Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

  I wasn’t going to let her go today. I ran toward conflicts, not away from them.

  “Oh, forgot to tell you. Plans have changed. I’ve accepted your offer to be your personal bodyguard for the next week. I’m not letting you out of my sight until I leave this country.”

  Giselle

  WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I appreciate your offer, but I’m afraid I must decline.”

  “Too late. We’re both looking for a good time, a carefree vacation. I don’t speak any French, so you’ll be an excellent travel companion. Do you really want to travel alone?”

  No, I didn’t. Initially, I’d thought it would be so freeing, but I had to admit that being mugged had flustered me. “No. But I don’t want to ruin your trip. I’m sure you want to hook up with some gorgeous woman.”

  “I plan to. You. So what do you say?”

  I stared at this handsome man next to me. What was I doing? I couldn’t possibly travel with him. What if someone took a picture and leaked it to the tabloids? What if my father found out? Or my fiancé?

  Or, even worse, what if I fell madly in love with this man?

  One week of passion followed by a lifetime of regret. A fun fling would be one thing, but I was already developing feelings for him. There was no way I could risk that.

  “No. I’m sorry. I can’t. I don’t want to create a scandal. And aren’t you SEALs supposed to remain hidden? If we’re discovered together, your name will be reported in the press.”

  “If I can evade terrorists, I can evade photographers. No one needs to know my name. Worst-case scenario, if a picture gets out, you can tell people I’m your bodyguard.”

  He kissed me again, his rough stubble scraping my chin. My mind flashed back to last night when he had kissed me everywhere. I was dying to make out with him some more. But I didn’t know if I would have the strength again to tell him to stop.

  And despite waking up in a SEAL’s bed, I had no walk of shame to take. I was so turned on last night when we were kissing that I had seriously considered losing my virginity to him. He seemed to really like me—did he? Or was I just a challenge?

  More importantly, did I fancy him?

  The answer to the latter was yes, yes, and oh, yes, but it didn’t matter. I had to be calm and rational. Detached.

  Royal.

  “For a whole week? Where will we go?”

  “We can stay here for a few days, visiting the war sites. And I loved this ride so much that I was thinking I could rent a motorcycle, and we could ride through the countryside and find some small towns to explore.”

  Motorcycle? Today was one thing, but traveling all around France on a motorcycle? My father would murder me. What if I got injured?

  I refused to tell Ryan my first thought was of my father because it would feed into his perception that I was incredibly sheltered and overly concerned with what everyone else thought of me.

  A perception that was completely accurate.

  “And then what? After what happened last night, I’m sure we will become more intimate. I mean, what I’m saying is, last night was wonderful. You want to take me on a romantic escapade around this country and then never see me again?”

  “Well, I don’t have a choice in the matter, do I? You’re getting married next month, and I’ll be deployed again somewhere in the Middle East. In a way, the lack of any possibility of having a future together makes this easier on both of us, don’t you think?”

  “I guess.” But I knew he was right. We had no hope of a future together.

  I was promised to another man. He was promised to another country.

  But we could always have France.

  The gravity of this decision weighed heavily on me. On the one hand, I believed this was the wrong thing to do. Foolish, actually. I barely knew this man.

  On the other hand, if I said no to this romantic rendezvous, I would likely regret this decision for the rest of my life. I would always wonder what kind of love affair I could have had with this American hero.

  “So, what do you say?”

  He kissed me again and pushed me back to lie under him on the blanket. I could feel his hard erection pressing against my thigh. He interlaced his hands with mine as his lips ravished my body.

  I writhed under him, waves of pleasure pulsing through me. Ryan was electric. I couldn’t believe how ridiculously sexy this man was. Prior to meeting him, I had found my own fiancé mildly attractive, but now, after being kissed by this masculine man, I didn’t think I could ever be satisfied by Miguel.

  I came up for breath. My heart fluttered, and my fingers tingled. “Yes. I’d love that.”

  “You won’t be sorry, Princess. You’re looking for adventure, and I’m the right man for the job.”

  Giselle

  ANTICIPATION MIXED WITH ANXIETY inside of me. I was going on a wild adventure with this sexy man. I couldn’t wait to get started—but first, I had to call my father.

  He most certainly would be panicking after not being able to reach me on my cell or at the hotel, even though I had emailed him and told him not to worry.

  I turned to Ryan. “We should get back. I need to contact my father.”

  He smirked. “What are you going to tell him?”

  “Just the truth.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “That I lost my phone and purse. But that I’ve decided to continue the trip.”

  “Lost?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, lost. He doesn’t need the morbid details of my mugging.”

  Ryan shook his head. “Lying won’t help anything.”

  I didn’t need a lecture from him. “It’s fine.”

  He nodded. “So, no mention of me, huh?”

  I exhaled. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but he could never, ever understand the pressures of my life.

  Then again, I could never understand the stress of his. Out at war. Being shot at. Killing people.

  I shuddered.

  “No. It would be best if I didn’t mention you. It would be a thing. I hope you understand.” I closed my mouth. I wasn’t going to tell him that I had snuck downstairs last night while he was in the shower and emailed my father. Even worse, I had already lied to my father by saying that I had run into an old female friend and had merely lost my phone. Ugh, I was the worst. Already lying to cover my tracks. I felt like a naughty teenager.

