. Somewhere.” Charming shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“I think I’m afraid that my entire identity is so wrapped up in my twin that when we finally have to be apart, I won’t know who I am anymore,” I whispered. One last confession. Because we’d always done everything together, hadn’t we? Theater, college, even joining the same sorority. I’d never even lived with anyone else.

“It’s not.”

I looked up, catching the intensity in his stare. “You don’t even know me,” I whispered, unable to drag my eyes away from his face.

“Maybe not.” He stood up, holding out a hand. “But I’d like to.”

Words failed me. Maybe it was the sight of this gorgeous, charming man standing in front of me—or how serious he looked.

“Do you want to dance?”

“Out here? With no music?” I looked around, because the porch seemed like the last place anyone would want to dance, and yet… It was perfect.

“Mhm.” Pulling out his phone, he loaded a song and then hit play, the notes hitting my ear. “Besides,” he murmured as I took his hand, pulling my body up to his, “this is much better than whatever they’re playing inside, hm?”

Heat blossomed up my skin where he touched me as his other hand wrapped around my waist, and mine found his shoulder. God, he was tall. I’d thought that earlier, but he had to have been over six feet, and the way he was towering over me even with these heels made me shiver.

“Charming…”

He shook his head, shushing me with only a murmur. “Just let me have this, Princess. This moment.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Because even if there was a frat party going on inside, even if I’d just met this man… I felt comfortable here, in his arms. Everything else faded away, and then it was just us, moving in slow circles as his grip on my waist tightened.

The butterflies erupted in my stomach, and I had a hard time pushing them down. But I had to, if I was going to survive this night. Thiswantingthat already threatened to burn me alive.

His eyes were focused on mine as we danced, and I didn’t even hear the words of the familiar tune, because I couldn't look away.

Charming was handsome. But maybe that was an understatement. This close, being able to study his features, to inhale a scent that threatened to pull me under—it was too much.

Those brown eyes I couldn’t keep my eyes off of all night dropped to my lips, and then back up, and I opened them to say something, anything, to not break the spell of this moment, the enchanted bubble we’d somehow created, but…

The music stopped, and he dropped his hands, stepping back.

I shivered, the chill of the night finally getting to me as his body heat faded away.

“Cold?” He asked, and when I nodded, he took off his coat, draping it around my shoulders.

“Thank you,” I said, voice quiet against the dark of the night.

What time was it? I hadn’t checked for what felt like hours. Not since Audrey had ditched me for Parker. Not since he had caught me.

---