Let the games begin.
Chapter 9
Preston
Patting myself on theback for my quick thinking at the family dinner at the palace, I was convinced Lucy had been pushed past her breaking point. She’d set me up perfectly when she lost her mind over the mention of a baby. Granted, that was also news to me, but I had enough self-control to keep my mouth shut. But Little Miss Drama Queen lost her cool, stealing the show with her theatrical meltdown.
A week later, there was nothing but radio silence from the palace. Life returned to normal, and I could focus on my work.
Grabbing my briefcase, I was ready to head to the office when our family butler, Emerson, intercepted me on my way out the door. “Sir, there’s a car here for you.”
Confused, having not asked for a car to be brought around, I shrugged him off. “Thank you, Emerson, but I had plans to drive myself today.”
As I brushed past him, wondering if perhaps he was getting too old for the job, he called out, “No, sir. This car was sent by the palace.”
A bubble of hope rose within my chest. This was it. The King was summoning me to share the news that Lucy had called off our courtship, and I would be free to continue my life without disruption.
With a quick apology to Emerson for the misunderstanding, I sent a short text to my boss, letting him know the situation before walking out the front door. Sure enough, a sleek black sedan sporting Bellestonian flags was waiting in the circle driveway outside Foxway Manor.
Seeing my approach, the driver exited the car to open the back door for me. Sliding onto the gray leather seat, I took a deep breath. This nightmare was about to end. As the driver got behind the wheel and we rolled through the front gates of my family’s estate, I wondered what took so long. Maybe they were working through the legal ramifications of breaking the arrangement. As a lawyer, I knew a verbal agreement was legally binding, but I was willing to let them off the hook. I wanted nothing more than to move on with my life and pretend the last week never happened.
Lost in my thoughts, I wasn’t paying attention to where we were headed. By the time I glanced out the window and noticed we were driving through town and not up the side of the mountain toward Stonecrest Palace, the car was slowing down and stopping outside a boutique shop.
Confused, I asked the driver, “Aren’t I expected at the palace?”
Peering at me through the rearview mirror, he shook his head. “No, sir. This is where you’re expected.”
Looking out the window once more, I stared at the boutique. It was for women’s clothing. What on Earth could require my presence there?
More perplexed than ever, I didn’t wait for the driver to open the door before exiting the vehicle. Startled, he jumped into action, joining me on the sidewalk.
Having left my briefcase on the back seat, I asked him, “Will you be waiting here for me?”
Dipping his head, he replied, “Yes, sir. I’ll be at your disposal all day.”
All day? That couldn’t be right. Why would I need to spend all day in a women’s boutique? Was Liam pranking me? That was the only rational explanation.
Fully prepared to find Liam laughing in my face before heading to work for the day, I opened the glass door of the boutique but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Lucy standing on a circular podium, dressed in an all-black ensemble. Catching sight of me in the wall of mirrors before her, I had the perfect view of her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as a smirk graced her lips. Before I could blink, she threw on her perfect princess mask, smiling as she turned in my direction, where I stood frozen just inside the door.
“Oh, Preston! I’m so glad you’re here.”
One of the employees, a short woman with blonde hair pulled back in a low bun, dressed smartly in a blouse and pencil skirt, approached, offering to take my coat. It was only mid-October, but a cold front had swept in, giving us an early preview of winter temperatures. Not intending to stay long, I declined, striding to where Lucy now stood, rummaging through a rack of clothing.
Giving a quick nod of acknowledgment to her security guard leaning against the far wall, I growled in her ear, “What the fuck, Lucy?”
Pulling back so she could look me in the eye, Lucy gave me her best “cat that ate the canary” grin. “Honey, this is an emergency!”
With this woman, I was sure needing a pedicure was an emergency, so I took her declaration with a grain of salt. Running a hand over my jaw, I asked, “What is so dire that you couldn’t manage without me?”
I watched as her face morphed into a look so serious that I was concerned something terrible had happened and she was shopping for funeral attire.
“Preston, it got cold so quickly that I didn’t have time to piece together my winter wardrobe!”
This fucking girl. Not in the mood for her games today, I ground out, “I fail to see how that is any of my concern. I need to get to work.”
Turning on my heel, she waited until I had the door handle in my grasp before her smug voice called across the tiny boutique. “Oh, but darling, I thought, as per the terms of our arrangement, you are at my disposal. And what I need from you today is to help me choose the perfect items to wear this winter. As a fashion designer, people look to me for inspiration on emerging trends.”
Looking over my shoulder in shock that not only was our courtship still on but she expected me to sit here and watch her try on clothes all day, I asked, “Are you serious?”
