The Duke (Billionaire Royals Book 3)

by Sophia Summers

  “I guess I wasn’t putting myself in that group.”

  “I know. But you are, aren’t you?”

  She nodded and shrugged. The discomfort in her expression started to bother Trane.

  “You know you aren’t going to find any horrible thing to have to report about us.” He pulled her beside him onto the couch.

  She twisted to look at his face. “I hope not.” The concern lines deepened.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. Let’s keep my job and your job out of this.”

  “Well, they are not out of this. Neither of us can separate who we are and what we do from our relationship. That’s one of the nice things about you. You are already in my world. You fit and you understand.”

  “But I have a job to do, and I love my job. I have goals. And Trane I care about the ocean.”

  He remembered her first announcement to the press. “And you’re worried you might find something nefarious to disclose.” He kept the smile off his face. He would never want to seem patronizing to her. But she just wouldn’t find anything. For decades they had led the industry, led the other Mediterranean nations in care of their water.

  She didn’t respond. And that concerned him.

  “Have you already found something that concerns you?”

  She sat up straight. “Your press advisor will be given an opportunity to respond to anything I print. We, of course, will seek your response.” Her voice had switched tones, and he now saw the reporter take the reins. While he loved her strength, he did not enjoy the receiving end of the wall she built.

  “You’re right.” He tugged at her to lean back again toward him.

  “About what?”

  “We should keep this part of our lives separate.”

  She cautiously snuggled back in under his arm.

  “For now.”

  “Ugh. Trane.”

  “Well at some point I think we should come up with a plan, or talk about what you will say. Or something.”

  “I don’t work for you.” Her voice had gone quiet, and he realized the error of his words.

  “True. You’re right. Look Phina. Here’s the truth. I want you to write the best, most accurate article you can write. Help everyone see the importance of caring for our environment, cover the summit and all the powers at play there. In that way, we will be working together on this.”

  She nodded.

  “Now, you never even mentioned your favorite chocolate by your plate that I noticed you ate first.”

  She wiggled against him. “If it is Torren chocolate, it always gets eaten first. And last, and in between.”

  “I have another piece.” He dangled it in front of her and then he leaned back, inviting her to come across him.

  Her eyes lit and darkened with a yearning that lit a reaction in him. He reminded himself to take things slow. But she would make that difficult. Especially as she now leaned across him, reaching for the chocolate. He shifted so that she stayed in his arms. “Open it.”

  Her lips close to his, he felt the breath of her response and her heart drum against him. “Now?”

  “Mm. Hmm. It’s new.”

  She pulled her hand from under him to open the piece and then placed it on her lips, melted the chocolate and then spread it on his mouth, parting his lips to find his tongue.

  He took a small bite and then she popped the rest in her mouth. “Mmm. Trane. This is...” She closed her eyes and he waited. When she swallowed and opened her eyes, he ran his finger along her neckline and then back up and into her hair. “Phina.” He could not wait any longer. He wanted to press his mouth to hers and never stop.

  She fell back to the couch at his side, lying next to him. He shifted so his face hovered above her own and slowly, lowered his mouth.

  She raised up to meet his lips and he cradled her in his arms. The softness of her response to him undid him and forced him to take care, to be in control. She trembled and her lips moved with such a hopeful hesitation, his heart almost broke. If he began this experiment to see if they could work, he had to make it work. He could not break her heart again. Then he responded to her hesitation with an insistent pressing and pulling of her bottom lip, covering her mouth with his own over and again until she responded with the same. They lost themselves to each other until he shifted, covering her and rotated too much and landed on the floor. “Doh.”

  She peeked over the edge of the couch, her hair deliciously mussed. “Are you ok?”

  He opened one eye. “Get down here you.” He pulled her off the couch and she landed on him. But the moment was lost and they laughed more than anything. Shortly after, she pushed off of him and stood. He felt cold, the space between them charged with yearning.

  “I have to go.”

  He didn’t move, only nodded. “OK.” It was for the best. He told himself it was for the best. But she stood there, desire flushing her cheeks, happiness brightening her eyes and he forgot all the reasons she should not stay the night. Perhaps it would be better to have a staff member about when they were together.

  She swallowed twice. “I do have to go, right?”

  He groaned and rolled to his side. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  Laughing, she turned. “Ok, I’ll go.”

  “Wait.”

  She turned slowly.

  He stood and in two steps pulled her up against him again. He kissed her soundly and thoroughly, holding her up when she gripped his arms. Then walked her to the door. “You are too much.”

  “Good night.” She smiled, almost giggled, and he shook his head. “See you tomorrow.”

  When the door shut, he rotated his shoulders. He needed a solid work out and a cold shower. But he couldn’t help the self-satisfied smile that spread across his cheeks. He was making this work.

  His phone dinged. Expecting to say goodnight, he grinned. But Lucan’s frowning mug video chatted him instead. “We have to talk.”

  “Can’t it wait?”

  “Stay put, we’ll come to you.”

