Secrets of a Prince (The Princes of New Sargasso #3) - Carol Moncado Page 0,4

hour, they talked all things Trilunium, their reservations slipping away as their glasses emptied then refilled then emptied again. And again. And again. And all the way through a second bottle.

“I should be going,” he finally told her.

Minnie held out a hand so he could help her up. “Would you do me a favor first?”

“Sure.”

She turned around. “I’m not asking for you to take anything off, but would you at least start it for me? I can’t quite reach it, and I’d rather not have to call for assistance.”

A tear slid down her cheek as his fingers brushed against the skin of her upper back, then lower as he undid most of the fastenings holding the two sides together.

“How’s that?” His husky whisper caused her stomach to flip.

She turned, and before he had the chance to move away, kissed him.

Joss stared out the window of the vehicle being driven by his furious security detail.

I know you’re Joss.

The words, whispered in the dark, by a woman whose head rested on his bare shoulder, had shocked him into sobriety.

When she slept a few moments later, he’d quietly gathered his things, dressed, and left.

Reaching the lobby, he’d turned his phone back on and found his security team. His father would surely have a lecture waiting for him when he returned home.

Or did they suspect he’d been with Lady Waterford the whole time and were simply mad he hadn’t told them he’d be in her suite?

When they reached the palace, his father wasn’t waiting as Joss expected. Instead, he was able to go straight to his apartment without seeing anyone.

Waking up late the next morning, Joss expected to find dozens of text messages - from his parents, the PR team, his brother, but mostly from Lady Waterford.

Instead, he had none.

For the rest of the day, and the year, he went on as though nothing happened that night, though it was seldom far from his mind.

He didn’t even tell Caleb.

Or see Lady Waterford.

Rosie went with his family to San Majoria to attend his brother David’s wedding to Princess Jacqueline Grace.

Rosie joined them for Christmas as well. It was there, when Joss was caught under the mistletoe with her, that Rosie discovered Caleb had pulled the twin switch.

She’d left in a hurry, but something changed when Caleb went after her the next day. Rosie was now planning Gideon and Kari’s wedding, as well as the queen’s birthday party.

Caleb even asked if Joss wanted to find a date for New Year’s Eve and go to a Trilunium-themed party with him and Rosie.

He declined.

Joshua already had a ticket to the party, but he wouldn’t be going as a VIP. No, he’d wear his common thief costume and hang out on the main floor with a mask covering two-thirds of his face.

He drove himself to the venue in a car used for just such occasions - ones where he needed to remain incognito. The 2001 Toyota Corolla was dinged and battered, while also having been updated to be even safer.

His security team followed behind. Caleb would be in the VIP balcony. His brother’s security team knew Joss would be on the floor. Anyone else watching would think there was extra security for his brother.

As he walked in and looked around, Joss saw several people he knew by costume alone. To his knowledge, none of them knew who he was.

His eyes narrowed as one of the women laughed.

He knew that laugh.

And not just because he’d spoken with her while she wore a female thief costume one time either.

Joshua walked up to the small group where she stood.

“Minerva, right?” He held out a hand toward her. “The Dragon’s Blood Thief.”

She inclined her head his direction. “You are correct.” Her head tilted to the side. “Thief of Muldoon?”

“Correct.” He extended an elbow to her. She accepted, allowing him to escort her away from the small group she’d been talking with. He pulled her off to the side. “However, I do believe the Queen Anne dress was more your normal style.”

She stopped in her tracks.

Joss looked at her, surprised by the scared look in her eyes and the near-mortification he saw on the uncovered portion of her face.

“You know who I am?” she whispered.

“Relax.” He covered her hand with his own where it still rested in his elbow. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Why should I believe you?”

He lowered his voice even further. “Because the last time I saw you, you were asleep, and we never had a chance to talk about what happened that