about it, the more I believed it was an inspired idea. Not only would it get my mother off my back and possibly help Alex with her ‘Bradley’ problem, but I would get to spend time with her and maybe, finally, see more of the wildness that she kept so well hidden.
It was a devious plot on my part, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to peel back that mask and see the real Alex, the Alex that she was when no one else was around to see her. I enjoyed tormenting her, it made my day to see the usually so-very-in-control Alex, flustered. I thought of it as a public service, surely it couldn’t be good for her to keep everything so completely and totally bottled up.
So I had a plan tonight. After her official duties had concluded at the cocktail party, I would whisk her away to the rose garden and convince her that dating me was the perfect answer to her dilemma. I honestly couldn’t see a downside and was eager to implement the plan. I had barely escaped my mother’s matchmaking efforts by telling her that my duty to the Queen tonight would make it impossible for me to escort any of the lovely ladies she had picked out for me. But that excuse wasn’t going to fly forever and the sooner Alex said yes, the sooner I could breathe easier.
My eyes sought her out as soon as I stepped into the ballroom and my breath caught. Alex always dressed demurely, but tonight she’d kicked that up a notch or two. She wore a red dress that hugged her body. It left her shoulders bare and had a plunging neckline that wasn’t low enough to cause a scandal but was low enough to raise blood pressures. Her hair was caught up in chignon, but not the usual severe one that was part of her work attire. It had a softness about it and loose tendrils danced around her collarbone that made me think of lazy Sunday mornings in bed. She wore skyscraper nude heels and her lips were stained red and I had the unnerving desire to kiss them.
I plucked two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray and headed in her direction. She saw me coming and smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing as she caught the look in my eye. I stood in front of her and she dipped in a small curtsy, which I responded to with a quick bow before handing her the extra glass and then taking her free hand in mine to place a kiss on her knuckles.
“You are stunning,” I said and my voice sounded strange to my own ears.
“Thank you,” she said shyly.
“I love this dress,” I said.
She flushed again, “Savannah picked it out for me.”
“Then I will need to thank her,” I said with a wink.
She turned slightly away from me and took a drink of her champagne. I followed her gaze and looked over the party. Alyssa and Will were in conversation with a neighbouring country’s royal couple and everything else seemed to be going well.
“Dance with me,” I blurted and her eyes widened. Before she could say no, I took the champagne glass from her hand and handed them off to a waiter before catching her around the waist and leading her to the dance floor.
“I didn’t say yes,” she said with a laugh as I spun her around the floor.
“You didn’t say no, either,” I said.
“Freddie, you’re incorrigible.” She was laughing and relaxed and more beautiful than I had ever seen her.
“So, have you had enough time to think about my proposal?” I asked as I pulled her close, my hand low on her back.
Her breath hitched as she looked up at me and for a moment I got lost in the depth of her eyes. Then I saw a sadness in them that didn’t bode well for me.
“Freddie, I can’t,” she said, breaking eye contact and looking over my shoulder.
I steered her off the dance floor and out the doors. I took her hand and led her off the patio and down into the rose garden. She shivered and I realised she must be freezing out here, October in Merveille was not exactly balmy. I slipped off my suit coat and
It was a devious plot on my part, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to peel back that mask and see the real Alex, the Alex that she was when no one else was around to see her. I enjoyed tormenting her, it made my day to see the usually so-very-in-control Alex, flustered. I thought of it as a public service, surely it couldn’t be good for her to keep everything so completely and totally bottled up.
So I had a plan tonight. After her official duties had concluded at the cocktail party, I would whisk her away to the rose garden and convince her that dating me was the perfect answer to her dilemma. I honestly couldn’t see a downside and was eager to implement the plan. I had barely escaped my mother’s matchmaking efforts by telling her that my duty to the Queen tonight would make it impossible for me to escort any of the lovely ladies she had picked out for me. But that excuse wasn’t going to fly forever and the sooner Alex said yes, the sooner I could breathe easier.
My eyes sought her out as soon as I stepped into the ballroom and my breath caught. Alex always dressed demurely, but tonight she’d kicked that up a notch or two. She wore a red dress that hugged her body. It left her shoulders bare and had a plunging neckline that wasn’t low enough to cause a scandal but was low enough to raise blood pressures. Her hair was caught up in chignon, but not the usual severe one that was part of her work attire. It had a softness about it and loose tendrils danced around her collarbone that made me think of lazy Sunday mornings in bed. She wore skyscraper nude heels and her lips were stained red and I had the unnerving desire to kiss them.
I plucked two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray and headed in her direction. She saw me coming and smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing as she caught the look in my eye. I stood in front of her and she dipped in a small curtsy, which I responded to with a quick bow before handing her the extra glass and then taking her free hand in mine to place a kiss on her knuckles.
“You are stunning,” I said and my voice sounded strange to my own ears.
“Thank you,” she said shyly.
“I love this dress,” I said.
She flushed again, “Savannah picked it out for me.”
“Then I will need to thank her,” I said with a wink.
She turned slightly away from me and took a drink of her champagne. I followed her gaze and looked over the party. Alyssa and Will were in conversation with a neighbouring country’s royal couple and everything else seemed to be going well.
“Dance with me,” I blurted and her eyes widened. Before she could say no, I took the champagne glass from her hand and handed them off to a waiter before catching her around the waist and leading her to the dance floor.
“I didn’t say yes,” she said with a laugh as I spun her around the floor.
“You didn’t say no, either,” I said.
“Freddie, you’re incorrigible.” She was laughing and relaxed and more beautiful than I had ever seen her.
“So, have you had enough time to think about my proposal?” I asked as I pulled her close, my hand low on her back.
Her breath hitched as she looked up at me and for a moment I got lost in the depth of her eyes. Then I saw a sadness in them that didn’t bode well for me.
“Freddie, I can’t,” she said, breaking eye contact and looking over my shoulder.
I steered her off the dance floor and out the doors. I took her hand and led her off the patio and down into the rose garden. She shivered and I realised she must be freezing out here, October in Merveille was not exactly balmy. I slipped off my suit coat and
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