by Susan Stoker
“Oh, man. Sorry. That’s rough.”
Leopold nodded. It had been, but not as rough as it might have been for another kid. He had Gisele and his father. He had the entire castle staff including three nannies and five private tutors. He had the other kids who lived on the grounds. He had family in every country of Europe and several in Asia and Africa. He had a country that had mourned for his family when he was too young to understand, and then with him when he was old enough to dedicate a monument to his mother.
So, yeah, as far as losing a parent went, he was among the lucky. And in so many other ways, too. Which was why he was constantly kicking himself for not walking around with stars and rainbows coming out of his butt. Instead, he was griping about his career opportunities. And when so many in the world had no opportunities.
Crap.
“You okay? Clint’s an ass, dude. He didn’t mean—”
“No, no really. I’m fine. I just drifted.”
The other two studied him, as did Jürgen.
“Seriously. It is all good.”
Mark rubbed his ginger beard as he nodded. “Good. Great.” He cleared his throat. “So, it’s Friday. Should we go back to The Fix tonight?” The Fix on Sixth was the bar they’d hung out at yesterday for his twenty-first birthday. “Maybe she’ll be there again.” He waggled his eyebrows and Leopold felt his entire face catch on fire.
“Stop it,” Leopold said. “It was nothing. She was cute and I’d had too many Loaded Coronas.” The beer and rum mixture in that awesome drink had gone to his head.
“You couldn’t stop staring at her,” Mark pointed out.
“She was hot,” he said. “You were staring, too.”
“Yeah,” Clint said. “But she was staring back at you.”
It was true. And the memory of it made his body react in ways that it really shouldn’t with class about to begin. Still the idea was appealing. Too damn appealing. And impossible. “I can’t,” he said. “I’m on Walk Together’s schedule tonight.”
“Bummer.” Clint looked at Mark and shrugged. “We’ll be happy to go recon for you. If she’s there we’ll send pictures.”
“Maybe hit on her,” Mark added. “If she takes one of us schlubs up, you’ll know she wasn’t The One.”
The words twisted in his gut. It was ridiculous, of course. The result of two many fairy tales about princes and fair maidens. But she really had felt like The One. He’d traveled more than almost any man his age, and he’d met more women than a man had a right to. And never once had he felt such an intense emotional kick merely from locking eyes across a room.
Which, of course, is why he’d pushed the entire encounter out of his mind. He had issues enough being here in the States and not home catering to the crown. Add a girl into the mix, and Gisele would probably fly across the pond herself to whisk him back home.
The thought settled him, and he pushed all thoughts out the girl out of his mind. And then, as Professor Cain stepped onto the stage and the lights dimmed, he sank down into his seat and settled in for a restorative nap.
2
Antitrust law was the worst. Or maybe it was just her professor who was the worst.
Either way, it didn’t matter. Because unless Skye Porter managed to wrap her head around his nonsensically meandering lectures, she was going to fail and ruin her straight-A average. Which would be fine if she wanted to open her own practice or work at most any firm. Her GPA would still be plenty high. But she wanted to clerk on an appellate court, then return to the firm her grandfather founded, ultimately working her way up to partner.
She had a spot at Porter, Clarkson & Myer for sure, that much she knew. But she needed to go there with the credentials, too, if she was going to be taken seriously. It had grown into one of the most prestigious firms in the country, up there with White and Case, Skadden Arps, and so many others. How could she hold her head up if she was hired for her pedigree and not her skills?
Plus, she wanted to clerk first. Her passion was appellate law, and at the very least she wanted to clerk on one of the Federal Circuit courts before starting her career. Possibly even the Supreme Court, although that was probably a pipe dream.
She sighed, the thick, blue-bound antitrust treatise sitting in front of her on the Tarlton Law Library table. She scowled at it, then went back to taking notes. If the adjunct prof who had taken over the semester after Professor Hill became ill couldn’t bother to organize his thoughts and actually teach, then she’d just have to huddle down with her casebook and a treatise and teach herself.
No matter what, she intended to ace this final. She drew a breath, flipped the page, and started taking more notes.
Before she knew it, her head lolled forward. She tapped her phone, then saw that it was almost nine. She rubbed her eyes, not quite believing how engrossed she’d become. And then, apparently, how bored.
The treatise couldn’t leave the library, and since it was about to close, she gathered up her laptop and papers, returned the book to the reference shelf, then schlepped out into the main lobby of the University of Texas School of Law.
She glanced around, half expecting to see her friend Elise, who preferred to study on the couches than in the library where the quiet was “too loud.”
But Skye saw no one that she knew, so she went and settled at one of the cubbies, opened her laptop, and started organizing her notes.
The truth was, she didn’t have a ton of close friends here. Acquaintances, sure. And lots of study partners. With her grades, that was inevitable. But there was no one she really clicked with except Elise, who was ridiculously easy to get along. Elise had a job set with her dad’s insurance defense firm. She was a whiz in mock trial, and she didn’t give a shit if she got As or Ds, so long as she graduated and passed the Bar exam.
