CHAPTER TEN
Sebastianos
Penelope was absolutely giddy.
She’d somehow managed to convince the king to allow her and her entourage to go shopping at the Galleria, a large open-air conglomerate of shops that put my teeth on edge. Not only because I detested shopping — part of the beauty of being in the military meant I never had to think about my wardrobe — but going anywhere in the public was a logistics nightmare, and this little excursion meant that at least nine undercover guards and myself were now shopping right along with her and Mrs. Kent.
I’d tried to reign in Penelope as gently as I could while she was planning the outing to get a few things for the upcoming summer festival and Legacy Ball. But the little princess had her father wrapped around her little finger, and before I knew it, we had a full cadre assigned to all sorts of ridiculous places in the shopping center, and I was trailing behind the crown princess and her nanny as they bounced from store to store. Because, yes, the little minx had begged me to come.
One day, I’d have to learn to say no.
So, here we were, shopping. Not that she’d be allowed to wear anything off the racks at the upcoming events. But girls would be girls, whether six, sixteen, or sixty, I supposed.
Shop. Shop. Repeat.
Every few minutes I’d hear one of the guards get a status update and struggle to maintain my composure.
“This is Echo Nine from the pretzel stand, nothing to report.”
“Echo Ten from the movie theater, nothing to report.”
It was pretty ridiculous, but after the first half hour, I started to lighten up a bit. I was on edge. Not because of security or even the media attention I was now getting. I was on edge because of a different little minx, an American one, who’d stumbled back into my life.
Even though I’d known for a fact that Iliana wouldn’t be returning to the palace until Monday because of her injury, it didn’t stop me from looking up each time I heard the clicking of heels. And it didn’t stop my heart from beating a bit faster every time I caught sight of chestnut hair.
My damn schedule — and damn pride — had kept me from seeking her out, which I’d been tempted to do. I’d also been tempted to blow up her phone with messages, but I’d somehow refrained from doing that after my last You’re adorable when you’re a mess message.
Fuck.
I hated to admit that I thought about her from time to time — if time to time meant nearly constantly —and I was getting more annoyed with the fact by the hour. I was in a foul mood as I watched Penelope beg her nanny to ride the carousel while all the guards conferred to determine if the princess would meet her death on a freaking ceramic pony.
What I wanted to do was haul the little girl up and plant her tiny behind on the horse of her choosing and let her go around and around in circles until she threw up.
What kind of life was this for a child?
It was the biggest reason I didn’t want to get married, didn’t want to have a family. Aside from the fact I couldn’t imagine listening to the same female harping at me for fifty years, I didn’t want to drag anyone into… this.
“Please, Sebby. Can I ride? Please?”
I looked down to find Penelope in front of me, unshed tears making her big blue eyes sparkle. I hadn’t paid attention to the should we or shouldn’t we conversation going around me, but one look at the guards told me they didn’t think it was a good idea.
Well, fuck them.
“Sure. I’ll ride with you.”
Annoyance was mixed with relief as I took over the situation. Although I was officially under royal protection myself due to my station, the guards knew I could handle myself.
Penelope leaped at me, catching me around the legs, and I hauled her up into a hug, then immediately regretted it when the flashes of cameras went off. I couldn’t even show affection to my young cousin without it becoming an international incident.
Trying to ignore the media and gawking fans circling the carousel, I rode next to Penelope, my long legs dragging the floor each time my horse sank down, making Pen giggle.
I loved to hear the little girl giggle. With the weight of an entire country on her small shoulders, she needed these moments to just be a child.
When she finally declared that she’d had enough, we climbed off, ignoring the additional flashing cameras and the people who wanted pieces of us. As was custom, we smiled and waved, shook some hands, but when I met the head guard’s eye, we were spirited away to another part of the mall, although the crowd continued to trail behind us.
“I like this one,” Penelope said, fingering a pink and purple bow that looked way too big for her head. She looked up at me, stroking the silky strands. “Can I have it?”
“Of course.”
I thought the shop owner would faint as we rang up the bow, and as we left the store, two mothers got into a fight, both vying for the last one on the rack.
Utterly ridiculous.
“Seb! Hey, Seb!”
The very fact that I was being called by my nickname caused me to pause.
Frowning, I turned to follow the voice and nearly laughed aloud, which I managed not to do since I didn’t want any additional attention focused on me.
It was Iliana’s outspoken friend, Jenn. Even if I didn’t recognize the dark-haired beauty, I’d know who she was because she was holding on to a very red-faced Iliana.
“Need us to intercede, Your Grace?”
Damn.
“Americans,” I said, as though it explained everything. It seemed to work because he gave a sympathetic eye roll. Then, because I knew he’d follow me if I didn’t make him stay put, I ordered him to, “Protect the princess. I’ll only be a moment.”
