by Angel Payne
He released one of my hands. Dread slammed in as I prepared for him to move on, shattering the magic bubble forever. Way to swing it, girlfriend.
I didn’t expect a warm, firm finger at my chin, pressing until I raised my head and opened my eyes…to be consumed by the intensity of his gaze once more.
“Can I use it without being…in a snit…with you?”
I couldn’t help a tiny laugh. The pauses he inserted around the slang were blatantly innocent, an open invitation to look at the boy inside the sleek, sophisticated man. “I meant what I said. Please use whatever you like, Your Majesty.”
His finger stiffened beneath my chin. So did the whole of his face. My evocation of the formality had clearly pulled his tail, but ignoring the truth wasn’t an option here. Bubbles were special because they were temporary. Smashable. I’d just been the first to get out the pin.
I wasn’t the last. The woman closest to Evrest, clearly the alpha she-wolf of the Distinct, stepped up and looped an arm beneath his. Demure—but damn clear. Back off, bitch.
Got it.
The shitty thing was, she was a hundred percent justified. I was drooling all over her man—her king—like a bitch in heat, likely fulfilling every ugly preconception they had about American women.
I backed up. A lot.
Alpha Distinct didn’t waste time dropping her next line. “Welcome to Arcadia.” Her voice, softly accented, evoked Sophia Loren. Her big eyes, full lips, and notable cleavage supported the impression. Even modern Audrey Hepburn was no match. “I am Chianna. I believe I speak for everyone this evening, when I say what a joy it is to have you in our home.”
Clearly, the eleven women behind her had different ideas about that—but I couldn’t tell if they disagreed with all or part of her statement. I did know that if their glares really were daggers, Chianna would be standing in a puddle of her own blood by now.
“Thank you, Chianna.” Thank God for Beth, who moved forward with a princess’s grace. “I am—”
“Oh, I know who you are.” The woman’s smile was full of forced gleam. “Miss Beth Michele. The star of Mr. Dane’s movie. Your list of accomplishments is impressive.” Translation: I know how to use the Internet, too—so don’t test me, American bimbo.
“Why, thank you. That is so sweet!” I doubted anyone but Leif and I could tell that Beth’s smile was just as feigned. Damn, did I want to smirk. Beth didn’t like Chianna any more than I did—and while that gave me yet more respect for her, it didn’t help my newest dilemma. Watching Chianna cling tighter to Evrest was like witnessing an octopus wrap itself around prey.
The new tension in Evrest’s stance made the ordeal worse—yet better, too. I felt justifiably weird about that, not to mention my dorky hope of him tossing a glance my way again. I needed to gain some perspective on whatever the hell had just happened between us.
Or maybe…what hadn’t happened.
Bingo.
That had to be it. My exhaustion had simply twisted those moments into an out-of-control fantasy. All that energy hadn’t truly sparked between us. I hadn’t really yearned that he’d keep lifting my chin until our mouths met. I hadn’t entertained the lust that it continue further, nor seen the brilliance in his eyes, echoing the same desire. His magnetism, effortless but intoxicating, had fed the vision. He was the son of a proud leader, bred to be the same. No wonder my sleep-deprived brain took that power, stirred my wicked desires into the mix, and created a nonexistent reality.
Huge relief time. I actually sighed from it. Curious looks instantly fired at me from the ranks of the Distinct, but Chianna had already tugged Evrest too far away to hear. They headed toward a set of massive double doors on the far side of the ballroom. The crowd followed the pair and we followed suit, picking up Joel and Dottie along the way, updating classic Hollywood in their own right in ensembles evoking Sinatra and Gardner’s most glamorous days. As we walked, minstrels with lutes and guitars wandered through the throng. Their tunes were similar to the beautiful melody I’d heard a few minutes ago.
Aha. No angels on high, just talented musicians doing their part to welcome us to the island. As more layers of reality were revealed, I felt better about writing off my first-meeting-with-the-king pyrotechnics as first impression jitters.
