A Royal Pain: Paranormal Dating Agency (Otherworld Shifters Book 3)

by Godiva Glenn

  “Imagine leaves of glossy blue like this, but underneath, they’re crimson, like this,” he said holding up another shirt. He draped a silver tie over them both. “And a solid trunk like this, but rough and in varying shades. Textured from years and years of steady growth.”

  She tried to imagine such a thing, but it was difficult. “It sounds magical. I wish I could have seen it.”

  His smile faded slightly. “It’s unfortunate that I could not have found you and kept my tree.”

  She took the clothing from him. “There’s great debate in the world on whether we humans can ever have it all. I’m of the camp that sometimes having it all means making sacrifices.”

  “That’s wise. Very wise for someone so young.”

  “Teasing me? We can’t all be two thousand and look thirty.” She poked his chest.

  He chuckled and turned away, a tiered table of accessories catching his attention. “What are these?”

  Marko appeared and took the gathered articles from Alethea’s arms before saying, “Tie clips.”

  Blair examined a small box with a silver clip inside. “To clip ties, but to what?”

  “Your shirt,” Alethea said.

  “Why?”

  “Technically, to keep your tie from moving about and being unseemly,” Marko answered. “For instance, if you bent too far forward and perhaps it would land in your soup. But realistically, it’s a statement piece.” He held up the clothing. “I’ll add this to your room, and if any of those interest you, we can try as many as you’d like.”

  They watched him leave them perused the decorative clips. Most were silver bars of a sort, but some were fancier with gems or carved details.

  “Is this the male version of jewelry, then?” Blair asked.

  Alethea shrugged. “Maybe. But men can wear that, too. Especially here. Men love a simple necklace or perhaps a corded bracelet to wear with a watch. Rings.”

  “Should I wear those?”

  “Not all at once, but I suppose you should wear what you think looks good.”

  He selected a golden clip with a row of black diamonds on it and held it to his chest. His other hand indicated the slender gold bracelet on her wrist, also with black diamonds in a row. “I would like what looks good with you.”

  “You want to match me?”

  “Yes.”

  She led him down the center of the shop and pointed to the various mannequins. “Then you’ll need something for casual life. Maybe some khakis or if you’re brave, linen pants for walking on the beach. Dark slacks for a day downtown.”

  “I see…”

  She held up a pair of jeans. Strictly speaking, jeans were forbidden to royalty. But she still had a few pairs for when she and Nikki took private vacations. “And you have to decide if you want to go super casual with these.”

  Glancing between the jeans and the mannequins, a serious expression crossed his face. “Are those future dates?”

  She bit her lip. Her commentary had been purely speculation. “If you’d like to do those things.”

  “I want to do all those things with you, and anything else.”

  “I suppose you should start trying things on, then.” She took his hand and they walked to the fitting room.

  Markos was waiting for them. “I’ve sorted what you picked out and took the liberty of adding a few things I thought would fit in as well. Each outfit is ready for you.” He motioned into the room. “I thought we’d start casual.”

  Blair looked confused but nodded. “Casual sounds fine.”

  He stepped into the room and Alethea sat on the velvet waiting couch. After a few minutes, Blair reappeared in a cream button-front shirt tucked into slate pants. It looked great, but her focus had quickly pulled away from the clothing to zoom onto his chest. Where the knot of his tie usually held the shirt closed, a dark line was visible on the skin of his neck.

  “Is that a tattoo?” She stood and approached him to see better.

  He pulled the shirt closed at first, but then sighed and let her see. “I wasn’t sure what you’d think of it.”

  “May I?” Her fingers hesitated on the top button of his shirt. He nodded, and she unbuttoned one, then another. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “If you think it’s an image of my tree, yes.”

  She couldn’t see the entirety, but what she saw was enough. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?”

  “No… why would it?”

  “My research indicated that some women are opposed to—”

  “I have a crown tattooed on the top of my foot. My cousin dared me to get it,” she said in a whisper. “Just don’t tell my dad.”

  He peered down at her. “Your dad?”

  Shit. “Ah… never mind that. But this tattoo… how big is it? I mean it looks like it’s everywhere.”

  He brushed a hand down his chest and over his stomach. “It uh… stops about here.”

  Her eyes fell to his groin. Must not make inappropriate wood joke. “Fascinating,” she managed to squeak out. “Did you get this done recently? It’s completely healed.”

  “It was transferred to me when I came to Earth. My tree vanished on Prism, and I believe this is not just an image. This is my tree.” He touched his chest. “I am not a true human. I believe this is the compromise, since a dryad cannot exist without their tree.”

  She touched his chest without thinking, but the moment her fingertips caressed his warm skin she felt flushed. Glancing up, she realized how close they stood. How easy it would be to move a little closer.

  Marko cleared his throat.

  Good thing someone is watching out for me. She took a step back. “I like this look on you.”

  Their eyes locked. There was more than simple chemistry at work here, and she felt another emotion stirring in her. Blair was intriguing, but it wasn’t just curiosity that made her want to know more about him or spend more time with him.

