Page 24 of Royally Ruined

Nine sounds like a ton of time,I thought. I’d be counting every minute, waiting for the hammer to fall. There was no way Maverick could stay so detached from his businesses for so long. The distraction provided by the wedding could dissipate without warning.

The car was big enough for all of us to fit comfortably. Even so, the foot between Costello and me wasn’t enough. My hand kept itching on the seat between us. Multiple times I glanced down, half expecting to see tiny threads pulling from my skin to his.

Once he caught me looking. Our eyes met; he held mine, the staring contest ending when I tore away and fixated on my sneakered feet. Wiggling my toes, I wondered if my outfit would stand out at the event tonight. Some people wouldn’t care, but a family like the Badds who took aprivate jetto avoid a six-hour drive would notice if I had on dirty shoes and ill-fitting jeans.

Nothing I can do about it.That was my mantra these days.

“Ooh!” Francesca cooed, pushing her nose to the window. “What a rustic hotel! And look at the horses! No wonder Sammy chose this place!”

The long cobblestone driveway curved among an array of pine and maple trees. On one side stretched a field full of horses, and on the other was the hotel. It was a pale gray with dark brown trim. Whatever wasn’t made from wood had been designed to look like it was. I saw a thick sign hanging over the front of the building as we rolled up. Crafted from some sort of tree trunk and shiny with fresh wood stain, it had three horses carved into the surface. All of them were running below the hotel’s name:THEWILDFLOWER.

We climbed out of the car. Like the airfield, this place smelled like a forest, but it also had the nose-tingling scent of hay all over. “Let’s get you settled into your rooms,” Carmina said, leading us into the hotel. “I’m sure you two lovebirds want some time together.” It wasn’t until she winked at me that I grasped she was talking about Costello and me.

“Hahaha!” The laugh came out all wrong. “You don’t have much of a filter, Mrs.Badd.”

She gave me a pat on the arm that was hard enough to shift me one step sideways. “Call me Mama, dear. I’m sure you’ll be part of the family soon enough.” She sashayed off, taking Costello with her.

Bwah?Holy hell, my face was on fire.

Thorne bent near my ear. “I didn’t know you were such a good actress. You really should have just been a dancer, you’d have fooled every guy into thinking you were in love.”

I wasn’t sure it was a compliment. It definitely didn’t feel like one.

Peeking up, I saw the blue-eyed man was busy talking to his mother at the front desk. He hadn’t heard his brother’s observation; that was a relief.Thorne’s not wrong, this IS all an act.Even so, the idea that Costello might think I was trying to foolhimwas ... painful. Dirty.

Costello turned and came my way. I stood as straight as I could. “Come on. I need to introduce you to Dad.”

My insides did a loop de loop. “Oh, right. Yeah. Of course.”

As we left the main entrance, I felt eyes on me. Francesca was glaring at me from next to her giant pile of sparkling suitcases. My poor heart rampaged even faster.

We didn’t walk for long, but I wished we had. We rounded a corner, and the hall opened into a wide room full of windows, leather seats the color of whiskey, and air that smelled just the same. It made my nose burn.

Maverick Badd was reclining in an overstuffed chair in the center of the empty hotel bar; clearly noon was too early to drink for most. He wasn’t moving, but that didn’t make him seem less dangerous. I was smart enough to know that a lion stretched out in the sun could come alive and shred you if you were stupid enough to get too close.

Standing within arm’s length of him, I felt very, very stupid.

“Dad,” Costello said, moving to one side. I’d prayed he would keep blocking me from his father’s view. I wasn’t so blessed.

Maverick slid his blue eyes onto me.Darienhad thought he could make people crumple if he just stared at them? Hah. He had no clue what it meant to win a war with a single look. If Maverick had asked me, right then, to tell him everything about myself ... I would have spilled my guts. He rose smoothly and came my way. I almost bolted. “You must be Heather!” he chuckled, grabbing me in a hug that stole my air. “Carmina already sent me a message. My phone’s been buggy with the reception out here, it’s a wonder I got her text at all.”

I was dizzy; I tried to smile. “Oh, uh, she’s very nice. And, I mean, nice to meet you, too, sir.”

“You can call me Maverick. Or Mav.” When he smirked, I was reminded of Thorne. But those eyes ... this was where Costello got his icy blue color. “Did you see your room yet?”

“No,” Costello said, answering for me. He was acting cool—too cool.

Is he not scared about his dad figuring out we’re lying? That I’m not a girlfriend, but a girl who messed up gang politics at who knows what level?If Costello had such control over his emotions, he should have had the grace not to grind his dick on me when we were alone.

Because it was all an accident.No ... an act. They were different things, even if you couldn’t spellaccidentwithoutactand ...Stop it, pay attention, I warned myself.

Maverick released me. “Go settle in. Tonight is going to be a long one.” He paused to brush his hair back, laughing sheepishly. “Or maybe that’s just how I feel. I drank a bit too much at Kain’s bachelor party last night.”

“Ginger tea,” I said, repeating one of the many remedies I’d used on Gina after her wild nights. “It might make you feel better.”

Mav rubbed his chin. “Hm. Worth a shot.” He evaluated me with some doubt, and I wondered if he was somehow seeing through my disguise. I should have just kept my mouth shut; it would have drawn less attention. “Thanks,” he grunted.

Costello took my wrist and led me down the hall. I went with him happily. After we ducked into the elevator, I dropped back on the cold metal wall. “Wow,” I breathed out, laughing from nerves. “He’s intense.”

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