Page 96

Where’s here?
Wherever he is at the moment.
I laugh. Henry got the easiest of the four royals. Easiest of the five if we count Fiona’s daughter Saoirse. She’s a great kid, and we all helped raise her from the day Fiona had her, but she’s a sassy little thing.
You’ve had more broken bones than me, though.
True. And enjoyed getting every one. Cian’s not necessarily easy all the time, but he’s an optimist. He’s a fucking Suzy Sunshine, and it’s hard as hell to be mad at him. And hell, as the youngest, there’s always been no chance his pampered ass is sitting on any thrones.
All also true.
You think Torin’s the difficult one?
We all do. The guy is always worked up about something. Mostly good things. He’s passionate and smart and wants to make the world a better place. But he’s always thinking about where he fits into that, and what he should be doing. My God, he abdicated because of a moral dilemma regarding the monarchy. And then he went home so his niece didn’t have to be queen. He’s loyal and a genuinely good guy, but yes…angsty.
I can’t argue with any of that.
So you banging his fiancée is very on brand for you two. That’s dramatic AF.
I sigh. I needed to tellsomeoneabout what was going on with Linnea. No one outside of the palace even knew we were here in D.C. together. Typically, all the bodyguards stay in touch about travel and “assignments”, i.e., where our protectees dragged us off to and why.
But this was the first I’d told anyone. And I’d only texted Henry and Colin rather than the whole group.
We did not have sex.
That is not true. The things you did were sex, my friend.
No. It was all…
I sigh and shove a hand through my hair. And delete what I started typing. Henry’s right.
But I did not ‘bang’ her.
Do you really think that matters at this point?
Yes. That’s one line we haven’t crossed yet.
I hit send before I realize I should not have added the ‘yet’.
Yet.
Dammit.
We haven’t crossed that line. She wanted to. She would have. I didn’t. That has to count for something.
Yeah. It counts for you’re in love with her. Which makes this an even bigger deal.
I stare at his words. I’d made the mistake of telling Henry a few months ago that I didn’t mind accompanying Linnea and Torin to the energy summit in D.C. because listening to her talk was always fascinating. And that I didn’t like how Christian Waite looked at her. Henry immediately accused me of having feelings for her. And I denied it too quickly and too adamantly.
Then I’d told him and Colin about kissing her on my birthday.
They’re my best friends next to Torin. They know things about my job that Torin doesn’t know. They know that this is a problem.
So I texted them this morning so they could remindmethat it’s a problem.
Because I don’t know if I can let her go now.
If I’m in love with her, why didn’t I take the chance to sleep with her? When that’s what she wanted? Before someone else gets the chance?