Royally Not Ready(54)

“Henrik has been doing a wonderful job, stepping into your role while you’ve been gone. He has sources outside the palace who informed him of the drop this morning.”

“Wait, Henrik knows?”

“Yes, I had to tell him. What was I going to say you were doing for two months?”

“Theo, he could be the leak.”

Theo lightly coughs into the phone and then says, “No, it’s not him.”

“How can you be certain?”

“Keller”—his deep voice rings through the phone—“if I tell you it’s not him, it’s not. Understood?”

“Yes, sorry,” I say, still pinching my brow. “So, when everyone wakes up this morning, that’s what the news will be?”

“Yes. Local news, at the moment. Outlets have asked for the palace to comment and we haven’t said anything. We aren’t confirming or denying.”

“But it doesn’t matter, they’re going to figure it out, and once they do, there’s no chance in hell Lilly will have a normal life after this.”

“Well, it’s not global, so it’s not like people in Miami know,” Theo says. “You act as if she’s second-guessing her decision to step into this role.”

“She hasn’t committed, Theo,” I say quietly. “She’s still . . . fuck, she’s still trying to comprehend the shock of it all. I’m trying, I really am, but I don’t want to push her too hard.”

“Keller, we don’t have a choice. You either push her, or we give up our country.”

“I know . . . I know, but . . . she’s scared, Theo. I see her masking her fear, but it’s there. She needs more comfort.”

“Then offer her the comfort she needs.”

“I—I can’t,” I say, the strain in my voice easily detectable.

“Why not?” he asks and then, “Wait . . .”

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Fuck, he knows.

How could he not? It’s not as if I’m playing it cool on my end. But I’m tired. I’m so goddamn tired of trying to mask how I feel for her. Trying to act as though I don’t want to touch her even though that’s all I want. Like yesterday, even though I was reeling from my dream, I couldn’t help but touch her any chance I could, even if it was a swipe of my finger over her shoulder. And that crop top, fuck me, I wanted to lift it up over her head and feast on her tits. My self-control is wearing thinner with every second I’m around her, and it’s showing.

“Keller, is there something going on between you two?” Theo asks.

“No,” I say quickly. “No, nothing is happening between us.” That’s true, nothing’s actually happened . . . yet.

“Do you want something to happen?” he asks. I swallow, not responding right away, and that’s all it takes. “You like her.”

I heave a heavy sigh and say, “I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Theo, let’s not get into this.”

“No, let’s.” His cough erupts through the phone. “Tell me why she’s not good enough for you.”

“Not good enough for me?” I ask. “Theo, I’m not good enough for her.”

“Where did you get that idea?”

I pace the front of the castle, the sharp sun beaming against my naked chest. “I’m here to serve Torskethorpe, to help protect the crown. That’s my responsibility, that’s what I was born to do. She’s above that—”

“Do I not serve this country?” he asks. “That’s what my entire life has been dedicated to doing, serving this country. Just because my blood is different from yours doesn’t make you any less important. Let me ask you this, if you offered her comfort, would she take it?”

Yes.

With open arms.

I’m pretty sure she was following my every command yesterday just to turn me on.

It worked.

“That doesn’t matter,” I say. “I don’t want to sway her decision in any way.”

“I appreciate your noble attempt to be a good man. I’ve taught you well. But please do me a favor.” Theo catches his breath. “If she needs comfort, if she needs a shoulder, please offer her what she needs. She’s had a lot of loss in her life, the type of loss you can understand.”

I push my hand through my hair. “Yeah, I know.”

“I know you’re doing a lot, but I need you to offer her everything she needs to make the right decision that will sway her to stay. Okay?”

“Okay.”

But here’s the rub—I doubt Theo understands that offering her a shoulder to lean on isn’t the same as taking her from behind over the couch in her bedroom. Offering her everything she needs isn’t making her kneel before me so she can take my cock down her throat. Contrary to what Lilly implied, giving in to our sexual urges wasn’t as uncomplicated as she thought. And yet, I said okay to my king.

“Thank you. I know I’m asking a lot of you.” More than you imagine.

“You’re asking me to do my job,” I answer. “But I need to know, what are we doing, moving forward? I know she wants to speak with you.”

“And I desperately want to speak with her as well. I’m cautious, though, with the news spreading and not knowing who the leak is. I’m afraid if I speak with her, people will start to seek her out. We want to keep her safe. And safe right now is keeping her secluded in Harrogate as she tries to decide what she’s going to do. If we bring her here, she’ll be subjected to a life it seems she’s not ready for.”