Sloane was so engrossed in seeing Gabe grow up in the pictures that she didn’t realize she wasn’t alone until a hand squeezed her ass.

“Gabe!” Sloane jumped and spun only to find it wasn’t Gabe.

“I thought you were one of Gabe’s playthings. Well, today is your lucky day. You’ve had a prince, but I bet you’ve never had sex with a king.”

Sloane stood speechless looking at the man who was only a few years younger than her, but somehow looked like a child to her. He was in a suit that must cost a fortune and was already unzipping his pants.

“Come worship his royal member.” The man she guessed to be King Draven put his hands on his hips as his penis popped to attention.

Laughter was probably not the reaction Draven was expecting, but it’s what he got. The royal member went back into hiding as Draven’s face turned red. Sloane had dealt with plenty of men like this at the bar. King or no king, a man was just a man.

“I’ve heard you had a rough day at the café,” Sloane said sympathetically as Draven turned even redder before smiling. His royal member peeked out optimistically.

“Are you going to turn my frown upside down? That is the American saying, yes?”

Sloane shook her head. “No. I’m going to give you the best advice you’ve ever gotten.”

Draven looked skeptical. “I am king. I don’t need advice.”

“I would think after what everyone told you at the café, you would realize you do. Do you know how Gabe got all those women to fawn over him?”

Draven puffed up. “By telling them to. I do the same.”

Sloane shook her head. “No. By being nice. By asking how they are doing. By talking to them. By caring about what they are saying. Being so handsome doesn’t hurt either, but more than the muscles, it’s his sense of humor and respect that gets me and probably every other woman.”

Draven looked confused. Sloane put her hand on his shoulder and frowned. She squeezed it. “Are you wearing shoulder pads?”

“No,” he snapped pulling away from her.

“Stop. I am safe. Do you know what that means?”

“You have no diseases.”

It was Sloane’s turn to turn red. “No, well, yes. In this case, it means I am safe to talk to. I am Gabe’s woman so I can’t be yours. But I can be your friend. I just graduated from college so I know all about young women, and I can help you.”

Draven was quiet for a moment. “You’d do that?”

“I would. You’re here for another week, right?” Draven nodded. “First, zip your pants back up. Second, do you know Nash?” Draven nodded again. “Ask him or even Gabe to work out with you every morning. Then you won’t need the padding. Third”—Sloane picked up a romance novel and some women’s magazines from the table—“read these for some insight into women.”

Draven didn’t want to take it.

“It’ll be our secret,” Sloane said with a wink.

“Sloane?”

Draven’s eyes got big as he shoved the book with the shirtless man and windblown heroine on the cover into his jacket and rolled up the magazines.

“Right here. King Draven and I were just chatting. He has something he wants to ask you.”

Draven looked just as nervous as Gabe looked. Draven turned around and cleared his throat. “I thought to see if you would engage in some physical activity with me tomorrow morning before our talks resume.”

“You want to work out?” Gabe asked as Sloane shot him a you-better-behave look.

“Yes.”

Gabe smiled. “Sounds good. It’s always nice to have someone to talk to while working on the farm.” Draven turned his back to Gabe and gave Sloane a thumbs-up. “Why don’t we head to my office, and I’ll show you a few tricks we royalty need to know before you meet with my dad.”

Draven headed out of the room and Gabe strode over to Sloane. “What did you do?”

“I became his friend. I don’t think he has any.”

Gabe’s kiss took her by surprise. Instead of pulling away, Sloane leaned into him. After all, she’d just realized a man was a man, king or no king. It was time to see Gabe in the same light. She heard the rumble of pleasure vibrate up his chest. When Gabe finally pulled away, he kept her in his arms. “Something has changed.”

Sloane nodded. “I thought about what you said last night.”

“About it being possible for us to be together?” Gabe asked.

“Yes. I’m getting out of my own way.” Sloane raised her lips to his and that was all it took for Gabe to move into action.

Hands grabbed, hips ground against each other, tongues tangled, and a happy gasp from across the room tore them apart.

“I’ll call Father Ben.”

Gabe pulled Sloane against his chest as he looked over his shoulder. “Mom!”

“What?” Dani asked innocently. “At least it wasn’t your father. He’s such a busybody. He’d probably already have texted the town with a wedding date. You know, he’s desperate for a grandchild. He can hardly wait for you to be married.”

Sloane snickered as she muffled her laugh in Gabe’s dress shirt.

“Yeah, it’s Dad who’s desperate,” Gabe mumbled.

“Hello, sweetheart. What are you doing in the doorway?”

Sloane’s snicker bust into a full giggle at the sound of Gabe’s father’s voice coming down the hallway.

“I’ll just leave these salts right here, Sloane dear. Carry on.” Sloane heard the door close and then heard Dani whisper in a not-too-soft tone, “Turn around right now. If we don’t bother them, maybe in nine months we’ll have a grandbaby.”

---

Gabe let his head fall back in frustration as Sloane clung to his shirt, shaking with laughter. His family was going to ruin his game.

“If I had it my way, I’d whisk you off to our private island so I could have you all to myself. However, I feel as if we’re close to a breakthrough with this treaty. No matter how badly I want to leave, I think I’m finally making a difference.”

