by Nana Malone
I squinted at him then looked around. “Jessa is late.”
He shifted on his feet. “Yeah, uh…”
For fuck sake. “You followed me?”
He held up his hands. “Look—”
I didn’t let him finish. Instead I stomped down the stairs and started down to the valet stand. “You called to find out where I was?”
“Ariel, wait.”
“Bugger off as you like to say.”
He sighed. “Shite. I’m sorry, okay? I didn't think you were going to hear me out. I need you on this mission. You know it. I know it. Shit, everyone in the war room knew it. So why did you say no?”
“You are unbelievable, Roone. You have my knights, which, by the way, is a ridiculous thing to say out loud.”
“They’re great, but Sebastian asked for this favor. He’s worried he doesn’t have you on board, and frankly, so am I.”
I shook my head. “Roone, I just can’t. Why does it matter?”
“It matters because we make a hell of a team. We always have. And if this threat is real, I need you by my side.”
“There is no reason, no deep, dark secret. I just want some separation. I know me being involved with this could look bad for Sebastian.” Partially true. The Council wouldn’t forgive easily. But really, there was no way I was going to be able to do this. Not without giving myself away or losing my shit.
“Ariel, you’ve never backed away from a challenge before.”
“Roone, let this go.”
“I can’t. You belong in the field. At least tell me why you don’t want in. You don’t want to work with me? I was too much of a pain in the ass? You’re in love with me? I’m engaged to the princess, but—”
Despite myself I laughed. “You’re such an idiot.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But you laughed. Tell me, Ariel. You’re too good to hold yourself back.”
I sighed. “Maybe I just want a bit of a life, Roone. If I do this, I’ll get sucked back in.” At least that was the truth. I would absolutely be sucked into Tristan’s orbit.
He pursed his lips. “I hear you. I know you managed to do your own thing.”
“And I’m grateful.”
“But you, your career, everything was cut short. One last mission for the road. Sebastian cares too much to ask you again himself.”
My phone buzzed. It was Ian.
Ian: Sorry I had to cut the date short. But when I get back, I’m looking forward to seeing your smile.
Despite myself, I smiled down. I was moving forward. If I really wanted to do that, I needed to sever my connection to Tristan. And to do that I’d need to see him again. I couldn’t run and hide.
I stared at the text for a long moment, unsure of how to respond. He seemed like a great guy who was genuinely interested in getting to know me. What was my hesitation?
Tristan was getting married to someone else. There was no danger in seeing him again, no possibility of picking up where we left off. This would basically be aversion therapy.
I would go full cold turkey. No more Google alerts. I would go on a date, force my life to move on. Because left to my own devices, I would be stuck. Forever.
I lifted my gaze and said the scary, bat-shit crazy thing. “I’ll go with you. You can tell Sebastian his plan worked.”
Roone widened his eyes as if confused and surprised. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Shut it. Just so you know, I’m not taking orders from you.”
He grinned. “It’ll be just like old times. The team is back together again.”
My phone buzzed again pulling my attention away from Roone.
Ian: In case I didn’t say it before. You looked absolutely breathtaking tonight. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.
I stared at the text for a second longer and then hit reply.
Ariel: I can’t wait.
Ian: That's perfect. I'm really excited to see you.
That was sweet, and I was interested to see him. Excited was maybe the wrong word.
What the hell is wrong with you?
I had no idea. The man was perfectly shaggable. He seemed nice, and he seemed wholeheartedly into me. What could be better?
I lifted my head to find Roone watching me still. "What?”
"You're smiling to yourself. Why are you smiling? One second you're tense; the next second you're smiling. What's up?"
I held up my phone. "I have a date."
"A date?" He waggled his brows. "Pray tell, who's the lucky bloke?"
"Just this guy. I met him when I was out with the girls a few days ago."
He grinned. "That's fantastic. You should be dating. Hell, I don't think I've ever even seen you dating someone."
