Page 5 of Royal Desire

Ruby Sinclair is back in Winslet.

And from the sounds of it, she’s not going anywhere fast.

CHAPTER TWO

I HOPE YOU FALL ON YOUR FACE

Ruby

“Break a leg.”

I glare up at my little brother who’s not so little anymore. He’s grown two more inches since he and Grandma visited me last summer. He might’ve grown up, but not out. He’s as skinny and lanky as ever. “Thanks a lot, Blake.”

“No, I’m sending you all the good juju like they do on Broadway.” He lowers his voice but doesn’t lose his cheesy grin. “Don’t screw it up. Trip on the curtain. I hope you fall on your face, and the audience throws rotten tomatoes at you.”

“You’re freaking me out.”

We’re in the middle of the enormous atrium of The Manor at Winslet. It’s been a while since I’ve been home. I came back for Blake’s high school graduation, but it was a flyby. I was in and out of town so fast, I barely had time to change clothes. Grandma wasn’t happy, Blake pouted, and I felt like the absolute selfish asshole I’ve become. But being back here is painful.

Blake pulls me into his bony frame and pins my arms to my sides when he hugs me tight. My brother has always been lovable. That was all Grandma. He never knew our mom, and definitely not his father.

Once he squeezes the air out of me, he grips my shoulders, holds me at arm’s length, and shoots me a wolfish grin. “Try not to die out there.”

“Stop it!” I hiss. He has no idea just how close to home that hits.

Blake lets go of me and stuffs his hands in his pockets. He’s dressed in all black—black suit and black dress shirt but sans the tie. It’s similar to what he wears in the dining room when he’s the maître d’ of the five-star restaurant, The Greenhouse. “See there? I’ve bestowed you with all the luck. Not that you need it. This is Winslet. No one here is better than you. And, with me at your back, how can you go wrong?”

I reach out and give his forearm a squeeze, because he’s not wrong. He rehearsed with me for hours over the last two days. “I appreciate you so much.”

“You must be Blake’s sister.”

I jerk when I hear a deep English accent behind me. I spin on my heel and almost stumble to the side in the process. A tall gentleman wearing a suit that’s way more expensive than Blake’s stands in front of me with a blonde bombshell of a beauty next to him. I assume this is Devon Donnelly, the owner of the manor, but I know who she is. Hell, ninety-nine percent of the world knows Harlow Madison—I mean Donnelly. They were married not too long ago. Their reception was the talk of the internet for days.

I look up at the blue-eyed Brit. “Yes. That’s me.”

Blake turns on the charm. “Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly, this is my sister, Ruby Sinclair. Sis, this is my boss, Mr. Donnelly and his new bride, Mrs. Donnelly.”

The bride offers me her hand. “If you don’t call me Harlow, I’ll revolt. It’s so nice to meet you. Blake was my first friend at the manor.”

Devon frowns at his bride. “You met me before you bloody met Blake.”

Harlow smirks at Devon. “Yes, but you were never my friend.”

He wraps a hand around her hip. “True. I’ll take that.”

I focus on Devon. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. My brother can be persistent.”

“Blake might just run the damn place someday. It seems his talents are never ending. I had no idea he could play the piano,” Devon says.

Blake beams. “Hey, I’m a team player. I do what I can. Grandma taught me to play. I spent the last two days brushing up on my skills. Not to toot my own horn, but I was the showcase performance at Grandma’s piano recitals every year. And nepotism had nothing to do with it.”

“I can’t wait.” Harlow leans into her husband. “Should we get settled so they can do their thing? Jett and Lennon grabbed a table for four and are waiting for us.”

Devon and Harlow are night and day but they make a striking couple. Devon leans down and presses his lips to hers for a fast kiss before turning to us. “What do they say in show business? Survive the night?”

I groan internally but smile at my potential boss. “That’s exactly what they say. Thanks.”

I peek around the corner where Devon leads Harlow into The Speakeasy. It’s a posh lounge that features rare whiskeys. “Is it always this busy?”