Royal Disaster #2

by Ember Casey

  Nick glares at Pax as he pushes his plate away. “I’m certain you could have picked a restaurant that has both atmosphere and fine food.”

  “But not the windows that face the sidewalk.” Pax motions with his head to the paparazzi gathered outside. “Trust me, this kind of place isn’t my style, even if the food was good.”

  Pax smiles at me for a long moment. “In fact…” He stands, walking around my brother to my chair. He’s grinning toward the window as he spins me around and lifts me up. “Let’s give them something to write about.”

  Then he slides his arms around my waist, his hand sliding to my ass. He pulls me against him—hard—and his lips crash down on mine.

  Pax

  Mm, I forgot how good she tastes. Sweet and a little spicy. Heat rushes through my body, just like it does every time our lips meet, and my cock doesn’t seem to care that we’re in the middle of a restaurant. It immediately stands at attention.

  But I don’t get to enjoy the kiss for very long. I hear the scrape of chair legs against the floor, and suddenly I’m being yanked back by my collar. Ol’ Nicky is on his feet, gripping the neck of my shirt so tightly it hurts, and if looks could kill, I’m pretty sure I’d be chopped up into a million bloody pieces by now.

  Then Sophia is there, a hand on either of our chests, trying to push us apart.

  “Put him down, Nick,” she says. And then, more quietly, “You’re ruining everything.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re missing the point of what we’re trying to do here,” I tell him, a little breathlessly.

  Cursing under his breath, he releases me, but it’s too late—I’m sure the paparazzi outside already got more than enough shots of our little scene. Within an hour, those pictures will be all over the internet, and by morning, they’ll be popping up at newsstands at supermarkets. Mick will probably be happy about the extra publicity this’ll bring, but this isn’t what I wanted.

  I look down at Sophia, knowing she’s probably realized the same thing by now. I start to give her some words of sympathy, but she cuts me off.

  “This is as much your fault as it is his,” she says. “You were egging him on.”

  “I was just trying to put on a show for the cameras.”

  “You both have spent the whole night being pig-headed idiots,” she says. “And I’m stuck in the middle of it.” She glances out the window at the paparazzi, and then turns her back on them.

  “I think this dinner is over,” she says. “We’ve given them more than enough ammunition already. I think we should call our car back.”

  “On it,” I say, pulling out my phone. As much I hate to cut our dinner short, Sophia is right—there’s no way we’re going to make this better by staying, especially considering the way her brother is still glaring at me.

  The maître d’ is standing just beyond him, looking uncomfortable and unsure of himself. When I catch his eye, he steps forward.

  “Your Highnesses,” he says. “Mr. Donovan… Might I be of some assistance?”

  “We’re leaving,” Nicholas says. “We’ll take the check.”

  The maître d’ looks relieved and hurries off to fulfill the request. Meanwhile, I’ve managed to contact our driver.

  “He’s on his way,” I say. “I’ve asked him to meet us by the back door this time. Seemed like a good idea.” I can only imagine the things they’d shout at us on the way out.

  Until then, I plan on finishing my dinner. I sit back down in my chair, grab my knife and fork, and dive into my steak.

  Nicholas looks at me as if I’ve gone mad.

  “I can’t believe you’re still eating,” he scoffs.

  “And let a perfectly mediocre steak go to waste? I don’t think so.”

  “Honestly, Sophia, what do you see in this arrogant twat?”

  “Maybe the same thing I see in the arrogant twats I call brothers,” she says. “He’s loyal when it counts.”

  I look up at her, meeting her gaze, and though I can tell she’s still pissed at me, I can also see that she’s telling the truth—in spite of everything, she appreciates that I’m here for her.

  “Of course,” I say. “Twat or not, I’m not the sort of guy who’d leave a woman to fend for herself in a situation like this.” My eyes shift to Nicholas. “I’ve got little sisters, too.”

