by Nana Malone
I swallowed hard, my palms going clammy. I stopped at the fridge and opened it up, pulling out a beer. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, yes, you do. You love her."
#Truefacts. "No, I don't."
"Sure, you don't. And even if that's true, you did love her once. What happened?"
"Doesn’t matter now. She's not staying. And as much as I like Roone, he's not staying either. They'll do an assessment and then they’ll leave. I'm going to make damn sure of it."
She sighed. "God, you are so measured. Why are you doing this?"
"You'll never understand."
"You can try me. We’re actually friends when you decide you want to tell me things."
I winced. "I’m sorry. It’s just safer."
"So,” she said quietly. “She’s the one you were thinking about that time. That name…” Her voice trailed.
Cue the guilt and shame. “Ella, there’s no point in rehashing this. You know I’m sorry about that.”
She shook her head and blinked away tears. “That was my fault. I should have seen you were emotionally unavailable. I’m just trying to understand who she is to you. You have never looked at me like that. And if you love her so much, then why aren’t you with her?”
I ran my hands through my hair. “Let’s not okay. I don't want to hurt you.”
“I’m a big girl, Tristan. Is that her?” She pressed the question again.
“Fuck. Yes. Happy?” Frustration was taking hold and setting its nasty roots. “I told you you’d regret that night."
"That's the problem. I didn’t regret it. I wanted to shag you. You just wanted to shag someone else."
I sighed. "Ella." I scrubbed my hands on my face. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say here."
She waved her hand. "No, you're right. Just that night, I don't know, I thought, what if we gave it a real try? And then I realized your heart would always belong to someone else. But, at least I know now who I was replacing. And she is beautiful. I was just being catty about the hair."
"Thanks," I muttered.
She swiped away at a tear. "So, how do you want to play this?"
"I need to talk to my cousin. I can't have her here."
Her gaze searched mine. "Okay, do you want to hire some other people?"
"Well, I want us to figure out what the hell we're dealing with. If we can get some word from the police, something definitive, some stalker, more royal conspiracy, someone after you, whatever the situation is. I don't know, and that's the worst. Right when I'm in the middle of these fucking negotiations."
"You really want to go home?"
"Yeah. I do. For a long time, I couldn't. Now that I can, I still can't."
She frowned and studied me. "I know you, and I would never, you know, talk about why you couldn't go home before—" Her nearly clear blue eyes met my gaze. My skin chilled, the cold sweat starting at the nape of my neck, sliding down.
Nope, I'm not going to talk about this.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Look, I know the Winston Isles is important to you."
"Yes, it is."
"Like I said, I will do everything to help you get to play there. But you and I are going to have to figure out what we want to do with this situation. Now that you have seen her, how long do you think our arrangement is going to work for you?"
"Our arrangement works perfectly. I can't have her. I never could."
"I wish you'd tell me why."
“She wouldn’t want me.” The admission was like a lance through my heart.
“You can’t be the protector for everyone, Tristan. Sooner or later you’ll need someone to protect you.”
“I love that you want to try. But I’ve got this entire situation under control. I’m going to grab a shower.”
As I went to go take the coldest shower on the planet, I knew I could never touch Ariel again. Not if I wanted to keep my plan on course. Too much was riding on me having a clear head.
SEVEN
TRISTAN…
I COULD DO THIS. It was fine. All I had to do was survive Ariel.
The good news was, Ella was kinder when Ariel came to the door looking like every dirty-librarian fantasy I'd ever had.
Her red hair was pulled back into a bun, and she had sunglasses shielding her eyes. Her pencil skirt showed off her slender curves, and the tight blouse underneath her tailored jacket accentuated her fuller curves on top. Christ, had she been so full before?
Stop. That won't help.
My gaze swept over her again, and I honestly couldn't tell where in the hell she would have hidden her weapon. She wore heels, bringing her height closer to five foot nine.
"Wow, you certainly look the part of security."
Her voice was soft when she mumbled, "Your Highness."
The way she said that sent molten heat straight to my dick.
Fuck. This isn't going to work.
When she walked past me, her fragrance was something slightly sweet, making me want to lean in and lick her.
Jesus. Get yourself under control.
"If Your Highness is ready, we'll get going on your day. I understand that you have an agent meeting and then a meeting with Brixbrack shoes?"
I nodded. "Yes, um, and then Ella and I are supposed to have lunch at Kowa."
Ariel's eyes went wide. "Kowa? That paparazzi trap? It's completely open air."
"I know."
Ella came out of her bedroom then. Her smile was warm for Ariel, which I didn't trust. "I know, probably not the greatest idea, but we booked it ages ago. I have a film shooting in the area and it's a good photo opportunity."
Ariel's gaze rocketed between me and Ella. "I understand a photo opportunity, but we have to think about safety here."
"I'm sure you and your team will figure something out."
I leveled a gaze on Ella. "Okay, let me help her out. Maybe it's not the best idea."
Ella pouted. "Well, it's really important. We need to be seen enjoying ourselves. This is important for you too, not just for me."
I sighed. "Kowa has that back patio. Full-on hedges everywhere, harder for a sniper to get a shot, right?"
