Page 76 of The Unlikely Spare

But I can’t escape the chaos of my mind.

“What happened to the children?” I suddenly remember the reason I’d broken protocol in the first place.

“All safe, sir,” Singh replies. “Naval security escorted them to a secure area.”

Relief floods through me. At least something good came from my reckless decision.

Although could O’Connell kissing me also be classed as good?

I rub my lips, which feel bruised. Bloody hell. I think I’m in shock. Not from my attempted kidnapping, but from what happened afterward.

I shiver, and Blake sends a worried look at me.

It’s not fear. Not at all.

The extraction point turns out to be a hastily established security perimeter at a nearby military facility. The SUV glides through multiple checkpoints before depositing us at a nondescript building where, as promised, a medical team awaits.

“I need to debrief with Cavendish,” O’Connell announces as we exit the vehicle. His eyes finally meet mine, just for a second, and the conflict I see there causes a constriction in my chest. “Officer Blake will accompany you to medical.”

And just like that, he’s striding away.

The medical assessment is brief but thorough. My forehead sports the beginnings of an impressive bruise from the headbutt, and there are minor scrapes on my hands and marks on my arm where one of the attackers grabbed me. Nothing serious, nothing lasting. The physical evidence of what happened will fade within days.

Unlike the memory of O’Connell’s hand on my face and in my hair, his body pressed against mine, the sound he made when I bit his lip.

“You’re very lucky, Your Royal Highness,” the doctor says, applying a small butterfly bandage to my forehead. “Headbutting someone can cause concussions for both parties if done incorrectly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” I say.

The doctor starts to pack up, and I send a glance at Blake.

“Where are they taking me now?”

“Secure hotel location, sir. Full security briefing scheduled upon arrival,” she answers.

“And the attackers?”

“Being processed by the Australian Federal Police.” Her expression reveals nothing. “Four in custody, one in hospital.”

Another SUV, another security formation, this time without O’Connell. I stare out the window at the Darwin landscape blurring past.

What is he thinking right now? If I’d known a week ago that this would happen, I’d have assumed I’d feel triumphant over the evidence that the stoic Irishman wants me.

But what I’m feeling right now definitely isn’t triumph.

Instead, that kiss has just left me hungry for more. Starving for more. I’ve been set alight by a kiss that I know should have never happened.

The hotel is a different one—a security precaution, Blake explains.

Cavendish meets us in the lobby, his face drawn with tension. “Emergency briefing is set up in the conference room. We’ll convene as soon as everyone arrives.”

“Everyone?” I try to keep my voice casual.

“Full security team,” he confirms.

I nod, affecting nonchalance while surveying the lobby for a particular tall, broad-shouldered Irishman.

By now, palace communications will be drafting statements and my family will have been notified. I’m sure the media will be spinning narratives about the brave prince who survived an attempt on his life.