Page 6 of Royal Charmer
A sharp authoritative voice rings out through the courtyard. “There you are.”
I snap to attention, getting to my feet. Hell. I was supposed to meet Gabriel to talk about an issue with construction on the spa and got distracted by Alice’s problem. “I was just on my way.”
He shakes his head from the open doorway. “It’s taken care of. Feel free to continue flirting as usual.”
“I wasn’t…she was…” I trail off because he’s already gone back inside, dismissing me.
I turn to Alice. “I need to go talk to my brother.”
“Of course. Thanks for lending an ear.” She picks up her phone and stares at the screen, at that stupid picture of her stupid ex.
I can’t stand it. I snatch the phone out of her hands and tap over to her contacts, entering my number. Then I hand it back.
She gapes at me.
I don’t know if she’s surprised or offended by the presumption. “For the exorcism,” I say before striding back inside.
I head in the direction Gabriel went, but he’s already out of sight. I halt. He probably wouldn’t hear me out anyway. He’s convinced I’m not taking things seriously. What will it take to prove my commitment?
Chapter Three
Lucas
I shift gears, heading toward the side exit, intending to drive down to the construction site and check on things myself. My phone vibrates with a text.
Testing. It’s Alice.
Hope I didn’t cause a problem for you with your brother.
Was that the king?
I stare at the screen, debating how much to say. I’m not supposed to discuss private matters with outsiders, even though my gut says to trust her, and I know she was vetted in advance if she’s staying at the palace. I type a quick reply:It’s fine. Talk later.
A few minutes later, I grab the keys to an old Renault in the service lot of the palace and drive down the long winding hill. Gabriel would insist I call for a driver to take me in one of the Mercedes with tinted windows, which would also send the signal for a guard to join me, but I can’t be bothered. It’s a short drive down to the construction site, and I’ve always felt safe on the island. The people here are used to me coming and going, and no one has ever intended harm toward me. Maybe some excited enthusiasm, especially by young women, but I’ve never minded that kind of attention. I love women.
I park in the gravelly lot next to the spa. We’re two months into construction and should be finished in another six weeks. Unfortunately, we’re behind schedule, not only because of the delay in decision-making from Gabriel’s split attention, but also from weather-related delays in getting needed materials to the island and an unexpected shortage of float glass that Anna wanted for an array of windows facing the sea.
I open the glass door to the spa and step inside, grabbing a hard hat from a utility cart on my way to the reception area. There’s a crew here now, putting up drywall. Gabriel and Anna are standing by the decorative water wall. He resembles me, same dark hair and blue-green eyes, same stature, but he’s always clean-shaven. Anna is tall for a woman, only a few inches shorter than his six feet, with a mass of wild dark curls, brown eyes, and a heart-shaped face. She’s unconventionally pretty, which suits her because she’s also very unconventional in personality. It was quite a shake-up around here when Gabriel married her, an American commoner, making her queen. They’re staring at the decorative wall, where a trickling waterfall is supposed to continuously run. It was working properly, briefly, before it began sporadically splashing onto the subfloor, which would damage it long term. It’s shut off now.
As soon as I reach them, I say, “The technicians who installed the water wall aren’t available for several weeks for repair. I can get a new one here—”
Gabriel cuts me off. “The problem is the pump. I’ve already ordered a new one from the manufacturer. One of our crew will install it.”
“Okay, then,” I say evenly, holding onto my temper. I said I would take care of it. He won’t hand over control to me despite acknowledging that my ideas have merit. It’s beyond frustrating. “Problem solved.”
Anna smiles at me. “Hi, Lucas. Thanks for checking in.”
I bite back what I really want to say. I’ve been doing a lot more than checking in around here. I’ve been living at the palace ever since we broke ground on construction back in early April, determined to contribute to the business. It’s now June, so obviously I’m not going anywhere. This spa and the associated cosmetics line are the key to rescuing Villroy’s faltering economy and ensuring we provide jobs that will keep the younger generation on the island. A kingdom made up only of the older generation will quickly die out. I refuse to let that happen. Villroy means everything to me.
I keep to a safe subject, one of Anna’s favorites. “How are you feeling with the baby?”
She beams a bright smile and rubs a hand over her large baby bump. She’s seven months pregnant. “Me and baby girl are great.”
“Good.”
Gabriel places his hand over her stomach. “Anna, let’s go back to the palace. I don’t like you here when there’s still so much dust and construction activity.”
She smiles, putting a hand to his jaw. He shifts his head, kissing her palm almost reverently before guiding her out, his hand on her lower back.
