When I heard someone entering the kitchen, I pushed myself off the wall and headed for the main reception area. It was time for my official meeting with the new bodyguard. Our appointment wasn't for another twenty minutes, but after that barn encounter, I needed to get this sorted immediately. This was going to be interesting, to say the least. I needed to make it clear to Dara that this arrangement would never work.
I stopped by my room first and glanced in the mirror, noting my flushed cheeks. I'd been with a few men before, but none had ever made me feel like I'd completely lost my mind. And Mr. Banks had managed it whilst insulting me.
"There must be something the matter with me," I muttered to myself, smoothing my hair and taking a deep breath.
I thought briefly of my sister Alexandra, studying peacefully at her fancy university in Switzerland. She'd always been the perfect one—studious, obedient, graceful—everything a future queen should be. And I was genuinely happy for her. Being second in line to the throne was the greatest relief of my life. I had never wanted to be a princess in the first place, let alone the heir. The freedom of being the spare rather than the heir was the only thing that made royal life bearable.
I squared my shoulders and headed for the reception room.
Dara was already waiting, standing alongside Mr. Banks. Seeing him again in the formal palace setting made my heart perform an unwelcome somersault. Gone was any trace of the man I'd glimpsed holding the duckling—this was pure professional intimidation.
"Ah, here is Princess Evangeline," Dara said, beaming as I approached. Mr. Banks gave me a curt nod, his expression stillutterly emotionless. His unwavering presence set my nerves on edge. "Your Highness, this is James Banks, your official bodyguard, who will keep you safe during your upcoming visit to Luxembourg."
I fixed my gaze directly on Dara, deliberately ignoring him. "Unfortunately, Mr. Banks is not the right fit for me. I'm sorry the palace has wasted his time bringing him to Bellavista, but I wish him the best."
I delivered my verdict confidently, wanting to get this over with quickly. He needed to leave—immediately. The brute of a man didn't move, didn't even blink. His expression remained stoic despite my dismissal.
Dara's jaw dropped, though she quickly composed herself. She'd been told to expect some resistance from me, but not about the specifics of our barn encounter. "Evangeline, we discussed this. Mr. Banks is highly skilled, and we chose his firm because he's one of the best available on such short notice."
"He might be the best," I replied coolly, "but trust me, Mr. Banks won't be able to handle a 'self-centred princess' like me." I deliberately echoed his earlier words. "This discussion is over, Dara. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Banks."
I turned to leave, but a large hand caught my elbow, stopping me. The touch sent a charge of electricity through my body, nearly taking my breath away. I narrowed my eyes and glanced pointedly at his hand on my arm. He immediately released me, but his gaze remained locked with mine.
"Trust me, Princess," he said, his voice low and controlled. "I've searched for someone to take my place, but no one else is available. As much as I hate intruding on your decision-making process, the fact of the matter is that I'm here. There's no time to train or search for another person—this would take weeks, and from what I understand, you've been receiving death threats."
A shiver ran down my spine despite my anger when he said, "Princess," making the title sound both respectful and challenging.
Dara cleared her throat. "James is right. Bellavista agents aren't ready, and what happened with Cameron was unexpected. There was another agent who was supposed to take James's place, but unfortunately, he was injured whilst hiking, and Mr. Banks agreed to cover until he recovers."
I suppressed a groan. James. Even his name was solid and unyielding, like the man himself. And those blue eyes… I felt they would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. Damn Cameron and his sudden infatuation with Olga. I still couldn't understand how that video had leaked online.
"Dara, please give us a moment," I said firmly. "I need to speak to James in private."
Dara opened her mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. She nodded, glancing between us before walking out and closing the double doors behind her.
Silence fell between us like a heavy curtain. I folded my arms across my chest, waiting for him to say something—to apologise properly—but he seemed content to let the silence stretch. We stood close enough that I could catch the scent of his cologne—something woodsy with hints of cinnamon. I was suddenly, uncomfortably aware of his proximity.
"You're going to leave the palace," I finally said, breaking the silence. "I don't need you as my bodyguard. Dara will find someone else."
"With all due respect, Your Highness," he replied, his voice steady, "we're talking about your life, which is currently in danger. No one else available will be good enough to protect you. I've been in this business for a long time and have extensive connections. Trust me when I say I've tried to find areplacement. You won't have to worry about interacting with me—I'll stay in your shadow?—"
"So you're not even going to apologise properly for how you spoke about me in that barn?" I cut him off, my voice vibrating with tension. I couldn't figure this man out. He was unbelievably rude, unapologetic, and arrogant.
He didn't respond immediately; he just stared at me with the same emotionless expression on his annoyingly handsome face.
"As I said before, I shouldn't have said what I did," he finally offered, the non-apology making my blood simmer.
Another wave of his scent hit me—oak and cinnamon, utterly masculine.Focus, Evangeline. This man is your polar opposite. This will never happen.
"Unbelievable," I said, taking a single calculated step back. "I've never met anyone as rude and obnoxious as you, Mr. Banks. I hope this assignment will be over soon, because if I have to deal with you for long, I might actually scream."
I turned and walked away, head high, royal posture perfect despite wanting to run. Queen Sophia, my mother, and Dara were exaggerating about these threats. I'd received many threatening letters in the past, and Cameron had hardly been concerned.
In about a week, I'd be back at university to finish my degree—something that had taken considerable effort to convince my mother to allow. In contrast to Alexandra, who performed her royal duties with ease, I fiercely fought for a normal life. Being a princess was like wearing shoes two sizes too small—uncomfortable, restrictive, and not what I would have chosen for myself. At least my destiny wasn't the throne. I was grateful that the burden rested on my sister's shoulders.
Once safely back in my room, I shut the door and leaned against it, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I hoped James would stay in the shadows, as he'd promised. The last thing Ineeded was to see those piercing blue eyes watching my every move.
Suddenly, an unbidden image flashed in my mind—I found myself wrapped in his muscular arms, his hands tangled in my hair, his mouth on mine.
