“I physically cannot.”
“That feels manipulative.”
“It is unfortunately biological.”
The younger brother took another step closer. Nina stayed exactly where she was. Which felt like its own kind of answer.
The room had gone almost completely quiet around them now. Even the palace attendants were pretending to organize clothes near the doorway while obviously watching the romance disaster unfold.
One servant quietly whispered, “This is progressing faster than the first prince.”
The second servant nodded solemnly. “Much faster.”
My demon frowned at the comparison.
Nina's eyes found the younger brother again while silver lantern light traced the folds of the dark fabric draped around her shoulders.
“You’re staring.”
“You wore royal black.”
“That means nothing.”
“It means several things.”
The younger brother’s hand settled lightly against the edge of the changing screen beside her head while he leaned down slightly closer. Nina noticed it because her breathing hitched for the tiniest second before she glared at him harder like she was trying to recover control of the situation. Unfortunately for her, the younger brother seemed like he enjoyed resistance almost as much as breathing.
“You know,” he murmured quietly, “humans become significantly less intimidating when distracted.”
Nina stared directly into his eyes. “You’re not nearly attractive enough to distract me.”
The younger brother smiled slowly. Looking sharp, cocky and completely wicked.
“That sounded weak.”
“Oh shut up.”
Then she kissed him. Aggressively might I add.
Aggressive enough that the younger brother was actually shocked for half a second before grabbing her waist again and pulling her sharply against him.
Okay wow. That escalated instantly.
Nina made a startled sound against his mouth before kissing him harder like she’d decided violence was romantic. The younger brother backed her against the changing divider while silver firelight flickered across both of them.
One palace attendant dropped an entire stack of folded clothes. Nobody acknowledged it.
I couldn’t either. Because the chemistry happening three feet away from me felt illegal.
The younger brother’s hands tightened instinctively against Nina’s waist while she grabbed the front of his dark coat hard enough to wrinkle the fabric completely. Messy. Fast. Absolutely doomed behavior.
My demon quietly muttered beside me, “…that was faster than expected.”
I turned toward him sharply. “FASTER?”
“That may have been a new family record.”
“That sentence made me deeply uncomfortable.”