The guard looked as if he was about to argue, but a lift of my brow shut him up quick enough. I could kick his ass, and he knew it.
Forcing myself not to rush to where the two women stood, I was ridiculously happy to be approaching the pair.
“Hello,” Jenn beamed when I reached them.
“Hello, yourselves,” I said, ignoring the stares of onlookers, but mentally groaning as the smartphones were whipped out. I forced myself to look respectable, and not nearly as pleased as I truly was. “What brings you to Cassia, Jenn?”
She squeezed Iliana closer to her. “My bestie, of course. I wanted to make sure she was all settled and staying out of trouble.”
Allowing myself a small smile at that, I nodded. “You’re several days too late for that.” I looked down at Iliana’s hand, wishing I could reach for it and inspect the healing wound. “How are you feeling?” I asked her instead, tucking my own hands behind my back in a military stance I found comforting.
She showed me her palm, which was no longer bandaged, the wound having closed nicely.
Jenn wrinkled her nose. “I heard about the glass incident. Iliana’s never been the most graceful. Have you, Squeaks?”
“Well, I think that’s enough of the ‘let’s humiliate Iliana’ show for today,” Iliana said, but her dimples were showing so I knew she was actually okay. And she looked beautiful.
Wearing a strapless maxi dress that nearly touched the floor, she was almost fully covered except for her shoulders and arms, which were beginning to show a little tan from the island sun.
When she blushed and looked away, I realized I’d been staring. And since we were the center of everyone’s attention, I took a step back, preparing to say goodbye.
And nearly had my legs taken out from under me as Penelope burst onto the scene, throwing herself at me in a very undignified manner, her arms and legs circling me like she was climbing a tree. Guards and a harried looking Mrs. Kent came scurrying up behind her, but I waved them away.
My little wingwoman.
“I remember you,” she said and jumped down from me, bouncing on her toes in front of Iliana. “You’re the picture lady.”
Clearly charmed, Iliana smiled and gave the little princess a curtsey. “You have an excellent memory, Your Highness. Please let me introduce you to my friend, Jennifer. Jenn, please meet Your Highness Princess Penelope.
Penelope grinned bigger as she shook Jennifer’s hand, then reached out and took Iliana’s hand in both of her small ones. “Are you okay now?” she asked, carefully inspecting the thin line on Iliana’s palm.
I smiled. Penelope’s innate compassion would make her an excellent queen some day.
“Very much so, thank you.”
“Want to see my bow?”
In a whirl of activity, Penelope produced the pink and purple monstrosity from Mrs. Kent and rushed back to show Iliana her prize.
As I watched, Iliana squatted, not that she was too very much taller than the child to begin with, and they began chatting about the bow and how pretty it would look in her hair and different ways she could wear it.
“I like your hair,” Pen said, reaching out to stroke the brunette strands.
Even though it went against protocol, something the American probably didn’t realize, she stroked Pen’s hair, making Mrs. Kent gasp behind me. I held up a hand. Nothing to faint over, people.
“How do you know Sebastianos? Do you know he’s my cousin? He’s really cute, isn’t he? My daddy is trying to get him a duchess.”
Well, shit.
Grabbing for the little big mouth’s shoulders to steer her away, my grasp was dodged by the little darling. I narrowed my eyes at her as she smiled at me. It was a woman’s wily smile if ever I’d seen one.
“Don’t you have shopping to finish, Princess?” I said loud enough for Mrs. Kent to get the hint, but even she was unable to capture the nimble-footed princess. Instead, Penelope wrapped her arms around Iliana’s legs, which pulled at her dress, which being strapless nearly caused a nip slip of epic proportions.
Quickly, I stepped in front of her, shielding her from the majority of people crowding around us. “Sorry,” Penelope said, looking instantly contrite and on the verge of tears as Iliana struggled to get the dress back in place.
“It’s okay, I promise,” Iliana said gently, stroking the child’s hair again.
Another gasp came from behind me, and I didn’t even bother to assure Mrs. Kent that Penelope would survive another human’s touch.
“Are you friends with Sebby? You looked like friends on picture day? How do you know him? Are you going to marry him? Can I come to the wedding?”
Even as the questions flew warp speed from her mouth, Penelope’s laughing eyes told me that she knew full well what she was doing.
Although pink cheeked, Iliana was fully dimpled, and Jenn was laughing beside her. Those green eyes lifted to meet mine, and it was like a punch in the gut.
Then her full attention was on the little girl again. “Do you like llamas?”
Iliana’s question stopped Penelope in her tracks. “What? Llamas? I’ve never seen a llama, have you?”
And just like that, Iliana tamed the savage princess beast with pictures on her phone of all sorts of llamas.
