Page 40 of Royal Trouble
“Well, I think you’ve made yourself quite clear on that matter,” he said, giving her a half smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
He deposited Everly on a cushioned bench and sent Elena to fetch a bottle of water, a bucket, and a pack of anti-nausea medication, which was stored in the first aid kit for occasions such as this one. Then he kicked off his shoes and joined her below deck, rinsing his feet in the loo and exchanging his shoes for an old pair of trainers he found in storage.
When he returned topside, Everly was curled up on the bench, legs tucked beneath her. He took the seat next to her, offering a shoulder to lean on. Elena returned a minute later with the bucket of supplies and, after fussing over Everly like a mother hen, eventually returned to the helm with Liam.
Everly rinsed her mouth and took two of the anti-nausea tablets, but he had no doubt the return trip was going to be a rough one for her. Once the nausea set in, it could take hours to pass, even with the medication.
“You should’ve told me the moment you started to feel unwell,” he said, absently rubbing her back and pulling her closer. She fit like a missing puzzle piece against his side, and it gutted him to see her feeling like shit, especially since there was nothing he could do to fix it. “Are you always so stubborn?”
“I’ve been told it’s one of my better qualities.”
“Spoiler alert, Evie.” He lowered his mouth to her ear, his lips brushing the outer shell. “You’ve been lied to.”
She was silent for so long, he thought she might not respond. When she finally spoke, her words were a whisper. “Just another reason I find it best to only rely on myself.” She shrugged, her shoulder digging into his chest. “Everything I have—everything I’ve earned—I’ve done it on my own. I didn’t have the luxury of someone waiting in the wings to catch me if I fell or to prop me back up when I failed.”
Xander stiffened, her words cutting like a blade. Was she referring to the rumors that he’d cheated his way through school? That his parents had paid his tutors to fix his final exams so he could graduate Elmhurst?
It was bollocks. He was a lot of things—including a terrible student—but he wasn’t a cheat. Sure, he’d had accommodations, but they were the same ones offered to any student struggling with a learning disability. The knowledge that she thought so little of him—that she thought he’d cheat his way through school—burned like acid in his gut.
It was just another reminder that no matter what he did, he’d never outrun his reputation, and he’d never be enough for a brilliant, sassy, beautiful woman like Everly.
“What about you?” she asked, snaking a hand across his midsection. “From what I’ve seen, you’ve got a stubborn streak a mile wide. Despite all the bad press, you’re still out here trying to prove you’ve turned over a new leaf.”
For all the bloody good it was doing.
He sucked in a steadying breath and exhaled. “I’m committed to improving my reputation.”
“Why now?” she asked, looking up at him from under her lashes. “Why is this so important to you?”
It was an astute question. One he found he couldn’t answer satisfactorily. Not with words, anyway. “My reasons are…complicated. It’s not something I can explain.” Not officially, since it was classified. “But if you’re free on Friday, perhaps I could show you.”
Reforming the Rake?
Hold onto your hearts, ladies! It looks like our favorite royal bromance is on the mend. HRH Prince William and HRH Prince Alexander were spotted sailing the coast on none other than the Crown Jewel this weekend. And as happy as we are to hear our favorite royal hotties are burying the hatchet (without bloodshed), we’re more interested in the mysterious woman who accompanied HRH Prince Alexander.
We’ve never known the spare to take a date sailing (or anywhere other than a five-star hotel), but hey, there’s a first time for everything. #KeepItClassy
The pair was spotted canoodling in the stern while HRH Prince William and his fiancée Elena Murphy took the helm. We’re told it was a quick jaunt down the coast with only a brief stop for a picnic lunch, but from the looks of it, the pair made the most of the short trip!
Who knew royals did the whole double-dating thing like the rest of us poor slobs? Still, we can’t help but wonder how the heir felt about the excessive PDA, since it’s a definite no-no for the royal family (not that the spare hasn’t broken this rule a hundred thousand times over).
The photographs are a bit grainy for a positive ID, but we think this is the same woman HRH Prince Alexander was photographed with a few weeks ago. If so, this is another first for the royal spare, and it’s got us wondering if she’s a long-lost cousin (a girl can hope) or if HRH Prince Alexander actually found a unicorn with a magical, rake-reforming vagina?
Hit us up if you know this woman! We want her name, address, and social security number STAT!
Chapter Ten
Everly trailed the butler—a short man with chestnut hair, a pristine gray suit, and impeccable posture—through the grand hallways of the palace. Did he have a map tucked in the pocket of his jacket? Because come on, with nearly five hundred rooms, surely even the palace butler got lost sometimes, right?
Or maybe not. He seemed to navigate the cavernous halls with ease, gliding past one polished door after another without a second glance, which, as far as she was concerned, was a feat in itself.
Give the man a cookie. Or twelve.
The palace was the stuff of fairytales with high arched ceilings, intricate molding, and enough gilded trim to make her wish she’d brought her sunglasses. Add to that the fact that the halls displayed more oil paintings than The Met, and yeah, she was feeling a little out of her element—again.
She slowed as they passed a marble pedestal with a bust of Valeria’s founding father.
Shit. Would Liam’s head be perched on a pedestal one day? Xander’s?