Mistress to the Prince by Elizabeth Lennox

with me?   Have I done something wrong?  I honestly didn’t know that he was bringing me here tonight.  When he asked me out, he only said it would be a great surprise.  I’m sorry if I’ve attended outside of my normal capacity as your assistant but I didn’t know he was bringing me here.  Besides, that’s no excuse to be rude, ” she said, and finally was able to stop her rambling. 
     
    Max looked down into her soft, blue eyes and some of his anger slipped away.  Not all of it, but at least he could look at her without the jealousy taking away his sense.  “You look lovely,” Max said , abruptly changing the subject he’d just initiated a moment ago .  “Why haven’t you ever worn a dress like that to functions at the palace before?  How does a blind date rate that kind of dress when I only rate the sedate, cautious black pieces you usually wear ?” His hand slipped back up her back, unable to keep still when she looked so desirable in that satin. 
     
    Tara was startled by the harshness in his voice coupled with the heat of his hand on her back, moving along her spine.  Her heartbeat increased and she had to lick her lips in order to speak .  “ Your Highness , I don’t wear dresses like this to other functions because it isn’t appropriate.”
     
    The large hand holding hers tightened slightly with her response.  “ W hat in the world do you mean by that?  And if you don’t think it is appropriate then, why are you wearing it now?  Again I ask, how does he rate?”
     
    “I’m working those other functions,” she explained , trying desperately to understand the conversation but he was so close and she’d never danced in his arms like this.  She liked the feeling way too much .  “This dress would be a distraction.”
     
    “You got that right,” he growled.
     
    “Max, I’m sorry.  I didn’t know I would be coming here tonight.  Greg didn’t tell me where we were going, just to dress up.  If I’d known, I wouldn’t have dressed like this and embarrassed you,” she said sadly.
     
    Max laughed harshly and spun her around, pulling her closer .  “You think I’m angry because of your dress?” he rasped. 
     
    Tara looked up again and looked at his face.  “Well, why else would you be angry?”
     
    He couldn’t help it.  In the back of his mind, he knew he should just walk away from her and let her enjoy her evening with the boring man with the awful tuxedo but he wasn’t going to do it.  He had to understand why she wasn’t interested in him.  The words slipped out before he could stop them.  “Perhaps because you never dressed like that for me?  Why do I only rate the conservative, professional outfits?”   He saw the shocked expression on her face and berated himself for revealing his feelings like that.  “Never mind,” he said harshly. 
     
    The next dance was slower and Max pulled her closer to his body.  She put her hand on his chest instead of his shoulder this time and she could feel the strong, beating of his heart through the expensive fabric of his tuxedo. 
     
    “Where in the world do you meet those men?” he asked, his head nodding toward Greg who was dancing poorly with a blond woman who only giggled loudly at his awkward attempts at the waltz. 
     
    “Through friends of friends,” she sighed.  Tara smiled up at him, “You don’t give me much time to search out more eligible bachelors.”
     
    Max looked down at her smiling face and almost groaned at the effort it took to not touch her sexy lips, kiss her incredible mouth.  “Good,” he said grimly .  “I’ll keep it that way.”
     
    “Why would you do that?” It was hard keeping up light banter when all she wanted him to do was bend down and kiss her.  But she knew that was out of the question.  And even if he did, that was too dangerous to want.  Max never stayed with one woman for long, preferring variety.  Her body shivered despite her best attempts at hiding