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“Nooo,” Blair said slowly, her voice sounding strangled as she pulled her gaze away from him to swivel her neck and glance at her cousin.
He waited several beats for Blair to enlighten her. He could see Lexie’s friend subtly widening her eyes, wiggling her eyebrows and cocking her wigged head several times in his direction in a mystifying non-verbal series of signals. Lexie stared back blankly, looking for the world as stumped as he was. In frustration, Blair rolled her eyes.
“What the hell,” she huffed, giving up. “You two have fun.”
“I’ll take care of her,” Nic said firmly, daring Blair to contradict.
Brown eyes speared him with warning. “Make sure that you do.” She turned to Lexie, a sudden naughty grin splitting her face and whispered loudly enough for Nic to hear, “Honey, let him take care of item number two on your list.” And with that parting shot, she was gone, the dorky man trailing after her like a lovesick puppy.
Even with the dim lighting inside the bar, Nic noted the blush that bloomed on Lexie’s cheeks. A list? Item number two that he could take care of? He grinned. Curiouser and curiouser.
Chapter Three
Stepping outside The Space Bar, Lexie inhaled the dry, bracing desert air. It was a small shock how quickly her nose had adjusted to the odors inside the bar. Now the air smelled somewhat astringent. She risked a peek at Nic, who had fallen in step beside her as their footsteps crunched on the sidewalk pavement.
He shot her a side glance. A small smile was playing around his beautiful lips. “Here,” he said, taking off the navy blue sports coat he was wearing. “You’re cold.”
They paused in front of a brightly lit convenience store. Lexie took the coat without hesitation and covered herself with the lingering warmth from his body. She was indeed cold, more used to the Mediterranean climate of her island home. She looked up to thank him and the words died in her throat.
He appeared taller standing close to her. His plain V-neck shirt emphasized his broad shoulders, tapering to narrow hips hugged by denims. His dark hair was a bit longer than she was used to seeing on men, and the edges would have just touched the collar of the coat he had removed. In the reflected fluorescent light from the store, his cheekbones appeared more brutal, his jawline a slash of jagged masculinity. His skin was tanned, almost olive. But the single most arresting thing in his face were his eyes. The contrast of his electric blue eyes with his dark hair and skin was so unexpected Lexie couldn’t stop staring. Again.
And he was staring right back. Lexie’s breathing grew labored. She wanted to break the intensity of the moment, but she could not move. Was loathe to. All she could manage was to bite a corner of her lip and inflict pain on herself so she could snap out of this enchantment. He caught her small movement and his eyes drifted leisurely down to her lips.
“I−I want to thank you,” she found her voice at last. It sounded thin, tremulous. “For what you did back there.”
With seeming reluctance, he tore his gaze from her lips. “There is no need to thank me.” Lexie detected an accent in his deep baritone. Not American.
She dug her hands into the pocket of his coat and avoided his eyes. “I might have incited it.”
She saw his jaw clench and then his answer came out swift and angry. Lexie was startled by the sudden change. ”Don’t make excuses for that twat’s behavior. He was out of line. I’m glad I was able to land several on that arsehole.” Strangely, she was fascinated by this show of volatility. It was such a contrast to the men she came in contact with. Stefan was taciturn. Her male cousins were polite, amiable. Her bodyguards were probably advised not to get too friendly with her.
“Nevertheless, you have my thanks.” Her eyes sought his once more. Dear God, here we go again, she thought, bracing herself for the discomfiting effect he had on her.
At the Royal residence in Seirenada, there was an old tower that had served as the lookout for marauding invaders during the Middle Ages. It was so high that on clear days you could see all the way to neighboring Malta. Lexie was ten when she was deemed capable enough to ascend the hundreds of steps all the way to the summit. Reaching the top, Lexie got her first look out of the open window and gasped in awe at the panorama of the sky, sea, and the hundreds of sienna-colored rooftops that was typical of houses in the principality. She leaned closer and looked all the way down. The sheer drop to the courtyard below made her suddenly dizzy. Her heartbeat started racing in fear but she couldn’t look away. She imagined herself climbing on the ledge and jumping off the window. Stefan’s hand on her shoulder broke the disturbing hold of the yawning chasm. It was the same strange pull she felt looking into Nic’s eyes.
