Read Online Falling for the Princess by Sandra Hyatt - Free Book Online Page A

you to say otherwise?”
    â€œMy apologies.” He paused. “Princess. Forgive my presumption.” One side of his mouth quirked up in a grin. He was enjoying himself immensely, getting pleasure from riling her.
    â€œI’ll let you know when you’re forgiven.” She couldn’t help but respond to that grin. “In the meantime we ought to get going.”
    Logan crossed to her and held out his arm.
    â€œYour bow tie.” She gestured to the dark strip of fabric that dangled around his neck. “Do you want me to call someone to tie it for you?”
    His eyes narrowed on her and he lifted his hands, buttoned the top button of his dress shirt and with practiced movements began tying the bow. “Is there a mirror in here?” he asked when he was all but done. “No.”
    He finished the knot. “Is it even?”
    â€œAlmost. You just need to tug that side—” she pointed to left of the bow “—out a little.”
    He adjusted it but unbalanced it the other way. He looked at her and she shook her head.
    â€œCould you?” he asked. “It’s tricky without a mirror.” She could see in his eyes that he expected her to refuse.
    Rebecca hesitated then stepped closer. Apparently she was little better than his brothers at turning down an unspoken dare.
    He’d helped her with her chin strap at the rafting, this was no different. Only then she hadn’t been quite so aware of the breadth of his chest or his scent. He hadn’t been wearing the cologne—citrusy and subtly spicy—that he wore now.
    Nor, then, had he yet kissed her.
    So she hadn’t been thinking of his lips, the precise full shape of them. And she wouldn’t now. She reached up, the back of her hands brushed the underside of his jaw and she felt the gentle abrasion of hours-old beard. She pulled her hands away and stepped back, ignoring his grin.
    â€œPerfect,” she said, focusing her gaze on the black bow tie.
    â€œThank you. You’re not too bad yourself.”
    â€œI was referring to the bow tie.”
    â€œAnd I was referring to you. You look…beautiful.”
    Rebecca opened her mouth, suddenly lost for words at the sincerity in his voice and eyes.
    She’d spent an inordinately long time deciding what to wear this evening. As a princess her dress was scrutinized at the best of times. But tonight she had to send the right message to the public and be careful not to send the wrong message to Logan. She didn’t want him to think she’d dressed for him. After trying on innumerable outfits she’d gone back to her first choice—a simple ice-blue gown beaded with tiny crystals. It had a scooped neckline at the front and at the back it dipped rather more daringly. The slim-fitting skirt fell to the floor with a slit in the side—nothing too revealing—that allowed her to walk.
    â€œThank you,” she said quietly. Please don’t let that be a blush she could feel heating her face.
    He held out his arm. “Shall we?”
    Rebecca hesitated then looped her arm through his, felt the fabric of his suit shift over the muscles of his forearm.“You spoke to my father this morning?” she asked, as much to distract herself from his nearness as anything else.
    â€œYes. And he warned me, very diplomatically, that if I hurt you in any way I’ll suffer the consequences of his enduring wrath.”
    She nodded. “He has that talk with anyone who wants to date me.”
    â€œIt’s very effective.”
    â€œYou’re not…”
    â€œNo. It’d take more than that to scare me off.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t be the first one.” Several relationships she’d had hopes and dreams for had faltered at that hurdle.
    He glanced at her. “Then the ones who were scared off weren’t worthy.”
    â€œThank you. But you do remember that for our plan to work I need to look