Page 2 of Risky Match
Before I can answer, Chris is walking away, expecting me to follow. If it were anyone else, I might let the crowd separate us and beg forgiveness on another day. But he’s my sponsor, and Noah already warned me that Chris would be looking for me, so I follow.
Chris pauses at a table filled with dignitaries. I stop beside him and begin scanning the table, nodding at two people I recognize.
My eyes stop when they encounter one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Her long hair shimmers in thecandlelight. It’s a deep brown with red tones, reminding me of fine mahogany. Her lips are plump and cherry red. Her skin is smooth as velvet.
My desire stirs as my eyes follow the plunge of the V-neck of her dress, offering a hint of what hidden treasures lie underneath the satiny material.
As Chris begins to speak, my gaze locks with the sparkling, emerald eyes of this enchantress. That’s when it hits me. I know who she is, and she won’t be going home with me tonight no matter how much I wish otherwise.
Tuning into Chris’s words, I hear him say, “I’m not sure if you two have met before, but I wanted to formally introduce you. Blake, this is Her Royal Highness, Princess Brianna of Catalinius. Your Royal Highness, this is Blake Knight. He’s Britain’s highest ranked tennis player.”
Having tamped the desirous feelings that were entirely inappropriate for off-limits royalty, I bow to the princess. While we’ve never officially met, our paths have crossed at tournaments because she’s also a part-time pro tennis player. She’s quite attractive in her tennis attire, ponytail, and baseball cap, but I’ve never seen her dressed up for a gala. That’s why I didn’t initially recognize her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a huge fan,” she says in a silky, warm voice.
Chris nudges my arm, asking, “Blake, don’t you want to ask Princess Brianna to dance?”
“Of course. Your Highness, would you like to dance?”
“I’d love to.”
As she stands, someone jostles me from behind, unexpectedly pushing me even closer to her. It should be awkward, but for some unexplainable reason neither of us immediately pulls away. Maybe it’s her intoxicating scent that holds me close while her eyes study my lips.
Realizing that decorum calls for a little distance, I take a step back, extending my upturned hand to her. We don’t exchange any words as she rests her hand in my palm. Her touch sends a warmth up my arm that reaches my shoulder and then cascades into a wave of heat traveling down my body.
What was that? I’ve never felt that before. It wasn’t like a quick zap of electricity, but instead it was slow and powerful. My first reaction is to pull my hand away, but I stop myself, instead staring at her with narrowed eyes, trying to solve the mystery.
She looks at me questioningly as though she sensed something unexpected as well.
I just smile and pretend everything is normal. After all, that’s part of my plan for the evening. I hadn’t expected the night to include dancing with a princess though.
Her table is next to the dance floor, so a heartbeat later, we step onto the wooden surface as the music slows from a pop hit to a love song.
I’m not sure if that’s good timing or bad timing given the thoughts I had when I first saw her tonight. Somehow, I’m going to have to control my body’s involuntary attraction to her. Otherwise, this dance could be embarrassing.
I shake my head at myself. What’s wrong with me? I’m a grown man, not some teenager.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to dance?”
She’s definitely perceptive.
Smiling, I face her, placing my right hand on her back well above her waist while maintaining a proper distance.
“I do. That’s not it. I just never expected to be dancing with a princess tonight.”
“Can we agree that tonight I’m just another tennis player?”
“Okay. You are a particularly lovely tennis player though,” I say as I guide her around the floor.
She squeezes my shoulder slightly and smiles with what seems to be genuine happiness.
She fits nicely in my arms, and I notice she inches a little closer to me, forcing my arm farther around her back and an inch or two lower.
“You look great in that tux too. This is quite a change from our usual tennis clothes, isn’t it?”
“It is. Everyone looks so different tonight. It’s almost hard to recognize people. But you’re lovely on and off the court.”
“I’m sure you say that to all the princesses.”