The doors opened, revealing that the ballroom led to a sweeping, two-tiered terrace constructed of polished stone. I barely held back a delighted gasp. Buenasera, every romantic villa fantasy I’d conjured since sighing through Under the Tuscan Sun. Wisteria and sunflowers, wrought iron and balustrades…all given unique Arcadian touches of carved gold doves nesting in bouquets of freesia and jasmine. There were a thousand more candles out here, lighted in standing candelabras down the centers of linen-covered feasting tables. As more of the crowd filled the terrace, the Arcadians chuckled while the Americans damn near applauded.
“Damn,” Leif muttered to Beth and me. “Is this kind of shit usual for them?”
“Think I could get used to it.” Beth’s smile wasn’t just for the décor. Harry approached, a dashing grin on his handsome features, his hair gelled in similar fashion to Evrest’s. And holy crap, did he nail the doublet look. His cobalt jerkin and black breeches hugged his lithe body in ways that already had Beth’s face lighting up with sexy mischief.
“Wow.” Harry murmured it while kissing her hand. “Good thing I left you in charge of these two while I got pretty, Leif.”
“Didn’t attempt a single lick.” Leif ducked closer to amend, “Though I can’t say the same about our tall, sexy, follow-me-to-the-seventh-circle host.”
“Huh?” Harry’s gaze gained a strange fire. “Who? Evrest?”
“Dammit, Leif.” Beth rolled her eyes. “Did you have to go there?”
“Dammit Leif what?” Harry swung his glower back at her. “He didn’t—” Pushed out a bull snort. “Evrest knows we’re together, B. If he tried a play for you—”
“Down, sparky.” I called his Ferdinand the Bull with a full Xena, hands on hips. “No ‘plays’ were made on anyone, all right?”
Though Beth flung a glare as if to tell me I was full of shit, she pressed her lips together, remaining silent.
“Meh.” Leif rocked his head back and forth. “What do I know about formal protocol, anyway? And if the guy wants to play smooth operator, he has a dozen ‘deterrents’ practically clinging to him. Except our luscious Chianna. Pretty sure she won’t settle for anything less than cock.”
Beth and I burst into giggles. Even Harry couldn’t hold back a small smirk. “Okay, okay,” he chided. “Let’s all sit down and do this dinner thing so we can finally go to bed. Whatever they’ve fixed, it smells damn good.”
Leif offered his arm as we walked out to the terrace. I accepted with a smile, happy to feel my tension ebb for the first time since putting on the gown. Things were stabilizing. We were back on track toward changing the world—after some food and sleep. Harry was right; dinner smelled great.
What a difference fifteen minutes could make.
With just a few sips of melon soup down, my stomach led another revolt. Though my taste buds protested, having heartily approved of the rich, cold bisque, my belly twisted the stuff like tension taffy.
It had gotten some hefty help.
Leif, Joel, Dottie and I had been seated halfway down the table presided over by Evrest. Harry and Beth occupied the seats of honor to the king’s right, turning the seats on his left into prime real estate for the members of the Distinct to battle over.
“Battle” being a subjective term.
As in…underestimation.
We watched as three of the women pulled the place card switch, taking advantage of the moment Chianna had to stop while Evrest greeted a group of men definitely on the event’s VIP list. They all wore ceremonial sashes stitched with the Arcadian country emblem, a dove with sunbeams for wings. Like staring at the bird of peace made any difference to Chianna. When she and Evrest approached the table, she “accidentally” elbowed a w
aiter bearing a tray of champagne flutes, drenching the trio who’d dared cross her. As the three were cleaned up by servants, she smoothly stepped back into place at Evrest’s left, voicing “concern” for her “friends” during every moment of the coup.
“Mee-oww,” Leif murmured. “The kittens are feisty.”
“Hey! No dissin’ on the kittahs.” Dottie huffed. “My Sadie and Sally wouldn’t lower one paw into that kind of shit.”
“While competing with ten other kittens for the attention of one tomcat?” I’d countered.
Leif snorted. “I’m still looking for the hidden TV cameras. Especially because Evrest baby does not look happy about little Chia pet’s shenanigans.”
