Page 14 of Royally Arranged

Nova’s eyebrows crept higher. “That’s not fair. Ididtell you, you’re the one who didn’t recognize me.”

My mouth fell open.

“I was positive you did at first,” she went on, staring me down. “The longer you spent with me, the more I realized you had no clue. I was kind of offended.”

I shook off her mild jab. “I’m bad with faces.” It was a lame excuse, I grabbed for another because I desperately needed to make sense ofhowI hadforgotten. “We weren’t properly introduced at that meeting. You were sitting at a table with a bunch of your family under pretty tense terms.”

Her smile grew. It was as tempting as if she’d inched her dress up to expose her thigh. “There were a lot of distractions that day.” She pulled in some air, let it out. “It felt awkward to say anything once I knew you didn’t recognize me.”

Dammit, her honesty was disarming me. I wasn’t ready to let go of my distrust yet. But talking was so effortless with her. “Sorry I didn’t recognize you. In my defense, you don’t act atalllike you did months ago.”

That froze her smile in its tracks. “How do you mean?”

My memory ran back that day to me. “You were quiet. Shy, even.” I traced her body with a pointed look. “You weren’t shy yesterday.”

She shifted under my scrutiny. “What we did—the way I acted with you—it was something I’d always wanted to do.” She clamped her mouth shut, looking at me with her eyes stretched wide, daring me to smother her bluntness with my usual sarcasm.

Whatever armor I’d put on had already rusted and fallen away. I softened my tone, wondering if she’d hear my heart thudding. “Are you trying to tell me you’ve been crushing on me for months?”

Nova’s fists curled against her dress. Magnetic jolts flew between us as we held each other’s stare. It was as if she knew saying more than she had would be dangerous, that it would give me too much power. And she was right—it would.

My lower belly was already flaring, my tongue tingling, as I considered that this beautiful girl had been carrying a torch for me. There’s nothing sexier than knowing someone wants you.

Nothing.

“What’s going on out here?” A tall figure stepped through the archway. He was wearing a jacket that fell all the way to his thighs, black as tar and spread open to show off his slim, hard-muscled body. He flicked his honey-colored eyes at me.

Larchmont Valentine.Nova’s brother. I knew little else about him.

His smirk was jagged as he said, “Looks like a party we weren’t invited to, Richard.”

A second man followed Larchmont out of the church. He was beefier, his bronze skin almost the same shade as his closely shaved hair. This guy would have fit right in at a military boot camp.

Nova spoke to them without any kindness in her tone. “Why are you here, is everyone done talking inside?”

“Talking,” Larchmont scoffed. He lifted his head so he could stare down his nose at me. I was slouching, which made it easier for him. “What bullshit. I’m tired of all the talk. It’s not like anyone gives a shit what I want, anyway.”

“Weird,” I said, smiling at him. “You’d think someone with your pleasant manners would be really convincing in a discussion.”

Richard’s wide body moved so he could block me in against the stone wall, partially hiding my view of Nova. He was keeping me from accessing the steps that led down into the grassy cemetery. Larchmont’s position cut me off from dodging back inside the cathedral.

I was trapped.

Larch barely cocked his head. His movements were precise as those of a spider perched on a web, waiting for its prey to land. “Oh,” he whispered, “I just remembered that you’re the funny one in your family.”

“Yeah,” I grunted, pushing forward until I was standing nose to nose with the gold-eyed man. “That’s me, Mr.Funny.” I wished I had my damn gun. My decision to be respectful and not bring a weapon to the funeral had been a mistake.

“Tell me a joke, Funny Man,” he said. His sneer was so much like his father’s.

Nova lifted her hands. “Larch. Don’t.”

I glanced at Richard, noting how he was tense but unmoving. “I don’t tell jokes,” I said patiently. “I make clever commentary. Why don’t you just cut right to what you want from me?” It was obvious something was pissing Larchmont off. What had they been talking about inside?

He skimmed his thumb over his chin. “Impatient little shit. Why did they ever choose someone like you?”

My muscles went slack in confusion. “Choose me for what?”

Richard slammed me against the stone wall. Nova shouted in surprise, but after that I couldn’t hear her. I couldn’t hear anything but the blood thrumming in my ears, my attention focusing on the big man who’d assaulted me.

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