  I wasn’t a teenager, though. I was an adult woman. And I had made a choice to travel with Ryan.

  I just wished I didn’t have to tell my father.

  “Yup. Let’s get going.”

  We quickly packed up the picnic. I looked longingly at the waterfall; so peaceful, so serene. I yearned to come back here again and enjoy the beauty in its simplicity. That was what I craved—living in the moment and finding pure happiness, not constantly worrying about the future.

  Sadly, that type of life would never be my reality.

  Ryan secured our picnic items in the saddlebag on the motorcycle and climbed on the bike. I straddled the seat behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I breathed him in as if he were a drug. My ultimate high.

  The engine roared to life, but unlike our trip here, this time I felt calmer. I was certain about what I was going to do: enjoy the remainder of my vacation with this beautiful stranger and then, when it was time to say goodbye, walk away with no regrets.

  We finally arrived back at the bed-and-breakfast. Ryan and I thanked the innkeeper for letting us borrow the motorcycle and for packing us the most delectable picnic.

  Ryan brushed a lock of hair off my face. “Do you want to use my phone to call your dad?”

  I shook my head. “No. Let’s go to my hotel. Not to check in, but to call him from there. Then we can return here to stay.”

  He frowned slightly but said nothing, and I was grateful that he didn’t argue with me. I wanted no more tension on this trip. Just happiness. Just peace. Just romance.

  We wal
ked through town, and Ryan held my hand. His firm grip guided my steps on the cobblestone streets. I leaned closer to him, inhaling his scent. We hadn’t even known each other for more than a day, and I was already getting used to being with him.

  Before I knew it, we arrived at the hotel. Ryan opened the door for me—and I gasped.

  My father was standing there, pacing around the lobby.

  Oh no.

  I turned to Ryan. “That’s my—”

  “Father, I know.”

  My face scrunched up. “How do you know?”

  “Because I memorized everything I could about your country last night. Regular intel for planning a mission.”

  Right. I was a job to Ryan. A challenge. Sure, he was attracted to me, but he seemed to have some misguided sense of duty to protect me. But Ryan’s mission plans were the least of my worries—I had to focus on my father.

  The king.

  My father’s eyes immediately met mine. He motioned for me to come toward him.

  Uh-oh. I could already tell I’d royally pissed him off.

  I squeezed Ryan’s hand. “Let me handle this.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  My heart softened toward Ryan. Most men I’d met would run away from any conflict, yet he was offering to stay by my side.

  “No. That won’t be necessary. Why don’t you stop at a café for some coffee? I’ll meet you back at the bed-and-breakfast.”

  Ryan shook his head. “No. I’ll wait for you. I’ll just sit here.”

  He grabbed a newspaper and sat on a sofa in the lobby. I was impressed that he hadn’t bolted the first chance he had.

  I walked toward my father. The second he glared at me, guilt covered me like a blanket. The deep lines around his eyes seemed even more prominent as he scowled.

  But I knew that he wasn’t going to yell at me in public. We were royals, after all.

  He pointed toward an office. Great, he must have already secured a room so he could scold me in private.

  Head held high, I greeted him with a curtsy and a kiss on his cheek.

  “Giselle! Where have you been? No one has been able to get in touch with you. We contacted all of your friends from university and no one had seen you.”

  Shame consumed me. This was entirely my fault. I knew that my father would worry. I had placed myself in this situation. I needed to take full responsibility for my foolish actions.

  “I’m fine, Papa. I’m so sorry for causing you to worry. That was never my intent.” I needed to come clean now. “I’m sorry I lied to you in my email. I didn’t merely lose my phone; I was mugged in the town square yesterday. Luckily, I met a gentleman who went after the criminal and retrieved my luggage.”

  My father’s jaw dropped. “A gentleman? Where is this gentleman?”

  “He’s in the lobby.”

  “You said you stayed with a friend. A female friend. That was a lie? Please tell me you didn’t spend the night with some man you met on the street.”

  Well, when you put it that way, it really does sound awful.

  My cheeks burned from embarrassment. “I did, in fact. I had no money or identification, and I didn’t want to alarm you. Nothing happened between us at all. He’s a Navy SEAL, an American. And quite a gentleman.”

  The second those words left my lips, I knew that I’d just walked into a ring of fire. I had admitted that I’d spent the night with Ryan.

  My father’s hands shook. “Giselle, you stayed with an American assassin? What were you thinking? You are engaged to be married! Young lady, how foolish could you be?”

  Normally, I would just allow my father to have the final word.

  But not today.

  “I was thinking, Papa, that I had just been mugged, and I was terrified. This man, whom you just called an American killer, was actually the only person in this entire town to ask if I was okay. He ran after my mugger and attempted to get my items back.” I paused—about to lie. “Absolutely nothing inappropriate happened between us. I’m completely lucky that I met him. You should be thanking him.”

  My father glowered at me, and I met his gaze right back. I was not going to back down.

