Free Princess Wanted - The Complete Book Set: An Alpha Billionaire Prince Trilogy by Autumn Star

bouncing around with the energy of a child. Jody went with him, laughing, and matching him bounce for bounce. She was not sure when she had last enjoyed herself this much. She was not sure if she had ever enjoyed herself this much.
    She was also extremely grateful to note that Pete did not seem to be here. It had not occurred to her when she invited Chris that it might be an extremely insensitive thing to do. There was a good chance that the man whom she had jilted that morning would be at the party and she had no wish to hurt Pete any more than she already had. Earlier she had seen what she had thought to be his truck, but apparently not. It was nice to be able to put that thought to one side and just dance.
    The dance went on, shadowy silhouettes, passing before the flickering fires that lit the night, the sounds of music and happy laughter echoing across the Stables.
    It was late when things finally started to break up and people wandered in the direction of their beds.
    “I can drive you back.”
    “I’ll walk.”
    “It’s miles!”
    Chris grinned. “It’s not like I’m going to sleep tonight.”
    “You had fun?”
    “You really have to ask?”
    Jody smiled. “I’m glad.”
    They walked on towards the gates, each step taking them one moment closer to a parting that neither welcomed. There were ‘end of date’ things that needed saying and doing and while both knew that they had to be said or done by one or the other of them, the nervousness is always there.
    “Are you…” Chris began tentatively. “Are you busy tomorrow?”
    Jody’s heart leapt: he liked her. “I’m supposed to be working with Silmarillion but I…”
    “Oh I’ll come here.”
    “I can blow it off.”
    “No, I’d love to see him run.”
    “Okay,” Jody agreed. An odd second date perhaps but a second date none-the-less.
    “Then dinner?” suggested Chris.
    “Can you afford dinner?”
    “I’ll get washing cars as soon as I get back.”
    They reached the gate.
    “Chris…”
    But whatever the sentence might have been Jody had no chance to finish it as Chris swept her into his arms and kissed her. Jody eagerly returned the kiss. The man might be a little crazy, a little short of cash and have no idea how to dance, but he definitely knew how to kiss.
    The kiss ended as all good things must, and as their lips parted so their eyes met.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
    “Damn right, you will.”
    Chris walked away. Jody watched him go, then turned and walked back towards the buildings. As she walked, the earth no longer seemed firm beneath her feet, as if she was literally walking on air. Jody had never really wondered what love felt like, and she could not be sure that was what she was feeling now, she just felt… light. It was as if gravity no longer exerted the same pull on her as it had earlier today, and she might float away like a helium balloon. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to run like a little child for the sheer joy of running, she wanted to jump up and down and squeal and do a whole bunch of other silly, stupid things because that seemed the only way to express what she was feeling.
    “Jody?”
    Pete’s voice brought her back to earth with a thump: he had been here tonight; he had seen her with Chris. Perhaps, having seen them together he had gone off somewhere to mourn alone. Jody felt like the worst person in the world.
    “Hi.” What else could she say?
    “Your friend left his phone charging.” Pete held out Chris’s phone.
    “Thanks, I’ll give it back to him.”
    “It was ringing,” said Pete, not letting go of the phone.
    “Okay.”
    “We should talk.”
    It was, Chris considered, extraordinary how much money you could make by washing cars. He was surprised more people didn’t do it. He now had enough to take Jody somewhere for dinner. Not the sort of place he would normally have taken a girl, but somewhere. Of course, he could take this little pile of money in his hand and make it more… The