PRINCE CHARMING: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance(28)
“Good evening,” he said and bowed to her. “May I escort you to the ball, Princess Olivia?”
“I suppose you may,” she said and held out her hand for his arm.
Quincy took it and tucked it in the crook of his elbow. Neither one had much of a choice. If they acted strangely around each other, the servants would talk. “You look beautiful in that gown.”
She stiffened beside him. “Thank you. A gift from my mom.”
“She has exquisite taste, just like you.”
“You don’t have to make small talk with me,” she told him in an undertone. “You can simply walk me down and go find someone to dance with all evening. You must find a wife soon, anyway. No time like the present.”
“Now you sound like my father.”
“Good,” she said, managing to keep a smile on her face as her words turned hard. “Maybe you need another kick in the ass to get a move on and stop with your antics.”
He tripped over his feet and nearly took them both down before righting himself. “What antics? I have no antics.”
“Don’t lie. You probably have a different woman every night, and that’s the only reason you can’t decide on a wife. Too many choices, and you don’t want to lose your options.”
The doors to the ballroom were close, and he watched Lamont and Melinda enter to the fanfare of trumpets before they were officially announced. Quincy and Olivia were next, and they needed to look like they were getting along as they entered the ballroom. This was for the members of court, but also for the rest of the isle. The place would be packed, so there would at least be plenty of people to hide behind for the rest of the evening.
“If you know so much about my antics, why did you agree to go with me?”
Olivia didn’t answer. They stepped to the doorway, and their names were announced, followed by polite applause once they entered.
“I would like my lovely Melinda to join me for the first dance,” Lamont announced, “along with my son and my soon-to-be daughter.”
More applause sounded at his words, and Quincy led Olivia to the dance floor. They stood close to one another beside his father and Melinda and waited for the music to start. Olivia shifted on her feet, and her hand was loose in his. Quincy gripped it tightly so it wouldn’t fall out, and when the music started, his other hand touched her waist. They swirled around the dance floor in a graceful circle as everyone watched.
“A smile would do wonders for your face,” he said.
“How dare you,” she snapped, but pasted a smile on her face. “I have no reason to smile while I’m dancing with you. And move your damn hand up.”
“No,” he said as he twirled her so the gown moved in a hypnotizing swish of violet and blue before he pulled her back in close… very close. “You liked it the other day, so why not now?”
“That was before I realized what you were up to.”
“And what am I up to?”
“You are trying to seduce me so you can ruin my chances here at court and start a damn scandal so you can get out of your own wedding,” she hissed and tried to pull back, but Quincy kept her close.
His eyes narrowed at her words, and he moved his hand lower, almost to her hip. “Is that what you think? How would I ruin you by sleeping with you unless… unless… oh,” he said slowly and smirked, remembering how horrified she’d looked when he’d found that black lingerie. “You, my Princess Olivia, are a virgin.”
“Keep your voice down,” she whispered harshly, her eyes scanning those around them.
“Afraid Edric might hear us? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll still have a chance with him. After what I experienced, you two should have a grand old time together in the sack.”
Olivia froze on the dance floor, but thankfully, the music had stopped as well so no one noticed. Her eyes were wet in the bright lights of the ballroom, and she stepped away from him. She curtsied as he bowed, but before he could say anything else, she excused herself and left the room, holding her dress up as she did. Melinda looked at Quincy, and he waved off her worried look.
“Said she just needed to use the restroom,” he whispered. “Forgot to do it before she came down.”
“That girl,” Melinda said with a sigh. “Always doing things like that.”
Quincy nodded and watched for any sign of Olivia, but she had disappeared. A delicate hand wrapped around his bicep and pulled him around. His heart lightened a bit when he thought it was Olivia, but he frowned when he turned to find Gigi. “Ah, Gigi, how are you this evening?”
She curtsied and batted her eyelashes at him. “I am very well, my Prince. I was hoping for a dance. Would you be so kind?”
With his dad standing so close, Quincy really had no choice and nodded. One dance with Gigi, that was all he had to do, and then he could go find Olivia and try to understand what the hell was going on.
Chapter 9
Olivia ran as fast as she could through the palace, thankful for the flats Allete had given her so she didn’t trip and break an ankle. She had to get out of there. Being around him and around so many people she didn’t know was completely overwhelming. Her cheeks burned from his words and how he reacted to her being a virgin, as if it was a bad thing that she had held onto it for so long.