by Nana Malone
“You need to go.” He turned his back from me, dismissing me.
Screw him. “So we are clear, Your Majesty, you, the king, can demand that I am on your service. You, my ex, cannot do this to me. It’s cruel.”
He turned back to me, his voice calm. “You mean making you think I want you and essentially lying?”
“Screw you, Sebastian.”
There it was. The cocky smirk that had made him notorious. “I know you wish you could.”
Calmly I re-adjusted my clothes and did the best I could with my hair. Then I left him. The cocky king was in full form. There was no hint of my Sebastian. He was gone.
7
Penny
I wasn’t tattling. I wasn’t.
What I was going to do was have a perfectly rational conversation with my father about how the hell I ended up on the king’s service. I was also going to leave out the part about how I just made out with the king regent in his office and how my lady parts were still tingling. But there was no way in hell I could stay on his service, not after what just happened.
Yeah, that. It couldn’t happen. Not again. It wasn’t good for me. It wasn’t good for him. He was a mess because of his father and everything that had happened. Hell, everything was a mess. There was no way in hell could I let that happen again. Who said anything about a repeat occurrence? Oh, I knew us by now. There would be a repeat occurrence. If I wasn’t careful, I’d stay in love with him, and that was only going to get me hurt. I knocked on my father’s door as I opened it. “Dad, are you in here?”
“Yeah, I’ve got about five minutes. What’s up?”
“Well, I just—”
He stood, frowning. “Penny, what’s wrong?”
“Look, I just spoke to Sebastian, I mean, His Majesty. He put me on his service.”
My father frowned. “What? I make all the staffing decisions.”
“Yes, I know, which is why I was confused when you didn’t say anything to me. I thought we were doing the clandestine thing. But he told me just now that I would be on his service from now on as part of his personal detail. I cannot be on his personal detail.”
My father frowned. “Why not? I know things are awkward between you because of what King Cassius asked you to do, but honestly, you two should at least be friendly.”
“Friendly we are not. He’s pretty pissed about it. Dad, please. This is such a bad idea for so many reasons.”
“Give me one good reason. You have protected him before. You two clearly have a rapport. You saved his life. Why can’t you protect him now?”
I opened my mouth to tell him and then shut it again, knowing I couldn’t tell my father that Sebastian just had his thumb pressed on my nipple in the most delicious way. #Nope. There was a list of things you shouldn’t tell your father, and that was one of them. “I just … He’s still angry about me lying. So, it sucks.”
“But the two of you can be professional, right? Because honestly, I really don’t have time to deal with this.”
He was right. We had real problems. “Fine. Okay, I guess. I just thought maybe there was something you could do?”
“No, there’s nothing I can do. If he wants you on his service, you’re on his service. I can talk to him about letting me know staff changes first, but beyond that, I can’t really do anything. I’m sorry. But it certainly makes it easier to watch over him.”
“It’s fine. I’ll deal with it.” When I left his office, I knew that I was on my own unless I opted to leave, which I wasn’t sure I was ready to do yet. I would just have to face Sebastian. There would be no more running away. I was going to have to deal with him.
8
Sebastian
“I think maybe it’s best if we don’t have you go. The prime minister will be there. You don’t need to be in attendance.”
Ethan and I were learning to work together. Sometimes I got the impression that he still thought of me as the idiotic kid who didn’t know his head from his ass. The difference was, now that I was king, I needed to make the decisions myself. “Listen, I get it. Maybe the timing is not ideal. But my father was supposed to attend. And since he’s not here, I need to do it.”
“I understand, but it’s only been a month. No one expects you … ”
I stood. As much as I respect Ethan, he had to learn one lesson. I was king now. So while I would take his advice, I wouldn’t be patronized. “Ethan, I’m going. We are all mourning my father’s loss, but someone needs to run the country. And if I don’t start doing it, my people will suffer.” I met his gaze directly to let him know I meant business.
He opened his mouth as if to argue but then closed it again. “I understand. In terms of security, I would be more comfortable if you took Roone. He’s the most highly trained when it comes to your detail. I know you want him transitioned into the new job, but for this one, it’ll be best. I am extremely uncomfortable with you going with just the traveling team.”
I understood where he was coming from. He had a right to be concerned. After all, it was his job. And given what had happened to my father, I was taking a risk.
I knew his son Michael had been on my personal traveling team before, and also the other Royal Guard. What was his name? Robert? He’d also been on my personal detail once. Though I always got the impression he was a bit of a dick.
I didn’t want either of them. Part of me wanted to torture myself. So I said the one name Ethan couldn’t really say no to. “Penny. I want her on my detail for the trip. As a personal guard, I think she works. She’s clearly already demonstrated she’s good at the job.”
Ethan stood and stuttered. “Right, but Penny isn’t really—As far as foreign diplomacy goes—”
I put my hand up. “Ethan, if you’re about to tell me that Penny is the wrong choice, I’ll be forced to disagree. She blends in, can act the part, and she has saved my life. Not once, but twice. Probably more times that I wasn’t even aware of. Do you question her ability?”