Ariel sighed and pulled open a tablet. "I'm checking now."
She tapped her ear and then spoke quietly, presumably to Roone. "Hey, I need to check Kowa, back patio. How are the sightlines?"
There was a bit of silence and then she was talking again. "Yeah, that's where they're having lunch today."
She smirked and then said. "I know. I already told them." She listened again and then apparently hung up.
"We can make the back patio work."
Ella frowned. "But then no one is going to see us eating together."
Ariel shook her head. "My job is his safety. Considering he almost lost a Royal Guard and someone almost took your head off, I think safety is tantamount. It's going to be risky getting you in and out of there, but we can make it work. If you really must have a paparazzi moment, you can walk into the front and that's it. You'll exit through a side exit. There's an awning there. Roone is already arranging it. That's the best I can do. Take it or leave it."
Ella pouted but nodded. "Fine. As long as I can Instagram it."
Ariel rolled her eyes. "Ugh, whatever. Is there anything else?"
I nodded. "I'm supposed to deal with a charity thing tonight."
She frowned. "I don't have anything on your schedule."
"It's not a big charity event. There is just this kid I visit in the hospital sometimes."
Ariel lifted a brow. "Oh yeah?"
"It's in a hospital. No one ever knows I go. But the kid gets pictures to show his friends. Sometimes they show up online. I never announce it. I just turn up." I’d met Alejandro through one of the other charities I ran. He was a good kid. When he fell sick his parents reached out again.
Jesus. "Okay, fine. I'll have Roone on it. Anything else?"
I shook my head.
"Fair enough, let's g
o."
Ella strode over then and wrapped her arms around my neck, and I frowned. She placed a kiss on my lips. I couldn't help it, I darted back. "Um, what?"
Ella darted her gaze over my shoulder and I scowled down at her even as she said sweetly, "See you later, darling."
When I turned around, Ariel wasn't even watching us. She was already at the door, back to me, shoulders stiff. Oh yeah, she'd seen that.
"Have a great day, baby." Ella's voice was light and fun, and she grinned at me.
I just shook my head. "Yeah, I'll see you at lunch." I rolled my eyes and followed Ariel out. I wanted to say something to tell Ariel that what she saw just then hadn't meant anything. But I couldn't let her know this was a whole fake arrangement. First, because it would ruin my plans. Second, well, it's probably better if she didn't know. I wouldn't want to disappoint her again.
You more than disappointed her. You broke her heart. You think she's going to go anywhere near you again?
No, I did not. And that was for the best.
When we got to the car, I opened the door for her and she scowled. "How this is supposed to work is that I'm supposed to open the door."
"Remember, you’re supposed to be undercover. I'm a prince. I'm a gentleman."
“You might be a prince, but you are no gentleman.”
She had a point. I wasn’t very gentlemanly the previous night when I’d resorted to trying to get rid of my erection with several showers.
“How long have you been dying to say that one?” I asked her.
Her lips twitched. "I use that one on Lucas all the time."
I frowned. "How is he? He was here a few weeks ago, but it was only a quick visit."
"You know Lucas, glib and entertaining. He's happiest when you're telling him he's not a gentleman. But despite that, he has learned how to settle in and find his niche."
"Good. I really like him."
I slid in the seat next to her and the driver headed us south toward my agent meeting.
"Ariel, about last night—"
She shook her head. "Don't. None of it matters."
I couldn’t just say nothing, "Look, in the last few years when I have been home, I’ve wanted to talk to you."
"I knew when you were home. I could have talked to you then too. But I didn't. It's just a lot of water under the bridge, Your Highness."
“Would you stop with that ‘Your Highness’ bullshit?”
She put up her hand. "How about we agree to something. Neither one of us is going to bring up the past. It doesn't exist. You and I on that plane, don't exist."
I swallowed hard. "Last night existed.” Her eyes flared wide and I could see my misstep. “Okay, if that's the way you want it."
"Yup, that's the way I want it."
There were a million things I wanted to say to her. A million things I wanted to do. But it wasn't going to happen.
By the time we reached my agent’s office, I was tense and on edge and so fucking keyed up, my dick could probably have cut through steel. Mark Klein had been my agent for over a decade, and I owed everything to him. His office in the city was light and airy and full of windows.
Ariel preceded me in and then scowled when she saw all the windows. "Jesus, You guys can't meet in a darkened hovel?"
Mark laughed. "Where did you find her? She's hilarious."
I smiled at him. "This is Ariel. She's my new PR person."
Mark frowned. "You fired Amy and her team?"
I shook my head. "Ariel works for Amy's team."
"Fantastic. Okay, here's where we're at, since I assume she has signed an NDA, everything is good?"
Oh, hell yes, she'd signed the ultimate of NDAs. "Yeah, she's fine."
Ariel took up post at the back of the office with a notebook on her lap. It took me a double take to notice that she had a gun under that notebook.
He nodded. "All right, so the Argonauts, they're not coming up on money."
Shit. I hadn’t thought we’d be discussing the Argonauts deal, but Ariel gave zero indication that she’d even heard him. Dragging my attention back to him, I said, "Money doesn't matter."
