Her eyes met his and colour streaked across her cheeks. ‘Nothing. I have everything I need.’ She removed her hand quickly and said something, but her words were drowned out by the clacking of a helicopter.
Nik rose reluctantly to his feet. ‘We need to move. The guests are arriving.’
‘By helicopter?’ Her eyes were round, as if it was only now dawning on her that this wasn’t an ordinary wedding party. ‘Is this party going to be glamorous?’
‘Very. Lunch was an informal family affair, but tonight is for my father to show off his new wife.’
‘How many guests?’
‘A very select party. No more than two hundred, but they’re arriving from all over Europe and the US.’
‘Two hundred? That’s a select party?’ Her smile faltered. ‘I’m a gatecrasher.’
‘You are not a gatecrasher. You’re my guest.’
She pushed her hair back from her face. ‘I’m starting to panic that what I brought with me isn’t dressy enough.’
‘You look lovely in everything you wear, but I do have something if you’d like to take a look at it.’
‘Something you bought for someone else?’
‘No. For you.’
‘I told you I didn’t want anything.’
‘I didn’t listen.’
‘So you bought me something anyway. In case I embarrassed you?’
‘No. In case you had a panic that what you’d brought wasn’t dressy enough.’
‘I should probably be angry that you’re calling me predictable, but as we don’t have time to be angry I’m going to overlook it. Can I see?’ She stood up at the same time he did and her body brushed against his.
‘Lily...’ He breathed her name, steadied her with his hands and she gave a low moan.
‘No.’ Her eyes were clouded. ‘Seriously, Nik, if we do it again I’ll fall asleep and never wake up. The Prince is supposed to wake Sleeping Beauty, not put her to sleep with endless sex.’
He lifted his hand to her flushed cheek and gently stroked her hair back from her face. It took all his will power not to power her back against the wall. ‘We could skip the party. Better still, we could grab a couple of bottles of champagne and have our own party here by the pool.’
‘No way! Not only would that upset your father and Diandra, but I wouldn’t get to ogle all those famous people. Brittany will grill me later so I need to have details. Am I allowed to take photographs?’
‘Of course.’ With a huge effort of will he let his hand drop. ‘You’d better try the dress.’
* * *
The dress was exquisite. A long sheath of shimmering turquoise silk with delicate beads hand-sewn around the neckline. It fitted her perfectly.
She picked up her phone, took a quick selfie and sent it to Brittany with a text saying Rebound sex is my new favourite thing.
People were wrong when they thought rebound sex didn’t involve any emotion, she mused. Yes, the sex was spectacular, but even though she wasn’t in love that didn’t mean two people couldn’t care about each other. She cared about making this wedding as easy as possible for Nik, and he’d cared enough not to leave her alone when she was upset.
Somewhere deep inside a small part of her wondered if perhaps that wasn’t how she was supposed to be feeling, but she dismissed it, picked up her purse and walked through to the living room.
‘I could be a little freaked out by how well you’re able to guess my size.’
He turned, sleek and handsome in a dinner suit.
Despite the undisputable elegance and sophistication, formal dress did nothing to disguise the lethal power of the man beneath.