Page 82 of The Reluctant Wife

"Sorry about that, Princess. He can be expressive in his affections," Imelda explains. "C'mere, Tiny." She slaps her thigh, and he immediately walks toward her. Then he flops down on the floor next to Arthur with a sigh.

I pull out my handkerchief, take her hand, and wipe off Tiny’s drool before folding it and pocketing it.

"Have you set a date?" Brody asks.

"A date?" We both look at him.

"For the wedding," Tyler clarifies. "It will be good to know so we can get the security arrangements in place for it."

I feel myself pale. This is getting all too real.

"Don’t take too long. The more notice you give us, the better." Tyler’s all business now. Somehow, in the last few hours he’s become my right-hand man, in terms of protection detail.

The king walks over and sinks into the armchair next to Arthur. "The ceremony will have to be in Verenza."

"I don’t suppose it could be restricted to close family and for the rest of the country to watch it when it’s televised?" I widen my stance. "That would make things easier from a security standpoint."

Not to mention, I have no desire to be part of a circus that a royal wedding could become.

Her father shakes her head. "A royal wedding is a key reason for people from around the world to travel to Verenza. And tourism is what drives our economy."

"What about your daughter’s safety?" Anger squeezes my guts. I don’t care that he’s the king and the man who’s paying the massive security bill my agency has run up. Keeping my woman protected is far more important. You’d think he’d feel the same way too.

His expression takes on a haunted expression. "Her wellbeing is important, but a royal wedding will generate billions of dollars’ worth of PR coverage and make Verenza a household name."

"I’d think Aura’s welfare takes precedence over any money, and—" She squeezes my arm. I glance down to find her looking at me with shining eyes. There’s tenderness, and something else. Something I don’t want to examine closely or put a name to; that could complicate this situation a lot more.

"It’s okay," she murmurs.

"It’s not okay. I’m a little tired of seeing you constantly put yourself at risk for the sake of your country."

She angles her head. "Didn’t you do the same?"

I open my mouth, then shut it.Damn. She has me there.

"What you described is the job description of being a princess," she reminds me. "Just like it was in your job description when you were a Royal Marine."

"Damn, you always know how to go toe-to-toe with me, don’t you?" I mumble, then half smile.

She chuckles. "It’s what makes the dynamics between us interesting."

We continue to smile at each other, until someone clears their throat.

She flushes and is the first to look away. "So yes, the wedding will be in Verenza, and I’d love for all of you to attend."

40

Aurelia

"Thank you so much for the invitation," Harper gushes.

"We really appreciate it," Grace adds.

"You’re so very welcome!" I smile.

Ryot and I, along with Veronica and the security team, boarded a flight the day after we announced to the Davenports that we were getting married. The king and his courtiers were, of course, on board with the wedding. Not that they’d have an objection, given the money the Davenports will be pouring into the country.

Luckily, the public-facing announcements were limited to a joint press release that Ryot and I put out announcing our upcoming nuptials in a month. After which, I handed my phone to Veronica and had her deal with the flurry of questions coming my way.

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