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“You don’t need him. You have me.”
“I have to.”
“Do you honestly want me to leave?”
Before she could answer, David walked in. He eyed the two of us, but we weren’t standing as close to each other as we had been minutes before.
“Morning,” Natalie said, cheerfully.
I looked away.
“Morning to you too,” he said. I could hear the smile on his face and couldn’t blame him.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t eating me alive to pretend that she meant nothing to me. The silence was a beat too long and I turned just a second too late before David’s lips met hers.
“Fuck.” When he’d come in, I shifted to wash the knife I’d used to slice the homestyle baked bread as, apparently, the Royals didn’t buy sliced bread like the rest of us. Blood welled up on my hand as I’d inadvertently squeezed the blade.
Then, she was there, next to me, taking my hand. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing. Probably a paper cut.”
She called over her shoulder to David. “Do you have a first aid kit?”
“Yeah, I’ll be right back.” There was a hint of annoyance in his tone.
I let her run my hand under the water. “It doesn’t look too bad.”
She probed at my hand with her nursemaid touch. “A little bit deeper and you’d need stitches.”
David came and inspected the damage as she went to work. “Will you be able to fly?” he asked.
“I’ve flown with worse injuries, believe me.”
There was suspicion on his face. I might have overplayed my hand this time. “What time do you want me to take you guys on a flight over the city?”
He looked at her. “I have breakfast coming if you’re hungry.”
She flattered him with her lovely smile. “That sounds good.”
“Maybe an hour,” he said.
“If you plan to stay in, it would probably be a good idea for me to go fuel up,” I offered because I couldn’t stay and watch what was happening between them. I wasn’t the prince she continued to believe me to be.
He paused as if he expected me to say something else. “That’s a good idea. Let me get you my card.”
Fuel wasn’t free and after he left, I moved close to Natalie. “Those lips are mine.”
“I—I—,” she stammered.
“Don’t let it happen again.”
I’d stepped away as I heard David’s approach. “Here,” he said, handing over his black card.
“For your safety, don’t leave the building until I get back,” I ordered.
He nodded, then for the briefest of moments, I held her gaze. Her breath caught and I knew she understood.
I left the two of them with confidence she’d avoid his advances. As much as she preached about following her father, her kiss this morning was further evidence she was in fact mine and knew it.
When I got back, the main area was empty. For the briefest second, I thought I was wrong about my claim until David came down the hall from his bedroom and called for her. She appeared from the opposite end, dressed in jeans and a sweater, reminding me of the woman I’d met what felt like a millennia ago. Her face was free of most makeup, allowing her natural beauty to shine through.
“Ready?” I asked.
David held out a hand, and she went to him. Though she didn’t put her hand in his.
I turned and opened the door. I might have pivoted slightly when she passed so we brushed against each other.
“Oh. Sorry,” I lied and shifted so David could go by without a problem.
It had been nearing night when we arrived, and I hadn’t enjoyed the flight. I’d been so busy wondering how she would react when she found out it was me. It was different today. The sky was clear, and I showed my skills as a master pilot, feeling the rush I usually got when flying. Following David’s directions, I flew them to all the places he wanted to see. Thus, the comms were on.
“That’s where I went to school,” he said, pointing down to a historic looking building with some green space behind it. “On the way back, can you circle back to the Sears Tower? Well, now it’s called the Willis Tower,” he said to me.
“Sure thing, boss,” I said, taking a wide turn back around.
His next words were meant for my woman. “I know this morning was unexpected,” David said. “It’s just I’ve been dying to kiss you since the moment we met.” I wished there was a mirror so I could see her reaction. “It was barely a brush of lips. I wondered if you’d allow me to kiss you now.”
It was petty, but I smirked as I banked the helo to the left, forcing them to hold on. “Oops, sorry about that.” I might have flashed my dimples, though they couldn’t see.
All the reasons why I knew Natalie was lying to herself about marrying him came when she asked a question that all but ruined his moment to try and kiss her again. “Is that the Mile-High Tower?” she asked.