Ethan set his lips in a firm line. “No. Of course not. She never would have been sent to New York if she couldn’t do the job.”
“Well then. It seems that there isn’t really an argument. She can do the job, and she fits. She can get closer than anyone else. She will act as my date, as I don’t have an escort. Normally, I would take my mother on such a trip, but after my father’s death, she’s still not up to it. So Penny will have to do. We’ll have a coach get her up to speed on the protocols, and then we’ll go from there.”
I could tell Ethan wanted to argue, but he really had no choice.
I also knew I was being a dick. He was her father. I didn’t know what he knew about how close Penny and I had gotten back in New York, but fucking with her meant fucking with him, and I didn’t want that. “Look, obviously she can take care of herself, and she can take care of me. It’ll be a routine excursion. We will be gone for three days and then back again. Everything will be fine. Anything she can’t handle, Roone obviously can.”
The tension in his shoulders rolled off some, but he was still quite stiff.
Ethan nodded. “Well, okay, if you insist. I’ll ask them both in here, and you can inform them that they will be accompanying you before they get started on the protocols training.”
“Ethan, thank you. I know it’s not easy putting your daughter in the line of fire.”
His jaw ticked for a moment, and then he frowned slowly. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, a wise person once asked me if I would have the same qualms about putting my son in the line of fire, and I think I lied when I answered. So if it’s a job that I would give Michael, it’s a job Penny can do.”
I had to keep myself from smiling because I had a feeling I knew who that wise person was.
Ethan called Penny and Roone in. Penny arrived first, swallowing hard when she saw me.
Quickly, she curtsied. “Your Majesty. Dad.” She turned her gaze to him immediately and refused to look at me.
“Penny, you will be accompanying His
Majesty to London on a quick diplomatic mission. Three days. It’s a foreign trade meeting. It won’t take much.”
She blinked rapidly. “Is it just me and him?” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but given the circumstances, wouldn’t it be safer to have a full Royal Guard detail much heavier than the traveling team?”
Ethan’s smile was slow. “Yes, it would be, which is what we’re going to do.”
Her gaze skittered over to me, and I could feel the electrical charge between us. Wouldn’t that ever go away? It would make things a hell of a lot better if that would just go away already.
It will never go away. You’re destined to be tortured by this woman.
“Oh, so if you’re taking a full team, why am I here?”
Ethan cleared his throat. “You will be acting as personal attaché to His Majesty. You and Roone will be stationed as his personal guard.”
I couldn’t help it. Hey, I was kind of a dick. “And you’ll be my date.”
Was it really bad that I enjoyed watching the flush creep up her neck?
“Excuse me?”
Ethan clenched his jaw, and I felt a wash of remorse. “What His Majesty means is that since you already have experience protecting him, you will act as his personal guard along with Roone. But, as you are female, it will be a lot easier for you to act as his … date.”
I rocked back on my heels and grinned at her. “Not to worry. I’ll have someone come in and school you on all the social protocols.”
9
Sebastian
Penny’s eyes went wide. “No. It’ll be a disaster. Dad, tell him. I am a disaster. There will be heels involved. And let’s not forget, I set the Duke of Essex on fire.”
I chuckled. “Yes, I remember. Or at least I recall the story. I wasn’t there. I’d left early, I think.” I knew where I was. I’d been busy making out somewhere in the palace with Bridget, and then we heard the fire alarm and we’d gone running. I hadn’t seen Penny then. Or maybe I had, but somehow hadn’t noticed her. I heard the story, though Dad told me later that the duke had set himself on fire and the Royal Guard had put him out, but he’d always blamed the guard.
She scowled at me. “It was an accident.”
I couldn’t help but keep grinning. “Accident or not, you’re going to get a brief lesson on diplomacy, and then you’ll be ready.”
Her gaze went back to her father. “Dad, please.”
I shook my head at her. “Nope, it’s now settled.”
Roone walked in the door just then and stopped short when he saw me smiling. Then he gazed at Penny, back at me, and then to Ethan.
“Your Majesty.” To Ethan he said, “Sir, you requested my presence?”
Ethan quickly gave Roone the rundown. “Now, I’ll leave you three to work out the logistics about the rest of the team. I want to hunt down the cultural attaché and bring her in. You’ll leave in four days, so Penny you’ll need to get up to speed as quickly as possible. I’ll also work on the rest of the team. Penny, I assume you don’t want Michael or Robert?”
Her gaze flickered to mine and then skittered away again.
“No. I’d prefer not.”
He nodded. “I’ll make it happen.”
Roone turned to her. “So you’re the one I’ve been hearing so much about. How is it we’ve never met before?”
She shrugged. “Well, considering there are over a thousand of us in the Royal Guard, it’s possible. Besides, it wasn’t until recently that I was assigned to the king’s personal service. So, it’s nice to meet you.” She stuck her hand out and I watched Roone take it and assess her quietly.
The flare of jealousy was instant. He only held her hand, but I was irritated that he was touching her and I couldn’t.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you Penny. And thank you for saving my friend’s life, despite his tendency to be an ass.”
