"Now that I have my greens, let’s see if I can put in an honest day’s work,” I veer the conversation to safer ground. “So far my brain is incapable of focusing on anything." Of course, you blew that possibility way out of the water.
“Don't be too hard on yourself, Amelia. If I remember correctly, you just got back from Korea?"
"I landed on British soil yesterday afternoon, only a few hours before the ceremony," I confirm.
"I've traveled numerous times to Asia and Australia. The long flight takes a toll on your body. You just have to suffer through it.”
"I'm afraid you're right," I lament.
"May I?" He points at my grocery bag.
"Thank you. I'm okay. It's not very heavy."
"Indulge me."
"If you put it like that... How can I refuse?" We both laugh. “Officer Roderick, I should head back home now,” I announce. She immediately turns on her heel. Yeah, she was listening. Her eyes shift immediately to the tall blond standing next to me. I clear my throat and say, "Chief Petty Officer Barclay has generously offered to walk with me. I mean walk me back to my home." That came out so awkwardly, it's not even funny.
Her arched eyebrow betrays her stony face. She finds this amusing.
"If that’s okay?" Holden asks again. This time the question is addressed to my officer.
She shrugs with a slight tilt of her head. "I'm not the one to make that decision, sir. Miss Cavendish is," she points her chin at me.
"I've already said yes," I offer.
“Good answer, madam."
The look on Holden's face indicates that I'm not the only one taken aback by my officer’s willingness to speak her mind.
Well hell, I've been told.
"Lead the way," Holden says, biting off a smile.
I point to my left. "It's a few streets that way."
"Our place is also located down there. This means picking you up tomorrow night will be a cinch."
"Who knew we lived this close?"
"See. There's absolutely no reason for us not to hang out more often."
I shake my head with a teasing smile stretched across my lips. "Smooth."
"I try my best," he says solemnly.
We both laugh.
All three of us stroll leisurely back to my place. Usually, Officer Roderick trails pretty closely. Her presence is usually unmistakable. Today, she stays far behind. Evidently, she knows exactly what's going on.
The sun’s journey has brought it high up in the sky. It’s hot now, which makes this walk even more enjoyable. The conversation between Holden and I is very casual. He enquires about Baroness Bathilda. I share with him what my father told me last night—she’s not doing too well, but her doctors are confident that she'll pull through. I also tell him that given the fact that my father left this morning for Brussels for the next couple of days, Deputy Prime Minister Whitelaw will be checking on the Baroness. I’ll also drop by later. Everything is going smoothly until Holden stops dead in his tracks, forcing me to do the same.
"What’s wrong?" I ask.
He turns to face me and his eyebrows are knitted together. "Where exactly do you live?" he asks.
"I live in one of the extremely secure fortresses not far from here." Of course, I'm kidding, but I don't think he sees it that way.
"No, seriously." There’s no trace of humor on his face.
"I live on Malcolm Ridgewell Street. It's a fairly secluded area, which makes monitoring easy—hence my earlier joke. There are two sister buildings connected to each other with a glass passageway—”
Holden’s gaze snaps to me. “The Knightsbridge Court and The Ashburn Court?”
“For someone who just arrived in London, you know them pretty well. I'm impressed. Most Londoners don't know these buildings because the high security and armed guards are off putting."
“Brandon and I are renting the split level penthouse on the twelfth floor at The Knightsbridge Court.”
My head whips towards him and my eyes widen like saucers. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m in the penthouse on the tenth floor.”
“Of the same building?”
“Yes."
“I can’t believe this.” It's his turn to be dumbfounded.
"You and me both," I admit.
"We bumped into you nearly two weeks ago. Since then Brandon and I have been racking our brains trying to figure out who you were and how to find you. Last night, we were finally able to put two and two together, but yet again, we still didn't know how to reach you. This whole time you were two stories beneath us. How the hell did that happen?”
I can't help but laugh at his freaked-out expression. "I think God is sending us a message," I offer.
"I think He is. And you know what?"
"What?" I ask cautiously.
