Page 65 of Some Like It Scandalous
“It’s not funny. I want to protect her.”
“Then marry her, make her a princess, surround her in personal footmen, valets and bodyguards and keep her locked up in the tower. You might as well enjoy the time with her—” Richard sighed. “Seriously, you don’t get it, do you?”
Frowning, Armand shook his head. “Apparently not. All I want to do is protect her and you two seem to think I’m insane.”
“Maybe when she and I agree on something you should think about it too. Ten years ago it got hard—really hard for both of you—and she couldn’t handle it. It’s not any easier now—arguably it’s harder because it’s not just her privacy she might give up, it’s her life—but it’s hers to share with you, Armand. She’s trying to show you she won’t leave—not again.”
He sat down, the wind going out of him. “I can’t lose her, Richard. I can’t.”
“Then stop pushing her away. You told me that you don’t let threats and the rest of the world dictate your life. You take precautions, you make informed decisions—but you don’t run.”
Shaking his head slowly, Armand exhaled a long, weary breath. “The threats—the ridiculousness of the press—I could handle that when it was just me. But how do I risk her?”
“You don’t. She does. It’s her call. You’re one of the best guys I know—and one of the most stand-up. You put your life on the line, willy-nilly, to make sure the rest of your family was safe. You’ve tabled your happiness for a long time, buddy.”
“You sound suspiciously like one of those romantic comedies.”
“And on that note, your free consultation is up, we’re starting on billable hours.”
Armand laughed. “You make fun now, but sooner or later you’re going to meet a woman who ties you up in knots, and we’ll see who is cracking jokes then.”
“Not gonna happen. I’ll find me some nice secretary who thinks the boss is her meal ticket, she’ll be all ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir’ and ‘thank you very much, sir’ and we’ll have four kids and a dog and a summer ranch in Wyoming.” Richard snorted. “Now, get the hell out of here and find your girl, or sources close to the prince are going to report you knocked her up.”
“You’re an ass.”
“Yes, I am.” Richard leaned his head back, weariness washing over his face, and Armand rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you, old friend.”
“Anytime. Now go—Sands Through Our Hourglassis coming on and I need to know if Brittany picked Jim or Bob.”
He left his friend to rest and checked with the detail still assigned to him. Richard would have to get used to theircompany for a while. But at least while he convalesced it wouldn’t be a problem.
In the car, he drummed his fingers against his thigh and pulled out his phone. He dialed Peterson and waited. “I have a question for you.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“How many more men would we need to make Anna’s residence with my household permanent?”
“Johnson’s available to head her detail. Four men on regular rotation, four to spell them. You have enough staff to handle it for now, unless you begin traveling separately for extended periods, we wouldn’t need to change much, sir.”
Armand smiled. “Excellent. I need to go to the airport…and I need you and Johnson to run interference with Anna for a day or two.”
“Of course, sir. Destination?”
“Kansas. But don’t tell her that.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.”
Chapter 19
Anna
Anna put on a terrific show. She stayed focused throughout the day. The gala left them with hundreds of donations to be sorted through, thanked, and an endless array of meetings with the accountants to make sure the books matched and the donations reported. But after a week of juggling, they were ready to add another two hundred students to their initial pool of ten. The satisfaction she took in that helped ease the bitter pill of Armand’s resistance. Their tug-of-war love game wore on her.
But nine days after the gala and she refused to give up. She’d told him she loved him every day. She kissed him, snuggled with him and sometimes just sat in the same room with him. It would have to be enough. Staying out of his bed turned out to be the most difficult aspect. But they’d made love before and it went south. She wanted them both on the same page, at the same time, in the same act of their relationship.
If that meant waiting, well, then she would wait.
