“Where’s your office?” Jameson asked.
“I kinda took over a corner of Veronica’s office. My actual office is upstairs near Mom’s. However, Dad wants to move me in with my brothers so I can be closer.”
“And you don’t want that?” Jameson guessed based on the small roll of her eyes.
“I’ve spent my whole life in their shadows. I want my own room. I don’t need them playing big brother when I’m on the phone trying to work. Here’s the state dining room and then the ballroom.”
Jameson followed her across the hall to look inside. Then they turned to the back of the house. “This is the family dining room and the family living room.” Jameson loved it. It was so them. The outside was formal and the heart of the house was informal, just like the public/private faces Ariana had to wear. There were large overstuffed couches and family pictures filling the walls. There was a large television and also a small basketball net hanging on the back of the door.
“Through there is the kitchen. You can also get to it through the dining room. There are beautiful gardens out back and even though it’s winter, it’s still nice to walk around in them. There are more offices and conference rooms on the second floor, right by the stairs, but in the back of the house is a billiards room and a movie theater and guest rooms we use more for political guests. The third floor is all the family rooms and guest rooms for close friends and family. That’s where you’re staying.”
“The security building is outside to the left, but where do the soldiers stay?”
“You’re right. The security barn is to the left. It’s actually massive. There’s a gym in the basement along with interrogation rooms. The ground floor houses the main communications area and the offices. The loft is actually a second floor for some of the security personnel. There are two other types of barracks around the farm. I can take you around if you’d like.”
“That’s okay. I’ll ask Nash or Nabi to do it. I’ll have some very specific security questions to ask them.”
Ariana nodded, telling him that she understood. “Let’s head back out front. I’m sure they’re here now and someone can show you around and get settled.”
Jameson followed Ariana to the front of the house where the royal family members were carrying up their own bags, including his. He rushed forward and grabbed his bags from Mo. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Has my daughter shown you around?”
“Yes, sir. I was hoping to get a security tour of the property, too,” Jameson told the prince.
“Nash can do that. He’s in the security building. Put your things away and he’ll take you around while I talk to my daughter.”
Jameson nodded and Dani stepped forward. “I’ll show you to your room.”
He followed her up the stairs. Glancing back, he saw Mo leading Ariana and Veronica into his office. He knew he wasn’t privy to the royal family’s business, but in a very short time he’d stopped seeing them as royals and instead saw them as a family he was worried about protecting.
17
Ariana was unpacking when she heard the knock on her door. She looked up and saw her mother walking toward her. “Hi, Mom. What’s going on?”
“Nash is showing Jameson around the farm and I thought I’d talk to you about the wedding.” Ariana nodded as her mother moved to sit on the cushioned bench at the end of her bed.
“What about it?”
“We’ve been in contact with the US government. There’s no positive proof that the attack was because of you. However, there’s no proof it wasn’t and I don’t like the coincidences. I’ve let Draven know and he’s vowed to have his security forces on high alert. Also, I let him know about your plus-one. We agreed that Jameson should be your date and not your bodyguard to avoid any problems with the US government.”
Ariana looked up from her bag. “I should say he’s my boyfriend?”
Her mother looked at her and nodded. “Exactly. Just say he met you in New York.”
“Wow, I move fast,” Ariana said sarcastically even though the idea of Jameson as her boyfriend was very nice. Her mind pictured them dancing together, which they could do now that he was her “boyfriend” and not her personal protection agent.
Her mom smiled at her. “When you know, you know.” She laughed. “But, the fun part. To pull it off, we need Keeneston not to blow it.”
“They won’t.” Her town could keep a secret. Not from one another, but keeping things from outsiders was a breeze.
“I think it’s better if you play the part. We’ll stay here tonight, but you should take Jameson on a date to the café.”
“Have you talked to Jameson about this?” Ariana asked as she wondered what his reaction was to it.
