CHAPTER TWELVE
Asher
Bailey Parker was in his home and staying in the room next door. He’d have to talk to Grandmother about what had prompted that choice. She looked every bit as beautiful in person as he’d imagined. Her voice was different than he’d expected. Lighter, almost girlish. Ash liked it. He liked everything about Bailey a little too much for his own good.
She’d been dominating his thoughts for the past few weeks, but since their face-to-face meeting, he doubted he’d get her out of his mind anytime soon. She was no longer just someone he texted. She was no longer his boss, but also an incredibly attractive woman.
Seeing Bailey in person had twisted him up into knots so much he was late to tea. She was already sitting with his grandmother when he arrived.
If Bailey had been a vision before, she was even more so, after a shower. She’d dressed in cropped, beige pants with a dark shirt in hues of royal blue, which suited her chin-length hair perfectly. Blue sandals with thin straps adorned her feet, revealing pink toenails and olive skin. Those toes would surely be his undoing.
He hadn’t realized he’d been standing in the doorway staring until Grandmother spoke up.
“Asher. What kept you?” She cocked one of her silver eyebrows. A servant worked in silence beside her, pouring tea into china cups.
“My apologies for my tardiness, Grandmother.” Ash forced his thoughts aside as he entered the room, taking a seat opposite Bailey. “You look lovely.” He uttered the words before he’d realized they’d even formed on his lips.
Bailey smiled. It held more warmth than the guarded one she’d given him on the balcony. Perhaps he’d managed to navigate onto the right track after all.
“Thank you.”
Her response pleased him. There were so many women who tried to wave complements away. As though they didn’t deserve them. Bailey wasn’t one of those. Instead, she’d accepted his words, owned them, even sat up straighter as though they’d made her proud.
“Excellent.” Grandmother’s eyes lit the way they did when she had an idea. Her ideas were notorious around the palace. “Now that we’ve all gotten acquainted, I wanted to talk to you about a little problem we have.”
Bailey swallowed. “A problem.” She turned to Ash. “I didn’t know who you really were. If I had, I would never have given your name . . . um, Jenson’s name.”
“Yes.” Ash patted her hand. The skin on his palm burned where he touched her. “You made that abundantly clear when you shouted at me on the balcony.”
“You deserved it. You lied to me,” Bailey said.
Grandmother waved a hand, and the servant left, shutting the door with a snap. “Now that we’re alone, you should know the truth. This is highly confidential, of course.” She refilled Bailey’s teacup herself and offered her the tray of cakes.
Bailey took a delicate chocolate dessert, which also pleased him. Some women would have shied away from the dessert tray. Not Ms. Parker.
She closed her eyes slightly as she took the first bite, as if she were in heaven, or in ecstasy. Ash wondered if he could send her to the same heights of pleasure, only greater. His body hardened at the thought, forcing him to quickly switch positions.
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Bailey said. She polished off the remainder of her dessert in a series of nibbles that rendered his throat dry.
“The truth is, we’re broke. All we have left is our palace. We have no income, no investments of any kind, no nothing.” Ash met his Grandmother’s eye. She nodded in encouragement. “I took the job with you because it was the only way to keep our home operational and our tradition alive.”
“It was also one of the only ways we could avoid alerting the Florican people to our situation,” the queen said.
“Why not be honest? Surely, your subjects would understand,” Bailey said.
“You’re Florican. How would you feel knowing the royal family had gone broke?” Ash kept his voice light as he awaited her answer.
She abandoned her dessert for the moment. “I’d be upset. You’re, both of you, you’re part of Florico.”
“Exactly. It would cause mass panic. You must understand, Bailey—the royal family is an institution in Florico. They either love us or hate us. There are some”—Ash met his grandmother’s eye before turning back to Bailey—“who would happily see us gone and use this as an excuse to obliterate a four hundred-year-old tradition.”
“I never thought about it that way.” Bailey shook her head. “I can see why you wouldn’t want the truth to get out.”
Grandmother sipped her tea, her sharp eyes focused on Bailey instead of Ash for a change. “You’ll help us, then?”
“I’m not sure what I can help you with.” A small divot formed between Bailey’s brows—one Ash found undeniably cute.
He took Bailey’s hand. When their skin came in contact, a zing of adrenaline shot through him. Her face heated, her olive skin turning just a tad pink. “I have a bit of a reputation with the ladies, as you may be aware. It’s completely unfounded.”
“So you say,” Bailey responded, but she didn’t take her hand from his.
“Anyway, if we play this off as a romance, make the media believe I was only working to help the woman I love . . . then all doubts and fears about the country’s financial situation will be laid to rest.” Ash squeezed her hand, and then forced himself to release it.
Bailey’s eyes widened. “So you want us”—she gestured to each of them in turn with her index finger—“to become involved?”
“No. Of course not. I don’t want to ask you to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. I’m simply suggesting we be seen together. Visiting the sites and whatnot.”
Bailey leaned forward, the collar of her blouse sliding to the side, revealing more skin than he’d imagined possible. He reached for a cake of his own.
“Asher will simply take you about the city. To places he’s expected to be seen. He can show you the sights and sounds of Florico,” Grandmother offered. “At the end of the week, we’ll give a press conference.”
“But I’m Florican,” Bailey said. “I beg your pardon, ma’am. I grew up here.”
“Yes, but you haven’t seen my Florico. There are many wonders out there. I’m sure I could introduce you to at least a few before you return to New York.” He smiled, turning on the charm, and using the side of himself he showed to the camera. He was deliberately being manipulative and he knew it.
When Bailey returned his smile, he almost felt guilty. Why should he? Bailey was there. They’d been friends when they’d worked together, or at least friendly. Why shouldn’t he get to know her better? Especially when he wanted to so very much.
“When do we leave on this Untapped Florico tour?” Bailey asked.
Ash sat up straighter, then chastised himself for seeming too eager. “Right now, if you like. I suddenly find myself with a clear schedule.”
That was not true. He was supposed to meet with a fundraising coordinator for a local charity polo event, attend confession at the chapel, and participate in a video conference with Spain. All of those things could wait.
Bailey had come to visit. She was all that mattered.
“Grandmother can cover my responsibilities for the rest of the day, can’t you?”
The queen beamed, while somehow managing to glare at him, all in one move. It was a masterful facial expression.
“Fine. Then I won’t keep you two,” Grandmother said.
Asher stood as the queen rose. Bailey curtsied. “Your Majesty.”
Grandmother took her hands. “Vanessa. You may call me Vanessa.” Grandmother left the room, then, moving out of sight.
Bailey faced Ash. She seemed nervous all of a sudden, linking and unlinking her fingers.
“This is the most bizarre thing that’s ever happened to me.”
That time, Asher’s smile came easily. “This is only the beginning.” Then, offering his arm to Bailey, he said, “Shall we?”
She sucked in a small breath. So small, most might not have noticed it. But Ash did.
Bailey nodded and let him take her arm. “We shall.”
There was definitely something about the illustrious Ms. Parker which could get him in trouble.