18. Princess Erralee

eighteen

Giggling to myself at the oddly proper manner Reeves was exhibiting, he'd clearly done a one-eighty since I first met him. The only logical reason for his transformation had to be this budding attraction we'd been experiencing. At first, I thought it was in my head, but the second I had batted my lashes at him, and smiled flirtatiously, he'd become a fumbling, clumsy, yet adorable and attractive man.

I didn't have a clue what was happening in this movie, because I was too entertained watching him sweat, and pretend to care about this chick flick. I made him uncomfortable, but that wasn't fair. I had to believe that it was my situation that was the bigger issue. Not knowing how to bring it up because contrary to what people would think about an available princess, I'd never really had a boyfriend. Men were always scared of me. Or maybe they were scared of my father, but either way, I'd never been in a situation where I was alone with a guy I had a crush on, and he was clearly attracted to me too.

I didn't even have a guard looking over my shoulder.

I'd never been without Weston.

This whole running away thing was about me taking control of my destiny. If I fully commit to that, I should be capable of letting an adorably sweet man know that I'm attracted to him.

I just didn't know how.

I tried the subtle hints of holding his hand, but I think it was a little too subtle because he seemed to have brushed that off as a friendly gesture. The movie was almost over, and our time would be up tomorrow. Was it terrible that I wanted to experience my first crush? I was almost twenty.

But this felt like a crowded bus.

He was so stiff, and I could hear his measured breathing get louder, as if I was bothering him.

"Reeves," I whispered with an insane amount of attraction seeding my voice. I couldn't contain it, not sitting this close to him. My breath just wanted to rush in and out of my lungs like I was playing a sport.

His gaze slid slowly toward me, with his brows commanding me to explain what I was up to. When I didn't say anything, his gaze softened. Then instantly heated, and I was frozen.

He tucked a stray hair back behind my ear, and the mere brush of his skin against mine, left me breathless. The silence expanded, and for the first time, I didn't feel I needed to fill it in with chatter.

"Erralee," my name rumbled out of his mouth in the deepest octave. It was raspy, and held a warning, almost like an apology pleading minutes before an offense.

Leaning closer, I raised my chin, parting my lips slowly, waiting for his. He moved toward me, and just when I thought we'd kiss, he dropped his lips to my neck and whispered, "You aren't mine to kiss. If I kiss you, I'm going to want to keep you."

My heart slammed against my ribcage, motoring away at top speeds.

I wanted him to keep me, and I raised my chin, but he turned his head a heart-wrenching angle away, before he got up and went to his room, shutting the door between us. It was a cruel punishment that the first time that I felt a real crush, it wasn't reciprocated.