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Ellery couldn’t even afford to buy a bar of Lindt chocolate for a special treat.
They stopped at his car. He turned to her, and the look in his eyes was inspiring and terrifying at the same time. Whatever he wanted to ask her … he wouldn’t take her standard no for an answer. Her heart raced out of control, and she clasped her hands together.
“Everybody believes you and I are a couple.”
It was a statement, but she still felt the need to treat it like a question. “Of course the show encourages the rumors to up ratings. Don’t let them get in your head and stress you out. You’re better than that,” she teased.
His blue eyes were piercing. He took a step toward her, and he didn’t take up the tease.
Ellery backed up, unfortunately running into his car with her lower back and legs and setting off the alarm. She jumped.
Derek pushed the button to silence the car and dropped his keys back into his pocket. Then he stepped closer again, resting his palm behind her on the car’s hood. His body brushed against hers, and the summer evening had nothing on the heat inside her.
She glanced around, needing an out. His security guards looked to be nonchalantly chatting as they ambled past them. They’d be back. The rest of the area was too quiet. Where were Jason and Presley? Had he set this up with them to give him a minute to ask his question?
Looking back at him, she went weak in the knees at his blue eyes hyper-focused on her.
“I am stressed about it,” he said in that lyrical accent, deep and smooth and mouth-watering. “Stressed about us dating, actually.”
How could she say no to that smile?
He held up his free hand. “Before you say no about agreeing to date me, when regrettably you’ve never even agreed to dinner …”
His smile was charming. She should’ve escaped, but she didn’t want to.
“I want to ask you something.” He paused, and she nodded, leaning against his overpriced car for support. “Are we friends?”
“Yes,” she managed.
“Can I ask a favor of you, as a friend?”
He knew she wouldn’t agree to dating, even if he had no clue what her reasons were.
“Yes.” She sighed dramatically. “I’ll drive your Bugatti … if you insist.” She held out her hand for the keys.
He barked out a surprised laugh and quickly fished the keys out of his pocket, placing them in her hand and wrapping his hand around hers. “I insist. Where are we going on a drive?”
She shook her head. She should’ve realized he would react like that. “I was teasing.” She dropped the keys back into his palm and yanked her hand back. They were so close. She wanted to wrap her hand around the one he’d held and somehow preserve that feeling. “I don’t have a driver’s license.”
His eyes widened. “You don’t … why?”
She shrugged, her defenses rising. Who would’ve taught her how to drive, and who would’ve paid for the fees? If she was in dire straits now, throughout her childhood and teenage years she’d lived in abject poverty.
“Public transportation or my own legs work just fine,” she said shortly, hating that she was short with him when he was always so kind to her. “Now what favor do you need? I have to get home before it’s dark.”
“Let me drive you home.”
“No,” she all but growled at him. This Bugatti in her neighborhood? Laughable. His car would be hauled off to the black market or stripped and sold piecemeal before even his tough security guards could intervene. “Please ask this all-important favor so I can get my run in.” She couldn’t say yes to him. Why was she encouraging him to ask?
“I don’t think you need one more run,” he said softly, searching her face. He was such a gentleman. She’d never caught him checking out her body, or anybody else’s for that matter. So impressive.
“When I’m the champion and you’re merely the top men’s finisher, then you can tell me not to get an extra run in.” She gave him a saucy stare.
He smiled and shook his head.
“What’s the favor, Derek?”
She loved saying his name, and from the way his blue eyes lit up, he liked it too. She loved that she was comfortable enough she didn’t have to call him Prince Derek. That a wealthy prince was pressed against her and she was pressed against his millions-of-dollars car blew her mind.
