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“The last couple of weeks have been brutal. I cannot imagine a lifetime of compromising my integrity.”
“That is a harsh indictment.”
“You did hear me say the last two weeks have been brutal?”
He didn’t reply, but then the question had been rhetorical.
Jenna got lost in the commentary of the tour once again, so another hour passed before she realized it. They were pulling into a slip near the Statue of Liberty.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“You said you wanted to play tourist. Nothing could be more iconic than the Statue of Liberty.”
A prince visiting the Statue of Liberty was a little different than the average person. They didn’t shut it down or anything. She didn’t imagine they had time to arrange it, but the bodyguards managed to create space around them. When they got inside, he’d arranged for access all the way up the ladder to the inside of the flame.
There was a small hatch they climbed through to the walkway used to service the spotlights that were directed at the flame at night.
Wind whipped Jenna’s blond hair around her head and her clothes around her body, but the view was magnificent.
“This is incredible.” She had to practically shout to be heard.
Dima wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in to his body. “It is impressive.”
Jenna felt safe in his arms, regardless of the wind and the way it felt like the narrow platform swayed under her feet.
“Your Highness.” That was all the security head said.
But the way Dima’s body stiffened told her he knew what the prompt meant. “We have to go down again,milaya. I did not give them enough time to arrange proper security protocols, so we have to keep the visit short.”
Jenna didn’t mind. She loved that he’d made this happen at all. The climb down was a heck of a lot easier than the climb up had been. When they got back out to the plaza, she stared up at the statue. “It feels heavy being here.”
“I imagine it does.” He took her hand, uncaring of all the people surrounding them with camera phones. “I feel a great profundity when I stand inside the original home built by my family.”
“It wasn’t the palace?” she asked.
“No. When my family left Russia, they did so in secret and with few of their possessions.”
“So there’s a log cabin out there somewhere your ancestors lived in?”
“Not a log cabin, but nothing like a palace either. It was turned into a museum after the palace was built by my great-grandfather.”
“I never knew.”
“I am surprised Nataliya has never spoken of it. She has taken a personal interest in preserving the history of our country.”
Jenna had known that, but her BFF had never mentioned the house turned museum. “I’d like to see it.”
“I will take you the next time we are in Mirrus.”
She pointed out that chances were they wouldn’t be there together. If she ever returned to the small island country.
Dima insisted on having their photo taken in the middle of the plaza, like all the other tourists. Of course, unlike the other tourists, their picture was taken by a bodyguard, while the other three managed a decent gap between her and Dima and the rest of the people intent on visiting the Statue of Liberty.
They made it back to the yacht, and Jenna didn’t mind that Dima led her back inside. She kicked off her shoes and sat on the sofa, her legs curled under her. “I’m wiped.”
Dima gave some instructions to someone just outside the door before joining her. “No club before we fly out?”
“No.” The very idea of pounding bass and crushing bodies made her shiver in revulsion. “I need some downtime.”
