Page 17 of Regally Binding

“You didn’t, though, right?”

“I didn’t need to. Strangely enough, he started behaving after that.”

Liss smirked. “Well played.”

They fell into a comfortable silence.

“I’m sorry for being difficult,” she said tentatively after several minutes. “I’m not used to being told what to do or being with people all the time.”

“But you work in a pub, and you have Isla.”

“Yeah, but at the end of the day, I come home to my flat, and it’s only me. It’s always been just me since Mum died,” she continued quickly, not wanting to chat further about her mum. “What can I do to make your job easier?”

“Trust me. Listen to me. And try not to rebel too much. You’re not stupid, Liss, and you’ve not got a death wish. I’m pretty sure you’re good at following orders when necessary.”

Although he’d said it without inflexion, an image of him telling her what to do as she lay beneath him flashed in her mind. He observed as she tugged her lip between her teeth.

“And I’ll call you a good girl if you behave,” he added with a wink.

“Fuck you,” she replied with an eye roll, but she pressed her thighs together to stop the arousal owning her body. “I will do what you say as long as it’s not stupid.” Or too filthy.

He laughed a deep laugh that filled her limbs and eased the tension.

“I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted too. Me and Strike usually do security for people who’ve been in the limelight for years. They’re accustomed to the risks. But you were shoved into something massive so quickly, and from everything I’ve seen already, your life was pretty normal, in a good way.”

“It’s weird to think I was just running the pub a day ago.”

“Exactly. So, I’m sorry because I treated you like our other clients. Some of them crave the drama, and that’s not you. I’m going to try harder to respect that and be less of a dick,” he added.

“Thank you. That means a lot,” Liss replied with a sigh. “What time is it?”

“About half past five. You should sleep.”

She murmured her agreement.

As she began to drift off, she asked, “Why are you in my room anyway? Are you scared someone is going to get in and attack me?”

“I heard you crying, and I didn’t want you to be alone,” he stated so simply that she almost didn’t believe him.

“Oh. Thank you,” Liss said, staring at him as a mixture of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She didn’t know what to say, so instead, she replied softly, “Sleep well, Bear.”

“Sweet dreams, Princess,” he said with a gentle smile before she turned over and snuggled into the duvet.

Chapter Ten

Liss slunk around the bedroom and squeezed her talisman heart before slipping it into her toiletry bag. It was the last present from her mum, a plastic fast-food chain toy from their final meal together. Her mum hadn’t been able to eat much, but she’d been giddy at the idea that she, a grown woman, could order a Happy Meal. It was the last time her mum smiled before she died, so that little plastic heart meant more than all her possessions combined.

Liss had slept until the early afternoon and followed it with the longest shower. Waves of honeysuckle filled the air whenever Liss fluffed her hair, and a heady combination of flowery citrus covered her soft skin.

She glanced down at her clothes. Her yoga pants were worn at the knees, and her vest had seen better days. If the DNA test revealed she was the King’s granddaughter, she’d have to dress differently. Everything would change. It was bad enough that she was forced out of her home and couldn’t visit the pub. She checked her watch for the umpteenth time. Maybe she should make the most of her free time. But time was a luxury she’d never been allowed.

A knock sounded at her door. “Can I come in?” Bear said from the other side.

She opened the door wide and stood back. Her handsome bodyguard filled the gap in the doorway. His ruffled hair and the dark rings around his eyes made her want to reach out.

“You okay?” she asked.

His brow furrowed, and he stumbled over his words. “I was going to ask you that.”

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