  Chapter 8

  Trane stubbornly frowned while Lucan pulled up slide after slide of Seraphina in a pleasant restaurant setting, speaking with known radical environmentalists. They laughed, they sipped, they ate. It seemed perfectly congenial. And Trane refused to believe she knew the full extent of the group’s militantism.

  Until the talking turned serious. They leaned together, the men jabbing the table with their fingers, Phina writing furiously in her notebook.

  “There’s more.” Lucan flipped to another open tab. “She received a deposit to her account in the amount of $10,000 dollars this evening, shortly after the meeting.”

  Trane’s heart stuttered. “It could be anything. Monthly allowance from her parents. Who gets deposits after banking hours anyway?”

  But he knew Lucan was on to something. Even if she was unaware of the group’s true tendencies, being involved with them made her very, very dangerous to herself and to the crown.

  “Lucan. We don’t know how much she knows.”

  “She’s a risk no matter if she knows it or not.”

  He dropped his head in his hands. “I know.” He let his head lower even further. He began to question her feelings for him. Could she be making use of an old relationship to stay close to the family? Get an in with her story and the designs of this group?

  “It’s fortuitous she is staying with us.”

  He snapped his head up. “Cause we can track her easier.” He shook his head. “That sounds so shady. It might be better to talk to her.”

  “Oh, we’re gonna talk to her.”

  “Whoa, now Lucan.”

  “Don’t whoa me. If this were anyone else we would already be all over them.”

  He was right. And Trane knew he had to let him do his job. Lucan was the best in the business.

  “What do your instincts tell you?” Trane hated to even ask.

  “She’s in over her head.”

  Trane breathed out
in relief.

  “But she’s in.”

  “And that’s the problem.” Trane stood up. “I’m leaving this up to you. This is the woman I love, brother.” There he’d said it. “I’m not going to carry suspicions and engage in spying. Not without just asking her first.”

  “You won’t be the one asking, but if you would like, you can watch through the Plexiglas.”

  “What?”

  Trane couldn’t believe he was doing this. But Lucan needed his eyes and his perspective, as someone who knew Seraphina well. So he watched as Lucan welcomed her into his office, made small talk, and talked to her on the pretense of preparing for the ribbon cutting ceremony. They were going over security protocol.

  “Your measures are much more active than ours.”

  Trane could tell she was curious. Her hand went to the pencil in her hair and then she resisted and rested both in her lap. He chuckled. She loved her job.

  They talked of bodyguards, ear pieces, Trane’s responsibilities for the event and where Phina would be standing. He deliberately left out several failsafe measures he always implemented. And led her to believe a few things that might not be true. Then he pulled up his laptop, and Trane leaned forward.

  “We have been tracking some potential threats and want to screen all participants no matter how…close… to the crown.”

  She swallowed and a soft pink colored her cheeks. Trane warmed to her. She cared. She wouldn’t deliberately put them in danger.

  “I understand. What do you need to know?”

  “We are expecting leaders of all Mediterranean nations as well as other major players in the world environmental scene. We need to know. Do you associate with anyone who would be a threat to the event?”

  “I have many clients, Lucan. As I’m sure you know.”

  “I could never be aware of the scope of your reach or every person you contact. Would you feel that any are militant in nature or could pose a threat to Torren or any other country participating in the summit?”

  She eyed him for a moment and in the pause, Trane counted every heartbeat. “No.”

  Lucan nodded and checked a box. “Are you aware of any money laundering efforts? Or have you received any unaccounted sums of money into your bank accounts lately?”

  “No.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll have my press pass, but I’m attending with Trane. Where would you like me to participate?”

  That was a great question. Sitting with Trane would get her much closer than a press pass ever could.

  “You’ll be with us, naturally, as Trane’s date.”

  She sat back with a smile. “Thank you. “

  “Don’t mention it. Just try not to take notes on international television. Or if you do, get a more sophisticated notebook.”

  “There is nothing wrong with Gloria.”

  “Gloria?” He held up his hands. “I don’t want to know.”

  She stood. “Something the insatiably curious Lucan does not want to know? I hardly believe it.” She held out a ragged, well-thumb small spiral. “Gloria and I go everywhere together.”

  “Something else I didn’t want to know.”

  She widened her eyes. “Lucan.” Her laugh made Trane smile. She was one in a million, and so relaxed through what could have been an interrogation. She wasn’t hiding anything.

  As soon as she left, Lucan entered the darkened room with Trane. “She’s hiding something.”

  “What? How can you know?” This was the very opposite of what he had felt.

  Lucan raised both eyebrows.

  “Ok, you’re trained to know. But what?”

  “She knows more than she is admitting, but she doesn’t feel like she’s in the wrong. And knowing her like we do, that means she doesn’t believe the group is a threat.”

  Trane snorted. “I don’t plug her as overly naive.”

  “No. But not thinking there is a threat from a known militant organization concerns me more than if she were colluding with them.”

  “They aren’t exactly widely known.”

  He shrugged. “They’re known.”

  “What are they called?”

  “The Environs.”

  “Just like that? Environs? I haven’t heard of them.”

