Page 11 of Awestruck (Starstruck Love Stories #4)

He tilts his head to the side, as if surprised that I would address him after last night. “You said my name.”

Oh. I suppose I did. I have been thinking of him by his given name all morning, though I did not realize until now.

“After experiencing you up close and personal,” I say with a roll of my eyes, “it is more applicable, would you not agree?” Although, my time on his shoulders did not feel as intimate as this moment does, with his ridged torso on full display and his skin glistening with perspiration.

His tattoos—I see now they are several Celtic knots twisting around his arm—are intriguing enough by themselves, but my stomach flutters each time my gaze accidentally drops to his bare skin and the way it stretches over taut muscles.

He is entirely strong, more so than even Cole, and I have never seen a man like him.

“I thought you were going to stay in your room,” he says, pulling my gaze back to his face.

Heat rises up my neck, leaving me overwarm in the sunshine. I feel out of place standing next to this man, my fair and delicate skin contrasting his tan and weathered body. “Oh. Er, yes, well, I thought I should…” I shake my head. “Could you please clothe yourself, Mr. Reid?”

He chuckles and folds his arms. There is a chain around his neck, a set of military tags hanging over his chest, but the name engraved on them is not his.

Joshua Griffin. But I do not get a chance to wonder who that is because Elliot speaks with that same sassy tone he has used before. “Is my state of undress bothering you?”

No, it is not, which is the problem. I should not be admiring my protection agent, no matter how impressive his physique. “I wish to converse with you, and I find your current state…” Oh, why did I begin this sentence? What can I say that will not sound ridiculous? “Distracting.”

Hex laughs and tosses a bit of black fabric to Elliot, who pulls the shirt over his head, unfortunately hiding his strength from view. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

I scowl at my brother. “If you are going to quote Hamlet, could you at least do it properly?” While I have less to look at now that Elliot has covered his torso, his arms are still on full display, each tattoo trying to grab my attention for study. “I…er…”

“Spit it out, Fringe.”

Glancing at the palace guards watching our exchange with interest, I am suddenly too mortified to speak. I am not certain I can afford to show weakness in front of these men, even if Gregor trusts them implicitly.

Elliot frowns at me, then catches the attention of the other guards and mutters, “Give us some space, boys.”

A few of them grumble, but to my surprise they all go back to their training even though Elliot has no authority over them. I would have thought they would consider the American below them, but it seems Elliot has managed to ingratiate himself to more than Gregor’s and my family’s favors.

I refuse to believe this man is perfect, but the more I learn about him…

Once I am alone with Elliot and Hex, who seems to think he is needed as a mediator between us, I take a deep breath, willing myself to speak, no matter how difficult. “I…” Goodness, I did not think apologizing would be this hard. “I am s…”

Elliot’s lips twist into a smirk, his brown eyes dancing in the sunlight and looking almost golden. “Yes, Princess?”

“Sorry.” The word ekes out of me, practically inaudible.

Hex snorts. “What was that?”

I grit my teeth. “I am sorry.”

“I still can’t hear—”

Elliot jabs his elbow into my brother’s side, cutting him off. “Thank you,” he says with a dip of his head. “I’m sorry for the way I handled you.”

“I wish I could have seen that,” Hex says with a wistful sigh, and I glare at him, tempted to pinch his side where he is the most ticklish.

Snickering, Elliot looks at him and lifts a single eyebrow. “Keep in mind I’m under no obligation to protect you, Hex.”

To my complete surprise, a laugh escapes my throat, and I cover my mouth as I try to ignore the way Elliot’s whole expression shifts at the sound.

I do not have a flattering laugh, and I seem to have shocked him with it.

“I have misjudged you, Mr. Reid,” I say slowly, heat climbing my face.

“And I owe you my gratitude for what you did last night. I was impulsive.”

“Yeah, you were.”

My good feelings toward the man vanish. “Must you say everything you are thinking?”

He grins. “With you, it seems the best plan of action.”

“I am not fond of your plans of action.” Effective though they may be, I silently add.

Elliot shrugs, his massive arms still folded over his chest. “I don’t expect you to be, as long as you’re alive and well.”

