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Ray’s fist clenched. His brother didn’t need to feel guilty. Macey was supposed to be in his arms and Ray kept claiming he wasn’t interested in her. Bile rose in his throat.
“T says I can pick any car, and I can drive,” she announced happily. Oh, it was ‘T’ now? Ray had rather liked how she called his twin his full name but shortened his own.
“Oh?” He forced a smile. “So beautiful American computer specialists know weapons, how to fight, and they can drive?”
“Can they drive?” She puffed herself up and gave him a challenging look, still smiling. The effect was adorable. “That clinches the decision. We’ll take the Bugatti Chiron. Unfortunately we’ll have to take the four-door, not the Super Sport, so I’ll have to top out at two-hundred and thirty-six miles per hour, not break the three-hundred mile per hour like I could in the sport.”
T laughed, but Ray just stared at her in wonder. She really did know weapons and cars. Her laugh was like angels’ bells. Her dark eyes captivated him. She was a mix of sweetness and confidence that had never been matched. His perfect woman stood in front of him. With his brother’s arm brushing hers, wearing his mum’s ring, and engaged to his perfect twin.
He was going to be sick.
“Impressive,” he muttered.
“I haven’t impressed you yet.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a sassy look. He knew she was only playing. Macey wasn’t really sassy. He felt like he knew her so well, and he wanted to tell her she’d impressed him over and over again the past two days. Had he impressed her? With his lips?
He hurried toward the sleek silver four-door luxury car and opened the driver’s door for her. She walked away from T and Ray breathed a little easier without his twin too close to her.
Her sweet scent tantalized him as she smiled and slid into the car. She was wearing a blousy short-sleeved white shirt and stretchy black pants with red high heels. Beautiful, but that was only part of her appeal.
He stepped back to the rear door. T met his gaze over the top of the car. “Impressive,” he mouthed, winking obnoxiously before sliding into the passenger seat. Next to Macey.
Ray loved his brother, but he desperately needed to knock him on his butt. He slid into the car and tried to go into military mode, focus on their surroundings, his men tailing them in a Range Rover, any other dangers.
Everything was too quiet outside the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, it was impossible to shut out Macey’s lilting voice, tinkling laugh, her fresh scent, her dark hair sliding over her toned arm, her beautiful fingers on the steering wheel, the smooth way she handled the car, and the thrill of acceleration around tight corners, made even more thrilling as it was Macey’s expertise creating it, her gaze meeting Ray’s in the rearview mirror.
The military base was in a mountain valley only ten minutes south of the castle. They were admitted through the gates, a couple of the men doing double takes at Macey driving the car and their general sitting in the back. Ray didn’t care, but he wished he could be sitting up front with her, holding her hand. Luckily, T didn’t take the liberty of doing so.
They parked the car and greeted Chad, who was waiting for them with a grin and immediately started teasing Macey. Ray remembered her saying Chad was ‘smooth, too-charming, with almost a villain accent’. He smiled, relieved she wasn’t interested in Chad.
Ray and Chad followed T and Macey through the facility, and T did hold her hand this time. Ray kept telling himself it was part of the farce, but it made his stomach churn and his fists clench.
T showed her the vehicle bay with tanks and armored vehicles, the hangar with planes and helicopters, the outdoor training grounds, shooting range, and obstacle course, the indoor training facility, the dining hall, the bunk rooms, and introduced her to people along the way. Everyone was friendly with her, and Ray could bet they were pulled in by her appeal just like he was.
They made it to the armory and then to Chad’s weapons room. Macey adorably rattled off not only the names of each gun but some fact about it. She looked so lit up and incredible, Ray knew he was sunk. He caught T watching him and had to hide his fascination with Macey. What was he going to do? He had to find who was leaving those stupid notes and who had killed his mum so they could be done with this fake engagement garbage and he could beg Macey to date him. Could he? It would cause a mess and his family didn’t need that. But oh, how he needed Macey.
After they left the weapons room and armory, they had lunch in the mess hall and more and more men gathered around their table as Chad teased Macey about guns or knives or swords and tested her knowledge. Every man there was drawn in by how smart and sweet and appealing she was. Ray had to constantly remind himself not to glower at her flock of admirers. These were his men. It would be bad form to knock their heads together for staring at his girl.
And she wasn’t his girl. He focused on his brother, laughing and teasing with Macey along with everybody else. T’s eyes shone with pride at how incredible his fiancée was. His brother must have decided if Ray wasn’t going to admit to his interest in Macey, he might as well enjoy his perfect fake fiancée. Jerk twin anyway.
Lunch finally ended, and they walked out to the training grounds. Chad wanted to take Macey on a helicopter ride, but T teased his friend mercilessly about how crazy he flew and convinced Macey she should let her lunch settle before she went up with him.
There were men shooting at the ranges, training on the obstacle course, and working on hand-to-hand combat in the outdoor fighting arena. It was really just a dirt circle. Inside they had a nicer area with a full gym, mats for fighting, and a ring for boxing, but when it was beautiful summer weather, everybody preferred to stay outside.
T had taken Macey’s hand in his again, and Ray needed to fight somebody. Right now.
“Anybody up for a challenge?” he asked, stepping forward.
The men started cheering. Ray loved to come to the facility and help train and improve his troops.
Macey’s gaze zeroed in on him, and he grew hot and cold all over. Suddenly it wasn’t just about blowing off some steam. He wanted to show her exactly how well he could fight.
Chad was grinning at him. “I’d fight you, but Tiny beat me this week. He might be a challenge for you.”
Was Chad being serious? He was a challenge for anybody, but Ray consistently beat him. Tiny was six-six, two-eighty, and none of it was fat. Last time Ray had worked with him, the kid had shown promise but didn’t have the confidence, skill, or speed to come close to beating Chad.
“I’d love a challenge,” Ray said.
The men whooped and somebody went to find Tiny. Ray slid off his shirt, grabbed some sparring gloves, then bounced and punched a bit to get warm while he waited. He caught Macey’s dark gaze on him. It was appreciative, warm, and made his stomach hop happily. Ray wished he could claim her lips after he won this fight, but he’d have to settle for impressing her like she’d impressed everyone here.
