17. Gabriel
GAbrIEL
IWAS NOT getting attached. That was what I kept telling myself as I prowled Alejandro’s palace, looking for him for no reason at all—except that I had a free afternoon and thought he’d want to spend it getting our dicks better acquainted.
He wasn’t by the pool or in the fencing salle or any of the other places I’d previously found him lounging like a carefree prince with nothing but time on his hands. Maybe he was actually doing his job, which would be a shame.
As I strolled down the hall where Alejandro kept an office—though I doubted he ever used it—I saw Elena sitting just inside a large corner office, typing so fast at her computer there was practically smoke rising from the keyboard.
I stopped and knocked on her open door. When she looked up, I smiled. “So the prince takes a day off while you keep the palace running. Asked for a raise lately?”
“Every time he’s a headline.”
“Ah, so you can afford your own palace by now?”
She didn’t stop typing, but smirked. “After the flour mess yesterday, I’d say so. What can I do for you, Your Highness?”
“You can tell me where the royal menace is hiding so I can mark terrorizing him today off my list.”
“Unfortunately for you, he’s occupied this afternoon.”
“With?”
“Private foundation business.”
“And that’s where, again?”
“Somewhere private.”
“Suspiciously vague,” I said. “What’s he really up to? Out on his yacht? Took a day trip to Ibiza?”
“That does sound like him.”
“Exactly. So why don’t you give up the goods?” I waited until she looked up again and gave her my most charming smile, the one no one could resist.
Well, no one but Alejandro could resist, apparently.
She sighed like she was already regretting giving me what I wanted. “If you two make the front page again, you’ll owe me a second palace. Sir.”
I held my hand up like a Boy Scout. “I promise no scandals, or I will personally hand you the keys.”
She stared me down, her long nails tapping the corner of her desk, and then picked up the phone. “Please take Prince Gabriel to Lucero. I’ll send him down now.”
“Lucero,” I said when she’d hung up. “And that is…?”
“Where you’ll find the trouble you’re looking for. Off you go.”
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside a pale yellow building tucked between a bakery and a bookshop.
The words above the door read Lucero Arts Academy, and I frowned, wondering why, of all places, Alejandro would be here.
There were no cameras, no red carpet, and no guards posted outside on the sidewalk.
It crossed my mind then that maybe Elena had sent me off in the wrong direction on purpose.
Only one way to find out.
Before the driver could open my door, I stepped out of the car and followed the sound of music drifting from the building. It wasn’t until I was inside that I saw Alejandro’s security team standing out of the way of the chaos.
The walls of the hallway were covered on both sides with children’s artwork and photos clipped on bulletin boards of kids from toddlers to teens, some of them onstage, some of them in costumes, others drawing and playing instruments.
Someone was playing a piano nearby, but not very well, and I was only surprised that I could hear it at all over the sound of voices.
One, in particular, stood out above them all.
“Surrender or face the consequences,” Alejandro said, his voice big and quite theatrical.
What in the world? I peeked around the corner and there he was, dressed casually in cream linen pants and a short-sleeved olive shirt, holding a cardboard sword in his hand as he aimed it at a little girl half his size.
Her face was defiant, though, even as the paper crown on her head leaned precariously to the side. “I am the queen,” she said, raising her voice. “You surrender.”
Around them, a dozen or so kids sat cross-legged in front of the makeshift stage, watching with rapt attention even though there were a dozen more scrambling around the room behind them and yelling out directions as they put together…
a tower of some sort? A fort? Whatever it was, they were all attempting to get on the same page about it.
A woman who looked in charge of the whole thing sat at a piano with a younger boy, showing him where to place his fingers correctly on the keys, but when she looked up and saw me, she immediately rose to her feet.
I lifted a finger to my lips and shook my head, and she looked from me to Alejandro and sat back down.
“You? The queen?” Alejandro lowered his sword. “But what happened to Prince Arran?”
“I turned him into…a frog!” the little girl proclaimed, as several of the kids watching cheered in response, egging her on.
Alejandro looked horrified, his free hand covering his heart. “Not a frog, Your Majesty.”
“Yes,” she said, stepping forward. “Now I’ll turn you into a frog, too.”
