Page 48

In thirty seconds, we were through and heading out the doors. That delicious imprint of his fingers on my skin had left a mark, though.
It stayed with me on the drive back through London. All the way through the palace to my rooms.
It doubled down when I stood there, processing everything that had happened.
A knock came at the door. If Raphael had come to me, I’d kiss him.
But when I threw it open, it was one of the palace staff.
“For you, ma’am, as ordered.” She placed an item in my hands and turned smartly, trotting off down the hall.
I stared then locked the door and took the offering to my couch. It was a hot water bottle. I hadn’t had one since I was a child. Who…? I didn’t need to even consider it. I’d told Raphael I had cramps. He’d sent me a solution.
My chest ached at that perfectly lovely little gesture.
Finding my phone, I toyed over what to message him, the hot water bottle warm and doing its job on my belly.
Then I remembered the missed call from last night and jumped to my chat with Dori.
Alex: Shit, sorry! I meant to call this morning, but it’s been a day. Can you talk?
No reply came. I returned to what to say to Raphael.
No matter how I phrased a thank-you in my head, none of it sounded enough when I typed it out. I wanted—no, needed—to see him. So I sucked in a breath and sent him something else instead.
Alex: Come to see me? I won’t run this time. Staircase three down the hall from the bodyguard office. Third floor. Suite of rooms to the right. The door code to get up here is 74568.
My hand shook when I tapped to send the message.
Dori still hadn’t replied or even opened my text, so I switched over to my email.
A new message from Sir Reginald waited. I opened it with trepidation.
He’d sent a schedule. I scrolled through the activities that spread out through the rest of the year. This wasn’t what we’d agreed. He hadn’t even mentioned work beyond the couple of weeks we’d talked through when he’d come to me with his proposal. Now I understood where the hospital director had her idea from.
Yep. Kensington Hospital’s visit was booked in for October.
My heart sank to the floor.
Chapter 18
Raphael
Our debrief meetings were typically short, and I was torn between gunning for this one to be over and needing it to play out. Half of my mind was off finding a helicopter and flying my stress away, the rest wanted to nail my team to the floor for what I suspected them of.
“Malcolm Dennis was spotted on two occasions during the match,” Riss stated. “First outside the royal box, then on the opposite side of the stadium.”
With my shoulders bunched, I watched Will and Johnnie for any reaction.
Neither said a word.
Riss tapped her stylus on her screen. “I’ve noted him down as a person of concern?—”
Johnnie’s splutter interrupted her. “On what basis? He’s a pap. They’re no danger to anyone. All they want is a payday.”
Anger tightened my hands into fists. Paparazzi regularly got people hurt or even killed in pursuit of a photo, and yetagain, one of the very people who should be interested in this individual was dismissing him.
I was so close to calling Johnnie out, but something held my tongue.