Page 14 of Tech Prince Troubles (Runaway Prince Hotel #6)

Chapter Fourteen

SAM

looking for him

A dri was still on my mind by the time the four of us unloaded gear and tired kids from the van.

I’d wanted to wave at him, but the way he held himself made him seem smaller—quite a feat for a tall person—had stopped me.

Would he tell me he’d seen me, seen our family?

I hoped he would. I’d love to know what he thought now he’d seen us all.

The radio was still playing Tammy’s favorites as I joined her to grab the last of the bags and crates.

“So… that was him, right? At the river?”

Damn. “I didn’t realize anyone else saw him.”

“That’s a yes, then.” She smirked. “Don’t worry. Evan had his hands full with the kids, Bethany was napping against my back, and the twins were too busy beating you to notice you were no longer in the game.”

“You know Julian only ‘raced’ me to get Quinn to the lake for some quiet, right?”

“Same difference. Julian’s grown into a wonderful brother. Now stop changing the subject. Your guy’s gorgeous.”

“No comment about his age? I’m disappointed. And he’s not my guy.” No matter how good that sounded .

Tammy narrowed her eyes. “Ah. Hmm. Age. Is that what’s keeping you back?”

How did I land myself in these traps over and over? I sighed. “No. At least, I don’t think so. He doesn’t come across as young. Shy, maybe. Sensitive to noise. And smart.”

“You’ve said that. The smart part.” Tammy sat on the van’s floor and patted the space to her left. “I didn’t expect you to be so… let’s go with open.”

We were having this conversation after all, then? I dropped next to her. “Let’s see. I glided down the river in a solo kayak, alone with my thoughts, thanks to all of you. And then the object of those thoughts happened to sit on a bench along said river.”

In the shade. Looking gorgeous. I couldn’t believe it at first. But the clothes, his tied-back hair, his face scrunched in concentration. It had to be him. It was a miracle I hadn’t crashed the kayak into the riverbank.

“Fair enough. Doesn’t answer my question, though. What is stopping you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“Oh, bullshit. You always made time for me.”

“You were…” I didn’t know how to finish that thought. She was right. I had made time for her, and we had a great time together. For a while, at least.

“If that head of yours is now dissecting our relationship, then you can stop it. It doesn’t matter how we ended. You making time for me was never the issue, and you know it.”

“Stop being right all the time,” I teased her, even as my stomach turned.

“I am right all the time,” she joked right back. “But I’m serious, Sam. You, Evan, and Bethany have created this incredible family that I’m so grateful to still be a part of, even if it’s not in the way you wanted when you asked me to marry you. You can make it work. Just give him a chance. ”

She got out of the van and took her bag inside. Playing with the keys, I let the music wash over me as Tammy’s words sank in. “Give him a chance.”

Wasn’t that what tomorrow was about?

One song merged into another, and all I could think of was how I was going to drag myself through my shift when Adri would sit in his corner booth, inhaling his espresso.

I got up, shook my already sore legs out, and locked the van. For once, it wouldn’t be my sore muscles that made my post-kayak shift uncomfortable. I almost made it to the door, but I couldn’t make myself go in.

Damn it. There was still time before Adri began his shift at the hub.

I got back in the van, sent Tammy a quick message—gaining a thumbs-up and a string of emojis I’d decipher later—and drove to the hotel. This had to be the second time I’d ever used the manager’s parking space.

My heart raced as I crossed the vast space toward the hotel’s elevator and paused. I couldn’t just walk up to the desk and ask for Adri’s room. Layla would never stand for it. I respected that. The guests’ privacy was important.

Asking Layla herself was tempting, but while she didn’t gossip, she was nosier than my baristas.

It was none of her business. I took the stairs to the plaza and sat at the fountain, ignoring the elk and fox standing in the bushes on either side of the hotel entrance.

They had appeared there a while ago, sparking more gossip from our staff about rumored royalty.

Gazing at the statue, I pretended to admire it, or at least appear to enjoy the mellow evening air. I should’ve asked for Adri’s number. Should’ve given him mine.

Wait. Hadn’t he mentioned drawing on his balcony? And trees? Only one side of the hotel faced the park. The chances of finding Adri on his balcony were slim, but it beat sitting here, waiting for someone who had no idea I was looking for him.

So, I took the path to the park and gazed up at the balconies, feeling a bit like I was stalking guests. Layla would chew me out if she caught me on camera. There were too many balconies, too many floors, but I checked them all. No Niren in sight on any of them.

I felt more than silly when I reached the end of the building.

If I left now, there might still be ice cream when I got home.

But as I started turning, movement drew my attention, and Adri appeared on the path.

I froze mid-step and stared at him—his tall, lanky figure floating toward me, his skirt brushing the path, appearing to be lost in thought.

I almost burst out laughing. Spending all that time staring up at balconies when he hadn’t even been at the hotel.

My chest tightened when he noticed me and stopped. His expression was guarded, as if he was bracing himself. He was gorgeous, nevertheless.

Taking a breath, I took one step toward him; I couldn’t afford to let him slip away. “Hi,” I greeted him. “I was looking for you.”

Adri seemed to start at that, his eyes drifting away as if he was expecting someone behind him. I approached him and reached out my hand. He stared at me, then at my hand, confused, his own hand hovering as if he wasn’t sure what to do.

“I saw you earlier. At the river.”

He let his hand drop without even brushing mine. “You knew I was there?”

I shrugged. “There aren’t many Niren in Princedelphia.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “None. I checked.”

