the courtyard. And no one ever saw any of it.
Dom sat on one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Dad told me about King Mason.”
“He did?”
“Yes. After your talk with him, he realized it wasn’t right that he was doing an end run around me with the royal guard I supervise.”
“Wow. He’s really loosening up.”
Dominic chuckled. “Dad’s not the hard case you think he is. In the past months, he’s been handing over a lot of his responsibilities to me.” He caught Alex’s gaze. “And he sees you as the one running point on this situation with Eva and her mom.”
“Running point?” He sniffed, not quite sure how to handle the fact that his father trusted him. “For the next four weeks I’m going to be dating a really pretty girl.”
Dom laughed. “That’s one way to look at it. Or you could say that for the next four weeks you’re protecting the daughter of one of Dad’s closest political allies. It’s a big deal.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “I was making a joke.”
“Right. You love being funny. But you’re ready for this. As much as you like pretending that you aren’t.” He shifted on his seat. “I took a few minutes to go over everything that happened at the press conference and you and Eva were great.”
Alex laughed. “We’re both born to this life. We know how to keep up appearances.”
“And you did. But here’s the thing. The two of you stood close together at the podium. You smiled at each other at just the right times. But when we left the press room and gathered in the hall, your demeanors changed. There was a visible distance between you.”
“So? The press couldn’t see.”
“I know, but the biggest group of people you have to fool wasn’t in that press room. They were in the corridor outside the press room.”
Alex frowned.
“It’s our staff. It took only two phone calls for my secretary to get the scoop that you’ve never been to Eva’s apartment and she’s never been to yours.”
Alex’s face scrunched in disbelief. “What?”
“The staff knows you’ve basically just met, so it’s not like they expect you to be sleeping together, but they’re gossiping about the fact that the only times you’re seen together are when you’re expected to be.”
“Really?”
“There’s a betting pool. All the stable boys believe you’ll never actually marry. The maids are divided. And even though Chef’s a romantic she’s betting against the marriage too. That’s not good for your charade.”
He sat up, totally confused by the fact that he hadn’t thought of this. “I guess not.”
Dom rose. “Convincing the staff here at the palace should be your first priority. In fact, if I were you, I’d put on such a show that the stable boys start changing their bets and the maids can’t resist gossiping to their neighbors.”
Alex leaned back in his chair. He appreciated the heads-up. He would have figured it out for himself in another day or two, but he was glad he hadn’t had to.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought his schedule onto the screen. He cancelled every event he had arranged for the next week.
He glanced up at Dom. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see any plans the guard put in place for Eva’s protection, and the names of the men in her security details.”
“I’ll tell the lieutenant.”
Alex rose. “Great.”
As Dom turned to the door, he said, “And don’t forget what I told you about the staff.”
“I won’t.”
After Dom left, Alex thought for another second, then strode out of the office.
The staff hadn’t seen him in Eva’s apartment? Well, there was no better time than the present. He took the elevator to the guest floor, walked down the massive hall to her rooms and lifted his hand to knock—
A fiancé wouldn’t knock.
He opened the door and ambled through the tall-ceilinged foyer to the living room.
“Alex!” his stepmother yelped as she tossed a white robe to Eva who stood on a platform
Dom sat on one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Dad told me about King Mason.”
“He did?”
“Yes. After your talk with him, he realized it wasn’t right that he was doing an end run around me with the royal guard I supervise.”
“Wow. He’s really loosening up.”
Dominic chuckled. “Dad’s not the hard case you think he is. In the past months, he’s been handing over a lot of his responsibilities to me.” He caught Alex’s gaze. “And he sees you as the one running point on this situation with Eva and her mom.”
“Running point?” He sniffed, not quite sure how to handle the fact that his father trusted him. “For the next four weeks I’m going to be dating a really pretty girl.”
Dom laughed. “That’s one way to look at it. Or you could say that for the next four weeks you’re protecting the daughter of one of Dad’s closest political allies. It’s a big deal.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “I was making a joke.”
“Right. You love being funny. But you’re ready for this. As much as you like pretending that you aren’t.” He shifted on his seat. “I took a few minutes to go over everything that happened at the press conference and you and Eva were great.”
Alex laughed. “We’re both born to this life. We know how to keep up appearances.”
“And you did. But here’s the thing. The two of you stood close together at the podium. You smiled at each other at just the right times. But when we left the press room and gathered in the hall, your demeanors changed. There was a visible distance between you.”
“So? The press couldn’t see.”
“I know, but the biggest group of people you have to fool wasn’t in that press room. They were in the corridor outside the press room.”
Alex frowned.
“It’s our staff. It took only two phone calls for my secretary to get the scoop that you’ve never been to Eva’s apartment and she’s never been to yours.”
Alex’s face scrunched in disbelief. “What?”
“The staff knows you’ve basically just met, so it’s not like they expect you to be sleeping together, but they’re gossiping about the fact that the only times you’re seen together are when you’re expected to be.”
“Really?”
“There’s a betting pool. All the stable boys believe you’ll never actually marry. The maids are divided. And even though Chef’s a romantic she’s betting against the marriage too. That’s not good for your charade.”
He sat up, totally confused by the fact that he hadn’t thought of this. “I guess not.”
Dom rose. “Convincing the staff here at the palace should be your first priority. In fact, if I were you, I’d put on such a show that the stable boys start changing their bets and the maids can’t resist gossiping to their neighbors.”
Alex leaned back in his chair. He appreciated the heads-up. He would have figured it out for himself in another day or two, but he was glad he hadn’t had to.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and brought his schedule onto the screen. He cancelled every event he had arranged for the next week.
He glanced up at Dom. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see any plans the guard put in place for Eva’s protection, and the names of the men in her security details.”
“I’ll tell the lieutenant.”
Alex rose. “Great.”
As Dom turned to the door, he said, “And don’t forget what I told you about the staff.”
“I won’t.”
After Dom left, Alex thought for another second, then strode out of the office.
The staff hadn’t seen him in Eva’s apartment? Well, there was no better time than the present. He took the elevator to the guest floor, walked down the massive hall to her rooms and lifted his hand to knock—
A fiancé wouldn’t knock.
He opened the door and ambled through the tall-ceilinged foyer to the living room.
“Alex!” his stepmother yelped as she tossed a white robe to Eva who stood on a platform
Similar Books
