"And what contradictory emotions are you holding right now?"
"Anger at you for lying.Attraction to you despite the lying.Curiosity about who you really are.Suspicion that you're going to disappoint me again."I ticked them off on my fingers."Plus a mild food coma from this incredible fish, which is affecting my judgment."
"Attraction?"
Of course that was the part he focused on.
"Don't get excited.Attraction is just chemistry.It doesn't mean I like you as a person."
"But you admit you're attracted to me."
"I admitted that on the plane.Keep up."
"You said you found me attractive when you were supposed to be angry.That's different from admitting attraction directly."
"Is there a point to this semantic analysis, or are you just trying to make me regret saying anything?"
He leaned forward slightly, and the candlelight caught his eyes in a way that made them look warmer than I remembered."The point is that I'm also attracted to you.And curious about who you really are.And hoping that six months is enough time to convince you that I'm not the villain you think I am."
"You're not a villain.Villains are interesting."I finished my wine."You're just a guy who made a bad decision and is now dealing with the consequences."
"Is that better or worse than being a villain?"
"Undetermined."I reached for the wine bottle and refilled my glass."Ask me again in six months."
Dessert arrived, some kind of chocolate creation that was almost too beautiful to eat.I ate it anyway, because chocolate, and because I needed something to do with my hands that wasn't reaching across the table to touch him.
The attraction thing was becoming a problem.Every time he said something genuine, every time he showed a flash of the person underneath the princely performance, I wanted to forget that I was supposed to be guarded.I wanted to believe that Peter was real and Archie was just a costume he had to wear.
But people who wanted things too badly made mistakes.And I'd already made enough mistakes with this man.
"It's getting late," I said when the chocolate was gone."I should probably head back to my room."
"Of course."He stood and moved to help me with my chair again, and this time I was hyperaware of how close he was standing."I'll walk you."
"That's not necessary."
"Consider it practice for being a gentleman."
"Do you need practice?"
"I need practice at lots of things.Honesty, for instance."
I snorted despite myself."That was almost funny."
"I'm occasionally amusing when I'm not being deceptive."
"Good to know."
We walked through the palace corridors together, and I tried not to think about how natural it felt to have him beside me.How his presence made the overwhelming marble halls seem slightly less intimidating.How, despite everything, I felt safer with him than I had alone.
"Here we are," he said when we reached my door."The Blue Room complex, temporary home of Her Royal Highness Princess Betty."
"Princess Betty.That still sounds ridiculous."
"It suits you."He turned to face me, and we were standing close enough that I could see the individual threads of his shirt, the slight shadow of stubble on his jaw."Thank you for having dinner with me."
"Thank you for not being completely unbearable."
