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Everyone files back into the room, re-taking their seats and strapping the belts across their laps. The only one who doesn’t sit right away is Creed. He waits, looking at me, as if waiting for my permission.
What am I going to do? Throw him off the plane now? It’s not like we’ll be sharing a hotel room. He’s here to ensure my safety. Nothing else.
I give him a curt nod, but don’t look at him any longer than necessary. As if not looking at him will make him disappear. Will make his presence in this room less noticeable.
“Shall we go over the agenda for today?” Thomas suggests as the plane turns toward the runway.
“Certainly.”
I open the folder in front of me and attempt to listen as he goes through what’s expected of me, Pippa chiming in when it relates to the perception the palace hopes to create.
But I barely hear a word anyone says. How can I when I’m distracted by the heat from Creed’s intense stare warming my skin?
ChapterTwenty
Esme
My feet screamingfrom being on them practically all day, I waste no time in kicking off my heels the instant the door to my hotel suite closes later that evening.
I’ve never been so damn happy to be alone. And not because I spent my day delivering speeches, posing for photos, and meeting with locals and community leaders.
It’s because I finally get a break from Creed Lawson’s imposing presence.
There was no escaping him today. As my temporary CPO, he’s essentially an extension of me, glued to me at all times. Maybe if he were just another member of my protection team, it wouldn’t be that bad.
But where I go, he goes, too.
He was by my side from the second I stepped off the plane to the instant I disappeared into my suite mere moments ago. I’ve tried to tell myself it would be okay. That we could put aside any of our differences and act professionally. That it might feel awkward at first, but eventually I’d be distracted with all the public engagements, meetings, luncheons, and whatnot that I’d soon forget he’s even here. After all, that’s supposed to be the mark of a great protection officer. To blend in with the background.
But Creed Lawson can never blend in with the background. At least not for me.
Everywhere I turned, he was there. Every time he touched his hand to my elbow as he steered me through a crowd of people, my skin prickled with heat from the sensation. Every time he leaned down to whisper something into my ear, I craved for him to curve a little closer and brush his lips against my flesh. And every time I slid into the back seat of the SUV, I was overwhelmed with his woodsy scent, the aroma bringing me back to that one summer.
Even now, in my private suite, I can feel his presence from the sweep he did earlier.
And it’s driving me crazy.
Needing to push Creed as far from my mind as possible, I grab my cell phone and bring up my FaceTime app, hitting Tristan’s contact.
As it rings, I move into the bedroom and throw my mobile onto the mattress, stripping out of my dress and stockings before ridding myself of my bra. Opening a drawer to learn all my things have already been unpacked for me, I grab a t-shirt and yank it over my head.
“Hey, darling.”
When Tristan’s voice fills the room, I dash toward the bed, raising my phone in front of me. The second I see his face, my anxiety disappears.
“Tristan,” I exhale.
“Hey.” He treats me to one of his panty-dropping smiles. “How did it go today?”
I sigh and collapse onto the mattress, relaxing against the mountain of pillows, the Egyptian cotton sheets cool against my skin.
“Tiring. My feet are killing me. Think the royal household would get mad if I wore a pair of tennis shoes tomorrow?”
He laughs, his smile making his eyes gleam. “I can’t be sure, but I have a feeling they might have a few choice words. Although, from what I remember of your grandmother, it’s probably preferable to wedge sandals.”
“Anythingis preferable to wedge sandals in her book. Not like I’d wear them this time of year anyway because it’s so cold.”
“So I shouldn’t mention how beautiful the weather is here.” He gets up from what looks like the couch in the living area of his trailer and pulls back the curtain, blue skies and sunshine visible for miles.
