by Nana Malone
Having her on his arm had done something for the prince as well. He remained mostly unscathed by the whole scandal surrounding the islands. His popularity was still up, and people still loved him. Also, it helped that he was an international soccer star. Football fans all around the world knew his name.
Not that I paid super close attention, but I knew his contract was almost up. And he was weighing his options for teams. A couple of them were offering him stupid money, which, of course, he didn't really need, but there it was. He had landed on his feet, and I was pissed off about it.
Just do your job and you can go back.
I inhaled a deep breath. "Of course, ma’am."
She wrinkled her nose. "Ma’am? I'm barely twenty-five."
"How would you prefer I refer to you?"
I cocked my head, and from my peripheral vision, I noticed Tristan's lips twitch. He could see it. I was pissed and about to volley a flame of destructive fire. Unfortunately, Roone knew me well too, and he stepped in. "Miss Banks, I assure you, we're well-versed in whatever your needs might be. But our priority is the prince. What Miss Scott was saying is true. You should engage your own security. And you need to give us thorough information so we can coordinate with them."
For him, she smiled. "I mean, do you think I need more? And can I hire one of your knights? Particularly, you?"
Tristan's voice was low as he glowered at her. "Give it a rest Ella."
"What? I'm just having some fun." She slid her gaze back over Roone. "Yes, of course. You can have full access to my team. They're the best money can buy."
Tristan rolled his shoulder. "Don't I know it?"
Ella turned to me then. "Look, Tristan, I won't tell you how to do your princely thing, but when it comes to knights, I would skip over the tiny mermaid. I don't think she has the skill set. Him, on the other hand, I think he's just what you need. Darling, you know how important this is. We have a lot of events lined up. It's pre-Oscar season. You're in the midst of negotiations. We have to be out and about. Whoever is trying to hurt us, they need to be stopped. So if your cousin sent you some Knights, I'd take it."
He sighed. "Fine. You're here now."
Roone gave him a smile. "See, that was easy. Ariel has a whole team, so we will only make the assessment, then she'll send her people here."
I could feel his gaze on me, even though I wasn't looking at him. I felt like the blade of a heated sword hit me everywhere his gaze touched.
"Ariel has a team?"
Roone chuckled. "Been a long time since you’ve been home. She's in charge of the most badass security agency on the islands."
I turned to face him, and I saw his lifted brows. "I thought you were a guard."
I swallowed that ball of pain. "Not anymore."
"I guess things have changed."
I inclined my head. "Indeed, they have, Your Highness. I'm a completely different person now, as I'm sure you are."
Roone's gaze ping-ponged between us, and he frowned. "You two have met?"
I nodded. "Of course. Prince Tristan and I used to hangout as kids. But that was a whole world ago.”
“Might as well be strangers now," Tristan muttered tightly.
Wasn’t that the truth?
SIX
ARIEL…
WE WERE SHOWN to the flat at the end of the hall. Considering it was meant for the Royal Guard, it was still huge, spacious, and contained three bedrooms. As if it was meant to house a full security team. Fantastic.
Once in, I closed the door behind us, finally able to breathe. Roone studied me. "Are you okay?"
"Yep, I'm perfect. Fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you forget I know you. You're tense. And you're busy saying things like 'fine', and 'perfect', and 'uh-huh.' You think I don't know when you're lying?"
"I’m not lying. I’m just tired."
He lifted a brow. "Uh-huh. Why does the prince seem like he hates you?"
"I don't know. Maybe he does hate me."
"Did you do something to him?"
I sighed and met his gaze directly. "Look at me, Roone. I'm a Royal Guard. Well, not really. I'm actually a Knight, but whatever I am, you think I have at all entered into the Royal Highness's sphere?"
He frowned. "Something is up with him."
"Nothing is up. He clearly isn't thrilled about having us here. You two are friends, so if you have questions about what his problem is, you can ask him."
