I toss the sheets aside, blocking out the insipid Liam voice. I stand up to move aside the sheer curtains and gaze over the endless lawns and the forest. It’s so different from California. Everything is moist and green and quaint and there’s hardly any noise at night.
How long am I going to stay in a place where I’m so obviously unwelcome?
“Daisy, get up.”
Liam raps against the door hard as though to jolt me from sleep.
“I’m up—Jesus.”
The door flies open. Liam’s already dressed in his signature khakis and polo-prince outfit, irresistibly reminding me of WASPs.
I tug the large t-shirt over my thighs. He gave me one of his soccer t-shirts to sleep in. His gaze lingers on my bare legs for a few moments before he grins at me.
“It’s time to take your etiquette lessons.”
Shit. That’s right. “Who’s teaching?”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Me.”
“You?”
“I’m a prince, you know. I’ve had these lessons my whole life. The difference is, I follow them when I want to. You, however, are a girl, and you must act like a princess at all times.”
“That’s a bullshit double standard.”
“I don’t make the rules, love.”
He shows me the screen of his iPad, which is open to a giant photo of me attempting to curtsy in front of the king.
ROYALLY PEEVED: PRINCE LIAM ENGAGED TO YANKEE GIRL
My face flushes as I scroll through the article and the scathing comments.
“You really don’t want to read those.”
“‘Prince Liam chooses some Yankee slut to be his wife? Is he daft or insane?’” Infuriated, I yank the iPad from Liam’s grip and read another one. “‘Stupid Americunt doesn’t even know how to greet the king.’ Wow, at least now I know how they think of me. Don’t hold it back, Anglefell.”
He winces, pulling the iPad from my hands. “Rule number one: never read the comments. You could be Anglefell’s sweetheart and you’d still get shat on in the comments.”
“Great. Just fantastic.”
I follow him outside my room to the weird coffee table piled with a laptop, a backpack—
“That’s my stuff!”
Liam takes a step to the side, blocking my way. “I got them back for you, but on several conditions.”
Of course.
“What?” I say through my teeth.
“You are not to talk to journalists. If anyone asks, you came to Anglefell and fell in love with me, and that is the story we are sticking to.”
“That will not make sense to anyone who knows me.”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you keep your trap shut. I helped you get out of a horrific sentence, and you’ll help me by keeping quiet about it. All right?”
“I—fine. That’s fair, I guess.”
“I mean, it Daisy. You can’t tell your parents, your professor, anyone what really happened. We’ve got to sell this to the public, and we can’t do that if it falls apart in the first week.”
“I understand.”
“Good.”
Liam fishes a phone out of his pocket and hands it to me. It’s mine. I grab it and light up the screen, noticing he changed the background to a seductive photo of himself dressed in the suit he wore at the engagement party, the shirt open.
“Nice. Thanks for this.”
“Don’t mention it, love.”
“Right. Well, we have a lot to do today, so we better get on with it.”
“Should I get changed?”
He considers me for a moment. “I see no reason why you have to get dressed to learn etiquette.”
Good God.
“Just give me five minutes.”
He snatches my wrist out of the air before I can take a step away. “Daisy, we don’t have much time.”
“It’ll just take a minute!”
The breath catches in my throat as he yanks me into his chest, still holding my hand. I can’t handle him when he’s that close.
“I think I’ve been very patient with you. I’ve tolerated your Americanness because it amuses me, but now you’re my fiancée and you’re not even wearing your engagement ring.”
“So?”
The calm behind his hazel eyes shatters, and suddenly he yanks me hard to the side. Liam throws me over his legs as he sits down. What the hell is he doing? The t-shirt flies over my back as the cool air stings my naked skin, and then suddenly a broad, heavy hand rips over my ass.
“Ow! What the fuck!”
“Princesses must not swear, especially in another royal’s presence.”
Slap!
The sound cracks the air as I bend awkwardly over Liam’s legs, my ass burning from his fierceness of his blows. I’m paralyzed with the shock