This was a really bad idea. But still...
“Kiss.”
Demetrius leaned toward her and her eyes opened wide, but it was her glossy lips that beckoned to him. He wanted—no—he needed to once again feel her lips beneath his. He longed to taste her sweet kiss again. In fact, he’d never wanted something so much in his life.
But at the last second, he moved, letting his lips land on her cheek. It definitely wasn’t what he’d had in mind, but it was for the best. The crowd went crazy. Applause made any attempt at conversation nearly impossible.
The quick and simple kiss was over in a heartbeat. When Zoe’s gaze met his, his heart thumped hard. In fact, it was beating so loud that he was sure she could hear it. How was it that a woman who’d hurt him so deeply could have such a tremendous effect on him?
Perhaps he’d been working too much—for far too many hours. That had to be it. Because he was over Zoe. He’d put her in his rearview mirror that dark, overcast night when she’d left without an explanation. They were friends now. Nothing more.
He turned away from her. It was then that he noticed a number of phones pointed in their direction. So their little bit of fun had been photographed. That was a complication he hadn’t anticipated. It seemed that when Zoe was around, there were quite a few things that slipped his mind.
But he didn’t have to worry. His security team was all over it. Demetrius breathed an easy breath as phones were confiscated and photos of himself and Zoe were deleted. Apparently the men had forgotten that upon being hired for this very special project—a project that he planned to oversee personally—that they’d signed confidentiality agreements.
The part of this whole scenario that alarmed Demetrius was that after everything, Zoe still got to him. He’d have to be careful in the future. Keep more of a distance in their friendship.
He wouldn’t give her a chance to hurt him again.
TIME TO MAKE a hasty exit.
Zoe didn’t even wait for Demetrius as she moved away—far away from the mistletoe. Her heart was still hammering. She’d thought for sure he was going to lay a real kiss on her—in front of everyone. And the truth was, she wouldn’t have stopped him. Did that make her desperate? Or was she just plain pathetic?
She gave a shake of her head as she rushed past the newly erected registration desk toward the grand ballroom. She didn’t need any distractions right now—even if it was from the sexiest prince on the planet. She needed to concentrate on her work. Everything had to be perfect for the Royal Christmas Ball. She wouldn’t let Demetrius down this time. She owed him that much.
Before she reached the ballroom, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She paused and turned, not quite ready to discuss what had happened back there.
Demetrius stood before her with a frown on his face. “What are you running from?”
“I wasn’t running.” Was she?
“It sure looked like it to me.”
Drat. She wanted to show Demetrius that she was changing. That she wasn’t the same person he used to know. She was done running. She was working hard at facing her problems head-on. At least most of them.
“Well, you are mistaken.” She wondered how many people had the nerve to say that to the prince. “I was excited is all.” Then realizing that her words could be misconstrued, she added, “Excited to see how the ballroom turned out.”
His eyes reflected disbelief. “You know, you don’t have to worry.”
“Who said I was worried?” She forced a smile to her lips.
“No one has to say it. It’s written all over your face. The thing you don’t know is that all of the people on this job site signed a confidentiality agreement. They can’t share any photos of me or talk to the press about what they witness here. In fact, my security team confiscated their phones and deleted the photos.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Do you feel better?”
“Sì.” The worry of the paparazzi spinning one innocent holiday kiss out of control slid off her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go see it.” She reached for his hand to pull him along with her.
Her fingers slid over his warm palm. Her fingertips curled around his hand and she started toward the ballroom. Then she realized that she couldn’t be this familiar with the prince in public. Not unless she really did want people to talk. With much regret, she loosened her grip, but when she tried to withdraw her hand, he held on.
Her pulse quickened and her heart raced. In her imagination, she envisioned turning to him. He’d gaze into her eyes just before his head dipped and he kissed her properly. This time there’d be no anger. Instead, there’d be a sweetness to it—a yearning for two souls to blend as one.
A frustrated sigh passed her lips.
“What’s the matter?”
He had heard her? She’d have to do better at concealing her thoughts. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” He sent her an I-don’t-believe-you look, but before he could say more, she added, “Let’s go see the ballroom. When I checked on it yesterday, I thought it was coming along wonderfully.”
The oversized, white doors with gold trim were propped open and she rushed past them. The breath caught in her throat as she took in the massive changes to the room. The Roman pillars she’d insisted Demetrius splurge on lined both sides of the room. On the far side, between the pillars, were two sets of French doors. They led to a private terrace.
She turned to find Demetrius standing directly behind her. “What do you think?”
“I think you are very good at your job.”
A smile pulled at her lips. He liked it. He really liked it.
“And best of all, after the ball is over there is furniture ordered to make this an all-purpose room. Couches will be added on the side with the French doors. A group of tables will be added at the far end for card or board games. And over at the other end will be a bunch of armchairs and end tables for families to get together and visit.”
“It seems you’ve thought of everything.”
“I doubt it, but I’ve really tried to make this place as comfortable for everyone as possible.”
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate all of your hard work.”
“But there’s something missing.” She stepped into the middle of the room and turned all around. The smile slipped from her lips. She turned around again. This time slower. There was definitely something missing.
“What has you frowning? Is it the pillars, because I have to admit that you were right about them? They are exactly what a room this size needed.”
She