He was right. Evrest’s features, schooled into a cordial smile for his dignitaries, went stormy when discovering Chianna still glued to his side. He’d stood and raised his glass for the crowd but the action was stilted, followed by fast mutterings about how we all must be hungry. His “bon appetit” was almost an afterthought, punched out before his ass hit the chair again. He’d surely prepared more of a formal welcome, but his fury at the women’s antics strangled him from giving it.
I hated watching him like this.
Like this? Like what? You have no damn idea what he’s ‘like’ at all. And you shouldn’t care, either. You can’t care.
One of the women who’d been treated to the champagne bath, a willowy blonde with innocent blue eyes, sniffed as she passed us on the way to her new place assignment—nearly at the end of the table. Her dress was soaked and it looked like her face was soon about to be. I was moved to see that Evrest didn’t miss a moment of her misery, either. His nostrils flared, broadcasting his augmented rage. His compassion for the woman’s humiliation, along with Chianna’s blissful blind eye toward it, made my stomach turn harder.
My spoon slid from my fingers. The soup was now as appetizing as pond scum. “Ta-ta, appetite.”
Leif huffed. “You’re crazy. This is the best dinner theatre I’ve seen in years.”
“Ditto,” Joel murmured, practically inhaling his soup.
Dottie rolled her eyes. “You two are pigs.”
“Oink, oink.” Leif waggled his brows. “But clean us up and dress us right, and we’re cute as hell.”
I folded my napkin and set it on the table. “Well, I can’t watch any longer.” A waiter passed with perfect timing. I grabbed his elbow and pointed toward the pretty blonde. “Excuse me? Can you help me? That woman, sitting down over there…please tell her I’m not feeling well and retiring early. I’d like her to have my place here.” As I rose, I shot a glance to Dottie. “Make sure these two behave and make that poor woman feel welcome.”
“Got your six.” Dot’s dad was a former Navy SEAL, so military-isms were part of her vernacular.
I crossed paths with the blonde on my way out. She didn’t hesitate to seize both my hands and give me a bath in her watery stare. “Merderim, sweet lady. From the depths of my heart, you have my thanks.”
The warmth of her words eased the knot in my belly. “It’s nothing,” I assured. “And I’m sorry it’s not nearer to his majesty, but at least it’s not with the kids at the card table in the other room.”
Her brows bunched. “Kids? Card table?”
“With the children,” I clarified.
She laughed. The sound was pretty and feminine. “Children sound nice right now. They are honest, never feeling the need to speak unpleasantries behind their hands.”
“Excellent point.”
Her face fell back into sadness. “I have them…every so often.”
“Probably more than that,” I assured. Sheez, I really liked her—but I wondered how she’d match up to Evrest as a queen. The man was a heady combination of power and sexuality. He was going to need a tigress.
Like Chianna?
Oh, God.
There had to be a happy medium somewhere in that crowd of Distincts.
“I am Novah.” She extended a hand, elegant and tapered with flawless fingernails. I hid my wince at the pinky nail I’d chewed off during the air turbulence between Athens and Sancti.
“Camellia. But please call me Cam.”
“Cam.” Her echo was gentle and respectful, a far cry from the inflection Evrest had given it…as if he’d been contemplating how it would sound when he growled it against my ear. “I am pleased to have your acquaintance, Cam.” Her face twisted on another frown. “Ugh. I should have known not to believe Chianna when she told us all you Americans were crass and selfish.”
Her revelation didn’t surprise me. We’d all expected some distrust from the Arcadians. That Chianna had led the charge of it with the Distincts wasn’t a shocker. “Well, I hope we’ll change your mind about that.”
Novah squeezed my hands again. “You already have.”
I left the ballroom with lighter steps. No matter what kind of drama I’d encountered around meeting Arcadia’s king, at least I’d made a new friend. For now, I’d count that as a win.
*
I made my way back down the spacious palace hallways toward my room. My accommodations were nearly as sumptuous as Harry’s, with a feminine touch to the décor. Earlier, it had taken a lot of willpower not to sink into the bed, a canopied piece of classic and modern lines topped by a comforter that looked more like a cloud. Damn, I wish I was tired enough for it now. The afternoon’s espresso binge was taking revenge.
