Page 6 of Falling for the King

He stopped in front of her, blocking her view of the ballroom and all its activity.

‘What’s wrong? You’re unwell?’

‘New shoes.’ She looked away from him to the offending items lying on the floor. ‘Yes, I should have known better, but I couldn’t resist them and I wanted to support the young local designer who made them especially for me. That, of course, was before I realised they were an instrument of torture,’ she said to the shoes, her voice a little high and unforgivably breathless.

Silence.

She craned her neck daring a glance to find him staring at her, not the stilettos. Giddiness swamped her like she’d drunk a bottle of champagne rather than a single glass.

Xavier crouched in front of her and picked up one of the flimsy silver heels. Katerina pressed further back into the chair, his face in line with hers. He was too close, too everything. Mesmerised she watched his strong hands rub over them. Caressing them. She swallowed. What on earth had been in the champagne?

‘You could have injured yourself. They’re too high, even for you.’

‘It’s not the height. They’re new.’ Defensiveness crept into her tone. He never commented on what she wore, or the height of her shoes. She was sure he never noticed.

He stood up. Her heart skipped a beat. He was so tall, so dark, so everything.

‘Why didn’t you change them during the night, local up-and-coming designer or not? You’ve got a team at your disposal to assist with things like that.’

Because her number one rule at any event was to try and speak to as many people as possible, and shoe changing time was not included.

‘It doesn’t matter. I’m fine. I’ll be okay for tomorrow.’

‘I’m not worried about that. You’re in pain.’ He glared down at her, tension vibrating from the rigid line of his shoulders.

Amazement held Katerina’s tongue. He was angry. Because she was in pain? Her stomach plummeted, or had something happened tonight?

‘You weren’t happy with tonight? Did something go wrong?’

‘What? No.’

‘Is it about the tour?’

‘Of course not.’

Thank goodness. Yet he still towered over her.

‘Then please stop looming over me.’

‘I don’t loom,’ he said testily, although a moment later he sat beside her, his thigh pressed against hers as heat tore through her like all the chandeliers had burst into flame.

Shifting slightly, she put space between them.

‘Why would you think something went wrong? Was something said to upset you?’ he asked.

‘No.’ She shook her head, emphasising her point and trying to clear the muddle that his closeness caused. ‘I wanted tonight to be perfect. I don’t always say the right things, do the right things.’ It was something she would never normally confess, but here with Xavier at the end of the night, with mounting anxiety about tomorrow, her defences were dangerously low.

‘You’re not telling me you’re worried about your behaviour?’

‘I don’t ever want to let down Maynet.’

‘You never have.’

‘That’s not true. I made so many mistakes at first.’

‘You were young and inexperienced. I should’ve arranged for more training before you started your royal duties.’ The ghost of Max appeared between them, he’d thrown her into the deep end and they both knew it. Shy, tongue tied and totally unprepared it had been a mortifying start. One she would never forget nor repeat.

She waved her hand around the ballroom. ‘It doesn’t change the fact that I’m not a natural at any of this, which was a great disappointment to my father.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, she willed them back. She didn’t discuss such things with him. With anybody. ‘Not that I would ever compare this—’ she waved again, ‘—to anything he held in his casinos,’ she felt compelled to add, in case there was any doubt about the alcohol-fuelled parties he’d been famous for.