Page 114 of The Thing About My Prince

“Later.” Oliver attempts to move forward again, but Giles doesn’t budge.

“I know why she’s here,” Giles says, nodding over Oliver’s shoulder toward me. “We know about…the book.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

OLIVER

Lexi’s sudden clench on my hand instantly cuts the blood supply to my fingers.

Giles’s statement, along with his stony expression, makes me feel like the rest of my extremities are about to drop off too.

How can he possibly know? Only a handful of people at the publishing company, my agent, Lexi, and her boss know about this book. Everyone’s signed NDAs. And it’s in none of their interests to leak it.

Could he have made a bizarrely lucky guess?

Whatever’s happened, I’m not letting him ruin the afterglow of that amazing moment Lexi and I just had. Giles has always been the human version of a bucket of cold water whatever the occasion.

“Well, that’s a far-fetched one, even for you, Giles,” I scoff as if it’s the most ridiculous suggestion I’ve ever heard. “Now please excuse us. We need to rejoin my family.”

“This is urgent,” Giles says. “Miss Lane needs to leave now.”

“What?” Lexi pipes up behind me.

He releases a sharp sigh. “I know you’re writing the prince’s biography or life story or memoir or whatever the hell your tawdry little book is.”

Lexi moves to my side and lets go of my hand. Another chill runs through me at the thought she might have broken physical contact to distance herself from me. But maybe it’s just because she’s super independent and doesn’t want it to look like she needs to lean on me for support when someone’s attacking her.

“Just because I’m a reporter doesn’t mean I’m like all the other reporters you’re used to,” she says.

I can hear the self-control in her voice, the slight tremor that no one else would notice that says she’s fighting to keep a lid on her shock, anger, and confusion.

“There’s no point denying it,” Giles says. “I’ve seen it.”

“Seen it?”Lexi and I say together.

I know she’s making good progress on her first draft because she’s shown me a few parts to double-check things with me, but I know for sure she’s not sent it to anyone yet, so Giles can’t possibly have seen it.

Unless he’s accessed her lapt?—

“For security reasons,” Giles says. “And I stress for that reason only, I had the team go through your computer.”

“You didwhat?” In the fraction of a second that Lexi lunges forward from my side, the red mist in her eyes is obvious.

I just manage to catch her by the upper arms and hold her back. While I don’t think for a moment that she has a single violent pore in her body, the way Giles recoils says he thinks she does.

“And thank goodness we did,” he says. “Because books like this are not allowed. The Palace says so.”

“The Palace?” I snap. “You mean you’ve told my grandparents?”

“Not yet, sir,” he says. “I know how much you respect Their Majesties, and I’m sure you’d hate for them to find out from anyone other than yourself. If Miss Lane leaves now, you’ll be free to do that in your own time. If she doesn’t…well, my loyalty to the family would leave me with no choice but to inform them.”

“You’re threatening me?” It might be me who needs to be held back now.

“I wouldn’t call it that, sir,” Giles smarms.

“What about my parents? Are you not-threatening to tell them too?”

“I don’t doubt it would be best if you told them yourself. And it would be my humble suggestion that perhaps you do that sooner rather than later. Otherwise…” I have never seen a less humble or more punchable smirk.