“Oh yes. He thinks it’s a great idea.” Her mother stood up and ran her hand down her pants as if signaling the discussion was over. “We’re so lucky you picked such a nice young man.”
Ariana rolled her eyes and her mother winked at her before leaving. Ari had wanted Jameson as something more than a guard. Now he was, but it wasn’t real. Or could she make it real? She had a couple of days to do just that. She bit her lip and looked at the clothes she was going to pack for the wedding. She hung up the gown and pulled another one from the closet. If she was going to seduce her fake boyfriend into real feelings, this was the dress to make it happen.
He was Ariana’s boyfriend. Fake boyfriend, but boyfriend nonetheless. Jameson had been ambushed by Dani during his tour of the farm and told, that for the safety of Ariana and the entire wedding contingent, it would be better if he was undercover as Ariana’s boyfriend rather than being an agent. That would give him unquestionable 24/7 access to guard her.
“I don’t want a single person to dance with her unless you clear them. Otherwise, you’re her boyfriend and you can dance with her as much as you want,” Dani had said. “I want you talking to people she’s talking to and observing them to see if anyone is a threat. As her boyfriend, you’ll become part of the conversation, not pushed aside. You’ll have to share a room, of course, but Draven will have everything you need to be comfortable.” Then Dani had kissed his cheek and hurried off to the house.
Now he was driving his fake girlfriend to the Blossom Café for a fake dinner date. She was going to introduce him as her boyfriend. Too bad it wasn’t real. Not for the first time, Jameson wished it could be. He’d spent the afternoon with Ariana as they rode horses around the farm and came up with their backstory. It had been fun. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much. Ariana wasn’t the diva he’d assumed she’d be. Instead, she was kind. She knew the farm workers’ names and all about them—from the gardener to the trainer and everyone in between. She was crazy smart, calm under pressure, and he had this strong desire to touch her all the time.
Jameson looked at her sitting beside him in the SUV. He was her boyfriend, right? They had to make it look convincing, right? Jameson reached out and placed his hand on her knee. Ariana jumped in her seat with surprise.
“If we’re to pull off being a couple, we need to appear as one. That means touching each other. Otherwise, dancing will be incredibly awkward.”
Ariana relaxed and smiled at him. It wasn’t her normal smile, though. This one was different. Mischievous wasn’t the right word. Happy wasn’t either. More like the cat that got the cream and was gloating about it. “What a great idea.” Ariana placed her hand over his.
Jameson almost wrecked the SUV. He was so busy glancing at the way his hand looked on her leg and the way her small, soft hand curled around his that he momentarily forgot to look at the road.
“You can just park right here,” Ariana said, pointing to the courthouse parking lot across the street from the Blossom Café.
Jameson pulled in and parked. Two sheriff’s deputies paused to look at him. Ariana didn’t wait for him to open her door. She was out and talking to them before he had the chance to unbuckle.
“Yes, my boyfriend,” Ariana said with a little laug
h to them. “Jameson, come meet Luke Tanner and Cody Gray. They’re two of the deputies here in town. Oh, and here comes Andy.”
Jameson shook hands with Luke and Cody before a redhead who looked younger than he probably was joined them. While the others had hard looks about them, Andy had a big smile on his face as he shook Jameson’s hand.
“Poor Nikki. All the royals snapped up,” Andy said with a good-hearted laugh. “I think she was planning on going after you next.”
“Me?”
Andy shrugged. “She’s determined to be a princess one way or the other. Are you heading to the café?”
“Yes. I want Jameson to meet everyone tonight before we fly out tomorrow.”
Jameson had learned that a private plane was being sent by King Draven to bring the Keeneston guests to the wedding. So far it would need to be pretty big to carry just the Rahmi family and he wondered how many more would be coming.
“That was nice of Draven. Ava and I are excited to go,” Luke said as they walked across the road.
“Who all is going?” Jameson asked.
“Practically everyone,” Cody told him. “Draven and Addison invited the entire town. Lexington and Lipton emergency personnel are coming tomorrow to cover any emergencies for the days we are gone.”
