by A. C. Arthur
She hadn’t chanced a look at him but knew without a doubt that he was staring at her because the back of her neck felt as if it were on fire. He was surely staring, but what was he thinking? She wondered if it was about her or about the job he’d been hired to do. She shouldn’t care. The job...rather, the safety of her family and their people, was all that mattered. So he should be thinking about the job and not her. Right?
Now she drummed her fingers on her purse, wanting to say something but not knowing exactly what to say. This was new for Sam. Her entire life had revolved around her ability to talk to anyone about almost anything. The fact that she did so with a brilliant smile and a sense of compassion made her the perfect goodwill ambassador for the island.
It had been her mother’s job when she was alive. Vivienne Patterson DeSaunters had been the perfect champion for everything wonderful about Grand Serenity Island. She’d helped Rafe build the island’s tourism to the bustling hub of social and economic prosperity that it was today.
Forming the Tourism Board had been Vivienne’s idea, as well as bringing several social organizations she’d been part of in her hometown of Sugar Land in Houston, Texas, to Grand Serenity. Sam was a member of the Flower Circle, the Arts and Entertainment Society, and the Serenade Museum Board of Directors. But not because of her own interest in flowers or plays or the paintings that hung along the museum walls. No. As with so many other aspects of her life, these things Sam did in memory of her mother.
Twenty minutes later, when the car came to a stop and she looked across the cobblestone street to a little shop painted a bright and cheery blue with white-framed windows, she smiled. Even though lately every thought she had of her mother made her sad.
Detali Signorenson had been making dresses for Sam since Sam’s first middle school dance. She was a true talent when it came to design and manufacturing dresses, and Sam was ecstatic about the turn her career had taken.
It had started two months ago when Sam had brought Landry into Detali’s old shop, which had also served as Detali and her daughter’s apartment. During that meeting Landry, who at the time had been Malayka’s stylist, had commissioned Detali to design and make an original gown for Malayka.
Sam remembered well how Malayka had embarrassed the royal family. At a press conference she’d offended every dressmaker on Grand Serenity with her dismissive remarks about the quality of fashion on the island. But after Landry had tricked Malayka into wearing the Detali original to the Ambassador’s Ball, the gown had been photographed and featured on fashion blogs with Detali as a new and upcoming designer.
Today would be the grand opening of Detali Designs, the new shop that would display Detali’s original dresses. In another month or so, one of the old warehouses on the east side of the island would be transformed into a state-of-the art space for the clothes to be manufactured.
Landry had invested in Detali’s dream and was present today for the press conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sam wondered if Kris knew what a special woman he’d found in Landry Norris. She possessed one of the first traits to being a princess: a good heart. The business and fashion sense Landry brought to the small Caribbean island was a plus that Sam was glad to expose.
The opening of the car door jolted her from her thoughts and Sam stepped out without further hesitation. Her hair blew in the breeze as she took a step onto the cobblestone path. Gary touched her elbow immediately, a firm grasp that she doubted looked imposing at all from a distance.
“From this point on, there will be two cars traveling with every member of the royal family,” he said in what, to a passerby, may have sounded like a cordial tone.
Sam wasn’t certain what she should gather from his voice, she was too busy trying to squash the butterflies dancing happily in the pit of her stomach at his touch.
“Guards from the second car will enter the premises first and complete a perimeter check. Once Phillipe, or the other driver, receives the okay from the guards, he’ll let you out of the vehicle. You are never to exit the vehicle alone, nor are you to enter a facility that has not been pre-checked.”
He walked them across the street as he talked. Sam noticed the group of women that had been heading toward the shop. They stopped and whispered. Then one of them lifted her phone, aiming it toward Sam. Another one giggled and did the same thing. Falling easily into her role, Sam lifted a hand and waved. “Hello. How are you?” she said to them.
One of the women ran up to her, pulling a canvas bag off her shoulder and holding a marker in Sam’s direction. Sam immediately reached for it.
“I’m so happy to meet you, Princess Samantha. You’re much prettier in person.” The woman gushed.
Sam smiled. “Thank you. Ah...?”
“Oh, my name’s Kelly. Kelly Upton. I’m from Washington, D.C. Our cruise ship just docked this morning. I’ve been waiting all year to visit Grand Serenity. And now that I’ve met you, it’s the highlight of the trip!”
Sam wrote an uplifting message to Kelly and signed her name to the large black bag. The silver marker she used caused her writing to glisten in the sunlight.
“Thank you so much!” Kelly insisted.
“How about a picture?” Sam offered.
“Oh, my! Yes! Yes! Come on, y’all, she’s going to take a picture with us!” Kelly yelled to her companions.
The next second Gary was standing a few feet in front of Sam and the women, aimed not one, not two but four different cell phones at them and snapped pictures. He took one with them all smiling and then Sam yelled, “Now, let’s make a funny face!”
The women obliged and Sam stuck out her tongue. Gary snapped more pictures.