In the short time I've known this man, I've learned it’s a good idea to brace myself for whatever's coming out of his gorgeous mouth.
"I have every intention on taking advantage of how well He’s set the stage for us." As if his words weren’t warning enough, the intensity burning from his eyes is sinful. "Something tells me we’re going to enjoy having you as our neighbor." His grin is epic. It doesn't go unnoticed that he uses ‘we’.
CHAPTER 17
Holden
After seeing Amelia up to her penthouse and bidding her and Officer Roderick goodbye, I make my way back down to the lobby. I cross the hallway to catch a separate set of elevators leading straight to our penthouse. What are the odds? I doubt we could’ve planned this any better had we tried. Brandon is going to lose his mind when he hears about this. Our little princess is within arm’s reach.
When the elevator doors open, I eat up the floor with my long strides. Three steps and I'm there. The adrenaline pumping through my veins is all-consuming. I nearly kick open the door to our place. I’m that high.
“Brandon!” I shout, throwing my keys on the side table. No answer. “Brandon!” I shout again, louder this time. Still nothing. "He must be upstairs." I toe off my Nike shoes and get rid of my socks. I sprint up the stairs two by two. “Brandon!” I shout on the way up. Honestly, I don’t know why I keep trying. I swing open the door to the gym, Brandon catches my reflection in the mirror. He’s running so fast on the treadmill, you’d think he was getting ready for the next London Marathon. He follows my trajectory as I walk into the room to stand next to him without slowing his speed. I haven’t been able to wipe that stupid grin from my face. I gesture for him to stop running. He responds with a raised inquisitive eyebrow. I gesture again. This time, he’s convinced.
He comes to a complete stop and removes the headphones from his ears before jumping off the machine. “What’s up?” he asks
“A lot.”
“Huh?”
“We need to talk.”
“I’m not done with my workout,” his eyes shift towards the treadmill. “You’re already done with your run?”
“No. I had to cut it short.”
“Why? What happened?” He’s breathing heavy. Sweat trickling down his face and his t-shirt.
I’m not ready to reveal my surprise just yet. “Remember how the leasing agent went on and on about how this place was nearly impenetrable by anyone who didn't live here every single time we came to visit?”
“That’s why you forced me to stop my workout? You choose now to go down memory lane?”
“Work with me, Royal. You’ll love the end result,” I tell him.
He sighs. “Yeah, but we didn’t care. We still don’t,” Brandon says.
“Right. Because this place hits all the essentials on our list.”
“Exactly—it’s not too far from the office, it’s big enough for the two of us to have our private space, we have our own gym, there’s a large deck and it’s located on a quiet street that's removed from passersby,” Brandon enumerates in a monotone voice. I know he's so annoyed with me right now. He’s going to freak out when he sees where I’m going with this.
“P
recisely. We’re not celebrities, dignitaries or high-ranking politicians like most people living here. So far, we’ve been very careful of what we put out there in the media and given our military background—”
“Only a fool would think to bring us harm,” Brandon sneers.
“Yeah, but clearly the high security is ideal if not necessary for other people,” I nod my head.
He frowns. Everything about his expression spells skepticism. That said, he still follows my cue and soon he’s nodding as well. “That makes sense.”
“I just met one of our neighbors—one who requires a high level of security. Well, since we’re the only ones on this floor, I should really say I just met someone who lives in the same building. It’s someone you know."
"Huh?" he asks. I waggle my eyebrows in lieu of a hint. "Viking, I doubt the sun is hot enough to have hit you on the head and affect you to the point where you're not making any sense whatsoever," he says in an exasperated tone. I bite off a smile. My reaction surprises him. "I'm happy one of us finds this amusing. Need I remind you that we still have a lot of work to do," he says in a very parent-like way. "I need to get back to my workout. Whatever it is you have to say, just spit it out so we can be done with it."
"I just had a long conversation with someone we've been dying to track down for the past two weeks. Someone who keeps slipping through our fingers." He grimaces. He still doesn't get it. "We were both worried sick about her this morning?" He shoots me a ‘no way’ look. "Yup. Our little princess lives on the tenth floor of this very building.” Brandon’s jaw drops.
