Chapter l156

Chapter 0156

His gaze sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. Blushing slightly, I glanced away from him and toward the cameras instead. Their presence reminded me of where I was and what Julian had just asked me.

I cleared my throat. To Julian, I said, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

He laughed.

Ten minutes later, Julian held out his hand, “Will you dance with me, Piper?”

I knew he was up to something, but with the cameras watching, I couldn’t refuse.

I placed my hand in his. He closed his fingers around mine, and tugged me closer to the pianoforte.

Then he pulled me into his arms.

At the same time, Nicholas led Lilliana to dance as well. They held each other stiffly and at a

respectable distance. The moved with formal, stilted steps.

Julian placed my hand on his chest, and Nicholas nearly tripped over his own feet. Yet he immediately

righted himself and continued dancing.

Julian smiled, but it wasn’t quite as cutting as it had earlier been. “This isn’t as fun as I’d hoped.”

Julian was only being so flirtatious with me to bother Nicholas. But I struggled to understand why it was working. Although Nicholas had made it clear from the start that he didn’t like the idea of Julian and me together, particularly since Julian was a known playboy.

I supposed Nicholas’s reactions were still tethered to those feelings.

Though the way he was looking at me did not seem like the glare of a man who was simply trying to protect me from his promiscuous brother. He looked… jealous.

“Ah, I thought of something,” Julian said suddenly.

While spinning in our circles, Julian led me closer to Nicholas and Lilliana. Before I could truly react, Julian abruptly disappeared, so when I came out of my spin, I was pressing flat into the chest of Nicholas!

I glanced, and Julian had masterfully switched partners. Now he danced around with an annoyed-

looking Lilliana.

Nicholas looked down at me, and I, up at him. I thought he might walk away or suggest we return to our

original partners.

Instead, his arms went around my waist

By now, Julian had led Lilliana – and the cameras – mostly to the door.

Even if Nicholas wasn’t jealous, I didn’t want him to think that I was interested in Julian, so I told him, “If you wanted to know what costume I’d be wearing at the Second Ball, I would tell you.”

The hard edge in his gaze softened a little. “You wouldn’t need to tell me. I’d always be able to recognize.

you, in costume or not.”

My heart pounded in my chest.

He seemed entirely confident. How could he be so sure?

I

I didn’t ask him. I was afraid to hear what he might say, or if he might take the words back instead.

“I mean it, Piper,” he said, just as softly.

“Nicholas…”

Before I could finish my thought, one of the cameras had appeared beside us, and the producer spoke

up, “What do you think of Prince Julian’s little games, Piper? Do you find them delightful? Are they part of

the reason you’ve been falling for him?”

“..uh…”

I looked at Nicholas, hoping for a rescue, but he totally shelled up again, hiding his emotions behind his

princely façade.

Slowly, he ended our dance and removed his hands away from me.

The growing distance between us felt like a canyon. I wanted to close it again, but I couldn’t with so

many people watching.

Even if they hadn’t been watching, Nicholas might not have been receptive.

“Julian is… fine,” I managed..

The producer furrowed his brow. “That’s it?”

“If you will excuse me,” I said and retreated, from the cameras, from the producers, and from my budding feelings for Nicholas.