Royal Line (Tattered Royals #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,31
going to be a fucking problem.
The issue was the taste of her was still on my tongue. I turned away and finished packing up my things. I preferred to unpack methodically whenever I went somewhere. Putting things away like I would at home helped me settle quickly. It was part of the routine. Maybe I was just anal.
London, it seemed, was far less methodical.
She’d tossed her T-shirt over a chair. Dropped her shoes where they were. For a woman who had barely anything on her when I found her, she’d found a way to somehow expand.
“Listen, it’s probably not safe to stay here much longer. There are CCTVs all over the city, and very likely, a camera caught the two of us walking in here night before last. I’ve arranged for a safe house.”
She wiped her chin with the back of her hand and spoke around a mouthful of chocolate croissant. “No, that won’t be necessary. I told you, my friend Rian is expecting me to stay at her house in the country.”
She had to be kidding. “With all due respect, your friend won’t have the kind of security that I can provide.”
“From the look on your face, it seems that you’re insistent on staying with me. You’ll see that she’s got a security system and alarms. There’s no reason I can’t stay at her place.”
I glowered at her. “I haven’t scoped out the place yet, so right now I say it’s not safe.”
“I’m not a prisoner, am I? Roman hired you to keep me safe, not to keep me prisoner.”
I frowned at that. “It’s for your own safety.”
“You can’t just force me to do what you want because my brother hired you. I said I’d follow your orders, but I still want to know where you plan to take me. I can get a cab outside the hotel right now and head over to Rian’s without you.” She paused. “And I have a stop to make before I get there.”
My brows lifted as a chuckle tore out of my chest. “A stop? You’re joking. No.”
“I know there is a safety concern. If anyone thought to check, you’d realize I’m no idiot. I know how to be careful. But I promise you I will not play princess in distress.”
I studied her. “What’s the stop?”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re not going to try to stop me?”
I sighed. “Tell me what it is?”
“Oh, uh, my editor, she wanted me to take photos of some youth environmental activists and the art they’re making. I can be fast and take most of them from the car. I won’t be in the open for too long. And it’s on the way.”
Her voice was pleading and her eyes soft. An invisible hand squeezed my heart, and I knew I would regret saying yes. But she did have a point. She could get in a cab right now. But that wouldn’t be safe. In fact, that would be the last thing I would want her to do.
If you think you can walk away, please share what you’re smoking.
She was a major pain in the ass, and I was pretty certain I didn’t like her at all. But she had a point. I didn’t work for her. I’d do the right thing, make sure she was safe, then get her home as quickly as was safe…and out of my hair.
Sure, you will. That’s why you’re still thinking about the way she tastes.
I rolled my eyes skyward. How could one small woman be such a royal pain in the ass? “Okay fine. Write down the address here.” I shoved one of the hotel’s stationery pads in her direction, along with a pen that said La Mer. Worse came to worst, I’d call in the big guns and make her brother talk some sense into her if I had to.
Quickly, she jotted down the address.
“While we’re at it, memorize my phone number.” I wrote it down for her.
Her brows lifted as she chewed around the chocolate croissant. “Why do I need to memorize your number?”
I sighed. “In case we get separated. You will need to find a phone and call me.”
“But if we get separated, wouldn’t that be because I left you in the dust?” I set my face to glower. Eventually she rolled her eyes but backed down. “Fine, yes, I’ll remember it.”
I watched as she used her fingers, tapping out the number sequence, and then I lifted both brows. “What are you doing?”