“You would?” he asked. “You’re happy?”
I pretended to kick a rock, though the floor was polished and the carpets we stood on were plush, as I said, “I think so.”
He patted my hip. “Don’t blog about the matchmaker, please. I’m not supposed to know.”
I saluted. “I won’t. You’ll have to trust me like I’m trusting you.”
His face turned red. I got it. Trust wasn’t something we had. Not yet. I sucked in my bottom lip and ignored how my heart thundered. But then we heard footsteps.
“I … And here comes my brother and sister. Father must be busy.”
“You’ll have to fill me in more soon.”
He returned to his room and I checked my phone. The pale pink number had won. Guess my fans knew my complexion. I put my phone away and opened my door. I stood taller as I saw both of his siblings and called out loudly, “Hello, Emily. Harry.”
Emily hugged me and laughed. “Americans are so informal immediately.”
Harry headed past me and into his brother’s room. I rubbed my shoulder and asked, “Should I call you ‘your highness,’ then?”
“No, Emily is fine.” She laughed and walked over to the clothes as she realized I wasn’t dressed yet. I picked up the pink outfit as she said, “I just find it fascinating that father so easily accepted you because of some matchmaker. And that you and my brother seem so happy and at ease with each other.”
I rushed into my en suite bathroom to change into the dress, but I said first, “Well, I’m happy I was ‘hired’ to teach Ryder here how to live a more peaceful life. I think he needed me.”
He called out as my hand was on the door. “I don’t hate yoga or anything. I find it relaxing.”
Emily clapped her hands like she was amused. “See? Even more reasons.”
I changed into my dress. And it fit like it was designed for me. I twisted back and forth to check myself out, but then I quickly returned to my room and saw Ryder. He rocked a blue suit that was clearly royal, with gold fleurs-de-lis sewn into his sleeves. His brother had the same outfit, but Ryder made it sexy and my lips watered.
Damn. I blinked as he glanced approvingly at me, but Emily came over and took my hands. “Stop these heated looks right now. The two of you are making me nauseous. Though I am looking forward to the day you give birth, Nicole. If my brother couldn’t handle that test earlier, well, he’s going to be a mess in the delivery room.”
I joined her and we walked in front of the men as I said, “I suppose he will be.”
I glanced behind me a few times. Ryder followed like he didn’t want to lose sight of me. We made it to the dining room. Then we passed it and headed to the next room.
It was a white office with a blue chair and to the side I saw a throne.
My entire body froze, but then Ryder came to stand beside me. He put his arm around me briefly as he said, “Here comes father. He’ll inform us of official guests now, so we all must behave like royals tonight for dinner.”
This must be his father’s office, then. I took Ryder’s arm, though I couldn’t feel him as intensely through my white gloves.
The door opened and the older version of Ryder and his brother stepped inside. The room went silent. He stared at us and said, “Good, you’re all here.”
“Yes, Father,” Harry said.
If Ryder weren’t so close, I’d tremble more, but his nearness helped me stay focused and hyper aware.
“Tonight, we’ll be joined by the prime minister, his wife, the ambassadors of Japan, India, Australia and America, and their wives.”
Ryder saluted like he was in the army. “We’ll be ready, Father.”
A moment later his father turned and stepped out. All three of them relaxed, though Ryder slipped his arm around me, “He must have included the Americans for you.”
I laughed. I hadn’t meant to, but adrenaline coursed through me and I wasn’t sure if it was nerves because of Ryder or because of all this royal stuff. I coughed to stop myself. “I’ll let them know I wasn’t kidnapped so they can call off the military.”
He shook his head, and we followed his brother and sister out the door. We must be going to a different dining room, I thought, but I didn’t care. My skin jolted from being in Ryder’s arms, even though he said, “I love that you believe they’d come for you like that.”
I shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve never thought about politics or the military or anything like that, beyond the hazy horizon of my life. I normally spend my days creating my own reality.”