Because of that, she wasn’t put off by Skye’s high-A average. Even better, she didn’t care that Skye was a baby compared to most everyone else in their third year class, many of whom were in their thirties. Skye was only 21, and though she would be 22 soon, that was still incredibly young for law school. It made sense for her, though. After all, she’d always known what she wanted to be, and she she’d pursued that goal with dogged determination.
In high school, she’d collected credits like a squirrel collects nut and managed to graduate at the end of her junior year. When she got to undergrad, she used AP placement and CLEP tests to get credit for as many classes as possible. Then she took a killer workload every semester, including the summer sessions, until, finally, she had enough to graduate with an English degree.
It wasn’t the most typical degree for someone who wanted to go to law school, but she’d always loved telling stories. As far as Skye was concerned, the law was all about stories. Without conflict there was no story, no movie, no novel, no epic poem. And without conflict there was damn sure no legal dispute.
She rubbed her temples, realizing that she’d been staring at the same page for ages. Her mind had been wandering, which was ridiculous, because she’d been reading about the landmark Standard Oil case from 1911, and the Court’s language was sublime, not dull.
She chalked it up to being hungover. It had been stupid to let Elise drag her to the bar last night. It had been Thursday; she’d had no business going out on Thursday. Especially to someplace like The Fix on Sixth, where they inevitably lost track of time because they would meet up with other people they knew from around campus. But yesterday, she’d given in, and-
“Hey!”
Skye almost jumped a mile, then collapsed with a groan. “Speak of the devil.”
“And the devil appears,” Elise retorted, taking a bow with a flourish. “So I was thinking. It’s Friday, want to go get a drink at The Fix?”
“We did that last night.”
“So? The place is probably hopping on a Friday.”
“The only hopping I’m going to do is into bed. Possibly with my notes.”
“We’ve got almost two weeks until finals.”
<
br /> “Yes, but I actually like to learn things. Not just cram.”
“You are such a freak. Come on,” Elise said. “Seriously. We’ll catch a ride share. One drink. We’ll be back before you know it and you can be as Friday-night-nerdy as you want to be.”
“No. Seriously, I’ll take a rain check.” She licked her lips. “But—”
“He might be there.” Elise’s eyes danced. “That’s what you we’re going to say, isn’t it?”
He was the cute guy that Skye had caught looking at her for most of last night. Not just cute, though. Cute was insult for this guy. He was spectacular. He was magazine cover material spectacular. Broad shoulders, a tight ass. Dark, thick hair with just a hint of wave to it. And his eyes...
Eyes so blue that she could see their color from all the way across the room. They were deep set and sexy, and every time his eyes caught hers, she felt hypnotized, and definitely not in a bad way.
He had the face of a god, too, which of course made her want to keep looking. High cheek bones and an angular jaw line that made her want to sketch him, and she didn’t even know how to draw. As for his lips, well, they looked positively kissable.
All in all, looking at him had been like eating a sumptuous meal. And every time she’d taken a bite, he was looking right back at her, devouring her with his eyes.
The whole night had been weirdly sensual, and she wasn’t entirely sure if she was the only one who felt it, or if he did too. Probably not. She was probably just imagining it, but eve so, it was one of the sexier experiences in her life. And she couldn’t deny that the possibility of seeing him intrigued her more than it should.
Which was why she straightened her shoulders and told Elise very firmly, “No. Really. Not tonight.”
Elise’s eyes narrowed beneath her wispy bangs. “You’re really sure?”
No. “Yeah. I want to get this antitrust stuff sorted out. I can’t get a handle on it, and it’s making me crazy.” And a distraction like Mr. Sexy Eyes wouldn’t help.
“All right. But don’t study all weekend. You have to promise we’ll do something. It’s good for you. Clears the mind to make way for more of that there book learnin’,” she said, falling into a ridiculous Texas twang.
Skye rolled her eyes, but she crossed her heart, too. “Promise,” she said, then went back to her books after Elise had walked away. Now, though, her heart wasn’t in it. With a sigh, she shoved everything into her backpack, figuring she’d walk across campus to the tiny garage apartment she’d rented a few blocks off The Drag. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out the back of the building. She followed Trinity Street until she cut up toward the Winship Drama Building.
Her plan was to take the route she did most every night and head toward West Campus, passing the pretty interior parts of the Forty Acres and then the Tower itself.
She could make the walk in her sleep, and sometimes it felt like she did.
Tonight, though…
Well, tonight she was getting a weird vibe. Maybe it was her imagination. But maybe it wasn’t. There had been a few attacks on campus over the last few years, and the student government had instituted a program called Walk Together. She hadn’t used it before, but had the sticker with the number on her phone, and she dialed as she moved toward the drama building. She ducked inside, then told the volunteer where she was. He said someone would be there within ten minutes, and since she wasn’t in immediate danger she should just wait.
So she did.
Sure enough, seven minutes later, she saw a man approaching wearing the yellow fluorescent vest with Together stenciled on it that identified the volunteers. He was in the shadows, but as soon as she stepped outside the building to meet him, he stepped into the light.
