“No, I hadn’t,” he denied, louder in his vehemence. “I wouldneverhave done something so unprofessional, sounethical.You were my principal security targetandthe younger sister of my best friend in the world, my onlyrealfriend in the world. I would never have made a pass at you, even though I was already in love with you.”
Flicka stared at him, her eyes huge. Her heavy, blond hairfell out of the bun on the back of her head and trailed down her arm.
Dieter realized what had just escaped his mouth, and the fact that he was still her bodyguard meant that he should immediately retract it and prioritize her safety before any emotion of his own.
But it was the truth, a truth that had burned in his soul for years.
He drew a breath to tell her that he had loved her for so long,that the first time she had kissed him, she’d woven a spell that had dazzled him ever since. He wanted to fall to his knees and tell her that he had always loved her and always would.
Instead, something small patted his knee.
Alina lifted her green baby eyes to look at him. She said, “Dada, up?” in her baby voice.
He hauled the toddler into his arms, where she started playing with his collaras if he had not been wearing the same clothes they had seen each other in all day.
Alina said, “Dada, shhh. Dada wake the baby.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” he said to her, looking over her blond curls at where Flicka was still staring at him. “I won’t yell. I’m sorry,” he said to Flicka over the the toddler’s head as much as Alina.
His phone vibrated in his pocket again, jumping against his leg. Alinalooked down like she had felt it, too.
Flicka hadn’t blinked yet. “You said—”
“Not now. Not in front of Alina.”
“But yousaid—”
“And it is true,” he told her. “Every word. But it’s also true that I can’t let Pierre’s Secret Security team take you back to Monaco. They will try. You know that they will find you and try. They’ll be able to trace you now.”
“I used Gretchen’s passport and greencard,” she said.
Alina’s tiny fingers wormed down his neck and toyed with the stubble on his jaw. “They’ll find you eventually. They have so much electronic surveillance equipment at their disposal.”
“But we need money to live on,” Flicka said.
“No, we don’t. I set up an account to funnel money from Rogue Security. In a few days or so, we can retrieve your crown and hole up here. We can havefood delivered and never go outside.”
“What an absolutely horrible scenario,” Flicka said.
Alina said, “Dada quiet now.”
“Yes, Alina,” he said. “Daddy is quiet now. Go play now, and we’ll have supper in a few minutes.”
The toddler climbed down from his arms and over to the corner where some toys were stashed in a box, crawling around on all fours like a puppy while she jabbered baby talk toherself.
His phone buzzed yet again, dammit.
He waited until she was happily playing with Sweetie Pinkie Bear.
To Flicka, he said, “The money will arrive soon, in a few days or so. I’ll provide for you. You shouldn’t have to work.”
“On the contrary, I’ve been raised to work all my life.Arbeit macht das Leben süß.Work makes life sweet.”
“You sound just like Wulfram,” he groused.
“Wulfiemade sure I had a strong work ethic. No one expected me to retire to a country house after I got married, and I never wanted to pop out a couple of kids and then send them off to boarding school at the age of five. I’ve run my own foundation for years, including running the big fund-raising projects and overseeing the finances. You can’t think I’m going to lie around this townhouse and eat bonbonsall day.”
“No, but we can all stay here with Alina where it’s safe. I’ll get a gun for you.”
