Aria kept shivering.
“If I go outside in the rain, will you get out of that piece of sail you’re wearing and into dry clothes?”
“I don’t know how,” she said, clenching her teeth to still the chattering.
“Don’t know how to what?”
“Would you mind not shouting at me?” she said, sitting up. “I have never undressed myself. The buttons…I don’t know how…” The man’s mouth fell open. Really, what did he expect? What did he think royal princesses did anyway? Did he think they polished silver and darned stockings? She sat up straighter. “I have never needed to dress myself. I’m sure I could learn. Perhaps if you told me the rudiments I—”
“Turn around,” he said, then shoved her shoulder until her back was turned to him. He began unbuttoning her dress.
“I think that your touching of me is more than I can allow—what was your name again?”
“J. T. Montgomery.”
“Yes, Montgomery, I believe—”
He turned her around to face him. “Lieutenant Montgomery of the United States Navy, not just Montgomery like your damned butler, but lieutenant. Got that, Princess?”
Did this man shout every word he spoke? “Yes, of course. I understand that you wish to use your title. Is it hereditary?”
“Better than that, it’s earned. I got it for…for buttoning my own shirt. Now, get out of that dress—or do you want me to undress you?”
“I can manage.”
“Good.” With that, he turned away from her and lay back down.
Aria kept watching him as she removed her dress. She didn’t dare remove her several layers of wet underwear, so she was still uncomfortable as she pulled his white uniform on over her head—and that took some concentrated effort to figure out. All in all, it took quite some time before she was able to lie down.
The rubber ground cover was damp, her underwear was soggy against her skin, and her hair was wet. In minutes she was shivering again.
“Damn,” Lieutenant Montgomery said, then rolled over, flung the blanket over her, and pulled her to him, her back against his front.
“I cannot possibly—” she began.
“Shut up,” he said. “Shut up and go to sleep.”
His big body felt so warm that she didn’t offer any more protests. Her last thoughts before she fell asleep were a prayer of hope that her mother in heaven would not see her like this.
Chapter Three
WHEN Aria woke in the morning, she was alone. For a few moments she lay still and went over the events of the previous hideous day. She had to get back to the naval base and let the world, and especially her grandfather, know that she was safe. She crawled out of the little shelter and stood. There was a small fire made, but no sign of the man. His uniform, which she wore, hung past her hands, the top reaching to her knees and the cuffs under her feet. Tripping on the thing, she turned back to pull her damp dress from the ground.
It had stopped raining and it was a clear morning that was already beginning to grow hot. The clearing was really very small and hemmed in by the shiny-leaved trees. There was no sign of the man.
Cautiously, after listening for him, she removed the naval uniform.
“It’s too hot for all that underwear,” said the man from behind her.
Aria gasped and clutched her dress to her.
J.T. picked up his white uniform from the ground at her feet, frowning at the stains. “You sure don’t respect other people’s property, lady.”
“Not ‘lady.’ I am a—”
“Yeah, I know. You’re my royal burden, that’s what. Why couldn’t
you have waited until Sunday morning to get yourself shot at? Are you going to put that rig on or stand there and hold it?”