Sloane smiled up at him. “I’m proud of you. You’re making a big difference. Plus I have my graduation. I worked way too hard for that ceremony, and even a prince tempting me with a private island won’t stop me from walking across that stage.”

“I can’t wait to cheer for you as you get your degree.”

“You’re coming?”

Gabe brushed back a lock of hair and looked down at her face. “Nothing will keep me from it.”

“I’ve never had anyone to give a ticket to before. I said I didn’t need any. I have to call the school.”

Gabe laughed as he pulled her in for another hug. “Sweetheart, I’m a prince. I’ll get a ticket, no problem.”

“But I want you to have my ticket. It’s silly, I know. Each student gets four tickets, and there’s this chart with our names on it and next to it is how many guests we are bringing so we can try to swap tickets and such for those who need more than four. I want to see that little mark next to my name. I know, it’s silly.”

“It’s not silly,” Gabe said softly as he kissed the top of her head. “Go ahead and call the office and get a ticket for me. I have to meet with Draven. Tonight it’s going to be just you and me, okay?”

“That’s more than okay.”

Damn. Gabe felt it like a punch to the gut. He had no idea that when you fell in love you felt it with such a force that it left you breathless. Well, he might not be able to have Sloane all to himself until after graduation and after this treaty was signed, but he was going to find time to romance her—regardless. She had just given them a chance by stepping out of her own way and now it was up to him to show her she had everything she needed inside to be his princess.

---

Veronica pushed open the doors to the most luxurious salon in Lexington. She had the afternoon and night off, and she was going to take full advantage of it. She’d sent a text message and just heard back that dinner was on for tonight. In order to prep for her first date in ages, Veronica was getting a mani/pedi.

She knew she could have gone to the Fluff and Buff in Keeneston, but they’d ask too many questions. And before her top coat could even dry, the whole town would be talking about her date—something her date probably wouldn’t appreciate. And neither did Veronica since her date had approximately a fifteen percent chance of turning into a second date. She knew this because she’d run the odds on her past dating history.

Veronica stepped into the pedicure chair and let the warm bubbling water relax her. So she was a slight workaholic, okay, a full-blown workaholic. And she liked to be in charge . . . of everything. And she was very particular. Or so her past girlfriends had told her. Someday, she’d find someone who wouldn’t mind those characteristics. In the meantime, she kept her love life secret. Seeing what Zain and Gabe went through was enough to ensure she was doing the right thing. The Rose sisters were already on the hunt for a special woman for Veronica, and she didn’t need to give them any more encouragement by telling them anything about her private life.

The thought made her smile as the two women sitting next to her, a mother and daughter by the looks of them, began to talk as their technicians left them drying their nails. Veronica put in her earbuds and began looking over her music before suddenly stopping when she heard the daughter, who was around Veronica’s age, begin to whisper.

“Sloane,” she snorted. “What a stupid name to pick.”

The mother looked over at Veronica who put her head back and closed her eyes. Her fingers flew over the phone pulling up the record button. Operating her phone completely blind was one of Veronica’s best talents and came in handy when one was in a meeting where electronics were supposedly banned.

“I should have known I couldn’t send someone to get her. Chanel always was a problem. I should have let you kill her in the crib that night when you were five. You were so jealous of her. I caught you with the pillow over her. Imagine if I had just let you finish it.” Lisa Malone practically cursed herself as the three of them sat with their feet soaking in the pedicure bowls.

“I can’t believe those idiots shot at her,” the daughter, Valentina Malone, said angrily. “We need her alive to get that recipe. Then I’ll finish what I started when I was five.”

“The police report said the man she was with during the shooting is someone named Gabriel Ali Rahman. If we find him, then we’ll find her.”

“Mom,” Valentina said, lowering her voice as the nail techs made their way over to the women. “He’s some kind of big deal around here. And that name sounds so familiar to me.”

“So what? That’s never stopped us before. He thinks he’s a big deal. Wait until he meets me. I will end him if he gets in my way.”

Veronica fought her instinct to leap from the chair and either run to warn Gabe and Sloane or to stab Lisa Malone and her awful daughter with a nail file.

“Hi,” Valentina said loudly, trying to get Veronica’s attention. Veronica didn’t open her eyes. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

Valentina reached over and touched Veronica’s arm. She let her eyes open and she pulled the ear buds from her ears. “Yes?”

“We are in town for my sister’s graduation. I heard the name Gabriel Ali Rahman mentioned as some sort of local celebrity. Who is he?”

They would have been very convincing as loving, caring relatives if she hadn’t overhead their conversation. “He’s a Prince of Rahmi.”

Valentina’s eyes that looked so much like Sloane’s widened. “That’s why it sounded familiar. Mom, he’s that bachelor prince who is always in those trashy magazines you get.”

Lisa’s eyes widened like her daughter’s. “What was he doing with your sister then?”

Veronica waved a dismissive hand and leaned in secretively. “He’s a bit of a player. Local news is always reporting that he’s with a different girl every night. I’m so sorry if your daughter got caught up in that. I’m sure she’s probably nursing a broken heart like the long line of women before her have.”

“Now that makes sense,” Lisa muttered. “Do they have a castle or something around here?”

“I don’t know,” Veronica gave her an apologetic smile as the bright red polish went on her toes. No time for a manicure today. And there went her plans for the date . . . again. Veronica casually slid her phone out of view and sent the audio file to Nash before cancelling the date.