Kid wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes going wide as if he couldn’t believe his own manners.
“Uh, sorry. You want to join us?” He reached forward, grabbing one of the empty plates on the kitchen bar and extending it in my direction.
I smiled.
“Sure.”
I stepped over and grabbed the plate. Kid and I locked eyes for a long moment as I took it then sat down with the guys.
The conversation, fun and light, began right away. The guys talked about their plans on how they wanted to finish securing the place, each busting the others’ chops as they divvied up the tasks. As I sat there with them, I couldn’t help but love the easy way they had with one another, how they were less like a group of soldiers and more like a bunch of brothers.
I was also happy to see that there didn’t seem to be any hard feelings left over from what had happened. Kid was definitely a little more guarded around me than before, but it seemed to be more out of a sense of prudence and wanting to show the guys that he could keep himself in check.
Soon, breakfast was over. I offered to clean, and the guys split up and started on their duties for the day. As I put away the leftovers and did the dishes, I found myself looking out the big windows over the sink. The day was beautiful, bright, and sunny. Kid was on patrol, his rifle in his hands as he made a perimeter around the house.
He was impossible not to stare at. I loved how tall he was, how his dark, handsome features appeared under that full head of ink-dark hair. He moved purposefully, like a man trained for combat.
Suddenly my hands burned, and I let out a yelp as I pulled them back. I looked down to see that I’d gotten so wrapped up in staring at Kid that I hadn’t realized I’d left my hands under the stream of hot water. I shook the water off, turning off the faucet and stepping back as I scolded myself.
I needed to get my head on straight, but it seemed impossible. The kiss between Kid and I had released something inside of me that I couldn’t seem to shove back in. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to.
When I was done with the dishes, I went on a cleaning frenzy. It wasn’t as if the place was all that dirty—the guys were surprisingly tidy for a group of mercenaries—but more that I needed something to do with my head and my hands so that I didn’t spend the time thinking about the guys in ways I knew I shouldn’t. Over the next two hours, I zipped from room to room, picking up, dusting and cleaning, and getting everything spotless. Lunchtime soon rolled around, and in spite of my efforts, I was still feeling like being around the guys would be too much for me to handle.
Hud popped his head into the bedroom I was in the middle of straightening.
“We’re doing sandwiches, lass,” he said. “If you’re hungry.”
My stomach growled. If the meals the guys had made so far were any indication, the sandwiches would no doubt be delicious. All the same, I was feeling too…tense. I needed some more alone time.
“Thanks, but I’m kind of in the zone. I’ll grab something when I’m done.”
“Fair enough. We’ll leave a little for you in the fridge.”
“Thanks, Hud.”
He left, and I was alone once more. I let myself get lost in the cleaning, and by the time I finished, I was sweaty and ready for a shower. A quick check of the clock revealed that it was a little after two. My heart skipped a beat when I realized what this meant. Evie would be up by then.
Although I’d planned on taking a shower, I simply washed my hands instead, then made a quick sandwich down in the kitchen along with a sliced apple and brought it all up to my room. Once there, I shut the door and hurried onto the bed.
I set my food aside, so excited that eating was the last thing on my mind. Phone in hand, I fired off a text to Evie to see if she was up for a chat. My phone began buzzing with an incoming call before I even had a chance to set it down.
My heart racing with excitement at the idea of finally being able to speak to my best friend, I situated myself on the bed and answered the Facetime call.
“Oh my freaking God! Is it really you?”
Evelyn Albright, my best friend since we were girls, was stunning—one look at her and there was no doubt why she’d been a model since she was sixteen. Her hair was long and brown, her eyes a shimmering green and just far enough apart to make her face look interesting and unique. Her nose was a thin slope, all-natural, as she loved to brag, and her mouth was small and full, like a doll’s. Evie was tall and slender and had the perfect model’s physique.
The endless skyscrapers of New York City were in the background of the shot, leaving no doubt as to where she was.
“It’s really me,” I said. “Believe it or not.”
The excitement on her face switched to concern. “Where have you been? I’ve sent you several texts over the last few days and all the messages just bounced right back. I started to get worried, so I got in touch with the palace, but they were no help at all. They told me that you were on a private retreat, and they didn’t know when you’d be back.”
“First of all, I’m so sorry that I haven’t been in touch. Everything happened so fast, and I wasn’t able to call or text anyone until just now.”
The concern changed to confusion. “Then…what’s going on? Is everything alright?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. Or I think so, at least. Sorry, I’m being cryptic. Let me try and find someplace to start…”