“Turn around.”
Was it just her imagination or did his voice sound husky? She followed his order and turned, catching sight of her reflection in the mirror across the room. His black hair and tan skin stood out against the white of her dress, his broad shoulders dwarfing her frame.
With a deft twist, he freed the zipper and slid it the rest of the way up.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He stepped back as she turned around.
“You’re going to give other European royals a run for their money on the best-dressed list.”
A different type of warmth suffused her body, pleasant and cozy at his compliment and admiring gaze.
“Thank you. Clara picked it out.” She surveyed his impeccable gray suit and navy tie. “You look good, too.”
His lips twitched. “Thanks.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist. “So what are you doing here?”
“The conference starts in forty-five minutes. Clara will have a heart attack if we’re not there at least thirty minutes ahead of time.”
He rattled off the remainder of the schedule as Briony grabbed her coat and gloves off the bed: the conference, followed by a carriage ride through the streets that would take them to lunch with members of the Linnaean government. She shrugged into her coat as she swallowed hard.
She’d said yes last night because she’d wanted to break free of her past, to stop doing things for her family and start looking to the future. She had the chance to do something with her life, not just for her but for a whole country.
Except she hadn’t thought too much about appearing in the public eye until now.
“Briony.”
She looked up to see Cass watching her with an opaque gaze, his handsome face smooth.
“If you’ve changed your mind—”
“No,” she interrupted. “It’s not that. It’s just the thought of being on display in front of all those people.” She swallowed hard. “What if I make a mistake?”
Cass’s lips tilted up into a full-blown smile as he chuckled, a rich, warm sound that calmed some of the nerves fluttering around inside her chest.
“You will make mistakes, Briony. But don’t forget that yesterday you stood in front of your birth father, who’s also a king, and essentially told him you weren’t falling for any of his lies.”
He closed the distance between them and captured one of her hands in his, bringing it up to his lips. The kiss he brushed across her fingers wasn’t the seductive caress he’d bestowed upon her in the Ledge. It didn’t make the touch any less provocative.
“You are a worthy princess, Briony. More worthy of the title than any other woman I’ve met.”
Her chest constricted at his words and the admiration in his caramel eyes. It was just as intoxicating, if not more so, than the attraction between them.
“Cass—”
“Your Highnesses!” Clara appeared in the doorway, tablet in one hand, cell phone in the other. “Are you ready? It takes approximately ten minutes to reach the front of the palace from this wing.”
Briony looked back at Cass, but his face had smoothed once more as he turned to face Alaric’s right-hand woman.
“Of course, Clara. I admire your attention to detail.”
Clara snorted. “I’m sure.” Her gaze slid to Briony and she actually smiled, her eyes softening. “You look beautiful, Princess Briony. If I may be so bold, Your Highness,” she said to Cass, “you’re very fortunate.”
Cass acknowledged the comment with a nod but said nothing as he held out his arm to Briony. She accepted it and kept her gaze averted. If she was going to make their arranged relationship successful at all, she needed to put distance between the two of them now. She’d done it fairly well last night, and that had been after a transatlantic flight and numerous heart-wrenching revelations. She could do it again.