“Did you at least learn something last night?” Hex asks, pushing himself into the conversation again.

“I did,” I say and relay what I overheard from the table next to mine.

“I learned that people are not idly hoping for change. Grimstad’s chances are greater than I would like.

” My phone buzzes in my pocket, likely my mother summoning me to her office to discuss the article in the newspaper.

She most certainly will not allow me outside the palace after this.

“I fear I do not know how to change the people’s opinions of me,” I finish with a sigh.

“For starters,” Elliot says, lips forming into a smirk once more, “you can try to talk like you’re from this century.”

“That is a battle that can’t be won,” Hex says with a heavy sigh. “Fringe came out of the womb sounding like royalty.”

I reach out and pinch his arm, making him yelp. “You are insufferable!”

“I’m only speaking the truth!” he argues and lunges at me to retaliate.

Before Hex can even touch me, Elliot knocks him off his feet and steps between us. “Nice try,” he growls at my brother, who bursts into laughter in the dirt.

While I would like to beg my brother to act his age for once in his life, all of the air has left my lungs, leaving me dizzy.

“I…” I force a breath. “I hardly need protection from my own brother,” I whisper, though I have never seen a man move so quickly.

To say I am impressed would be a gross understatement, and I can only imagine what he would do if I were in real danger.

Elliot meets my gaze with stormy eyes. “I take my job very seriously,” he says, his tone gravelly. “No one touches you without your permission.”

Vitte. I resist the urge to press a hand to my racing heart as I stare up at him. “Does that include you?”

His lips tick up in a tiny smile. “Depends on the situation.” He really does look so much like Derek. Not in coloring, but in the cut of his jaw and strength of his features. It almost makes him seem familiar. Perhaps Derek was right, and Elliot is the perfect man for the job.

I will not admit as much out loud. Not in a million years. Yet Elliot seems to hear my thoughts as his smile shifts into a smirk. Am I truly so easily read, or does he know exactly what he is?

“Shall I leave the two of you alone?” Hex asks, still laughing as he rises and brushes dirt from the seat of his trousers.

I do not realize how close Elliot is standing until he takes a step back, and suddenly I can breathe again. “I too take my job seriously,” I say, ignoring my brother’s insinuation. “And I need to fix things. I need to show my people they can trust me.”

“Mum’s never going to let you out again,” Hex says.

But Elliot’s smirk grows, leaving him looking almost mischievous.

When he says nothing, I ask, “What is it you are thinking, Mr. Reid?”

He snorts a laugh, far too amused for my liking. “I knew you’d come around.”

I cannot help but smile as well. “In this instance only, I would like your opinion.”

“You know you could have asked me, right?”

“For your opinion? I believe I just did.”

Chuckling, he shakes his head. “No, I mean you could have asked me to go into the city. I would have taken you.”

Warmth splashes across my face, mixed with an icy edge of regret that leaves me uncomfortable.

I could have asked him. My humility can come with some trust as well.

I have been wrong about Elliot in every instance thus far, so perhaps it would be better for me to stop assuming I know him and start letting him show me who he really is.

“You are right,” I admit quietly. “I should have asked.”

“I’m glad you agree, because the same is true for the queen.”

Another guffaw of laughter escapes me. “You may have her trust, Mr. Reid, but that does not mean you have any sway over her. My mother rarely changes her mind.”

“I changed your mind, didn’t I?”

Yes, he did, and I have no idea how. I came down here to apologize, and somehow I have accepted him as my bodyguard and decided to trust him. “Yes, well, I am not my mother.”

His gaze turns scrutinizing, but not in a bad way.

He almost seems to be committing me to memory as his eyes trail over me.

I cannot tell if he approves of what he sees, and it bothers me to no end that I want him to.

“No, you’re not your mother,” he says. “That’s a good thing.

And fortunately for you, the queen has already agreed to let you campaign, so leaving the palace will be easier than you think. ”

My jaw drops, and Hex looks just as shocked as he stares at Elliot with wide eyes. “What?” I gasp.

With one final smirk, Elliot lets his arms fall and heads toward the palace doors. “We leave in four days,” he calls back, “so you’d better start planning some speeches.”

Ironically, this might be the first time in my life that I am completely speechless.