“And now we’ll strike a runway pose,” Sam continued, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
The women laughed and did as Sam instructed, all of them striking poses around her. When the pictures were finished, Sam hugged each one of them and wished them a great time while visiting the island. She waited as Gary gave them their phones back and hoped that he would once again take her by the arm and walk close beside her toward the shop. There was something comforting in that act. Something that didn’t seem quite the same when other guards had walked beside her.
“That should stop for the foreseeable future,” he said in a gruff tone, effectively jerking her mind from the pleasant thoughts she had, but taking her by the arm once again.
“What?”
“Impromptu autographs and pictures. From this point on everyone you come in contact with needs to be vetted and searched.”
They’d arrived at the door of the shop when Sam pulled her arm from his grasp and stared up at him.
“Are you joking?” she asked and then continued when she realized by the stern look on his face that he was not. “Look, I know that you have a job to do and you feel as if you’re doing it by being here with me. But I also have a job and I think I know by now how to best perform my duties without you showing up on my island and passing out instructions.”
It sounded harsh, Sam knew. She didn’t speak that way often, and yet, twice in one day, this man had taken her to this point. She’d think about why he was able to do that later. For now, she simply needed to set him straight.
He waited a beat before responding and then his words were just as stiff and cold as they had been before she’d spoken her mind.
“I’ll be by your side during the press conference. Phillipe will remain at the car. We’re all wearing earpieces so we can communicate with each other. At any time, if you feel uncomfortable, let me know and I’ll get you out of there,” he stated.
Sam could only stare at him. It was as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly—because others had begun to gather on the sidewalk around the store—she managed a small smile as she replied, “Thank you for your service.”
She turn
ed then and entered the store, determined to do what she’d come there to do and then get the hell away from him.
* * *
Gary was true to his word, no matter how much he wanted to grab her by the waist and haul her sexy ass back to the car to finish the kiss and whatever else they’d started that morning. Of course, he’d only given his word to himself that he would keep his hands off her and focus on his job. Still, he thought the Herculean effort deserved accolades. He stood no more than three feet away from Samantha as she talked to members of the press and posed for pictures. She and Landry were being interviewed by a greasy-haired guy who was apparently a big-time editor at some fashion magazine.
“Detali Designs is just the first step that Grand Serenity will be making in the fashion industry. I am happy to also announce that Tropical Fashions, my in-depth magazine covering not only international fashion but also focusing on new trends being started on the islands, will sponsor its first charity fashion show in February,” Landry stated.
Even as an expat, Landry stood strong and proud beside Samantha, looking almost every bit as royal as the native-born princess. Landry was a couple of inches shorter than Samantha’s five-feet, nine-inch stature and just a shade lighter than Samantha’s deep brown complexion.
“We are fortunate to have such talent in the royal family and among our citizens.” Samantha spoke now, her smile and gaze moving from the reporter to Landry. “We’ve always prided ourselves on promoting our diverse culture, so it is an honor to partner with my new sister and Detali to bring the talent of Grand Serenity to the forefront. My mother had begun similar endeavors by spearheading the redevelopment of the museum and filling one complete floor with local artists’ work. Now we’ll have a new princess bringing forth yet another opportunity for the talented citizens of Grand Serenity. On behalf of the royal family, I cannot begin to express how excited we are.”
She was very well spoken, her voice smooth and clear. She made eye contact with each of the reporters who had gathered around, giving them all that million-dollar smile and the sexy tilt of her head that Gary wondered if she even knew she did. The bright hue of her suit caused her skin to glisten so that it appeared exquisitely sun-kissed. Her voice wasn’t high-pitched but sultry and refreshing, like a tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer’s day. She was fierce and confident and dedicated, all traits Gary had never thought he’d find in a woman.
Not that he was looking for a woman. He wasn’t. No, sir, one time down the aisle with a woman who turned out to be the biggest pain in his ass ever was more than enough for Gary.
As much as he hated comparing Samantha to his ex, Tonya, he couldn’t help it. Tonya was shorter, curvier and mouthier than Samantha, and not in a good way. Tonya had an opinion about everyone and everything, and she did not hesitate to voice it, over and over again, until a person either agreed with her or got the hell away from her. In the two years they’d been together Gary had often chosen the latter.
No, there was definitely no competition there. Samantha would come out on top every time.
Damn.
His current thoughts were so far from what should have been on his mind now or at any other moment while he was on this island. Kris hadn’t requested his presence to gawk at his sister. If the unspoken warning his friend had given him only hours ago hadn’t been enough, Samantha’s cool disdain toward him should have spoken volumes to calm his body’s raging desire for her. Not to mention the fact that he’d just congratulated himself on keeping his hands off of her.
None of that seemed to matter.
The interview was over and Gary immediately moved around the cameramen to stand close to Samantha and Landry.
“Let’s head out the back way. I’ve already told the cars to meet us there.”
