by Julie Miller
“ASAP?” Ivan asked.
“As soon as possible,” Carly and Brooke echoed together.
“I see. No rush,” he assured them, signaling Eduard stay by the front doors. “I am yours for the next two hours.” He bent to kiss Brooke’s hand. “Mrs. Kincaid. You are looking radiant today. Will you be joining us for lunch?”
“No, thank you. I wouldn’t dream of intruding. Besides, I’m meeting my husband.” Flustered by the prince’s attention, Brooke quickly excused herself. She looped her purse over her shoulder and picked up the large Doc Martens shoebox on the seat beside her. “I’ve worked all the miracles I can. She’s coiffed, painted and dressed for success. Don’t let her buy the boots.” She placed the box in Ivan’s hands. “They’re the only thing she picked out on her own.”
“Traitor.” Carly watched Ivan peek at the thick-soled boots that had caught her eye.
He laughed. “They would certainly make a fashion statement with that dress.”
Carly grabbed the box from him, finding it impossible not to smile as the tension around his eyes eased. “At least they’re in better shape than the ones I usually wear. I was going to pay for them myself.”
Brooke reclaimed the burgundy boots. “Ms. Honchar said princess, not goth chick or biker babe. I’m putting them back for your own good. You know I love ya, Carly.”
“Love you, too.” Carly hugged her from the side, carefully avoiding her pregnant belly. “Thanks for everything. Tell Atticus hi.”
“I will. Good luck. With everything,” she whispered the last bit into Carly’s ear, reminding her that Brooke thought this relationship was real. Brooke carried the boots over to the clerk before pulling out her phone. Carly could hear how her friend’s tone softened as she called her husband to let him know she was ready to be picked up. Eduard pushed the door open for her and exchanged a nod as she left the store.
Carly touched the stack of clothing and unmentionables that Brooke had deemed were necessary for this week’s public appearances. “Are you sure this isn’t too much? I got something for every event on Galina’s list. Brooke made sure they were appropriate.”
Ivan gathered up the items from the couch and snapped his fingers for Eduard to handle the purchase. “She can be a stickler for details.”
“That’s why Brooke gets to run the captain’s office. Captain Hendricks thinks he’s in charge, but we all know who keeps the precinct running.”
“I meant Galina. She’s planned my days down to the minute. She’s asked that any changes go through her.” Right. Different taskmaster. “I am sure your friend is very good at what she does. I apologize for being late, but my meeting with the mayor ran longer than planned.”
Carly headed back into the dressing room to change into the blue pantsuit. “Did everything go okay?”
“I spent longer than I wanted talking about Ralph Decker’s photograph of us in the paper. It was not my intention to make you the center of local gossip.”
“No one will question whether you and I are the real deal or not now. That’s one good thing about being caught off guard like that.” A mortifying thought made her stick her head back out through the curtain. “It didn’t cause trouble at the meeting, did it?”
Ivan shook his head and touched his watch to remind her of the time before waving her back inside to finish changing. “Actually, everyone seemed to think it was positive publicity for my visit. They likened it to a royal wedding. Although I am not sure I like my new nickname—Prince Charming. How will anyone take me seriously?”
“Prince Charming?” Carly groaned on Ivan’s behalf. “Have any of them actually talked to you?” she teased.
“Very funny, Officer Cinderella,” he teased right back.
Her groan was legit this time. “Is that my nickname?”
Ivan laughed. “When we got down to business, the new mayor was very welcoming, and amenable to moving forward with our proposed research and agri-business deals.”
“That’s good, right?”
“That is very good.”
Carly pulled the jacket on over her new pink blouse and slipped her feet into the ballet flats Brooke had chosen for her. She tucked her gun into the holster at the back of her belt. Then she picked up the package of baby blankets in shades of green, yellow and peach and draped the evening gown over her arm before rejoining Ivan. “Is this okay? It feels a little like I’m in uniform—without the sturdy footwear.”
“To be honest...” He leaned in to kiss her cheek and whisper beyond curious ears and prying eyes. “I like the shorts better.” He brushed the tip of his finger across the cheek he’d kissed, seeming amused by the heat she could feel coloring her skin before he pulled away. “But this is more flattering than the black dress. Perfect for a luncheon with a prince.”
Idly, Carly wondered if any man’s attention would make her blush like a girlie-girl, or if it was Ivan Mostek’s superpower to make her react to every intimate word or touch they shared. And since she had no words to ask him if he meant half the compliments he gave her, she headed to the checkout counter. “I want to buy these baby blankets Brooke was admiring. To thank her for helping me out. I’ll be just a few minutes.”
Ivan plucked the package from the baby department out of her hands and gave it to the clerk with a smile that made the other woman press her hand to her heart. “We will take these, as well. Put them on my account and have them delivered to Miss Valentine’s home with everything else.”
“Yes, sir,” the clerk answered, looking equally flustered when Eduard joined them.
“Shall I bring the car from the parking garage, Your Highness?” Eduard asked. His wink to the clerk left her scurrying to do her work.
