Free Engage (Billionaire Series) by Evelyn Harper Page B

is supposed to do if he
finds that the princess has fallen into an enchanted sleep.”
     
    He
pulled back just a little, and hesitated, his lips just a few inches from mine.
I held my breath, immobilized. I almost closed my eyes, wanting more than
anything for his lips to meet mine, but at the last second, I pulled away, too
nervous to go through with it.
     
    “It’s
fine,” I said, embarrassed, “looks like I didn’t go to sle–”
     
    I didn’t
get to finish my excuse as Mathis leaned in and captured my lips with his. It
was short and sweet, his lips meeting mine for a few wonderful seconds, soft
and gentle and perfect. My heart fluttered and I took in a deep breath of air
as he drew away, trying to regain my equilibrium.
     
    I
looked shyly up at Mathis, nervous about his reaction. He was smiling at me,
his eyes twinkling.
     
    “Just
in case,” he said.
     
    ***
     
    We were
sitting in the yard, side by side on the stone wall overlooking the lake, when
Uncle Andy approached us.
     
    “Hi
Mandy, Mathis,” he greeted us. “She’s not bothering you is she, Mathis?”
     
    “Quite
the opposite, actually,” Mathis smiled up at him. Uncle Andy gave a short
laugh, but frowned as he caught sight of our joined hands.
     
    “Why
are you holding hands?” he asked, his voice neutral, as if he was curious. “She’s
not a child any more, Mathis. She’s fifteen years old.”
     
    “It’s
fine, Uncle Andy,” I told him, excited to share my newfound boyfriend with the
world. “We’re dating.”
     
    Uncle
Andy laughed, and Mathis and I shared a quick look, both of us a little
confused.
     
    “How
sweet the two of you look. Like regular little lovebirds,” he said, smiling at
us. “You’re getting a little old to be playing childish games, though, Mandy,”
he added.
     
    “I’m
not–” I protested, but Uncle Andy cut me off.
     
    “Mathis,
I wonder if I could borrow you from this lovely lady for a little while? We
still have a few things to go over. It won’t take long.”
     
    “Can’t
it wait until tomorrow?” I asked. “We were thinking that maybe we could take
the boat out.”
     
    “No,”
said Mathis, looking up at my uncle’s face, giving my hand a little squeeze and
letting it drop back onto the stone wall. “It’s fine, Amanda. I’ll see you a
little later.” Uncle Andy nodded and started walking back to his office.
     
    “OK,” I
agreed, knowing that Mathis had responsibilities to take care of with my uncle.
“See you later.”
     
    I leaned
over and snuck a quick peck on his soft, tan cheek before he got up and
followed my uncle back towards the house.
     
    I
waited on the wall for a little while, watching the birds swoop low across the
lake as the sun set. I wondered how long their business would take. After a
while, I walked back towards the house, selecting a book from my uncle’s
library and waiting for Mathis to come in.
     
    But he
never did. After almost three hours, I got up and went in search of him,
checking the windows to see if he was in the garden, peeping into doors and
expecting to see a tousled, light-brown head behind every one. He was nowhere
to be seen. Finally, I went to the door of my uncle’s office, wondering if they
were still at work. It was open, but the only figure sitting inside was that of
my uncle.
     
    “Uncle
Andy? Is Mathis around?” I asked timidly.
     
    He
looked up from his paper and gestured for me to come in. I entered and stood in
front of him, expectant.
     
    “Oh
Mandy, Mathis had to go back to the city,” he said in an apologetic tone.
     
    “W-what?
Why?” I asked, my heart suddenly clenching up as if it were a sponge being
drained of water.
     
    “I’m
sorry, Mandy. It was important business, and it couldn’t be put off. You’ll
have to be a big girl and understand that.”
     
    “Will
he be coming back soon?” I asked. “He didn’t even say goodbye to me.”
     
    “Not
sure. I really can’t say,” Uncle Andy said.