He stared at me. "Well, it might not matter for you, but it sure as shit matters for me. They're low-balling you."
"It doesn't matter. As long as I get to go home, it doesn't matter at all."
He sighed. "What is with you and going home?"
"Just that, it's my home. I want to be there."
If Ariel was shocked, she said nothing. Her gaze stayed trained on her notebook like she was taking notes. Was she planning on stabbing me later? It was difficult to tell.
"I want this deal. I want it done. So, whatever it takes, just do it."
"Okay, let's see if we can sell them on the cachet you'll bring to the Argonauts. I mean, after all, you're the prodigal son returned. That would bring them a lot of money, put asses in seats. Having the Prince play on home turf, crowds will eat that shit up."
Ariel lifted her head. All of a sudden, it was like she caught on. "The Argonauts, as in the Winston Isles Argonauts?"
I nodded slowly, waiting for it to sink in. Her eyes went wide, but she didn't say anything else. The rest of the meeting went by quickly with Ariel in complete silence. It wasn't until we were back in the car that she turned to face me. "You're trying to come home?"
"Yeah. You’re pretty much the only one who knows."
"Jesus Christ. Why?"
"Hah, like I already told Mark, it's my home. I've been gone too long."
She shook her head. "This is not part of the deal."
"What, you think we can't coexist in the same place?"
"No, I just—I never expected to see you again. That's all."
"Yeah, me neither. So, this is just as uncomfortable for me as—"
The car shook, and the crashing sound drowned everything else out.
The driver, Leo, swerved and tried to maintain the car on the two-lane road.
"Fuck."
We were hit again from the side, and Ariel cursed under her breath.
Before I knew what was happening, Ariel had her hand on the back of my neck and was pressing me down, right into her... lap.
"Well, that's one way of asking for what you want. I'm happy to oblige."
"Don't get cute. I'm just trying to keep you from getting shot in the head when I open the goddamn window."
"Why would you open the window?"
"So I can shoot at them." She said it wryly as if I were an idiot.
My eyes went wide, but I did as she told me. However, I figured maybe the best place to put my face wasn't on her lap. I would just be asking for temptation.
I hit the deck and she rolled down the window. She pulled out the gun from the small of her back, and God help me if that wasn't the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my entire life.
When she fired though, there was no loud banging. There was just a succession of three muffled sounds, like pfft, pfft, pfft.
Then I heard the screeching of tires and a loud crash.
Horns honked and blared. And then there was chaos. But we went whizzing by. To Leo, she shouted, "Drive. And don’t you dare stop until we are under cover."
Leo resisted for a moment. "But Miss—"
"Shut up and drive. Head straight for the penthouse. I’ll have Roone meet us there with the police."
Then she was on the phone. "This is Lady Ariel Scott of Royal Elite Security and a King’s Knight. I need a clean-up on the story of Prince Tristan being run off the road in Barcelona. There was gunfire. Unsure of casualties."
She was silent for a beat, and then she gave a clearance number and hung up.
I stared at her. That girl I’d once wanted to protect didn’t exist anymore. The woman who replaced her was all but unrecognizable. "Just what the fuck is going on here?"
She studied me closely. "I don't know. But someone really, really wants you dead."
"The only person I pissed off enough to want to kill me is sitting in the car wi
th me."
"Yeah, well, at least you admit that you pissed me off."
"And I'm sorry about that."
"Don't bother. I don't believe you. And right now, all we need to focus on is who the hell is trying to kill you. The sooner I figure that out, the sooner I get to go home and never have to see you again."
"Probably for the best. What are we going to do about the other meetings today?"
"You're canceling those. Someone tried to run you off the road. Maybe that will sink in. You're never going to have a moment's rest until we figure out who the hell is trying to hurt you."
I knew she was right. I hated it, but I knew she was right. Until I figured that out, I had a feeling I would be stuck with her.
Ariel…
SIDE BY SIDE, Tristan and I walked from the car to the elevator. He was silent as a tomb, and I was ever so careful not to touch him. Even though I wanted to make sure he was okay.
Why do you care?
"Your Highness, I have a text from Roone. The police will be here shortly to speak with you."
He nodded his head. "Fine."
"I—" Shit what was I supposed to say? I was within my rights to be angry with him. I also didn’t want to see him dead. And I’d had a narrow escape myself.
But what the hell was I going to say? ‘Sorry, some asshole has tried to kill us. Do you need a hug or something?’ And if he did need a hug, I would volunteer somebody else for that duty. The less I touched him, the better.
His voice was hollow when he said, "I need to call the publicity department."
I nodded. "As you heard, I already have the team at home working on suppressing the story. I texted your publicist already that you would be reaching out and there was an incident today. I obviously don't think it's a good idea for you to go to your endorsement meeting today, or any other meetings right now."
He scowled. "Are you enjoying this?"
I stared at him and shook my head. "You know what? It's fine. Everything is fine. Let's just carry on, get through the rest of the day, okay?" Clearly a civilized conversation was not in the cards for us.