“I thought we could do something different,” Carly suggested. “We’re only a couple of city blocks from a really good, yet casual, authentic Kansas City barbecue restaurant. Since you didn’t get to try any of mine Monday night.”
Ivan looked pleased by the suggestion. “It is a warm, sunny day. I believe we will walk. The fresh air will do me good.” He scanned the store before fixing his gaze on Eduard again. “Notify Filip of the change in plans. And tell Danya to release those people to do their jobs. We are not holding prisoners.”
“Very good, sir.”
While Eduard radioed the security team to do the prince’s bidding, Ivan settled his hand at the small of Carly’s back to walk her to the door. They were barely out of earshot before his fingers tightened around the bulge of her Glock beneath her jacket. “Is that necessary?”
Carly kept her voice equally low. “Have you figured out who’s sending those death threats yet?”
He shook his head.
“Then yes, it’s necessary. Still not sure where it’s going Saturday night, though.”
His tired smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I have no doubt you will figure out an interesting solution.”
Once he’d opened the break room door and dismissed the staff, Danya strode through the store, his eyes drilling holes through Carly. Did he blame her for the change in security protocol? Or was the man simply incapable of smiling? Maybe he had a thing against cops. Or women. Or Americans. Maybe he resented how closely Ivan wanted to tie their country to the United States. Wasn’t that the reason the rebel Lukins had protested the new government? The surly bodyguard was definitely on Carly’s suspect list.
Ignoring every cautionary instinct that warned her she shouldn’t care what Ivan was feeling, she faced him. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” She touched one of the lines creasing his temple. “You didn’t have these yesterday.”
He covered her hand with his for a moment before pulling it down and lacing their fingers together. “Not here.”
Something had happened. But before she could press him for details, she realized Ivan was slipping a small rectangular object into her palm. A flash drive. Carly
tightened her grip around the tiny device and slipped it into the pocket of her jacket. “I assume there’s something you want me to read on here?”
“Personnel histories and notes from Filip’s investigation into the threats and bombing in St. Feodor,” he whispered. “I finally had a chance to download them last night.”
“You said Filip encrypted his files. How did you get past his security codes?”
“I am good with a computer.” He glanced beyond her, no doubt making sure their exchange remained private. “May I stop by tonight after the cocktail party I am attending to discuss anything you find on it?”
“Of course.”
“I accessed Filip’s files using Aleks’s laptop but had time to do little more than make a copy. I translated as much as I had time to do so into English. But some of it is still in Lukin. We can go over that together. I am not sure what is on there. It is hard to be alone. I deleted the browser history afterward. Hopefully, Filip will not know you have these.”
“Or that someone’s been snooping in his records.” She reached for Ivan’s hand again and squeezed it with a promise. “I’ll keep them safe, use my computer at home so that no one knows what we’re doing.”
The chatter of the employees coming back out onto the floor ended the hushed conversation. Still, she startled at the grumble of Danya’s voice behind her. “Are you ready to depart, Your Highness? I will follow you and Miss Valentine since you insist on walking. The police and Filip will make sure your path is clear.” Carly hadn’t realized how icy the bodyguard’s pale gray eyes were until they zeroed in on her. “If you would be so good as to give me the name of your destination?”
Carly had seen the same distrust in the gazes of homeless and trafficking victims she worked with on the streets. But there was a mean streak rather than fear lurking behind that distrust. Still, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of thinking he could intimidate her with either his bearing or his disapproval. “The barbecue restaurant on Wyandotte Street.” She tugged on Ivan’s hand and started for the front doors. “I thought you might enjoy a sampler of authentic Kansas City burnt ends.”
Danya’s hand clamped over her arm, stopping her, forcing her to face him again. “You’re taking the prince to eat burnt food? That is beneath him. You are beneath him.” His fingers dug painfully into her arm as he shook her. “This whole affair distracts him from what needs to be done. You are not royal. You are not Lukin. I should not have to put up with you.”
Chapter Seven
“Danya!” Just as Carly was twisting away from the bodyguard’s rough grip, with her free hand poised to strike his bulbous nose, Ivan palmed the center of the bodyguard’s chest and shoved him back. With a precise turn of his wrist, Ivan had the bodyguard’s arm pinned behind his back and his face planted on a display table. “You overstep your duties, Danya. You are not to touch Miss Valentine again.”
His warning was as crisp and concise as an officer commanding his troops.
“Are we clear on this?” Ivan prompted when he got no response beyond Danya’s heavy breathing.
Carly stayed back, mindlessly massaging the five future bruises on her upper arm. She had nothing against chivalry, but what the hell? Where did a prince learn a move like that?
Allowing time for his anger to ebb, Danya finally nodded. “Yes, sir. We are clear.”
Only then did Ivan release the stocky man and back away. His glance across the store to Eduard and the wide-eyed clerk dared either one of them to utter a word about what they’d just seen. Eduard nodded and turned his attention back to the clerk to reassure her that everything would be okay. Ivan straightened his cuffs and the front of his jacket, keeping his body positioned between her and Danya. “You will apologize to Miss Valentine.”