"Okay, I might. I just have never seen you so... I don't know, unsure of yourself."
"I'm perfectly sure of myself. I'm fucking awesome."
A smirk broke out over his lips. "Ah, there she is. I know that face."
"Yeah, whatever."
He grinned then. "You seem upset. Is everything okay with Royal Elite?"
"Yeah. Except, I'm here and my whole team has jobs they’re on, so I don't exactly have people available to look after the prince in a week."
"Yeah, it's going to get tricky. Sebastian needs me back. There is going to be a vote for new Council Members."
I nodded with a smile. "And the new Earl is up for a position. That's pretty badass."
He shrugged as he eased onto the couch. "It's… whatever. It's just a title."
It was my turn to study him. He seemed calmer somehow. Before, he was always a little brash. "Jessa is good for you, isn't she?"
His smile was broad and easy then. "Yeah, she is."
"I'm really happy for you, in case I never said that before. I know I was kind of on your ass about falling in love with her and stuff, but you look happy."
The smile only broadened into a grin. "I am happy. I could have no title and nothing to my name, but I would still be happy with her."
"Good. Then enjoy it. Including your new Earldom or whatever the hell they call it."
"Yeah, I guess. It's just all so complicated and tied in with my dad, you know?"
I nodded. I remembered that for most of his life, Roone had thought his father hadn't loved him. But it turned out the old man had, and it was his stepmother who tried to keep him from his inheritance. I bet she was a lot to deal with when you were falling in love and getting shot at and shit. "You and your brother, you’re closer now?"
He nodded. "Yeah. That part at least is actually really good."
"Well, then everything is coming up roses."
"For you too. You've got a team. Your business is thriving. I mean, what more could you want?"
"That's right, I have everything I could ever need."
He cocked his head then. "So, do you like, get out and stuff? I know you went on that date. Hopefully the first of many."
I raised a brow and then turned my back to him as I marched into the kitchen. I was going to need alcohol for this. "What? You worry that I work too much now?"
"I don't know. Maybe you wouldn't be so tense if you, uh, got out more."
I grabbed a beer and rummaged for the opener as I glanced up at him. "Roone, are you suggesting I get laid?"
He coughed a laugh. "Well, it couldn't hurt. Because you're tense, mate. Like, on edge. Even more so than you were when we were in London."
"I'm not tense." Even as I said that, I forced my shoulders to drift down to where they belonged instead of up around my ears. "Okay, it's been a lot. I'm just beyond grateful that I even have a business, considering how everything ended up."
He nodded slowly. "Have you been to see him?"
I choked on my beer. "My Dad?"
He nodded.
"No. I haven't been to see him. They informed me when he was out of medical care and transferred to the prison, but that's the last interaction I've had with him."
He shrugged. "I mean, maybe you should see him?"
"What for? He betrayed me. He betrayed the Crown. Because of him, I'm not with my family anymore. So that pisses me off."
"But you're right back in the family. You're a Knight now."
"Only because my best friend pressured the king to bring back an ancient group of
protectors. I mean, how crazy is that?"
"You know full well Sebastian would have done it without any pressure from Penny. He wanted to send you before you were knighted. Ethan talked him out of it though. The way things are with the Council right now, rocking the boat is a bad idea, so he found an alternative method. He wasn't allowed to send civilians, so it couldn't happen. But knights, he can send King’s Knights."
"It's a hell of a loophole."
"I know, right? Okay, I'm going to go grab a shower and call Jessa. I'll check with Sebastian too. Do you need me to tell him anything?"
"Yeah, tell him we're going to need a lot more knights, because I don't have enough team to cover the prince. So we need to start looking at resumes, military, private security, everyone. From what I've seen on the file, and what the police sent over, that was too damn close of a call with Frank. Tristan could have been killed."
"I know that you mean His Highness."
I blinked at him, careful to keep my face impassive. What did he know? "Well, right now, he's a client, so all that royal shit… It's out the window."
