Page 11 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

‘From what?’

‘Threats against my safety,’ she said, firmly.

Why was he being so difficult? Having the security detail with her had felt hideously restrictive when she was younger. For years, the constant shadow had made her feel both suffocated and self-conscious, her every move monitored and measured, but she had come to accept the intrusion as a requirement of her position over time. And he would have to do so now, as well.

‘Are we talking assassins and kidnappers or bears and broken bones?’ he asked.

She bristled. What exactly was he implying, that Androvia was the Wild West? Or that she couldn’t ski as well as he could snowboard?

‘We do not have any intelligence about bad actors in the region. The bears are hibernating at this time of year, and I’m not going to fall. I happen to have been skiing almost as long as I’ve been able to walk,’ she announced, her irritation getting the better of her, despite her best intentions.

‘Terrific,’ he said, dropping the snowboard onto the ground. ‘Then tell your minders to scram and we’ll see them in Sariyelva.’

‘I can’t ski without them,’ she said, her patience starting to fray. ‘They need to know I’m safe at all times.’

‘Youcan, you’re their boss,’ he said, giving her instructions as ifhewereherboss—the self-righteous bastard. ‘I’ll make sure you’re safe on the ride down. And they can track your phone if they need to.’

‘I’m not going to ask them to...’ she began, but he cut off the protest, by placing his chilled hand on her cheek, his familiarity shocking her into silence.

‘Belle, listen up. This is non-negotiable. The deal’s off if you can’t get rid of the audience for an afternoon. I’m not comfortable with them trailing us everywhere we go. And no way are we going to persuade anyone we’re an item if we’re never alone.’

She started, shocked not just by the demand, and the ultimatum, but the familiar touch. And the way it made her feel—as if she wanted to jump out of her skin and lean into his callused palm at one and the same time.

‘I just... I’m not used to doing anything alone,’ she said, then wished she hadn’t, because it made her sound pathetic.

But instead of mocking her, he brushed her cheek with his thumb. The caress was slight, but had a predictably shocking effect, before he let her go to lift his sunglasses.

What she saw in his expression wasn’t the disdain she had expected.

‘You’re not alone, you’re with me. We’re gonna need privacy to figure stuff out. And the downhill will be a lot more fun without the guard dogs.’

She cleared her throat.Fun.

Her temper deflated.

Hadn’t she once longed for the freedom to do exactly what he was suggesting?

She took a steadying breath to consider his request—without letting her annoyance at his high-handedness get in the way.

It was a glorious day, the afternoon sunlight making the snow glisten and sparkle, and the forested gorge was the perfect gradient for a fast and challenging descent. The aloneness, the stillness, the silence—only broken by the cry of a raptor hunting in the blue above them—were spellbinding, vibrating with the possibility of adventures she had been denied for so long.

Would it really be so wrong to indulge yourself, just this once?

She swung round to address the head of her security detail before she could overthink the impulse. ‘Jensen. Could you and the team meet us at the trailhead near Sariyelva?’

‘Are you sure, Your Majesty?’ the man said, frowning.

‘Yes, myself and Mr Lord are going to ski alone,’ she added with an authority she didn’t entirely feel—but which only made the thought of playing hooky for the afternoon more exhilarating. ‘We should be there in two hours at the most. Give me the satellite phone,’ she said, holding out her hand to take the device. ‘If there’s a problem, we’ll contact you.’

The man looked past her towards Lord, not at all happy about the instruction. Lord simply raised an eyebrow, and she could almost hear him saying, in that deep, husky American accent:Yeah, so what you gonna do about it, buddy?

The silence stretched, the stand-off between the two men vibrating with tension... And annoying her. Why was Jensen confronting Lord when this was her decision to make?

But then her security chief nodded and handed her the phone. Capitulating to her or Lord she wasn’t quite sure—but she would take it.

‘We will be waiting to escort you into Sariyelva,’ he said. ‘If we don’t hear from you in two hours, we will send out a search party.’

‘Of course, and thank you, Jensen,’ she said, the spurt of adrenaline becoming intoxicating at the thought of having the whole afternoon to herself.

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