Chapter 150- Fall For Him

Arabella:

I stood in front of the mirror and slowly turned from one side to the other.

Well. This was definitely bolder than anything I usually wore.

The shimmering gown ended just above my knees, catching the light every time I moved. The off-shoulder neckline swept low across my chest.

Most of the fabric across my chest was sheer, a lining covering only my nipples while the rest of breasts were on display. The cut pushed them up enough to make my cleavage impossible to ignore.

I stared at my reflection for another few seconds. Maybe I had gone a little too far... but then I turned sideways.

Nope. I looked damn good.

I had swept my silver-white hair into a loose chignon at the back of my head, leaving a few soft strands around my face. A deep berry shade covered my lips, darker than what I usually wore, and somehow made the whole look even bolder.

I slipped on my diamond drop earrings and gave myself one final look. They glittered beneath the loose strands framing my face.

If I was going to spend two nights celebrating the miraculous recovery of Queen Theodora’s precious ribs, I might as well enjoy dressing for it.

Grabbing my clutch from the dresser, I tucked it under my arm and headed for the door.

When I opened the door, I found Lucien standing there with one hand raised, as if he had been about to knock.

"Hey."

His hand slowly dropped to his side as his golden eyes traveled over me. He didn’t even try to hide the desire in them.

"Hello?" I raised a brow. He cleared his throat and finally looked at my face. "I thought I should escort you tonight."

"Escort me?" I stepped out and pulled the door shut behind me. "Shouldn’t you be sending Beta Bradley for that?"

"No. I’ll do it myself tonight."

Only then did I properly look at him. He was wearing a black suit that fitted perfectly across his broad shoulders, paired with a black shirt underneath. The top two buttons were undone, showing just enough of his tattooed chest to make the whole formal look a little less formal.

Damn. He looked hot.

He seemed unusually quiet tonight. Even when he looked at me, it felt like there was something on his mind.

I tightened my hold on my clutch and gestured for him to move. "So, let’s go then." I frowned when he didn’t move.

He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled something out. A necklace.

The diamonds caught the corridor lights immediately. They were arranged in a delicate pattern around a larger stone in the center, with a tiny silver Volkov crest worked into the setting beneath it.

It was stunning and probably worth more than everything I owned. His usual confidence seemed to falter as he held the necklace out to me. "I thought maybe you’d want to wear it."

His seriousness was bothering me more than I wanted to admit. My gaze dropped to the necklace dangling from his fingers.

"Is it a gift?" I asked suspiciously. "Because I don’t take expensive gifts from random people."

His eyes flickered with hurt before his expression went blank again. His gaze dropped to the necklace for a moment before returning to me.

"You can return it to me later." He whispered with a faint smile.

"Oh." I nodded and reached for the necklace, but Lucien lifted his hand before I could take it.

"May I? Please?"

I rolled my eyes and turned my back to him, lifting my chin slightly. "Go ahead." I held my chignon up, exposing the back of my neck.

The necklace brushed against my collarbone and I felt his fingers grazing my skin. A small shiver ran down my back before I could stop it.

Damn it.

I was suddenly aware of his closeness. His fingers lingered for another second as he fastened the clasp. "There," he murmured and then I felt his lips brush softly against the back of my neck.

I froze.

The kiss lasted barely a second before he stepped away. I turned around, pretending that tiny touch hadn’t affected me at all.

Lucien’s gaze dropped briefly to my heels. "If your feet start hurting tonight, tell me."

I blinked. Of all the things I had expected him to say after kissing my neck, that wasn’t one of them. "What are you going to do? Heal them?"

"No." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Carry you."

Before I could think of a response, he offered me his arm. I stared at it for a second before slipping my hand through it. "Try that without my permission and I’ll make you regret it, My King!" I said silkily.

He threw back his head and burst out laughing. "There’s my Bella." I rolled my eyes, but this time I couldn’t stop my own smile as we started down the corridor.

I breathed a little easier. There he was... the annoying King I was used to.

***

The moment Lucien and I entered the hall together, the conversations around us began to die down. Within seconds, almost everyone was looking our way.

Long tables were filled with food, stretching across the hall, while the royal table stood at the far end, surrounded by royal guards.

Lucien’s seat at the head of the table was still empty. Jasmine was already seated on the first seat to his right, talking to Amy. The Queen sat on the other side, accepting congratulations from the guests gathered around her.

I tightened my hand slightly around Lucien’s arm. I was not a fool to realize that I needed to let him go. There was no place for me at that table.

"You go ahead," I tried to smile, looking for Toby and Maya, "See you after dinner."

Before I could walk away, his hand covered mine where it rested on his arm, "Eat with me tonight."

I raised a brow, gesturing to the table, "There is no empty seat there," I smiled, "Either join me at one of the guest tables or add an extra chair to the VIP one."

Not bothering about the people around us, he cupped my cheek and leaned closer, "How about I put you in that head chair instead... and stand beside you like a slave?" he asked me in a whisper.

My teasing smile slowly disappeared as I stared at him, completely speechless. For once, I couldn’t think of a single smartass reply.

Damn him. Why did he have to say things like that when I was trying so hard not to fall for him?