“Yes, we’ve established that’s your default mode,” I teased.
“You won’t think so when I throw you in the pool.” When his arm tightened around me, I knew he wasn’t bluffing. “Give me just one thing.”
I was tempted to make a joke about that, but he was looking at me so earnestly that I wanted to give him what he was asking for.
“I never learned how to ride a bike.”
Shep blinked at my admittedly random comment, and then his forehead furrowed. “Wait, really?”
“Really. I always had a driver. All the other kids biked to school, but because of ‘security reasons’”—I rolled my eyes at that—“I got chauffeured around. One time I had a few friends over and they all brought their bikes to ride around the palace grounds, so I had to fake injuring my ankle so we couldn’t go out.”
“Saving face,” Shep murmured. “I’m surprised you didn’t put your mind to learning after that, being such a stubborn ass and all.”
“Hey, rude much?” I went to shove him, but he’d already braced himself from my wrath, his chuckle vibrating through my body as he held me close.
“I’m just saying, once you put your mind to something, nothing stops you,” he said. “So you must not have wanted it that much.”
“Eh, you’re right. I much prefer someone giving me a ride.” I waggled my brows at him, making him laugh again. “Okay, your turn. What don’t I know about you?”
Shep cocked his head and seemed to think that over. “I was terrified of sleeping at the White House. That’s why I didn’t stay there during my time at Georgetown.”
“What?” I wriggled out of his embrace so I could sit up and look at him to see if he was lying. “I don’t believe you.”
“Trust me, you’re the only person besides my parents I’d ever confess that to, and that was only because I needed to give them a reason to fund my apartment.”
“Not even King knows?” As soon as his name left my lips, I wanted to take it back, but Shep just shook his head.
“It’s not exactly something I’m proud of, but goddamn, some of those rooms give me the creeps.”
I cracked a smile, dying to know more about this new bit of information. Shep wasn’t scared of anything, so what was it about that seemingly harmless place that had him running away?“Mon Dieu, are there ghosts? Is that what freaked you out? Did you see one?”
“One?” he scoffed. “I saw them and I heard them laughing late at night when I tried to sleep. Once I heard someone playing a violin, and I swear to God I searched the entire house top to bottom, and not one violin anywhere.”
“Maybe it was the radio?”
“No way, it was in the Yellow Oval Room, which we used as the family parlor when we lived there. I was studying, and out of nowhere someone started playing, like they were right there in the room.”
“What did they play?”
“Something sad and eerie as hell. That was the last straw.”
“Huh,” I said, looking at Shep through new eyes. “I think I like this little game of yours. What else?”
“Oh no, it’s your turn.”
“Right, okay, let me think. Um… I once started a food fight in prep school.”
Shep busted out a belly laugh. “Nowthatsounds like you. I’m surprised that’s a secret, though. Didn’t the press stalk your every move at school?”
“Oui, but there were a few times my family had to pay them off,” I said with a proud grin. “And, in that instance, cover alotof dry-cleaning bills.”
“Such a menace.” He brushed his thumb over my lower lip and then leaned back on his hands. “My first kiss was with someone famous.”
I waited for him to finish that confession, to spill the tea, but when he didn’t, I said, “Don’t leave me hanging. Who was it?”
“It might surprise you.”
“You’re killing me over here. Don’t make me guess or we’ll be here all day.”
