Page 78 of Modern Romance June 2025 5-8

Her hands found her hips as she stared into Benedikt’s strong features. And noticed again how disturbingly good-looking he was.

Her pulse quickened in self-castigation.

‘Exactly. Not compatible. Not attracted.’

It was only a partial lie. She might be strangely drawn to him but he’d given no indication he felt the same way about her. These inconvenient feelings were one-sided. The gleam she’d seen in his remarkable eyes was impatience, not attraction.

For the longest time he said nothing. Annalena was about to turn on her heel and head into the palace when he said, ‘I disagree.’

Just that. As if his opinion were all that counted.

Maybe he was like his father after all.

She shrugged. ‘There’s no point discussing this any further. I’ll—’

‘It wasn’t discussion I had in mind.’ His voice dropped to a low burring note that rolled across her skin, making the fine hairs on her arms lift.

‘Sorry?’

Suddenly he seemed much closer, though she hadn’t noticed him move. ‘No need to be sorry.’

Annalena frowned. It hadn’t been meant as an apology.

‘Can’t you feel it?’

Now hedidmove nearer. Their feet almost touched and his breath warmed her face. To her dismay that made a decadent little shiver unfurl down her spine.

Light sparked in his eyes and she caught once more the glimmer of gold in dark brown irises.

Something whispered through her. A warning? An invitation? Whatever it was, it evoked a strange quiver in her stomach. She swallowed. ‘Feel what?’

His head tilted closer, as if he wanted to read every nuance of her expression.

Not, absolutelynotto kiss her.

Even so her heartbeat became a rapid flurry, as when lazy flakes of snow turned into a sudden blizzard.

Her nostrils flared as she detected an intriguing scent. It reminded her of verdant forests and crisp mountain air with a warm undertone of virile male. She inhaled deeply, drawing it in and feeling something tight in her chest give way.

Her brain blared an alarm but her body didn’t notice.

She leaned in, chin rising, as if inviting him to close the space between them.

The realisation shuddered through her and she snapped her head back. She was about to move away when his hand closed on her shoulder.

His grip wasn’t hard. She could step free, if she wanted to.

But there was something about the touch of those hard fingers through the cotton of her T-shirt that made her want to stay.

‘This. Between us. It’s been there from the first.’

An automatic denial formed in her head. She’d seen his initial reaction to her and it wasn’t attraction. He was just pretending to make a point. But despite knowing that, her objection didn’t make it to her tongue. Because, even understanding this was one-upmanship, she couldn’t bring herself to stop it.

Another little tremor down her spine, through her legs and right to the soles of her feet.

That golden gaze dipped to her mouth and the beat of her blood turned to a roar in her ears. Her lips parted so she could suck in more air.

His eyes lifted to hers and the world telescoped so there was just him. Him and her. Every sense clamoured and her toes curled as awareness stirred.

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