  Never before had she met someone she could interact so easily with. He was just being himself, which was natural. But she was just being herself—and there was nothing natural about that. Day in and day out, she was surrounded by people telling her to be anything but.

  And now I get to tell him the truth, and he’ll never see me in the same way again.

  Alethea’s phone was going off like crazy, but she slipped it into silent mode and tucked it away. She’d spent the last few hours with Blair and wanted to bask in the butterflies and anticipation that came with leaving him, because she knew she’d have to see him again.

  They’d run late, but she was home with enough time to bathe and dress and have dinner with her father. She hummed as she walked the quiet corridors to her bedroom. Normally at this time she’d be a sweaty mess from tennis. Maybe I should just quit.

  She entered her private receiving parlor and froze.

  “As if my days aren’t stressful enough, can you imagine how infuriating it is to find out that my daughter is sneaking around with a complete stranger?” her father asked, cold but calm.

  Straightening her back, she took a deep breath. This was inevitable. “I was going to tell you.”

  “When?”

  “When I thought it relevant.” He stood but she continued, “You don’t hear about every gentleman who looks my way. I have, in the past, always informed you of my intentions. Or you’ve already known, having set up the match.”

  He rolled his eyes. “But you’ve never hidden from me. It took very little digging to find out why. Your ‘gentleman’ has no information whatsoever. He’s likely a spy or pulling a con.” He approached her and took her hands. “This is my fault. I upset you and you responded as a woman would, seeking approval. But whoever he really is, he’s toying with you.”

  Alethea’s mouth fell open as her brain registered his ridiculous words and assumptions. “No.” She pulled free of his hands and walked away, dragging her fingers through her curls in frustration. “His name is Blair, and he’s fae. If he has
no record, it’s simply because he’s new here. There’s no scheme going on father, no con. And do you even hear yourself? Seeking approval?”

  “I’m allowed to be concerned without you talking down as if I’m foolish,” he bristled.

  “I appreciate your concern, I do. But in this case, it’s misplaced. Nothing disingenuous is happening between us. I just thought it best to see where things were going before alerting the press.” She crossed her arms. “It’s not like I want another failed relationship added to the tally.”

  “I don’t see how this can be anything but a failure,” he replied.

  Seeing him standing haughtily in her room and once again trying to control her life was like a never-ending flashback. “There’s no decree that I have to marry a certain type of man.”

  “That doesn’t mean I should stand idly by while you lower yourself to date a—what even is he?”

  “He’s a dryad,” she said holding her chin up.

  “A tree spirit? Essentially a gardener?” He laughed and glanced away. “I’m certain he must be thrilled to have found you. I suppose you’ve wasted no time buying him things? I know you were at the shops today.”

  “He has money.” A fair amount, which Alethea had discovered after helping Blair check the online banking app Vevina had arranged for him. She was ready to step in and help him out, but apparently, the exchange rate from Prism gold to Earth’s currency was off the charts. “Is it surprising that someone likes to spend time with your daughter when nothing is offered in return?”

  “Plenty is offered in return. Status. There is a reason for the way couples normally meet. You meet someone in your circle. Of your standing. There’s no reason to stoop down and sift through the—”

  “Father please! Don’t tell me you would have ignored mother had she not been wealthy.”

  “We never would have met were she not of the high caliber she was, you know that.” He waved a hand. “You’ve had your fun. It’s time for you to get serious.”

  “I am serious. Which is really the problem here. I’ve always been serious, but you always treat me like I’m some flighty troublemaker.”

  “Aren’t you?” he scoffed. “I looked the other way but let’s not pretend you didn’t stumble in drunk not but a few weeks ago. You pretend that I don’t treat you like an adult, but you block out every instance of you acting like a child.”

  “You appraise my every action and pick and choose the events you want to draw attention to. Otherwise you’d say something about Grand Adventures gearing up for next summer.”

  He nodded and crossed his hands behind his back. “You’ve done excellent work with Helen. But you could do more.”

  Alethea closed her eyes and counted to ten, but in the end was no less frustrated. “What exactly do you want?”

  “I want you to be as passionate about being a servant to the public as you are to being reckless. I want you to stop running around with a man who doesn’t deserve you.” He met her eyes. “I want you to live up to your mother’s memory and stop using her legacy as an excuse to do whatever you want whenever you want.”

  She wanted to believe she was hearing things, but his words rang loud and clear. “I could believe you want what’s best for me if only you weren’t trying to make me give up the one person who has treated me like I’ve always thought I deserved to be treated.”

  “You asked!”

  “I would sooner give up being a princess than allow you to dictate one more moment of my life,” she said softly.

  “So dramatic. Maybe you should limit your time with Nikki—”

  “Enough.” Alethea held a hand to her head. Her temples pounded with his circular reasoning and confounding logic. “You won’t even acknowledge what I want, much less what I need. You haven’t even met Blair, so you can’t even guess how amazing he would be by my side.”

  “I’m above needing to mingle with his type to know he’s not what you need.”

  “Fine.” She took a step back, then another. Turning, she held her head high. Damned if he sees me cry now. “I’m going. If you can’t accept me, then I’ll go where I’m appreciated.”

