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Silence fell for a few beats, and then she tried to prod an answer out of him. “I still don’t understand why Tristan would suggest you trade places.”
Ray clenched his right fist and drummed it softly against the table. He studied it as he said, “T feels that you’re more comfortable and confident with me. He feels you and I have … better sparks and chemistry, and that the press will eat that up.”
Macey’s heart raced out of control. Tristan had noticed the sparks and chemistry between her and Ray. Had Ray told his brother that he liked her? Ray still wasn’t looking at her, studying his fist and the grains of wood in the table.
“Do you think we have sparks and chemistry?” she asked quietly.
Ray’s gaze darted to hers. His blue eyes sizzled with warmth and desire for her. Macey couldn’t catch a full breath. It was a good thing she was sitting down because liquid heat rushed through her bloodstream and her legs felt like noodles. Ray moistened his lips, and her mind flew back to their kiss. Would they kiss again during the press conference? Would he kiss her right now to confirm their sparks and chemistry were glowing strong?
Leaping to his feet, Ray rushed out the words, “Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be back a little before ten to escort you down.”
He hurried to the door.
“Ray,” Macey gasped out. She stood.
“See you soon.” Ray didn’t stop, didn’t look at her. He pushed the door open and was gone.
Macey stared at the closed door, confused and aching. Was Ray interested in her? She needed to focus on the job like he seemed to be trying to do, but she didn’t want to miss out on Ray.
Brave, bold, and beautiful. Could she be all three at the press conference, but more importantly, once she got Ray alone again?
She was still gun shy from the debacle with Steve and so many other disappointments throughout her life. If she put her feelings out there now, how would she handle it if Ray couldn’t or wouldn’t reciprocate?
Chapter Eight
Ray could not believe he’d let T talk him into switching spots for the press conference. Actually, he could believe it. He’d tortured himself through the night, dreaming of T and Macey standing on the steps of the castle, looking like the most gorgeous couple of the century and beaming with love for each other. Then T had turned Macey toward him and kissed her deeply. Ray had thrown up in his dream and ran away, with the press laughing and taking pictures of him. In real life, he woke up in cold sweats and couldn’t fall back asleep.
Their workout was another form of torture as he watched Macey on the elliptical and then using free weights and body weight to exercise the toned muscles in her legs. He only wanted to run across the gym and talk to her, lift weights with her, touch her hand, make her laugh, nothing crazy, but just be close to her shining light. He’d held himself strictly aloof and was half-proud and half-disappointed about it.
After Macey left, T had given him a knowing look, waited about twenty minutes, and then casually suggested they switch places for the press conference. Ray had argued with him, intent on not falling deeper for Macey. He’d only conceded because T would be safer. That was what he told himself and his brother, at least. T hadn’t cajoled Ray into admitting how drawn he was to Macey, but his twin had that look in his eyes, the one that said he was getting his way and was smugly thrilled about it. Ray had pretended he hadn’t seen it.
Rapping on his own bedroom door, Ray shifted his weight and smoothed his tie. He could easily pull this off with the press. He and T had switched places all the time growing up. As adults, they did it occasionally to lighten the load of future king and military leader of their country. They usually placed bets on whether they could pull the farce off.
Macey pulled the door open. Even though he’d seen her an hour ago when he brought her breakfast, he was struck dumb by her beauty in the flirty yet classy floral dress. Those deep-brown eyes framed with long lashes made him wish he’d studied poetry more diligently in school.
Could he make her laugh today? Yesterday felt like a surreal dream already. Today he wasn’t letting his guard down and admitting to anybody how stirred up he was. Yet he got to pretend to be engaged to Macey in front of a lot of people with cameras rolling.
Ray had never been overly bothered by the press, except the ones who’d become obnoxious when his mum had died, claiming loudly that she’d committed suicide. Today the press were his best friends. They were making it possible for him to take part in the fake engagement.
“Bonjour, ma chérie, vous êtes resplendissante aujourd’hui.” He bowed to her and extended his hand like he was some medieval prince.
Macey giggled softly and squeezed his hand. “I’m not even sure what that means, but I like it.”
He lit up and kissed the back of her hand, savoring the warm, soft skin and wishing he dared go for her lips again. She pulled in a quick breath, and he straightened and stared at her. Her lips parted. Unable to resist, he framed her waist with his palm, stepping in and brushing against her. He’d promised himself he’d stay in control around her. Right now, he was playing T’s role, which meant he had the privilege of pretending to be smitten with her. He wasn’t pretending at all.
Without stopping to think, he bent down to claim her lips with his.
T burst out of his suite, wearing Ray’s black dress military uniform. “You two practicing already?”
“I’ll practice using him as a punching bag,” Ray muttered under his breath.
Macey laughed. Ray softened immediately and savored her laughter. He wrapped his hand around her waist and escorted her down the hall.
T stopped them and held up a ring. The ring. Mum’s ring.
Ray’s stomach turned over. Of course she needed to wear it. But did she?
He couldn’t peel his gaze from the four-karat diamond. It was a round, brilliant-cut diamond with a pink hue, set in a classic gold band. Every queen in the past two centuries had worn this relic. It had been blessed by a priest and was thought to have ended the ‘suicide curse.’