“No, please.” He dropped his sword and fell to his knees. It was cute how he was about the same height as the little girl now as he clasped his hands together and begged, “I’ll do anything. Just please don’t turn me into a slimy frog.”
“Do it, do it,” one of the kids in the audience called out, sending the rest of them into fits of laughter.
Suddenly a boy maybe a little older than the girl—sorry, queen—appeared onstage, also wearing a crown, and riding a broom with a dragon head on it.
“You are not the queen, you’re a witch,” he said, eliciting gasps from everyone watching.
Including Alejandro, who’d reached for his sword and started to rise to his feet when the girl thrust her hands out at him, using some kind of invisible power that had him grabbing at his throat, his chest, his reactions big and exaggerated before he finally fell to the floor in a heap.
“Oh no, the prince is dead,” someone yelled out just as the boy onstage started to say his line. But then he froze, like he’d suddenly forgotten what he was going to say. There was a long silence, and then Alejandro got to his feet, no longer in character.
“Sorry.” The little boy looked close to tears. “I forgot.”
“That’s okay,” Alejandro said, motioning for him to come closer.
“Everyone forgets a line now and then.” As he hugged the boy to his side, he turned toward the others in the audience.
“When you forget a line, try not to panic or freeze. Just look at your partner and take a breath, and if the line still isn’t coming, make something up.
That’s called improvising. Remember when we did that last week? ”
They all nodded, but the boy tucked into his side said, “But everyone watching is scary.”
“Yes, audiences are always scary.”
“Even for you?”
“Sometimes,” Alejandro said. “But the more you practice, the easier it gets. It’s helpful to remember that they’re watching you because they want you to give them something to believe in. They want to hear what you say or watch your show and escape for a little while. It gets less scary.”
I didn’t think I’d ever stood so still as I stared, completely baffled, at the man I’d come here to catch being an arrogant ass, yet here he was, hidden away at a kids’ arts academy giving a spectacular death scene as well as a pep talk?
What was even happening right now? Surely Alejandro had a twin I didn’t know about, because there was no reconciling the egotistical man with whom I’d been sparring with the one standing here now playing prince and princess.
Holy shit. There was a softer side to Alejandro de la Vega, and I’d just blown his entire cover.
The little queen tugged on his shirt. “Will you do the prince part again?”
“Again? I’ve already died tragically three times.”
“You die so good.”
“I’ll have to make sure to add that to my resumé,” he said, and I had to press my lips together to hold back a laugh as one of the kids asked what a resumé was.
Once again Alejandro swiped up his sword, the girl pointed her “powers” at him, and he staggered, giving the most dramatic prince death scene the world had ever seen. It was impressive and hilarious, and when he finally collapsed on the floor with a groan, the children howled with laughter.
I couldn’t help chuckling too, because this was the last thing I’d expected to walk into today.
Alejandro got back to his feet and gave a big bow to thunderous applause. When he looked up, his eyes locked on mine, and the shock on his face was comical.
I gave a little wave between claps, and that surprise turned into annoyance as he stalked off the stage in my direction.
“Bravo,” I said, grinning. “You really do ‘die so good.’”
“What are you doing here?” His voice was no-nonsense; he was back to being an ass instead of the man spending his free time with a bunch of kids.
Or the man who’d given me an epic blowjob yesterday. I liked that man.
“When you weren’t at the palace I figured I’d see what naughty deeds you were up to, but color me surprised.”
“Look,” one of the girls nearby whispered loudly, “another prince.”
“Does he turn into a frog too?” another said.
“That depends entirely on his behavior,” Alejandro said.
“I am Prince Handsomelot from Charmington,” I said, stepping around Alejandro and toward the queen. “And I am here to beg you to bring the prince back from the dead.”
The queen/witch eyed Alejandro, who quickly moved back into his death position on the stage before turning back to me.
Then she arched a brow, looking as uppity as any royal I’d met. “And what do I get in return?”
I had to hand it to her, she was good, her expression that of a bored, dismissive monarch who didn’t care one way or another what happened to the pesky prince.
But I’d had years wooing scarier foes, so I walked over to her and went down on one knee, head bowed, the humble servant.
“My undying devotion to the crown, Your Majesty.”
