The whole thing was made more awkward because I hadn’t been able to stop staring at him. He was no soft playboy. Instead he was ripped with muscles for days. He sure as shit didn’t get that kind of physique from fencing alone. And from where I’d been standing, he appeared to be very talented with his mouth and hands.
I cleared my throat to help shake the image of Breck and his magic tongue. “Very funny. And nope, there’s no need. I’ve got it now. I burned the map into my head.”
He chuckled softly. “Okay, if you say so. Have Thomas or whoever is working security at the gate walk you to your car.”
“Sure. Will do.”
But I wouldn’t. I appreciated the safety concerns, but it was just about a hundred meters to the car. I’d be fine. As much as I appreciated the whole ‘you’re family now’ song and dance, I didn’t love the overbearing-big-brother thing.
I took a left out of Wilder’s office toward the North Tower. But before I could make it to the safety of the cobblestones and the gate, I saw the one person in the entire palace whom I’d hoped not to see, and he froze when he saw me. Breck Waterford.
Our gazes locked, and my belly did a flip flop. Stop it. You don’t even like him. Besides, he’s no doubt drunk again.
I faltered for a moment, making that mental calculation of whether or not I could avoid talking to him. But no. He was already walking toward me.
“Hello, Feisty.”
I rolled my eyes and set my jaw. There was no avoiding him now that he’d seen me. “Your Highness.” The words were ones of respect, but I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice.
His grin was quick. “Ahh, there is that warm welcome I’ve come to expect from you. One of these days, you’ll need to tell me why you don’t like me. I mean, everybody likes me. Haven’t you heard? I’m a prince.”
“Oh, I’ve heard. I’ve seen, um, all your assets, such as they are. I’m just not particularly impressed.”
Liar. I was such a liar. That eyeful I’d gotten when I walked in on him with the two supermodels proved his assets were just fine. Enormous actually. To the point of jaw dropping. It was no wonder he trotted out his… assets every chance he got. But I’d walk across hot coals before I ever said anything like that to him. His playboy exploits were legendary. I’d only just moved to Alden and, so far, every eligible female I’d run into had some Breck story.
And from the stories I’d heard, he had every right to be arrogant.
My skin flushed just thinking about him. Or maybe the heat was a result of his closeness. Even if I found him arrogant, irritating, and brash, he had sex appeal in spades. Unlike Wilder, there was not a single brother vibe in sight.
Nope. Breck Waterford had my number. But like hell was I telling him that.
“You keep on denying you feel that pull between us. Look, I get it. I’m sexy. You can’t help yourself.”
I scowled at him. “Seriously? You’re disgusting.”
He laughed. “Who are you kidding, Feisty? I can see it in your eyes. Pupils dilated. Lips parted. That honey skin all flushed.”
“So, you’re telling me that your whole life women have told you were appealing? I’m so sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness. But I won’t be one of those women.”
“Sure you will. You just haven’t gotten there yet. Pretend you don’t like me all you want. But I know the truth.”
“Okay, Breck. If this whole act you put on works for you, keep it up. It just doesn’t work for me. I loathe arrogant guys. You forget, I’ve seen your skills. Completely unimpressive. Hell, I’ve even seen bigger.”
Again with the lies. I should be ashamed of myself, but my training had taught me, when in dire straits, use all the tools at your disposal. And so, until I made it to safety, I needed to treat his presence as hostile. I needed to use any tactic I could, period, to escape before I did something dumb like lean in and sniff him.
Why did he smell so damn good?
He clutched a hand over his heart. “Oh, Feisty. You wound me. Or at least you would if I didn’t already know who you were working with. But you tell yourself whatever you need. I promise you that you’re sniffing around the wrong brother.”
I frowned as he brushed past me, the minor contact making my nipples peak. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Breck rolled his eyes. “You don’t think I see you and my little brother? Sure, he’s the upstanding one. But he has his… tastes.” He smirked at that. “Who knows? Maybe you’re into it, which makes me incredibly sad it isn’t me that you want.”
”I beg your pardon, but you’re the worst, Your Highness.”
“Try harder to pretend, Feisty.” His voice was a low hum as he muttered over his shoulder.
God, what was it about him that made my whole body vibrate? What I wanted to do was follow him and keep fighting. Yet, not five minutes ago, I’d been starving and needing to crash.
But one Breck sighting and I was ready for a fight. An all-out grudge match. He could do that to me, make me relinquish my carefully constructed control. Maybe that was why I didn’t like him. I knew what was good for me. And staying the hell away from Breck Waterford was at the top of that list.
Chapter 2
Sparrow
What doesn’t kill me…
* * *
I wasn’t sure how long I stood in the hallway staring after the prince.
Jesus Christ, Sparrow, get a hold of yourself. He’s only a prince. It’s not like you don’t know another one. You even know a king now. Breck Waterford isn’t unique.
This had to stop. I needed to figure out a way to get my shit under control when I was around him. Shaking off my run-in with him, I marched toward the courtyard. I now knew the little arrows on the giant statues in the courtyard pointed you in the right direction.
So I just had to follow the statue facing the north hallway, which I did, easily. Even after several months, the palace completely awed me. It was something akin to a Cinderella fantasy world. There were all these parapets and so much white stone. Inside, the floors were marble, the walls covered in priceless art, ceilings painted by the masters. It was gilded opulence everywhere you turned. I had expected the same thing in the guest rooms, but those had all been remodeled and refurbished—ultra modern with all the conveniences.
It must have been amazing for London to grow up here. I’d grown up between DC and Mauritius. My father was a diplomat, and my mother was a professor from Mauritius. There were many trips home, as my mother called it. And, if I was being honest, Mauritius felt more like home to me than DC ever had.
There was a frenzy to DC. People were always moving, never stopping. And there was something about Mauritius that was settling, calming in the blood. If I’d grown up somewhere like here, I was convinced I would have burned every hallway, every painting into my memory. I wondered if that was how London felt. I liked her a lot. And, as an added bonus, she made Kannon so happy. I couldn’t have picked better for him myself.
At the gate, I waved at Thomas, who was on guard duty. “Have a good night, Thomas.”