“I spent time in Peru and got to live in a building that had four llamas in the field out back,” she was saying, and Penelope stood, completely absorbed in the story. “They liked to steal bags of chips from the corner market down the road, and the owner would get so mad, he’d chase them back to their paddock with his broom. One of the llamas, Julio, would even spit on the shop owner.”
The sound of Penelope’s giggles was musical, making me smile too. “Llamas sound like fun.” She looked up at me, batting those big blues. “Can we have a llama at the summer celebration? Are there any llamas in Cassia? Why don’t we get some? Daddy would let me if we asked him. Could I keep it in my rooms?”
As the questions flew out of her mouth, Mrs. Kent came forward and took the girl’s hand, and more llama talk ensued as she led her away after waving goodbye to her new friends.
Then I was face to face with Iliana again. Jenn cleared her throat. “I’m just going to go grab something to drink.”
When we were alone, I smiled down at the woman I couldn’t stop thinking about. “Well played. I’ll have to remember the llama distraction in the future.”
She smiled. “One of my favorite subjects.” A flurry of camera flashes distracted her, and she frowned. “How can you stand this?”
Without looking at the gawkers, I shrugged. “It’s my life now.”
“Without giving away state secrets, is it a pain in the butt to plan something like this from a security standpoint? I feel like there are so many ways in and out of this place.”
She was pretty observant, and I noticed she was eyeing one of our plainclothes security members, having picked him out on her own. I really had to talk to our guys about wearing sunglasses indoors. It really didn’t do them any favors when it came to blending in.
“It’s definitely a task.”
The silence stretched, wrapping itself around us as we just gazed at each other while time seemed to stand still. If we were back in California, I could have taken her hand, maybe even put my arm around her shoulders.
Here, I dared not even touch her. Even now, I knew I was giving her too much attention, which would turn the media’s myopic gaze on her too.
She cleared her throat and bent to pick up the bags she had set on the floor while entertaining Penelope. “It was good to see you. I won’t keep you any longer.”
Keep me longer. Please.
It wasn’t so much the thought but the longing that came with it that made me straighten and nod. “I hope you have a pleasant day, Miss Costas.”
She smiled. “You too.”
With all the willpower inside me, I turned away and was quickly encircled by my guards, which pissed me off.
I’d been so close to her, but the guards, the public, the media, and the responsibilities of my country were a gulf I’d never be able to cross.
***
“I like her.”
Penelope’s words broke through my fog as we rode in the State limo back to Riniasa Castle following the girl’s shopping expedition.
I stiffened. “Who?”
“Iliana. It’s a pretty name. She’s pretty too. And nice. She’d make a pretty duchess, don’t you think?”
Damn, the girl was perceptive. “It’s not like that,” I said, knowing full well that with all the thoughts I’d centered on Iliana lately, it was probably more like that than not. “We barely know each other. In fact, today was only the third time we’ve ever met.”
“So?” Penelope rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air, palms up.
I needed to speak to Mrs. Kent about how much time the little princess was spending online. She seemed to be picking up a few teenage habits about ten years too soon. Maybe I would just get Nate to filter the Crown Princess’s web browsers more tightly.
“I think you should like her, Sebastianos,” she said, sliding her hand in mine. “And then you’d never be alone.”
I laughed but it was more of a bark of sound. “I’m not alone, Pen. I have you.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Someday, I’m going to be very busy and important and won’t be able to play with you, you know.”
I laughed, more normally this time. “Is that so?”
She nodded, an imperious look on her face as she tried to look down her nose at me. “I’m going to be so busy that you’ll drown in sadness that you don’t have someone to love.” She waved her finger in the air, almost like she was waving a pretend magic wand. “So, I’m commanding you to love someone now.”
I just shook my head, but the little princess’s words were like a punch. “I’m afraid it’s not done like that, Pen.”
“You’re just being stubborn.”
Thankfully, we turned into the palace gates and the conversation ended as she carried her pink and purple bow to her room after giving me a quick hug. Moving quickly down the hall, I strode to my office, intent on doing some work to distract me from my little cousin’s conversation.
“What the hell, Seb?”
The moment I stepped into my office, Nate was on his feet. But it wasn’t in respect to my station. He was frowning, almost glaring.
I had no idea what he was worried about. “What?”
He sat back down at my desk and turned the computer monitor around so I could see for myself. There in full color were dozens of pictures of me and Iliana. Sure, the princess was there too, and so was Jenn, but most of the photos seemed to focus on the way Iliana and I were looking at each other.
Damn.
I looked freaking smitten. Hell, so did she.
“Shit.”
Nate nodded. “Shit is right. You should limit your contact with her.”