He nodded slowly. ”Okay, whatever you say."
When he went to his room, I finally sagged against the counter. Shit. Why had this happened? Why did I think I could just turn up here and everything would be fine?
There was a knock at the door, and I frowned. It could be the police. Hell, it could be anyone. I had my gun out of my holster as I approached the door and peered at the security panel.
Tristan.
I didn't holster my gun though. When I opened the door, I glared up at him. "Your Highness, is there something I can help you with?" I ground my teeth, fighting the response to him, the dropping of my belly, the rush of blood in my veins, the shortened breath, I tried to ease it all with nice deep, even— Oh, fuck it, my body went haywire.
"You never did answer my question. Why you? What are you doing here?"
"I'm so sorry my presence here is irritating you, Your Highness, but I didn't really have a choice. When my king requests something, I have to do it."
"Ariel, you look—"
I shook my head. "Please don't. Let's not pretend to say things we don't mean, shall we?"
He shut the door behind him. "Where is Roone?"
I inclined my head toward the closed bedroom door. "In there."
He nodded. "Ariel, you just—"
He stepped forward. I didn't move back.
We were within inches of each other. And when he finally touched me, I recoiled, not because his touch was so awful, but because I wanted it too much.
It was too hot, too electrified.
"I said, we're not going to talk about this." I turned to put some distance between us, because God knew, I needed it. But his hand reached out and snagged me around the upper arm.
I whirled back, pissed, ready to force him out, but he was right there, smelling like ocean breezes and something fresh and green.
“Tristan…”
“Why are you here. I can’t have you here.”
“You think I want this? This was the last assignment on earth I wanted. But duty calls.”
His gaze roved over mine, and his voice was whisper soft. “Your face is exactly how I’ve pictured it all this time. Your fucking eyes. I have never forgotten them.”
Shit. I was gonna lose it and start bawling. Distance. Get Distance. I blinked rapidly and tried to move back, but his hand reached out and wrapped around my wrist tugging me forward.
“Just what the hell do you think—”
I didn’t get to finish because his lips slammed down on mine.
Firm.
Unyielding.
Unforgiving.
At first, it was a complete, utter shock to my body. All systems shut down. The alarm bells rang, sirens wailing, warning me of imminent disaster. And then something long dead that I'd buried, flared into life, like a single green leaf in a barren desert, pulling low in my belly, growing roots and taking hold. It smelled, looked, and tasted like hope.
I didn't mean to respond. I didn't. And maybe it was shock, but I gasped, and my lips parted, and then his tongue was on mine. His fingers were in my hair and he was gripping me and angling my head. I had no choice but to respond. My tongue slid against his and I could hear the low rumbling growl.
Somewhere in the distance, someone whimpered, and I looped my arm around his neck and God, yes. That felt amazing. Incredible. God, he could still kiss like every move was calculated to melt bones. As his hands slid down my face, around my back, pressing me into him. I could feel every, single, inch of him. The thick length of him twitched against my belly, hot and pulsing and promising many orgasms.
Then finally, one of the sirens broke through, wailing, warning me.
I shoved against his chest, but I barely moved him. He eased the kiss, but he didn't stop. And God, I did not want him to stop. His tongue turned coaxing, his lips going softer. And then suddenly we were rocking into each other in micro movements designed to get us even closer.
I was ruined.
I couldn’t stop.
No matter how much I needed to. You need to stop. He will leave you again.
With that harsh splash of cold water, self-preservation won out. I slid my arm between us, raising it up, creating an arm bar across his trachea as I applied gentle pressure.
He choked as he tore his lips from mine. "Jesus Christ, Ariel."
"Back the fuck up," I muttered through gritted teeth.
He stared at me. His gaze hot and burning on mine and then dipping to my lips. At first, it was anger. Red hot, then white. And then he shook his head, and I could see it. Confusion. Was that contriteness?
