by Rye Hart
I knew some of the guests were important and had security, and by the sounds of this pair, that’s what they had to be. They had no manners.
“I’d be happy to serve you another round, but we aren’t serving pitchers. I’m sure there’s a bar around if you’d like to go somewhere else.” I started to walk away, and the mouthy one grabbed my arm and pulled me down onto his lap. His sweat-soaked face brushed against my hair as it got caught in his stubble. I jumped up, jerked away and hoped that no one saw me as he laughed.
“Come on, sweetheart. Why don’t you join me for a while? I’m sure your boss won’t mind.” He nudged his friend, and they laughed. “You don’t even have to pull up a chair. I got something you can sit on right here.” Their laughter rose to a new level as I backed away and straightened my clothes.
“I am the boss. So, do I need to get security or will you behave yourselves?” My heart raced as they both got the strangest looks on their faces.
“Is there a problem here?”
I turned and found a pair of men standing behind me, both were incredibly handsome, and the tall, fair-haired one stood there with a wicked half grin on his face. He had the look of a European GQ model.
My breath caught in my throat when I found myself eyeing him up and down, well-built with blond hair and an air of confidence about him.
His broad shoulders were outlined by the tailor fitted suite he wore, and I couldn’t help but notice the bulge in the front of his pants. It seemed like his shoulders weren’t the only thing he was working out. I wanted to snort at my joke, but had to remember I was on a job.
His eyes, a deep ocean blue color, penetrated me into the depths of my soul. He was tall, and would easily tower over most people I knew. There was something irresistible about him. I couldn’t pinpoint it besides that my stomach fluttered when he looked at me the way he did.
“Ahem. Are these friends of yours?” I asked.
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Mr. GQ eyed me up and down and then turned to his friend. “Where do we know her from?”
Surely these men either had one too many to drink or mistook me for some dumb bimbo. I remembered that I needed to tend to the event and avoid causing any more of a scene on my first real day on the job.
“I’m sorry but I don’t know you, and I don’t know your friends, but I’d appreciate you taking your hands off me. And while you’re at it, I think you should tell your friends not to pull women into their laps. This isn’t that kind of party” His hand left mine, and his brows rose as he stepped back.
“Pardon me? They did what?” GQ turned and gave his handsome friend a serious glance. His gave a knowing node and barked orders to the men in the seats.
“You’re dismissed. Lucas.” He motioned for the others to get up and then he walked them up to the front.
“My apologies for my security. My name is Enzo Roche.” His accent was thick, and incredibly sexy. He had to be one of the main guests; one of the wealthy donors. His tailored suit was probably worth more than my car. I noticed a drink that was situated on the floor and in danger of being a trip hazard and picked it up before I excused myself.
“Thank you Enzo for taking care of your friends. It saved me the trouble. I hope you enjoy the event. Now, I will have to excuse my-.” I pulled away, but he stepped in front of me, pinning me close to the table.
I felt a rush of electricity rush down my spine down to in between my legs. It was an intense feeling being so close to this incredibly sexy man whom I’d only just met. Who was this gorgeous creature. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of connection to him and pictured a steamy scene of our warm, naked bodies together in rhythmic motion. Something told me this same thought was running through his mind and he’d brought me into the same trance.
Crap, Cindy get ahold of yourself.
The glass of liquid in my hand slipped out and I spilled over his expensive suite. “Oh! I’m so sorry!” I held my breath and closed my eyes thinking of how I could quickly apologize and disappear before others noticed that I practically threw a drink on this man.
He stood there with a warm smile and then took a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his suite. Apparently he wasn’t completely ticked off by my doofus move.
Before I could thank my lucky stars, a crowd of guests around us stopped, and a hush fell over the room for a moment. He waved his handkerchief at them and nodded as it if were okay. “Again, I apologize for the behavior of my staff. As I said, I am pretty sure I’ve seen you before. I never forget a good acquaintance or a bad attitude.” He gave me a curt nod and headed off in the direction of the bathroom. I glanced across the room as Patrick rushed over to check on me.
“Do you know who you just threw water on?” He looked over, and my eyes followed his, seeing Selena and Emily standing there with frowns.
I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up or pass out or both. “Who?” I winced, not sure I wanted to know.
“He’s the crowned Prince of Aramis. His father, the king, is one of the charity’s biggest foreign contributors.”
My heart sank as his friend came in and looked around. “Where is Enzo?” I pointed to the bathroom and tucked my chin before heading to the back for a breather.
My guess was that day one on the job was also going to be my last.
CHAPTER FIVE - ENZO
I dried my suit at the hand dryer in the bathroom as Lucas came in. “What the hell happened out there when I left?”
“She spilled water on me. At least it wasn’t one of those damned blue cocktails they’re serving.”
“I see you tried to lay on the charm.” He laughed at me and leaned against the counter as the bathroom attendant stepped around the corner to give us some privacy. Well, don’t worry. Her bosses had ahold of her when I came in. They’re letting her have it good. Even pulled her away into the kitchen. She’s probably getting fired as we speak.”
