Oliver
Coming back to Heathrow after dealing with my family for two days feels like a vacation.
I love my family, my country, and the food.
There’s no need for a but there; it’s not where Emily is.
I should perhaps have scheduled a session with the royal counselor while I was home.
There’s no way that the situation I’m putting myself in isn’t going to lead to a shit ton of problems. Made even larger when they’re put under the microscope of the tabloids and paparazzi.
I’m just happy to have been lucky enough to have been born third.
That and having two sisters who aren’t willing to put up with traditions that need to be squashed.
Plus, I’d be a shitty king. Sutton’s a rebel but she’s willing to do almost anything for our country.
She’s just had a little hiccup in the last few months.
It takes an extra hour to get to the Zambrano estate.
Had to get rid of a photographer on my tail.
Though if they’ve done any homework, they should know where I’m heading.
I spent more time here during my first four years at uni than I did anywhere else.
It made the trial of the sinking of the Rock Candy even more difficult.
Luckily for me, not for others, there were so many layers of sensational details that the royal connection the Zambranos have to me was a mere drop in the gossip bucket—details of the case.
I wish I was driving now. But I resorted to the parking garage decoy, which is one of my sisters’ favorites.
Have a driver stationed in a private parking garage.
Drive in, park, and leave with a driver in a car with clear windows while you’re hunched down in the backseat beneath a blanket. It’s expensive but effective.
I’m still half an hour out when my phone lights up with a series of messages from Emily.
Emily
Where are you?
I should be there soon. Everything okay?
Emily
Yes, no.
Which is it?
I’m leaning forward to tell the driver to speed up.
Emily
I’m fine.
Good. You do know I have two sisters and have been thoroughly trained on the word fine.
Emily
Have you now? How so?
Fine is never fine. Fine is a moment away from either burning down a house or needing a swimming pool worth of chocolate.
Emily
Can I pick both?
You can have whatever you need, darling.
I hit dial. She picks up on the first ring. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. What’s going on?”
“I had my first appointment with the doctor yesterday.”
“And how did that go?” I catch the eyes of the driver in the mirror. But then, keeping secrets and telling partial truths is part of my family business. It’s not something Emily’s used to. There’s not a deceptive bone in her body.
“About as well as can be suspected.”
“The doctor treated you well?”
“Is there someone there with you?”
“Yes.”
“Sure. He’s the finest of gentlemen.”
“I see.”
There’s a fire burning in the bottom of my gut. And a conversation that Thayer’s not going to enjoy if this so-called doctor—
“He’s fine. I’m not fond of the whole thing, that’s all.”
“Okay. Good. Have you talked to anyone else yet?”
“By anyone else, you mean my dad or my brother? No, I’m far too chicken.
I’m working up my nerve, though. I’ve arranged for people to take over my duties at the foundation for now.
And I’ve told everyone but my dad that I’m staying in Europe for a while.
I’m not looking forward to telling Easton and Dad, though. ”
“I’ll hold your hand.”
“Thank you. I’ll try not to cut off your circulation when the time comes. Have you eaten?”
“No, I’ve come straight from the airport.” The driver catches my eye in the rearview mirror. “Or rather as straight as it’s possible for me to do anything.”
“Okay.” There’s hesitation in her voice. “I’ll have Esmeralda make you something to eat.”
“Wonderful, I’ll be there soon.”
Seeing Emily standing in the front door of the manor, her worn T-shirt and black leggings on, it’s hard not to run to her and give her the kiss I want to give her. The friendly hug I settle for isn’t doing it for me.
She gives my cheek a chaste kiss, and her blue eyes twinkle in the smattering of noon sunlight. “Esmeralda wouldn’t settle for making you just a sandwich; she put out a second spread for you.”
“Really? It’s almost dinnertime. Then again, she’s been trying to fatten me up for years.” I pat my stomach and grab Emily’s hand. Friends can hold hands, right? “Have you eaten?”
“Earlier with Ryder and Anders.”
“Where are the twins?”
She leads me into the dining room. Where there’s a mountain of food on the table.
Emily laughs. “They’re far from twins. But Holloway has them doing some sort of training.” She sits next to me.
“Training?” I take a bite of the sandwich and groan in pleasure.
“Oh, not physically. It’s Human Resources training on sexual harassment.”
The sandwich lodges in my throat, and I’m coughing until I take a large swig of water.
“I know, right? But since they’re my personal guards, apparently the rest of the team—”
“Didn’t want to be hit on?”
“Anders said it was a good idea.”
“And Ryder?”
“He was less than pleased but went along with it.” She leans in and whispers, “said he would give me a demonstration later if I asked nicely.”
“Em, I can’t wait for the show and tell.” With lunch done, I take her into the den, where I know there are no cameras.
She settles on the sofa under the light of the glazed lead glass window, and I lock the door. “What the hell did this doctor do that made you so uncomfortable?”