I rolled my eyes. "Why do you guys keep saying that? I get it, but it's not like I'm some virgin."
Although pretty damn close, considering how long it has been.
He chuckled. "Look, I think we all just want to see you happy."
"I am happy.”
"Uh-huh. I see guys ask you out all the time. And you always deflect or scowl. I figured you weren't into them."
"Well, why should I settle?"
He chuckled. "You know what? That's a good point."
"I mean, just because Jessa settled for you..." I let my voice trail even as I started to laugh.
Roone just rolled his eyes. "Hardy-har. I happen to know I'm the best she's ever had."
I rolled my eyes. "Please, don't talk to me about your sex life. It's not something I need to know."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to expound on my skill set, though it is extensive."
I laughed. "Men. You always think your skill set is extensive. And then you find out you're basically average."
He laughed. "Sweetheart, there is nothing average about me."
I rolled my eyes.
"Who is the guy, anyway?"
I shook my head. "It’s this sports agent guy, Ian. He seems nice enough."
"You realize Ian is due a full background check, right?"
I stared at him, waiting for him to break into a laugh, but he was dead serious.
"You can't be serious."
"Why not? If you're going to start dating someone, you need to check him."
I said a silent prayer. "I don't know who appointed you my big brother, but I don't need one. Stop."
"Well, at least let Lucas and I meet him."
"You are the last two I'm letting meet him. Besides, it's just dinner. Why are you interested in my dating life in the first place?"
He chuckled. "Well, because it's so fun seeing you riled up. And now you don't look so tense anymore."
I scowled at him. "Jackass."
"God, I missed this."
My lips twitched, but no way was I admitting that I had missed it too. Roone and I had come up with a shorthand while we were watching Jessa. And despite his annoyance, I learned to love and respect him. But no way in hell was I relying on him for dating advice. It didn’t matter how much of a disaster my daily life was.
I just had to hope I could keep the real reason I needed to stay away from Tristan a secret from him.
FIVE
TRISTAN…
WHEN I GOT the call that I had visitors downstairs, my gut twisted.
Don't be an idiot. This is necessary.
I'd made it clear to Sebastian I didn't want a visible presence. So maybe he’d listened and kept shit low key.
But I still understood what this meant. Babysitters. The police were on what happened to Frank. They would figure it out. I didn't need minders. If I was the kind of guy who needed babysitters, the Argonauts weren’t going to take me. I needed to look as perfect to them as possible. The prodigal son returned.
Brother of a traitor.
I had a few things going for me. I was injury free. But at nearly thirty, I didn’t have that many playing years left.
I was low stress.
Bullshit. Some asshole is trying to kill you.
Okay, it didn’t
look great. And it was going to look worse if they thought I was the prima donna who needed an armed guard.
A part of me knew Ella had a point. Maybe Sebastian’s interference was the universe’s way of saying ‘hey, don’t get dead.’ But the ball was already rolling. The plan just had to play out.
Maybe she sees that the revenge is eating at you.
At that point I didn’t care what happened to me. But men like Max who preyed on people who were less powerful than them deserved what they got. Besides, it wasn’t like I was going to kill him. I was just going to make him wish he were dead.
I’d made it clear that she didn’t have to repay the favor. But she said if I was going through with it then she was too, which was dumb. This might have started as a quid pro quo, but that was then. Now I knew her. Now I cared about her, even if it wasn’t in the way she wanted me to. I’d never ask her to do something dangerous.
Ella came out of her bedroom, dressed to the nines in a brilliant white, off-the-shoulder sweater that hugged her curves. She looked beautiful.
But she did nothing to arouse me. Beautiful blonde hair flowing down her back, bright blue eyes, just a hint of freckles that I knew for a fact weren't real. Ella was so pale, and she avoided the sun like the plague. Even when she deemed to come to one of my matches, she had to be in the owner's box where not a ray of sunshine would touch her.