You know better. Don't believe that.
"Shit. Fuck. I shouldn't be here. Why do you still do this to me? After everything—"
I swiped my fingers across my lips. "Don't touch me again."
"Last fucking thing I want. Trust me."
My hands shook. "Your Highness, I'm here to do a job. That's it."
"We can’t work together. I’m having you pulled."
I marched past him to the door, opened it, and stepped aside. I glared at some spot over his shoulder. "Unless this is about your security, please leave."
He paused at the door. "Go home."
"Go home? Believe me, I don’t want to be here. This… is never happening again."
He said nothing as he closed the door behind him. When he was gone, I sagged against the door and slid down until my ass hit the cold tile. Holy fuck. I was in so much trouble.
I was still fucking in love with the prince.
Tristan…
WHAT THE FUCK was wrong with me?
As I marched down the hall back to my flat, I tried to breathe deep.
It was supposed to be easy. Walk in there, ask her why the hell she'd shown up, why she hadn't sent someone else. But instead, she'd looked just like I remembered. Wide eyes full of wonder, those lips shaped in a perfect bow, begging me to kiss them. And all of a sudden it was ten years ago, and she was the girl I couldn't resist no matter what I did.
We had been kids, and in essence, it was a summer romance, but it had been so much more than that.
We had intended to leave together. Get her away from her old man, start something new. And then I'd gotten the chance to play for Madrid. It had been an overnight thing.
Don't forget the other reason.
I shoved that down. I didn't want to think about it. I knew she wouldn't want me. It was fine. I had a whole new life now. My brother couldn't torture me anymore. But he'd spent a good amount of time torturing Sebastian and the queen and also conspiring against Sebastian. So it was an exile behind prison bars for him. It was probably a very nice prison. But still, not being able to do what he wanted, when he wanted, was probably driving him bat shit crazy. Which was good. I wondered if I should go and see him just to rub it in his face.
Or, to burn that fucking house to the ground.
No, I wasn't going to th
ink about my brother. I wasn't going to think about Ariel anymore either. That was dangerous. Kissing her had been—
Amazing. Hot. My dick was still hard enough to cut diamonds and fuck me if I didn't need her so much.
I had to get rid of the tension coursing through me. I needed to put it somewhere.
Well, you do have a fiancée for these purposes.
Absolutely not. I wouldn’t use her like that. Not ever. Trying to use her once to forget had been an unmitigated disaster. I’d never forgiven myself for giving in that night. And I hadn’t forgiven myself for calling out Ariel’s name that night. I honestly didn’t think Ella had ever forgiven me for that either.
It would have been one thing if I’d told her it wasn’t going to work out. But to know I’d been actively thinking about someone else… I knew that had hurt her.
Afterward, she looked at me and said, "If I thought that was me you'd been shagging like that, we'd give this a real go. But I was just the replacement body."
The kind of shame that had washed over me, I'd never been able to shake. And now she knew exactly who I’d been calling for.
When I walked back into the flat, Ella was on the couch. "Did you have a nice time with your girlfriend?"
Of course she knew what I’d done. "Ella, give it a rest."
"Absolutely, Your Highness."
The way she said it, with a hint of hurt, cut me to the quick. "Those big green eyes blinking up at you. Her and her bottle-red hair, I can see the appeal. There’s something strong and vulnerable about her all at once.”
I swallowed around the sawdust. "It's natural, actually."
Ella's brows rose. "Oh, I was kidding about the girlfriend bit. But if you know the carpet and drapes match, then I guess, she is."
Fuck. "She's not."
Her brows furrowed. "Why not? What happened?"
"Didn't I just tell you to give it a rest?"
She studied me for a moment. I could tell that hurt inside her wanted to flair and protect herself, because I wanted Ariel and I didn't really want her, even though she didn't really want me either. But she fought it and then said something kind. "That's love, isn't it? What I saw between you."
