And yeah, it was patriarchal and weird for him to ask her father to allow her to marry him, but Max did lots of strange stuff, too, so he could lump it.
Dree’s mom talked about how romantic it had been that Dree’s dad had done everything in order because he wanted everything to be just perfect for her, so maybe that was it.
But it was taking a while to schedule it.
“But you said you could get the plane ready in a few days.”
“I’m sorry,chérie,” Maxence said. “We will travel as soon as we can. Casimir and Arthur are waiting here in Monaco to go with us rather than going home to their families, and Arthur’s wife is about ready to shake him until his teeth rattle for staying out so long. He’s been gone almost a week.”
Dree wasn’t going to stamp her foot at his delays. She wouldn’t. She had decided that she wouldn’t, so she wouldn’t. “Are you waiting for Arthur and Caz to go home so they won’t go with us? Because I will send them home.”
“It is just that between the enthronement, moving my established charity organization to Monaco from Rome, settling the religious sisters and my two goddaughters, and another errand, scheduling a trip to New Mexico has become difficult. I just need a few days to settle affairs.”
“If my daddy thinks we’re just having an affair, he’s gonna settleyou.”
One of Maxence’s eyebrows drifted up slightly, and his mouth curved in an amused smile. “Is that a threat?”
“Would it help if it was?”
“Not at all. I was merely determining if it was a threat. Your threats are rather like being threatened by a hamster. You’re sure that they could do some nasty damage if they get mad enough, but rage-filled hamsters are just so cute.”
“Do not make me mad, Your Serene Highness. I will drop a scorpion in your boots.”
Maxence looped a tie around his neck and began to flip the ends around each other. “As much as I would love to sit here and listen to you threaten further bodily harm, I have to go to the office. While we plan these events, the daily business of Monaco must be attended to.”
“You hang on just a second, there. Zip me up.” Dree turned her back to him.
Maxence slid his hands over her hips and upper back in a way that also managed to get the zipper fastened, and then he kissed the back of her neck. “You don’t have to be my secretary anymore. It was all a ruse to keep you close.”
“What, you don’t want me to be close anymore?”
“Luckily, we have sufficient bodyguards that I can trust now.” He motioned to the bedroom door, beyond which two mercenaries were sitting in the front room, presumably guarding against anything that might come through the door at them.
“But I like being your secretary. I like knowing all the stuff that goes on and how we run Monaco. I know I don’t have to.”
Sitting in Max’s office and pretending to take notes was a lot more fun than hanging out in the palace apartment and watching the new bodyguard guy, Magnus Jenson, sit on the couch stiffly upright, his hands placed on his thighs, motionless for hours at a time while he guarded her.
Their commute to the office was precisely seven minutes of sauntering through the palace’s corridors, occasionally greeting people, and waiting for the coffee cart to be wheeled in by the hospitality staff before they began work for the day.
And then the appointments began in earnest, one after another, and they rolled through the day with practiced ease.
Max’s receptionist called in and announced that his next appointment had arrived. The guy was shown in, the introductions were made, and then the guy turned and looked at Dree. “And who is this lovely lady? I’d like to steal her away from you and take her back to my boat for a couple of days.”
Dree was pretty sure it was the wordstealthat made Maxence nearly vault across the desk at him, but probably any kidnapping reference would’ve sufficed.
Maxence stood, and his wheeled chair pushed off his legs and slammed into the low bookcases under the windows. “Get out.”
The guy stood, his hands open and at chest-height. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Besides, I thought you were engaged.” His furtive glance at Dree was lascivious.
Maxence leaned on the desk, bracing himself on his long arms. His eyes were a mountain on fire at midnight. He bared his teeth. “I said, get out.”
The guy got out so fast that he didn’t even click the door closed behind him.
Maxence told Dree, his gaze level and his voice hushed with repressed rage, “Close and lock that door.”
She trotted down there and did what she was told, not because she was afraid of Maxence, but because she was worried about him.
“Is it locked?” he asked.
