Page 22 of The Princess and Her Mercenary

Chapter Twelve

Ndari was not in love and her would-be lover was a complete tyrant.

Keane wasn't going to let her go shopping with anything less than five bodyguards, including himself. Ndari wanted Keane to herself, she didn't understand why they couldn't go shopping alone together. She wanted to show him the Paris that she knew and loved. He'd been there before. He said he hated it. She wanted to show him why he should love it as much as she did. But in order to do that they needed to be free to move around the city without multiple vehicles and security guys armed to the hilt checking exits and entrances. Her entire life had been a series of bodyguards. She didn't need more. What she wanted was the freedom to explore the city she loved with the man she loved.

"But I don't understand why the two of us can't just go shopping together, why we can't go see the Louvre or why we can't go to the Eiffel Tower alone. I want to take you and be a couple of tourists together. It'll be great. Why do we need guards?"

He grunted. "Aside from the fact that your brother is probably still after you? And I have more enemies than I do friends." He shook his head. "The guards stay. They always stay. Your safety is the most important thing."

"Of course my safety is the most important thing, it always has been. But we can go out, you and me, and still be safe. I could go out by myself and still be safe."

"Absolutely not," he growled.

She gave him a stern look. "I wasn't planning on actually going out by myself. I just want you to know that it is possible to go out without bodyguards and survive the experience. I've done it many times."

He gave her a long look, "Yer not convincing me. It was sheer luck that your troublemaking ass didn't get you in more shit when you were escaping from the palace."

She grinned. Okay, he wasn't wrong. But she still wanted to keep him to herself. She sidled up to him, pressing her breasts against his chest as she looped her arms around his neck and stepped up on her tiptoes to press tiny kisses against his throat.

"Please," she said breathily against him.

He groaned, took a fistful of her hair and pressed her tighter to his chest. Finally, he relented, "Fine, just me, but I'm taking my weapons."

She squealed and jumped away from him, clapping her hands in excitement. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Just make sure the guns are well hidden. Paris is supposed to be the city of love, not the city where my lover frightens the locals and gets himself arrested."

They started at the Louvre. She figured they would start off with something artsy, something Keane might be less than interested in, and then move their way into the fun stuff, the stuff that Keane would be more likely to enjoy. But she was surprised at how much he seemed to enjoy the museum. He wanted to stop and look at things, discuss certain paintings or artists. She was impressed with his depth of knowledge when it came to art. She, of course, had been trained with the very best art history tutors. But as far as she knew Keane dropped out of high school in Ireland and had never taken up any other kind of education.

When she asked him about it, his response was to tell her that just because he was a dropout didn't make him stupid.

She understood why he might be defensive, but he didn't need to be with her. "I'm not calling you stupid," she assured him softly. “And I completely understand how people who might have a lack of formal education and opportunities can still educate themselves. I've seen it plenty of times. I just didn't take you for someone that might be interested in, say, the Mona Lisa.”

He shrugged, "Not really interested in Van Gogh. I'm more of a Gustav Klimt guy."

She laughed and hooked her arm through his. They continued through the Louvre. They didn't stay long, only a couple of hours. After all, she had so much more of Paris to show him. And honestly, it could take days and days to get all the way through the Louvre. So, they hit up the highlights and then left, slipping out before the afternoon crowds arrived. She took him for lunch in a special spot in old Paris. A little Bistro that she'd fallen in love with years ago when she came here with her aunt and sister for shopping. The beignets were utter perfection.

It was located down a back alley and through an archway. It was the kind of place that the locals knew about, but tourists didn't often stumble upon. It was a bit laughable to have someone of Keane's size and bulk, especially with weaponry hidden underneath his jacket, in such a place. Sitting on a delicate chair next to a delicate table, outside of an old-fashioned Bistro. But he seemed to enjoy every moment. He sipped his sparkling wine and orange juice and he helped Ndari eat cheese and crackers off a shared plate.

This is what she wanted. This is the type of day she wanted with him. She wanted to show him her Paris. She wanted to see that quick grin of his whenever he came across something he liked. She'd never seen him so relaxed. It felt good. And she hoped it felt good for him to.

"Where to next?" he asked, downing the rest of his mimosa.

She glanced at him through her lashes. It was truly a pleasure to see him so at ease. His green eyes were sparkling, and his posture was casual, instead of the usual alert tension he carried.

"Shopping?"

He grunted something unintelligible, but stood and held his hand out. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Together, they hit up some of the best shops in Paris. Ndari was a fashion follower in a big way. She absolutely loved haute couture. She would wear other things like rocker T-shirts and running shoes, but her heart lay on the runway. She wanted to have the very finest fashions and she wanted them at the height of every season.

Once again, Keane looked slightly out of place, holding her purse and glaring at every entrance and exit and every person inside every shop that they entered. But he went with her, and he didn't seem to hate it. He even went so far as to help her choose the cuts, cloths and colours that he thought would look nice on her. Of course, he tended towards the skimpy side, or he did until she tried on one of his suggested outfits. He stood there grinning like a maniac until he saw the salesman's eyes on Ndari. Then he quickly changed his mind and started suggesting full coverage outfits, including jackets, hats and sunglasses. She laughed. He definitely wasn't used to having a girlfriend like her.

It was around their fifth shop when Keane’s cell phone rang. He frowned down at it and answered. Seconds later, he exploded, “What the fuck do you mean she slipped away? Fucking Ivan is going to gut all of us.”

Ndari tried to look concerned, but a smirk slipped through. She suspected she knew exactly where her bestie was. Keane frowned down at her and said into his phone, “Hang on.”

He gripped Ndari by the back of the neck and pulled her flush against his body. “You know where the hacker is.”

“I do not!” she protested. She really didn’t. She only suspected.

“Tell me,” he growled.

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