Page 42 of Redemption of a Prince

A few minutes later, they were in the elevator heading downstairs. Once on the first floor, she took her attaché case and his bag while Ezekiel pulled both of her suitcases.

The warm blast of air hit her in the face when she opened the door to the flat. She knew it really wasn’t hot in there, but compared to the rest of the building, it felt like a sauna.

“It’s just the two of us here right now,” Ezekiel called as he dragged her bags to her room. “Everyone else is working outside.”

“I feel so useless. We should be helping somehow.” She set her attaché case down in the sitting area.

“The best way I can help is make sure I’m not in anyone’s way or distracting them from what they need to do because they’re worried about my safety. Because you are an employee of the family and here as a guest, the same applies to you.”

“I know.”

Ezekiel took his bag from her and set it inside the door to his room before walking back toward the rest of the flat. “What do you want to do until we can go help?”

Nikki took a seat in one of the chairs while Ezekiel flopped on to the lounge. “What are the options?” She’d probably do some work if nothing else, but maybe he had a better idea. A few days of unplanned holiday sounded nice.

It also sounded like a way to get in trouble for not doing what she could from the mountain home.

“There are games around here somewhere. Or at least a deck of cards. We could play poker or blackjack or Go Fish or something.”

“I don’t know about betting. You can afford to lose a lot more than I can.” She literally rolled her eyes at him.

“No money involved.” He sat up. “Maybe a truth or dare kind of thing or just bragging rights.”

“Maybe.” She wasn’t so sure she wanted to play a game where she had to answer questions from the man she’d once planned to marry.

That sounded like a minefield she wouldn’t escape unscathed.

Nikki wasn’t willing to run the risk.

“Where are the games?” She stood up and looked for a logical place for them to be stored.

“The big cabinet near the kitchen.”

She found it easily and opened the door, staring at what looked to be every game ever created. Many of them were the Trilunium-themed versions of the games.

“How about a board game?” she called. “They’ve got everything in here.”

“Doesn’t matter. Pick something.”

She dug through the cabinet until she found the perfect option.

Trying to contain her laugh, Nikki walked back into the living area holding the box in front of her.

Ezekiel groaned. “No. Not that. Anything but that.”

Nikki looked down at the box covered with tiaras and feather boas. “The little girls who come up here have all played this, haven’t they?”

“Most of them,” he agreed.

She turned on her heel and put it back in the cabinet. “Why don’t you pick?”

12

Under other circumstances, Zeke would have played the princess dress up game with Nikki, but he knew the thought of their daughter playing it would be too much for her.

“I never played it,” he called as she stared into the game cabinet.

He’d played games with her sometimes, read books to her on occasion, but he wasn’t the one she called “Papa” and wasn’t the one she ran to when she was hurt or scared.

---