I looked down at his T-shirt, covering my breasts. The shorts tied around my waist. “I need to leave. I can’t overstay my welcome.” I started to rise from the table. My clothes had to be around here somewhere.
“Sit,” he commanded.
My skin bristled. “But I know I should leave.” The truth was I didn’t want to wait around to be kicked out. I could leave with some shred of dignity if I collected my things and left of my own accord.
“Do you see anyone from The Titan here?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He pulled his expensive watch into the sunlight. He tapped it. “The fucking contract has expired, Molly.”
“What does that mean?” I could feel something in the air changing. “What are you saying?”
“It means, you?
??re staying.”
I blinked. “But I have…I can’t. Can I?” My head was spinning. This wasn’t part of the plan. It was strictly forbidden.
“You can and you will.” He seemed confident whatever he said was law. Maybe it was.
He rose from the table. “I’ll have some clothes delivered.”
“And the library?” I blurted.
He laughed. “Yes and then I’ll take you to the library.”
He walked inside, leaving me on the balcony to bask in what was an unbelievable situation. Was this happening? The china cup rattled as I lifted it from the saucer. I looked out at the city below. This was a royal view. The king’s view. And in this moment—it was mine.
Eleven
Damon
I shouldn’t have said it. The moment Molly offered to leave, I should have let her walk out the door. It would be easy to send her home. Watch that cute ass take a step on the other side of my residence and never let it cross the threshold again. But I couldn’t fucking do it. I always got what I wanted and I wanted her. Every part of her.
Membership in the society couldn’t dictate what I did as king. Lesage could fuck off if he thought I cared about his code of honor.
This was my country.
My laws.
My way.
I waited in my office while she changed. I needed to review the itinerary for the day. It was delivered promptly at 8 a.m. each morning in a black leather case. It was called the lodestar. It always had been. It sat on my desk.
I pressed my thumb to the latch. Once my thumbprint was recognized the device unlocked, revealing the official royal schedule. There was a complete listing of every event my brothers and sister would attend today, as well as the talking points I needed to address for my lunch with the prime minister of the Bostique islands.
My sister Isabel was on the other side of the country representing my interests in the irrigation of the country’s olive groves. Although we couldn’t match Spain, our farmers were out producing our neighbors per square acre. It was something I thought worth investing in. Irrigation would double their production.
I ran down the list. Liam had a dinner with the Chinese ambassador. Trade was the number one topic. Klein was on the west coast for the opening of a data research center. Galona tax payers had funded the project.
I held my breath when I saw Dominic’s assignment. Sending him to represent the crown was always a risk. He had a late morning engagement at the hospital in the city. I groaned. As long as Kenley stayed close by, we should be able to avoid a scandal this morning.
I glanced at my aunts’ and uncles’ locations for the day. My cousins were also scattered. Nothing related to official crown business on the list. I folded the page and began to read the diplomatic situation with Morovina. I exhaled. I hated tiptoeing around the fucking obvious.
“Hi.” Molly tapped on the door.
I looked up from my notes, closing the royal briefing with a click.