  “Why didn’t you just walk to the nearest hotel and have them call me? I would have wired you money immediately.”

  Good question. I didn’t want to tell him the truth. Which was that I’d seen the past twenty-four hours as a brilliant opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with a handsome stud. One that I would never regret.

  “Well, honestly, Papa, it was late, and I was scared. I was pretty shaken up after I had been mugged. And I really didn’t want to bother you or have you worry. I took this trip to become independent and enjoy my last days as a single woman. The last thing I wanted to do was run to my father and ask for help.”

  My father exhaled. “I understand, Giselle. I just wish you had been honest with me. So, what are your plans now?”

  Breathe, Giselle, breathe. “I plan to continue my vacation.”

  “Very well. But I must insist on providing you security. Pierre and Henri traveled with me. Henri can stay behind with you.”

  I didn’t want to travel with Henri—I wanted to travel with Ryan.

  “I appreciate that offer, Papa, but I have to do this on my own.”

  My father shook his head. “No, Giselle. I insist. See what happened when you traveled without protection?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I do. And that was wrong of me. But I want to be alone, away from the palace and everything that goes along with it. Just for a little while.” I paused and closed my eyes. “I’ve hired the Navy SEAL as my own personal bodyguard for the rest of the trip.”

  His eyes bulged. “An American? No. Our security detail is fine.”

  I silently doubted Henri or Pierre would’ve handled the mugger the way Ryan had. “Well, it’s not up to you, Papa. This is the last time I can be on my own before my wedding. I’m continuing my trip with Ryan.”

  “That’s completely out of the question. In case you have forgotten, young lady, you are engaged to Miguel. It’s inappropriate for you to be traipsing across the country with an American man.”

  Heat stirred inside me, and years of anger and resentment pulsed through my words. “And what, pray tell, is Miguel doing at this exact moment? Last time I checked the tabloids, he was on a yacht in Ibiza with a bunch of models. I’m not married yet and so I will do what I want, when I want. I’m sorry I worried you, but I assure you that I am fine, and my virtue is intact. You will see me back at the palace in a week, but until then, I’m going to continue my trip with Ryan as my bodyguard. That’s final.” A wave of relief rolled off me as I said those words.

  Wow. I couldn’t believe I actually stood up to him. I had always been the dutiful daughter and proper princess. What had possessed me to stand up for myself?

  One word.

  Ryan.

  I had only known him for a day, and I was already asserting myself.

  My father locked his eyes on mine. I had his stubborn streak; he knew that all too well. I would not back down.

  “I must meet this young man.”

  Right. Ugh. Meeting the parents was a bit too soon but Ryan wasn’t my boyfriend, he was my bodyguard. Although Ryan had already offered to talk to my father, so I was sure it would be fine.

  “Of course. He’s in the lobby. I’ll go get him.”

  I walked out to Ryan, who was staring at his phone. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and warmth flooded my body.

  “How’d it go? Do I need to kidnap you from your castle in the middle of the night?”

  I rolled my eyes. He was always such a smart-ass. “My father wants to meet you.”

  “Cool, I’m always down to meet a king. Let’s go.”

  Ryan’s self-confidence amazed me. Most men were nervous to talk to my father.

  Ryan stood up, and I couldn’t help but sigh. He was so handsome and rugged. And completely not my type. But at least he did look like a bodyguard. I hop
ed this would work.

  We walked into the room, and my father gave Ryan the once-over.

  Ryan bowed when he saw my father. “Honored to meet you, Your Majesty.”

  I melted, pleasantly surprised Ryan had shown my father respect.

  My father’s stern look widened into a smile; he always responded well to deference. Then he extended his hand out to Ryan. “Thank you for watching out for my Giselle. I appreciate your help, but we are no longer in need of your services as we have our own security. Please let me know what I owe you.”

  Oh no.

  Ryan’s jaw clenched.

  I put my hand on his as if to urge him not to speak, but I was too late.

  “May I ask where your security detail is?”

  My father frowned. “No, you may not. Young man, my safety, and the safety and well-being of my daughter is none of your concern.”

  Ryan let out a laugh, and I cringed as he pointed to Pierre, my father’s personal bodyguard, who was lounging on a chair. Henri was busy chatting up a maid in the corner. Ryan eyed him as well. “Those guys?”

  My father nodded. “Yes, actually. They are the best in my country.”

  “The best? I walked into this room with you, the king. He didn’t even frisk me. I could be armed . . . but I don’t need to be. I’m a Navy SEAL—I’ve killed men with my bare hands. Some bodyguards they are. If I were your bodyguard, I wouldn’t allow anyone to get near you without being properly vetted.”

  “Well, fortunately for me, you are not my bodyguard. A brash, impulsive American cowboy such as yourself would most certainly cause an international incident.”

  My eyes watered. I couldn’t even watch this train wreck. I grabbed Ryan’s hand, but he kept on talking.

  “I completely disagree that you’re no longer in need of my services. Your daughter, the crown princess, was traveling alone in a foreign country where she was mugged by two assailants. And I saved her. She has informed me that she would like to continue the excursion she had planned and offered me a job as her security guard. An offer which I accepted, despite being on my own vacation.”