Chapter Thirty-One.

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~Thirty-One. ~

Larissa's eyes widened and she froze as what Romulus said finally registered in her mind. She looked at the other five men standing in front of her, hoping...no. Praying that one of them would be man enough to interject and say they would take her first two dances. But none of them did. She heard her Uncle thank Romulus before she felt him hand her over to Romulus. He took her hand and began to lead her towards the dance floor and Larissa was doing everything in her power to remain calm...At least on the outside.

Larissa could feel her heart thudding in her chest, and she was certain that everyone in the ballroom would be able to hear it. She swallowed heavily and took in a deep breath to calm herself. With little success. She let out the breath in a sigh as they came to a stop in the centre of the dance floor and Romulus gently swung her around so that she was now standing in front of him. The music began playing again and Larissa and Romulus bowed to one another before they stepped closer to one another. She let Romulus take her hand before he pulled her even closer to him than he had the last time they danced, and she looked up at him as she felt his breath against her cheeks. He met her gaze for a moment before he held it as he began to lead her through the steps of the tango.

Romulus led her through the dance flawlessly and Larissa, who was completely entranced by the man in front of her, followed him on each step. Each dip and turn, they appeared to anyone who was watching, to be moving as one. Unless they had to be parted or whatever steps of the dance, Romulus and Larissa remained close to one another.

As he brought her to him again and they paused for a moment, Larissa looked up at Romulus through her lashes before a smirk came to her lips. Before he could blink, Larissa adjusted the steps to the dance subtly and it took every ounce of Romulus' self-control to remind himself that they were in public. If she were going to play dirty and tease him, he would be more than willing to return the favour.

This time, when he was to bring her closer to him, he adjusted the way he held her so that it felt more intimate. He heard her gasp and he smirked as she looked at him before he began to lead her through the rest of the dance in the more intimate fashion.

As the musicians played their final notes, Romulus dipped Larissa but still held her close, holding her so that she was pressed against him. Their faces were now close enough that, should one of them dare to, one small movement would close the distance between their lips. Their breaths left their lips in rapid succession and Larissa's eyes darted about Romulus' face as she tried to read his expression.

The thunderous applause that erupted in the next second seemed to break the spell that had been cast over the pair from the dance and Romulus blinked as he looked at Larissa. He was the one to heavily swallow this time before he gently helped her to stand once more and they both stood there, panting for breath as they looked at one another. After a moment, they both dipped into low bows to one another.

Romulus then led Larissa over to the table designated to her and her Uncle, walking to her seat where they stopped, looking at one another carefully. Both off their chests were rising and falling rapidly still but neither seemed to care. Romulus lifted her hand before he placed his lips against the back of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. She swallowed heavily now before she gave a nod of her head to him.

They second that Romulus let go of Larissa's hand so she could sit down, and he walked away, he wanted to turn around and go right back to her. Never, in all his life, have a woman ever affected him in the way that Larissa affected him. She seemed to have made her way into his heart and mind before he could put up a defence against her. He looked over at her from his table, watching her as she talked and laughed with one of the ladies if the court and he couldn't help but be completely bewitched by her.

"I know that look," his sister's voice snapped him from his trance, and he cleared his throat before glancing at her.

"What look?" he asked her as he reached for his glass and began to drink from it.

"The look of a man who is very much in love," Lizbeth stated, and Romulus choked on his drink.

"What? I'm not in love," he said to her as he wiped his mouth, his eyes finding their way back to Larissa and Lizbeth scoffed.

"Not in love. Pfft. Tell me, brother dear, you met the five men that she was introduced to by her Uncle?" she asked as she watched her brother, who nodded his head.

"You spoke to them?" she asked.

"I did. What of it?" he countered, now looking at his sister as she reached or her own glass.

"There is a rumour, going about the ballroom that those five men were specifically picked by King Julian as suitors for his niece. What say you to that, Brother?" Lizbeth stated as she raised her glass to her lips and sipped at the contents. She glanced at her brother and held back a smirk when she saw the anger that was now stirring in his blue eyes, turning them almost grey.

"And where, pray tell, did you hear such a rumour, Sister?" Romulus asked through clenched teeth and Lizbeth tutted at him.

"You know better than to ask that, Brother. Now go and claim your second dance. The music is about to start again, and I don't believe you are wanting anyone else to claim that dance," Lizbeth said as she watched her brother get up and walk over to Larissa once more, offering her his hand, which she accepted.

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