The Prince's Devious Proposal - Holly Rayner Page 0,9

does work live.”

“Yes,” she said, realizing she needed to say more. “It went really well. Everybody loved it.”

She couldn’t articulate to him what it had felt like to sit and listen to a handsome man sing her words to her. That was a wholly unique experience. Even in the days when her fans had been numerous, she had never experienced anything remotely like it.

But she wished she could tell him. She wished she could express how special it had been, and how much it had meant to her. She wished there was some way to let him know.

They finished their second drinks. By the time her glass was empty, Naomi felt pleasantly dizzy, wrapped in a comfortable fog. The night had been more enjoyable than she ever could have imagined, and she was very glad that she had convinced herself to follow up on the mysterious message. It was like going on vacation, stepping out of her dull life this way. It was like a journey to the happiest time in her life.

She allowed Petr to walk her home, something she ordinarily wouldn’t have done. She didn’t like letting her fans have her home address. It was common knowledge that doing so was inviting stalkers and other unpleasant people to get in contact.

But this didn’t really feel like a meeting with a fan anymore. It felt like Petr was a completely different kind of admirer.

She had told herself again and again that tonight was not a date. But as they came to a stop outside the front door of her condo, she found herself reevaluating that assessment.

Perhaps it had been a date after all.

“Will I have the chance to see you again?” Petr asked, confirming her thoughts. That wasn’t something a fan would ask. That was a question a man would ask after a date.

And Naomi found herself wanting to say yes.

“You have my number now,” she told him. “Next time, you can give me a call.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” he said. “Tonight was very special.”

“It really was,” Naomi said. “I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you, Petr.”

“Thank you,” he said, embracing her briefly. He let her go, lifted a hand in farewell, and turned and walked away.

Naomi let herself inside and tossed her purse down on the table, heading to the kitchen for a glass of water in hopes of forestalling any potential hangover.

It wasn’t until she had brushed her teeth and changed out of her dress into her pajamas that she realized the extent to which the night had been all about her.

He didn’t even tell me what country he comes from, she realized. He just said “Europe.”

Oh well. It didn’t matter. She would get her chance to ask him all the questions she wanted the answers to when they met up again.

A thrill of excitement ran through her as she got into bed, thinking about another date with Petr. Naomi felt alive when she was with him. And the fact that he was devastatingly handsome didn’t hurt either.

Chapter 4

Her phone rang three days later.

Naomi recognized the number before she answered it. She hadn’t allowed herself to program Petr’s number into her phone—that had felt too much like setting herself up for disappointment—but she hadn’t been able to help herself from memorizing the number. The moment it flashed on the screen, her heart skipped a beat.

Finally, she managed to answer, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Hello?”

“Is this the beautiful and talented Naomi West?” his familiar, accented voice asked. “How are you? It’s Petr.”

She hadn’t stopped thinking about him, but she forced herself to sound casual as she responded. “It’s nice to hear from you. How have you been?”

“Great!” Petr said. “I’ve been thinking about you, to tell you the truth. I was hoping you would join me for another fun evening.”

“What were you thinking?” Naomi asked, pacing around her living room to try and calm her excitement.

“How about dinner?” he suggested. “I’d love to take you to the Lobster Claw.”

Her heart beat faster. The lobster claw was a fine-dining establishment. Her parents had taken her there a few times in her youth—Naomi’s family had been wealthy—but she hadn’t been able to afford it since she’d become an adult. It was incredibly pricey.

And incredibly delicious.

Petr seemed to hear her hesitation. “Dinner would be on me, of course,” he said.

“I can’t let you do that,” she protested. “You paid for drinks the other night.”

“Of course you can let me,” he said.