Page 445 of His Virgin Romance Series

“You’re sticking with that story?” he seemed surprised. “Still?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

He sighed. “If you say so. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to work my way down that buffet line.”

I stared after him, caught up in the conflict raging in my mind. Frustrated, I headed straight for the bar and helped myself to a large glass of eggnog that was heavy on the rum. I continued to circulate through the hall, refilling my eggnog each time I emptied another glass. I had well past my sixth drink when I caught sight of her.

She was standing near the Christmas tree, bathed in the light that twinkled down from its branches. She looked like some ethereal creature from another world. She was wearing a sparkling beaded red gown that hugged her chest, stomach, and hips before billowing out at the bottom half of the skirt. The beads glittered magnificently underneath the light, and I could see the faint outline of her legs through the thin fabric.

Her golden hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and her makeup was flawless elegance. Unable to turn away from her, I stood there like some hopeless idiot and stared until desire won over common sense, and I started walking towards her, through the gathering of people.

She didn’t see me until I was standing right beside her. When she glanced my way, she looked startled and slightly nervous.

“Seth,” she said.

“You look beautiful,” I told her.

I could feel the alcohol buzz through my system. It was giving me the courage I needed to see this through. I wondered if I would consider it courage tomorrow morning, but decided not to think too hard about that. Instead, I focused on Brie and her dazzling blue eyes.

“Thank you,” she replied. I noticed her tone was slightly wary.

I knew Brie was waiting for me to say something as we stared at each other. When the silence drew on and on, her body seemed to tense suddenly. I saw a flash of something in her blue eyes, and then she had turned her back on me, and she was walking away.

I was about to call out after her, but I thought better of it. Instead, I followed the path she took until I arrived at one of the hall’s five large, semicircular balconies that overlooked part of the resort and a fantastic section of the ocean just beyond. The sea was bathed in moonlight, and I could see dark purples and dancing grays in the blue of the waves that bowed at the shore.

Brie stood at the very edge of the balcony. Her perfect hourglass silhouette put the view to shame. I approached her cautiously, aware that the alcohol was making me do things I would have considered risky. If I had been sober and in full command of my faculties, I would have realized that the night was too romantic, the mood was too calming, and Brie was too beautiful for me to approach.

I walked up to her on the balcony and put my hand on her shoulder. She shook me off violently and took a step back.

“What do you want, Seth?” she demanded.

Taken back by her fierceness, I tried to figure out what was causing her anger. “Brie,” I started weakly. “I’m sorry about last week… I… I should never have interrupted your date.”

She shook her head in frustration. “That’s what you’re apologizing for?”

“I…yes.”

“Great,” she replied, but her tone sounded sarcastic more than sincere. “Thanks for that. Excuse me.”

She walked around me and headed back to the party. Completely taken off guard, I followed her back through the gathering and straight out of the hall. She was walking down one of the deserted corridors in the direction of her suite when I caught up with her.

“Brie…wait,” I said, grabbing her hand and forcing her to turn around to face me.

Her eyes were blue fire when they met mine. “This is all just a game to you, isn’t it?” she demanded. “And I’m just another piece on your chessboard.”

I stared at her for a moment. “That’s not true,” I said softly. “Nor is that fair.”

“Ever since I got here, I’ve felt something between us,” she said blatantly. “It was subtle at first, but it’s got stronger and stronger. There’s something there, but you won’t acknowledge it. Because you’re a coward; you’re scared.”

“I am scared,” I blurted out.

Brie stopped short, and I realized that she hadn’t expected me to admit to anything. “What are you scared of, Seth?”

I shouldn’t have answered her. I knew that. I should have turned around and walked away. But how could I possibly walk away from her now? Her eyes were beckoning, her body was leaning into mine, and her lips were only inches from mine.

“I’m scared of how much I want you,” I said.

The anger drained from her face, and I realized that my admission had justified every emotion she had experienced in the last few weeks. She was waiting for the truth, and she had finally received it. I had been fighting the truth all this time, and I had finally released the words that were clawing at me from the inside.

And after that, there was nothing else left to do but kiss her.

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