Goodness gracious.
“You would kill them for seeing me in a swimsuit?” I asked curiously, leaning against the counter.
“I would kill for a lot less than that.” His tone was cautious, but instead of scaring me, it somewhat excited me, which was totally messed up.
“I’ll wear something different, then, to save you the trouble.” I let out a small laugh as warmth invaded his gaze again, his lips tweaking.
“May have to kill someone anyway; you look beautiful in everything you wear.” His lips ghosted my forehead before he disappeared back into the main cabin.
I knew King’s words should have scared me. I mean… almost everything in the past three days should have, and some of it did. The biggest element? My reaction to the violence my boys exhibited. I couldn’t blame being a bit tipsy like that night in the kitchen, either. I was sober and accepting their behavior.
No. Not just their behavior. I was accepting them and loving them just as they were. Like I had always done. Like they did for me.
My boys might have been a bit darker than I thought, but I still knew they were good men. I saw how they treated those who were important to them, and the ones they hurt usually deserved it. At least that was what I was telling myself.
As I sorted through the clothes we’d brought with us, I looked at the temperature for where we were landing. Raining and semi-chilly, which meant that absolutely nothing I owned would work.Wonderful.
“King,” I sang his name out, the man strolling back in with a questioning look.
“It’s going to be cold there,” I pointed out, “which means nothing I packed works at all. Especially not the bikini idea.”
He chuckled. “Damn, that’s unfortunate, princess.”
Narrowing my eyes, he motioned for me to follow him across the master suite where he opened a wardrobe.
“My mom won’t mind,” he explained, and I nodded, knowing she wouldn’t.
Haven Ross was by far the most fashionable woman I knew, something my own mom could attest to. Which was why sorting through even a limited closet of hers was a freakin’ joy. Luckily, we were pretty similar in size and wore the exact same size shoe, so I easily plucked out a silk skirt, sweater, and heels in a monochromatic cream.
Getting ready in the bathroom, I slipped off the robe I was wearing and pulled on the silk skirt that was high-waisted and came to mid-shin. It was almost romantic looking, but paired with a gold designer belt and thin, oversized cream sweater, it became elegant. I slipped on a pair of cream stilettos and added a pink lipstick to brighten the outfit up a bit. With a nod, I walked out of the room, and King looked up and smiled.
“What?” I asked a bit self-consciously.
“I don’t think my mom has ever worn that, actually,” he admitted. “You should keep it. You look beautiful, Dahlia.”
“Oh.” I blinked at the sincerity and almost sweetness in his tone. “Thanks, King.”
He kissed my forehead and motioned for me to follow him out into the main cabin. Instantly, I could see the terrain we were flying over had changed, water surrounding us in all directions. A small thrill of excitement ran through me as I sat down on a bench next to Dermot, his body tense and his face void of emotion. I felt bad being excited when he wasn’t, so instead of saying anything, I simply slipped my hand into his much larger one and hoped that it helped. He tensed at first but then slowly relaxed back into the seat.
“You should show me around tomorrow,” I suggested as I looked over to find him watching me, his eyes riveted to my face. I blushed at his direct attention and continued, “I know everyone else is viewing this as business, but I have never been here before.”
“I could show you around,” King offered, sounding wounded. I looked over to find him nearly pouting as Dermot let out a chuckle that was almost his normal, relaxed tone.
“I’ll show you around, baby girl.” He kissed the top of my hand, and I smiled happily.
See? Sure, Dermot and I were still getting to know one another, but I seemed to be doing alright just based on instincts. I leaned into him as I realized we were descending. I felt my toes curl as that sense of excitement hit me again, thrilled to be traveling and away from the nonsense back in Camellia.
“Princess,” King said after a moment, his tone more serious as I found him standing. “Before we land, come here.”
I let out a small yawn and stretched before following him back towards the master suite. He sat down on the bed, his face far more clinical than the lighthearted King from only moments ago. I closed the door and sat on the bed, knocking his shoulder playfully as I offered him a questioning look. He wrapped an arm around me and tucked my head underneath his chin.
“I am just going to give you a heads up.” His voice was low and almost velvety, dripping in soothing tones despite his words. “This is going to be a different environment than you’re used to. A lot more dangerous.”
“Even in the compound?” I questioned softly.
“Always a possibility.” His jaw clenched. “Especially with all the changes going on. People hate change.”
They did.