“I don’t think everyone will fit on a plane,” Jameson said, thinking of Mo’s private plane.
“They will since Draven owns a Boeing Business 747 jet,” Ariana told him. “The kind that will eventually be the new Air Force One.”
“Wow.” So not only did Jameson get to play Ariana’s fake boyfriend at the largest social event in the world, he also got to fly on one of only a handful of private jets that size. Could it get any better? Well, yes . . . if Ariana were his real girlfriend. However, all of this was pointing out the very different circles they traveled in. But they didn’t. Not really. His family was often compared to the Kennedys. They were an American political dynasty. Even if he didn’t approve of his mother or her politics, that didn’t mean he lacked the skills necessary to navigate Ariana’s world. Jameson almost stopped walking, but instead he had an extra pep to his step as he reached over and clasped Ariana’s hand. This wasn’t an assignment. This was an audition and he was going to show he was born to be her boyfriend.
“Oh, geez. You might not want to do that,” Andy said, bringing Jameson back to reality.
“Do what?” Jameson asked.
“Walk into the café holding Ari’s hand. That’s like chumming the water for the gossip sharks. You’ll be eaten alive,” Andy told him as Cody and Luke nodded their agreement.
Jameson just smirked. “I’m not scared. I was in the Special Forces. I think I can take a couple of old busybodies.”
“Oh, bless your heart,” Andy said sympathetically.
“I’m recording this,” Cody laughed as he pulled out his phone and turned on the camera.
It didn’t matter if they made fun of him. The way Ariana was looking up at him as if he were her hero made him feel invincible.
Luke opened the door and they walked inside the packed café. It was cute in a country, down-home kind of way: a purple door with tables covered in mismatched tablecloths and chairs, and fresh flowers in the middle of each table. This was a place you gathered to eat and spend time with friends.
The boisterous noise was cut off as abruptly as someone turned off a stereo system. The only noise was some chair legs scraping the floor as people turned to look at him.
“Who are you?” the young, curvy waitress asked.
“Why are you holding Ari’s hand?” the cook who looked very much like the waitress asked as she leaned through the rectangular window separating the dining area from the kitchen.
“Speak up, young man. We can’t hear you.” Jameson turned to the table next to the door to find the three old women from earlier, sans gun, staring at him.
“Jameson Duke. I’m Ariana’s boyfriend.”
“No!” A woman in the middle of the restaurant stood up and stomped her foot. “Ariana was my last chance. I am going to be a princess, damn it! I don’t care who I have to do to become one. I won’t lose out now.”
“Don’t look at her!” Ariana warned, but it was too late.
Jameson’s eyes took in the shapely legs, the ass that ballooned out, and the impossibly narrow waist before his eyes landed on breasts that could serve as life preservers for at least eight men. He finally dragged his eyes upward to her plump lips and then to eyelashes that looked longer than detonation charges. She blinked as he was mesmerized.
He might have been hypnotized but then a spatula smacked hard against his hand and he snapped out of it.
“Thank you,” he said to the old lady next to him.
“Jameson, these are the Rose sisters. Miss Lily, Miss Daisy, and Miss Violet, the one who hit you with the spatula.”
“Ladies,” Jameson smiled at them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“We’ll see about that,” Miss Lily said. “Have a seat, young man. We have some questions for you.”
Jameson looked to Ariana who shrugged. “Tradition.”
Luke and Cody were trying hard not to laugh and Andy looked at him with sympathy.
“No! No little interrogation and then acceptance. He’s not for her, end of story,” Nikki cried with a stomp of her foot. She strutted forward, shoved him away from Ariana, grabbed Ariana’s cheeks with fingers tipped with bright red talons and kissed her.
Jameson wasn’t the only one with a shocked delayed reaction. He was afraid he was going to have to resuscitate the Rose sisters after they stopped breathing in surprise. Ariana stood stock still, her hands by her side, as Nikki kissed her. It was when one taloned hand moved to Ariana’s back and began to travel downward that Jameson was snapped out of it.