“Seeing my entire family must have been… overwhelming.” I held off on telling him Tammy saw him, too.

“You have a lovely family,” he said.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you. ”

“You looked happy.”

I wanted to soothe the longing in his voice, but I didn’t move, so as not to spook him. “We are.” I looked around. “Do you want to find a bench and sit for a bit?”

Adri shook his head, and I finally let my hand drop.

“Fair enough. I’m sorry for bothering you. Will I still see you?—”

“We can go to my room? I need to rest before my shift.”

Of course. I felt a smile tug at my cheeks. He must have been tired, having walked all afternoon. “Lead the way.”

Neither of us spoke as I followed Adri into the hotel and up to his room, near the elevator.

He opened his door with the barest touch of his fingers, confirming what I’d suspected—that he didn’t need his debit card when paying for his coffee at all.

He had to be really tired if he didn’t care about letting me see that.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, taking my cue from him.

Adri said nothing as he stepped over random parts scattered across the floor and sank down.

Leaning against the wall, he put his curled fingers around the nearest socket and stared at the ceiling.

“I miscalculated how much energy I had left before going on my walk.”

“No problem.” I took in the room. Two chairs and a bed that appeared as though Adri hadn’t even sat on. I shook my head and slid to the floor, keeping at least an arm’s length between us and careful not to sit on any of the parts. “Take your time.”

“Thank you. I’m good to talk. Tell me about the boats. Is that what you do on your days off?”

I opened my mouth to correct him, then closed it again. I shouldn’t expect him to know the difference between a boat, a kayak, and a canoe. “Yes. Once a week, unless it rains. We love being on the water as a family.”

“It looked like fun. ”

Would I ever stop smiling like a goof? “It is . Though, for some of us, every outing is a race.”

“One of your children. The one who looks like Quinn? With the big grin.”

“Yes. Julian.” Because they had such different personalities, I sometimes forgot they looked like carbon copies to others. “He and Quinn are twins. Do Niren have twins?”

Adri nodded. “They’re rare. Julian and Quinn have your hair, your build, but their other father’s eyes and smile.”

I swallowed and wished I could change the subject. As much as it pleased me he noticed, it felt too soon for the dreaded explanation of how I was their birth parent. “They all have Evan’s good looks.”

The question didn’t come; instead, he said, “I have one sibling. A brother.” He spoke slowly, as if choosing his words. “Sorry, talking seems so easy for you. I’m not used to having conversations like this.”

He seemed to do fine with Riley. Though they probably talked about IT stuff. “I’d love to know more about you, but only if you’re comfortable sharing. Are you and your brother close?”

“I feel we are much like Julian and Quinn. He likes loud; I don’t. He’s a biomancer; I’m a tech mage. And he doesn’t drink espresso.”

“Major character flaw, that. Who doesn’t like espresso?”

That seemed to make him smile. “None of my family do. They’re all biomancers and prefer sweet to bitter.”

Interesting. I’d have to remember that. Who knew when another Niren would visit our café? “What made you choose Princedelphia?”

“I had… I needed a change. Layla offered me a job.”

There was something he wasn’t telling me, but I let that go. He was already sharing more than I’d expected. “But you like the work? ”

There was that smile again. “Very much. I’ve never worked on a renovation project before. It’s very interesting and rewarding.”

“I can’t wait to see the ballroom when it’s finished. We’ve already bought our tickets for the Masquerade.” Evan’s parents would watch the kids.

“Riley’s chandeliers are beautiful.” Adri’s eyes lit up.

“She’s done? Really? Wow! I don’t suppose you took a picture?”

Adri shook his head. “Layla asked us not to share any images.”

“Ah. Maybe I’ll sneak in sometime this week.” I added a wink and hoped Adri understood I was joking.

“You could pretend I ordered an espresso.”

I laughed. “Or you could actually order an espresso.”

He blinked. “The café does room service?”

“We don’t. But I could give you my number?” The moment I said it, the atmosphere in the room changed, but I couldn’t take it back. I held my breath as Adri tilted his head.

“Only to bring me espresso?” he asked.

“Or to talk. Message. Exchange silly emojis. If you want?”

The silence dragged on, tightening around my chest, until he finally turned to me. “When I came to the café yesterday.” He paused as if searching for the right words. “It wasn’t just your espresso I’d missed.”

That was profound, coming from him. The sudden urge to kiss him shook me to my core.

My heart pounded,and my breath stuttered.

I didn’t dare speak as I shuffled closer, studying his face for any sign that I was going too far.

Too soon. There was still one thing I needed to tell him first. “Adri,” I started, “I’m trans. Quinn and Julian… I?—”

He placed an iridescent purple finger against my lips that felt more like human skin than I’d expected. “You gave birth to them.” His low voice enveloped me. “I understand. I still want to kiss you. Can I?”

My lips tingled from the static thrumming beneath his skin. “Yes.” What else was there to say?

His mouth was warm as he kissed me—hot, deep, hungry.

Everywhere we touched, his skin felt alive with the same static.

He tasted like kissing a live wire, with a hint of bitterness.

Espresso. He sighed into my mouth as we came up for air and pulled me closer.

I brushed my lips across his, not ready for this to be over.

He invited me in, his tongue teasing mine.

I wondered what he tasted in me after all the sweets and fizzy drinks the kids had fed me.

I hadn’t had espresso all day. He made me crave one.

And of course, that was the first thing I blurted out when we finally parted.

Adri’s eyes went wide. “Maybe not right now.”

I grinned at the implication. No. Maybe later. Much later.