Page 12 of Her Red Hot Secret Royal Fling

“Wow, you’re really good at this.”

His smile made her whole body hum. “I told you,” he said, eyes locking to hers. “I do this a lot.”

“On your own?” she asked, curiously.

“Generally.”

Was that a guarded response? Was he hedging around the fact he usually brought his girlfriend? She thought of how quickly he’d managed to zip their sleeping bags together and realised that it was not only probable, it was highly likely. They’d dated for years; why shouldn’t he have brought her?

“What about security?” she blurted out, eager to change the subject—and get the idea of him with his ex out of her mind.

He lifted his shoulders. “This is a royal park.”

She looked around them. “But it’s still a park. Surely anyone could gain access.”

“Not really. I mean, theoretically, but it’s well monitored, and well secured. The chances of getting in if you’re not authorised are slim, and of being undiscovered even slimmer.”

“Monitored how?” she asked, curiously.

“There’s drone surveillance. When I’m hiking, there are check points I’m expected to reach, like this, and once I’m here, I notify my security detail.”

She blinked. “Notify how?”

He laughed. “A phone.”

“You bring a phone with you?”

“Well, a satellite phone, yeah, of course. Why?”

“I just thought the whole point was to disconnect or something. Be zen.”

“Zen?” He lifted one dark brow. “Like meditate?”

“I guess.”

His laugh was gruff. “Last night was about as close as I get to zen.”

“Really?” It had been the exact opposite for Sofia. She had felt hyped to a fever pitch just by his proximity.

“No.” Another grin. Her pulse sped up.

She met his smile with one of her own. “Sure you’re not hiding another tent in that backpack, Your Highness?”

He pulled a face. “Out here, I’m definitely just Ares.”

Strange, she felt as though he would always be ‘just Ares’ to her.

“And no. Just the one. But I’ll sleep under the stars tonight, if you’d prefer privacy.”

Her heart quickened a little at his obvious chivalry. “Oh, no, that’s fine. I mean, it’s fine. It was just a practical thing last night. I was cold, you helped me get warm. It’s nothing. Nothing happened.”

Another laugh, but this time, it was a little strained. “Are you trying to convince yourself, or me?”

Her eyes dropped to the ground between them. “Both?” she answered.

“I like your frankness,” he admitted, after a beat.

“That’s a relief. Most people find it confronting.”

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