Lone Prince (Royally Unexpected #7) - Lilian Monroe Page 0,18
gone. When the storm lets up, I’ll be on the first train out of here.
7
Wolfe
Rowan walks into the office looking like a red-haired goddess. My stomach clenches, but I hide it behind a scowl. It isn’t fair for someone to be that pretty. Even the way she walks is delicate. Entrancing. She closes the door gently, staring up at me through long lashes.
She doesn’t curtsy, choosing instead to jut her chin out at me.
Damn, it’s hard not to smile.
“Thank you for bringing the satellite phone to my room.”
I nod. “Did you speak to Mrs. Reed?”
“I did.” Her eyes shine, deep blue and full of life. She doesn’t look down at the ground when she faces me. Looks me straight in the face.
I jerk my head to the wall, where a screen has been set up. “Walk me through your design. I have comments.”
“Would it kill you to say please?”
“Probably.” I grin.
She rolls her eyes, stomping toward the desk. I love the way her cheeks get pink when she’s angry. How she tries to look mad, all clenched fists and gritted teeth.
It’s cute.
I could have fun torturing her. Show her just how little she understands about this place. Let her know that I rule this particular corner of the kingdom, no matter who commissioned her to do this redesign. Then, I’ll send her home and enjoy the sight of her ass as she walks away.
Choosing an armchair beside the desk, I sit back and lift my eyes to the screen. I wave a hand. “You may begin.”
“Gee, thanks.” She huffs, and my smile widens. Her glare cuts to me. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
The redness on her cheeks deepens and spreads. Would she blush if I kissed her? Touched her? Would she scream my name if I made her come? Would she hate me even more if I made her feel good?
Rowan doesn’t answer my question. The keyboard clacks as she types, and I see a 3D image of the proposed palace design on the screen. Rowan stands, taking a deep breath. She moves to the screen and turns to face me.
“The new design will retain the historic features of the palace while taking advantage of twenty-first century technology. We could create the first true eco-palace in one of the harshest environments on earth.”
I tilt my head, watching the way her breath catches when she meets my eye. She feels it too, the energy between us. Rowan squares her shoulders and walks back to the computer, flicking to another image.
“Every aspect of the new castle will be designed to trap heat in winter and keep the palace temperate in summer. I believe the Summer Palace can be utilized year-round, not only during the short summer months. With tripled-glazed eco-glass and cutting edge insulation materials, we can make this a truly iconic destination.”
“A destination for who?”
Rowan stares at me, opening and closing her mouth. “I, uh…for you. And your family.”
“This palace was the birthplace of the nation,” I say, staring at the gleaming new design on the screen. “It means a lot to the citizens of Nord.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?” I arch an eyebrow. Turning back to the screen, I frown. “You got rid of the turrets.” I nod to the edges of the image, where the two tall turrets that frame the palace have been replaced with round glasshouses.
Rowan nods. “Those two faces receive the most sun in winter months. We can capture it and use the concrete floor as a heat sink. It’ll be more thermally efficient.”
“Those turrets were the scene of epic battles in Nord in the eighteenth century. They’re important.”
I like watching Rowan squirm. What I’d like even more is to watch her squirm underneath me as an orgasm rips through her body. Her face could be just like it is now, with eyes flashing and lips parted.
I blink the image away. Not now. I can’t think of that. I shouldn’t think of that.
No matter how pretty she looks when she’s angry, I can tell she doesn’t get it. Nord. Me. This palace. She doesn’t understand where she is. She doesn’t know Nord’s history.
She’s the wrong person to redesign it.
It doesn’t matter that her grandmother has lived here her whole life. It doesn’t matter that Nordish blood flows in Rowan’s veins. She’s an outsider.
But damn, she looks good standing in front of me. Rowan tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, taking a deep breath. “I didn’t know about those battles.”