Maid For You 2

Chapter 50

His eyebrows drew together remorsefully, and he broke our eye contact and cast his gaze downward. "I'm sorry, Cassie. I—I just panicked."

"Panicked?" I asked.

"And then," he continued, brushing over a proper answer. "And then you chose Prince Nikolas. Over me." He didn't sound angry anymore, just hurt. Of course, I had connected the dots—the matching clothes, the haircut, his assumption that we would talk at dinner. He had expected me to choose him. He had prepared for it.

"I had to," I said. "You wouldn't even look at me."

"That was wrong of me."

"It was." A twirl. "I wanted to choose you, don't you know?"

A sparkle of hope in his eye, a slight smile on his lips. "You really did?"

I said nothing for a moment, before surrendering, "Of course I did. Who else would I have chosen?"

The smile that had been toying at his lips grew on his face. "Oh Cassie, I wish you had."

But I didn't smile back. "I wish you hadn't ignored me, Coleman. I wish you hadn't told everyone that I was a maid."

His smile dropped, and again he cast his eyes downward. "I just—I never know with you. I was worried you would choose someone else."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told everyone you were a maid because, because—" Coleman looked ashamed. He didn't finish his sentence, but I could presume his meaning.

"You still shouldn't have done that," I said, though my chastisement lacked any strong conviction.

"I know. And I am so sorry."

I could have hounded him on it more, but I didn't. Perhaps it was the delirium of his close proximity, but at that moment I didn't care that he told everyone I was a maid. I didn't care because I didn't care about any of them.

"I've missed you," he told me. "First your bedrest and then you had to serve Nikolas. It's been boring."

"You managed without me for a long time, you know," I answered.

"I did have to manage without you for a long time." And perhaps this dance was emboldening Prince Coleman as well, because he leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "why do you think I was so determined to keep you on?"

My heart pounded against my ribcage, I tried breathing correctly. "Coleman, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," his deep voice tickled my ear, sent shivers down my spine.

"Saying nothing? That's not really my style," I answered quietly.

He pulled away from my face much to my disappointment, but I was met with a grin. "No, it's really isn't," he said, looking at me with admiration.

"Why are you telling me all these things now?" I asked.

He didn't answer for a few beats. "I don't know."

His face was close to mine, I could feel his breath and his gaze. And despite my prior comment about my incessant need to speak, I suddenly found that I didn't need to say anything, I didn't need to press him for further explanation. Coleman and I just danced, the sparks flying between us, our chemistry palpable. I was certain that the only thing keeping us from kissing each other was the gaze of hundreds of people upon us. We knew our dance was center stage, we knew everyone was watching us, but it was like they were there and they also weren't. We were aware enough to know that we had an audience, that we couldn't do whatever we liked, and yet it was just Coleman and I.