AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Conversely, those were not the reasons he called her princess. He did it because of her reaction when he did so. The way her skin would flush, just a bit, with the slightest hint of pink staining her cheeks. She could deny it all she wanted, but her body didn’t lie. She wanted to be someone’s princess. Maybe not his. Probably not his.
Even so, he hoped she found that one day, a man who would treat her the way she deserved to be treated.
She was still looking at him with fire in her eyes. Damn. He’d been told redheads were like that. He’d been under themistaken assumption the effect would be lessened with her lighter strawberry blonde hue.
“I understand completely, princess,” he said. “You are nothing like your father.”
“Thank God,” Fulton whispered under his breath. Andie punched his arm.
“And I’m not either,” Terrence continued. “So even though it goes against my typical nature to do such things in private, and because I was asked and my attendance could impact the outcome in a good way, I’ll do it.”
Andie and Ronnie spoke at the same time.
“You will?”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Terrence nodded and looked across the table to Fulton and Andie. “I can count on the two of you to tell me what I need to do?”
“Of course,” Fulton hastened to reply while Andie sat by his side, a knowing grin on her face. A grin that made Terrence bite back a groan.
“Veronica?” Andie asked in a voice he recognized at once.
“Yes?” Ronnie turned her attention back to Andie. Terrence braced himself for what would come next. Ronnie, having only known Andie for a few weeks, had no idea what was coming. To be fair, no one other than Andie knew exactly what she was thinking. But the look and the voice spoke of a deviousness no one expected from down-to-earth Andie. Even Fulton had a wary expression.
“You mentioned a few days ago that you took dance,” Andie said. “There are a few girls who need help with their routines. Would you mind lending a hand?”
Terrence swallowed his laugh and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cackling as Andie’s trap locked itself firmly around Ronnie.
Having just handed Terrence his ass about not helping when called upon, Ronnie had no leg to stand on to turn the request down.
“Of course I wouldn’t mind,” Ronnie said, though it was obvious she’d rather be boiled alive.
“Excellent,” Andie said as if she hadn’t known from the start exactly what the outcome would be. “Thank you both so much. This is going to mean the world to the kids and will help the fundraiser more than you’ll ever know.” She stood up and stood before her husband, smiling. “See? I told you it wasn’t a big deal and that we would work something out.”
“Woman, you scare me.” Fulton pulled her into his lap. “And it fucking turns me on.”
It wasn’t until Fulton captured his wife’s lips in a kiss much too passionate for any dinner table—except, perhaps, for one at a BDSM academy—that Terrence remembered the couple swing dancing at their wedding.
Chapter 12
VERONICA
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think Andie and Fulton were trying to set us up,” Veronica told Terrence the following Saturday morning as they headed toward the children’s home for their first practice session with the kids.
Terrence snorted, and she turned her head to look at him. They were in Andie’s car with Terrence driving while she sat in the passenger seat.
“I do know better,” Terrence said. “And I can tell you with near 100 percent certainty that they are trying to set us up. Why do you think they asked us to help in the first place?”
“You’re kidding, right?” she asked. Why would Andie, or Fulton for that matter, try to fix her up with Terrence? Hadn’t she been clear in their conversations that, one, she wasn’t looking for a relationship, and two, if she was, it wouldn’t be Terrence? And even if she wanted both a relationship and Terrence, it still wouldn’t happen because, three, she wasn’t a submissive anymore?
“I wish I was,” Terrence said. “But for some reason they have it in their heads, or at least Andie does, that Lennox somehow has this master plan of the two of us getting together.”
“How could that possibly be the case? I’ve never met Lennox MacLure.”
“Hell if I know.” He gave a not-quite laugh. “I gave up trying to understand Andie a long time ago. I don’t know about Fulton, but if I had to guess, I’d say he’s going along with her because he’s learned to pick his battles and this isn’t one he’s going to fight.”
She wasn’t able to decipher what emotion she heard in his voice when he spoke of Andie. It didn’t sound like sadness. Maybe regret? Curious stuff, but not her business at all, so she let the subject drop.
