Entangled with the Prince

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Savannah hustled behind the counter, grabbing four plates and balancing them on her arms and hands, then turned to make her way towards the booth in the back of the diner. “Here you go!” she announced cheerfully, placing each plate filled with breakfast foods in front of the person who had ordered. She pulled the ketchup and, because these were some of her regulars and she knew their tastes, a bottle of barbeque sauce out of her apron, setting both on the table. “Enjoy!”

  She turned and surveyed the rest of her tables. Several were getting ready to leave and a few people needed coffee refills. Just a normal Sunday morning breakfast rush, she thought. Her head barely ached and she hadn’t bothered with the pain medication. She had some Advil in her purse, just in case. But so far, she felt fine. Better than fine, actually. Because she’d gotten so much sleep yesterday, she felt amazing!

  “Busy today, huh?” Cindy muttered as she moved behind Savannah to put in four more orders on the metal wheel that hung in the window between the dining area and the kitchen. Cindy was the co-owner of the diner, along with her husband, Mickey. They were good people who just liked to serve delicious food and watch people walk away happy.

  “Yeah, a bit crazier than normal.”

  Cindy eyed Savannah carefully. “I was worried when we got word about your attack yesterday,” she said carefully. “And I can see the huge lump on your head. Are you sure you’re okay to work today?”

  Savannah smiled gratefully at Cindy. She was a good person to work with and, even better, a wonderful, caring, concerned boss. “I’m fine. But thanks for asking,” she gave her boss a hug.

  “Orders up!” Mickey called out. Mickey was technically Savannah’s boss as well since he was the other co-owner of the diner. But since he was married to Cindy and Cindy was a force of nature, Mickey deferred to Cindy on almost everything regarding the diner. Mickey preferred working in the kitchen anyway. He was a great cook and his personal preference was breakfast foods. Today’s special was his special chocolate French toast with chocolate syrup, crumbled walnuts, sliced bananas and chocolate whipped cream. Just about every other order was for Mickey’s special breakfast today.

  “Oh my!” Cindy whispered, straightening her shoulders as she looked towards the diner’s entrance.

  “What?” Savannah asked, twisting so she could see around her friend. Her eyes widened as she took in the dangerously glorious presence of the tall, hugely muscular man stepping through the door. “Gaelen!” She breathed, not sure if she was happy or…something else. But her heart pounded as she watched him scan the diner.

  Cindy turned her head in surprise. “You know that guy?”

  His gaze swept across the people, stopping when he spotted her. She could see the fury in his eyes. Did she sense relief in him as well? It was silly to think she could sense his emotions, from a distance no less, but the look in his eyes as well as the way he let his gaze move up and down her figure, told her that he was relieved.

  “Savannah? Is that the guy who…?”

  Savannah quickly looked away, focusing on the plate she held. “Who…what?” she asked, thinking about that kiss last night. She’d dreamed about that kiss…and so much more! Her sheets had been tangled around her legs when she’d woken this morning. Recalling the things that Gaelen had done to her in those dreams made a blush steal up her neck, heating her cheeks.

  “Is he the one that attacked you the other night? Because if he is, I’ll get Mickey to…”

  The very idea that Gaelen had been her attacker was abhorrent. “No!” Savannah replied quickly, stiffening and shaking her head gently because any strong movement still caused pain to spike in her skull. “Absolutely not. That’s the man who took care of me afterwards. He drove me to the hospital and then stayed up all night making sure that my concussion didn’t cause any real damage.” She smiled at Gaelen as he stood watching her with that stomach-fluttering intensity. She suspected that the other customers were also staring because there was a definite lull in the noise level.