The few times she did do an outdoor event, it was something like Wimbledon, and she was always under a massive hat and a gallon of sunscreen.
This was the one you chose.
I had chosen her. I was presented with a list of choices. All beautiful, all stunning, all with careers that could use a boost. There had been something vulnerable about her.
And Ella had done her job. We had helped each other. But now, now I didn't want this anymore. I didn't want to pretend. I lived in a 4,000 square foot penthouse with a woman I barely knew and who I didn't want. All so I could have a chance to go home where the people didn't want me.
Or maybe they did. I had no way of knowing.
I pressed the buzzer. "Yup, send them on up."
Ella placed her hands on her hips. "You think this is the best idea?”
“Nope. But it’s not like I have much choice in the matter.”
“They'll find out about our arrangement, and I'll be a laughing stock."
"I promised I wouldn’t say anything. No one will know. And you can relax, these are my cousin's men. They won't say a word and you will not be a laughing stock."
She pursed her lips. "Okay, if you think so. But I don't understand why I just can't hire guards. If we're always together, my guards are your guards."
"I know. It's just complicated. With my family, everything is complicated, okay? It's not you. It's legitimately the Regents Council. Right now, I can't be guarded by someone who isn’t a member of the Royal Guard or are royal themselves. I have a very narrow window. They can't be commoners."
"You know, when they said I was going to be a prince’s fiancée, I thought this would be some amazing trip. And you know, it has been amazing. I just thought you'd be... I don't know, more royal."
"What, a fabulous penthouse and living the lifestyles of the rich and famous isn't enough?"
"It's enough. And I don't need your money, you know that."
I swallowed. "Yeah, I know. I know this is an intrusion and you’re worried about how this will all affect you."
She shook her head. “I’m worried about you, that’s all. This has all gotten out of hand. But hey, there’s no going back now."
“I keep telling you that you don't need to worry.”
She lifted a brow. “How about I worry for the both of us?”
The doorbell rang, and I strode into the foyer to open it. When I did, a familiar face greeted me with a smile. "Your Highness. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to request you stop trying to get yourself killed."
I grinned. "Roone, mate, how long has it been?"
He strode in and we clasped each other tightly, clapping each other’s backs. When we were kids, Roone had often come home with Sebastian on breaks. He’d also served in the military with Sebastian. I had been two years behind them, so just as they were getting out, I was going in. But I'd gotten to spend some time with Roone, and I really liked him. "Sebastian didn't tell me he was sending you." I might not have fought so hard.
"Well, technically, this is just an assessment to see what you need. And you know—"
Even before he started to speak, my skin prickled. The hairs on the nape of my neck stood at attention, and every cell in my body received a signal from my brain to detonate in five, four, three, two...
She rounded the corner, and it was her hair I saw first. Fire engine red, cut in layers that framed her face. When her bright green eyes met mine, I couldn't fucking swallow. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I knew Roone was uttering words, probably important ones and something very vital, but all I could see was her, looking every bit as beautiful as I remembered.
There wasn't a picture I had taken from that time that had done her any justice, because in person, Ariel was nothing short of stunning.
And what was worse was she had no idea.
Her wide green eyes met mine, and she slanted her head. "Your Highness."
Her voice, that fucking voice. I’d called her just to hear it again and take myself back to that time. It was low, soft. I remembered the time when she used to whisper my name over and over and over again. Tristan. Tristan. Tristan.
Like a magnet, I was drawn to her. It didn’t matter how much I fought the pull, I wanted to hold her tight. I wanted to press my nose into the hollow of her neck and inhale deeply. The memory of her scent made me want to slide into her deep and lose myself.
It was too hot. Far too hot. My skin was too fucking tight. My heart beat at race-horse pace. I wanted to pull her to me and press her against me and never let her go.
Instead, what I said was, "What the fuck are you doing here?"
Ariel…
HOLY HELL. I could be cool. I had to be cool.