For the first time since we’d returned, I heard Penny’s laugh, and holy hell, if it didn’t stop my heart. I didn’t care that she was laughing at my expense.
“Yes, well, it’s a good thing I’m used to him by now.”
“Don’t forget, you have to be a good date. You know, follow me around. Assess my needs.” I let the innuendo slide into my voice. Yes, I know; I’m a dick. I thought we’d established that already.
Roone frowned.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment, Your Majesty, I need to finish what I was doing, especially if I’m going to be busy for a while with the cultural attaché. Just have my father page me when they’re ready for me.” She left the room without another glance back, and I couldn’t help but stare after her. It was an effort on my part to not run after her, to not find a reason to keep her in my office.
“Why are you being a dick?”
I shook my head. “You don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand? She’s going to be your personal guard. Stop being an asshole and treating her like she’s a hooker for hire.”
“I did no such thing. I made a couple of jokes.”
Roone’s lips thinned. “You’re the king now. You cannot make those jokes.”
It felt like I’d been slapped by an icy hand. “She won’t take it personally.”
“Why, because she’s your punching bag? It’s clear there’s something going on with you guys.”
“No, you are wrong about that.”
10
Sebastian
“It’s good to see you Sebastian.”
You do not care about her. You do not care about her. The funny thing was, even as I repeated my little mantra, I realized the pain that came with seeing her again, the whole reason I’d insisted for Penny to be my personal guard and come along, I didn’t exactly feel it anymore. Laila de Pascual was beautiful in every sense of the word. Hell, she even looked the part of the princess: golden locks of hair; breathy, lilting voice; a body that looked like it had been drawn by the animators at Disney. Everything about her exuded confidence, fragility, and elegance.
There had been a time when I had found I wanted her above anything else in the world. There had been a time when I thought I was broken because I hadn’t been enough for her. But now, there was this odd, empty space, this void where she had once been. And whereas once that void had hurt, I didn’t particularly feel anything when I saw her again. “Laila, you look well.”
“Oh Sebastian, you’re so formal.”
“Well, you are Princess Laila de Pasqual, wife of His Royal Highness, Alfonse de Pasqual, so formality is called for.”
“In that case … ” She curtsied as was the fashion, and as it had probably been instilled in her every day from the time she was old enough to walk. “Your Majesty, I was so sorry to hear about the death of your father.”
Every time someone brought up my father, I had to forcibly wrestle back the demons and the wave of emotion. I wasn’t there for sympathy. I had a set of meetings to discuss trade. That was my purpose. I hadn’t insisted on coming because I knew Laila was going to be here. Liar.
And I hadn’t insisted on Penny coming because I wanted to make Laila jealous.
Oh yeah?
Okay, yeah, so maybe knowing Laila would be here had been part of my motivation for insisting on Penny as my personal guard. I was an asshole … maybe more of an asshole now that I was hyper-aware of exactly where Penny stood in the room, guarding one of the exits while Roone and Marcus watched the others. And even as at ease as I was supposed to be, I kept finding that I would rather Penny be the one who was standing next to me.
Yeah, you’re a masochist.
“I did hear about your little adventures in New York.”
My eyes went wide. No one knew about New York. So how the hell did Laila?
“New York?”
She nodded. “There was a photo taken of you there, presumably as you were heading home to the Winston Isles. Perhaps after your father’s death. It was a paparazzi photo. I figured you’d seen it.”
“I had
my hands a little full. You know, with funeral arrangements and all.”
She winced, and I immediately regretted my harsh words.
“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” While I may not like her very much, the two of us had history, a lot of history. She was part of my past. It was about time to start to acting like a king. “Things have been difficult.”
“You know, before we were ever engaged to each other, I was pretty sure the two of us were friends.”
“Yeah. And I’m pretty sure that friendship ended when you left me to marry someone else.”
She sighed. “Sebastian, you can’t still be mad about that. You and I were not well suited. We can be friends now. Prince Alfonse was a better pick for me. I made a good marriage.”
“And promising yourself to me, that wasn’t a good marriage?”
“Of course it was, sweetie. But let’s face it, you never actually wanted to be married. It was just something our families wanted. Your parents knew it was time for you to settle down, and I come from the right type of family. I’m sure I was picked out of a lineup of available women with royal blood, and it just happened to help that we already knew each other and were friends. But when all was said and done, we didn’t really suit each other.”
I clamped my jaw tight. I didn’t need to remind her that she’d left practically in the dead of night and then gone to the tabloids to announce that our engagement was over and she was dating Prince Alfonse. No, why remind her of that? “Like I said, you look well. I’ll be off now.”
“Oh stay, for old time’s sake, at least.” She reached out, putting her hand on my forearm. I braced for the impact of her touch, but again, I felt not much of anything. What I did realize was the way Penny’s eyes narrowed on Laila immediately. And not in a ‘Hey, I need to save you’ sort of way, but more of a ‘You’ve had your dick inside me’ kind of way. But what do you know? Penny’s jealousy was just the balm I was looking for.