WHILE THE TWO lovebirds, Lucien and Kai, headed back to Manhattan the next day, I stayed at Villa Monaco to keep an eye on things.
Specifically Theo.
I’d neglected to hand over that information to him last night, and he hadn’t asked, so he had no clue I was still down the road and not thousands of miles away.
I stepped into the walk-in closet to choose from one of the many tailored suits I kept here, but my steps faltered as the memory of Theo down on his knees in a space much smaller than this one flashed before my eyes.
Even though I’d barely been able to see him, I remembered those mischievous eyes locking on mine as he sucked me so hard and deep that I’d forgotten all the reasons why indulging in this way was a bad idea. Because it was, a huge fucking mistake I’d probably regret eventually…but I couldn’t say I hadn’t enjoyed it.
And what happened in Monaco would stay in Monaco.
I dressed and headed downstairs to where our chauffeured Bentley waited to whisk me off to today’s royal event. With the newly betrothed prince off on his honeymoon, today was the first day Theo would be stepping into Jean’s shoes as therepresentative of the royal family. Could he pull it together and be charming and professional for a couple of hours? Absolutely. Was I about to risk it, considering everything else going on at the moment? Absolutely not.
We headed toward the Rock of Monaco, a promontory that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea and was the oldest district in the principality. Several of the most important monuments were located there, including Theo’s family home, the Prince’s Palace.
But that wasn’t where we were going today. Instead the car pulled up to the Oceanographic Museum, orMusée océanographique de Monaco, where a horde of press stood on either side of the entrance waiting to snap a photo of anyone they deemed worthy.
I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, preparing myself for the shift I needed to make when I stepped out of the car. There’d be no sneaking past the photographers, unfortunately, and while I didn’t have an official invite, no one was going to deny my entrance.
The door opened, and as soon as I stepped out of the vehicle and buttoned my jacket, the commotion began. Surprise filtered through the group at my unexpected arrival, and when the flashes began, I smiled and waved, making my way up to the building quickly while still giving them the shots they needed.
It wasn’t that I minded—after all, this was the life I’d been born into, so it wasn’t like I had a choice. Being a known person to a large majority of the world wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There were far more benefits to my position than not, but I couldn’t deny the downsides had taken their toll.
Not everyone wanted to be with someone in the public eye.
“Mr. Winchester, what a surprise and delight.” Amaya, one of the royal family’s most trusted advisors, shook my hand and gestured for me to join her. “If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve sent a car.”
“No, this one’s on me. I apologize for dropping in, but I couldn’t resist seeing the new exhibit before I leave.”
“C'est magnifique,”she said, nodding as she led us through the palatial vestibule. To say the building was grand was an understatement, and it was one of my favorite places to visit when I was on this side of the world. “Theo will be happy to have your support. He didn’t say it, but I think he was a bit anxious about the opening today.”
Theo, anxious? Happy to have my support?
I doubted both of those things, but I kept that to myself as we entered the Oceano Mania room, where a crowd gathered around the thirteen-foot sperm whale replica in the center. Theo stood on a podium in front of it, already deep into his introduction of the new exhibit.
Amaya tried to lead me closer to the podium, but I shook my head, keeping close to the door so I wouldn’t be noticed and make a scene.
“On behalf of my family and the incredible Oceanographic team, I’m thrilled to introduce the new Mediterranean 2050 exhibit, an immersive and interactive experience you’ll have to see to believe.” Theo paused as the room applauded, and I was struck by how different the man the world saw was to the one I knew in private.
Up on the podium, Theo was every bit the polished royal, eloquent and prepared, but still daring to give a cheeky smile every now and then to his many admirers.
If only they knew what a bad boy lurked behind that handsome façade.On second thought, that might actually make him more popular.
“This exhibit has been years in the making, and I know Jean is devastated not to be here with you all today.” He winked, then continued, “Well, maybe nottoodevastated, since he’s on his honeymoon. But his loss is my gain, and I welcome you to a lookat the Mediterranean’s history, and what we can look forward to in the future. Thank you all for being here, and for your continued support of the Oceanographic Museum.”
I clapped as Theo waved and nodded, giving a more personal thank you to those in the room, but just as he was about to walk offstage, we locked eyes and he stopped in his tracks. Then a smirk tipped one side of his mouth, and I inwardly groaned.
I should’ve known he would take my being here the wrong way, and the look he just gave me proved it.
As everyone began to file into the next room in the exhibit, Theo sauntered in my direction, his entire demeanor changing from respectable to smug as he got closer.
“If it isn’t Shepard Winchester making a surprise appearance at my little event,” he said, hands casually in his pockets as he cocked his head at me.
“Little?” I scoffed, lifting my gaze to take in the sheer size of the room.
He ignored that, narrowing his sharp blue eyes at me. “What are you doing here? I thought you had Libertine business.”
“I do.”
