“What do you do on your weekends off?”
“Normal things.” I shrugged.
“What are normal things?” He chuckled. “Reading? Gardening? Robbing banks?”
“Pfft. I don’t need to rob banks.” I raised an eyebrow. “I do that for fun.”
“Living on the edge, huh?” He smiled.
“Is there any other way?” Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “Okay. No bank robbing, but I do occasionally swipe extra desserts.”
“We all have to start somewhere.” He nudged my leg with his knee. “And what other dangerous activities do you take part in?”
“I run.” Shrugging, I smiled at him. “It’s one of the only times I’m truly by myself. No one demanding or expecting anything of me.”
“They let you run by yourself?” He seemed surprised.
“Only on the property. If I run at school I have a guard with me.” I couldn’t help my grimace. “She keeps her distance, but it’s not the same thing.”
“You must really look forward to going home for just that.”
“If you mean D’Lynsal, I always look forward to going home.” I smiled. “There we’re just a family. We hang out in front of the fireplace and if there is more than one of us we will talk or play board games. It’s a nice break.” I smiled thinking about it. “What’s your home like? I think I remember hearing that it stays pretty warm in Georgia.”
“That depends on what part of Georgia you’re talking about. The northern part of the state has its share of snow and ice, but my home is further south.” His eyes grew distant. “We have a lot of land that was passed down through the family and an old two-story farmhouse. It’s cozy, with creaky wood floors, and a fireplace that my mother insists we use at least once a year. There’s always company popping by for some reason or another and my mom cooks nonstop. There is always something in the oven or simmering on the stove.” He smiled at me. “I miss it, even though I’ve technically been gone for nine years.”
“Home will always be home.” I smiled. “I’m sorry you are so far away though. Will you get to visit sometime soon? Maybe for the holidays?”
“I’m not sure. It depends on how things go here.”
For a minute I thought he meant between us, but quickly realized he meant with the Future Bird Trust. “What do you think so far?”
“I think that when Sam gets back I will beg her for a position where I don’t have to do as many speaking engagements.” He laughed. “Like your brother, I don’t mind the actual speaking part; it’s the mingling and small talk that kills me.”
“The wrong people can drain you dry.” I shook my head. “Like psychic vampires. Just zap all of your energy with a simple hello. It takes a lot of practice to not let it get to you.”
“I’m not sure I want to even learn how to keep them from doing that. I’d rather just avoid it all.” He shrugged. “I guess there’s a reason I get along with animals so much better.”
“That’s not true. I saw how you handled the room the other day.” I pushed his knee. “You were a natural. You might not enjoy it, but you have a knack for teaching people things.”
“I do like to teach, but on a smaller scale. I’m really looking forward to the students that are coming to visit Victory Hall from a nearby school.” He flashed a genuine smile. “They’re young and there will only be around twenty or so total.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“I think so. We’ll be able to spend more time with the animals with the smaller group.” He frowned. “There were so many people at the opening, most of the animals became stressed.”
“Have you had a chance to spend more time with the raptors? Get to know them a little better?” I remembered how upset he had been about Loki.
“I spent most of today with them. Sam had a pretty great routine already set up, but she asked me to tighten everything up.” He shifted in his seat, his excitement palpable. “The owls needed a diet adjustment, but I think that was a staff issue—not something Sam had set up. Some of the birds are spectacular. Most of them will never be reintroduced to the wild, but there are two making great recoveries. You should come out when they’re ready to go.”
“I’d like that.”
The car pulled up to the hotel, but didn’t bother pulling around to the rear entrance. At this point, there was no hiding from the media. They knew we were together and had most likely either followed us, or called ahead to their counterparts.
“Ready to run the gauntlet again?” David asked.
“Yeah, I’m pretty used to it.” I undid my seat belt. “Don’t worry about getting out. I’ll see myself to my room.”
“I was raised in the South, Cathy.” He shook his head with a small smile. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Are you sure?” I frowned. “They can be overwhelming.”
“I’m sure.” His eyes bored into mine and I tried not to hope that this meant I would get a kiss good night.
“Then smile, but don’t answer any questions. Just look friendly, but don’t get sucked in.”
“Got it.” David hopped out of the car and walked around to my door and helped me out.
“Catherine! Princess!”
“David, are you dating the princess?”
“How long have you been seeing each other?”
“Princess, are you seeing the American? Will your family approve?”
David put his hand on the small of my back as we walked through the people and into the hotel lobby. I smiled but kept my head down, unwilling to meet their probing eyes. It was a real shame that I couldn’t go on a date without them all jumping to conclusions.
“They are really persistent,” David muttered once we were out of earshot.
“You have no idea. Will your family approve of an American?” I snorted. “They sure do have selective memory, don’t they?” My brother had just married a woman born and raised in America.
“Is that an issue?” David frowned as we waited for the elevator. “Will they disapprove of you dating a commoner?”