Her little cheeks turned pink and she giggled. “Not good enough!”
“Um, what about my horse?”
“I don’t want your horse.”
“Why not? He’s a very good horse.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I will bring the prince back, but you must stay here at my castle.”
I looked up at her, shock plastered on my face. “As a prisoner?”
“No. You…you will be my king!”
My eyes widened at her boldness, but I couldn’t fault her taste. I’d make me king too.
Good for her for taking what she wanted. This kid was going places.
“But, my queen, what of my family?”
She tilted her chin up, playing the callous ruler to a tee. “They are not my problem. But if you want me to bring him back to life, you, Prince Handsomelot, will stay here…forever.”
The class gasped, and I glanced back to see Alejandro continuing to play dead very well, but then one of his eyes cracked and locked on me.
Making sure I behaved? Or marveling at my acting chops?
When I turned back to the young queen/witch, I nodded. “I accept. I will give my life for his.”
There was a sound suspiciously like a snort behind me, and had Alejandro not been dead, I might’ve thought he didn’t believe my heartfelt declaration.
“Very well,” she said, and stepped aside to hold her hands up in Alejandro’s direction. “You will live!”
The whole class turned to their instructor to see if he rose from the dead as spectacularly as he died, and in true Alejandro form, he didn’t let them down. There was a fit of spasms, legs and arms twitching, then he sat up, arms outstretched as…
“A zombie!” I spun around to face the little witch. “You didn’t say anything about a zombie.”
She was trying hard to stay stern and tight, but when Alejandro started in our direction declaring he wanted to “eat our brains,” she lost the battle. She burst out laughing along with the rest of the class.
“Good job.” Alejandro pulled her into his side, then swept his gaze over the entire class—including me—and added, “All of you.”
Something inside me swelled with pride at being included in his praise, but that couldn’t be right.
I didn’t care whether Alejandro de la Vega thought I’d done a good job.
But still, I couldn’t stop the sense of accomplishment I felt at performing alongside these bright little stars whom he clearly cared for.
Alejandro looked to the teacher and gave her a warm smile. “I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me next time.”
“We’ll have to put our thinking caps on to come up with something as outlandish as zombies.”
He laughed, a genuine laugh that made my entire body feel something…soft and warm. But, not about to linger on that, I waved to the kids and headed toward the door.
I was halfway down the hall when I heard brisk footsteps behind me.
“So, did you satisfy your need to invade on yet another private moment of mine?” Alejandro asked.
“I was looking for you, not trying to invade your privacy. Why are you so upset? Worried I might see the softer side of you? Get a glimpse at your humanity?”
“I don’t like people using the kids to get to me.”
I stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “That’s what you think I was doing back there?”
Alejandro reared back at the force in my tone. My annoyance wasn’t easily provoked, but I wasn’t about to be accused of that.
“I came here looking for you,” I said, and closed the gap between us. “I didn’t even know what this place was. But when I stepped in that room and saw you playacting with those kids, I couldn’t—” I bit off my words, hardly believing what I’d been about to admit.
That I couldn’t look away? Couldn’t believe how great you were with them? Couldn’t take my eyes off you?
“Couldn’t what?”
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts…and feelings.
Ugh, I was really starting to hate those things.
“Nothing. But I’d never use them to get to you. I was having fun back there. Plus, I don’t need to.” I lowered my head until my mouth was by his ear. “I’ve already had you.”
Alejandro turned his head until our mouths were only inches apart. “And if you want to again, I suggest you learn that I value my privacy. If I’d wanted you here—”
“You still wouldn’t have asked me, and we both know it.” I smirked, and just like that, my annoyance vanished. “But you must admit, Prince Handsomelot is very charming.”
“I will never admit that.”
“What?” I reared back and placed a hand to my chest. “After all I did to save you? Sacrificing myself to the queen?”
Alejandro rolled his eyes but then started off down the hall. When he reached the doors at the end, he glanced over his shoulder and ran his eyes over me in a blistering once-over before pushing through them and outside, and I couldn’t help but think I’d made the right decision.
I’d sacrifice just about anything to have that man alive and looking at me like that. Now all I needed to work out was what I’d need to forsake to have him touch me again.
But that was a battle I’d much rather have with him later…in private.