Billionaire Bad Boys of Romance 2(93)

The fantasy was over before it had barely begun.





Chapter 8

“Daryl, after what’s happened between us, I can’t…I have something I must tell you.” Taking my hand in his, he coaxed me to swivel to face him. He took my free hand in his as well. “I haven’t been exactly honest with you.” He visibly swallowed.

I’d never seen him like this. He looked unsure. Nervous.

Guilty.

My heart sank. A million possibilities raced through my mind, none of them good. A part of me wanted to clap my hands over my ears. Was this wonderful, magical thing about to fall apart? Already? Well…at least if it ended now, that meant I would avoid a crushing heartbreak, like I had suffered the last time.

It would only be slightly devastating.

My insides twisted. More than slightly devastating, maybe.

“What do you mean?” I asked, realizing, as my stomach churned and my heart thumped how much I did want this thing between us to go somewhere. As scary as it was, I didn’t want it to be over yet. I really, honestly didn’t. The thought of never seeing Tevin again…it made me feel a little sick.

“Well, I told you I owned a landscaping company. And I kind of led you to believe that I have less money than I really do.”

I sucked in a breath. Okay, this I could handle. Money. It was about money. He wasn’t telling me he had a fatal disease or was still legally married to some other woman or had asked for a date with me tonight so he would have the chance to dump me more gently before going out with one of the other girls. “But, you also admitted you’d inherited some money from a family member…?”

“The truth is I inherited a lot of money.”

“Okay.” So that was why he looked so torn? Was he feeling that guilty for lying to me? “Tevin, that’s not a big deal, though I wish I understood why you lied. It wasn’t necessary. I told you I understood your wishing to be judged based upon what you’ve accomplished for yourself, rather than what the balance of your checkbook reads.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was one of those guys who lives easy, drawing my trust fund payments and partying all the time.”

“Why would I think that? You haven’t given me that impression at all.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t. Maybe you’re different.” He shook his head. “No, I know you’re different. Now. Which is why I’m telling you the truth. In the beginning, I didn’t know if I could trust you.” Releasing one of my hands, he shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’ve had people judge me in the past. It got to the point where I didn’t know who was a true friend and who was after my money. This was especially true when it came to women. Women like Alexis. And Katarina. And Josephine.” He shook his head.

“Oh.” I swallowed, appreciating for the first time why he hadn’t responded to any of the girls Marguerite had selected for him. “In that case, I can’t blame you for not liking any of those women, if they gave you that impression. You apologized to me for pushing me into making that deal with you. Well, I’m sorry about pushing you into the Premier membership. I was being selfish, too.”#p#分页标题#e#

His gaze jerked away. “There’s more,” he said to the wall behind me. “A lot more.”

A huge lump caught in my throat. Where was this conversation going? He still looked so nervous and unsure and…guilty. What else had he been hiding from me? And why? “What is it?”

“My real, my full, name is Crown Prince Viktor Tijn of Mordova.”

Crown Prince?

Crown. Prince?

Crown Prince! Oh no.

Really? Really?

“What?” I felt like someone had just slammed me in the head with a brick. Crossing my arms over my chest, I held myself to keep from trembling as Tevin hurried through an explanation. I was so confused. I could hear what Tevin was saying, but my brain couldn’t comprehend it.

“I’m a prince, Daryl. Of a small country in Eastern Europe,” he said at the end of his speech.

My gaze zoomed up and down his body, looking for something, some sign that he was a prince, or wasn’t a prince. It had to be a lie. Or a game. Or a silly trick. Why would he lie? “No, you’re not. You’re not even foreign. You speak perfect English. American English. With an American accent. What is this? Some kind of trick?”

“I attended US boarding schools until I was thirteen.” His gaze finally found mine again.

“A prince?” I repeated, still not sure what to believe.

“Yes.”

“A genuine prince.” I could hear what I was saying but for some reason the words still weren’t sinking in.