Page 58 of Royal Guard

He grunted. “Been trying to learn my way around. All the damn doors look the same, Your Majesty. And nothing leads where you’d expect.”

I nodded and grinned: the first time I’d smiled in days. Just being in his presence was relaxing. “You haven’t even seen all of it yet,” I told him. “There are secret passages, too.”

He moved his knight and then gave me a sideways look, unsure if I was joking.

“Thereare!Three of them.” God, it was so good just to talk to him. “One of them leads from the dungeon out to the gardens: there's a door hidden behind some white camellia. That was for if the royal family were ever captured and locked up in their own dungeon and needed to escape. The other two leadfrom different places direct to bedrooms. They were for smuggling in lovers."

I caught his eye just as I said the last word and suddenly flushed. I tried to look away, but I couldn't: our eyes were locked. I could feel my cheeks and then my ears turning red. Lovers... like us. The Queen and her guard.Stop thinking like that!I had to forget New York ever happened. I fumbled for a piece and made my move.

“Checkmate,” he rumbled, placing down his knight.

I blinked at the board in amazement. His knight had my queen pinned in a corner.What?!

When I rewound the game in my mind, I saw it. I’d been playing tactically, like my father had taught me. Sacrificing pawns, faking out my opponent, always thinking three moves ahead. Like a queen in charge of an army. But he...he hadn’t sacrificed a damn thing. He’d protected his soldiers. He hadn’t tried to outwit me. He’d just powered through with sheer grit and determination... like a marine.

And that’s when it overwhelmed me. God, I loved this man. He was my exact opposite... and that was exactly what made us work so well together.

He stood to go, but I stood, too, without consciously willing it, thatpullbetween us linking me to him. He drew in his breath. “Your Majesty….” he said warningly.

“I know.” But I took a step towards him. I couldn’t help it. I knew in my head that we couldn’t allow anything to happen, but my whole body was aching for him. My heart was slowly tearing with each millimeter he moved towards the door and I knew that all I needed to do to fix it was touch him. My skinwas alive, prickling and sensitive, ready for the brush of his fingers, the press of his body. My ears hurt from the silence. I needed to hear that deep Texas growl.

I took another step towards him.

He glanced at the closed door behind him and drew in a shuddering breath. I could see the muscles of his chest standing out under his shirt: his whole body had gone hard with tension. “We can’t.”

“I know.” But I took another step.

“Stop, damn you!”he grated.

I finally stopped and we stood there staring at each other in the darkness, only a foot apart.

“You don’t know how close I am to grabbing hold of you right now,” he growled.

“Yes I do,” I whispered.

There was a loud knock at the door and we jerked apart like startled cats, hearts pounding. It took another knock before I got my breath back and told them to come in.

Aleksander was standing there, along with the head of the intelligence services. I showed them in and they sat at the table. Garrett loomed silently out of the darkness and both of the newcomers jumped in shock: like most people around the palace, they found Garrett’s size intimidating and they hadn’t expected him to be in my chambers. Aleksander glanced curiously between Garrett and me. But if he suspected something between us, he was polite enough not to say anything.

“Your Majesty,” said the intelligence chief, “I’m here because we’re not making any progress with Sebastian. He claims he wasn’t passing Caroline’s location onto anyone. He claims he’s genuinely in love with her.”

I nodded slowly. “Well... I’m sure you’re doing the best you can.”

He and Aleksander stared expectantly at me.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m not sure what else you want me to say.”

The intelligence chief leaned forward. “Your Majesty... conventional interrogation techniques aren’t working.”

And then I understood. I heard Garrett’s intake of breath from the darkness as he realized, too. “You want me to authorize torture,” I said slowly.

They nodded. Aleksander looked grim.God, Sebastian’s his assistant! They’ve worked together for years!

“No,” I said firmly. “Absolutely not.”

“It would be strictly off the record,” said the intelligence chief in a low voice. “Only a few people would ever know. ”

My jaw dropped. “You think I’m worried about gettingcaught?Reported to the UN? You thinkthat’smy problem with this?!”

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