Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
"I shouldn't have said those words."
And now, he was even elaborating on his apology?
"Is something wrong?" she finally asked. "You're only nice like this for a reason—-"
"And I thought I taught you better," Sword countered, "about looking at gift horses in the mouth."
Lily grimaced. He had taught her better about that, and she really hated it when he was able to get the last word like that.
"Fine," she grumbled. "You win. And I'm sorry, too," she added reluctantly.
"For trying to chop my toe off with your stiletto?"
"You deserved it, and—-" Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "Be honest with me, will you? Am I really dressed like a slut?"
Sword's gorgeous face became impassive.
"Am I?"
"No."
"Then why did you say it?" she demanded.
Because I'm jealous.
The words seemed to pop out from nowhere, but the moment they did...
Fuck.
Sword realized it was true.
He had been jealous. Fucking out of mind with it. He had taken one look at Lily, and a part of him had known right away a man had something to do with her new appearance.
Another man, to be specific, and it was this thought that had made him temporarily insane and say something he still deeply regretted, even now.
Lily was just about to take a sip of her wine when she noticed the way Sword's dark gaze had suddenly narrowed on her.
"How about you answer my question for a change?" Sword asked silkily.
"Nope—-"
But it was as if he didn't even hear her, with Sword going on to ask bluntly, "What's behind the sudden change of image?"
Lily bit the inside of her cheek. Shit. Just like how Sword himself had always warned her, Lily had this incurably bad habit of not quitting while she was ahead. She should've just accepted his apology earlier and moved on, but since she hadn't...
"I thought it was time I had a life outside the company," Lily heard herself declare airly. "And on that note..." She took a deep breath to prepare herself. Get ready, Lil. She reached for his hand, and just like the many times they had accidentally (and sometimes, not-so-accidentally) touched over the years, the contact between them was explosive.
It was always explosive, and it was what she had prepared herself for, and why she managed to keep her reaction in check as she placed her fingers over his.
But unlike before...
It was no longer one-sided.
She could see it in the way his nostrils flared and his big, hard body stiffened ever so slightly.
For the first time in years, Sword had actually felt something.
But...
It's too late, Lily told herself.
Too late, Lil!
Too late!
And so she forced herself to continue with her plan, her fingers over his fingers until...
What the hell?
Sword glanced down at the wine glass she had made him hold, and when he glanced back at Lily, she was already walking back to the dance floor - and away from him.
ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T yet midnight, Lily felt like hanging up her Cinderella stilettos for good. If she wasn't mistaken, she had danced with over thirty frogs tonight, and yet not a single one had been able to make her want to exchange numbers.
But even so...
We're not going to give up, are we, Lil?
Today was just Day 1 of the cruise, and she had three weeks to find herself a prince. It would be stupid to feel panicky or defeated just because of one failed attempt. She would just have to try again tomorrow. But for now...
Work it is, Lily thought as she made her way to the two-bedroom suite that served as Ball World Inc's headquarters for the duration of the trip.
After swiping her card, Lily was surprised to find the lights still on, and even more surprised to find it occupied by...
"Sword?"
He was still in his tux, and he even had his glasses on. She would have thought him incredibly dedicated to work...if not for the fact that projected on the blank wall...was a hastily paused game of Dr. Mario.
The sound of Lily's laughter had a crooked smile tugging the corner of Sword's lip.
"Seriously?"
Sword only smirked. Her incredulous tone was convincing, he'd give her that. But the way her eyes had lit up told him she was just as eager to play, and he only had to gesture to the seat next to him...
Lily was in it in a flash, and it was Sword's turn to laugh.
"What are we betting on this time?" Lily asked as she worked on connecting her phone to its own projector via Bluetooth.
"How about we make it interesting..."
"Sure." Lily was just so happy, knowing Sword wasn't fucking someone else, that she'd be happy to agree to anything—-
"With our clothes on the line?"
—-or at least anything but that.
Sword saw Lily's iPhone slip out of her hold and bent down to catch it. When he straightened up to hand it back, he saw that she was still staring at him in wide-eyed shock.