“My apologies.” Danya straightened his own clothes and made a token effort to stack the piles of scattered T-shirts back into place. “I am too loyal a patriot who has had too little sleep. I was not...thinking clearly...when I touched you.”
“A change in plans messes with your routine. I get it. No harm, no foul.” Both men looked at her with a quizzical expression. “Basketball? The phrase comes from when referees call too many fouls for little infractions...” She was the one who needed answers about what had just happened. “You didn’t do any serious damage, so there’s no penalty. Apology accepted.”
Ivan’s eyes narrowed. “I will have to learn more about this sport. It sounds violent.”
As good as their English might be, apparently, they didn’t teach American idioms in Lukinburg schools. She was guessing they didn’t teach that hand-to-hand combat suppression trick, either. “How long ago were you in the army?”
Ivan smoothed his hands over his short hair and adjusted his glasses instead of answering.
“I could have handled Danya myself,” she insisted, stating a fact, not bragging. “You shouldn’t put yourself at risk like that.”
“I saw you do something very similar at the precinct office to the last man who assaulted you.”
Carly shook her head at his faulty reasoning. “I’m not about to be crowned leader of my own country. You have responsibilities. There are precautions you need to take.”
Danya cleared his throat. “That is the point I was trying to make. I am only concerned for your safety and your reputation, Your Highness. I feared you were being reckless.”
“And you thought insulting my companion was the way to express yourself?” Ivan challenged. “I will not allow this.”
“Of course not.” Danya’s head remained bowed. “I was merely concerned about you taking a stroll through Kansas City on this woman’s invitation. It deviates from the plan Filip and Galina agreed to for the day. You are to be in the car at all times and dine at specific locations we have already scouted out. Walking through a public neighborhood such as this without barricades and proper crowd management creates security variables that we cannot control. At least, let Eduard drive you.”
“Make it work,” Ivan ordered, dismissing Danya’s plea. “I have two hours of time free of diplomatic obligations. I wish to see and sample more of this city firsthand. I wish to meet the people. Miss Valentine will be my guide. You are the one who will adapt to my wishes. Not the other way around.”
“Yes, sir.” Danya took a step back.
“What exactly are burnt ends?” Ivan asked, perhaps trying to relieve the sting of Danya’s attack, or perhaps genuinely curious.
“Smoked and glazed little nuggets of barbecue heaven.” Carly smiled up at Danya, making more of an effort to make him feel welcome than he had done for her. “Would you like to join us?”
“He would not,” Ivan answered for his underling, nudging the store’s front door open. “It is hard to be romantic with that face glaring at us.”
Danya grunted at the teasing and led the way outside. “I will make sure your path is clear. Eduard will follow in the car.”
“Not in this traffic, he won’t.” Once they reached the sidewalk, Carly tilted her face to Ivan’s, squinting against the hot August sunshine. “The Plaza is full of tourists in the summer. He won’t get anywhere very fast if there’s an emergency.” She dropped her gaze to their surroundings, assessing the crowds gathered at crosswalks and popular stores, gauging the flow of traffic and determining the most direct route to the restaurant. “We should talk to KCPD, ask them to block off the streets.”
“And draw even more attention to my movements?” He studied their surroundings over the top of her head. “Having a rigid schedule makes it too easy to find me and plan an attack. An impromptu walk and smaller security presence should make me harder to find.”
“But if there’s an inside man—”
He clasped her hand, silencing that argument. “Then he will not have time to readjust to the changes. His plan will be scraped.”
“You mean scrapped?”
“Thank goodness you and I can communicate in other ways.” He dipped his head toward hers, and for a moment, she thought he would kiss her again. She shocked herself with just how much she wanted him to put his lips against hers. Instead, perhaps because of the audience of bodyguards and bystanders, he brushed his fingertip across the apple of her cheek. Who was she kidding? She didn’t need Ivan’s kiss, not when she reacted to even that simple caress with an instant, answering heat.
“Thank goodness,” she whispered, her voice dropping to a husky pitch. Had she been foolish to think, for any moment, that this connection between them had been pretend? The history between them might be a fiction, but everything she felt for Ivan Mostek was real.
She inhaled deeply and pulled away as another thought struck her. She was going to get her heart broken, wasn’t she? In a matter of days, she was already halfway in love with Ivan. But days were all they had, all they could ever have. There was no commitment to this relationship, not when it was built on lies and danger and political intrigue. Was this her life? That she would give her heart to the one man she could never have?
Sealing up her heart against caring too much, Carly relayed the route she planned to take through the Plaza to Filip. She was here to be a cop, to be a secret protector. Ivan wasn’t really her Prince Charming, she wasn’t any stinkin’ Cinderella and she had no business falling in love with him.
While the security team moved out, Carly stayed by Ivan’s side and pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call the captain and let him know our location. He can put some officers on standby. Just in case.”
“Already done,” Filip declared, tucking his phone into his jacket pocket. He jogged up to join them. “Maybe you’re right, and you can blend in with the tourists.”
