“Oh, my god. I’m so sorry.” Hannah’schortling belied her whispered apology. “I swear I was going to tell them, it’s just—” She broke off and shrugged helplessly as she continued to laugh.
I shook my head at her and returned to the phone. “I apologize for breaking the news to you, Mrs. Allen. I thought you knew.”
“She quit her job for you?” Her anger vibrated through the phone as she muttered to herself. “I thought that girl wassmarter than that. Shelving her life for a man. I certainly taught her better than that.” Mrs. Allen huffed, then continued in an even tone. “Put her back on the phone. Now. Please.”
“She quit her job before we met, actually. And I’m afraid you’re going to have to talk to me for a little bit more, ma’am. This might’ve been easier if we’d spoken face-to-face, but I’m afraid with the media circusthat’s going to be difficult now. We’re going to have to change our schedule and leave town as soon as possible. The story should die down if we limit the access the media has to us.”
There was silence for a beat before Mrs. Allen’s flat voice came across the line. “Which means you’re leaving for Monaco immediately and taking my daughter with you.”
“If she agrees, we’ll leave within the hour,if possible.”
Hannah froze on the floor and looked up at me with wide eyes.
I looked at her as I spoke to her mother. “I want to keep her safe, and I’m afraid that I’m not able to do that here. The frenzy will only get worse as long as we’re here to feed it. We won’t be able to leave my suite. She won’t be able to start or even look for a new job. She can’t stay at her apartment, and frankly,you can’t stay at your house, either. It’s not safe.”
“Oh, my god. This is insane. Of course Hannah would be the one to have a freaking prince fall in love with her.” Mrs. Allen murmured to herself before she coughed and clearly addressed me. “Fine. I understand that your plans have changed. But hear me now. You will treat my daughter with the utmost respect. And if at any time Hannah wants tocome home, you will be paying for my round-trip ticket to Monaco to go get her. That girl means everything to me and my husband.” Mrs. Allen’s voice hitched as she took a breath. “So you better hope you’re worthy of my daughter because her family won’t settle for anything less. Prince or no we will be grilling you later.”
Hannah’s eyes filled with tears and she bit her lip. After a moment, shelooked away and swiped at her eyes with the sheet.
“I understand, Mrs. Allen. I look forward to meeting you both. I am sending my security detail to your house. The press will be ravenous dogs at your door for some time, I imagine. Please pack a bag. Your family will be safe if you stay somewhere else for a while. I can put you up in a hotel, or if you’d rather stay with family, I understand.I’ll send Étienne and Nicolas to you. They’re deft hands at handling the media. Hannah will phone when it’s safe to open your door.”
I ended the call before she could say anything else. “So that’s your mother, huh?”
“I told you she was crazy.” Hannah laughed as she swiped at her wet eyes one more time. “And protective. I had my doubts that she’d let me go to Monaco with you. I kinda thoughtshe’d try to ground me. I can’t believe she agreed. You should’ve seen what she did when I moved into my own apartment. And that was three whole miles away.”
“Leave your overprotective parents to me. I can be charming when need be.” I knelt down next to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Are you okay? You do still want to go home with me, right?”
“Yes. I do. It’s just scary. My entirelife has changed in the blink of an eye. I guess I need a minute to catch my breath.”
“I know what you mean. When I got that phone call about my brother…” I trailed off as memories crashed over me. The blinding panic. The denial. The tears. It still hurt to think about. I didn’t think that wound would ever totally heal.
“It’s not even remotely the same.” Hannah rubbed her hand over my arm ina soothing gesture. “This, with us, is exciting and amazing and hopeful. It’s the best of what life is about. It’s just a big change. And I need a second to put it all in focus. I still have a hard time believing this is real.”
“Oh, it’s real all right,mon chou.” I leaned over and gave her another kiss. “I need to call Nicolas and arrange your parents’ protection. And send someone over to yourplace to pack a bag and get your passport. I presume you have one?”
“Mmmm, yes. I got my passport for a Mexican cruise senior year. I think it’s in my top dresser drawer.”
“Fantastic. You’d better get dressed. We’re leaving in an hour.”
“I love it when you’re all take-charge and command-y. It gets me so hot.” Hannah exaggerated a shiver as she looked at me with a naughty intent in her eyes.
“Considering the fact that our plane will be leaving in an hour regardless of what you’re wearing, you might want to put some clothes on. Unless you don’t mind what you look like when the media sees you, because that naughty expression in your eyes is gonna take a hell of a lot longer than thirty minutes to appease.”
“Fine.” Hannah huffed as she rolled over and stood in a flurry of bedsheet andnaked flesh that had me regretting our timeline. “I’ll get ready, but I’m doing it because I want to, not because you told me to.”
“I know,mon chou. Try to relax. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll take care of it.”
Hannah rolled her eyes at my placating tone but still gave me one more kiss before retreating into the bathroom. After the door clicked closed, I grabbed my phone, but before Icould call anyone, she shouted, “And one more thing—don’t forget to apologize to Morgan. Oh, and call your brother back!”
I snorted. Neither one of those things was happening today if I could help it.
Someone tapped at the door.
“Oui?”
Dimitri poked his head through the doorway. “Do you have a moment,monsieur?”
At this point I wasn’t sure if I had “one more thing” left in me, but what thehell. “Yes?”
