Recklessly Royal (18 page)

We decided on a movie, purely because of what was about to play when we arrived. A romantic comedy that I had secretly been hoping to see but hadn’t wanted to ask. I hated to pick movies, unless it was with Sam. She and I always seemed to agree, and if it was something the other hadn’t seen, we trusted each other’s opinion. However, I hadn’t wanted to force David to sit through a sappy movie. Especially since we were finally on the date he had originally asked to do.

“You look relieved.” David handed me my ticket.

“I saw commercials for this and it looked good.” I tried to play it nonchalant, but he raised an eyebrow and smiled that damn smile I couldn’t resist. “Okay, I was hoping we’d get to see it! Jared Sutton is in it and I’m a sucker for him. I can’t help it.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I really did want to see that new spy movie instead. We could wait a half hour . . .” He started to take the ticket back but I hugged it to my chest.

“No way. It’s bought and paid for. A done deal.”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to suffer through you drooling over another man.” He mock-sighed.

“Might work to your advantage.” I walked over to the concession counter and ordered drinks and popcorn.

“In that case, I won’t complain.” He reached over and took the drinks so I could carry the popcorn.

“Smart man.” I winked at him.

“I have my moments.”

The theater was dark by the time we went inside and we had to duck as we searched for seats so as to not block the view of the other moviegoers.

“Excuse me,” I whispered as we slipped past a couple sitting in the last row. The woman did a double take when she looked up at me, but didn’t say anything, just shifted her legs so we could get through.

We had perfect seats, right in the middle with no one blocking our view. It was shaping up to be a great night. Why hadn’t I gone on a regular date before? All of my other dates had been to formal occasions, or occasionally to the party of an important family or business. Never to anything normal like the movies.

David set his drink down in the arm farthest away from me, before handing me my drink. We missed the previews, but had made it just in time for the start of the movie. At some point during the laughing and the sweet parts, David’s arm had wrapped itself around my shoulders. As the end of the movie neared, happy tears slid down my cheeks and I tried to hide them. I loved happy endings. Life so often dealt us ugly blows that I wanted books and movies that left me feeling happy.

“You okay?” David ducked his head down to whisper in my ear. With his free hand he wiped away a tear from my cheek.

I nodded my head and sniffled. “Just happy.”

His arm tightened around me and I savored the feeling of being held. I might be a virgin, but I was beginning to realize it wasn’t just sex that was lacking in my life. Most forms of intimacy were foreign to me. Especially the kind where you could really relax and just enjoy that sense of comfort without worrying what the other person wanted.

I snuggled closer into his side, enjoying the smell of his cologne and the warmth that seeped through his clothes. Almost as if without thought, he turned his head just enough to kiss my temple, and my heart melted. It was something I had seen Alex do to Sam a million times; it was something you did when you cared about how someone felt or what they were thinking.

As the credits rolled, we stayed in our seats, not wanting to get caught in the crowd. So far no one had stopped me, or bothered us, and I was hopeful that would last for the rest of the night.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I frowned. I sat up and pulled it out in case there was some change with Selene. The text message was from Chadwick, and it wasn’t good.

“Everything okay?” David took his arm back and picked up our trash. “Is Selene worse?”

“It’s not Selene.” I turned the phone so he could see the screen. “We’ve been found.”

“What should we do?” David watched my face carefully.

“Well, that’s up to you.” I took a deep breath.

“What do you mean?”

“It depends on what you want people to think. We could try to sneak out the back, but it’s likely to be crawling with photographers.” I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment, worried about what he would say. “Or we could leave through the front, let them photograph us together.”

“Okay.” I could see his mind working through the potential scenarios. “Being photographed together isn’t a lifelong commitment.”

“No.” I chuckled. “But it will always be floating around in the world. It could come up at some point in the future.”

“So?” He shook his head with a smile. “Anything could come up from the past.” He grabbed my hand and ran his thumb over my knuckles. “Let’s go.”