That startled me enough that I stopped gazing at the screen, realizing I probably looked as sappy now as I’d been looking then. “Why?”
He scowled at my question. “Seriously? You had one hookup with her, and you don’t think it’s strange that both she and her friend are in the palace within a month? Something doesn’t add up, Seb.”
I snorted. “You think she canvassed the Green Dragon wearing a llama shirt because she was so certain I would appear there? Does she look like some mastermind spy to you?”
Nate narrowed his eyes, but I could see he was seriously trying to determine if that was possible. “You have to admit that her appearance is strange. And she just so happened to be out shopping the same time you were today?”
“She’s female.” Damn. Was she ever. “Females shop. I’m pretty sure it’s a genetic thing.”
Nate drummed his fingers on the desk. “I don’t like it. Something feels off.”
“Okay, Mr. Go-Get-The-Brunette. If you remember, she did tell me she was leaving the country for the semester, and when I looked into it, she’d applied and been accepted months ago. It really has nothing to do with me. Jennifer’s tickets had even been purchased before we met. No conspiracy here, I promise. No honeypot pulling a fast one on us, trying to infiltrate the castle.”
Nate was being ridiculous, but that was also who he was. Overthinker. Overanalyzer. Military intelligence. He left no conspiracy theory untouched.
“Still,” he said stubbornly. “It’s not a good idea to be seen around town with an intern. An American one at that.”
I stepped over to the wet bar in my office and poured a scotch. “Well, don’t you sound like a royal elitist.”
He didn’t try to deny it.
I took a long drink before pouring a second. “For what it’s worth, Nate, her father is the grandson of a Cassian baron. She’s not exactly a foreign commoner, snob.”
“Mark my words.” He leaned back in my chair, linking his hands behind his head. “This is going to get really complicated. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“When did you become such a drama queen?”
I searched my friend’s face. He did look genuinely concerned, and he was a smart man. I’d be wise to heed his counsel. He exhaled a long breath and pushed to his feet. “Just be careful. And don’t worry, I’ll take the pictures down.” As he walked past me, he clapped me on the shoulder. “Not just for your benefit, but for hers too.”
“You’re just mad that you didn’t hook up with Jennifer that night,” I shouted after him. He flipped me the bird as he walked through the door.
Taking his place in my chair, I turned the monitor back to where I could see the screen again.
And there she was.
Smiling.
Blushing.
Dimpling.
Squatting to Penelope’s level, stroking her hair.
Then she was standing again, her head craned back to look up at me. Even through the screen, I felt the connection between us.
And so would all the other people seeing these pictures, but even as I watched, the more suggestive ones slowly, one by one, began to disappear.
Clicking my favorite, I downloaded it quickly. And just in time because it disappeared only seconds later. Probably not soon enough. There would be those who’d done the same as me, downloading the picture or taking screenshots that could be used for whatever purposes the person chose. Things could never be completely erased.
Soon, the bloodhounds would be searching for the strange American. They’d stalk her, stake out her residence. Terrorize her with questions.
How long would that smile stay on her face after that?
Clicking out of the browser, I went to my email to catch up on correspondence but found myself staring at the same damn message for many minutes.
Was she okay?
Was she being hounded already?
Without giving myself time to think about it too much, I picked up my phone and sent off a quick text message. Staying out of trouble?
Her response came back quickly. Soaking in the tub. Define trouble.
She made me laugh. She made my cock pulse. She made me want things I had no business wanting.
Nate was right. I needed to be careful.
Careful hell.
Need a lifeguard? I typed and pressed send before I could make myself delete the message.
My phone buzzed in my hand. Will you ride in on a white steed and save me?
I smiled. How about a white llama?
I got a llama emoji in return along with, My hero.
My phone rang, making me actually jump, which pissed me off. The girl had the ability to capture all of my attention.
It was Nate. “Dinner?”
The invitation meant that things between us were cool, and I doubted he’d bring the subject of Iliana up again now that he’d said his say.
“Hell, yeah. I’m starving.”
He chortled. “Guess shopping really does take a lot out of a man.”
“Fuck off.”
He was still laughing. “See you in five.”
I hung up, and the screen with the llama emoji reappeared.
I typed: Goodnight.
The reply was instant. Goodnight.
My thumbs hovered over the screen, and I wanted to say more. But I didn’t know what that more could be. Tapping my mouse, intending on shutting down my computer as well, I hesitated and pulled up the pictures again.
She was so beautiful.
Not more physically beautiful than women I’d fucked before, but beautiful in a way I had trouble describing.
My door flew open. “You ready?”
I looked at my friend and nodded before turning back to the screen. I stared at her face a moment more before clicking the little x, and she disappeared.
If I was smart, that was exactly where I’d keep her.