by Violet Paige
“Your hair. What does it look like down?”
I protectively reached for my bun to hold my hair in place. “I can’t wear it down, sir.”
“And what’s all this sir shit? You never called me sir. If I recall, you saved your saucier language for me.”
I bit my lip. “Only because I needed you to listen.”
Sir seemed to keep a wall between us. Why was he trying to tear that down? I had spent all day building it. There had always been barriers between us and in a matter of minutes he had smashed through half of them.
7
Dominic
Fuck. My T-shirt skimmed the creamy skin just below her ass. I shifted against the doorway. My cock throbbed. What in the hell? I was staring at Kenley like she had walked off the cover of a lingerie magazine.
My eyes trailed down her thighs.
“The hair,” I repeated. “Take it down.”
“Really, it’s not appropriate,” she argued.
“How do you expect to have game night with your hair pulled back like that? Can you even think?” I teased.
I saw the flustered look in her eye.
“Of course I can think.” She worked the knot free until her hair fell loosely around her shoulders. With her hands up, the shirt rose even higher.
I don’t know how in the hell I kept my composure. She was fucking beautiful. The curls spilled around her in golden waves.
“There. Are you happy?” she fired.
I swallowed. “Yes.”
What she didn’t know was she looked like a damn goddess in my closet. And I had been locked away from women for fifty days. Dr. Garcia didn’t count.
There was a beast inside me ready to emerge. His was clawing at my chest. Begging to quench his thirst. But it wasn’t alcohol he wanted.
“The cufflink drawer,” I stated.
“What?” Her eyes darted back and forth.
“Airplane sized vodka bottles in the back of the cufflink drawer,” I reported.
“Oh.” She threaded one leg through the pajama pants and then the other. “I’ll get those.” She spun around, sliding the drawer open. I watched as she collected three bottles from the back of the drawer. I wished I had another view of her heart-shaped ass. I frowned.
“My sword case. Gin.”
Her eyes widened. But she stepped toward the cabinet that held my Royal Navy weapons and cracked the lid. She retrieved the scattered bottles at the back.
“Anywhere else?” she asked.
I rubbed my jaw. “I think that’s all that’s in here.”
The bottles were wedged in her arms and pressed tightly against her chest. “There are more somewhere else?”
“I’m sure your blood hounds didn’t find them all if they didn’t find these.” I paused. “Oh wait. The tequila.”
“There’s tequila in here? But I thought I searched…”
My arm grazed hers as I stretched behind the rows of leather belts. Her breath seized and I could feel the warmth of her skin against my cheek. The bottle was tucked underneath a shelf. No one would have discovered it.
“Last one.” I held it up.
I looked at Kenley and then the honey-colored liquor. How many nights had I given in to tequila? To gin? To vodka? How many times had she rolled my drunk ass in bed and turned off the light?
“Is it hard?” she asked.
“Not to drink?”
She nodded slowly.
“This is day fifty-one. I’m ok. You can ask me again when I get through day fifty-two. One day at a time is my new motto.”
I didn’t move. I blocked Kenley’s exit from the closet. The bottles clanked as she shuffled them in her arms. I didn’t know why I hadn’t seen her this way before. I wanted her to stay so I could study her.
She looked completely different with her hair down. Without the stuffy manager suit. There was a softness emanating from her.
I never knew behind her silk suits she had a killer body. Sure she was thin, but her tits were gorgeous and those hips had curves that lasted for miles. Something primal inside me was awake.
“Kenley.”
“Sir?” Her eyes followed me.
I grumbled. “Never mind. You can throw those out.” I walked away from the closet.
I didn’t know why I was suddenly frustrated. Or why I thought about doing something with Kenley I never thought about before. Everything inside me told me to smash the bottles on the floor and rip my clothes from her body. Spend the night buried inside her. Fucking her until we were both without breath.
I closed my eyes and walked to the table where she had stacked the games.
She appeared a few minutes later. “All gone,” she announced.
I pressed my palms into the surface. “Trivia first?”
8
Kenley
My pulse had returned to normal. I think it was watching the last drops from the bottles wash down the drain that steadied me. I had a chance to catch my breath and focus on something other than the nearness of Dominic.
I ran my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t believe how vulnerable I felt in front of him dressed in his T-shirts.
There was a reason managers dressed a certain way. There was a reason we used titles. We had our place and royals had theirs.
“Whatever you like,” I answered.
“What do you like, Kenley?”
“I’m here for you.” I couldn’t let myself forget why I was in his apartment so late. It was for him. To serve the prince. No other reason but my duty and honor for the crown. If I repeated it enough times, maybe I’d believe it.
“That’s not what I asked.” His voice was flat.
“Ok.” I shrugged. “The truth is I don’t actually like to play games. Once I was too old to play Sharks and Dolphins as a child, it wasn’t much fun anymore. I’ve never been big on games.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded. “It is.” I smiled. “Although, I’ll beat you at trivia.”