“Shit. She doesn’t deserve that. She said the guys were lewd. She was just scared. I should go out and make things right.”
“Why bother?” He took a mint from the basket on the counter and popped it into his mouth.
“Because I don’t want her to lose her job. Where do we know her from? She seems so familiar to me, but she swears she doesn’t know me.”
Lucas laughed. “I know it’s a blow to your ego, man, but not everyone knows who you are. You’re the prince of Aramis, not Wales.”
“Very funny. And might I remind you, you’re still my assistant.” I gave him a hard glare, and he let out a deep breath as I headed to the door.
I went out to find her in the kitchen and my cock even stood up at the sight of her this this time. Memories from that night at the bar came flashing back. I concentrated on her gorgeous silhouette, which held the same generous curves as that feisty woman I couldn’t get out of my mind. There was no way of knowing for certain, but something told me she was the same girl.
I’d imagined her as a sexy vixen, and she was that and so much more. I hadn’t prepared myself for the incredible regal beauty of this goddess before me. A delicate round face, with deep hazel eyes. Her lips were full and stained with a dark cherry lipstick. She had satin blond locks that fell over her shoulders, framing her full perky breasts just right. Next my gaze went over her long neck that I couldn’t help but picture myself making a trail of kisses on, down to her breasts. I found myself needing to adjust my pants.
God, she’s incredible. I’ve got to find out more about her.
She was standing next to two women who seemed to be in charge of the evening. They were standing with her, and one was swinging her arms around in a dramatic way as she lit into her.
The woman stood there taking it. She remained a stunning sight even when she was embarrassed and angry, which I could tell by her expressions, she was.
The other staffers tried to keep busy, but when they saw me come in, a few eyes widened.
I walked up, and the women bowed their heads.
�
�Please, that’s unnecessary.” Not only because they looked like two ridiculous fools, but because I was not their prince and they owed me no courtesy.
The taller of the two women met my eyes. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can assure you that she’ll be taken care of.”
“Put down your pitchforks, ladies. I have come to offer my apologies for being most inappropriate to her.”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind and then gave a half-hearted smile.
“That’s really not necessary, I was terribly rude about your friends, and I am afraid I acted impulsively.” Her eyes sparkled with tears which I was certain was more a product of staving off anger than anything else.
“You had every right. I am sure you were shaken from being assaulted by my security detail, which I have taken care of.” I turned back to the sisters. “So, you see, the poor girl was shaken up. Please accept my apologies—I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Cindy Peterson.”
“Cindy, that’s a lovely name.”
“Cindy here is our newest employee.” The shorter of the sisters offered me a big smile with the information.
“Yes, and Cindy needs to get back to work. I’m afraid this has been enough of a scene. But I’d much like to talk to you, Prince Enzo. I don’t know if you remember me, but we met the last time you were in town for the charity gala season.” She smoothed down her hair, and Cindy slipped away as the woman held onto me with useless conversation tainted with flirting. I suddenly knew how Cindy had felt.
“I’m not quite sure I remember that, but it’s nice to talk to you now.”
Her smile only faltered a moment, and then a slow, sly smile spread her lips. “If you’d like, we could take you back to our table and share a bottle of wine.”
“That’s a generous offer, but I really need to be getting back to business at hand. I have a few other foreign donors to persuade. The night is about the charity, after all. I wouldn’t want to go putting such pleasures before them.” I turned to Lucas who was taking in my every word with a grin on his face, knowing my goal was to feed them lines.
“Of course, perhaps later?” The woman seemed a bit eager, and she looked me up and down like I was her prey.
“We’ll see. If you two ladies will excuse us. Lucas was just about to introduce me to someone.” We stepped away, and the women watched as we went to the back of the room and approached a couple of our friends who were leaving.
After we had said our goodbyes, we stayed there huddled close, trying to hear each other over the music.
“Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in some time.”
“She’s a beauty indeed, but also a plain presentation. Bella Lora has more style.” Lucas shrugged.
I narrowed my eyes and curled my lip in distaste. “I don’t care about style. Those things can be bought, but natural beauty, sincerity, strength- those things can’t.”
“Your mother isn’t going to care about any of that.”
“Esme will. I need a good example for my daughter. Not some shallow, insensitive gold digger like Bella Lora who’d care more about her title than me and Esme.”
“Maybe you’re right, but you won’t find the girl you need here. Looks alone won’t cut it, my friend. Not when it comes to being the queen. She’ll have to work a crowd, be charming.”
I was certain that Cindy knew how to work a room with her line of work, doing it for a country couldn’t be much different. Especially since the people gathered at the gala were ten times more vicious.
I only just met her, but I had always been a man of instincts. It was what led me to making my best choices to date, most notably taking on the role of being a father to Esme even with the disapproval of the royal family – mostly my mother. My father, on the other hand, always told me to follow my heart. He said that was how he made tough choices as a king and it always head him to prosperity and would do the same for me. Thus far, this advice served me well in life and I didn’t see why it would be any different now.
