“I did get lost, but my father found me. He taught me how to navigate the tunnels so I never got lost again. Once you figure it out, it’s no harder than walking through the halls of the palace.”
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t believe him.
If she was in here alone, not only would she be scared, but she was certain she’d never find her way out. She’d become a ghost that haunted the palace.
And then a thought came to her. “Is this place haunted?”
“Haunted?”
“Uh-huh. You know, ghosts that got trapped in these passageways.”
Leo stopped and turned to her. In the cramped space they ended up being much closer than she was prepared for. His gaze met hers, making her heart pound. That’s all it took—a look—for her body to respond to him.
She was so tempted to lift up on her tiptoes and press her lips to his. She wondered how he would react. Would he pull her closer? Would he wrap his arms around her, crushing her soft curves to his very muscular chest?
But that wasn’t part of her plan. She was supposed to ignore these unwanted feelings. After all, he had practically kidnapped her from the party. Still, it’d be so easy to just live in the moment—this very intimate and most unique set of circumstances.
As though Leo could sense her conflicted emotions, he leaned forward as though to tip the scales in his favor. The breath hitched in her throat. He was going to kiss her.
But she couldn’t let him off the hook that easy. Her hands moved, pressing against his very firm chest. Surprise flashed in his eyes.
“Don’t even think about it.” As the stern warning passed over her lips, her heart sank in her chest.
“Are you saying the thought hadn’t crossed your mind?”
She wasn’t playing this game with him because she knew that she would end up losing. “I’m saying that you aren’t getting off the hook that easily. Shouldn’t you be here with your girlfriend?”
His brows drew together. “What girlfriend? I have no girlfriend.”
She desperately wante
d to believe him, but she knew what she saw. “The woman you were walking with in the gardens the night you cancelled our dinner plans.”
His eyes momentarily widened. “You saw us?”
“I did.”
“And that’s why you’ve been so distant?”
“I’ve been busy.” She answered a little too quickly—a little too vehemently.
He nodded in understanding, though they both knew it was much more than work that kept Bianca away from him.
“The woman you saw me with is an old friend of the family. I’m not now nor was I ever interested in her for anything other than friendship. We went for a walk while her father and the queen talked business. That is all.”
“Really?” She wanted to take back the question, but it was too late.
“Really.”
He said all the right words, but this thing between them—it was like playing with fire. It’d be so easy to get caught up in the flames—and get burned.
And then realizing that she was still touching him—still absorbing his body heat through his white dress shirt—she yanked her hands back to her sides. But it was too late. His energy had been absorbed into her body and it coursed through her faster than the speed of light. It warmed her chest and melted her core into a puddle of need.
No. This isn’t going to happen. He isn’t going to take what he wants.
She thought of stepping back, allowing more space between them, but she didn’t want him to read weakness in her movement. And so she stood there, rooted to the spot. Her determined gaze continued to hold his. She would not let him detect any weakness in her.
But she was starting to wonder how long she could keep this up. Because every fiber of her being craved him.