AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I must’ve forgotten about it. I’ve had a lot on my plate lately. Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve started this new relationship,” Dani said with a laugh—that didn’t sound genuine to Jameson’s ears—and a look of gratitude in his direction.
What was that about?
Jasper tapped Jameson on his shoulder. “A little birdie told meyou’retaking on more royal duties.”
Jameson tensed but then shrugged it off. Only Catherine, Dani, and Rhys knew the full extent of his arrangement with the queen. Still, he shouldn’t be shocked that his friends would wonder at the unlikely development. “Just a few events.”
“But you hate them!” Jasper frowned. “Is it because of what happened with Birmingham?”
“Partly. And with everything going on with Julian, the queen asked for my help.”
“It’s more dire than we thought if they’re drafting you into service,” Oliver said.
Dani laughed and stroked his thigh. “He was wonderful during the tribute. I have no doubt he’ll be great!”
He snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. She shrieked and he laughed, nuzzling her neck, his heartfull of love for her and fortifying his belief that he was doing the right thing to get them out of this life.
“What do you have coming up?” Harriet asked. “Visiting a children’s hospital? Meeting with a foreign dignitary?”
“The new royal exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery on Thursday,” he said, sure his voice conveyed the correct level of his enthusiasm.
Which was pretty low.
“Are you going?” Dani asked.
Harriet shook her head. “Oh no! We didn’t get an invite to this one. Only those in the innermost circle will be there. You’ll enjoy it.”
“Dani isn’t going.” At the various surprised and concerned expressions he explained, “We have an arrangement. In exchange for my promise not to damage her coolness with my bungling presence, I’m shielding her from having to attend these dreadful functions.”
He glanced at Dani, hoping that their shared smiles would ease the anxiety some were still emoting, but she averted her gaze and rose from his lap.
“I don’t know, Jay. It sounds like fun.”
That was unexpected.
He narrowed his eyes and shifted in his seat, trying to decipher his feeling that something was... off. “I wouldn’t call itfun, but it’s a beautiful museum and it houses an extensive collection of portraits of the most important and famous British people in history. If you’re truly interested, I’ll arrange to take you at some point.”
“How about Thursday?”
“Thursday?” He stiffened. “You want to come to the opening of the exhibit? With me?”
She bit her lip before releasing it and lifting her chin. “Yes.”
He pushed to his feet, ignoring the room’s sudden deviation inatmosphere and the other occupants watching them as if they were witnessing the finals at Wimbledon.
“But we agreed that we would keep our relationship separate from our ‘jobs.’ That it would be the only way to protect it.”
The last thing he wanted to do was expose Dani to the press here. And not just the press. There was an entire strata of people who lived for the vicious gossip that occurred at these events. Hadn’t they just spent ten minutes talking about Julian and Fiona? Jameson never wanted to subject her to that.
“That was before, when I thought I’d be busy with Mela-Skin and you believed you’d still be lecturing. Now you’ll be doing something for the Crown almost every day while I have all this time on my hands. Unless”—she jammed her hands on her hips—“you expected me to stay at home all day, waiting for you to return?”
“Oh shit,” Oliver coughed into his fist.
Jameson didn’t know what he’d thought about how they’d spend their time while she was visiting. In truth, he hadn’t done muchthinkingsince she’d gotten here; he’d been busy ensuring they both were too busy...feeling. Eventually they would’ve discussed it, preferably without an audience.
But what he did know was—
“That’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
