Twice Upon a Time by Kate Forster Read Free Book Online Page A

continued. She realised she didn’t actually know the brother’s name.
    ‘We’ve met,’ he said, flashing a small smile at Jonas. He turned back to Cinda. ‘My friends call me Gus but you can call me Prince Augustus.’
    His point was clear and Cinda turned red. He obviously wasn’t intending to become friends with her and Jonas. In fact, Cinda was getting the impression he was going to do the opposite.
    ‘Prince Augustus!’ exclaimed Jonas archly, obviously surprised by this revelation. ‘The brother formerly known as Gus. How about we compromise and call you Prince Gus?’
    Cinda stifled a smile. Knowing that Jonas’s back was up made her feel better somehow. She wasn’t imagining Gus’s bad attitude.
    Ludo came out of the villa and beamed at them all, as though some sort of cold war hadn’t just been declared.
    His brother needs a serious dose of whatever Ludo takes , Cinda thought as she saw Gus glare at his brother.
    ‘Your brother was just telling us he usually goes by Prince Augustus,’ said Jonas pointedly to Ludo.
    ‘He’s just Gus,’ laughed Ludo, although Cinda noticed he did have the decency to look a little caught out. ‘Like I am just Ludo. No-one pays any attention to that royal rubbish nowadays.’ Ludo stripped off his shirt and stood on the edge of the pool in his white-and-blue checked swimming shorts.
    Cinda felt her eyes drawn to his bare chest. His body was gorgeous. Brown and toned, but not like he spent every day at the gym in front of the mirror.
    ‘Check it out,’ whistled Jonas under his breath, peering at Ludo over the top of his sunglasses.
    Ludo dived in and splashed at Cinda and Jonas. ‘Come on in, the water’s fine!’ he called.
    Cinda, hot and sweaty from her time clambering up and down the cliff, stood up and took off her tank top and shorts, revealing her black bathing suit underneath. She tried not to notice all the eyes on her.
    ‘Look at you, girl,’ said Jonas with a wink, turning back to his magazine as though an afternoon beside a royal pool was nothing remarkable.
    Gus stood by the pool, his scowl becoming darker as Cinda strutted past him with extra attitude to compensate for feeling so totally out of her league. She was close to the pool when she felt her foot slide from beneath her on the wet tiles, and she grabbed the nearest thing – Gus.
    In the split second before they crashed into the water, she felt his hand on her waist and she grabbed his muscled arm to steady herself.
    They rose to the surface, spluttering and gasping for air.
    ‘What the hell?’ cried Gus as he swam in neat strong strokes to the edge of the pool.
    ‘Sorry,’ Cinda gasped feebly, also swimming to the side to catch her breath. She couldn’t decide if she was more mortified or angry. God, the brother is rude , she thought. So much for Prince Charming – Prince Arsehole was more like it.
    Ludo swam to her side. ‘Are you all right?’ Ludo asked, his handsome face concerned and amused.
    ‘I give you both a ten for flair, but a low three for entry into the water,’ cackled Jonas from the side of the pool.
    Gus pulled himself out the water and stepped out of his sodden loafers, staring down at Cinda.
    ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, and she was so surprised by his question, she just looked up at him.
    ‘Well? Are you all right?’ he asked again, his voice strained.
    She nodded.
    ‘Good,’ he said, and he padded inside, leaving a trail of water behind him.
    ‘I’m such an idiot,’ groaned Cinda, turning to Ludo. ‘I’m really sorry. I couldn’t have made a worse impression.’
    Ludo reached over and touched her face, taking her chin in his hand.
    ‘Don’t worry about him, he’s just angry because I have friends and he doesn’t. He’s like an old man already; don’t even think about him.’
    But Cinda couldn’t think of anything else. She had never been looked at like that before, as though she was worthless, a hassle to be removed.
    He judged her before he knew