Inside the elevator I remembered the kiss. The one that had made me breathless. The way my body responded and melted into his.
The doors opened at the top floor, and the officer waved me forward.
“You will wait here.”
I looked around. The residence was empty.
“For how long?” I questioned.
“Until His Majesty is here.”
“And how long will that take?” I crossed my arms.
“Wait here.” He pressed the elevator button.
The doors closed and I was alone in the king’s apartment.
17
Damon
I stared at the prime minister. He read through the final draft of the new proposal. My urge to rush him was at an all-time high. I had catered to this man long enough. The hand carved clock above the mantle ticked with each passing second. The side door opened and Sutcliffe walked in. He placed a folded card next to my elbow and retreated.
I scanned the brief report on the note and smiled.
She was here. Waiting.
Just when I thought I couldn’t be more restless.
My eyes bore into Paul’s. “Do we have a deal?”
He took a long pause, folding the leather cover over the proposal. The seal of Galona was emblazed on the outside.
“I believe I can work with these terms.” He flattened his mustache.
I nodded, concealing my desire to get the hell out of this negotiating room at a breakneck pace. He had consumed enough of my time for twenty-four hours.
I pushed back from my seat, extending my hand. “Thank you.”
He gripped my fingers. “Thank you, Your Highness. It’s a fair deal. It will benefit both our countries.”
“Yes it will.” I grinned. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have another royal matter to attend to. I apologize for the sudden departure. My staff will assist you.”
I turned for the door, almost sprinting down the hall—but Kenley stopped me before I reached the first coat of arms. Her eyes pushed me backward. Those eyes were supposed to be reserved for when my brother fucked up, not me.
“What is it?” I hissed. “I just got out of there.”
“The press conference, Your Majesty.” She tapped her watch. “Now that the prime minister has agreed to the contract changes, we are shifting the focus from an announcement to an official signing. Your presence is required.”
“What the fuck?” I whispered.
She glared at me. I didn’t care. I had prioritized everything over Molly for two days. I was done with it.
Kenley was good at her job. It was why I hired her. Even more important was how much I trusted her with Dominic when he went on one of his binges. But I didn’t like the tone she took with me now. I wasn’t a royal puppet to be managed.
“The prime minister leaves tonight. You have fifteen minutes before the signing begins, followed by a joint press conference.”
I inhaled. “Can’t we push it back an hour?”
“Why would we do that?”
I liked her. I trusted her. But I would not tolerate her disrespect.
Paul met us in the hall. He grinned. “My advisor has just informed me about the ceremony.”
Now there was a damn ceremony? I eyed my impertinent scheduler.
Kenley smiled. “Thank you for participating, Prime Minister Caon. There is a royal escort who can show you to the blue ballroom. His Majesty will follow.”
“Thank you.” He reached for Kenley’s hand and kissed it just below her knuckles. He waddled after the escort.
I waited until he was around the corner.
“The blue ballroom?” I balked. Were we trying to show the world we were kissing his ass? That room was reserved for the most prestigious and regal events.
“You’ve been locked in negotiations for two days. The press has been hounding us for a statement. The blue ball room is appropriate.”
“Who made that decision?” I asked.
“Sutcliffe and I discussed it,” she reported.
I groaned. This had to stop. But I was in the middle of the fucking sandstorm. I couldn’t do anything until it was over.
“You, Sutcliffe, and I are going to have a meeting. Soon,” I warned. “But not today. Evidently I have to get through a signing ceremony and answer questions from the press.” I didn’t tack on my plans with Molly.
“Anything you need, Your Highness.”
“I need a bourbon,” I muttered.
I saw her blink. She was used to chasing drinks out of my brother’s hand.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, Kenley.” I pressed my lips into a thin smile.
“We should go.” Her eyes never looked up.
“Yes, let’s get this over with.”
18
Molly
As hours passed, I grew less intrigued and more annoyed by my summons. What was I doing here? I pushed the curtains away from the window and looked at the manicured lawns below. There was a fountain nearby that was illuminated. I was too high up to count the tiers of water that splashed into the pool.