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“Stubborn man,” she muttered.
He raised an eyebrow, and she flushed again. She was also stubborn, and too independent, and her only excuse was upbringing and survival.
They walked outside, and the police and the vehicles were still there. Ellery called in dinner orders to her favorite Indian restaurant, getting extra entrees for the bodyguards. She was tempted to pay over the phone but refrained. She could show that she wasn’t that stubborn. Plus, the hundred-and-eighty-dollar dinner tab wasn’t one she could afford to get stuck with.
They drove to the restaurant, and one of the bodyguards went in to pick up the food while they waited in the car.
“Is it weird, the bodyguard thing?”
“Kind of. I could probably defend myself, but General Ray is a very protective older brother. If it makes him and my dad more comfortable with me living here, and makes it so I can live my life rather than constantly looking over my shoulder, I think it’s worth it. Malik isn’t so agreeable to the idea. I’m pretty sure Ray has guards trailing him and Malik probably enjoys ditching them every chance he gets.”
General Ray was overprotective. Naomi had said something similar. Ellery wanted to spew all the information about the murderous Hattie Ballard, have Derek tell his general brother, and the issues would be solved. But if they all believed and loved Hattie, what would probably happen was the August family would have more ‘bad blood’ with Naomi’s family and the prime minister and Ellery would be uninvited to the wedding. She selfishly wanted this trip, this time, with him.
She glanced at him. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you.” He reached for her hand and she secretly loved him touching her. “You know I could protect myself.” He tilted his chin up, all tough and manly.
She looked him over. He was as fit and impressive as any man she’d ever known. “I think you’re strong enough, but there are sneaky, awful criminals out there and you might not even see them coming.” She was referring to people like Hattie Ballard, but she doubted he had any idea.
“I’m a ninja,” he protested. “I have eyes on the bottoms of my feet.” He winked and squeezed her hand.
She laughed.
The guard walked out with the food. The drive to her apartment was far too quick as she quietly gave him directions. Derek didn’t release her hand and was as relaxed and confident as ever, even as her nerves ramped up. A prince was driving her in a five-million-dollar sports car to her rundown apartment.
Had he ever set foot in a place as dumpy as her home? She and her mom tried to keep it clean, but many stains and spots on the furniture, carpet, walls, counters, and laminate flooring would never come off. Sometimes when her mom was home alone all day, and especially if she wasn’t feeling well, the dishes piled up. Ellery hadn’t taken out the garbage this morning or had time to haul this week’s dirty laundry to the laundromat in the basement of their building. The apartment probably smelled like moldy workout clothes and rotten food. What had she been thinking, agreeing to him coming home with her tonight?
They pulled up to the front of the five-story building, and Ellery’s stomach squirmed. The brownstone never looked appealing, but it looked downright awful right now. Even the setting sun couldn’t paint where she’d been born and raised in a glowing light. Would he soon realize how huge the disparity was between their situations? Between them? She’d turned him down for lunch and dinner offers for months now, but suddenly she was terrified that he would turn her down and push her away and all the dreams she hadn’t allowed to develop in her mind would be crushed to the asphalt and he’d drive over those dreams in his beautiful car in his hurry to get away.
Derek released her hand and reached for his door handle.
“I’m not comfortable with you coming into my apartment tonight,” she blurted out.
He turned back to her, clearly confused. “Oh. Aren’t we having dinner with your mum?”
“She might not be feeling well, and the place might smell bad, and I’m exhausted. It’s been a very long week.” Her excuses were lame, and they both knew they were just that—excuses.
His blue eyes asked her to reconsider, but also revealed that he wouldn’t push her. Why was he so patient with her? Why was he still interested in her? Because of the challenge, like he’d said to Nash? Maybe it was simply that she wasn’t easy to get like all the women who pursued him. Naomi had said that people in their ‘economic sphere’ grew bored and engaged in distractions to feel something. Was Ellery just a distraction for Derek?
“How about church tomorrow?” she asked, then wished she’d bit her tongue.
“I would love to go to church with you tomorrow,” he smoothly answered, covering any awkwardness. “Can I take you and your mum out to lunch after?”
“We’ll cook you brunch,” she said, though she wished she hadn’t. That meant he’d still see where she lived, but at least she could stay up tonight running loads of laundry down the stairs to the basement laundromat and scouring the apartment while she waited for them to finish washing. Tomorrow she could wake up early and cook and bake and maybe impress him with her homemaking skills? Gah! What did a wealthy prince care about the girl he was dating being able to bake a decent loaf of sourdough?
“Thank you. What time shall I pick you up for church?”
“It starts at ten, but my mom won’t fit in this car with us.” She laughed unsteadily, but at least she was trying to keep it light.
“No worries. We’ll steal Ollie’s SUV.” He gestured his head toward the Porsche.
“Okay.” She paused, then said quietly, “Thank you, Derek.”
Their gazes met and held, and she could see he wasn’t thrilled she’d begged off eating together tonight, but at least they had a plan for tomorrow. She didn’t know how to date, and especially how to date a prince. If she couldn’t even eat dinner with him, how could she fly to his country and participate in some swanky wedding? It seemed like a dream to pretend to be a princess until you actually walked into the situation and stood out like a red pimple on a model-gorgeous face. What had she roped herself into?
“Let me carry your groceries to your door and grab you and your mum’s dinners from Braxton and Ollie.”
She nodded, not sure how to refuse that.
