The Bossy Prince (Rugged and Royal #3) - Lili Valente Page 0,24
along with just enough evidence to make it believable, and his days in the field will be over.
It will be easy. Simple. Efficient.
And…awful.
It would be a horrible thing to do to the man. There’s no getting around that. It would be a betrayal of his trust and my vows of secrecy to Union Ten, and betrayal isn’t something I take lightly.
Silently, I promise not to pull the lever on the nuclear option unless I have no other choice. Unless it’s the only way to protect the people I love.
I won’t enjoy outing Nick if it comes to that, but it feels good to have an ace tucked into my back pocket. Just in case. I can’t control other people or foresee twists of fate, but I can prepare for the worst and be armed and ready to fight back when the ones I’ve trusted disappoint me.
Sadly, humanity has proven to be almost uniformly disappointing. With the exception of Lizzy and Sabrina, I have yet to form a serious bond with anyone who didn’t lie to me, deceive me, or betray my trust.
All three of which you’re plotting to do to poor Nick.
I ignore the weak, whiny inner voice. I’ll only betray Nick’s trust if he proves too selfish to put the safety of our families ahead of playing James Bond.
And he’s hardly an innocent lamb.
He’s a very clever man, a fact I would be wise to remember if I do have cause to arrange a leak. I’ll have to be careful to keep Nick from suspecting that I’m the source.
All the more reason to build on the rapport we’re developing, to keep things cordial and friendly.
But not…too friendly.
From now on, my ego remains firmly in check. I can’t afford to make dumb mistakes because some foolish part of me wants Nick to notice me in that way. It doesn’t matter if he thinks I’m attractive, only that he thinks I’m on his side. So firmly on his side that he would never question my loyalty.
It might not be easy—going from enemies to bosom buddies in a little over a week—but Nick is obviously eager to let bygones be bygones.
After we touch down and taxi to a stop near the airfield gate, I study him while we gather our bags from the overhead bin. He looks calm and at ease, refreshed by the ten-hour flight rather than depleted.
And when he turns to me, his first instinct is to smile.
“Ready to roll?” he asks. “Stefano told me to text when I landed and he’d send his boys with a car, but we can call a cab if you’d rather.”
“Whatever you think is best.”
He makes a considering sound, pressing the buttons to deploy the stairs down to the tarmac. “I don’t think Stefano will notice one way or another, and Tony and Thom can be…a lot.”
I frown. “In what way?”
“In the obnoxious, wanting to stop at the bar before check-in, farting contest enthusiast, mistakenly thinking enough cologne will compensate for skipping deodorant kind of way.” He reaches for the heavy latch on the door. “They’re the stinky fraternity brothers I never had nor wanted.”
“Charming.” I laugh. “In that case, I say we get a taxi and pretend you forgot about the car offer.”
Nick laughs with me, squinting as he opens the hatch, and bright afternoon sunlight streams in, followed by a humid island breeze that smells of flowers, sea salt, and airplane fuel.
“Sounds good.” He lifts a hand, shielding his eyes from the glare. “Just let me…”
He trails off, his fingers tightening ever so slightly on the handle of his suitcase. It’s a tiny tell, but I’m instantly on alert, ready to respond to whatever’s put him on guard.
I am not, however, prepared for the way he turns to me, dragging me against him with a possessive tug of his arm or the way he bends low to claim my mouth with his.
His tongue sweeps between my lips, and his taste—smoky tea and sweetness from the scones we shared for an end-of-flight snack—fills my mouth, making my knees go weak as he deepens the kiss. They literally go weak, shuddering under me as I lean into him, clinging to his shirt with both hands. I have no idea why this is happening, but I trust he has a reason for kissing me senseless.
I trust him, I realize.
I really do…
It’s surprising and a little disturbing, but not too disturbing. It’s impossible to be truly disturbed while kissing this man.