“Hi,” he said, his words carrying a hint of an accent, a bit like German, but not quite.
She froze, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I’m your Walk Together—” He stopped, and Skye knew that he’d just realized what she’d clued into at least ten seconds prior.
He was the guy from the bar. And he was even more delicious up close.
“You,” she said.
“Funny,” he said in that adorable accent. “I was just going to say that.”
“You were looking at me.”
“I was looking at you?” He made a scoffing sound. “I believe it was you who was looking at me.”
“Last night? At the bar?” She tried not to let her amusement show. “Oh no, buddy. You were looking at me.”
“Do I seem like the kind of man who would be so impolite as to ogle a beautiful woman?”
She had bite the inside of her cheek so as not to laugh. “Ogle? Um, yeah. I think so.”
He grinned wide, and it made him so handsome, her knees went a little weak. “It’s like you already know me,” he said, and this time she couldn’t stop the laughter.
His eyes danced. “Why don’t we split the difference and say that we were looking at each other?”
“Yes,” she said, managing to control her giggles. “I can live with that.”
“So, tell me. Are you nervous about something?”
Immediately she shot up straight, the laughter bubbling away. “No. Why should I be nervous?” Could he tell that she was attracted to him? How mortifying.
Then again, she had been looking at him at the bar. But he’d been looking at her, too.
“You called for someone to walk you.”
“Oh!” Understanding bloomed, and she shook her head. “No. I mean, yes. I mean, I don’t know.” She took a breath and tried again. “I thought maybe someone was following me, but it might be paranoia. I never saw anyone. It just felt off.”
“Better safe than sorry. Shall we?” He cocked his head, gesturing for her to come join him. “Where are we going?” he asked.
“More or less behind the Co-op,” she said, referring to the store on campus that, as far as she knew, had been there since the dawn of time. “One of the older houses back there. I’ve got the garage apartment.”
He frowned. “That’s a bit of a hike. Why didn’t you take a ride share?”
“I wanted to walk. I love this campus, especially at night. But I did consider it after I got spooked. But I have the Walk Together sticker on my phone, so I called you instead.”
“I’m glad you did,” he said, and his tone didn’t sound like what a Walk Together volunteer should have. “Where were you coming from?” he continued, as she drifted on the soft clouds of her thoughts.
“Hmm? Oh! The law school.”
“I wouldn’t have taken you for a lawyer last night,” he began. Then he shook his head. “Actually, maybe I would have.”
“You would have? Why?”
“You looked like you were debating. That was one of the things that kept drawing my eyes back to you. The fact that you looked like you were having a real conversation. A back and forth. Not just bar talk.”
They’d been walking, but she paused to tilt her head and cross her arms. “You were looking at me because I was talking too much?”
As she’d hoped, he smiled. “Maybe just a little. It’s just that you seemed engaged.”
“Oh no, no,” she said, wanting to get the words out quickly and firmly. “I’m not involved with anybody.”
Idiot. She sounded like an idiot.
He chuckled, and her face burned. Thankfully it was too dark for him to see her cheeks, and she started walking again. Fast, so he had to keep up.
“No, no,” he said. “I just mean that you seemed engaged with the world. Not engaged to be married.” He paused. “You’re really not seeing anyone?”
She slowed her pace, shaking her head as she looked sideways at him.
The corner of his mouth curved up in the most adorable grin. “Well, that really is good information to have, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” Her voice sounded breathy.
“Have you ever heard of quantum entanglement?”
She made a w
hooshing motion over her head. “Random much? But no. Or maybe. I’m not sure. Why?” She really had no idea what he was talking about. Or if it was a good thing.
He waved the words away. “Sorry. Not important. Let’s just say you caught my eye.”
She wanted to press him to tell her more, but she knew enough to know that he was talking physics. And frankly, a science lecture wasn’t the direction she wanted this conversation to go. Not law, either, for that matter.
So she shifted the conversation by asking, “Why are you volunteering? Is it some sort of penance? Like the college equivalent of detention?
“No. Nothing like that. I just want to help.”
She realized he spoke with an exactness to his words. His voice polished and careful, and she wondered how he was raised.
“I know how daunting it can be to feel like you’re being watched,” he continued. “Like you can’t go from one place to another safely. So I decided this was a way that I could help.”
Now she was even more curious about his background. “Why do you know that?” she asked as they continued toward the Tower, the most visible landmark at the University.
“Let’s just say I’ve had an interesting life.”
“You’re too young to have completely had a life yet.”
“Fair enough. I’ve had an interesting life so far.”
She nodded slowly. “Are your parents celebrities?”
“Something like that.”
“I can see that must be hard,” she said. “Being in the spotlight, I mean. They chose it, but you didn’t. You were just born into it.”
“That’s true,” he said softly.
“But it’s still a legacy,” she said. “So you honor it.”
“What do you mean? That celebrity kids have to go into the business?”
She thought she heard a harshness in his tone, and she feared she’d hit a hot button. “No,” she hurried to say. “It’s just that I think all children should at least honor where they came from, you know? And if it fits, then you continue that legacy if you can.”