She went to the cafeteria in the middle of the day and met Octavia and Gabriela there. Whispering and glancing in my direction, they were likely told by Evangeline about our movie night tension. I monitored them, eating a stale sandwich and making sure that none of those incompetent idiots got too close. I'd already seen how every man looked at her, with lustful hunger permeating the atmosphere. But in my opinion, she was the most beautiful of anyone who could draw breath.
Every time she looked at me, my body responded in ways that had nothing to do with professional duty. I kept my distance because I knew that there would be no going back once that barrier fell. Her two friends were glancing at me and smiling whilst they were talking. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know what they were talking about. The stunt she pulled on meon Saturday night was probably planned. She was looking for a reaction. I could feel her hard nipples when she started taking popcorn out of my hair. Bloody hell, this woman was something else.
I pulled out my mobile and read the text from Spencer, my brother, the Prime Minister.
“How's babysitting duty? I heard there was some drama with a Russian diplomat's son. Please tell me you didn't start an international incident”
I almost smiled despite myself. Trust Spencer to hear about it through diplomatic channels before I'd even filed my official report. I glanced back at the princess. It seemed that the lunch was over, and she had another class to go to, so I slid my mobile back into my pocket and decided to message Spencer later. I also needed to check with Dara about the Queen's latest directives. Sophia had been surprisingly quiet since the incident with Vlad Proshkov, which made me more nervous than her usual dramatic demands. Quiet royalty meant political manoeuvring was happening behind the scenes. I had to ring Mum too; she was probably worried about me.
Later that evening, when she got inside the car, she made a point of still riding in the back like she had this morning. The distance felt deliberate—a return to formality after the intimacy of Saturday night. I couldn't decide whether she was protecting herself or punishing me for my restraint.
"Mr. Banks," Evangeline said as I started the car, "I have a charity gala this weekend. I'm letting you know because the invitation came this morning." She was scrolling through her mobile, seemingly trying to avoid looking at me.
"Please forward me the email, Princess," I said, then started the car. Nothing else was said, and I was fine with that. I liked the silence, but I hated the unspoken tension that kept lingering in the air.
Once back at the penthouse, I had a few things that I had to do, so I stayed in my room to make some phone calls. I needed to follow up on those threatening calls she'd received—the security threat was still very real. The charity gala was in the centre of Luxembourg, and all the crème de la crème of society were going to attend. This was a security nightmare—too many variables, too many potential threats. The recent calls had been getting more specific, more personal. Someone knew her routines, her preferences, even her yoga schedule. My instincts told me to cancel and keep her locked away until someone neutralized the threats. But cancelling would raise questions, create diplomatic issues that could compromise her long-term safety. This would have to work, even with all my favours. I'd spent hours reviewing the guest list, cross-referencing names with known associates of hostile foreign governments. I memorized the venue layout, planned escape routes, and coordinated with Dara's team to increase security presence, even though I still didn't trust anyone else to be close to Evangeline. Tonight's threat level was higher than usual—too many unknowns, too many opportunities for someone to get close. Most of the agents I knew had already moved on to do something else, but plenty of youngsters thought they were the new hot shots in our circle.
Later that evening, when I finally emerged from my room, I found the living room empty. Evangeline was probably hiding away from me in her bedroom, and there was a note on the table.
Here is your favourite meal, Mr Banks. Enjoy!
Ribeye steak with some potatoes. My mouth watered instantly, and my stomach rumbled. I'd been so busy checking the security intel that I'd forgotten about supper. She must have eaten alone. Now I felt like a total arsehole. We'd fallen into a routine of sharing breakfast most mornings, her chattering about her classes whilst I reviewed security reports. Missing dinner together felt like a step backwards, a return to theprofessional distance I'd been trying to maintain. She must have cooked for both of us and probably waited for me to join her despite everything that had happened a few days ago, whilst I was busy in there.
I warmed up my food and ate alone, feeling guilty that I should have said something. I'd never hooked up with a client. My self-control was slowly slipping away when I considered Princess Evangeline, even though this was in my code. It was easier this way. If I were lucky enough, she would ignore me for the rest of the assignment. Once I finished my dinner and rinsed off the plate, I realised that this was wishful thinking.
