If only it was that easy for them to not get caught, but from the look on Olivia’s face as she stormed away, a one-night fling with him was not what she had in mind. He liked her, too, but had all his flirting made her fall for him? She hadn’t flirted back much when he did tease her, but then again, he hadn’t spent as much time with her the last few days. She’d been busy with her mom preparing for the wedding.
Quincy finally got to his feet, tucked the blanket away in the bin, and buried it beneath the boulder. Suddenly, his hideaway was not as quiet and comforting as before. Olivia might think he brought other women there, but it wasn’t true. She was the only woman he’d ever brought there. He had never felt comfortable bringing anyone else to this place where he ran when he needed peace. After his mom died, while the kingdom mourned together, he mourned here amongst the rocks and the waves.
Bringing Olivia to his hideaway had been a last-minute decision, and he never expected to wind up kissing her like that.
The walk back to his room with the folders tucked under his arm again wasn’t as fun as the walk down to the secluded bay. The folders weighed more than they should, each holding a choice he realized, deep down, he wasn’t going to be able to make easily because one person could never be in that stack. Though they only shared one kiss, one kiss had been enough.
***
Olivia kept a safe distance from Quincy over the next few days. Part of her was embarrassed by what had happened, and the other part of her was mad about what had happened. She didn’t know what to do with him anymore, and the roiling feelings that kept building inside of her only made it worse. She was more confused than she’d ever been by a man and his actions, only made worse by the fact that he was her future stepbrother.
“Miss? Are you alright?” Allete asked as she pulled Olivia’s ballgown from the wardrobe and laid it out on the bed. “You have been awfully quiet.”
“Just a lot on my mind, I guess. I have to start thinking about my fall classes soon,” she said as an excuse. “And I haven’t gotten very far with my portfolio project, either. This ball is stealing another night from me.”
Allete smiled gently. “Believe it or not, this ball is work for you.”
“Not the type of work I need to be doing,” she grumbled and glanced at her unfinished paintings set up on the balcony. There were five half-finished ones of the surrounding fauna and one of the palace, tweaked a bit to a more fantastical version that went with her artistic eye, but so far, she hadn’t finished one of them. It was not where she wanted to be this far into the summer. Her professors were going to be checking in soon, and she needed to show them something accomplished besides half-finished works.
“Miss? Maybe you should speak to your mother about taking a day or two to finish,” Allete said. “I’m certain King Lamont will understand. It is for your education, after all.”
“I’m going to have to. The portfolio will decide my career.”
“You don’t just want to be a princess?”
“I don’t think I could make that into a career,” she deadpanned. “What would I do all the time? Quincy will be in charge when Lamont retires, not me.”
“You are still important. There is much good you can do here for the island and its people. You just don’t yet see the potential. With your art background, you could help the art schools and work with the team on revitalizing the city.”
Olivia had not thought of that. To see her paintings on walls of the city would be more than she ever imagined. Her only goal so far had been to get out of school and either go back and teach or pray a museum or patron would support her. But to be part of the revitalizing and painting of the city?
“Allete, that is a wonderful idea,” she conceded as the idea really started to come to life in her mind.
“I believe the king and prince would welcome such an artistic touch.”
“Prince, right,” Olivia mumbled, and her stomach plummeted. As much as she’d tried not to, the last few nights, she dreamed of him holding her, his hands moving across her body and to places a man had only ever touched her in dreams. “Well, I guess I’ll have to talk with the king and my mom about that later.”
Allete smiled and clapped her hands. Three more ladies came into the room, and Olivia felt her stomach fall even more. “Right, time to get you ready for the ball. You are going to impress everyone there! And I believe Edric is going to be there as well. I checked for you.”
“Edric? Really? What about his sister, Cheree? I liked her.”
“I believe the young lady will be in attendance, yes, though it may be in your best interest to make friends with some of the potential bachelorettes for Prince Quincy.”