Royal Ruse - Emma Lea Page 0,39

first person to ever see past my shyness and anxiety and be my friend anyway. And she’d never asked me to be anyone else. She’d never tried to ‘help me’ get over my fears or tried to get me to come out of my shell. Spending time with her in those early days had been liberating in a way I’d never experienced. Even now, all these years later, I was more at home and more myself when I was around Frankie than I was with anyone else. She was my safe place.

I exhaled roughly. Which was why I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize our relationship. Our friendship had lasted for a reason and blurring the lines would only end badly. I couldn’t afford to lose her, because losing Frankie would mean losing myself too.

Francesca

I squealed. I couldn’t help it. The view from the helicopter as we flew over the Aegean Sea was spectacular. Lucas grimaced. I couldn’t blame him, I’d squealed pretty loudly into the headsets we were wearing.

It wasn’t like I’d never traveled. I’d done Europe and South America years ago, but I’d never been to the Mediterranean and it was just as picturesque as the postcards and Instagram photos claimed. Hashtag no filter.

“Sorry,” I said, gripping Lucas’ arm as I leaned over him to peer out the window beside him.

Was I taking every opportunity to touch him? Why yes, yes I was. I couldn’t help myself. After that kiss…god, that kiss. After that kiss, Lucas had withdrawn into himself and it annoyed me more than it should. I may or may not be trying to draw him out again…okay, I was definitely trying. Besides, we had to pretend to be a couple in love and even though Lucas wasn’t big on public displays of affection, how else could we convince a bunch of strangers that we really were in love and engaged to be married?

That was my excuse, and I was sticking to it.

“Do you want to switch seats?” Lucas asked, pushing at his glasses.

“No, this is fine,” I said as I continued to lean over him.

The water was the most incredible shade of blue and the sky was clear and the sun was shining and I felt amazing. I’d woken up on the plane with Lucas softly snoring beside me. We’d been cuddled up together like a genuine couple and I may have laid there and soaked up the feeling for a little longer than necessary.

I wasn’t kidding myself. I knew this thing between us was fake, but I also knew that this could potentially be the last time I got to spend quality time with Lucas and I was determined to get my fill of him. He would be exactly what this new king needed, and he would love it on Kalopsia and I knew without a doubt that he would not be returning to Boston with me, so I needed to fill my Lucas well while I could, even if it annoyed him.

“Does any of it look familiar?” I asked as we circled the small island.

“Not really,” Lucas replied, joining me in staring out the window at the country below us. “But then I didn’t really see it from the air.”

“How did you escape?” I asked, sitting back a little so I could see his face.

“By boat,” he replied softly. “In the middle of the night. My parents woke us up and bundled us out of our house and down to the docks.”

“You went to Greece?”

He shook his head, his gaze still on the land below us. “Turkey,” he replied. “We didn’t think it was safe going to Greece. From Turkey we flew to America.”

“That must have been scary,” I said.

“It was,” he replied, sitting back and looking at me. “But things had gotten rough in Kalopsia and every day was scary.”

I laid my head on his shoulder and wove my fingers through his. “Does coming back here bring up those memories?” I asked.

He was quiet for so long I didn’t think he would answer. “No, not really,” he replied, his voice rough.

We stayed like that as the pilot landed the helicopter. I gave him another squeeze once we were on the ground and then unbuckled my seatbelt when the pilot gave us the all clear.

“Oh, it’s warm,” I said as I stepped out into the sunshine.

“Warmer than Boston, anyway,” Lucas said, joining me on the helipad.

“Lord Lucas?” a stern young woman said, striding toward us.

“Uh, just Lucas is fine,” he replied.

She nodded once and