Enticing Liam (Big Sky Royal 2)

I suppose it only makes sense that my first time for this sort of thing would be with one of the most powerful men in the freaking world.

I blow out a breath, square my shoulders, and walk into the king’s office.

“You asked to see me, Your Majesty.”

He looks up from the papers he’s reading and nods. “I did. Come, sit. Shut the door.”

I do as I’m asked and sit across from the king.

I don’t think I was this nervous when I was in the middle of gunfire in the Middle East.

For a long moment, Ellie’s father doesn’t say anything at all. He watches me with narrowed eyes the same color as his daughter’s.

A lesser man would squirm.

Lucky for me, I’ve been in interrogation situations with the enemy and didn’t crack under the pressure.

The king isn’t my enemy. And he doesn’t have a bullwhip in one hand, ready to crack it across my bare back.

That’s a story I didn’t tell Ellie. Someday, maybe.

“I had a conversation with my daughter this morning,” he finally begins and sits back in his chair. “Eleanor is my only daughter, my youngest child, and perhaps the most headstrong of the bunch.”

I smile softly. Yes, she is that.

“I was surprised that you didn’t join her when she came to speak to her mother and me about her relationship with you.”

“I wanted to,” I say immediately. “In fact, I would have preferred it, but she wanted to talk with you privately.”

He nods. “Headstrong,” he says again. “It seems you’ve gotten tangled up in a relationship with my daughter.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

He raises a brow. “How would you phrase it then, Mr. Cunningham?”

“I’ve fallen in love with an incredible woman,” I reply honestly. “For many reasons.”

“Is her lineage one of them?”

“That’s insulting.”

“To whom?”

“To her.” I lean forward. “Ellie isn’t a woman who puts up with leaches. It’s why she hasn’t been interested in any of the men that have been paraded in front of her in the past. Because they didn’t want her, the wonderful woman behind the Crown. They only wanted the prestige that comes with marrying into the royal family. And trust me when I tell you, they didn’t hide that fact from her.”

He scowls, and I keep talking.

“I don’t want or need anything from you except your daughter. Just as she is. And if that means that I can’t be employed by you any longer, that’s fine with me, too.”

He rubs his fingers over his lips. “Being part of this family is complicated. Inconvenient. And, sometimes, insulting. Once this reaches the press, you’ll be hounded daily. Your life will no longer be private. Any skeletons in your closet won’t just be sniffed out, they’ll be put on display, on news shows and magazines. Every person you’ve ever been involved with, every bad decision you’ve ever made will come to light. If you’re not ready for that, you should go back to Montana now. You won’t lose your job.”

I stand and walk to a window, looking out across the gardens below. Ellie’s out there with her sisters-in-law, playing with her niece and nephew.

She’s laughing, lifting a little girl in her arms.

With my back to her father, I start to tell him about my past in the Army, the things I saw, and the horrible acts I committed, including my time as a POW and how I murdered every single one of those men to get the fuck out of there.

I don’t watch my language. I don’t make it pretty or easy for him to hear.

When I finish the story, I turn to find him watching me, listening raptly.

“You see, we both have a decision to make,” I say finally. “Because this is who she loves, sir.”

“Have you told Eleanor all of this?”

“Most of it.” I swallow hard. “I haven’t told her about the POW camp yet.”

He licks his lips. “Are you saying that I have to decide if I want the likes of you, with your difficult past, to be with my daughter?”

I don’t say anything, I just stand here solemnly, watching him.

“You haven’t a legion of ex-wives with a horde of children that you’ve left behind. You haven’t been involved in drugs, or debt, or—”

“I’ve killed people.”

“Civilians?”

I feel my jaw tic. “No.”

“Son, you were at war. Men die in war. And it sounds to me like you did what you had to do to survive.”

I nod once.

“So, we’re back where we started,” he continues. “You need to think about all of this, and make a decision about being a part of Eleanor’s life.”

I frown.

The king sighs and stands to join me. He braces a hand on my shoulder. “You’re an honorable man, Liam. You haven’t said anything that would make me think that Ellie’s chosen poorly. If you’re happy with my daughter, and more importantly, you make her happy, that’s all I need.”