Whenever-kobo Read Free Page A

straight on, their heads turned slightly so their gazes rested on our competition, Trallwyn Prep.
    “Good,” Austin said. “You have a pretty mouth with a nice curve. It should get us a point.” His tone was objective and made me want to thump him.
    “Yeah, she’s pretty when she’s not nipping at people.” Rhys took his gaze off my mouth and checked out the judges too. He snorted. “Their judicial careers will be unstoppable with our trailer park and suburbanite families in their debt.”
    Valid point.
    Austin put his shoulders back, his jock physique taking up even more space. “Play to the crowd. Offer them what they want so they’ll support us.”
    The crowd wanted us to lose and Trallwyn Prep to win. I searched for my parents and tow-headed twin brothers but didn’t see them. They’d be here. They never missed an event. They were probably sitting outside, finishing off some god-awful burgers and fries.
    I clasped my senior ring between my thumb and index finger and rubbed the letters THS until the motion calmed me. Breathe. I couldn’t own my own mega-conglomerate one day if I couldn’t handle a small public speech, and my speech was awesome, amazing.
    A large group of photographers wearing huge photo lenses around their necks along with some news crew who had cameras on their shoulders came in next, taking up the front center row.
    My breathing increased, and my heart rate picked up. Calm down. I took another drink of chilled water, noting the heavy crystal and wishing I had a small square of dark chocolate to go with it. Mom said sugar calmed the nerves. I hadn’t been nervous until those industrial cameras showed up. This event might make more than the local five o’clock news. I dropped my hand and dried my palm on the side seam of my dark slacks, grateful the modesty panel prevented the crowd from seeing the gesture.
    So what if a prince was on their team? He was an Irish no-throne prince. The whole royal institution existed as more of a tourist attraction and tax burden than anything else. I leaned forward again to check out the visiting tax burden. Seated on the end, he was in the middle of the stage, easy for everyone to spot. Dark hair, pale skin, nice jaw. His gaze caught mine. Ooh. Deep. Intense. I winked, and he lost his bored expression. Man, he was cute. No, cute wasn’t the right word, not with those classic good looks.
    An acidic smell wafted from the test tubes in front of Rhys. I blinked and broke eye contact with the prince. I didn’t want to sneeze in front of him or the judges, not without a tissue.
    Rhys shook a tube between his thumb and forefinger. The smell intensified until it burned my nostrils: a lemon-pine cleaner scent times ten. A small cloud appeared over the top and the activity in the tube threatened to be more than Rhys intended. I breathed shallowly and scooted toward Austin until my shoulder hit his.
    Austin examined my face, his eyes knowing. “You going to pass out?”
    “Shut up.” I waved the air, stirring up some fresh oxygen. Just because I’d passed out at a speech before, didn’t mean I’d do it again. “I’ve got this. My speech is way better than Rhys’s stinky project.” I didn’t know if that was true, but if Austin sensed weakness, he’d coach harder and really screw me up.
    Rhys ignored my comments and poured chemicals from one beaker to another. Lastly, he squeezed a jelly-like substance from a dropper into the larger center cylinder. The liquid turned blue, and a bigger cloud hovered over the lip. A soapy, window-cleaner scent emerged, like how our old SUV smelled after Dad drove it through the car wash.
    Rhys tapped his fingers and reached for my glass of water. I smacked his hand, so he diluted the liquid with his own sparkling water instead and the puff grew. I hoped he had control of this thing.
    Austin tilted his chair back on two legs and stared at us with his icy cold blue eyes. “Y’all aren’t going to let these guys come in