  “Look at it this way, Nick,” Sophia adds. “If it were another guy, you might have had to threaten him to stand by my side through this crap, instead of the other way around.”

  “Small blessings, I guess,” Nicky responds. “But I still don’t have to like him.”

  “I’ll settle for begrudging tolerance,” I say.

  That earns me another warning look from Sophia, so I dive back into my steak until my phone buzzes in my pocket.

  “That’ll be our driver,” I say. “He’s here.”

  When I look up, I see Nicholas paying our bill, and I practically leap from my chair to grab it from him.

  “I’ve got it,” I say.

  “No. You’ve done quite enough already,” he says.

  “Then it’s the least I can do.” I make another grab for the check, but he twists away from me. “Come on, Nicky. Let me be a gentleman, here.”

  “I’d rather not. I don’t intend to owe you or yours anything.”

  “Letting me get the check doesn’t mean you owe—”

  “Can you two please stop it?” Sophia butts in. “I swear, if you two don’t drop this whole alpha dog showdown, I’m going to vomit.”

  I try to argue, but Nicholas has already shoved a thick stack of American bills into the maître d’s hands, and I know it’s fruitless. Sophia might call this an ‘alpha dog showdown’ but I know exactly what it is—His Royal Snootiness trying to prove that he’s better than me. Trying to keep the upper hand in a situation where he feels I have too much power.

  And why shouldn’t I have the power here? Sophia chose to be with me. She chose to stay instead of returning to Montovia. She chose to let me help her—and her brother resents me for it.

  Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same thing if some prick fucked up one of your sister’s lives, I think. But like I told Sophia earlier, that’s a completely different situation. None of my sisters are here.

  I’m still frowning as we make our way through the restaurant toward the back. We probably only have a moment before the paparazzi out front realize what we’re doing, so we better act fast.

  Fortunately, the driver is waiting at the back door, the limo door already open.

  “You first,” I tell Sophia, taking her hand to help her into the car.

  “No touching!” her brother scolds, but the words are hardly out of his mouth before the first photographer makes it around the back of the building.

  “Get in,” I tell him.

  Ol’ Nicky starts to argue that I should go first, but then the photographer dashing toward us calls out, “Your Highness! Any comment on why you attacked Pax? What’s your family’s official position on the sex tape?”

  Cursing, he gets into the limousine, and I dive in after him, pulling the door shut just as a swarm of reporters rounds the building.

  “Go,” I tell the driver. “Take us back to my apartment.”

  “No,” Nicholas says. “Sophia and I will be returning to my hotel.”

  “Actually, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Sophia says. She leans forward, her phone in her hand. “I’ve got two missed calls from Andrew and a text from Victoria. She says she’s already heard about you attacking Pax, Nick.”

  “I didn’t attack him,” Nicholas insists. “I just pulled him off of you. There’s a difference.”

  “The rumors are already flying among the various tabloids,” Sophia says. “Everyone’s trying to get the basics of the story straight before they publish anything. She says Celebrity Spark has already dispatched people for the hotel. They’ll be waiting there for you.”

  “It’ll be safer back at my place,” I say. “They’ll ca
ll the cops if a member of the press even tries to set foot in the lobby. They won’t mess with us there.”

  Nicholas shakes his head. “I’m sure the hotel has security, too. This is Los Angeles, after all. They’re used to having celebrities stay there.”

  “Do you know the secret back way in and out of your hotel? Because I know the one in and out of my building,” I counter.

  “He’s right, Nick,” Sophia says. “Victoria says to avoid the hotel completely until she gets more info.”

  “My place isn’t so bad,” I add. “It might not be a palace, but you have to admit it has a very modern, American sort of luxury.”

  “I don’t have to admit anything,” Nicholas says. “And it’s not the decor I have a problem with.”

  “I have a second bedroom. You’re welcome to sleep there—”

  “Sophia will be sleeping there. I’ll be sleeping outside your room to make sure you don’t try to pay her a visit in the middle of the night.”

