by Avery Katz
I exited the hotel and walked the short distance to the cafe. Quin and Greg were already waiting for me inside. They looked hungover and grumpy for a change. My brother could barely open his eyes.
“Good morning.”
“There is nothing good about this morning. Not the warm sunshine, nor the noisy traffic outside. Ugh. I need an aspirin.” He complained while massaging his temples.
“Who’s the old man now?” I teased my brother.
Quin shook his head at his husband. “I told you not to drink that Bacardi bomb.”
“Well, how was I to know that it was eighty percent alcohol?”
“It said so on the label!”
I sat across from them and took off my hat and glasses.
“Greg’s a lightweight. He should know that by now. Right, Greggy?”
“Yeah. I learned my lesson. Shit. I’m too old for this.”
Quin laughed and rubbed his husband’s back.
“That’s the hangover talking. We actually had a blast last night. The club had an eighties theme going on, so we bought these crazy retro wigs and danced the night away.”
“Yep. We did have fun. It was a nice change of pace for us.”
“Good. I’m glad.” I checked my watch. My new bodyguard was supposed to join us for breakfast, but he was already late. Tardiness was not a good sign. I sighed and tapped my fingers on the table. “So, are we going to order the usual or what?”
“Hell yeah.” Quin nodded. “Pancakes with hash browns and fried eggs on the side.”
“Don’t forget the bacon.”
“What happened to the grumpy Greg from earlier?” I raised an eyebrow at my tired brother. It was a good kind of tired, though, so I wasn’t too worried about him. Worrying about my siblings was my specialty. I knew they were married, but I was still protective of them. I was also protective of my cousin Tommy. He was a drama queen, but I loved him. We all did. He was a bit eccentric and over the top, but his artwork was beautiful.
We were suddenly interrupted by a woman in her mid-twenties. The adoration in her eyes meant that she had already recognized me.
“Hi. Sorry. I just had to come over here and tell you that I really admire you as a person. Oops. Sorry, Your Highness. I meant to say, prince.” She stuttered.
The woman introduced herself as Abigail. She gave me a paper napkin for me to sign and buzzed with excitement when I handed it back to her.
“Thank you! Thanks so much.”
She ran back to her table and showed it to her friends. I shook my head in amusement and noticed someone familiar entering the cafe. It was none other than Justin and his sexy blond beard. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him walking towards our table. Did he come back for me? That wonderful question crossed my mind, but it quickly faded when he frowned.
“Hi. Are you the clients from Raplen? I was told to meet you here at ten o’clock sharp, but I got held up in traffic.” He said. “Wait a second. You guys are the tourists from last night. Wow. Small world, huh?”
“Yes, indeed.” Greg laughed. “You must be here for Ruppy.”
“Oh. Let me get this straight. Ruppy is short for Rupert? Damn. How did I miss that?”
It suddenly hit me that Justin was my new bodyguard.
Fuck me. I was screwed.
Chapter 6
JUSTIN
Fuck. I played it cool while doing a mental facepalm on the inside. Unbelievable. I slept with a client. The universe was trying to fuck with me because the odds of that happening were pretty low. I should have known that something was up when I ran into Ruppy twice in one day. Technically, he hadn’t been a client when the sleeping together occurred, although the sleeping had been to a minimum.
After we said goodbye this morning, I drove back to my place and changed into my usual suit and tie ensemble. I had totally forgotten about the folder Chad had given me, so I had no idea who the prince was or what he even looked like. Hell, I didn’t even Google the guy. I only knew that we were scheduled to meet at the Blue Bottle Cafe on Mint Street. The breakfast staff who worked there made the best blueberry pancakes in town.
The strong smell of roasted coffee beans filled my nose as I took a seat across from Prince Rupert Lockridge. I was still surprised by the whole thing but managed to recover in a matter of seconds. That was what professionals did, and I was nothing if not a professional.
“Are all of you princes? Should I bow or curtsy or what?”
Greg laughed. “Not really. No. We’re humble like that.” He said. “It’s so great that you turned out to be Ruppy’s bodyguard. We feel like we already know you.”
“Yeah. Life is full of surprises. Like you mentioned earlier, it really is a small world.”
Quin flashed me a welcoming smile. I adjusted my wristwatch and tried not to stare at Rupert. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt that matched the color of his eyes.
Fuck me. I had sex with a prince who was next in line for the throne. I tried not to picture him naked while he sat there looking like a snack. A royal snack. The kind of snack they served you in first-class during a long ass flight. Yeah. I tried to ignore the fact that I had the most amazing sex less than five hours ago with the man sitting right across from me.
“So, what happened after we left for the club?” Quin asked. “We had such a good time. You guys missed out on watching Greg do his fishing pole dance. It was fucking hilarious.”
“Honey, that dance attracted plenty of fish last night. They all wanted a slice of Greg pie.”
“Your inflated ego astounds me, brother,” Rupert said. “We actually managed to score a few points each once Quin was out of the picture. Other than that, nothing much happened. We played maybe three more rounds of pool before my headache started and I had to leave.”
Greg grinned. “Interesting. I thought your text last night said you had to leave because of a tummy ache” He pointed out.