It wasn't like I hadn't seen a million pictures of him. It wasn't like I didn't know what he looked like. Oh, I knew exactly what he looked like. Sandy blonde hair, lean, tall frame, muscles for days, lips I knew the exact texture of, shape of, ability of, and those eyes.
Hazel. The clear kind of hazel that could be many colors. His eye color was entirely dependent on what he was wearing. You could definitely see flecks of blue and green in his gaze. If he wore blue, you would swear his eyes were navy. Or if he wore something forest green, everyone would swear that his eye color was emerald. I just knew that his eyes were the color of aged whiskey and that one look from him could strip me to the soul.
Even though my hands were shaking and my throat was dry, even though the fight-or-flight response screamed in my skull and my body was cold and I was completely terrified, I stepped forward and tipped up my chin. "Your Highness."
When I met his gaze, I could see it. He made a sharp intake of breath, and we were locked in that moment. It felt like eons. We could have been there for a minute, an hour, a day, a week. I certainly wouldn't have noticed. Maybe he would have. Maybe this pleasure-pain of thinking of that God-awful wiggly tooth was only affecting me. After all, I'd been the only one in love.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Roone frowned, confused. "Your Highness, the king sent us. He wants us to do an assessment of your security needs. I assure you, Ariel is the best there is with digital security, and you and I are well acquainted. We’re the best at what we do. We'll give him an assessment, and then he'll provide you adequate coverage until the police and Interpol can discern what is going on."
It didn’t matter that Roone was speaking, Tristan just kept his eyes glued on me. Finally, it was his fiancée, Ella, that came forward. "For the love of Christ, Tristan, let them in."
On sight, I didn’t like her. She was everything I hated. Perfect, rich, and sh
e had Tristan. But she had a point. The door was open. And even though this was a penthouse flat, there was no good reason to be asking for trouble with our target in the doorway. He backed away, still glaring at me. Roone entered, and I followed behind. "Miss Banks," Roone said.
For him, she had a wide smile. "Oh, well then. Tell me, are you going to guard my body as well?"
Ugh, the gag reflex was strong. A little vomit snuck up my esophagus. Wasn't she engaged to the prince? Why was she openly flirting with Roone? I just adapted my guard stance and then looked straight ahead while getting the lay of the land in my peripheral vision.
This place was terrible. Nothing but goddamned windows. I at least hoped that Frank had been wise and had them change everything to bulletproof glass.
Little Miss Sunshine turned her attention on me. "You're a guard too?"
"I'm a knight, miss. I was a guard."
Her brows furrowed as she inspected me. "They made a woman a knight? Oh, I get it now. You're one of those girls chasing after the boys and wanting to play in the mud with them." Her gaze slid over me with full disdain. "I have never understood women like you."
I gritted my teeth. God, this was his fiancée? She was a bitch. But I gave her a cool smile. "Well, I didn't have the luxury of a choice. But yes, I'm a knight, as is everyone on my team. Our concern is Prince Tristan." Just saying his name after a complete moratorium on those words was like a lance to my throat, making it burn hot and dry and rendering me unable to swallow.
Miss tall and leggy continued to examine me. "I mean, you're tiny."
I was five foot six. "I assure you, I'm quite capable." Just because she was a leggy giraffe with ridiculous fake tits, that did not mean I should feel inadequate.
Then why do you feel inadequate? Jealousy was a bitch.
"We will make sure His Royal Highness is all set. As for you, I think it's in your best interest to hire a security team."
She rolled her eyes. "You're going to tell me what to do too? I'm Hollywood's A-lister. I already have my own security."
A-lister? Come on, that was a stretch. Only since hooking up with Tristan had her profile gone up. It was like a meteoric rise. I’d felt bad for her when I'd seen the tabloid reports of her refusing to sleep with a director and then him blackballing her. Her profile rose, though, when she and the prince had started dating. Then, she was everywhere, and she’d started raising her credits again.
