AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was speechless.
When we arrived at the face painting, Oliver released my hand, excusing himself for a quick chat with an employee. The man’s eyes widened as he nodded enthusiastically, pointing to the lone face-painting station that was open among the five.
Curiosity piqued, I settled into the chair in the corner of the tent and waited, watching as Oliver rejoined me.
“What did you tell him?” I inquired.
Oliver shrugged with a mischievous grin. “The truth. I told him I was Prince Oliver, and in exchange for keeping it a secret and letting me paint you, I promised him a tour of the royal palace.”
“Huh,” I said. “That was easy. Are you sure the queen won’t mind?”
“No—we do tours occasionally,” Oliver said. “The real challenge will be keeping my focus while painting you.” He grabbed a paintbrush and dipped it into a vibrant blue.
“What are you going to draw?” I asked.
Oliver’s grin widened. “You’ll see.”
As Oliver began to paint, the atmosphere turned suddenly more intimate than I could have ever imagined, considering we were in public. Each stroke of the brush on my skin sent shivers down my spine. His gentle touch awakened senses in me I thought were long dead. Even our conversation became more intimate when he brought up the unfinished portrait session at the palace.
“I wanted to kiss you,” he admitted in a whisper as his gaze met mine. “More than you can imagine.”
I felt a surge of courage, and I said, “Me, too.”
The air between us crackled with unspoken tension. As he continued to paint, the brush glided across my skin, and a magnetic force seemed to pull us closer.
It was impossible to ignore our chemistry.
I finally broke the charged silence.
“What are we going to do about our . . . situation?”
Oliver paused, eyes locked onto mine, and countered with a playful smirk, “What would normal people do?”
“I may be normal, but you are far from it,” I replied, meeting his gaze with a teasing glint. “You’re the prince of Verdana, engaged to Princess Veronica. I don’t see any logical way for us to explore our feelings.”
His eyes softened, and he met my gaze with sincerity. “What if I weren’t marrying her? Would you want to explore this?”
I nodded, feeling my heartbeat quicken. “Yes. Without a doubt.”
“Good,” Oliver said. “That’s all I need to know.”
The silence that followed only amplified our connection, the bond between us growing stronger with every passing second.
A minute later, Oliver finally said, “I’ve finished painting your face. Take a peek.”
Turning to the mirror, I was greeted by a romantic masterpiece. Delicate swirls of blue intertwined with soft pink hearts adorned my cheeks, chin, and nose. An intricate pattern mirrored the connection we were both discovering.
“I love it,” I said, admiring the art. “How long can I keep this on my face?”
Oliver’s smile faltered. “Didn’t I tell you? It’s permanent.”
I snorted, then stood. “Very funny.”
“One moment—we need a selfie.” He pulled out his phone and held it in front of us. I smiled, and he took a couple of photos.
As we were exiting the face-painting booth, Oliver pointed to the ride across the way. “I think that right there should be our next adventure. Are you up for it?”
I glanced over at the Tunnel of Love.