“Nothing really. It’s . . . He gave me prenatal vitamins, which he said won’t hurt me to take. I’ve been leaving them around the house. He poked around my stomach for show. And collected his pay. He’ll be back in six weeks for the next round of lies.”
I move next to her on the sofa. “Now let me give you a proper welcome.”
“You’re the one who left. Shouldn’t I be giving you the welcome?” Her fingers run through my hair, and her head cocks.
Our lips press together, and my world explodes.
Two days. Two damn days and I was dying inside without her.
Need courses through me as our kiss deepens.
My hand slides under her thigh, and I tug on her until she’s straddling me.
Dry humping has never been my go-to action, but with Emily, I’ll take any action.
There’s a knock on the door, and Emily flies from my lap faster than a Formula One car racing through the capital streets back home. She’s on the other side of the room intently studying the titles on the books. Latin books left by the last owners of the estate.
“Coming.” I unlock the door, hoping my lips aren’t too red and swollen and the person on the other side of the door isn’t too observant.
“Prince Charming,” Ryder says with a laugh. “What have you been up to?” He slaps the side of my arm and strides past with Anders coming in behind him.
“How’s the family?” Anders asks.
There was a time when I assumed he was curious about my sisters when he asked about my family. Now I know it’s just him. Because the way he’s staring at Emily’s back? I recognize it, because it’s how I look at her too.
“Good. My sister is just starting to show. You would think no one’s ever had a baby before. The country’s going crazy. They’re mostly over who the father is and on to being happy. Well, everyone but my parents are over who the father is.” I turn the lock on the door.
Emily darts across the room. “Was the training horrendous? I’m sorry you had to go through with it.”
“It was nothing. Same thing I’ve done for every company I’ve worked for. It comes down to ‘don’t be an asshole.’”
“You’re not working for me. Though I should—”
“Never. I’m not taking your money, Emily. I only took the settlement money from Rocky after the Rock Candy because the lawyer said it would be a bigger hassle if I didn’t.” Anders takes Emily’s hand. “This isn’t working. This is about taking care of you because I want to. Because—”
“We both would be torn apart inside if we weren’t here,” Ryder interjects, running his finger over the shell of Emily’s ear.
“Same goes for me.” I close the circle around Emily, leaning in and giving her a kiss.
The door opens despite it being locked.
“You have the shittiest fucking timing,” Ryder says, leaving his hand on the side of Emily’s head.
“It’s almost like I know what’s going on in my own home.” Thayer closes the door behind him and throws the lock.
“Have you put cameras in here?”
“The den? No, there are no cameras in here, my bedroom, or any of the bathrooms.”
Anders and Ryder nod like they already knew that.
“It’s time, Emily.” He stretches out his hand to her.
“Time for what?” I stand in between the two of them.
“We’re having a private dinner on the patio.”
My eyebrow cocks up. “You’re going to stop working to have dinner? Dinner that has nothing to do with a deal?”
“It’s one quick dinner, and there’s something I need to do,” Thayer says, his hand bouncing to her naked hand.
He bought her a ring. Emily texted me a picture of the clothes he bought her.
A ruffled shirt with a Gucci stripe down the arm, and a pair of what I think are called culottes.
Not pants, shorts, or a skirt but impractical and odd.
He also bought her a pair of trainers. Which sounds like a good idea for Emily, but they were suede with a large tiger on the side. This is the man who bought her a ring?
“Anders and Ryder will make sure Emily’s there. Won’t you?” I raise my chin at the door, and Ryder takes the cue first.
“You were saying you wanted to freshen up before dinner,” he says.
“I was?” She furrows her brow at Ryder, and I miss what he does before she comes back with, “Oh, I did say that. Let’s go.”
Ryder grabs Emily by the hand, and Anders closes the door after them, giving me a confused look as he goes.
“What did you want, Whitehall?”
“To save your ass. Let me see it.”
“See what?”
“The ring you’re going to give her.”
“How did you know I’m going to— Never mind. You don’t need to see the ring.”
“I do.”
“That’s for Emily to say.”
“You muppet, you haven’t a clue about what the woman likes.”
“I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I bought her clothes.”
“That she hates.”
“You don’t know that. You weren’t even here.”
I widen my eyes at him. “I repeat, let me see the ring.”
“It’s not a real—”
“It better be real.”
“The ring is real,” Thayer growls at me.
“The question is, is it really ugly? Let me see it.”
He pulls out a box from a jeweler in London and flicks it open.
“Oh, not a chance in bloody hell. Not with that you aren’t.”
“What’s wrong with it? Four carats surrounded with another three carats of smaller stones.”
The thing is bloody awful. It screams . . . well, it screams not Emily. “Do you have any of your mother’s things here?”
“I’m not giving her something from my mother.”
“Well, you’re not giving her that.” I snatch it from his hand and put it in my suit coat pocket. “Seriously, what else do you have?”
Thayer scowls, but I’ve known him long enough to have watched him develop his signature scowl. “They’re in the safe in my office.”