“That was before I realized what you were up to.”
“And what am I up to?”
“You are trying to seduce me so you can ruin my chances here at court and start a damn scandal so you can get out of your own wedding,” she hissed and tried to pull back, but Quincy kept her close.
His eyes narrowed at her words, and he moved his hand lower, almost to her hip. “Is that what you think? How would I ruin you by sleeping with you unless… unless… oh,” he said slowly and smirked, remembering how horrified she’d looked when he’d found that black lingerie. “You, my Princess Olivia, are a virgin.”
“Keep your voice down,” she whispered harshly, her eyes scanning those around them.
“Afraid Edric might hear us? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll still have a chance with him. After what I experienced, you two should have a grand old time together in the sack.”
Olivia froze on the dance floor, but thankfully, the music had stopped as well so no one noticed. Her eyes were wet in the bright lights of the ballroom, and she stepped away from him. She curtsied as he bowed, but before he could say anything else, she excused herself and left the room, holding her dress up as she did. Melinda looked at Quincy, and he waved off her worried look.
“Said she just needed to use the restroom,” he whispered. “Forgot to do it before she came down.”
“That girl,” Melinda said with a sigh. “Always doing things like that.”
Quincy nodded and watched for any sign of Olivia, but she had disappeared. A delicate hand wrapped around his bicep and pulled him around. His heart lightened a bit when he thought it was Olivia, but he frowned when he turned to find Gigi. “Ah, Gigi, how are you this evening?”
She curtsied and batted her eyelashes at him. “I am very well, my Prince. I was hoping for a dance. Would you be so kind?”
With his dad standing so close, Quincy really had no choice and nodded. One dance with Gigi, that was all he had to do, and then he could go find Olivia and try to understand what the hell was going on.
Chapter 9
Olivia ran as fast as she could through the palace, thankful for the flats Allete had given her so she didn’t trip and break an ankle. She had to get out of there. Being around him and around so many people she didn’t know was completely overwhelming. Her cheeks burned from his words and how he reacted to her being a virgin, as if it was a bad thing that she had held onto it for so long.
She slid to a stop in front of the statue he’d shown her a few days ago and pulled the arm. The passage opened, and Olivia ran into it. The sound of the waves crashing soothed her, and when she came out the other end, she tripped and fell into the sand.
“Stupid dress,” she snapped and scrambled to get back to her feet. It ripped down the side and she cursed, holding the tear as tears filled her eyes.
It was all Quincy’s fault, always his fault. Since she’d arrived on this damn island, she had been dealing with him and his issues. All she wanted was to go home to Nebraska and forget about all of this. She wanted her jeans and her boots, her flannel shirts and quiet evenings painting as she overlooked the fields that surrounded their home.
She took her shoes off before she ruined them and pulled out Quincy’s bin to keep them somewhere safe. Her skirt was ripped anyway, so Olivia made her way to the stones that stood out of the water and climbed up on them. She held her skirts high so she could see her feet and the water that splashed onto her legs. The water was cool despite the warm, humid air around her, and it felt good to be out there with only the waves to keep her company. Maybe she could disappear here for the rest of the night. So much for her first ball appearance—her mom would kill her, but she’d come up with some excuse.
The moon was high in the night sky, and she sat down on the stones, dangling her feet in the water, thinking about her life. She had no idea how much time had passed and didn’t care. This was where she wanted to be, and as a future princess, didn’t think anyone could tell her otherwise.
“If you stay out here long enough, you might turn into a pumpkin.”
Olivia jumped but didn’t turn at the sound of Quincy’s voice. “Why should you care?”
“Because I’d prefer not to have you be a pumpkin. Not as pretty that way.”
She glanced over her shoulder. He was standing there in his white shirt and tuxedo pants but no jacket or vest. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and damned if he didn’t look gorgeous in the moonlight.
“Sorry I commandeered your place,” she mumbled and turned back to stare out over the water. “I needed to hide for a while.”
“I don’t mind. You can come here any time you like. You’re the only one I’ve ever shared this with.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Quincy.”