  He waved his hand as if Trane’s awareness mattered little. Perhaps it didn’t.

  Lucan held up a hand. “You can’t let her know anything is amiss. Don’t question her.”

  “What? Lucan, I can’t deceive her.”

  “Then work on not being deceiving, but if she thinks we suspect, she will cover more carefully. We need her to feel as comfortable and open as possible. Lulled into romance, sure of her place.”

  A sick feeling filled Trane. “I will not be insincere in my feelings for her.”

  He smirked. “You won’t have to. Everyone can see you love her. Just be honest.” He twirled his pen. “It’s what I’ve been telling you since you dated in high school.”

  “And what if this all goes south?”

  “Then we’ll have a couple broken hearts at the end of it all.”

  “A couple?”

  “She loves you too, Duke. It’s as plain as day.”

  Trane didn’t even try to hold back his grin.

  “Oh please. Leave me be with your love-sick ways. I had enough to worry about before my brother fell in love with a girl who hangs with terrorists.” He grimaced, but Trane knew under the worry, Lucan was also happy for him.

  Trane held up his right hand. “I’ll do my best not to bring on a violent demonstration.”

  Lucan’s eyes turned serious. “No, that’s what I’ll be doing. You just put on a summit and make sure Phina doesn’t suspect we are suspicious.”

  “So much simpler if I were you. She reads every thought that crosses my mind. Says they’re written all over my face.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on. Just keep being you, Trane.”

  Chapter 9

  She entered San Vitali, her favorite designer. They had locations in Torren and in her country, and of course in Italy and Spain. Their clothes were highly sought after, and she loved them. She knew the head designer personally. It was her one weakness: beautiful clothes. Luckily her mother agreed with her. The queen of her small nation of Landrona viewed each of her children as emissaries for their land and wanted them dressed as well as possible wherever they went. Which suited Seraphina just fine. She turned in a circle and breathed deeply the San Vitali signature perfume.

  “Princess Seraphina, we are so glad you are here.” A personal shopper approached with a bottle of water, offered to take her things, and led the way to her own personal dressing room. “I have gathered everything you requested.” She smiled. “Plus a few extras which I know you will appreciate.”

  “Thank you Therese.” She’d known this shopper for years, requesting her whenever she was in town. “Do you know if Avani has a new Fall line ready?”

  She placed a finger on her nose. “I will get you the exclusive catalog. One moment.”

  “Thank you.” The Fall catalog was top secret until San Vitali did their big Fall reveal. But Seraphina always got an early preview.

  She needed an outfit. Or rather five outfits, if she were to be Trane’s date at the Summit. The press would be shooting him from all angles and the idea that she and Trane might be back together would be snatched up immediately by all the paparazzi. Her image could be blasted far and wide. Call her vain, but she wanted to look good.

  There would be a gala, a ball, dinner parties, and of course, the main ribbon cutting ceremony of Torren’s new salt water conversion plant. Not to mention the actual summit where world leaders from all over would be present, as well as every big name environmental organization in the world. Diving companies, marinas, shipping execs, all the major players were invited. And she thrilled that she would be there too, with her press tags, taking notes on it all. Somewhere in all of that, there had to be an award-winning story. And she wanted to tell it.

 
Her new friends, the environmental activists, wanted tickets to the event. Lunch had been interesting with them. The lobby group was small, just starting out, called themselves Eco Fresh. Really, she would love to help them find a good PR firm. Eco Fresh sounded a bit like a laundry detergent. But they seemed so sincere, so emphatic. She knew they would be tireless. She had seen the passion in their eyes. At one point the leader looked a bit too passionate, but weren’t they all just one step short of insane, all of those who cared anyway.

  Her phone rang and her heart skipped a beat. “Trane.”

  “You sound cheerful.”

  “I’m at San Vitali.”

  “Ah, shopping. How long will you be there?”

  “Another hour or so.”

  “Great, I’ll pick you up when you’re done.”

  “Really?” She sounded like a teenager and she didn’t care.

  “Yes, and I asked Heidi to gather a few of your things you might need.”

  “And might I know what we are doing and where we are going?”

  “Does that sound like the kind of date I would plan? Full disclosure?”

  “Absolutely not. I don’t know why I asked.” She laughed, thrilled at the thought of more time with Trane. “I’m excited to see you.”

  When she finished shopping, she arranged for the packages to be delivered to the palace including one gorgeous blue gown that would be perfect for the gala. Once she knew her presentation would be appropriate, that she would look stunning when necessary, capable when important, and supportive and fun during all the appropriate times, she allowed herself to address her other concerns. Like what if the Valdez family had secrets to hide. What if, dear Trane was finally showing her the attention she had craved all these years, but she would have to expose him? She had a feeling she wouldn’t know what to do until the situation was upon her.

  Trane pulled up in an enclosed jeep. She suspected it had bullet proof glass. Her meeting with Lucan this morning taught her that he was serious about his job. And nothing was overlooked. Trane hopped out, eyed her business attire and tossed her a small duffle. “As smoking as I think this new skirt suit is on you, you’re gonna want to change.”