“You’re sure?” So many of my acquaintances hid their relationships from the public; secret rendezvous and hasty phone calls were all they had. Walking out hand-in-hand with David after only three dates would seem like a big deal to the media. “They’re going to assume that we’ve been dating for a long time if we do this.”

“Well, you know what they say about assuming.” He pulled me to my feet. “It makes an ass out of them.”

“I thought the saying went: It makes an ass out of you and me.” I let him pull me along with him. There were still a few people in the theater, but none of them paid us any attention.

“Yeah, but it really just makes an ass out of them.”

The press was out in full force as we exited the theater. The amount of people crammed around the doors was staggering as other moviegoers realized that there was someone famous inside. Jameson took point with Mark in the rear. It was like a madhouse, with people shoving to get a good shot, people hollering questions, and royal watchers trying to hand me presents.

David put his arm around my shoulder to try and keep the worst of the offenders at bay, but it merely incited the reporters.

“Aren’t you Princess Samantha’s friend?”

“Is that how you met?”

“How long have you been together?”

“Are you pregnant? Is there a baby royal on the way?”

I stumbled on that question, caught off guard. I knew that Sam had dealt with people asking that question, but in the past there had been no reason for people to even wonder about me and my uterus.

David was a champ and never broke stride. Between him, Jameson, and Mark, I was tucked safely in my car within moments.

“Wow. Maybe I should rethink this shirt.” I looked down at the flowing top I had chosen and frowned.

“They just wanted a reaction.”

“When did you learn so much about the media?” I buckled my seat belt and watched him.

“You’re not the only one that’s had a busy week.”

“Did something bad happen?” I watched his face tic as he thought about something.

“No, nothing bad. It just wears me out; the constant smiling and talking. I have no idea how you do it so often.”

“You’re an introvert.” I shrugged. “It’s harder for you, because you need time to yourself to recharge. That’s not a bad thing, but it makes it difficult in this type of job. Max is an introvert as well. That’s why he does everything he can to get out of public events. He doesn’t mind the speaking so much as the mingling afterward.”

“And what about you? Are you an introvert or an extrovert?”

“Extrovert.” I didn’t hesitate to answer. “I love being around people.” I hesitated for a minute. “Usually. Lately things have been different.”

“You planned a huge wedding, took on more appearances, and then watched someone close to you almost die. That would wear anyone out.” He shifted in his seat so he was turned slightly in my direction. “Maybe you should take a break. Surely things aren’t going to just stop if you take a day off.”

“I wish.” I sighed. “Some of these things have been planned for months—years even. How do you tell someone that you’re just having a ‘me’ day?”

“That would be difficult.” He humphed to himself.

“It’s not so bad. I usually have a weekend or two off every month. This month is just a little different.” I shrugged. I didn’t mention that lately I stay home on my weekends off. Then again, I doubted he would be worried about whether or not I went to clubs or bars.

“What do you do on your weekends off?”

“Normal things.” I shrugged.

“What are normal things?” He chuckled. “Reading? Gardening? Robbing banks?”

“Pfft. I don’t need to rob banks.” I raised an eyebrow. “I do that for fun.”

“Living on the edge, huh?” He smiled.

“Is there any other way?” Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “Okay. No bank robbing, but I do occasionally swipe extra desserts.”

“We all have to start somewhere.” He nudged my leg with his knee. “And what other dangerous activities do you take part in?”

“I run.” Shrugging, I smiled at him. “It’s one of the only times I’m truly by myself. No one demanding or expecting anything of me.”

“They let you run by yourself?” He seemed surprised.

“Only on the property. If I run at school I have a guard with me.” I couldn’t help my grimace. “She keeps her distance, but it’s not the same thing.”

“You must really look forward to going home for just that.”

“If you mean D’Lynsal, I always look forward to going home.” I smiled. “There we’re just a family. We hang out in front of the fireplace and if there is more than one of us we will talk or play board games. It’s a nice break.” I smiled thinking about it. “What’s your home like? I think I remember hearing that it stays pretty warm in Georgia.”

