Page 57

“That sucks,” he said sympathetically.

She almost smiled, but laughter tinged her voice as she said, “No wonder you keep getting into trouble, Your Highness.”

Gabe gave her a look of sham innocence. “Me?”

“You.” She nodded sagely. “I’ll go as far as saying you’ve cost my boss one or two nights of lost sleep.”

An injured look fell on the prince’s face. “I’m hurt. Just one or two?”

Before she could answer, someone said behind them. “An exchange of partners perhaps?”

Serenity stiffened.

Willem.

The prince only smiled. “One lovely lady for another? A fair exchange,” he murmured as he let go of Serenity and drew Shane into his arms.

As Willem took Serenity’s cold hand in his, he bent his head to Gabe and said under his breath, “Distract her, please.” He spoke in Contini’s native language, which he knew Shane did not speak.

The prince nodded before whirling Serenity’s sister away, which left Serenity and Willem alone.

“I...I...” She blurted out the first excuse that came to her. “I think I, umm, need to rest my leg.”

His smile was pleasant, but it didn’t reach his eyes as he said, “I know.” Her eyes widened, more so when the billionaire hissed under his breath,“You little fool.” Before she knew what was happening, he was already drawing her close and taking her back to their table. “I saw your face a while ago. Your leg was paining you, but you couldn’t make yourself tell the prince.”

She started to protest, “I knew the dance was about to end—-”

He cut her off, saying sharply, “And you’re not wearing any of the shoes I’ve given you.” His eyes raked her with furious disbelief. “How long are you going to act like a child with this? Every time I piss you off, you’re not going to wear my shoes?” He pulled back a chair for her as he spoke, and she lowered herself to it with dignity.

Sitting down next to her, he demanded, “Well?”

She glared at him in mutinous silence.

In the past, the rare sight of Serenity fully riled up would have amused him, but not now, not when he was still seeing red with the way the prince’s hands had stayed too damn long on her hips and his fingers too damn close to being splayed on Serenity’s pert bottom.

“Did you enjoy dancing with the prince?” he bit out.

Defiantly, she said, “More than I ever enjoyed dancing with you.”

His eyes turned a frigid shade of blue.

“In fact,” Serenity continued in a low voice made shaky by her own pent-up jealousy, “I’d say he’s better than you in every way—-”

“Shut up,” Willem snarled under his breath, “or I’ll shut it myself with my mouth.”

“I dare you!” She had hissed the words unthinkingly, forgetting that this was Willem de Konigh she was talking to, and he did not take kindly to being dared.

But when the billionaire made a move to do exactly as he had threatened, she panicked and quickly leaned back—-

The chair started to fall back at her sudden movement.

Serenity paled.

The people around them gasped as she started to fall with the chair, but just when she thought her head was going to crack against the floor, Willem had caught hold of the edge and pulled it back upright with one firm yank.

The guests around them burst into applause.

“Are you alright?” he asked immediately.