Page 64 of Tabloid Princess

His tongue swept firmly into my mouth, controlling the speed of the kiss. I weakened in his grasp, my body almost melting.

“You’re dangerous to know,” he whispered into my mouth.

For one painful moment I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want the kiss to end. It physically hurt to know it was over.

“Says you.”

He didn’t let me go. Didn’t relinquish his tight hold. He watched me under the moonlight, that same unanswered question lingering in his gaze.

“What?” I asked, my voice shaking almost as much as my legs. He frowned at my question. “You look at me like… like I’m a puzzle.”

His face lowered and for one glorious moment I thought he’d kiss me again. But he didn’t. I’d said only one and apparently, he was a man of his word.

“Because you are unlike anyone I’ve ever met.” His fingers brushed at my hair, his touch lingering at my hairline, like the picture that had started a media frenzy. “You never answer the way I think you will, the way I expect.”

“I’m sorry.”

His thumb and index finger caught my chin, forcing me to meet his stare. “Don’t ever apologise for who you are.”

I nodded wordlessly.

“You’re dangerous for me I think, Leia Lawrence.” I could have died at the way he whispered my name.

Maybe I was dead. Maybe it was why this was happening.

“Me? Says the prince. Why?” I should’ve been leaving. Should have found my way out, found my way home, but I couldn’t fight his hold, didn’t want to—wild and ruthless.

“Because I think you could bring me down.”

Then he did it. He took my one kiss, the free one, the one without consequence and he spun it into two. Deep and dark, senseless and costly, this kiss could smash apart everything I knew.

I slipped my arms tight around him, uncaring he was a prince and I was nobody.

For a long moment as his tongue danced against mine, our breaths tangling into one, we were just Oliver and Leia and the entire world fell at our feet.

Within me a dangerous emotion blossomed.

Territorial.

Physical.

Wildly intense.

I shook it away. Crazy. Stupid. Brain.

But I couldn’t.

It danced just within the grasp of my awareness.

Prince Oliver had spun me under his spell, and as a result, for the first time, I felt something real and raw in the place of my usually caged heart.

“I need to get back.” His fingers slipped into mine, comfortable and natural. Too natural.

“Of course, you do. It’s your birthday party.” I tried to pull away, but he held onto my hand tight.

“You are coming back in, aren’t you?” It sounded like he genuinely didn’t know what I would answer.

“Yes. I think so.”