  That wasn’t a surprise. Gaelen was so massively tall and built like a football linebacker! He was…huge! She’d remembered his size, remembered feeling his gentle arms around her and leaning her head against that massive chest. But overnight, his size had diminished, so it was a bit of a shock to see him today. He towered over everyone. And the way he was dressed, in a dark suit and vest, pristine, white dress shirt and red tie, told everyone that he was someone important. Because it was Sunday, the other diners were dressed much more casually. Most of them were in jeans and tee-shirts, some in ragged flannel, others with a light sweater, some with hats while several ladies hadn’t bothered to brush their hair, just piled it up on top of their head with a band. Only a few women had bothered with makeup and everyone looked a bit…rough.

  Not Gaelen. He looked like the picture of a wealthy, powerful man and everyone in the diner was taking notice.

  Especially Savannah, she realized. Her burning lungs pulled her out of her stupor and she took a belated breath. She didn’t realized it, but her features softened into a welcoming smile as she walked towards him.

  “Good morning,” she said softly, feeling incredibly special. No man had bothered to show up at her workplace before. None of her previous boyfriends had even cared about where she worked or what she studied in school. Gaelen’s presence, as well as his concerned gaze moving over her features, even trying to see the back of her head to determine the size of that silly lump, told her that he cared. His concerns and his presence made her feel like dancing.

  Instead, she stood in front of him, beaming like a silly schoolgirl.

  “Good morning,” he replied and Savannah felt that deep voice echo all the way down to her toes. It had sparked so many reactions in her dreams last night and she couldn’t stop the second blush of her morning.

  He smiled slightly, his finger skimming over her cheek, letting her know that he noticed the blush. “You look lovely today.”

  Her smile brightened and she leaned slightly into his touch. “I feel much better, thanks to your help the other night. I don’t know how to thank you, Gaelen. You were my knight in shining armor.”

  Gaelen shook his head. “You had it all under control by the time I got there,” he grumbled. “Why are you here? I told you that my staff had arranged for you to take it easy today.”

  Savannah shrugged. “I need the money, Gaelen.” He started to open his mouth, but she shook her head, stepping back. “Don’t you dare!” she whispered furiously.

  “Don’t what?”

  Savannah knew that his body language was meant to intimidate her, but she wasn’t having it. “Don’t you dare offer to give me money!” she hissed, then pulled back, pasting a smile on her face. “Now, if you’d like breakfast, this is definitely the place to be. Mickey’s food is delicious.” Her eyes narrowed. “But if you’re here just to tell me that I shouldn’t be here, then you need to leave and I’ll talk to you later.”

  Gaelen looked down at her, stunned and amused by her words. “Did you just give me an order?” he asked, amazed and…damn it, turned on!

  She blinked and tilted her head slightly. “Yes. Which will it be? The special today is amazing.”

  He laughed and pulled back. “I’ll have breakfast.”

  Savannah’s smile brightened. “Excellent. You won’t regret it.” She turned and looked around, then gestured towards an empty table. “There’s an open table in the back. Go ahead and grab that one and I’ll bring you some coffee.”

  He looked to that table, then around at the others in the diner. After a moment, he nodded his approval, then moved towards the table in the back, sending a text message to his guards. He knew that some of them would come into the diner and sit at the tables surrounding him while others would move to form a perimeter around the diner. No one knew that he was here. It wasn’t on his agenda and there hadn’t been any hint of danger in the security chatter over the past several days. Gaelen figured this was safe enough.

  Sit
ting down, he was surprised that the chairs were so comfortable. The whole place was sort of a throwback to the fifties, but with a bit of seventies tackiness thrown in to make the place a bit more interesting.

  “Here you go,” Savannah said as she put a ceramic cup on the table in front of him, then poured coffee. “Do you want cream or sugar?’ she asked, looking at him shyly.

  “Just black.”

  “Here’s a menu,” she told him, offering him a plastic covered menu.

  “What would you recommend?” he asked, not bothering to even glance at it.

  She smiled, then shrugged. “About half of the people who come in on Sundays for brunch order Mickey’s special. They don’t even bother to ask what it is, they just know that it’s going to be good.”

  He eyed her carefully, but he didn’t see the mischief that he remembered from the other night at the bar when she’d brought him a frilly mess of a cocktail.

