PRINCE CHARMING: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance(16)
As she brushed her hair, she thought of how easy it would’ve been for him to open his eyes, but he hadn’t. Grabbing her boob had been an accident, but she couldn’t even be upset by it. Instead, her mind took off on fifty different fantasies of what could happen with this crown prince Quincy. It was the first time anyone had touched her like that, even by accident, and her sudden longing for a touch again told her just how much trouble she was in. Slowly, her hand stopped its brushing and reached down to hold her boob as he had. Her other hand slithered down her stomach as an intense heat built between her legs.
His face popped into her head, and she froze. That couldn’t happen, not with him. Her hands stopped, and she forced them away from her intimate parts. She could not do anything with the man who was about to become her stepbrother. It would be worse than a scandal. She was pretty sure she’d get kicked out of the country, and what about her mom?
“Just get a grip,” she whispered to her reflection. “It was an accident. All his little jokes are just that.”
She couldn’t convince even herself. He’d been teasing her since she arrived, dropping hints here and there, and making her wonder what he was trying to pull. Maybe he wanted a scandal so he could disgrace himself and get out of the arranged marriage. It didn’t seem like something he would do, but people did strange things when they were desperate.
Either way, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t do anything with Quincy, and she told herself not to be interested in him. No matter what happened here, he was her stepbrother and she had responsibilities as a future princess to not cause problems for her soon-to-be father and her mom, who had finally found some real happiness in her love life. Olivia would have to do her best to stick to what was expected of her and not spend any more time with Quincy.
Especially if she found herself naked on the damn floor.
Chapter 6
The night of her first official state dinner, Olivia tried not to be nervous. She’d managed to only see Quincy once yesterday evening at dinner, and she’d avoided his gaze as much as possible. When the meal was finished and her mother and Lamont excused themselves, she was right behind them and disappeared to her rooms. The last thing she wanted was for Quincy to have a chance to speak with her alone. It was bad enough that the moment she saw him, her chest tightened and she could feel his hand holding her.
Tonight, she was supposed to be Quincy’s guest of honor, which meant dancing and meeting all the people that made up their small court. She wasn’t nearly ready for this night, and as Allete helped her get ready, she couldn’t stop her damn hands from shaking.
“Miss, are you alright?” Allete asked as she held one of Olivia’s hands. “There is no need to be so nervous. Look how beautiful you are tonight.”
Olivia stared at her reflection. She wore the blue dress she’d found yesterday and spun a bit so the skirt flowed out. It was floor length with a fitted bodice, low neckline, straps that hung across her shoulders in bunched fabric, and just a bit of beading at the waistline. Her hair was done up in curls, pinned here and there, and she saw a small tiara sitting nearby that Allete would put on her once she finished her makeup.
“It’s not that. I’m just worried I’ll mess something up.” It was an honest statement. She didn’t want to lie to the woman, but telling her the whole truth would’ve been more embarrassing than it was worth.
“You won’t mess anything up.”
“How do you know?”
Allete smiled as she reached for the eyeshadow and told Olivia to close her eyes. “Because I have seen enough of them to know what happens. You’ll shake some hands and speak very briefly about yourself if they ask, which they rarely do. Then you’ll dance for a bit and retire at the end of the evening. It’s really a piece of cake.” She finished with the eyes. “Oh, and there is cake by the way. Delicious, too. Make sure you snag a piece.”
Olivia opened her eyes and smiled at Allete in the mirror. “I guess it doesn’t sound that bad.”
“No, and you’ll have Quincy there the whole time to watch out for you.”
That wasn’t what Olivia wanted to hear, but she was going to have to deal with him, no matter what. Her hope was that he would forget the boob-grabbing accident and not bring it up again, but something told her that wouldn’t happen.
“I think you’re worrying for nothing. You will be the hit of the dinner, and you won’t even have to do anything.”
“Thanks, Allete, really.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Quincy called out to see if she was ready. Olivia’s hand went to her chest just at the thought of him being near, but quickly fell when she caught Allete watching curiously.
“I’ll be right out!”
“One more touch, miss,” Allete said and turned to pick up the tiara. It had diamonds and sapphires delicately placed through the band and just a bit of scroll design in the middle. “Very simple, but perfect for you, I think.”
“Do I even want to know how much it cost?”
Allete smiled as she stepped back, and Olivia could tell she was admiring her work. “No, you really don’t. Now, slip into your heels and you’re all set.”
“Heels, right,” she said as she stared at the five-inch tall silver sandals. She glanced back down at her feet, covered by the nearly ten inches of trailing dress, and chewed her lip. “Think anyone will notice if I’m barefoot?”