a giant sapphire ring. It’s square, set in platinum with hundreds of diamonds encrusted around the sapphire’s border.
“This was my mum’s. Please don’t lose it.”
I gape at it. “Liam, I can’t. I shouldn’t wear it.”
“You’re my fiancée. You must.” He slides it on my ring finger, and as he does I feel a leap in my chest. I know the feeling is fake, but still. It’s a beautiful ring.
“I can’t wait to bring you out there.”
For a moment his smile makes me glow until I think about the crowd waiting for me outside. He folds his arm around mine, leading me toward the door.
“I can’t do this, Liam. I’m not a princess—I can’t even curtsy.”
He laughs. “Ah, fuck. That will be a problem when you meet the king. Just do your best, love. People will find it endearing. You’ll be the lovable but extremely ignorant Yankee.”
“You are seriously the most annoying person I’ve ever met.”
Liam pulls me close to his side. “You’ll have to ease up on the insults at the ball, love.”
Luv.
“Only if you ease up on that goddamn word.”
“Never.” He digs his phone out of his pocket, and his Instagram flashes on the screen. “We should take a selfie.”
“What? Why?”
He thumbs through the screen. “My followers will find it extremely odd if I get suddenly married without ever taking a picture of my girl.”
“God forbid your followers get suspicious of our marriage.”
My face scowls at me as Liam aims his phone at us. Then suddenly his husky voice is in my ear. “Kiss me for the camera.”
“We don’t need to kiss.”
“Embrace your inner goddess, or whatever the fuck you Americans call it.”
Did he read Fifty Shades?
He touches the back of my neck, as he grazes his lips over my cheek. God, it’s like a live wire to my skin the way my body responds to him. I feel his hand, so warmth against my back. His fingertips drag over me in tantalizing circles, and I turn into his arms. My skin flares with heat when his lips press against my neck. Once. Twice.
Desire ripples over my body like a lover’s hands, palming every curve. My body responds as though he is groping my tits, squeezing. It’s almost like a finger sinking into my pussy, and my breath catches at the shock of it. I’m not supposed to feel—I’m not supposed to want him.
He takes my jaw, his breath gusting over my lips. My heart feels like it’s bursting, literally leaping out of my chest. I can’t. I can’t. His taste billows over my tongue, and then his lips crash over mine. Every movement seems to last a century. I suck in breath, but he digs his fingers in my hair, crushing me against him.
Before I know what I’m doing, my hands fly to his neck and I’m ruining his princely hair, and grinding my hips against his as I kiss him back. It feels way too fucking good. Then his hand falls and he grabs my ass. That feels good too.
What about Ben?
Just like that, desire turns to ash in my mouth. Liam’s chest strains against my palm as I push him back, breaking the kiss. He’s breathing hard.
“I could fuck you right now. You are unbelievably sexy.”
A smile twitches across his face as I notice the growing hardness against my thigh. God, it would be so easy to give in. Turn around, bend over, and let him enter me. Guilt’s tendrils wrap around my heart, squeezing slightly.
“I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Yes you did. You’re sexually frustrated and you’ve been pent-up for days. And I’m ridiculously hot.”
He takes my hand, invading my space, and places it over a hard mound. I wrap my fingers around it instinctively and feel a jump. Oh Christ. He’s making me touch his cock.
“I’m ready for you. Let me fuck the shit out of you. I want you while you’re wearing this dress.”
I imagine him flipping the dress over my back, peeling my underwear down my thighs, and that swift, hard pressure between my legs making me gasp.
“We have a ball to get to.”
He grins. “Afterward, then.”
“No.”
Liam rolls his eyes at me as he raises his phone again. My hands are wrapped around his neck in the photo. Our lips are locked together. Jesus, I’m practically mauling him.
“That won’t do for the Instagram, but I’m saving it. Let’s take another one. Please try to control yourself this time.”
“Dick.”
“Not now, darling. Later.”
He kisses me again, holding the camera high. I try to ignore