  “Sophia is old enough to decide where she sleeps on her own,” I say.

  “And we’ll discuss that later,” she says. “But either way, it sounds like we’re headed to Pax’s place.”

  And though it’s a victory for me, judging by the way Nicholas is eying me, I suspect I won’t get to enjoy it very much.

  Sophia

  The ride back to Pax’s apartment seems much longer than the ride to the restaurant. It’s dark in the limo, but I can feel my brother glaring at Pax, hear it in his breathing.

  I should say something to lighten the moment, I think. But I can’t think of anything—nothing that wouldn’t offend one of them more than the other, anyway. And I don’t really want to piss either of them off.

  Something about the way Pax kisses me tells me there might be more here, more than just a silly fling. If we are going to be stuck together for the next few weeks or months, it might be nice for it to mean something more, anyway.

  When did I start thinking like that? I’m certainly not ready for a relationship—not that Pax wants one. He’s made that quite clear. And I’m still not so sure that he doesn’t have some secret he’s hiding. But certainly there must be a way for us all to get along—for my brother to accept that I can make my own decisions in this matter. I might have embarrassed my family and myself, but I’m also old enough to dig myself out of the mess without their assistance.

  It’s convincing them of my independence that will be the problem.

  We finally arrive at Pax’s apartment after what seems a long, torturous hour of silence. Pax takes my hand as we walk to the elevator from the parking area beneath the structure—well hidden from any cameras and paparazzi that might be outside.

  Nick growls under his breath at the touch, but he says nothing. His glare could burn a hole through me, but his silence says even more.

  I pull my hand away from Pax, and he looks over at me, frowning.

  Who knew I could be so torn between being with a man and doing the right thing by my family? I force a smile, trying to cover my uncertainty.

  This shouldn’t be a difficult decision, I think. I don’t have much choice… If I’m to save any amount of face, I’m going to have to follow through with faking a relationship with Pax. I wish my brother could understand—there is really no decision to be made.

  We finally arrive on the top floor, and Pax fishes for his keys in his pocket. He tosses them onto the counter as soon as we enter. He turns to me with a grin. “So. Sleeping arrangements—”

  “Have already been discussed,” my brother interrupts. “The second bedroom is over there, I presume?” He glances across the room at a closed door.

  “Yep, and you’re welcome to it—”

  “Sophia will sleep there.” Nicholas glares over at Pax. “I’ll be taking the couch.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Nick.” My voice sounds much meeker than I expected. Perhaps standing up to my family won’t be as simple as I thought, even if it is with my most easy going brother. “I’m a grown woman—”

  “Who is clearly not mature enough to make good decisions when they matter.” Nick stares at me for a moment, his face finally softening. He lowers his voice slightly. “I’m sorry, Soph, but it’s true.”

  “I don’t think you give her enough credit.” Pax’s voice is little more than a grumble. “You really don’t.”

  “You don’t know anything about me or my sister.” Nick glares at him over my shoulder. “If you did, you wouldn’t have recorded your…your…escapades last evening.”

  I take a step away from the two men so I can see both of them. “He didn’t do the recording, Nick. He says he didn’t.”

  “Oh, I know what he says.” Nick looks like he wants to kill Pax. “Men say all sorts of things when they’re trying to cover up their wrongdoings.”

  Pax just shakes his head. “Not doing this again.” He lifts his hands, almost like he’s surrendering. “I already swore to everything holy that I didn’t do it.”

  Nick says nothing, just glares at him.

  “I don’t…” I take a half step toward Pax. “We don’t have any reason to think he’s lying. I…I trust him, Nick. And I think if I trust him, you should, too.”

  Nick’s gaze snaps to mine. “I will never, never trust him.” He turns his gaze to Pax. “Never.”

  “Well, at least trust your sister, then.” Pax steps toward me, looping his arm around my waist. “And trust that she’s old enough to make her own decisions.”

  “You have a sister.”

