Page 33 of King of Lies
“All right,” he laughs. “There’s going to be a lot, and this will probably be hell, but you have to wear stockings when out.”
“That’s a rule?”
“Aye, it’s a rule,” he says. “But I’ll always pull them on you. And then later, I’ll take them off.”
“Okay.”
“Hold on to my shoulders,” he says before rolling up one leg of the silk stockings and then holding it out for me to slip my foot in. He repeats the process with the second leg before rolling them up my legs, making sure to let his fingers come in contact with my bare skin as much as possible before he stands before me. “There now, that’s no’ so bad.”
“No,” I whisper.
I grab the blue dress with cap sleeves and a full skirt and step into it. I pull it up and slide my arms in the sleeves before turning to Rhys. “Would you do me up?”
“Of course,” he flirts shamelessly. “Although we both know I much prefer to take you out of it.”
I roll my eyes and turn back around. He hands me a pair of nude heels and I think I might die by falling and breaking my neck.
“Is this another rule?”
“Aye.”
“I have to tell you that I am not seeing the positive here,” I warn him, and he throws his head back and laughs.
“You are the only woman on the planet who would no’ be impressed by having a rich prince as a boyfriend who showers you with designer clothes.”
“I don’t think I’m the only one …” I hedge. “There has to be someone out there … somewhere.”
He chuckles as he pulls me into his arms and whispers in my ear, “I’ll have to make it up to you tonight.”
Chapter 14
Paparazzi
“Ready?” Rhys asks me. I nod my head but don’t say anything. I can’t because I’m absolutely terrified.
He grabs the dress coat from the bed and holds it out to me. I turn away from him so that I can slide in one arm and then the other before turning around to face him. I wobble a little on the pencil thin heels of the nude toned suede stilettos.
A mischievous smile plays about his mouth as he lifts his hands to button the three large buttons from my breasts to my waist and I roll my eyes. Only he could be thinking about other …pastimeswhile I’m having an existential crisis.
I flip my gold heart out from its hiding place under the neckline of my dress so that it’s displayed prominently.
Rhys taps his fingertip to the flat face of it before looking back at me. “Let’s go.”
There are a lot of things I could do right now. Scream. Cry. I could pretend to pass out from lack of food. I could even pretend that I’m getting sick, or maybe I’ve developed a migraine. I could run back to the bathroom and lock myself in, or demand the pilots take me back to America. Or maybe even pull the emergency hatch and ride the inflatable water slide down to the ground where I run screaming into the night.
I don’t do any of those things, because I’m an idiot.
Instead, Rhys holds his hand out to me and I freaking take it because, please note the aforementioned idiot status. With his free hand, he buttons the top button of his suit jacket and I take the time to get a good look at him. It matches his slacks in a respectful navy, the shirt, which is unbuttoned at the collar and without a tie, is the same shade as my coat. His leather boots, which look like they cost more than I paid for my car, are brand new but look as if he wears them every day. Somewhere along the way, he combed his dark hair and put some product in it. The overall effect has changed him from wealthy businessman to prince of his realm. And I’m terrified.
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I don’t get to dwell on his metamorphesis because the moment his driver opens the plane hatch, Rhys leads me down the stairs and I’m blinded by camera flashes.
I stumble over my feet in these ridiculously high heels that are just a little bit too big. Rhys somehow steadies me and keeps us moving forward at the same time while his security people keep the press from actually touching us, even though they reach out and try.
“Prince Rhys! Prince Rhys!” they shout. “What can you tell us about the King?”
He smiles a tight, thin-lipped smile that doesn’t reach his eyes and says, “Nothing yet. I don’t know myself.”
“Your Highness!” someone else calls out as Rhys and the security slowly lead us toward a black SUV. “Who is the woman with you?”