Ruppy glared at him and fiddled with the salt shaker on the table.
“It started off as a headache then it morphed into a tummy ache. There is no rule against having both at the same time.
My lips twitched in amusement. I reminded myself that this was not a casual meet-up for brunch. I was on the clock. My job as his bodyguard had already started. I was assigned to protect a prince and someone I was insanely attracted to. How ironic. I was Kevin Costner, and he was Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard. I would have laughed out loud if Marshall or Elliot were in my shoes. Hell, I would have made fun of them and called them a walking cliché.
I quickly excused myself from the table and went to the restroom. I needed to call my brother-in-law Chad and pretend to be sick or something. I dialed his number while I checked my reflection in the mirror. My hair needed a trim, and so did my beard.
“Hey. Listen, is Marshall available to handle the Lockridge operation?” I asked him the second he picked up. A familiar head of chestnut hair appeared in the mirror just as I was asking him that question. Ruppy turned around, having obviously heard me.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
“Marshall is already handling another case. He’s definitely not available.” He replied. “You sound like your cat just died. What happened? You were so happy and energetic when I talked to you this morning. I thought maybe you’d finally met someone and gotten a long deserved lay. Your sister and I were thinking about playing matchmaker. She actually has a friend...”
“Thanks, bro, but I’m not interested in meeting any more of Kate’s friends. Okay? Bye now.” I quickly hung up, knowing that Ruppy was waiting for me to get off the phone.
“Look, if you don’t want to be my private security detail, then that’s fine by me.” He told me. I tried not to look him straight in the eye, but his irises pulled me in like two blue magnets. I swallowed and weighed my options. Adding a European royal to my client list was good for business in general. I could be very professional if I put my mind to it.
“Nothing has changed. I assure you. What hap
pened between us will not cloud my judgment. I have years of training under my belt and even worked at the CIA for four years.” I told him, sounding a tad bit defensive. I was more than capable of doing my job without letting those blue eyes distract me.
“Was that meant for me, or is that your way of reassuring yourself?” He smirked. “Anyhow, you don’t have to worry about anything because as far as I’m concerned, nothing happened, and nothing will happen. It’s not like we’re in love or anything.”
“True. It’s not like we’re in love or anything.” I grinned.
That sentence was turning out to be an inside joke between the two of us.
“This is strictly professional.”
“Yep. Strictly professional.”
Chapter 7
RUPPY
I enjoyed listening to soft jazz music while getting dressed for black tie events. It was a ritual of mine. First, I took a relaxing bubble bath followed by a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. Raplen and the United Kingdom shared a love for tea and trifle. I was a firm believer that there was nothing a good cup of tea could not fix.
Call me old fashioned, but I loved sitting by the fire with a hot beverage in my lap. I chalked it up to being raised at the palace and attending many afternoons of high tea in the garden. My grandmother loved entertaining guests in her new tulip haven. She had a landscape expert fly all the way from the Netherlands to design it.
The suite I was currently staying in had a beautiful flower arrangement that reminded me of her. I smiled and stood in front of the full-length mirror, fully aware that Justin was in the bedroom next door. His room was separated from mine by a connecting door. To say that I was surprised by this turn of events would be an understatement. I had no idea how we got through breakfast without blowing our cover, but we did.
I sighed and grabbed my midnight black tie from my open suitcase. I hated being late, but I was, unfortunately, going to be late to my first official event in San Francisco. It was my fault. I fell asleep for more than five hours and forgot to set the alarm on my phone. Indulging in all that alcohol the night before and hooking up with Justin drained me of my usual energy. I checked my watch and heard a soft knock on the connecting door. Justin was probably dressed and ready.
“Come in!”
I already knew he looked great in a suit, but I still wasn’t prepared to see him in his navy blue tuxedo. His beard was trimmed to perfection, and his golden hair was combed to the side. He looked like a million Raplen dollars. I tried not to ogle him, especially when he smiled.
“I’m fucking screwed,” I muttered under my breath. I may have bitten off more than I could chew with this eye candy. We’d agreed to keep our relationship strictly professional and even joked about it. I was a man of my word, so I planned on sticking to my guns.
“Would you like me to come back later?” He asked with a frown.
“No. We need to save time, so please do brief me while I finish getting dressed.”
“Sure.” He nodded. “I just wanted to fill you in on the security plan for tonight. Please stay in my line of sight at all times. An event like this tends to be a paparazzi magnet. Some celebs call those thirsty assholes on purpose, so please stay within reach. I finally had the chance to Google you, so I have an idea or two about what to expect. There will be two other guards on standby just in case. I also went and surveyed the ballroom where the event will be held. There are two doors at each end of the ballroom. My men will be stationed at both.”
I could hear his breath hitch slightly every time his eyes landed on me. My ego enjoyed the effect I had on Justin. It felt good to be desired even though said desire could not be fulfilled.
“Could you please come and help me with my tie? My knotting skills are a bit rusty.” I asked him just for the hell of it. “I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so I need to be coddled and pampered from time to time.”
“You don’t say.” He scowled. I gave him an innocent smile in return. He took the bait and walked over to me. “I guess as a prince, it’s second nature to you to have somebody dress you.”