Later that night, the nightmares returned with a vengeance. The same wolves, the same forest, the same feeling of being hunted. I woke drenched in sweat, my heart hammering against my ribs. The stress of being around Evangeline, of wanting what I couldn't have, was making everything worse. I kept the flashbacks away during the day, but my subconscious was not as disciplined.
"We are ready, Mr. Banks," Evangeline said, finally stepping out of her bedroom. "It took me a little longer to get ready, so I'd appreciate it if you could drive a little faster."
I turned around to assure her I was going to get her to the gala on time, but then I completely lost my words. She looked breathtaking, wearing a long gold dress that left nothing to the imagination. Her dress had a slit on her thigh, and my mouth suddenly became a desert. For a long moment I couldn't bloody take my eyes off her, and in my head I had an image of all the men checking her out at the party. I didn't think I could take it, because I wanted to kill them for just staring at her. She had put her normally long hair in a nice bun, and maybe for the first time in my life, I was speechless.
She turned around to face the mirror and was trying to put on earrings. My whole body went rigid as I continued to stare,suddenly hearing voices in my head that told me she was mine and I could never part with her.
"Mr. Banks? Are you all right? You seemed lost," her voice finally reached me as she stared at me through the mirror, looking at me intensely. I cleared my throat, feeling my cock straining in my trousers. I had never reacted like that before, even with other women. This just didn't fucking happen. Sure, I got an erection when things began to get heated, but never like this by staring at a beautiful woman.
"You look absolutely ravishing — the epitome of a queen," I said without hesitation. She turned to face me, a blush colouring her cheeks.
"Thank you, Mr. Banks. That is very kind of you, but I will never be the queen. My sister Alexandra will be the one with a crown in a few months," she replied, and it seemed she really loved her sister. "And you don't look too bad yourself in that suit."
I had to wear my best suit for this, and she was right; I polished up well. Of all four of us, Spencer was the pretty one, even if his character lacked certain things. He could always win people over with his looks. I was the uglier version of him, more rugged and sharp around the edges.
"It doesn't matter, you're simply beautiful, Your Highness," I told her, then walked up close to her , invading her personal space. She didn't move, and for that split second it seemed like she stopped breathing. I reached out slowly and brushed a lock of hair away from her face, my fingers barely grazing her skin. I was bloody ready to get on my knees—me, the man that didn't flinch when women spilled their tears—and worship her like she was my God. The tension grew in leaps and bounds as we stared at each other as the seconds ticked by. I moved leaning in,slightly because I wanted to bloody kiss her as she parted her lips.The electricity in the air evaporated just as quickly as ithad been ignited. When my mobile buzzed with a text from Dan confirming he was in position downstairs.
The spell shattered instantly. I stepped back, my training reasserting itself as I realised how close I'd come to crossing a line that would destroy everything—my career, my reputation, and possibly her safety. I took my mobile and glanced at the screen.
"Dan is ready downstairs. I believe you don't want to arrive late, Princess," I said, putting some distance between us.
"No, of course not. Besides, I'm ready," she said, her face flushed. Her arousal was evident, but I was suddenly very glad about that phone call. In a few weeks, I would be out of her sight, and the thought of my lips locked onto hers, tasting her, our bodies finding solace within each other, could have easily jeopardised this.
Dan was our usual reliable and discreet driver. I didn't want to drive tonight, as this night was special. He was waiting downstairs as arranged, and I was going to sit at the back with the princess. This way, I was more in control if something happened.
I opened the door for her, and she got inside, revealing a lot more of her leg than I wanted to see. This put me on edge again, because this arousal was slowly going to drive me crazy. I either had to get laid or leave, but neither of these things would happen anytime soon. Then I sat next to her in close proximity as she moved herself to the far corner of the car, to make sure our thighs weren't touching each other.
I'd briefed Dan on three different routes to the venue and established check-in protocols. If anything went wrong, he knew to get Evangeline to the nearest police station whilst I handled the threat. The drive was short, but I felt bloody suffocated in this silence, having the image of her sitting on my face kept rushing through my mind. Moments later, Dan stopped the carand gave me another silent nod. I got out of the car and then buttoned up my suit. There were a lot of dressed-up people already going inside.
The princess was struggling a little, trying to get out of the car as she attempted to cover the slit, not showing too much skin. I glanced around, making sure that I wasn't seeing anything or anyone suspicious, as this type of event always brought psychos into the mix, then I leaned down and said:
"Just take my hand, Princess."