“Amelia Cavendish? Britain's Prime Minister’s daughter?" I just grin at him. "No fucking way."
"I'm as shocked as you are."
"How did that happen? Where did you bump into her? Was she alone? What about her security team? Is she okay? Did that fucker affect her spirits? Did you get her phone number?" I don't blame him for firing an endless string of questions at me like that. I'd do the same.
I take a few steps forward and tap him on the shoulders. "Let's go downstairs and I'll tell you everything over lunch. It's quite the story."
CHAPTER 18
Amelia
It took all my will not to stand in the corridor like a lust-stricken teenager and watch as the lift doors closed on Holden. Instead, I retreated with my head held high to my penthouse with my officer in tow. Although, I'm sure she knows exactly what's going on, I'm cautious not to reveal too much.
“If you need anything else, I'm not far, madam,” Officer Roderick reminds me as I drop my handbag on the side table right before dropping my grocery bag on the floor.
“I will." I turn around to face her. "I doubt you'll hear from me, though. I’m just going to try to get some work done before I pass out again. I'm most likely going to head to bed very early tonight." Unless Charlie can make it to my place so I can spill my guts to her.
"Indeed, madam, a good night's rest will do some good... considering your big plans for tomorrow night." My eyebrows hit my forehead. "I don't mean to step out of line. It's just good to see you interested again. It's been a long time since Mr. Towneley." Yeah, Frederick seems like ages ago.
"It's only dinner, Officer Roderick. Nothing more." I do my best to sound as detached as possible.
"That's usually how it starts, madam." The innuendo is thick.
"I don't even know what to say to that," I confess, taken aback by her forwardness.
“Clearly, I'm fairly bias here, but a girl can never go wrong with a military man. There's something reassuring about being with a guy who can kick ass." Officer Roderick flashes me the smile of a woman guarding a secret. I've never seen this side of her before. I guess she didn't hear that part about Holden and Brandon being roommates. Thank God.
Time to deflate the situation again. "Yeah, my father has tried to play matchmaker with military men in the past. It's always been a dismal failure."
"Perhaps Chief Petty Officer Barclay might be the one to break the mold, madam." Well hell. This woman is really going for it. She's been my bodyguard for so many years now, I've lost track of when she started. She's never been this frank before. "Again, forgive me for taking liberties, it's just that I believe you've been isolating yourself. You're far too young, smart, and beautiful to be this sheltered. I’m in awe of what you’ve accomplished with your company. What a smashing success. But you end up alone. Night after night. That's a crying shame."
Have I been using the growth of my company as a way to avoid putting myself out there after Frederick? You bet.
"I didn't realize you were taking such copious notes," I retort, a little startled by her candid revelation.
"As I said before, you’re my number one priority, madam."
We stare at each other for a few long seconds before I break the silence. "Considering we've never talked about anything this personal, this conversation feels strangely comfortable."
"Take it from someone who’s a little older, it's not a good idea for a woman to keep herself and her heart closed for too long." That knowing smile again. I open my mouth to respond, but she continues. "In any case, Miss Wentworth is your best friend. I'm sure you don't need my advice. She's far more worldly than I'll ever be." I'm not sure why Officer Roderick is suddenly backtracking after laying her cards on the table. I don't have time to find out. The words barely leave her lips when she turns on her heel and heads towards the door. "Have a good rest of the afternoon and have a good evening, madam."
"Thank you. You too. And for the record, I did appreciate the talk."
"Anytime, madam,"
"I'll see you tomorrow," I throw over my shoulder. She nods.
Once Officer Roderick shuts the door behind her, I rummage through my bag in search of my phone. I grab it and pull it out and kick off my heels as I make my way to the sofa. I plop myself on it and I stretch my legs on the coffee table. After reading the scandalous news about Jason Belvedere, it's no wonder she isn’t answering her mobile, so I dial her office instead. I urgently need to talk to Charlie. After many rings, I'm about to hang up when someone finally answers.