The way he said the words, like it was such a foreign concept, touched my funny bone, and I laughed. “Will my family care if I date a commoner? No, but I wouldn’t care if they did.” I shrugged when he looked at me sharply. “I do a lot of things for my family, but who I want to spend my time with is none of their business.” Well, as long as it wasn’t a terrorist. Or the Gene Simmons look-alike stripper.
“You’d go against your family if they didn’t agree?” He motioned for me to step into the elevator ahead of him.
“When it comes to who I like or care for, I’m not sharing that decision with anyone else.” I said the words firmly, but softened when I looked at David. “Not that my family would try to dictate something like that. There is some pressure from the older families to make sure the royal line isn’t diluted.”
“And let me guess, they have a son or nephew your age.” David frowned.
“You got it.” I tapped my nose. “Some are more persistent than others, but it’s always the same thing. Seating me next to them at dinner events, trying to get me to join their family charity events.”
The elevator dinged for the top floor and we stepped out.
“It must be difficult to find a diplomatic way of getting out of those situations,” David offered.
“Selene is great at helping me avoid those events, or I try to give a donation instead of attending. School gives me a good excuse as well.” I shrugged. “Max is stuck with this type of stuff too. Alex had it the worst though.”
“I can imagine.” David stopped outside of the door. “Speaking of brothers, is Max staying with you?”
“Yes.” I dragged the word out as my heart pounded in my chest. “Why?”
“Well, I’d like to kiss you good night, but wasn’t sure if he’d be waiting on the other side of the door with a bat.”
I laughed. “Max is probably asleep on the couch snoring loudly.”
“Good.” Grabbing my han
d, David pulled me against his chest and didn’t waste time pressing his mouth to mine. Where our last kiss had been soft and exploring, this one was hungry. His tongue teased my mouth open to dance along with mine. His hands never strayed from my waist, but I leaned into him, desperate to be closer.
There was something about David that drove me crazy. His careful restraint that barely hid his hunger turned me on more than if he had pushed me against the wall. Knowing that he wanted me, but that he wanted me to experience it all was extraordinary. Most men would have taken the opportunity I’d presented David and not have thought twice.
His fingers dug into my sides and I moaned into his mouth. Pulling me with him, he spun so that he was leaning against the wall and I was pressed against him. I ran my hands up his arms and back down his chest while his hands inched lower ever so slowly. When he finally cupped my ass, I pressed against his leg, trying to get closer to him. I could feel his excitement through his jeans and he groaned softly.
Breaking away from my mouth, he trailed kisses down my neck while his hands massaged my behind. I tilted my head so he could have better access and ran my hands up into his hair. When his fingers slid a little lower, closer to my growing need, I couldn’t help the movement of my hips against his.
His fingers squeezed tightly, pressing me against his hard on, before releasing me suddenly. When his mouth touched mine again, the kiss was soft and short.
“You’re killing me, woman.” David’s raspy voice whispered in my ear.
“Then don’t stop.” I looked up at him, wanting what he had hinted at.
“Not yet.” He kissed me again, slowly, tenderly before pulling away. “I had a good time tonight.”
“So did I.” I fought against my disappointment. It wasn’t like I could take him to my room with my brother asleep on the couch.
“I want you to know that if I hadn’t made you that promise, I would be searching for an empty room right now.” He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “But I meant it. One thing at a time.”
“What if I don’t want to wait?” I raised an eyebrow. It was a bluff, though. In twenty-one years I hadn’t found a man who made me feel like David and I wasn’t fool enough to let that get away.
Leaning close, his lips touched my ear. “It’ll be worth it.”
I just looked at him, unable to find any words. I had no doubts that it would be worth it and that was exactly why it would be hard to do so.
“Good night, Cathy.” He kissed my temple. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Good night.” I watched as he walked to the elevator before digging my key out of my purse.
Max was right where I thought he would be, snoring on the sofa. Even at home he slept on the couch more than he did in his own bed. It was a habit he had developed as a child when waiting for our parents to come home. He was twenty-five, so I figured it would be a hard habit to break if he ever decided to do so. Paperwork had fallen off his chest and was strewn all over the floor.
I took my shoes off and padded across the room to pick up the mess. There were graphs of land surveys, lists of regulations, a small notepad, and a thin book about raptors. I smiled as I flipped through the notepad and looked at his notes. There were definitions with Latin names underlined, and curse words written next to names of people he apparently had to contact. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Apparently Max thought Sam and Alex needed to get another hobby.
As quietly as possible, I straightened his notes and stacked them on the side table before grabbing a throw blanket to lay across Max.
“Good night,” I whispered. Careful to not make any noise, I crossed the suite to my room. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep after that kiss in the hallway, but a nice shower might go a long way to helping.
SIXTEEN
THE NEXT MORNING was beautiful. It may have been in my head, but I felt like the sun was shining a little brighter, the sky was a little bluer, and it took only a few seconds for the shower to heat up. By the time I wandered out of my room, I was happier than I had been in days. There was no denying the bounce in my step.
