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Ray and Tristan were still lifting when she finished.
“I’ll see you both … at the press conference?” She was uncertain. Yesterday she’d assumed she and Ray would be inseparable, not just because of their connection but as they worked together to protect Tristan. Now she wasn’t sure of anything. That frustrated her. It was an hour-long workout. Maybe Ray was quieter when he worked out. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person.
Or maybe she’d built the interactions from yesterday too high in her head and they meant nothing.
“Or do you need help watching Tristan?” she asked Ray.
“Like you need to babysit me.” Tristan chuckled. “Ray’s all over it. The wheels of Augustine don’t rotate without the general’s permission.”
Ray only rolled his eyes. Tristan was obviously teasing but there was a lot of truth to his statement. Ray seemed determined to protect everybody, most especially his family.
“The general is impressive.” Her voice was far too breathless.
Tristan pumped his eyebrows and Ray gave her a tight smile.
“You don’t need to worry about anything until the press conference,” Ray said. His beautiful accent made her stomach dance.
“Thank you.”
“There will be a breakfast spread in the small dining room from seven to nine,” Tristan told her. “Or you can grab fruit or make yourself something in the family living area any time. We’ll meet in the entry a little before ten and walk out to greet the press together. They’ll be gathered at the bottom of the exterior steps.”
“Okay. Do you know what I should wear?” She blushed. “Sorry, dumb question to ask boys, but I’m more prepared for the protection detail and researching suspects than pretending to be a future princess. The press conference is terrifying to me.”
Both men smiled at her, Ray with a genuine but concerned smile on his face. That smile made her heart soften and the knot of worries in her gut loosen an inch.
“You’ll do great,” Ray said softly. “You impressed Henry and Chad last night.”
“Are those two a hard sell?”
They both laughed.
“Henry actually is,” Tristan admitted. “He didn’t get to the position of prime minister by being a softy.”
She nodded. Though Ray seemed more welcoming than he had all morning, her stomach still tumbled at the thought of the position she was pretending to be in. She was no Meghan Markle. Rubbing shoulders with prime ministers and royalty. Kissing princes. She felt her face heat again.
“Just wear a dress or a skirt and button-down, not formal but something you feel comfortable and confident in,” Tristan told her.
“Thanks. See you both soon.” She turned and hurried away, catching Ray’s gaze on her but feeling like it was conflicted. That made sense if he liked her and didn’t think he should. Had Tristan said something to him last night? Would Tristan keep them apart?
She rolled her eyes at herself as she pumped down the stairs. This wasn’t some tragic medieval romance novel.
She was here for a job. She was a professional. She was in no way the right match for a prince.
But she still wanted Ray.
The morning went quickly as she showered and wasted far too much time primping her hair and using makeup to ‘flatter her features, not override them’ as Liz had taught her. The hardest part was trying to decide on the right outfit. She would’ve done a video chat with Liz or Gage’s fiancé Cassie, but it was the middle of the night in America.
She finally went with a flattering summery dress, pink floral with fluttery short sleeves, a V-neck, and a mid-calf hemline. Thankfully, Liz had taken her to ritzy shops to purchase her clothes. They were of the highest quality, so she knew she wouldn’t look out of place with Tristan in his tailored suit. It was still strange to see herself with her hair down, makeup on, and no glasses covering her face. She felt pretty. Would Ray notice?
It was almost nine. She should run down and get some breakfast, but her stomach was in knots. She pulled out her laptop, sat at the small table, and started organizing the AI reports that had come in last night, and chatting in further detail with the bot to make sure it didn’t miss any details.
A soft rap on her door brought her head up. Standing, she hurried to open it. Ray stood there in a deep blue suit and red tie. His eyes swept over her and got warm—smoky, truthfully.
“Macey … you will win everyone’s hearts looking so beautiful.” His lyrical accent and husky voice were as appealing as his handsome face.
She only wanted to win his heart.
He held up a plate covered with foil. “I noticed you never made it down to breakfast.”
