Seriously, I’m getting the better end of the bargain.”
Stefan laughed. “I wasn’t sure you’d agree so easily. I should’ve known you’d stand by me.”
“I admit I have reservations about lying to the public, to my friends and employees.” She shifted in her seat, breaking hold of their hands. “But I’m honored to stand by you. It’s not often we find someone in our life we can truly depend on.”
He hated the loss of her hands in his and the hurt in her tone. “I was afraid you’d be vulnerable since the breakup, afraid you’d shut this idea down before I could explain my reasons.”
“Maybe I am still vulnerable.” She chewed her lip, eyes darting down before coming back up to meet his. “But I won’t let my heart get in the way of my life again, and I know I’m safe with you.”
“Absolutely, Victoria.” He’d die before he let her get hurt. “You know how much I care for you.”
He admired Victoria for standing tall, not cowering behind her family when it would be so easy to do so after having her world ripped out from under her. He knew firsthand how hard life was to live in the public eye. The media was ruthless, and if the story wasn’t there, they made one up and damn the consequences. Reputations could be damaged and ruined with just a small dose of ink from the written word and could take years to restore…if restoration was even possible.
Because of accusations thrown at his family after the death of his mother, he more than anyone knew how fast a reputation could be ruined.
The rest of the meal moved quickly through some laughter and easy conversation, but Stefan couldn’t get his mind off that scorching kiss. He wanted his hands on her again, whether to torture himself or just have a brief moment of instant gratification, he didn’t know. But he knew how to rectify the situation.
“Dance with me,” he told her when she’d placed her napkin beside her now-empty plate.
“Right now?” She glanced around the spacious, moonlit balcony. “There’s no music.”
He came to his feet, moved into the master suite and within seconds had the surround sound filtering out into the night. When he came back through the open double doors, he extended his hand.
“Dance with me,” he repeated, pleased when her hand slid into his. “We should practice before the official royal wedding dance after the ceremony. It’s been years since we danced together.”
She came to her feet, and he took no time in pulling her body against his. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Stefan was more than eager to have her invade his personal space.
“No wonder you’re the Playboy Prince,” she murmured, her breath tickling his cheek. “You’re very good at this. I can’t imagine how you’d be pouring on the charm if I weren’t an old childhood friend.”
He eased his head back but kept their bodies flush and swaying to the soft, soothing beat. “I promised to keep this simple, to give you all control in the end. I never go against my word.”
She smiled. “I’m sure you wouldn’t, but I also know your reputation. And I was on the receiving end of that kiss.”
“You weren’t just on the receiving end…you were an active participant.”
Victoria’s breath caught. “That’s a…pretty accurate statement, but we’ve been friends too long for us to let lust cloud our judgment. Sleeping together would not be wise, Stefan.”
He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “Who says?”
Her hand tightened in his as she turned to look him in the eye, their lips barely a breath apart. “I don’t know if we’re getting swept up into this idea of pretending or this physical pull is stemming from seeing each other after such a long time apart, but I can’t risk losing your friendship just because of this sudden attraction.”
“I don’t know how sudden this is, at least on my end.” He kissed her lips slightly and eased back. “I can’t deny my desire for you, but I do promise not to do anything you don’t want.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” she told him. “I know this situation will be hard for you.”
He laughed at her choice of wording. “You have no idea.”
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