At least I could make use of the time before the caffeine crash set in. The production office wasn’t going to set itself up. If I remembered right, the room was one level down and directly below mine, which meant a fast descent down the stairs would take me—
Right to the door.
I entered the room and instantly went for tonight’s default on reactions. The awestruck gasp was about my five hundredth of the night—like I could help it any more than the others. Office? The place looked more like a living room designed by a billionaire sheikh and his oil baron friend. A warm combination of rich woods, lavish tapestries and leather furniture were an invitation to settle in and read a book, not deal with the day-to-day stresses of a movie shoot. But I wasn’t about to share that with anyone.
“I think we can deal with this, homies.” I sat on the ledge of the aged marble hearth. In the grate behind me there was a bed of glass pieces in place of kindling and logs. Surprisingly, the choice fit the room, the amber-tinted stones forming a modern complement to the fireplace’s classic Greek lines.
I peered out the French doors across the room, slightly ajar and revealing another of the palace’s patios. Though the sea was dark now, I readily envisioned how breathtaking the vista would be in a few hours. The space also featured a kitchenette with all the latest appliances, plus a sturdy wood table with accommodation for six chairs—in addition to the mammoth piece that was going to be my desk for the next six weeks.
I couldn’t resist another gasp of disbelief. “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”
“Please do not click your ruby slippers yet.”
My heartbeat tripled before my head snapped up—responding to the dark, silken words, issued by the equally entrancing man consuming the doorway. With the calculated ease of the Big Bad Wolf himself, he braced an arm to the jamb, his eyes glittering as brightly as the sun-shaped pendant at his throat.
Chapter Five
‡
Ohhhh, my God.
His burnished beauty, so fitting in the grand scale of the ballroom, dominated the space in here—and crowded the words from the sudden Sahara of my throat. And while I’d yearned for the world to go away when he’d first clasped my hand, I prayed neither the floor—nor my knees—would give out as he stepped closer now.
Then sat beside me.
So close.
Not close enough.
I wet my lips. He did the same.
I couldn’t look away from his brilliant green eyes. He didn’t move, either.
Gazing at each other. Recognizing each other.
> “You left the dinner.” His words would have been accusation if not for his husky inflection. His gaze abandoned some of its glitter for an influx of unblinking focus. Either way, I was a goner. Great.
“Well…so did you.” Amazed chuckle. I’d actually been able to speak—and even sounded a little glib. At least I thought so. The whole world was back to being surreal. “And I’m certain your exit was noticed more than mine, Your Majesty.”
His brows crowded over his eyes. He really didn’t like it when I went for the formal address. “Is the cuisine not to your liking?” His voice dipped as his head did, leaning in closer. “I can have the kitchen make something else. They have stocked up on many American favorites…”
I let him slip into silence, hoping he’d start talking again. The yummy blend of burlap and velvet in his voice, wrapped around that mixture of accents…I was certain the man could recite the Bible and be found guilty of verbal foreplay.
“The food was delicious. I’m just not hungry.” My words were just as taut but I had an excuse. Relaxing the tension that radiated from the crux of my thighs was damn near impossible. The man made me think of salacious things…like what the skin felt like beneath his pendant. Or what it looked like under his shirt. Or what everything would look like if he took off all his clothes and stretched his tall body out on his undoubtedly huge, kingly bed…
What part of “dangerous thinking” are you not getting here, girlfriend?
Likely the same part that continued right on its illicit track as Evrest pivoted his whole body in now, allowing me an inhalation of his scent. Gah. Yeah…wonderful. Sophisticated. Expensive. All man, bringing a rich blend of sandalwood, sage, and the sea along for the ride.
I was drawn closer before realizing what I was doing. So close, I could watch the artery in his neck beating against his rugged skin.
“Why did you really leave?” His grate was quiet…intimate. And shouldn’t have felt so right…but did.
I steeled my chin. “Because I’m really not hungry.”