Page 22 of To Catch a Prince

“Mylady.”

“Am I, now? How presumptuous ofyou.”

He chuckled, his laugh low andrumbly.

“You will be,” he stated, making her snort in response. “I’ve come to claim you for the next halfhour.”

“That’s not quite how this works, sir. I believe a man may ask and a woman might answer favorably, should she wish to doso.”

“Tell that to your sister,” Vincent replied. The violin started, indicating the beginning of a new dance. The barbarian just placed a hand around her waist and pulled her close like he had a right to do so. “Besides, I’m no man, ma’am. And dragonstaketheirtreasures.”

She might have protested, if he hadn’t started moving right then, leading her into the most exhilarating of steps; she had no notion of the dance and she didn’t need to - he moved and following was secondnature.

He was so very close, she noticed; no one else held their partner right against their chest as he did. The whole inopportune thing messed with her ability to form coherentthoughts.

“I don’t like you,” she informed him, somewhat childishly, but right now, it was the best she coulddo.

“I don’t aim to be liked,” was his dismissive, indifferentanswer.

If he aimed to drive her insane instead, he was doing a marvelous job ofit.

“Are you drunk, sir?” she asked suddenly, catching a whiff of ale underneath his intoxicatingmusk.

That would explain the change ofattitude.

The man laughed. “Not an easy feat for one of my kind. I’m quite sober. Not for lack oftrying.”

“Yet you went from glaring and threatening me to forcing me todance.”

“Forcing. Yes, I heard quite a fewprotests.”

She was sticking to that term, whatever hesaid.

“Besides,” he added, “that was hardly a threat. More of apromise.”

“So, you maintain that you shall attempt to manhandle me if I don’t stop teasingyou.”

He chuckled low, vibrating against the front of her torso. “Manhandle. It’s a word forit.”

“Which one would you use,” she shot back, all the while wondering when she’d had such a playful conversation withanyone.

She wouldn’t start liking him, dammit. She justwouldn’t.

“Spanking, perhaps. Flogging, if I find myself close to adequateequipment.”

Her jaw dropped and she blushed. He either meant to shock her or check how much she knew of these things, no doubt. To an innocent, spanking and flogging might have seemed like terms of torture meant to intimidate her. Talia was very well schooled; she read every book she could get her paws on, including some that said just how and why gentlemen so inclined spanked and floggedladies.

“You’re flirting,” she accusedhim.

He laughed. “Not very well, if you’re doubtingit.”

“You were glaring,” she reminded him insistently, as he’d avoided answering her about his change of heart the first time. “Now you’reflirting.”

“Well, Talia Astria, I went from suspecting you may be a threat to accepting that youare.”

That made no sensewhatsoever.

“I’m duty bound to come to the aid of any mortal realm in peril. If you don’t plan on attacking any human city without cause anytime soon, I’m no threat toyou.”

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