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“Nice move,” he told her.
She grinned and flipped her long hair. “Now can you behave properly in church, or do I need to have Ollie babysit you outside?”
“I’ll behave, but only for you, my beautiful princess.” He bowed slightly.
She shook her head, but she was smiling as she offered her hand. “Gushy compliments. Come on, then.”
Derek quickly clasped her hand with his and felt the rightness of it. Inside, he celebrated. He always enjoyed their flirtation, but more importantly, she’d offered her hand.
They walked into church with the family, the boys asking Derek questions about Ninja Warrior. A couple minutes later, the choir started singing and they all settled down for the service. It went by quickly, and he liked the pastor’s relaxed and welcoming aura.
After the service, they stood to stretch and chatted with the teenage boys some more.
“You brought the Ninja Prince to our humble church?” The pastor was suddenly in front of them.
Derek shook the man’s hand. “Derek August,” he said. “It’s great to meet you, Pastor Miles, and I enjoyed the service.”
“Thank you, Prince Derek. It’s an honor to have you here.” He tilted his head to Ellery and smiled. “Especially to see you with our angelic Ellery.”
“I’m not angelic and you know it,” Ellery said. She shook the pastor’s hand and something passed between them.
Derek liked that she even gave the pastor sass, but he wanted to know more about their interchange.
Unfortunately, an older lady grabbed the pastor’s arm. “I didn’t like the number the choir sang. We’re not at a funeral march here.”
Ellery smiled at Derek, and she tugged him down the aisle of the church. He’d have to talk to the pastor another time. As he glanced back, the thirty-something pastor was watching him and Ellery while still listening to the lady’s complaints about needing more upbeat music. Derek tilted his chin up to the man and he smiled in return. Did he have the pastor’s approval? That was good.
He and Ellery walked out with the teenage boys, but they went a different direction, waving goodbye. He held on to her hand and they walked back along the sidewalk, Ollie walking twenty feet behind them and Braxton driving the Porsche.
“Thank you for taking me to church,” he said.
“Do you have a church at Beacon Hill, or are you apostate if a woman doesn’t invite you to church?”
“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t go with any other woman to church.” He smiled. “There are quite a few churches right around the Commons. I hit different ones. Don’t want them to get to used to a royal in their midst.”
“Oh, I bet. You could distract everyone from worshipping simply by gracing them with your charming presence.”
“It is an issue.” He arched his eyebrows at her.
“So cocky.” She pushed her hip against his and they both laughed. She sobered and said very seriously, “I have actually noticed that you’re not.”
“Not …?”
“Cocky.” She glanced over at him. “How does that happen—a prince, the number one ninja warrior in the world, insanely wealthy? You drive a car that could finance a small country, and you are breathtakingly gorgeous.”
Her cheeks turned a becoming pink. Derek loved her sarcastic, teasing side, but this complimentary side was alluring.
“Yet you seem …” she continued, “not full of yourself.”
“Are you going to be spewing out fake, gushy compliments constantly?” he teased her.
She laughed. “Okay. I guess I deserved that one.”
“Sorry. I appreciate all the compliments, mostly that I’m not full of myself. I won’t tease you.”
“Now what would be the fun in that?”
Derek smiled and held the exterior door of her apartment complex. He was having a lot of fun teasing with her. Hopefully they could continue this progression. Her seeing so much good in him was definitely encouraging.