He wasn’t sure if Sam remained silent and followed because Landry was there or because she was simply finished talking to him for the day. He also wondered if she planned to sit in the front seat again, instead of in back with him. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. Hell, he hadn’t disagreed with Kris pulling him up about kissing his sister. In fact, Gary figured if it were his sister he probably would have punched the guy first and asked questions later. Thankfully, for all concerned, Kris wasn’t the same type of guy Gary was.
Their friendship had always been a strange one. Freshman year, Gary had presumed the other guys in their dorm were talking about him because he was getting rides in Kris’s Mercedes and sharing in all the first-class perks of being the roommate of a prince. Gary wasn’t bothered by those rumors at all. He’d thought all those preppie privileged kids were jerks, anyway. As for Kris, well, Gary always got the impression that the prince was just happy to have somebody to actually be normal around. Too bad Gary hadn’t been able to tough out college life for another three years. But Kris—if nobody else in Gary’s life at the time—had understood his need to do something more with his life. The army had been that something, and damn if it hadn’t been more than anything he’d ever expected.
“This is the third time that white SUV has circled the block. He slowed a bit and looked down this side street.”
Gary heard the message through the earpiece and was immediately on alert, thankful for the interruption of his thoughts, but not at all happy with the situation. In quick steps he moved in front of the princesses to push the back door open and look out onto the narrow street.
“What’s happening?”
He heard Landry’s question but ignored it as guards opened the back doors to both the cars parked just outside. Gary turned to them and said, “Landry, you’ll go first. Directly to the car, no stops.”
He extended his hand to her, glad that she had not questioned him but taken his hand and moved quickly through the door, out into the late-afternoon sun. Two guards had come up to the door and flanked her sides as they moved her to the first car. Closing those doors, the guards ran back to the second car and climbed inside. With a nod, Gary sent them on their way.
“Send the other cars.” He spoke softly, knowing they would hear him through the earpiece.
“What is going on?” Samantha asked as she stepped closer to him. “And don’t bother telling me nothing.”
No, he wasn’t even going to bother.
“We’re just taking some extra precautions,” he told her. “When the cars pull up, we’ll walk out and head back to the palace.”
“Landry and I were going to do some shopping.”
“Not today,” he said and then heard the cars pull up. He reached for her hand and, for a split second, thought that she would pull away in an act of defiance. He really did not have time for that and prayed that she was smarter than to risk her own safety.
She didn’t and Gary almost sighed with relief.
Instead she took his hand and let him lead her to the car. She went into the backseat without protest and when he slid in beside her she only clasped her seat belt in place and looked out the window.
“Go!” Gary spoke to the guards and the car began to move.
They’d driven only a few seconds when she looked over at him and said in a serious tone, “There will be no more kissing or touching. I should never have imposed on you like that last night. I apologize and promise it will not happen again.”
Gary only stared at her in response. The fact that the simple act of watching her lips move while she’d been speaking turned him on more than any woman he’d ever been with was going to be a problem.
A big problem.
Chapter 5
Dinner was a circus.
One that Gary paid particular attention to. He watched each guest with meticulous regard to everything that went on in that room. Later, when he was alone, he would pull out his notepad and his pencil and sit by the window in the large room that had been designated to him at the palace. Then he would write out every note he’d mentally
taken throughout the hour and a half of sitting in the private dining room of the royal palace.
All of this would be recorded in his small but neat penmanship. To be truthful, Gary had always been interested in people. To the extent that in the early part of his life he’d even sought them out. As an only child, his mother had called it a “craving for attention.” But Gary never wanted the attention of the people he would be around. He just liked watching them, observing their habits, their mannerisms. It all intrigued him.
That was until the heartbreak of his mother’s death, followed quickly by the relief of his marriage finally coming to an end. This was when Gary decided that being around people wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. At that point, he’d found his pencil, his pad and his mind to be his very best friends. They’d introduced him to a newfound hobby he’d never imagined having. One that, in retrospect, would become his new career.
However this, his purpose for being on Grand Serenity, was also a job. Well, it was a favor to a friend.
Kris had been very specific about what he’d needed Gary’s help with. First, in their conversation over the phone and then when Gary had arrived on the island. Kris had personally come to the airport to pick him up and on the ride back to the palace had laid out all of his concerns. Now, Gary was concerned, as well, and he was determined to help the friend that had showed up for Gary in his time of need.
Glancing across the room, Gary wasn’t so sure all of his findings were going to be pleasing to Kris, or his siblings, for that matter.
The meal was over and now there was conversation. The guests tonight had also been here a couple of months ago, right after the royal wedding was announced. They’d only stayed for a day at that time. A breakfast soirée that Rafe had insisted his children attend. Kris had been the only one to escape that meeting, which was part of the reason he’d been the one to suggest to Malayka that she once again have her bridal party visit the island. This time for the weekend. There were several activities planned for the group, all designed to witness them interacting with Malayka. For Kris, Roland and Samantha, there was a definite correlation with Malayka’s arrival to the palace and the attempts on their lives.