  “Okay, then bring me the special.”

  She grinned and took the menu away. As soon as he spoke, he knew that he was in trouble. But he was so stunned by the strength of his reaction to her smile that he didn’t stop her when she sauntered away.

  Sipping his coffee, Gaelen watched Savannah work. She was a good waitress, keeping an eye on her tables, but not bothering her customers too much. She kept their drinks filled and was responsive to their requests. The cook seemed to be competent, since no one was kept waiting too long for their food and everyone appeared to be enjoying their meals.

  But his eyes remained mostly on Savannah and not the other patrons. She was lovely, he thought. Again, he noticed her thinness and wondered why she starved herself. The jeans she was wearing were loose, although not loose enough that he couldn’t appreciate her very fine derriere.

  She spun around at that moment and he was caught. But instead of being embarrassed, he simply winked at her, letting her know that he appreciated the view.

  Gaelen’s smile widened as she blushed again. Such a telling reaction, he thought as he leaned back in his chair.

  For the next several minutes, he focused on her, watching the way she interacted with the patrons, her efficiency of movement as she made her way through the tables, refilling the drinks while grabbing plates from the kitchen window to take them to the various tables. There were only two waitresses, but somehow, Savannah and the other woman were able to handle everything. It was a tribute to her efficiency and he admired her even more.

  Until she brought his order to his table. He knew that he was in trouble when he saw that sparkle in her eyes. It was the same glimmer of amusement she’d had when she’d brought that cocktail and his body tightened with anticipation. Not just for whatever was on that plate, but also because he wanted her.

  It took him several heartbeats after she set the plate on the table before he could pull his gaze away from her laughing eyes. But when he looked down at the heaping mess of chocolate and whipped cream, he almost stood up to toss her over his shoulder right then and there.

  Smothering his amusement, he looked up at her. “What the hell is this?” he demanded, fighting to keep his face straight.

  Savannah’s grin widened. “It’s today’s special. I told you that it was amazing!”

  Gaelen noticed that she was almost glowing. His eyes moved lower, thinking about her breasts and how he was going to…!

  “There you are!”

  Gaelen reluctantly pulled his eyes away from Savannah as his sister plopped into the chair across from him. She was such a damn whirlwind that everyone in the diner was sneaking peeks at her.

  He glared at the rest of them, especially the men who were eyeing his beautiful sister, and they eventually turned around, minding their own business.

  “Talia, what are you doing here?” He glanced up at Savannah, ready to introduce her to his sister. But he only spotted her back as she retreated into the kitchen, disappearing from his view.

  “I needed to talk to you,” she announced, sliding her linen jacket off. “What is that?” she gasped. “You never eat sugar! What’s going on?”

  Gaelen smothered several curses. “It’s the diner’s special,” he explained, then shoved the plate across the table towards her. “Help yourself.” He turned, looking for Savannah. He wanted to introduce Talia to her and he damn well needed to order something else for breakfast.

  But instead of Savannah’s butterscotch tresses, he only saw a tall, rounder brunette. She glanced over her shoulder at him, then back at the kitchen. He had no idea what was going on, but the brunette came towards him and she didn’t look very friendly.

  “Is there a problem?” she asked, her tone obviously indicating that she didn’t care to hear about any problems with the food.

  “Oh my gosh, this is amazing!” Talia gasped, taking a big bite of the chocolate French toast. “I didn’t know something this amazing could be eaten for breakfast!”

  Gaelen briefly glared at his sister, then looked at the waitress. “Could I possibly get an egg white omelet?” he asked.

  The waitress shifted on her feet. “Sure. Mickey can make that. I’m guessing you want it filled with vegetables?”

  Gaelen’s eyes narrowed at her snippy tone. “That would be great. Thank you.”

  Talia laughed, obviously already on a sugar high. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Gaelen,” she mumbled around the food in her mouth. Her eyes rolled back as she sighed with pleasure. “This is amazing!”

  Shaking his head, he sipped his coffee. “Not my style.”