He stepped forward, grabbed Nikki’s hand, and watched those damn eyelashes as Nikki pulled back.
“Excuse me. I’m becoming a princess here.”
“Sorry, but making out with Ariana is my job. Exclusively.”
Nikki scoffed at him and might have narrowed her eyes, but the lashes were so heavy he never really saw her eyes to begin with. “As if you could do better?”
Challenge accepted. Jameson had been looking for any reason to touch Ariana and now he had a really good one. He needed to prove he was her boyfriend and leave no one questioning his place in Ariana’s life. He’d make every moment count, even if it was just for a short time.
Jameson placed his hand on Ariana’s shoulder and turned her toward him as his other arm moved around her waist. His fingertips fluttered up her back until they brushed the back of her bra. Ariana was staring up at him with wide eyes, but he saw the moment they moved down to gaze at his lips. He bet she didn’t realize it, but she licked her bottom lip as she stared at his.
Jameson pulled her tightly against him, forcing her head back farther to keep eye contact with him. He felt the hitch in her breathing and saw her eyes darken with desire as her hands came up to wrap around his neck.
Jameson forgot all about Nikki, the Rose sisters, and the people of Keeneston watching them. Right now, Ariana was the center of his world. His heart pounded and then sped up with excitement when she tilted her lips toward him. She wanted this as much as he did. Kissing Nikki from her mind wasn’t even on his radar. He was going to kiss every past, present, and future lover from her mind, leaving him the only man for Ariana.
He waited until he felt Ariana’s breathing speed up and then Jameson made his move. He dipped her back and loved the feel of her fingers gripping the nape of his neck. Jameson leaned toward her, bringing his lips a breath away from hers before he stopped. He moved his other hand up to cup her cheek. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip before slowly caressing his hand down the column of her neck. Jameson then glided his hand over her collarbone to the slight indentation in the middle of her throat, and then straight down. His hand felt the swell of the top of her breasts before his caress dipped into the valley betw
een her breasts. Ariana sucked in a breath at his touch and that’s when Jameson kissed her.
His hand continued its journey around her rib cage, his thumb tracing the soft curve of the underside of her breast and around to her back where he held her tight as his lips parted hers and his tongue swept inside.
Ariana’s fingers wove into his hair and tightened as she deepened the kiss. Jameson was happy to comply and the kiss grew hotter by the second. Until three sharp smacks jerked him back to reality.
Jameson opened his eyes and blinked to regain focus. Ariana’s lips were swollen and red from kissing and her eyes were glazed over. Jameson looked up and Nikki’s face was red as she used her hand to fan herself. Beside him Miss Violet waved a menu in front of her face with one hand as she held the spatula in the other. Miss Daisy fanned herself with a napkin while holding a wooden spoon in the other hand. Jameson then looked to Miss Lily.
“Where did the broom come from?” he asked, still holding a panting and speechless Ariana.
“I always carry one for such an emergency.”
“This was an emergency?” Jameson asked as he drew Ariana upright.
“If we didn’t want a future prince or princess conceived in the middle of the café, then yes.”
“Hell, I think I’m already pregnant from watching that,” Nikki muttered. Then she cursed and stomped her foot as she pointed a finger at Jameson. “You owe me a princess title!”
Suddenly the café erupted in chaos—chaos Jameson didn’t understand.
“Twenty on two days from now!”
“Ten on tomorrow!”
“Ten on tonight!”
A wall of five men around Jameson’s dad’s age forced their way forward. They might be Jameson’s dad’s age, but they didn’t look like his father. These guys looked as if they could still beat the crap out of him with one hand tied behind their backs.
They stopped as one and crossed their arms over muscled chests. Then they stared with narrowed eyes before the first one said, “I don’t think Mo would appreciate that little display.”
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