“Never?”
“I have plenty of family. Was she rude to you?”
I lift an eyebrow at the bluntness of his question, a little too intrigued by the possibilities in front of me. “What will you do if I say yes?”
Grinning, he shrugs a single shoulder. “Depends on how mean she was to you and if Derek already has plans to repay the favor, but I have some ideas.”
My mind flashes back to the morning I sprained my wrist and the sight of Derek fully ready to avenge me. It was for the best that Hunter held him back, but a part of me wishes I could have seen the dark side of Derek. “Unfortunately, thatHot Scoopstory is the only thing she’s done against me, if we’re being technical. She barely said a word to me upstairs.”
Elliot swears in disappointment. “That story is enough of a reason to retaliate, but I was hoping for more. Ah well.”
“Are you telling me that the King of Candora came all the way to Utah to help someone he’s never met?”
Rothesby grunts and says something in a language I don’t understand. Whatever he says, it makes Elliot snicker and respond in the same language. Elliot is a full-blown American, but I could be easily convinced that he was born and raised in Candora with the natural way he speaks to his bodyguard.
Looks like language skills run in the family.
“He doesn’t approve of my spontaneous trip,” Elliot explains once he seems to have placated Rothesby. “Unfortunately for him, the only person who can tell me what to do is my wife. And in answer to your question, Miss Tate, yes. I came all the way to Utah to help someone I’ve never met because the way Derek talked about you last night made it clear that you’re going to be around for a while.”
My face flames, and even though I normally wouldn’t care what a man like Elliot thinks of me, this is Derek’sbrother. The only family member he actually cares about. Self-conscious, I take a couple of steps back. I want to know what these men talked about while I was in the shower. “Is that so?”
His lips twist into a smirk. “I wasn’t sure anyone could turn Derek Riley’s head, so whenHot Scoopclaimed he was here because of a woman, none of us took that seriously. But then I heard him say your name, and I knew.”
A gasp slips out of me. “Just from that? Or is that you being dramatic?”
He laughs. “I’m not my brother, Miss Tate. I am the farthest thing from dramatic that a person can get.”
I’m not sure I believe that, but I’ll let it slide. “I haven’t been Miss Tate in fifteen years, Your Majesty.”
He snorts a laugh, then holds out his hand. “Valid. Elliot.”
“Donovan.” Swallowing the fact that I’m shaking hands with a king, I ask the question I should have asked at the start. “How did you know who I was?”
“I have a thing with faces. You’ve changed from the photo I saw this morning, but you’re still you.”
“Huh.” That could cause problems if I don’t blend in as much as I was hoping I would, and suddenly I’m imagining all of my future river guests walking on eggshells around me because they think I’m broken. Fake or not, that story is my nightmare come to life.
“It’s not as bad as you think,” Elliot says with a reassuring smile, which must mean my imagination spread to my face. “And if the woman who birthed me really is behind all this, I’ll gladly make sure she can’t keep hurting Derek or the people he cares about. She—” He swears and leaps forward, grabbing me and pinning me to the pillar a few feet behind me.
His movement sparks Rothesby into action too, though the poor man can’t seem to find the threat as he looks wildly around the lobby.
“It’s her,” Elliot whispers, cringing as he makes eye contact with me. One of his arms is around my back, the other pressed against the pillar over my head, and from an outside perspective I would imagine we look like we’re having quite the intimate moment together. “Sorry,” he adds. “Figured it would be better if she doesn’t see either of us.”
All I can see is the big man holding me in place, but the sound of Brenda’s heels clacking in the direction of the doors keeps me from fighting for some space. He’s right, and I don’t think being seen in the hotel after Derek threw me out will help the situation.
Elliot keeps Brenda in his periphery until the doors slide open and her steps disappear, but he doesn’t seem inclined to move anytime soon. Maybe he thinks she’ll come back?
“Does your wife know you’re in Moab and putting the moves on my girlfriend?”
My whole body warms and comes to life, energized by Derek’s smooth, calm tone. I didn’t know I could have such a visceral reaction to the sound of someone’s voice. As Elliot grins wide, I shove him away from me, which in hindsight is probably not the best thing to do to a king but is exactly what I need to eliminate the obstacle standing between me and Derek.
“Who do you think sent me?” Elliot asks with laughter in his words.
“I’m your girlfriend?” I ask at the same time.
Eyeing his brother curiously for a moment, Derek quickly turns his full focus to me and doubles the burning sensation in my chest withhis gaze alone. This is the same look he had in the Red Earth pavilion yesterday, right before he completely shattered all my self-control with his mind-blowing kiss.
“Hi,” I breathe, grabbing my braid. Why I’m nervous to be around him when I literally shared a bed with him last night, I don’t know, but I am.
