Page 30 of Destiny Redeemed
She blinked at me, bewildered. “But I did, my lady. Several times. Don’t you remember?”
Damn it.“I must have… forgotten,” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. I cleared my throat. “Well, no matter. The important thing is we have a permit. It’s limited use, but it’s a start.” I glanced at her. “What exactly do we sell there? Just tea?”
“Yes, imported exotic teas. The profit margin is decent, but the location…” Laurel wrinkled her nose. “Being in a modest neighborhood limits how much we can charge. The importing costs eat most of our profit.”
I mulled this over as we walked. A tea shop in a modest area, selling overpriced exotic blends? No wonder the profits were mediocre. But with the right adjustments…
“Bring me all the ledgers and documents tomorrow,” I said, my mind already coming up with possibilities. “We need to completely overhaul this business model.”
“Of course,” Laurel agreed. Then, hesitantly, she added, “There’s something else… While you were gone, Captain Lennox came by with an invitation.”
I grimaced. “Decline it.”
Laurel didn’t even look surprised at my response. “Are you sure, Ilyana? After all, it’s from Prince Anderic, and you did promise to work with him for the ball.”
“Well, I’ve decided to ignore it,” I said stubbornly, quickening my pace. “Unless His Royal Psychoness shows up at my doorstep personally or sends a royal decree, I’m not going.”
Laurel looked like she wanted to argue but wisely held her tongue. “As you wish.”
I’ll ignore him as long as I can. How hard could it be?
* * *
Turned out, it was indeed very hard.
I was just settling in for the night, my hair still damp from bathing, when an insistent knock rattled the door.Seriously? At this hour?
Laurel was still washing the dishes and tidying up the apartment after dinner. So, I didn’t bother her with it. Grumbling, I padded across the room in my thin nightgown. I should have pulled a robe over my nightgown, but I was already very tired and didn’t think. I yanked the door open, ready to give whoever it was a piece of my mind and go back to sleep.
Curse my rotten luck!
My irritation evaporated instantly. Prince Anderic stood before me, golden curls tousled by the evening breeze, those piercing blue eyes boring into mine.
“No,” I blurted, attempting to slam the door. But Anderic was quicker.
His hand shot out, catching the edge. In one fluid motion, he pulled me into the hallway and shut the door behind us.
“Not so fast, princess,” he growled, pinning me against the wall.
My heart hammered wildly as I found myself trapped between Anderic’s muscular arms. The flickering gaslight cast dramatic shadows across his chiseled features. I struggled against his grip, but he easily caught my wrist, slamming it above my head.
“Let me go,” I hissed, painfully aware of how exposed I was in my thin nightgown. The rough stone wall scraped against my back as I squirmed.
“Now why would I do that?” Anderic’s voice was low and dangerous. “When I have you right where I want you finally?”
I swallowed hard, acutely conscious of our proximity. In the silence of the small hallway, I could clearly hear my raging heartbeats. My ragged breaths filled the space between us. My chest heaved with each breath, causing my sensitive nipples in my thin nightgown to graze against the rough fabric of his shirt, hardening instantly against the coarse texture. Heat radiated from his body, enveloping me in his intoxicating scent - sandalwood and leather with a hint of something deliciouslyhim. His nearness was a tantalizing torture, every nerve ending alive and aware of the prince standing before me.
I’m not even going to deny it anymore. Yes, I want him even though he’s dangerous.
“What do you want?” I managed to whisper, noticing how breathless I sounded.
Anderic’s gaze dropped to my lips, lingering there for an agonizing moment before meeting my eyes again. “You know exactly what I want, Ilyana.”
My name on his lips sent a shiver down my spine. I licked my suddenly dry lips, noting how his pupils dilated at the action.
“I don’t know, spell it out to me,” I said, surprised at the breathiness in my voice. I hadn’t meant to taunt him.
His free hand on my waist tightened.
