that and more. He was tall and fit, his broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. By the laws of physics, he should have been clumsy, a stumbling bear of a man. Instead, he moved with the grace of a born athlete. Women watched them enviously. And the men...the men eyed her, wondering no doubt why such a beautiful man wasted time on such a skinny and frumpy girl.
“They all want you,” he rumbled in her ear, making her start. At his playful words, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I know,” she murmured back, enjoying the joke. “How could they not want the one who can get the prince to dance?”
He peered down at her, mischief making his eyes sparkle. “You’re right about that, you know. I haven’t danced at a single one of these things since I was twelve.”
“Why not?” The instant she asked the question, she knew the answer. A man who’d rather be running in the wild forest would eschew dances and banquets and all the other social nonsense that came with being royalty. She should know. She was exactly the same way, though no doubt for dissimilar reasons.
Still, this was different, somehow. Her beautiful skirt floated around her ankles and she felt as if she were gliding on air.
They’d barely begun—this time a fox-trot—when someone screamed, a shrill sound of absolute panic. As Willow, along with everyone else, turned to look, the rear of the ballroom exploded.
Chapter 2
T he blast knocked them to the ground. Instinctively, Ruben tried to direct his fall to protect the unique woman who’d allowed him to spend the evening with her.
Willow . Hellhounds, he hoped she was all right. Ears ringing, he called her name, even as he hauled her to her feet amid the debris raining down on them.
She sagged against him, causing his heart to skip a beat. So tiny, her bones. He cupped her soot-covered chin in his hand and lifted her face to his. Her amazing caramel-colored eyes were open, if dazed. Alive . Relatively unhurt, as far as he could tell.
Relief flooding him, he slipped his arm around her impossibly small waist, helping her to steady herself.
“Are you okay?”
She opened her mouth to speak, and then licked her cracked lips instead, drawing his gaze. “I think so,” she finally croaked, sounding uncertain. Tentatively, she moved, testing her joints, and finally shook her head. “At least, I don’t hurt anywhere.”
She wasn’t bleeding, so for now he had no choice but to take her words for truth. As he turned away, there was another explosion, this one smaller and farther away.
Damn. His guests...his family...his home.
Releasing her, he turned to survey the damage, praying there were no fatalities. Several people were still down. Smoke rapidly began to fill the room, which meant there was a fire nearby. Flash. Another mini-explosion. Hell, he didn’t see his parents anywhere. The sounds—moans and wails and crying, fire crackling, something— What? Dripping? Smoke, more smoke. The tainted air grew rapidly difficult to breathe. How many were injured? How many were...dead? Hounds. He hoped none.
Need. To. Move. Now.
He took a deep breath. “I’ve got to help get everyone out. Are you well enough to assist me?”
Blinking, she nodded. The effort seemed to make her dizzy, as she swayed on her feet. Ruben cursed under his breath. He couldn’t leave her, but he wasn’t sure if dragging her around with him was the best idea, either.
At this point, he didn’t really have a choice. She wasn’t seriously hurt, so she either had to help or take herself to safety.
A prince’s first responsibility was toward his people. His family. His home. Damn and double damn.
“Come on.” Taking her arm, he led her through the thickening smoke toward the closest group of people, with the intent of leaving her with them. Most had scrambled back to their feet; those could make their way out, to safety.
Near them, several lay still on the floor, unmoving.
Ruben’s stomach lurched as he dropped to
“They all want you,” he rumbled in her ear, making her start. At his playful words, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I know,” she murmured back, enjoying the joke. “How could they not want the one who can get the prince to dance?”
He peered down at her, mischief making his eyes sparkle. “You’re right about that, you know. I haven’t danced at a single one of these things since I was twelve.”
“Why not?” The instant she asked the question, she knew the answer. A man who’d rather be running in the wild forest would eschew dances and banquets and all the other social nonsense that came with being royalty. She should know. She was exactly the same way, though no doubt for dissimilar reasons.
Still, this was different, somehow. Her beautiful skirt floated around her ankles and she felt as if she were gliding on air.
They’d barely begun—this time a fox-trot—when someone screamed, a shrill sound of absolute panic. As Willow, along with everyone else, turned to look, the rear of the ballroom exploded.
Chapter 2
T he blast knocked them to the ground. Instinctively, Ruben tried to direct his fall to protect the unique woman who’d allowed him to spend the evening with her.
Willow . Hellhounds, he hoped she was all right. Ears ringing, he called her name, even as he hauled her to her feet amid the debris raining down on them.
She sagged against him, causing his heart to skip a beat. So tiny, her bones. He cupped her soot-covered chin in his hand and lifted her face to his. Her amazing caramel-colored eyes were open, if dazed. Alive . Relatively unhurt, as far as he could tell.
Relief flooding him, he slipped his arm around her impossibly small waist, helping her to steady herself.
“Are you okay?”
She opened her mouth to speak, and then licked her cracked lips instead, drawing his gaze. “I think so,” she finally croaked, sounding uncertain. Tentatively, she moved, testing her joints, and finally shook her head. “At least, I don’t hurt anywhere.”
She wasn’t bleeding, so for now he had no choice but to take her words for truth. As he turned away, there was another explosion, this one smaller and farther away.
Damn. His guests...his family...his home.
Releasing her, he turned to survey the damage, praying there were no fatalities. Several people were still down. Smoke rapidly began to fill the room, which meant there was a fire nearby. Flash. Another mini-explosion. Hell, he didn’t see his parents anywhere. The sounds—moans and wails and crying, fire crackling, something— What? Dripping? Smoke, more smoke. The tainted air grew rapidly difficult to breathe. How many were injured? How many were...dead? Hounds. He hoped none.
Need. To. Move. Now.
He took a deep breath. “I’ve got to help get everyone out. Are you well enough to assist me?”
Blinking, she nodded. The effort seemed to make her dizzy, as she swayed on her feet. Ruben cursed under his breath. He couldn’t leave her, but he wasn’t sure if dragging her around with him was the best idea, either.
At this point, he didn’t really have a choice. She wasn’t seriously hurt, so she either had to help or take herself to safety.
A prince’s first responsibility was toward his people. His family. His home. Damn and double damn.
“Come on.” Taking her arm, he led her through the thickening smoke toward the closest group of people, with the intent of leaving her with them. Most had scrambled back to their feet; those could make their way out, to safety.
Near them, several lay still on the floor, unmoving.
Ruben’s stomach lurched as he dropped to
Similar Books
Waking Eden (The Eden Series Book 3)
Rhenna Morgan
The Body Reader
Anne Frasier
MacKenzie's Lady
Dallas Schulze
Just Add Salt (2)
Jinx Schwartz
The Double Silence
Mari Jungstedt
The Death Dealers
Mickey Spillane
Bzrk
Michael Grant
Twilight Children
Torey Hayden
Whispers of a New Dawn
Murray Pura