Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
I hurry my steps until I reach the door, and thankfully when I turn the handle, it silently opens for me. I slip inside undetected, and even in the dimly lit room I can see it’s a library. One that would rival my own, which is saying something.
A soft sound comes from the other side of the room, and it’s almost like singing. There’s a gentle hum in the quiet, and then out of the shadows steps the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. The dazzling blue is her dress, and it twirls as she hums the melody of the music to herself. I’m mesmerized by her every movement as she dances with her eyes closed and sings the song softly.
I could name every person in that ballroom of hundreds of people, but this creature is unknown to me. There’s no way I would have ever seen her before because I wouldn’t have forgotten something so pure and innocent.
My tie feels tight around my neck, and my skin heats as I take a step toward her. There’s an ache in the pit of my stomach like I’ve leapt from a tall building, and there’s nothing under my feet. I don’t blink because I don’t want to miss a moment of her perfection in the moonlight, and yet even as I watch her, it feels like I’m running out of time.
“May I have this dance?” I say before I can stop myself, and the spell is broken.
The beautiful songbird stutters to a stop and gasps in surprise to see me standing there. “I’m sorry. I was—”
“Please.” I cut her off and try to somehow recapture the moment. Taking another step forward, I reach for her hand, and when her petal-soft skin touches mine, there’s a jolt of something familiar. It flows through my veins and heads straight to my soul. “Dance with me,” I manage to say, my voice husky and low.
This close to her perfection is nearly unsettling as I pull her into my arms. Her ice-blue eyes that match her dress perfectly look up at me in wonder.
“Who are you?” She asks the question as she breathes, and it makes it as soft as butterfly wings.
“Prince,” I say, not really thinking about the words coming out of my mouth as I memorize the curve of her full lips.
One hand slips around her waist as the other holds her, and we begin to dance. The library is almost as large as the dance floor, and with it being only the two of us I can easily move her where I want her to go.
“I’m not supposed to be in here,” she whispers to me like we’re sharing secrets. The thought makes my heart beat faster, and I wonder how many secrets I can get her to confess.
“Neither am I,” I agree, and when she smiles, I feel my body temperature rise like I’m standing in front of the sun.
She closes her eyes and begins to hum the same song as before while I lead us around the room. The more we dance, the closer I hold her, and pretty soon her feet are no longer touching the ground.
“Is this real?” she finally asks when I stop moving and look into her eyes. She’s flushed from singing or spinning or just being in my arms, but her hands move to my shoulders, and I feel her fingertips on the nape of my neck.
“If it’s a dream, don’t wake me,” I admit before I bend down and press my lips to hers.
Chapter Five
ELLA
I’m having a hard time believing this is actually happening. It’s too magical to be real. A lot of this day has been like something out of a dream, but when his lips touch mine, my body comes alive in a way I’ve never experienced before. It has to be real. A dream isn’t even this good.
He holds me close, my feet still off the floor. He easily picked me up in his big arms, making me feel small and dainty in his hold. His mouth brushes softly against mine, and all I can do is melt against his touch.
When he first walked in, I was taken aback by the size of him. I caught a glimpse of him across the room earlier, but it’s not like I could have missed him with how tall he was. I could also tell that he was someone important. It was the way people moved around him that made me wonder who he was, but I couldn’t bring myself to approach him. I’d been trying to stay under the radar and not draw attention to myself.
I felt awkward not knowing anyone at the party, and it was intimidating with everyone dressed up and the women being so beautiful. I wanted to shine and have my night, but I quickly realized I’m not used to being in large groups. My stepbrothers have kept me locked away for so long that it was overwhelming. And when I tried to blend in, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I noticed a few men openly staring at me, and when one finally approached to ask my name I hesitated.