  “Come now…”

  “No. You’ve said enough, and even if you apologize now, I would never believe you. I’d rather be a nobody than be a prisoner here.”

  She left the room and hurried down the hall. Her father didn’t follow, and she didn’t expect him to. No matter what she did in her life, he saw her as nothing but a hysterical little girl. Nearly thirty years and that image had never changed.

  She pulled out her phone and saw the dozen messages Nikki had left, alerting her that her cover was blown. She dismissed them all. Her hands shook, and tears were leaking down her cheeks, but only one thing was on her mind.

  Joseph stepped out from a corner.

  “Princess?” Face blank, voice neutral. Sadly, it wasn’t the first time he’d seen her falling apart. Just realizing that made her want to never do it again. Maybe crying wasn’t weakness, but how many times had she stormed through these halls an emotional wreck? More times than she should have. Maybe father is right. Maybe I’m just dramatic.

  “Is a driver available? I need to go to the Faerriot.”

  One of the most fascinating foods Blair had encountered so far was ice cream. It didn’t seem to have much in the way of nutritional value, yet there was variety that far surpassed logic. And it was delicious.

  Because of this, he had a freezer fully stocked with small containers of ice cream. Each pint packed full of nuts of all sorts, chocolate in all forms, and random toss-ins like cookies he’d never eaten or fruits he didn’t know existed.

  Right now, this freezer held importance. He wasn’t entirely sure why.

  Alethea had called him roughly fifteen minutes ago, crying, but he could barely make out her words. Vevina had listened in, and once the call ended, all she said was, “You’re going to need ice cream.”

  Then she left.

  Time continued to pass and still, her assessment of things made no sense. Yet here he was, pacing his kitchen and frequently opening the freezer door to reassure himself that whatever was happening, he had plenty of ice cream.

  A gentle knock came, echoing through the front room. Panic swelled in him. When he embodied his tree, many of the fae that came to him were upset. However, it was entirely different to know that Alethea was crying, and worse because he didn’t know why.

  He opened the door and she immediately flew into his arms. A rush of protective urges rose to the surface within him.

  He kissed the top of her head and shut the door. “What happened?”

  “Can we go away?”

  “Away from here?” he asked. “You just arrived.”

  She squeezed him tight and after a deep breath, a choked sort of laugh escaped her. “No, I know. I was asking… I don’t know if I can…”

  “Should I get the ice cream now or?” He looked desperately to the kitchen.

  “What?” She wiped at her puffy eyes.

  “I was told you’d need ice cream,” he said carefully. The way she looked at him made him wonder. “I don’t know why… exactly.”

  Alethea smiled, though tears still slipped down her cheeks. “Did you do an online search for crying women or something?” She shook her head. “I don’t need ice cream. Or, actually, I guess that would be really nice right now.”

  He held her, and they walked to the kitchen together. “It may help if you start at the beginning.”

  “I will, but you may not want to talk to me anymore,” she said sadly.

  Opening the freezer and stepping aside, he studied her face. “I highly doubt that.”

  “This is a lot,” she gasped, staring into the freezer. “Did you somehow just get this before I arrived?”

  “No. I was intending on trying them all. Vevina said most people have a favorite, but I can’t choose a favorite before trying them all, correct?”

  Alethea touched his arm and leaned on him, her ex
pression amused. “That’s a profound thought for something like ice cream.” She grabbed a pint of vanilla with sugar cookies and peanut butter chips. “A minute in and I already feel a million times better. How do you do that?”

  He handed her a spoon and dabbed at her wet face with a towel. “I don’t know what I’ve done. I thought I was still waiting for something.”

  She sat on the couch and he followed. In his early state of anxiety, it hadn’t occurred to him that they would be alone in his place. While the hotel wasn’t his home, it was the closest thing for now.

  Her presence in his private space felt intimate, even if all that was happening was that she was licking a spoon.

  As if she felt the pressure of his stare, she paused and looked down at the small carton cradled in her lap. “Before I say anything else, I want to explain that I have enjoyed every minute with you. I can’t fathom how easy every moment is. To the point where if I didn’t know better, I’d think we’ve known each other forever. Because it’s that comfortable.”

  “I feel the same way,” he admitted.

  “But.” She sighed and dug through the top layer of ice cream, watching it intently. “I haven’t been honest with you.” Looking up, tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “It was never to hurt you, but I thought if I hid this tiny detail—no. No, I need to stop that.”

  “Alethea.” He rubbed her knee, knowing what she was trying to say. The pain she was putting herself through was unnecessary.

  “It’s not a tiny detail and I hid it from you because I’m selfish,” she trudged on, her voice breaking. “I hid it because it’s inconvenient.”

  “You’re a princess,” he said softly. “I know.”

  The tears fell, and she remained staring at him.

  “Given what I’ve researched about royalty as a whole on Earth, I can see why you didn’t tell me.”

  “How did you find out? How long… did you always know?” Her words were breathy and vulnerable, and her hands shook.

  Squeezing her knee, he replied, “I didn’t know until you had that busy week. Vevina looked you up because I had neglected to find out something as simple as what you did for a living.”