Page 118 of Royal Rebel

“They don’t even know who I am.”

“Oh, they do now. Ashton helped with that.” Lyra claps a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she says to Grayson. “I let that slip.”

Grayson frowns at Lyra before turning to me. “There are eleven men left. I’ve contacted five others, so you would start with sixteen, none of which have a strong connection with Lyra. She actually hasn’t been the best Suitorette—”

“Hey,” Lyra protests.

“You haven’t. She doesn’t have a connection, other than friendship, with any of the men, so the season needs help. Desperately needs help.”

I smile. I can’t help it.

“It would be four weeks, instead of six, so things would move fast. Do you think you could handle that?”

“I don’t remember agreeing to anything,” I say in a cool voice, even though my heart races at the thought of being the Suitorette.

And it shouldn’t, because why would I do that to myself?

Because I’ve always loved the show.

Because I would like to find love.

And… this might be the sticker: it would beso much funto succeed at something that Princess Lyra failed at.

I don’t actually believe Grayson when he says Lyra’s not the best Suitorette—the fan in me thinks that was Chrissa, because I never believed she wanted to be there—but it’s nice to hear.

I understand when Lyra says she’s always been jealous of me, because it goes both ways. I’ve always been jealous of the place she has in Spencer’s heart.

“But you’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”

I meet Lyra’s gaze, see her smug smile. It should drive me crazy that she got Spencer, but…

It doesn’t. It seems right they’re ending up together.

“What do you say?” Lyra demands. “The guys are great. At least the ones that are left. Jon givesfoot rubs,” she hunches her shoulders with a grin.

“Lyra, you can’t—she has to make her own judgements.” If Grayson had a way to silence Lyra, I think he would.

“She’ll judge they’re good guys as soon as she meets them. But the way Jon’s thumbs—”

Grayson takes her shoulders and marches her away a few feet.

I think he’s telling her to stay.

Do I want to do this? Non-stop cameras, no privacy, just for the chance to fall in love?

“Look, Abigail,” Grayson says with a rueful grin. “Lyra suggested you for this, and what I’ve heard about you, I think you’d be great. But you’d really be helping me out. I could find another Suitorette, but if it was you, it would really close the circle. I think it would be good TV. And I understand how this might not be the most comfortable for you, but I give you my word that we’ll keep any mention of Spencer, and your relationship with him to a minimum. I guarantee, the men don’t want to talk about him any more than they have to. He’s a good guy, but this hasn’t been the most conventional season. I think you joining would be able to steer us in the right direction.”

“But taking over for Princess Lyra?” I frown at the thought. As much as my first instinct is to agree—becausewhy not—any woman would be intimidated at the thought of following a princess, especially one like Lyra.

“I think you’ll be amazing,” Grayson assures me in a low voice. “I had a long talk with Bo and Hettie—he flew us over, by the way—”

Hettie is in town. The thought is a warm blanket over my shoulders.

“And they told me a lot about you. I agree that the thought of filling Lyra’s footsteps might be tough, but I think you are more than capable of it.”

Grayson Grant is very persuasive.

“What do you say? Want to find true love?” Grayson asks, his smile warm and wide and white, and much more attractive than he is on television.

“Do it,” Lyra urges, not even pretending not to listen. “You’ll have so muchfun!”

I could use a little fun.