Lauren stared at Alec's hand for seconds.
Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, and she wished he wouldn't hear it. She wished to run and escape, but a part of her was telling her that she shouldn't. She couldn't.
"Scared of me, Miss Davis?"
"Your Majesty, I-"
Before she could finish, the king had reached out for her hand, and she gasped in surprise. She hadn't taken his hand, so he reached for her hand himself, and everyone saw it!
"Only a foolish man would dare refuse a king, Miss Davis. Are you a fool?" he asked softly in her ear as his other hand reached for her waist, gliding softly until it reached her back.
Shivers ran through her spine.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I wasn't planning to refuse."
Lauren felt the warmth of his palm on hers and his other hand at the small of her back, yet something felt cold about all of it. She was nervous.
