Enticing Liam (Big Sky Royal 2)

She’s not wrong. But I don’t trust anyone to protect Ellie the way I can.

“But since she invited me, I’d like to come along.”

And there it is.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, absolutely. What should I take as a hostess gift? Flowers seem impersonal, but I don’t know her yet. Perhaps a bouquet and a nice bottle of wine. I’ll see what Sebastian has in the wine cellar.”

I’m absolutely not dating her. I refuse to touch her.

But she’s coming to meet my family.

Fucking perfect.

* * *

“Don’t take me home yet,” Ellie says, surprising me.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Let’s go for a walk,” she suggests.

“You’re not really wearing hiking shoes.”

“I said a walk, not a hike.”

Pioneer Park, over by Lauren’s house, has paved walking paths that should be fine on Ellie’s feet, so I turn toward that side of town. I park in the lot and open her door for her.

“I’ll be close,” I say.

“Come walk with me, Liam,” she replies. “It’s just a bloody stroll.”

I fall into step next to her, my eyes always skimming over the people nearby, the vehicles in the lot, looking for anything suspicious.

“We’re in a park in Montana,” Ellie says with a sigh. “I hardly think someone will try to kidnap or harm me here.”

“You never know,” I mutter. “I’m doing my job.”

“I know. And I’m grateful. Did anyone tell you that I was almost kidnapped when I was very young?”

My gaze snaps down to hers. “No.”

“I was a toddler, so I don’t remember the incident. I’m told that the family was walking amongst the crowd for my father’s birthday celebration. Shaking hands and saying hello, that sort of thing. All very normal.”

For a royal, yes, I’m sure it is normal.

“I don’t know how, but apparently, someone took my hand and pulled me into the crowd. It happened quickly, and with the bodies of people packed so tight, the security detail couldn’t see me.

“It was a full-on panic. The rest of the family was immediately rushed back to the palace, but my father refused to go with them. He was absolutely determined to help look for me, which I’m sure only angered the guards.”

“Without a doubt,” I agree. “But he’s a father, and I understand him wanting to get to you.”

“Me, too. They found me less than ten minutes later, being carried to a vehicle only a few blocks away. A citizen saw me and started yelling, alerting the others.”

“I hope they got a reward.”

“He’s my father’s chef now,” Ellie says with a bright smile. “Has been for twenty-three years. They became good friends.”

The king is a good man. I’ve only spoken with him over the phone, and usually during times of stress, but he’s been kind to me. Firm. Fair.

I respect him.

Suddenly, Ellie’s phone dings, and she pulls it out of her purse to check it.

“What a bloody idiot,” she mutters and shoves her phone back into the bag without replying. “In my experience, men are just horrible creatures.”

Don’t ask. Don’t ask.

Do. Not. Ask.

“What’s wrong?”

Why the fuck did I ask?

“That was Beauregard Hattenham. An absolute bore of a man with meaty hands. He asked me to marry him last week.”

I stop walking and frown down at her. “Marry him?”

“As if I would,” she mutters, still walking. “He doesn’t love me. He doesn’t even like me.”

“Surely, he must if he asked you to marry him.”

“He told me,” she insists. “Said straight out that ours wouldn’t be a love match, but with his appropriate bloodlines, we should get married. He’s an earl. And if he wasn’t such a jerk, it might have worked. But Beau likes to bully. He’s mean. He sneers and judges and told me I’d need to have a boob job.”

“What the fuck’s wrong with your boobs?”

“Exactly,” she says. “Not a thing. They may be on the smaller side, but I don’t have a large frame.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your body,” I grumble, ready to tear Beauregard Hattenshit apart.

“Thank you.” She sighs, shaking her head. “But it’s nothing new. The men I meet don’t want me. They want the Crown. Alistair, a man I saw for over a year, insisted that if I’d just get pregnant, everything would be fine. The only thing fine in that scenario would be for Alistair’s benefit. If I were pregnant, I would be forced to marry him, and he’d become a member of the royal family.”

“Christ.”

“There was no way I was going to sleep with him. He was slobbery and had sweaty hands.”

She’s met assholes. No wonder she’s a virgin. I’m proud of her for not letting any of those morons touch her.

“It’s exhausting,” she admits as we wander down the path that leads to the bridge near Lauren’s house. “Maybe I should just sleep with one of them and get it over with.”

“No.”

We walk to the top of the bridge, and Ellie leans against the side, looking down at the water.