I glanced over to see where Selena had gotten off to, and when I was certain that she and her sister weren’t watching me, I looked around for Cindy.
I glanced across the room and back. “Do you see her anywhere? I wasn’t sure if she’d slipped out the back while we were talking.
Lucas shook his head and took a drink off of a passing tray. “No, she’s probably working. Let’s go mingle with a few of the other guests.”
“You go ahead, my friend. I think I’ll go find her.” I clapped him on the back and turned to walk toward the kitchen with him hurrying to keep up.
“You mean to tell me you’re going to go hang out in the kitchen for the rest of the evening?”
I let out a long breath. “I’m not asking you to go with me. Go have your fun. I’m interested in Cindy, and I want to spend some time with her.”
“You’re going to bring her back to the house where your daughter is?” He rolled his eyes and looked away. He knew better.
“Maybe she’ll take you back to her slum apartment. Might I remind you that you fired our security and we only have one driver?” He chuckled. “You can’t be out in the city alone.”
“You’re a big boy and so am I.” I stopped and turned back and put my hand on his chest. “Go mingle. Maybe you’ll find someone to take you home.” He was only worried about bad press, and with that stupid reporter lurking around, I could see why. A month out from the throne and we didn’t need any drama.
He followed me all the way to the back where I found Cindy giving orders to the rest of the staff that it was time to start their closing duties.
She was a good leader and commanded respect without talking down to her crew. I liked that in a person, and I tried to use the same approach with my own staff. She carried herself with her head held high and her back straight, and even though she was a good head shorter than some of the others around her, she seemed much taller with her authority.
I was beyond impressed and taken by her. Even after the ordeal she’d just been through with her managers, one would never know by the look of her now. It was inherently clear to me that this woman had an inner strength that withstood challenges thrown her way.
“Wouldn’t she make a lovely Queen?”
“Don’t tell me you’re that hung up on her. You barely know her, and your mother would never approve.” Lucas’ voice sounded over my shoulder.
I turned and met him right in the eye. “Fine. I won’t tell you.”
CHAPTER SIX - CINDY
When the prince walked into the kitchen, I figured he’d walk over and want to talk again, but instead, he stood with his friend watching me rally my team for cleaning duties.
Once the team headed off to tend to their duties, I went ahead and got with Patrick to let him know our progress. That’s when he nodded in the Prince’s direction. “Handsome prince two o’clock.”
I kept my eyes down on the counter before us. “I’m aware. What do you think he’s doing here?”
“Waiting for an apology?” Patrick said with a sarcastic tone.
“He’s the one who apologized and saved my ass. The sisters were about to fire me. It seems that Selena has a big crush on Prince Enzo, and I embarrassed her. If he hadn’t come over and set things right, I’d be on my way home already.”
“Damn, I miss all the fun. Maybe he’s got a big crush on you.”
“Are you kidding, he’s royalty. He can have any woman he wants. I’m a mess. He’s used to women whose toenail polish isn’t peeling and have shaved her legs in the past week.”
“Damn girl, too much information. I’m going to give you my spa pass for next week. Please take care of all that.” He glanced up at Enzo. “He’s damned fine, girl, but you’re a knockout. Don’t sell yourself short. Shave the legs, paint the toes. You’ll be fit for a prince.”
“I’m sure that’s not it. Maybe’s he’s waiting on Selena.” I hated to think of him with my boss. Eve
n though Selena was barely thirty, she was about as strange as they come. Her style was so eclectic that she looked more like a little kid that tried to dress herself than an adult.
“He’s got too much style. Have you seen that suit?” He took another glance, and they were talking to one of the servers and taking a drink from her tray. Even though the server was mooning over Enzo’s handsome face, he cut his eyes to my direction. I turned my head down again.
“Oh yeah, he’s got it bad for you. He itching for your scratchin’, and he’s on his way over.” Patrick scurried away, and I turned to try and stop him as the prince approached.
I had wanted to talk to him and thank him for his help, but I hadn’t expected to have the opportunity again so soon.
“Hi.” I was at a loss for how I was supposed to greet a prince. It wasn’t like he was my ruler, but I wanted to be respectful. “I’m sorry, I know nothing about royal etiquette.”
“Please, call me Enzo, Cindy.”
“Enzo, I’m a fan of your accent.” I scolded myself internally for the stupid remark.
Fan of your accent? Geeeez, how lame!
A sly grin spread his lips, and I could imagine that he’d had more than enough compliments in his life.
“I love yours too.”
“I’m from the south. New Orleans, to be exact. I moved to New York for college and never left.” I didn’t know why I was giving him a history lesson, or why I tended to ramble in his presence. I’d never been one to be starstruck before, but somehow Enzo had a strange influence over me.
“I love New Orleans. I’ve been there a few times; charming city.”
“Yeah, so about earlier.” Going straight to business. “I’m sorry that I tossed water on you. I figured you were with the others and I was a bit stressed from the night. I’m afraid I’ve got a bit of a temper.”
“I like it. It shows you’ve got courage.”
“Some would call it ugly manners.”