Page 12 of Fit for a King

I’d heard the term white as a ghost, but I’d never actually seen someone turn that particular shade, and not in the span of a heartbeat.

Horror filled Noah’s eyes, and he dropped the laces he’d been tying.

“OhmyGod,” he said under his breath before swallowing hard. “Your Majesty, I apologize, I…I didn’t know⁠—”

“Now you do.”

He nodded quickly. “I’m so sorry⁠—”

“Whatever impression my brother gave you of how you’ll do this job was incorrect. You don’t serve him, you serve me.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

“Do you think you can manage discretion, or should I remove you now?”

Noah blinked and shook his head. “No, sir. I will do whatever His Majesty requests.”

“Good. Then you can start by finishing my shoes.”

“Of course, sir.” He lowered his eyes and picked the laces back up, tying them quickly, and then I stood.

But that was a mistake, because I happened to glance down at the man kneeling at my feet and was struck by how beautiful he was on his knees.

I shoved it aside, like I did every feeling I had, and stepped away to get my jacket. But Noah was there before I could reach for it, averting his eyes as he held it open for me.

“I won’t require you between meetings, but I’ll expect you before bed,” I said. As soon as the words were out of my mouth—words I’d said plenty of times before with no thought to them—I could instantly feel the way they’d come out with a different connotation than I’d intended.

Or maybe that was purely one-sided, because Noah nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

I walked to the door, more than ready to put this meeting behind me, when Noah appeared beside me and reached for the handle. The speed with which he moved was impressive, but along with it came the lingering scent of his cologne as it wrapped around me.

It was soft and woodsy, but with subtle notes that made it inviting and warm—sexy, even—but not overpowering. Usually I’d ask my employees not to wear anything around me, because it bothered my head, but I liked this.

A little too much.

The door opened, and the guard outside it moved to attention as I turned my head to dismiss Noah. When my eyes locked with his, I expected him to immediately lower them now that he knew of his missteps—but he looked right back at me.

“Have a good afternoon and evening, Your Majesty.”

I knew I should respond, tell him to do the same, but something about him got under my skin. Something that made me feel…uneasy.

So I gave a clipped nod and stepped out into the hall, where the guard averted his eyes.

Yes, that was much better. That response I understood. And as I walked up the corridor and every person stood a little straighter than the last, I felt more at ease as my world began to make sense again. A world where people treated me as they should and I understood how to respond.

Not where my far-too-attractive footman told me to have a good day and looked me in the eye while doing it.

I was going to kill Gabriel for this.

5

NOAH

TO MY CREDIT, I somehow managed to wait until I was back downstairs before completely melting down.

“For the love of…” I muttered, running a hand over my face as if I could block out the entire last twenty minutes like they’d never happened.