Royal Watch (Royal Watch #1) - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,72
calendar until your etiquette lessons later this afternoon.”
A calmness at the mention of horses eased all the tension locking my muscles. Horses were my happy place. Safe.
“That sounds perfect.” I opened my door wider, stepping back. “Let me grab my jacket.”
He stepped in, his gaze touching over the room.
“Sleep okay?”
“Yeah,” I automatically responded, snatching a jacket from the closet.
“Really?” He chuckled, nodding behind me. Curving to follow his gaze, I saw my bed was a disheveled mess. “Looks like either a lot of fun was going on or you fought with your bed.”
A warmth filled my cheeks, my head shaking. “Unfortunately, the latter.”
“So, you’re already starting off your day lying to me?”
A mischievous smile hinted on my mouth. “It’s on my to-do list.”
He snickered, rubbing his forehead, creating a huge grin on my face.
“I already have your riding boots in the car, Duchess.” He grinned back.
“You know I’m not a duchess.”
“You will be soon,” he responded. The air strained for a moment before he spoke again. “Better be nice to me, or I’m going to make sure Katy gives you the slowest, oldest horse in the stables.”
“Now I see why you’re eager to go back again so quickly.” I wiggled my eyebrows as I pulled on my coat, grabbing my bag. “More than one filly you want to ride.”
He snorted, pushing me playfully out the door. “Come on.”
I laughed, but a spike of irritation stabbed my neck when he didn’t deny it. What if that was the reason he wanted to go again? Not being nice, but wanting to take Katy up on her offer?
“I totally nailed it, didn’t I?” I nudged his shoulder with my own, his gaze snapping down on me. Heat bloomed up into my face, once again realizing what I said. Everything I said around him sounded sexual. “You like Katy.”
“Here, let me take that.” He ignored my insinuation, reaching for my bag as we strolled down the hallway. “You probably want this back too.” He took the bag out of my hands, switching it for my mobile.
“Oh yeah. Thanks.” I nodded, staring down at the screen filled with messages and notifications, suddenly wanting to chuck it out the window. “I actually forgot you had it.”
He muttered something so low I couldn’t hear it, drawing up my quizzical glance.
“Coffee first?” Lennox cut us toward the kitchen, not looking at me.
“Was that seriously a question?”
“No.” He chuckled. “Though, the fact you aren’t a tea person should have taken you out of the running to be the future queen here.”
“Wow. Harsh,” I hissed through my teeth, grinning.
“Though true.” He winked at me, going to the coffee maker already filled with fresh coffee, the tea set out next to it. He grabbed a packet of tea, pouring hot water from the kettle on the stove into a cup, adding milk.
I went straight for the coffee maker, our shoulders brushing.
“I know, but it’s something that reminds me of being forced to sit, smile, and be that posh little girl who wore pretty dresses and didn’t speak unless spoken to. Wearing little white gloves, eating tiny sandwiches, back straight, forced to be genteel and docile, when all I wanted to do was be outside riding my horses through the mud, playing with the dogs, or saving every animal I found in the woods. Tea is the taste of my cage.”
He leaned against the counter, cup in hand, his head dipping in understanding.
“Tea, for me, is when everything was simple. My childhood with my mom. Strip all the bullshite away, and I feel peace for a moment.” He licked his lips, staring into the milky liquid. “It got me through many times in the military. Days when the only way to keep going was to split off from reality.”
Admiration hiccupped up my throat. “You were in a war?”
He nodded.
“My first time, I was shipped overseas. For many years, my troop was in the heart of it. Fuck. What we saw… did…” He swallowed, his gaze darting off in front of him, his lids blinking. “When I came back, I transferred to the Royal Air Force, where I met Theo.”
“You needed to distance yourself.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah.” His jaw twitched. “How you talk about tea was how I felt about being boots on the ground. Trapped. Flying felt freeing.”
“But you came to work for Theo instead?”
He shrugged, setting down his mug. “We saved each other’s lives in different ways.” What does he mean? Saved each other’s lives? “He’s a good mate, which