His fingers threaded through her hair. That’s how Reid is now.
Lilac’s lips slowly curved into a smile. I get it now.
Around them, the large crowd of paparazzi was snapping photos like crazy, having gone wild the moment they saw the exchange of sweet and tender gestures between the famous couple.
Upon reaching the end of the red carpet, the four of them momentarily posed against the photo wall and Fawn had to consciously dig her feet into the ground so she wouldn’t be tempted to run away.
Oh, the things I do to make you happy, prince.
The noise of the crowd was effectively muted when they finally made it inside the hotel’s palatial lobby, and Fawn breathed a sigh of relief.
Lilac squeezed her arm, saying reassuringly, “You’ll g-get used to it sooner or later.”
“I really hope so,” Fawn said feelingly. Because right now, that walk on the red carpet felt very much like the green mile to her.
Getting into the elevator that would take them to the ballroom, Fawn found her nervousness returning and she fought against the urge to start biting her nails. In an effort to distract herself, she blurted out, “You guys are so awesomely good at the silent communication thing.”
“I can’t explain it actually,” Nathan remarked thoughtfully. “But the more time you spend with them, the noisier their non-verbal thing gets.”
Despite herself, Fawn couldn’t help smiling at Nathan’s insightful words, saying, “I kinda get what you mean.” When she saw the couple looking at each other, her smile widened. “And they’re doing it again—-”
Fawn’s words had Lilac letting out a dismayed gasp, and her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink as she stammered, “S-sorry.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Fawn protested hastily. “I wasn’t complaining or anything—-”
“I was,” Nathan inserted.
“We don’t care,” Nick retorted.
“It’s actually quite fun,” Fawn continued earnestly, “trying to guess what you guys were talking about.”
Nathan raised a brow. “Eavesdropping on a silent conversation?”
Nick coughed to cover his amusement while Lilac cleared her throat.
Fawn made a face. “I can see you guys don’t believe me, but I really think I had the conversation figured out.”
“Let us hear it then,” Nick invited.
Nick’s lips curve in amusement. They can’t get enough of us, can they?
Lilac beams. I know, right? What do you think about starting a reality TV show?
Nick’s arms tighten around her waist. That idea has merit, but you know how competitive I get, don’t you? If we push through with it, I want it to be #1.
Lilac bites her lip. Are you saying you want to go against the Kardashians?
Nick nods. Hell yeah. I’ll even get the other guys to do it with us, so we get to offer multiple storylines.
Lilac sighs worriedly. And do you think that’s going to be enough? I don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t work.
Pulling her closer, Nick places a kiss on her forehead. Have a bit more faith in us, sweetheart. We’re all a hot commodity. His fingers thread through her hair. I can see it now, making it to number one.
Lilac finally smiles. You’re right. There’s nothing to worry about, and I even have the name for it.
“The show would be named Greeking it Up with the Billionaire Barbarians,” Fawn finished triumphantly.
As Nick and Lilac slowly looked at each other, Nathan said dryly, “Even I can read what Nick and Lilac’s thinking now.”
“The last one’s purely just to rhyme with Kardashian,” Fawn was saying at the same time, “but it can be—-” She broke off at the former supermodel’s words. “What?”
The prince’s friends burst into laughter.
Her face fell. “So I got it wrong?”
“Completely,” Nick confirmed bluntly.
“What? But I was so sure—-” Fawn’s voice trailed off as the elevator chimed upon reaching its destination. The doors slowly slid open, revealing a ballroom decorated in crystals and black silk.
And just like that, she was back in the prince’s world.
Men, women, the guests, and even the servers – everyone around them glittered, their faces and bodies painted with golden streaks coming from the ballroom’s incandescent lighting. It was like the sun had been seduced into an evening of darkness, and of course the only one that could have made it happen was—-
Across a ballroom that had hundreds of people, what should have been impossible happened.
Brown eyes met green.
Her gaze swept over him in a rush, Fawn wanting to absorb every little thing about him. He looked so, so beautiful-—
Formal pants that hinted of the impressive strength of his long, muscular