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“Do you think I’m handsome?” he counters, turning us on the floor.
“That wasn’t my point.”
“The question is still valid.”
I almost sigh, enjoying this bantering more than I should when I look at the time, and my heart starts to race. “I really have to be going.”
“What is it with you and leaving me? Do you truly intend to steal my heart and then just walk away with it?”
I lick my lips, and his eyes follow the movement. “How many women have stolen your heart tonight?”
“Just you,” he lies, but it’s a sweet lie.
“Spin me,” I say, and to my relief, he does. I use the opportunity to break free of the dance and take off, slipping between groups of women as they chatter about who they’d like to be mated with. Knowing that the instant I escape him, that prince will find another woman to bother.
Completely out of Prince Cobar’s sight, I continue my search for Prince Sulien.
“You look like you belong in a museum,” a velvety voice whispers in my ear. I shiver when the man attached to the voice lets his lips brush against my ear.
When I turn around, I’m staring into eyes a color I’ve never seen before. They’re pale and almost completely colorless, but perhaps hold an edge of blue. They rest in the face of a man who is at such odds with Prince Cobar that my mind takes a moment to process it. While Prince Cobar had a sweetness, a softness that was comfortable, this man is all harsh lines. His long, straight, white hair flows down his shoulders, drawing attention to his face, with angles so sharp he could be carved from ice.
A winter fae.
I shiver. They’re known for their coldness. No doubt, this man isn’t any different.
“I’ve never seen a dress quite like yours,” he whispers, leaning in just a little closer to send that cold breath of his over my skin once more.
It takes me a minute to untangle the words from my throat. “Gold seems to be my color.”
“I saw you dancing with Prince Cobar. Are you hoping to be chosen as his mate tonight?” His eyes almost close when his lips lift into an almost-smile, and the icy man slides closer to me.
Oh, so this man is just interested in learning if I have any connection to that prince? Of course.The females here want to marry the princes, and the men want to make connections with them.
I sigh, irritated that I’d lost even more time, distracted by a handsome fae. “Not really. ThemightyPrince Cobar forced me to dance with him. That one’s a pompous asshole, so best of luck to you, whatever you want from him.” He’s beautiful, but still an asshole.
This man’s laughter surprises me, it’s warm in a way nothing else about him is. “You may be the first woman I’ve met who thinks as much about our dear prince.”
“That’s hard to believe. I thought I was going to have to take the hose to that guy to get him to take a hint.”
He smiles, and it softens the harshness of his features. “I would pay to see that.”
“I’d do it for free,” I offer, returning his smile.
“Who are you?” he asks, and although he sounds intrigued, the question makes my stomach turn.
“No one.”
He extends his hand like I’d just said my name, and not knowing what else to do, I take it, feeling a chill when his skin touches mine. We make eye contact, and my breath hitches. When he leans down and kisses my hand, his lips aren’t cold. They’re warm and as soft as I imagined Cobar’s to be.
Warmth spreads through my body. I gasp and pull away, though he doesn't seem to notice.
“Most women are here to meet the princes, not run away from them. Are you sure you’re at the right ball?” He asks, studying me.
“I’m in the right place, but I’m not here to meet any of those asshole princes, especially if Prince Cobar is their representative. He just ruined it for all four of them.”
I try to relax my face. I know it reveals my feelings, but who cares? I’m not here to impress anyone. I have one goal: to set my family up for a better life. These men that are flocking to me because it’s fae mating season are not my concern.
Taking a step back, I try to say something to leave with a little more grace than I had the other man. “I should go.”
