For a brief moment, I was airless.
I couldn't scream. Couldn't breath. There was no air left in my lungs.
I waited for impact, for darkness, for pain, but it never came.
Instead, I was pulled tightly against something warm and hard. Strong arms wrapped around me.
"Shh," Leopold said, his chest vibrating with the sound. "You're safe."
The world began to slow.
I gasped, sucking air into my lungs. My hands shook as they clung to the fabric at Leopold's chest.
I repeated the word he'd said in my head. Turning it around. Waiting for it to slide into place.
Safe.
His hand laced through my hair and I felt tears spring into my eyes, the fear finally hitting now that my mind had caught up with everything that had happened in the last thirty seconds.
A slight sob escaped my mouth. I hiccuped as I tried to keep myself together.
"Shh," he said again in the same soothing tone he'd used earlier with the horses.
I let myself lean into him for a moment. Breathing in his stone and salt scent. Letting my heart slow. Taking comfort in the strong arm wrapped around me.
"You're okay, Cat. I've got you."
Those words snapped me out of it.
Panic surged in me again, this time for a very different reason.
He had me. In his arms. The Prince who spat venom at me every chance he had. The one who called me 'just a girl' who thought it was okay to lick my neck in the hall.
My eyes flew open, and I quickly took stock of the situation.
I was seated on Dave.
On Leopold.
The prince and I were face to face, chest to chest. I was wrapped around him like a baby koala. Arms linked behind his back, my legs over his thighs. Our groins dangerously close together. My cheeks wet with tears.
"Oh my God," I breathed, going red with embarrassment. "Let me go. Let me down."
"What?" said Leopold his voice tinged with surprise.
I was sure he was used to having woman through themselves into his arms. I wasn't about to be the next one.
I'd seen first hand what a broken heart led to.
"Let me go now."
I started squirming against him. Trying to ignore the fact that I could feel every inch of him through the material of the riding pants.
I needed to get off the damn horse now. Otherwise I'd just be another girl the press took a picture of the Prince with.
The whole country would accuse me of the same thing he had.
If only I could figure out how to get off the damn horse without breaking my neck.
"Fine," the Prince growled. "If you would stop gyrating, I would help you."
"I am not–" I began and then gasped as he took hold of my thighs. Leopold holsted me higher, pressing our bodies together.
I gasped again, half from shock, and half from the unexpected pleasure of having his body hard and primed against me.
If it were any other circumstance, I would have pressed my lips to his. Or would my hands through his curls. Would have thanked him a in a million different ways for heroically rescuing me from my near death experience on Jaquline.
But not with this Prince. Not in the middle of a field with strangers watching.
Leopold swung his leg over the horse. His thighs and stomach tensed and flexed beneath me and then feet hit the ground. He kneeled down, finally laying me gentle on the ground. "There. Are you happy now?"
"No, I am not happy," I said. My breathing was still far too fast. My fingers trembled. "What the hell was that?"
I didn't know what I was talking about any more. The crazy horse, or the way Leopold had held me.
Luckily, the Prince chose for me.
"The horse was spooked by the cameras." His eyes were running over my body intently, his hands moving from my shoulders, to my wrists, to my rips. "Are you hurt?"
"Just scared shitless," I told him, pushing his hands away. The feeling of them on me was doing nothing to clear my head.
He let out a breath, rocking back onto his heels so that he squatted over me. His body blocked me from the crowd. "Good. Let's go back to the Palace. I think that's enough excitement."
Leopold stood, pulling me up with him, taking me by the hips again.
"Oh no." I jumped out of his grasp, holding my hand out against his chest, shaking my head. "You are not putting me up on that thing again."
"You can ride with me."
I crossed my arms and took another step back. "No, no horses, I'll walk back."
Leopold looked at me, towards the palace, then towards the gardens, where a crowd of people seemed to still be waiting and watching.
Leopold muttered to himself in french, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
Seeming to come to some sort of decision, he walked around Dave and smacked him on the ass.
I jumped as the horse took off, running towards Jacqline who was munching grass a short distance away.
"They know how to get home," the Prince said by way of explanation.
I couldn't have cared less if I never saw them again.
Leopold started in the direction of the palace by foot. "Let's go."
We marched towards the castle, a few feet between us.
Slowly, the tension melted from my body. Sanity began taking over once again. I bit my lip. Trying to sort out the emotions that were flooding from me.
I'd never met someone who made me simultaneously want to jump into their arms and punch them in the face the way Prince Leopold did.
"Thank you," I said, deciding on being polite. "For saving me."
Leopold didn't answer.
"You are a really impressive rider."
Still nothing.
I tried again.
"Why did you get into a fight last night?"
A muscle in Leopold's jaw jumped. "Do you always talk so much?"
"That's normally how a conversation works."
We lapsed into silence again. I let out a frustrated sigh.
What was with this guy? Always so hot and cold. One second he's saving my life, the next he wants nothing to do with me. My stomach tightened as I landed on my next question. One I was sure would get an answer.
"Why did you kiss me?"
"I didn't kiss you," Leopold said.
A jolt of something sparked in my veins either from the fact that I'd gotten him to reply, or the infuriating answer. "Yes you did. You put your lips on my neck."
"You will know it when I kiss you, Cat."
I couldn't help but notice that he'd said when. Not if.
Not to mention that he used my real name.
I pushed the thoughts away, and was about to ask another question when my phone started beeping.
I'd gotten the wifi password from Angelique this morning. I guessed we'd gotten close enough to the palace that I connected again.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, and frowned at the notifications.
I'd put alerts on social media for news about the royal family. I clicked open on of the messaged and my stomach dropped.
It was a video of me and Leopold from only a few moments ago. We were standing close together, my eyes red, cheeks wet with tears. He put his hands on my hips and I pushed him back from me.
"Oh no," I said.
"What's wrong?" Leopold snatched my phone from me, reading the french caption.
"What's it say?" I asked, hoping he'd this time.
"It says that we are fighting.That I want to claim you for my own. That you don't reciprocate my advances." His face was painted. His accent thick as he spat out the accusations.
"But that's not what happened at all," I said, frowning. "You saved me."
The prince swore angrily in French, and handed me my phone back. "It's not the truth they care about."
"But the truth is all that matters," I said, running to catch up when I started to walk faster.
"No here. Not in this world."
"But–"
"Hurry up," the Prince cut me off. "Their plan won't work. Let's just back inside and put an end to this, once and for all."