“No,” Nicholas said.

Julian, still bowing, shot him a glare. “I wasn’t asking you, brother. In case that wasn’t obvious.”

1

“She will not dance with you, because she is about to dance with me.” Nicholas said.

Julian straightened upright. “Is that what was happening here? Because, to me, it appeared as if you two were awkwardly standing near each other and only barely talking.”

That description didn’t sound so different from some of the royal dances I knew, but I decided not to

point that out.

“Even if we were only talking, you must admit how exceedingly rude it is to interrupt,” Nicholas said.

“Rude, maybe,” Julian said. “But necessary, if I’m to save Piper from an evening of boredom.”

“Perhaps we should ask the lady to choose for herself,” Nicholas said. He looked at me.

Julian did too. “Well, Piper? Which of us will it be?”

of his presence. I’d given him quite the shock tonight, I was sure, with revelation after revelation. I wanted to make

glanced out over the room, I felt two pairs of eyes pressing down onto me. One pair belonged to Linda, who downed an entire champagne flute while glaring at me. The other pair was

The King v

wore no expression, but a chill struck through me under the intensity

Linda’s ultimatum.

way. So I held out

he clasped my hand in both of

just stared a moment, a touch of surprise

brother.” Julian’s grin sharpened. “Wouldn’t want the whole room to see

jealous you are.”

schooled his features. “I’m not

sunk a bit at the words, even though it had no real reason to. Nicholas and I did not belong

jealous, and I had

me out onto the dance floor. As he held my hand

was a faster song, though the steps were simple. I was able to keep up fairly easily. With Julian twirling me around the dance floor, I noticed Linda and the King had

watched Julian and me with an unreadable expression. His eyes never left us for long, even

I braced myself for whatever observation he was about to make. “You and Nicholas disappear for a time. Then when you return, he

thickly. “I don’t know what you

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