  “Sisters.” Pax nods. “Three of them.”

  “And you’d allow them to have sex with a man under the same roof as you? While you were sleeping just across the hallway?” Nick cocks his head. “If you can honestly tell me that you would have no problem with a man fucking any of your sisters while you were within hearing distance, perhaps I’ll rethink my position.”

  Pax drops his hand from my waist. “It isn’t the same thing—”

  “Isn’t it?” Nick tilts his head. “I think it’s exactly the same thing.”

  “You think your other siblings aren’t having sex under the same roof as you?” Pax lifts a brow. “You think your brothers—”

  “Brothers are different than sisters. And I suspect you know it.” Nick lets out a long breath. “Besides, my brothers are all married.”

  Pax shrugs. “They probably weren’t when they started seeing their wives—”

  “Again, different.” Nick almost growls. “And it isn’t as though the two of you have a relationship. Perhaps if I thought you were in love, I wouldn’t have such an issue.”

  I roll my eyes. “Honestly, Nick. I thought Andrew was the stuffiest of the four of you.” I shake my head. “I never thought I’d say this to you, but you really need to get laid.”

  “I could hook you up." The words seem to fall from Pax’s mouth, and he chomps on his lip to keep from laughing, and I have to do the same.

  Nick glares between the two of us. “I would say that the two of you deserve each other, but truthfully, you don’t deserve my sister.” He presses his lips into a line, his gaze darting between us. “You know what? I don’t care. Do whatever the hell you want.”

  He stomps into the living room before he spins on his heel and walks back over to us. He grabs my arm. “On second thought, I do care.” His nostrils flare, and I can tell he’s about as angry as I’ve ever seen him. “This is not what I want to spend my life doing, and you know it, Soph. I said I’d come here to help you, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

  I try to yank my arm away, but he only holds on tighter. “This isn’t helping, Nicholas. If you want to help, you could—”

  “I could what? Let you ruin your life by taking up with this garbage?” My brother shakes his head. “If there was even a trace…a hint that he cared about you one iota, I’d feel differently. Why can’t you see it?” His gaze flicks over to Pax and back to me. “He doesn’t care about you. At all.”

  “That isn’t true.” Pax
steps toward me, pulling my hand into his. “It isn’t true, and I’ll prove it.”

  Pax

  Nicholas’s eyes narrow as I pull his sister toward me. When I first grabbed her, I meant to kiss her again—to kiss her like she’s never been kissed before—but while that might have an effect on Sophia, I know it’s not going to win me any additional points with her brother.

  So instead of kissing her, I just hold her in my arms and say, “Sophia, I’d like to take you to meet my mom.”

  Sophia’s eyes nearly bug out of her head. Ol’ Nicky’s growl of protest about me touching her turns into sort a strangled cough.

  “I’m serious,” I say. “I think the two of you would like each other. And—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Sophia says, pulling out of my arms. She laughs, but I can’t tell if she’s amused or just uncomfortable. “I’m not meeting your mother.”

  “Why not? We’re already meeting family.” I nod toward Nicholas. “And if it shows your brother that I’m serious—”

  “Stop this nonsense,” Nicholas says. “No one is meeting anyone’s parents. And no one is sleeping with anyone else tonight. That’s final.”

  “Who died and made you my dad?” I mutter.

  Sophia rolls her eyes, and though I’m sure it’s just as annoying for her as it is for me to be bossed around by this pompous idiot, she pats me gently on the arm.

  “For tonight, at least, it’s probably easier not to make this any more complicated,” she tells me. “It’s just one night. And honestly, I could probably use some actual sleep.”

  I frown. “You can’t let this guy push you around—”

  “And what’s the alternative? That we stand here and argue about this for another hour and come to the same conclusion? You think if I go into your bedroom with you Nick will be content to sit out here all night and do nothing about it?” She shrugs. “I know how to pick my battles.”

  “You need a new brother. One who’s a little less concerned with your sex life.”