“That depends on what part of Georgia you’re talking about. The northern part of the state has its share of snow and ice, but my home is further south.” His eyes grew distant. “We have a lot of land that was passed down through the family and an old two-story farmhouse. It’s cozy, with creaky wood floors, and a fireplace that my mother insists we use at least once a year. There’s always company popping by for some reason or another and my mom cooks nonstop. There is always something in the oven or simmering on the stove.” He smiled at me. “I miss it, even though I’ve technically been gone for nine years.”

“Home will always be home.” I smiled. “I’m sorry you are so far away though. Will you get to visit sometime soon? Maybe for the holidays?”

“I’m not sure. It depends on how things go here.”

For a minute I thought he meant between us, but quickly realized he meant with the Future Bird Trust. “What do you think so far?”

“I think that when Sam gets back I will beg her for a position where I don’t have to do as many speaking engagements.” He laughed. “Like your brother, I don’t mind the actual speaking part; it’s the mingling and small talk that kills me.”

“The wrong people can drain you dry.” I shook my head. “Like psychic vampires. Just zap all of your energy with a simple hello. It takes a lot of practice to not let it get to you.”

“I’m not sure I want to even learn how to keep them from doing that. I’d rather just avoid it all.” He shrugged. “I guess there’s a reason I get along with animals so much better.”

“That’s not true. I saw how you handled the room the other day.” I pushed his knee. “You were a natural. You might not enjoy it, but you have a knack for teaching people things.”

“I do like to teach, but on a smaller scale. I’m really looking forward to the students that are coming to visit Victory Hall from a nearby school.” He flashed a genuine smile. “They’re young and there will only be around twenty or so total.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“I think so. We’ll be able to spend more time with the animals with the smaller group.” He frowned. “There were so many people at the opening, most of the animals became stressed.”

“Have you had a chance to spend more time with the raptors? Get to know them a little better?” I remembered how upset he had been about Loki.

“I spent most of today with them. Sam had a pretty great routine already set up, but she asked me to tighten everything up.” He shifted in his seat, his excitement palpable. “The owls needed a diet adjustment, but I think that was a staff issue—not something Sam had set up. Some of the birds are spectacular. Most of them will never be reintroduced to the wild, but there are two making great recoveries. You should come out when they’re ready to go.”

“I’d like that.”

The car pulled up to the hotel, but didn’t bother pulling around to the rear entrance. At this point, there was no hiding from the media. They knew we were together and had most likely either followed us, or called ahead to their counterparts.

“Ready to run the gauntlet again?” David asked.

“Yeah, I’m pretty used to it.” I undid my seat belt. “Don’t worry about getting out. I’ll see myself to my room.”

“I was raised in the South, Cathy.” He shook his head with a small smile. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Are you sure?” I frowned. “They can be overwhelming.”

“I’m sure.” His eyes bored into mine and I tried not to hope that this meant I would get a kiss good night.

“Then smile, but don’t answer any questions. Just look friendly, but don’t get sucked in.”

“Got it.” David hopped out of the car and walked around to my door and helped me out.

“Catherine! Princess!”

“David, are you dating the princess?”

“How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Princess, are you seeing the American? Will your family approve?”

David put his hand on the small of my back as we walked through the people and into the hotel lobby. I smiled but kept my head down, unwilling to meet their probing eyes. It was a real shame that I couldn’t go on a date without them all jumping to conclusions.

“They are really persistent,” David muttered once we were out of earshot.

“You have no idea. Will your family approve of an American?” I snorted. “They sure do have selective memory, don’t they?” My brother had just married a woman born and raised in America.

“Is that an issue?” David frowned as we waited for the elevator. “Will they disapprove of you dating a commoner?”

The way he said the words, like it was such a foreign concept, touched my funny bone, and I laughed. “Will my family care if I date a commoner? No, but I wouldn’t care if they did.” I shrugged when he looked at me sharply. “I do a lot of things for my family, but who I want to spend my time with is none of their business.” Well, as long as it wasn’t a terrorist. Or the Gene Simmons look-alike stripper.