He laughed. “Doesn’t seem likely since you don’t play.”
“Just because I don’t play, doesn’t mean I can’t annihilate you.” I peered at him.
“Annihilate? That’s a challenge I’ll take.”
I knew he was drawing me into a confrontation, but I couldn’t stop. I was always drawn to him, however this was different from completing my duty. I was torn between wanting to help the man I loved, versus protecting the prince I served. Either way, I was staying. And somehow he knew I wouldn’t walk out the door.
I slipped into the seat across from him. His eyes were bright as he took the lid off the box and stacked the cards. I tried to think of the last time they had looked like that. It certainly wasn’t the day I took him to Spain.
Everything about him was more alert. More vibrant now. There was a confidence and cockiness that was magnetic.
He placed the board between us and handed the dice to me. His fingertips touched mine.
“You roll first.”
I looked at him, shaking the dice in my palm. They rolled on the board. It was the only sound in the apartment. Was he holding his breath too?
“Six.” I counted out the spaces on the playing surface.
“National history,” he announced, plucking the top card.
I wasn’t sure how I concentrated when Dominic read the first question. Maybe it was because the nerdy side of my brain kicked in and I was determined to answer all the questions correctly. Maybe it was because I was willing to latch on to anything, other than his kissable lips.
I was always the star student. It was the reason I was chosen as the manager for the heir to the throne. No one could outscore me on royal traditions or law. Not even a prince.
9
Dominic
It wasn’t working. There weren’t enough distractions. I should be exhausted after the day I’d had, but every wire in my body was lit. I wasn’t going to bed anytime soon.
I looked at Kenley pinching her eyes together over one of the ques
tions. We were almost finished with the game. She had killed me. I didn’t need another round to know she wasn’t kidding about annihilating me.
“Let’s get out of here,” I announced.
I could have bet that Kenley would protest. There wasn’t an impulsive bone in her body. If it wasn’t written in blood on the royal schedule, she didn’t want to sign off.
“It’s late,” she argued. “I probably should leave.” She looked at the clock over my shoulder.
“So? I don’t want to stay here anymore. Let’s go. Who cares about the time?”
I pushed away from the table, squeaking the chair against the polished floor.
“We have an early morning. You’re scheduled to make your comeback appearance at the library.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to think about the library. I just want to get out of here.”
“It’s a craving, isn’t it?” she asked. “I’m not doing a very good job.”
I looked at her. “It’s not a drink I need a distraction from,” I admitted.
She looked confused. “I don’t understand. I thought that’s what this was about. You wanted me to keep you from drinking. I’ve failed.”
“No, Kenley. That’s not it at all. I don’t need a babysitter.” I gritted my teeth.
I hadn’t told anyone. But it suddenly made sense that the first person I told should be Kenley. I’d been holding that letter close to my chest for almost two months. She had handled every scandal with precision. She had an innate ability to piece together a solution no matter how badly I fucked something up. And why wouldn’t I trust her with this now? I could have trusted her with it all along if I had been sober enough to come up with a plan.
“I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say.” She threw her hands in the air. “This isn’t normal. I don’t know what to do when we aren’t operating inside normal.”
I blinked. What in the hell was she talking about?
“What’s normal? When I’m drunk?”
Her breath caught. “That’s not what I meant. I would never say something like that. I think it’s getting late and we should get some sleep. Everything has to be perfect tomorrow. I’ll be back at seven.”
My hand caught her wrist as she tried to wiggle past me. “Wait.”
There was something in her eyes that burned right through me. Fuck, what was happening tonight?
Her eyes dropped to where my hand gripped her skin before lifting them to mine. “What is it, sir?” she whispered.
I dropped her arm as quickly as I had grabbed it. “Nothing.” I shook my head. “You can go.”
She ran out of the apartment, using the staff tunnel. The door clicked in place behind her. It was as loud as the gate clanging on a prison cell.
I wasn’t going to be trapped here. I wouldn’t let myself feel like a caged tiger.
I picked up the phone. “Yes, sir?” One of the aides in the downstairs operations office answered my call.
“I need a car.”
“What time, your majesty?” he asked.
“Now.” I realized it was after midnight. I didn’t give a shit. I had to get out of here.
“I believe Georgan is available. I will have him meet you at the royal entrance immediately.”
“Thank you.” I hung up and grabbed my jacket, rolling my sleeves in place as I took the elevator to the first floor.
The long black car was running when I walked outside. Georgan greeted me as I ducked into the backseat.
“Where are we going tonight, your majesty?” he asked.
I wasn’t going to let regret move in already. Sure, I had lied to Kenley, but it wasn’t the first time. I couldn’t be expected to change all my habits at once.
I cleared my throat. “The Titan.”
10
Kenley
Something was off. I could tell. Dominic hadn’t looked at me all morning. I didn’t know if he was still upset with the way I had run out of his apartments last night. I never should have stayed so late.
