Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
His eyes have narrowed, and it’s easy to see the suspicion there. “You didn’t know you were going to be competing on the show? I find that hard to believe since the casting went on months ago.”
I don’t like the way he’s looking at me. There had been a sense of surprise before, but I had thought he was happy to see me. Now he’s had time to think, and he’s obviously come to some wrong conclusions. “I started the afternoon as a production assistant. How have they not told you this? One of the women dropped out and they shoved me in this golden tube, placed these godforsaken shoes on my feet, and plopped me in a carriage.”
An elegant brow arches over suspicious eyes. “So you’re trying to tell me that you had no idea who I was the other night when you approached me.”
How quickly he forgets. “I didn’t approach you at all. Darnell did.”
“But you were the one who talked to me.” He manages to make the words sound almost accusatory.
“Because I liked you. I thought you were cute. I didn’t realize you were some royal dude looking for a wife on reality TV.” I know why he’s doing this and I feel for him, but in the moment while he’s staring down at me like I’m some kind of gold digger, I’m not feeling fair. “I’m not sure how you think I would know who you are. I would expect a king to have some security around him.”
“Oh, I have security. They’re simply discreet. There wasn’t a moment when we were truly alone,” he admits.
“Okay, that feels creepy. So if you’d come upstairs with me that night, someone would have been watching us?”
“Someone would have stood outside and made sure I didn’t get into trouble,” Luca admits. “How are you working on this show and you have never seen my face? I know I’m not British royalty, but I’ve been in the press, and I’ve done a lot of publicity for this show. We’ve already filmed quite a bit. How did I miss you?”
“Because I wasn’t there. I was only hired to work with the primary crew starting the first day of the basic shoot.” I need to put some distance between us. I try to step back, but his hands tighten around my arms.
“I’m supposed to believe you had no idea, that you weren’t trying to get a leg up on the other contestants. Let me tell you something, Anika. You might be looking for an easy life, but it won’t be with me.”
Asshole. I pull back. “I don’t care what you think, Luca. Or Reg, or whatever the hell you want to call yourself. According to Patrick, you’ve only got another fifteen minutes or so and then you can get rid of me. But you should smile when I come down to shake your hand because that particular expression you have right now is not doing you any favors. Now let me go.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t want to,” he mutters under his breath, but he steps away, his hands coming up. “It’s hard for me to believe you didn’t know. The other night… It was special to me. I should have known it wasn’t real.”
“It was real to me. Look, I thought you were a lonely tourist, and I enjoyed spending time with you. I would have slept with you. The truth of the matter is I saw you and thought I could have some hot sex before I started this job and I’m consumed with it for months. You were a treat I was giving myself. That’s what I meant to do, but by the end of the night I was already thinking about how to get your number. I’m sorry I don’t keep up with European royalty.” I actually do, but like the British ones. I mean if a Swedish royal gets involved with a sex scandal I won’t ignore that, but past that I am clueless. “Look, Luca, I need this job. All you have to do is cut me and everything will go back to normal. I’ll be professional around you, and you can get what you need out of this process.” I wince because I was given the rules. “Journey. We’re not supposed to call it a process. Apparently that’s too clinical, but I mean it really is a process…”
“Ani.” He stops me, getting back in my space. He looms over me, and I can’t help the way my heart races. He’s in a ridiculously well-cut tuxedo, his hair perfectly slicked back. “I want to believe you.”
I shake my head because it’s time to move this along. I’ve got a date to be humiliated on camera soon, and I’d like to get through it. “You don’t have to. It’s all going to be over in a couple of hours. I’m sorry about that. Filming takes longer than you think.”