  Her fork paused and she looked up at him. “Then why did you order it?”

  Gaelen looked around for the reason he’d ordered something completely devoid of nutrition. He spotted her coming out of the kitchen, but instead of walking towards the back of the diner, she moved towards the front. The brunette was now helping the patrons here in the back. Apparently, the two waitresses had switched stations and he wondered why.

  His eyes moved to look at Talia and, with a critical eye, he once again noticed his sister’s beauty. Her long, dark hair was spread out over her shoulders and her hazel eyes were perfectly enhanced with delicate makeup. For the first time, Gaelen realized that his sister was truly stunning!

  She stopped, feeling his gaze and looked at him. “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?” She dropped her cutlery and reached for her napkin. “Where is it?”

  “There’s nothing on your face,” he told her softly. “I just realized for the first time that you’re pretty.”

  There was a loud crash and Gaelen looked around. Savannah had dropped a plate? That was odd, he thought. She was so efficient. He watched with confusion as she hurriedly picked up the pieces of the plate, stacking the smaller pieces on top of the larger ones. The other waitress rushed over with a broom, efficiently sweeping up the food. A flash later, both women disappeared into the kitchen.

  “What the hell?” he grumbled, worried now. Was Savannah’s head bothering her? Was she okay? Had she eaten anything before coming into work this morning?

  “Hey!” Talia called out, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “Earth to big brother!”

  He sighed with irritation. “What do you want?”

  “Advice,” she told him, laying her knife and fork down on the side of her plate, only half of the French toast eaten. She stole his coffee cup, cradling it in her hands. “But I need you to promise you won’t get angry first.”

  He stiffened, frowning at her.

  “Men,” she announced.

  Gaelen stared at her, his mind unable to understand what she was talking about. Men? She wanted advice on men?

  And then it hit him. “What men? What are you doing with men that you need advice about?”

  She smiled and he was floored by her beauty all over again. When had she stopped being the baby? “I met a guy,” she admitted.

  He started to surge out of the chair, but Talia held up a hand, stopping his movement. “He’s been a perfect gentleman. We’ve only tal
ked and he’s very nice.”

  Gaelen was abruptly furious. His baby sister was talking with a man? What the hell?

  “You shouldn’t be talking to men!” he told her firmly. “You’re too young!”

  She laughed and he hated the melodic sound of that laughter.

  “Gaelen, you realize that I’m almost twenty-seven years old, right?”

  He blinked and it took him a long moment to comprehend her words. “Seriously? You’re twenty-seven?”

  She nodded, looking at him seriously. “Yes. I’m twenty-seven and, I know this is going to shock you, but I’ve had boyfriends in the past.”

  Again, he almost surged out of his chair, ready to find the men who had dared to touch his baby sister. He’d tear them apart! He’d kill them and bury their bodies in the desert, and let the animals…!

  “Stop it!” she snapped. “I am a grown woman and I went away to school for several years. If you didn’t want me to have relationships with men, you should have sent me off to a convent somewhere.”

  He growled, clenching his cup so tightly, it was a wonder that it didn’t shatter.

  A plate was set down in front of him and he glared at it, too focused on his fury at the men who had touched his baby sister to make sense of the plate in front of him.

  But then he remembered ordering an omelet. Automatically, he picked up his fork and started eating, trying to figure out what to do about Talia. In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that the omelet was pretty darn good.

  “So, here’s what I want to know…”

  “You don’t need to know anything about men,” he told her. “You’re too young.”

  She laughed and playfully smacked his arm. “Right. So, moving on to more rational topics, I want to know what men really like in a woman. What draws your eye?”

  Gaelen glared furiously even as he pictured Savannah’s bright smile and her soft, full breasts, her long legs and her tiny waist. “We like women who read all the time,” he lied. Well, sort of lied. He did prefer women who were educated and could carry on an intelligent conversation. But Talia didn’t need to know that. “We like women who don’t throw themselves at us. We like the chase.”