“Baby, this is not the twentieth century.” I chuckled. “We are more than capable of dressing ourselves. You watch way too much Downton Abbey.”
I suddenly realized that my genius plan to make him uncomfortable had actually backfired. I was all too aware of his closeness and just wanted to kiss the man. Fate had somehow decided to mock me by bringing him into my life. I needed to punch fate in the face and put it in its place.
“I can’t believe you just let me get away with calling you Ruppy.” He remarked. “According to the internet, I’m supposed to call you Your Highness.” He remarked.
“You may address me as Sir in public, or Mr. Potato Head. The choice is yours.” I joked in an attempt to kill the sexual tension. Die, Goddammit! I had no time for such frivolous emotions. The last thing I needed was to show up with a boner to the Julia Morgan Ballroom.
Justin smirked. “You slay me with your humor, Your Highness.”
“Please call me Ruppy. Your Highness sounds odd coming from your lips.”
“Okay.” He nodded, doing a sophisticated knot that had me staring at the mirror in awe. “Wow. The last time I saw a trinity knot, dinosaurs were still alive, and so was my grandfather.”
He chuckled and tightened the knot with expert fingers.
“Unique princes deserve a signature knot. Now, I’m no expert, but I think this should be your signature style.”
He smoothed down my black tie and tilted his head to the side. He was a combination of sexy and adorable. I could easily drown in his green eyes if I wanted to. His breath hitched again, and this time, I was on the same page. My eyes darted to his inviting lips. I leaned forward to kiss him, his sexy amber perfume invading my nose. He smelled... So. Fucking. Good.
Justin suddenly stepped back and pressed a finger to my lips.
“Ruppy. Strictly professional, remember?” He said.
Shit. He was right. I blinked twice as if recovering from a love spell. The tension between us slithered around me like a snake for a few seconds before vanishing into thin air.
“Yes. Of course. Sorry. Now that you’ve saved me from the menacing world of ties and elaborate knots, I can safely finish getting dressed.”
I sat down on the chaise lounge to put on my socks and Oxford shoes. Justin hovered next to the bay windows and took pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge with his phone. The ballroom was ten minutes away but dozing off for five hours had robbed me of the opportunity to arrive early.
“Alright. I am officially ready to take this show on the road.”
“Great.” Justin followed me to the living room and held the door open for me. “After you.”
We headed down to the underground garage where a black SUV was waiting for us. My hastily written speech was tucked away inside my jacket. I reminded myself to read it one more time on the way to the gala. I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for the cameras.
Chapter 8
JUSTIN
Two of my best men were waiting for us by the bulletproof car I’d specially requested for Prince Ruppy. He specifically asked me not to call him Your Highness, so I opted for calling him sir in front of my employees. We almost kissed in his suite. Almost. And Goddamn. It took a shitload of effort and willpower on my part to say no to temptation.
I had a job to do and a prince to protect. Jumping his bones was not an option. Not tonight. Tonight was my chance to impress him with my skills outside the bedroom. I had a pretty impressive track record as a bodyguard. My men were also top-notch. Owen and Silas were my eyes and ears during high caliber events. I introduced them to Ruppy right away. He needed to get acquainted with my A-team before we headed out to the charity event.
“Guys, this is Prince Rupert. We’re going to be his security detail during his visit to the United States. You have already been debriefed, so please take a moment to have a chat with him and answer his questions if he has any.”
I instructed them.
Owen was twenty-five but had years of mixed martial arts training under his belt. Our men were required to take public relations classes in addition to courses on strategic security and map reading. There was nothing worse than a bodyguard who sucked at reading blueprints. Silas was older than me with the body of a wrestler. He worked as a security guard at the Pentagon before joining us at the company. They both shook Ruppy’s hand and gave him a small but respectful nod.
“Nice signet ring. Is your family originally Italian?” Ruppy asked Silas.
“Yes, Your Highness. Florence to be exact. I come from a long line of goldsmiths.”
“How lovely.” Rupert smiled. “Then you must know Ponte Vechio. I love that bridge.”
“Yes, Sir.” Silas grinned. “I was born right next door to Ponte Vechio. My family moved here when I was five years old.” He added. “My father still works as a goldsmith up on Richmond.”
“Please do give me his business card. Goldsmiths are a rare find these days.”
I watched in awe as he charmed the pants off my men. They hit it off quite well, which was great. I couldn’t have asked for a better client. Ruppy did have a way of charming people. Maybe it was the smiling blue eyes, or maybe it was the way he carried himself in general. He looked like a real life Disney prince. I was fucking impressed by his ability to build rapport with Silas and Owen. They went over the emergency evacuation plan with him and ushered him into the back seat of the car. We all checked that our earpieces were functioning correctly before leaving.
Miscommunication could be deadly in our line of work. I knew we were headed to a gala, but the sheer number of people stationed outside the Merchants Exchange building was fucking ridiculous. Police had closed off a small section of the street, but that did not stop paparazzi and fans from gathering at the steps leading up to the entrance. Security was tight, but I motioned for Owen to circle the block until the other cars finished dropping off their precious cargo.