I kept my eyes on my tablet. There was an update about the queen on the screen. I had read it three times, but still couldn’t tell anyone what it said.
The car slowed as we approached the library.
I felt him bristle next to me in the leather seats. There was nothing easy about what I was asking him to do. But the king had commanded it. It was my job to make sure it happened smoothly.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
Dominic tugged on the sleeves of his shirt so his cufflinks were visible.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” There was almost a hint of a growl in his voice.
The driver was outside the car door. I couldn’t let us walk into the library like this. There was an elephant between us, only I didn’t know what it was exactly.
I rolled my window down. “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”
He nodded and I turned to Dominic.
“What’s wrong?” I prodded.
“Nothing. Let’s just get this over with.” He reached for the handle on his side, but I stopped him.
“We can talk about this before you can go inside. I realize you don’t want to do this.”
He looked tired.
“Kenley, this is part of my job. I knew the damage control would happen before anything else. I didn’t expect anything less from my brother. I don’t need a pep talk.”
I sighed. Something felt irreparably broken, and I knew I was the one who broke it. “The press is standing outside. They are seated inside. Everything you say and do will be studied. It’s not as if I don’t realize it. I know the microscope you’re under. The pressure you’re facing today.”
“Damn it, Kenley.”
My eyes widened. I didn’t like how he said my name.
“What is it?”
He shook his head. “We’ll discuss it later.”
Before I could protest again, he hopped out of the car, waving at the cameras and grinning his million-dollar smile. I waited until he was at least ten steps away before I scrambled out of the backseat.
Dominic shook hands with the librarian who greeted him at the door. Her name was Annalise. I remembered her from our visit two months ago. He acted as if this was any other press event. He didn’t seem like a man who was on a tour for redemption and forgiveness from Galona’s citizens.
And if anyone else thought it, they hid it well.
One of the agents pointed Dominic to his chair in the rotunda of the library. The children were already seated on the floor. I couldn’t believe how quiet they were. The prince sat, smiling as he picked up the first book on the table next to him.
I held my breath.
This was when everything went to hell last time. I felt my stomach roll with nausea. I knew he was sober, but the memory of how he had stumbled into this same room drunk, haunted me. It was my responsibility. My duty to protect the crown from that kind of scene. I had failed the family horribly.
But the man in front of us today was a different person. His voice was deep. His eyes were clear. His movements were intentional and strong.
I pressed my lips together. He was more irresistible now than he ever had been. The captive audience was adorable, surrounding his feet.
He held the pages open and began to read.
My palm rested on my cheek. It was the only thing that kept me from sighing aloud. I was as mesmerized as the four-year olds on the floor.
The prince was everything a royal should be. And they could see it. I knew those little girls were falling in love with him as quickly as he read the fairytale. I listened to him read the story and watched him point to the pictures.
Who wrote these stories? Life wasn’t like that. Knights didn’t ride in and rescue damsels in distress anymore. And what woman wanted to be a damsel? Was this truly the best message to send the children? It couldn’t be.
If I could, I’d jump in front of him and tell them they needed to protect their tiny hearts. Falling in love with a prince could only lead to
gut-wrenching pain.
I knew.
I lived with it every day.
11
Dominic
I cleared my throat and continued to read. I hadn’t let myself think about what it meant to be here again. It wasn’t like I was in front of the royal council, or even facing the cabinet. These were kids. They didn’t care what I did, as long as I read the book. But I knew if I stopped before I got to the happily ever after, they’d revolt. That was the one thing they had on me.
It didn’t matter to them I had been drunk off my ass last time I made an appearance in this building. They didn’t even know what drunk was.
But the rest of the country sure as hell did. They would be waiting for a news report. They would snatch up Kenley’s press release as soon as the event was over.
By the time I reached the last page I knew the little wigglers in front of me were tired of sitting. I was glad Kenley hadn’t chosen a longer book. I didn’t think any of us could have made it through another few minutes of staying still in this contrived scenario.
“The end,” I proclaimed.
The cameras fired rapid flashes. I held the cover of the book out so they could take a few photos.
“Thank you, children.” I nodded. “It was a pleasure.”
I rose from the seat. The librarian rushed over to me.
“Thank you so much, your highness.” We shook hands. “I think the children loved the book. It’s a Galonian classic for certain.”
“Yes, it’s important we honor our culture with stories like this.” I handed the book to her so I could leave the circle.
“Do you think you have a few minutes to see the improvements we’ve made?” she asked. “I know you’re a true fan of books.”
I had to stop from laughing out loud. My platform was literacy because it was the straw I drew. Did anyone really believe Liam loved foreign policy or Klein wanted to spend his time buried in data research? I had to carry the family’s fine arts torch. I was at museum openings and gallery auctions. I blended it seamlessly at events where alcohol flowed like the donation money did. It could be worse. I could be stuck with agriculture like Isabel.