AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kiera stuck out her tongue at him. Tristan chuckled.
They all walked with Chad to the front entry. He shook Ray and Tristan’s hands and gave Kiera a quick hug, then pressed Macey’s hand. “Ray tells me you love weapons.”
“I do.” She smiled. Finally, something familiar.
He released her hand and nodded to Ray and Tristan. “Have these boys bring you to the facility when you get a break from your important duties. We’re just a ten-minute drive south. You can get some target practice in and ooh and ahh over my vast collection of pistols.”
“I would love that. Thank you.”
“Least I can do for the irresistible woman who took out my sole competition. Now I’m the most appealing man in this kingdom and can have my pick of dates with the single beauties.”
Ray and Tristan both laughed.
“Sorry, Ray. I didn’t see you standing there,” Chad teased.
“No worries,” Ray said. “I’m sure you’re already the ‘most appealing man in the kingdom’.”
Macey prayed Ray wasn’t competing for the kingdom’s ‘most exquisite single beauties.’ She liked Chad, but he seemed a little too smooth at times. She imagined most women would find him irresistible. Hopefully the women chased Chad and left Ray alone. Not that it should matter to her.
“Ah, thank you, friend.” Chad grinned, but then got serious. “I didn’t know what to think of my best friend falling in love with some American who he hadn’t told me about and he’d only spent one weekend of ‘real time’ with but …” Chad looked her over and Macey’s heart was racing with whatever he would say. It seemed like Chad was her first real test. He was Prince Tristan’s best friend and knew him well. Even he didn’t know the truth of why she was here, and he had to be wondering why his friend hadn’t shared that he was dating someone seriously enough to get engaged.
“She’s a keeper, T,” Chad said. “Well done, my friend.”
“I think so.” Tristan smiled smoothly at her. She wanted to see Ray’s reaction but was terrified somebody was going to call her out soon for ogling him nonstop.
Chad said his goodbyes and slipped out the tall front doors. Immediately Kiera grabbed her hand and started tugging her down the hall. “Okay, this is the plan,” the little girl informed her as Ray and Tristan followed them. “I’ll show you everything from this floor up. You can check out the kitchens, laundry, and garage later if you want. When we get to our floor, we put swimsuits on, and when we get to the top, you have to promise to swim with me.”
“Sure. I love swimming.”
“Yay! Let’s go!”
When Kiera said go, she meant it. She raced Macey through the castle tour. Macey could’ve spent an hour looking at the murals on the walls of the ballroom that romantically depicted Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s love story. She could’ve spent many hours in the unreal library. She’d always loved Beauty and the Beast, and this library was more impressive than the Beast’s had been. The view from every window was spectacular, but Kiera wasn’t stopping to admire any of it. Macey kept up, promising herself she’d come back.
The sun was touching the mountain tops to the west as they finished their tour of the incredible fitness center and walked up the last set of steps and into the greenery and flower-filled solarium for the second time today. She and Kiera wore swimsuits, coverups, and flip-flops and Tristan and Ray were in T-shirts, swim trunks, and flip-flops.
“No going over that balcony ledge,” Macey begged Kiera.
Ray and Tristan both laughed as Kiera said, “I do that all the time. It’s fun, and you should hear Nanny Lisa scream when I do it.” She grinned. “I was trying to show you how impressive I am.”
“I’m impressed.” Macey hugged the girl. “Please don’t do it again. I was terrified for you.”
“I like you, Macey.” The girl hugged her back so tightly Macey could hardly breathe.
Ray and Tristan were both watching them. Ray’s gaze was warm and made her feel like she could do no wrong. When had anybody looked at her like that? She got approving glances from Gage, Sutton, and Sutton’s ops quite often, but nobody had looked at her as if she’d hung the moon.
Kiera pulled back. “All right. Let’s go. Time to swim!” She yanked on Macey’s hand.
“I’d tell her to slow down,” Tristan said. “But it wouldn’t work.”
“We should at least watch the sunset,” Ray said.
“This is the most beautiful view I have ever seen in my life,” Macey admitted.
“Oh, boring. Come on, T, let’s go!” Kiera released Macey and launched onto her oldest brother.
Tristan laughed, swept her off her feet, and turned her upside down. “Cool your jets, wild child. We’ll get there.”
Kiera squealed.
