“Are you kidding? Anything that hot hunk of a man says in that luscious accent packs an extra punch. If he told me it was my duty to go clean Times Square with a toothbrush, I’d do it.”
What was she implying? With a frown, Kelsey said, “Agreeing to pick up and leave America to go meet a brand new family in a country I swear I’ve never heard of has nothing at all to do with the hotness of my bodyguard.”
“Of course not. It doesn’t hurt, though.” Mallory patted her on the thigh. “It’ll also help that I’m coming with you.”
Relief coursed through her, as soothing as chugging milk after accidentally eating the tiny, fiery chilies in Drunken Noodles. “What? No. I can’t ask you to do that. I mean, I want you to. Desperately. But you just got a new job.”
“It doesn’t start for three weeks. I’m not leaving you to face all of this alone. We’re a package deal. Always have been.”
That was the truth. They were best friends as much as sisters. Kelsey couldn’t imagine being an hour away from her sister, let alone an entire ocean apart. With Mallory by her side, maybe this whole, crazy adventure that Elias had dropped on her was doable.
Kelsey leaned over and gave her big sis a long, tight hug. “Thank you so much. I love you.”
“I love you, too. We’ll always be sisters, no matter what.”
Aaaaand there was the last, hardest punch to the gut.
Did this news mean that Mallory wasn’t actually her biological sister? Elias hadn’t mentioned that there were two kidnapped babies from the royal family. So…was she adopted? Or was Mallory?
Holy crap. “Of course we will be,” she said fiercely. “Nothing could ever change our bond. Nobody knows me as well as you do. Nobody else knows that I hate Girl Scout cookies.”
“Nobody else knows I gave up the dream of being a doctor because blood makes me woozy.” Mallory shuddered. “It’s humiliating to have an entire career field out of your grasp with one puke.”
Standing up, Kelsey said, “Elias? You can stop worrying about dragging me out of here in a fireman’s carry. I’ll go to Moncriano with you. On one condition.”
“If it’s that you want a tiara to wear on the plane, I’ll admit I didn’t bring any of the Crown Jewels with me.”
Was he cracking a joke? “What? A tiara? Why would I want that?” She plucked at her yoga pants. “I’m not coming with you because of glittery princess perks. I’m coming because it’s the right thing to do.”
Mr. Inscrutable’s eyes warmed. And his chin tilted to the side the tiniest bit. “I’m both surprised and pleased to hear that.”
“My condition is simple, and not up for discussion: Mallory’s coming, too.” Flashing her sister a smile, Kelsey added, “We’re a package deal.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
Giving another one of those military-sharp corner turns, Elias nodded at Mallory. “You are more than welcome to accompany the princess. I’m sure your presence will be a comfort to her.”
“Consider me her emotional fleece blanket.” Mallory snatched her beloved green and lavender fuzzy blanket off the back of the couch. “Speaking of which, this will be the first thing in the suitcase.”
“No suitcases. No time to pack. We have to be out of this country before word leaks about who and where she is.” He cast a sidelong glance around the room. “There’s especially no time for you to finish unpacking, and then repack half of it. I’m leaving Lathan and Marko to supervise. A moving company should arrive in twenty minutes.”
That—even more so than Elias bringing along the NYPD as an escort—hit home to Kelsey what sort of power he wielded. It was eleven thirty at night. There should be no way he could’ve arranged to have a moving company come now, with less than a day’s notice.
Just what was she getting herself into? She stuffed her laptop, iPad, and phone into a tote. Then it hit her. “We can’t leave the country. We don’t have passports.”
“Arrangements have been made. Nothing will stand in the way of me getting you back to Moncriano.” Grim determination coated his voice more thickly than road dust in the summer.
Kelsey had no doubt he would’ve carried her out of here over his shoulder if that’s what it took. She wondered what that would’ve felt like, but she had far bigger things to occupy her mind. What would her new family be like? What would it be like to be a princess?
What on earth had actually happened to her twenty-four years and nine months ago? And why hadn’t her parents told her about it?
Chapter Two
Even though they were twenty-five-thousand feet in the air, Elias couldn’t relax.
He couldn’t shake the feeling the princess might decide to grab a parachute and bolt at any second. That, in fact, the presence of her sister was the only thing guaranteeing that she’d stay put for the entire eight-hour flight.
Skittish didn’t begin to describe the wide-eyed woman across from him. Beautiful didn’t begin to describe her, either. Not that he should be surprised. The entire royal family was striking, but he’d known them his whole life. Kelsey was a new, unknown quantity in so many ways.
Not just her pale-blond hair and elfin features. Not just the way he’d fought against noticing how her small breasts rounded tightly against her tank top. Or how that same top clung to a waist Elias was positive could be spanned by his two hands. Or how those thin pants didn’t hide the perfect swish of her hips as she’d climbed the stairs into the royal jet.
What had surprised him was how hard she’d fought the news of her royal birth. What woman didn’t want to be a princess? With Prince Christian as his best friend, Elias had literally spent years watching females throw themselves at the heir to the throne.
Not just because Christian was a decent guy with a good heart and quick smile. No, they clamored to share the bottles of Cristal he ordered at clubs. Wanted to ride in the prince’s Ferrari, and sit next to him in the royal box. When he suggested low-key, undercover activities, you could all but feel the whoosh of air as they quickly made up excuses to bail on his friend.
Kelsey, on the other hand, had seemed unimpressed as he’d reeled off examples of her newfound wealth. She’d cared not at all for the title he’d bestowed upon her. What had she called them? Princess Perks. And she’d said it with a sneer in her tone and on her pretty pink lips.
Lips that he needed to stop staring at immediately. Because this woman was off-limits to him in every way but as a job. A sacred charge. A responsibility. The only way to reclaim his family’s tarnished honor.