When I wasn’t managing the palace’s grounds team in Wexstone, I often accompanied the royal family onphilanthropic outings such as visiting the children’s wards at the public hospitals. I never minded those excursions, but that particular morning I had no desire to play nice with politicians; I had only gotten about three hours of sleep and could feel the exhaustion deep in my bones.
I got ready for the day and padded into the kitchen. It was easy to forget that we were even staying in a hotel. The penthouse suite was more like an apartment, with the metallic art deco accents and plush furnishings of the bedrooms echoed throughout the communal living spaces. Not too bad for a home away from home. Breakfast had already been delivered, and I grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured some coffee.
“Good morning,” I heard from behind me. I turned around to find a freshly showered Oliver.
“Morning. How’d you sleep?” I sank into one of the cream curve-backed dining room chairs.
“Great.” He grabbed the coffee cup out of my hand.That little shit.
“Dick.” I laughed and popped a blueberry into my mouth.
Oliver settled into the chair across from mine. “I didn’t hear you come in last night. What time did you get in?”
“Fuck.” I scratched my head, rising to grab another cup. “Like four? Four thirty?”
He raised his eyebrows, giving me a “please, go on” look.
“Nothing happened,” I assured him as I poured myself another cup of coffee.
“Then why did you get back so late?”
“I walked her to her apartment, we stopped and got food. I walked her upstairs and her sink started going crazy, so I fixed it. Then I came home. Nothing happened.”
He gave me the once-over and nodded. “I wouldn’t blameyou if anything did happen, though. Birdie is hot. And she’s quite funny.”
He wasn’t wrong. She was incredibly attractive. She wasn’t willowy or a size zero like a lot of the women from the old-money families in Wexstone strove to be but instead had strong thighs and an ass that wouldn’t quit. Somehow, she had even managed to make her work jeans, unisex T-shirt, and nonslip sneakers seem alluring. And she had an air of confidence about her. I loved that in a woman—someone who could stand up for themselves and be self-assured was so sexy.
Not to mention her full lips. Last night I noticed that when she was in her head, she would bite on her bottom lip. It made me want to go over to her and suck it into my mouth just to see if it was as good as she made it look.
“Who else is coming with us this morning?” I asked, redirecting my focus back to the present.
“Just us and Vince. That is, if he ever gets back. I texted him but he hasn't responded.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this trip would go like this. I knew that, between Vince and Chauncey, there would be girls. But when I thought there would be girls, I thought strippers—not local women. And certainly not one whom I was actually attracted to.
“Are you having fun?” This was meant to be Oliver’s last hurrah, after all.
Oliver laughed. “Yeah, I had a great time last night, and I’ll have fun again tonight once we get this bullshit out of the way.”
We headed out the door and Vince texted us to let us know that he would meet us at the embassy. Neither of us worried about him looking disheveled after a night out; somehow the man always managed to turn up on time and looking sharp as a tack, regardless of the previous night’s activities.
The morning dragged on with meeting after meeting. Luckily, I didn’t have to talk much—that was Oliver’s job—and I let myself fall into my typical bodyguard persona. We always had top-of-the-line security trailing us, but in situations like this, I always kept an extra eye on our surroundings. I would never let anything happen to Oliver. He was more than my best friend; he was my brother.
“I’m going back to the hotel and taking the best nap after this,” Vince said as we got into the blacked-out SUV to take us to lunch with the mayor.
“Same,” I agreed.
It had taken me a while to get to sleep when I got back to the hotel from Birdie’s apartment. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way her hands felt on my chest while she was rubbing the stain out of my shirt. Or the way she looked up at me when she was on her knees in front of me. I shifted in my seat and adjusted my pants at that thought.
Lunch was blessedly short, and we headed back to the hotel to find Tej and Chauncey watching a movie in the living room. I took the spot next to Tej and settled into the deep cushions of the brown leather couch, deciding I would just rest my eyes for a few minutes. The next thing I knew, the sun had set, and I heard a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it!” Vince yelled, barreling out of his room to answer the door. I was still a little out of it until I heard the soft soprano of Birdie’s voice. I turned my head from where I had been laying and saw Birdie and Sam hanging their coats on the rack by the door. Sam looked lovely in a black leather skirt and gold silk camisole top, her black curls loose, but it was Birdie who took my breath away. She waswearing a short white dress that shimmered almost silvery-blue in the light and hugged her curves like it had been made just for her. Her rich brown hair was pulled halfway back, leaving a few pieces framing her face. Her makeup was simple, but she didn’t need any; she was simply stunning.
The ladies took in the sizable suite with awe in their eyes. Birdie’s gaze landed on me as I sat up, a small smirk skating across her face.
“Well, good morning,” she mocked, her voice saccharine.
I huffed a small laugh and tipped my hand in greeting as the women made their way into the kitchen with Vince.
