The playground opening was a much faster, less-involved deal. I stood at the ribbon that stretched across the arched gateway to the new park and smiled as the officials made short speeches about the fundraising efforts and community involvement that had made the playground possible. Once they’d finished talking, I was handed a pair of large, shiny silver scissors, and with little fanfare, I cut the ribbon and stepped back as the children in the crowd poured onto the rubber-mulch covered ground.
After a few more handshakes, I was back in the car, this time heading for home. I slid the heels off my feet and wiggled my toes in relief.
“Busy day for you, ma’am.” This time it was Simon who cleared his throat and spoke first. “All of this, and then you and the prince are off for an evening out, too?”
I nodded. “One of the cousins is patron of a young artists development fund, and their big fundraising benefit opens tonight. Since he and his wife are so good about supporting our causes, we felt we should return the favor.” I shifted, crossing my ankles and leaning on the armrest next to me. “Will you be going with us tonight, or is Naughton on duty?”
Simon shook his head. “Tonight is Naughton, ma’am. Since I came on the scene a bit abruptly, he’s offered to take a couple of extra duty hours until I can settle in.”
“Ah.” I’d learned during my time in Britain that sometimes the best answer was that simple, non-committal sound. It worked perfectly in this circumstance, but still, I felt compelled to add something as the car pulled onto the grounds of Kensington Palace.
“I’m not sure if you knew this or not, Mr. West, but I had no idea that Harold was leaving for training. I didn’t know that he wouldn’t be with me today, and I might have handled that—poorly.” I made a face. “I don’t always cope well with change, particularly if I don’t have time to get used to the idea. Harold was the first person I met in England the first time I came over, and he’s been a good friend to me since then. I trust him. We work well together. So perhaps today I wasn’t quite as ... welcoming and cooperative as I could have been.”
The sedan stopped at the cottage, and Simon jumped out without answering me. As he opened my door, I paused for a moment to thank the driver for his work today before I climbed out.
“And thank you, too, Mr. West.” I tilted my head. “Despite what you might think of me after today, I’m really not so difficult.”
“I don’t think you’re difficult at all.” The officer’s voice was low. “And if I was a little, ah, heavy-handed, I apologize, ma’am. I was a bit nervous jumping into this assignment so last-minute, and I’m told I can be a tad overbearing and even bossy at times. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
A smile curved my lips. “And just who tells you that you’re bossy, Mr. West?”
He returned my smile, though his was rueful. “Both my younger sister and my girlfriend, ma’am. They say I can bully them a little if I feel I know better.”
I laughed. “That’s good to know.” I stuck out my hand. “Let’s decide to start fresh tomorrow, all right? I won’t be rude to you just because you’re not Harold, and you can trust me to know what I’m doing without your bullying ways.” I kept my tone light and teasing. “Is that a deal?”
Simon stared at my hand for a long moment, and it occurred to me that he was not at all used to my still-American habits and mannerisms. In the end, though, he wrapped his fingers gingerly around mine and gave them a slight squeeze.
“It’s a deal, ma’am. Have a pleasant evening, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You, too.”
When I opened the door to the cottage, Nicky was sitting on the sofa, his sock-covered feet stretched out on the coffee table. He looked up at me with that smile that lit up my heart every time I saw it.
“Hey, Ky. How was your day?”
I collapsed onto the couch next to him and snuggled against his chest. “I ate lunch, I cut a ribbon, and after a few bumps in the road, I managed to make nice with my new security officer. So all in all, not bad.”
“Huh.” He touched my cheekbone and kissed the side of my head. “Want to tell me more about it?”
“Nope.” I closed my eyes and relaxed into his arms. “You should tell me that you’re proud of me for being so mature and gracious, and then we should both go upstairs and make out a little before we have to put on our fancy clothes and go out again.”
“Now that sounds like an excellent idea.” Nicky pushed himself to sit up, leaning over me, a grin playing around his lips as he gazed into my face. “Kyra, darling, I’m so proud of you for being—uh, what was it again?”
“Mature and gracious.” I pinched his ribs. “And now that you’ve messed that up, you can also add sexy and irresistible.”
“That goes without saying.” He buried his face in the crook of my neck. “So I’m proud of you for being mature and gracious, and I’m so damned grateful that you’re both sexy and irresistible. And now I want to chase you up the steps, so I can leer at that fine ass of yours, and then I intend to toss you onto the bed and mess you up before we get ready for tonight. How does that sound, Duchess?”
I giggled and ducked under his arm, jumping to my feet and darting for the steps. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Duke. I love it when you chase me ...” I let out a shriek as Nicky leapt over the back of the sofa in pursuit of me, but I made it to our bedroom door before he grabbed me around the waist, lifting me off my feet.
“ ... but my favorite thing is when you catch me,” I finished breathlessly when he tossed me roughly onto our bed and then landed nearly on top of me.
“I’ll always chase you, Ky. Now and for the rest of our lives.” His hands skimmed down the front of my body, heat trails following in their wake.
“And I’m always going to let you catch me.” I arched my back to press closer to him, and by the time we’d finished messing each other up, we were nearly late for our evening engagement.
But we had a lot of fun being late.
“GOOD MORNING,YOURROYALHIGHNESS.”
