Page 9 of Twisted Royals

“The homemade pepper sauce Mama used to make or salsa in a pinch.” She leaned away from me to look out the window as we approached the executive helipad. “I could make some if you want to try it.”

“You may give the recipe to the chef if you wish.”

She graced me with a brief smile and shook her head. “I can’t. It’s not written down. I could show him though.”

The helicopter touched down with a faint bump and I directed her attention to the black limousine. “Our car is already waiting for us. Would you care for lunch before the meetings begin?”

She glanced at the vintage Cartier watch my mother had loaned her and frowned. “I guess we should, but we don’t have much time.”

Without waiting for the driver to help her down, she grabbed her laptop case and jumped from the helicopter the minute the rotors slowed to a stop. The towering heels didn’t seem to slow her long strides, and I had to tear my gaze from her gorgeous ass before I started drooling.

The driver blinked at her as she strode to the waiting limousine. “My apologies, Your Highness. May I get your luggage?”

“It’s no problem. She’s excited to attend the symposium.” I let him take our bags, then added, “You may deliver everything to our suite after you drop us off.”

I caught up and handed her into the vehicle, then slid in to sit next to her. “Have you been to Stockholm before?”

“No. I went to Paris once for a friend’s wedding, and my parents took me to Athens before Mama passed.” She smiled sadly, then added, “They called it a bucket-list honeymoon, on account of them getting married during calving season.”

She turned to look out the window and grinned as several people passed on one of the city’s bridle trails. “Oh, look! I didn’t know they did horseback rides in the city.”

“Would you enjoy doing that?” If something so simple would give her such pleasure, it was all to the good. I could make it happen for her easily.

Sobering, she settled back into her seat. “It sounds fun, but we won’t have time. I also didn’t pack anything to ride in.”

“We can send back to the palace.”

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t bring riding boots to Agafonza, and we don’t have any free days anyway.”

“Ah, ah, Ms. Lawton.” Gently, I turned her to face the riders once more. “You promised my mother you’d do something you hadn’t done before. Have you ever taken a horse ride around Stockholm?”

“Well…” She chewed on her lower lip, then a small smile teased her lips upward. “No, but I’ve been riding since I could walk.”

“Then it’s settled.” Before she could protest, I held up a hand. “After all, you won’t want to disappoint the princess, right?”

“She’ll be thrilled when I tell her I rode a horse in one of those freakishly expensive dresses she gave me.” She shuddered and felt for the pearls again. “I mean, this one actually touched Princess Diana. It should be in a museum.”

“Not to worry. I’m sure the stable has riding apparel for sale. We’ll just buy what we need.” When she glared at me, I wiped away my smile.

“You are determined to make me do something bad, aren’t you?”

If only she knew how bad I wanted her to be…

“What’s wrong with having fun? We could spend a few days exploring the city and I’d be delighted to help you keep your promise.”

She huffed irritably, then pulled her phone from her handbag and brought up what looked like a banking app. After studying it for a moment, she nodded. “Okay, I think I have enough in savings to cover some fun.”

“What has your bank balance to do with anything?”

“I work over the summer to save up enough to live on during the school year. The more I save, the less ramen I have to eat.”

Damaris said the words without a hint of self-consciousness or shame. It was as if she truly thought nothing of it. I couldn’t decide if I was appalled at her father for letting her live like that, or if I should thank him for teaching her to work for what she wanted.

“Have you worked every summer? Didn’t your father fund your education?”

“Yes, but only for my undergraduate degree, and I still worked over the summer. I had scholarships for almost all of it anyway, and it seemed wrong to make Daddy pay my way when I can do it myself.”

Quickly, I revised my plan. Damaris wasn’t going to sleep with me because I was rich and spoiling her with what I could buy wasn’t going to work. Her values were both charming and entirely foreign to me, so I’d have to think of something else.

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