“Swank PR, can you hold please?" Terry sounds rushed.
"Okay," I say to myself since he's already put me on hold.
I wait for what seems like an eternity before he gets back on the line.
"Hello, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. How can I help you?"
"Terry, it's Amelia—”
"Oh, bloody fuck. I completely forgot to call you. I'm so sorry about that."
"It’s okay," I say in an effort to appease him.
"No it's not." He sounds frantic. "Charlie gave me precise instructions to get in touch with you before she left this morning, but it's been a madhouse since the fucking story of the goddamn century broke. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what I'm talking about?"
"No. I caught wind of what's happening."
“Yeah, the Jason Belvedere sex scandal is a thorn in my side," Terry snorts.
“It's all over Facebook."
"You mean it's on the front page of every bloody single tabloid and gossip website in the world right now."
"Where did Charlie go?"
"Amelia, this is a ‘code red’ situation... times one hundred. She left in the middle of the night for Athens to try to salvage this train wreck. In light of everything that's transpired, Jason Belvedere’s record company is going bonkers. We all are."
"Wow—”
"Bloody hell!” Terry yells. "Amelia, can I call you back? My mobile is ringing off the hook and I have about twelve lines flashing in front of me. Not to mention that I just read something on Twitter that's threatening to give me cardiac arrest," Terry blurts out.
"No, I totally understand. Can you ask Charlie to call me the minute she can?"
"Rest assured, sweetheart, you're the first person on her list. She just needs to get through this horrid day. No offense, but it might take her a few days for her to get back to you. Jason really screwed up. Bloody idiot!” Terry shouts
so loudly at the end that I have to physically move the phone away from my ear. Yikes. "I have to go.”
“Bye—”
I sit on my sofa for a really long time just staring at my phone.
“I really could use Charlie's wisdom right about now,” I lament at my iPhone.
I'm fully aware that I accepted to have dinner with Holden and his best friend. I'm completely mesmerized by both men—with as much fervor—which I'm sure is a cardinal sin and likely to send me straight to hell. I’m lucky enough to have a really good life—one I’m grateful for every single day. I just wish it included passion and romance. And sex. Four years of unflagging discipline and labor to build my company have brought me incredible success and accolades, but hard work doesn’t warm my bed at night. Brandon and Holden ignite a need in me I’ve been really good at suppressing. How can I be intrigued by both men?
After a few long minutes lost in deep thought, I come to my own conclusion—I'm going to have to put my big girl knickers on and figure things out on my own.
CHAPTER 19
Brandon
Although we've invaded a number of enemy countries, defeated rebels more times than we can count, put an end to potentially catastrophic terrorist attacks that threatened to harm US embassies, and let’s not forget we built a multi-billion-dollar company from the ground up, but figuring out the basics of how to entertain a woman turns out to be a whole lot trickier then we imagined. We don’t even know if our date is a vegetarian or vegan. If she’s a fan of those trendy chichi diets that are so popular back home. We aren’t sure if she prefers red or white. Does she have any allergies? We had so many questions. Holden and Amelia texted back and forth. Holden made sure to include me on all messages. In the process, we found out that Amelia is a huge meat lover, she tends to go for bold red wine, although she prefers whites in the summer and she’s allergy-free. As an added perk, I now have her number stored in my iPhone. Sweet.
I know we sound clueless, but in our defense, this is the first time Holden or I have ever invited a woman to our place. We've always been very careful to keep our salacious fucks to the woman's place or to a hotel. This has been an inflexible rule for both of us. Sure we’ll dine a woman—that’s just the courteous thing to do—but that’s why restaurants exist. I’ve never even had a woman up to our penthouse in New York for a drink. Needless to say, that I never have to deal with the morning after awkwardness at my place. The same goes for Holden. The house in the Hamptons is definitely off limits. We barely know her and already Amelia Cavendish is wreaking havoc on our well-established bad boy bachelor habits. I can't imagine how it’ll be once we actually taste her.
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