“Well, someone woke up in a good mood.” Max was sitting at the table where breakfast was spread out.
“It’s a pretty morning.” I sat down across from him and swiped some fruit and toast.
“Mm-hmm,” he mumbled around a mouthful of eggs.
“Did you hear about Selene?” I picked through the bowl of fruit until I found some grapes.
“They called last night to say that she was making a remarkable recovery. I think she will get to leave soon.” Max looked up at me from the paper he was reading.
“I had the same message this morning.” I took a big bite of buttered toast. “I think they’re ready to send her away.” I laughed around my mouthful.
“Speaking of messages . . .” Max folded his paper in half and turned it in my direction. “Have you seen the news this morning?”
Some of my good mood faded immediately. “Let me guess, I made the headlines.”
He tapped the picture and I set my toast down and grabbed the paper.
“Oh great.” I wrinkled my nose at the title.
“Frisky Royal.” I’d think this was a joke, but I’d seen all of the idiotic titles about Sam and Alex. The word frisky would bring in a lot more attention than something about a movie date.
“It could be worse.” Max shrugged.
“No kidding.” I frowned, thinking about Alex and his drama.
“So you did do something more than hold hands with him?” Max narrowed his eyes. “He’s not going to come waltzing out of your room any minute, is he?”
“No.” I sneered at him. “And you’re one to talk. How many times has some girl done the walk of shame for you?”
“Oh, that’s not shame.” He picked up his teacup and raised an eyebrow. “That’s satisfaction.”
I made a gagging noise and rolled my eyes, but my heart wasn’t in it. It bothered me to see David’s face and name plastered in the paper. If it wasn’t for me, they’d be leaving him alone. I skimmed the article, the half truths and assumptions. It wasn’t any worse than I had expected, so I folded up the paper and pushed it back to Max.
“Here.” I finished my food and carried my dish to the sink in the small kitchen. “I have to get ready for a meeting in town. What’s your schedule like?”
“Nothing until this evening. I was going to get some studio time in.” He frowned at me. “Why?”
“Would you mind checking on Selene? I hate that there is no one there with her.” I widened my eyes a little and frowned.
“Yes, but not because of your anime eyes.” He shook his head. “I just like Selene.”
I walked over and threw my arms around his neck. “Thanks!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I spent time making sure that I looked just like a princess should before leaving the hotel. My dress was immaculate, my suit jacket was cute in a way that was classy but sexy, and my hair was pinned in place.
While in the car to the local artisans’ guild I texted David to tell him thank you for a great night. He didn’t respond for the rest of the ride, but I wasn’t too worried. It was likely that he was too busy to even look at his phone. Samantha had timed it so that he was busy doing a lot of school and business visits while she was away. No one would say that my sister-in-law wasn’t smart; considering how much she hated to do speaking events she must have planned this out a long time ago.
There were more reporters at the guild building and Tabitha seemed to be enjoying having them call her name. It was amusing to see her smile for the camera. It almost looked like she had practiced how to stand and where to turn. Then again, when I was younger, I’d been taught those things as if they were part of a normal education.
The guild was full of people, men and women alike, all eager to hear what I had to say. It was lovely to talk with people that felt the same way I did about art education. By the time I had finished my speech, I f
elt excited and hopeful. Here was a room full of people who had made a name for themselves with art; ran successful business and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. It validated all of my belief and hard work on the project.
“Can I set up a monthly donation?” a woman wearing a flowing green skirt asked. “I can’t do a large sum, but I can do a steady amount every month.”
“That would be wonderful.” I held my hand out. “I’m Catherine.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I’m Hilda Thatcher. I run the local pottery studio.” She bobbed a quick curtsy.
“Please call me Catherine.” I smiled at her. “Is that the place on Portvel Road?”
“Yes, it is.” Her hand fluttered to her chest. “That’s my shop.”
“We drove by this morning. I loved all of the wind chimes hanging out front.” I folded my hands in front of me. “I bet that sounds lovely in the morning.”
“Yes, ma’am, it’s a wonderful way to start the day.”
“I’ve been thinking about having people donate time instead of money. Maybe you’d be willing to be a guest teacher at a local school and teach the kids about pottery.”
“I’d like that very much. Very much.” Her smile grew until it stretched across her face from ear to ear. “But I’d also like to donate money as well.”
“Tabitha will help you set up a payment if you’d like, or you could just send money in when you can. I can’t wait to start the children’s program.” I reached out to shake her hand again. “Thank you so much for helping make it possible.”
Hilda walked over to where Tabitha stood, her smile still planted on her face as she wrote a check and gave Tabitha her business card.
By the end of the day I had almost reached my financial goal and left with a light heart. If there was one thing I could be proud of, it was that I had planted the idea of this program into the minds of people who cared—people who would help me see it through.
“That was a very beneficial event.” Tabitha was looking through a stack of business cards.
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