Chapter 24. He Want to Kiss Me

Anastasia's POV

I can still feel Ryan's eyes on me, circling, pursuing. My stomach tightens with anxiety and my mouth goes dry, yet I continue walking away from him, with the fastest steps I can manage without actually running across the lawn.

I don't dare look back at him, no matter how much my body yearns for it, no matter how much my heart wants to see him. I won't allow myself that shame, won't allow Ryan to discover that I've never kissed anyone, that I'm just a silly, inexperienced girl in every aspect of life.

I return inside the palace, noticing some participants in the entrance hall chatting, their eyebrows raising with curiosity as they look at me. My body freezes for a moment, surprised to find people still wandering the palace. I stand still in the entrance hall, taking a few seconds to steady my breathing.

"Is it a pleasant night, Anastasia?" one participant asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm.