Page 115 of Passenger Princess

Pretty Strong, my business that consists of weekend-long girls’ retreats in different cities where we hang out, have girl talk, do silly crafts, eat good food, and, of course, learn self-defense, has become a raging success.

After my year as Miss Americana was done and once Jaime's own security firm, Wilde Security, was set up and running smoothly to the point where he was able to schedule in a monthly trip with me to help with lessons, I really leaned into the business, hiring a group of four girls to help me run these events as well as the online presence we have, including weekly training videos.

It's funny to think that two years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, was joining a pageant just to help my friends, and was slowly coming to terms with the fact that true, all-consuming love might just be in romance books for me.

And here I am: a retired pageant queen business owner dating the prettiest bodyguard on earth. And a cat mom!

Peach trots into the store on her leash like she owns the place, with Jaime trailing behind. He likes to say all the women in his life treat him the same, and seeing him with Peach, I can't say I disagree.

"Maybe one day," she says wistfully. "Until then, you'll just have to keep making the trek out here to see me."

"I'm happy to," I say. "We should do dinner later."

A twinkle is in her eyes like she knows something I don't before she answers. "Yeah, maybe. You looking for anything in particular?"

"Nope, just gonna peruse. See how much the big guy can carry, you know, the norm."

She lets out a tinkling laugh before nodding, and Jaime and I start to wander. I pick up books here and there and read the blurbs. I put some back and ask Jaime to hold others until I'm stopped at a table with just one book propped up on it.

"What is this one?" I ask, approaching a pink book with dark and light stripes on the cover, a big pink bow in a golden frame surrounding the title of the book:Passenger Princess. Little icons dot the edges of the book, and I glance at it, confused because I've definitely never seen this book recommended anywhere, but it seems...familiar all the same. Plus, the title iseverything.

"What's what?" Jaime asks, Peach on her little harness, trotting behind him.

"I've never seen this book, but this cover is to die for," I say, lifting it, then turning it over to look at the back. My body goes tight when I see the name of the female main character, Ava. And the male main character? Jaime.

"What?" Jaime asks, barely interested as he leans on a bookshelf, digging his hand into his pocket and keeping an eye on Peach as she rolls around on the floor.

I flip through the book and see that Ava has an orange cat named Peach. "Oh my god!"I shout. "Jaime, this is like an unauthorized biography or something. It's?—"

And then I see it.

Smut.

There is a smutty scene in here about Jaime fingering me in the car.

"Oh my god," I whisper, flipping through the pages, then looking at Jaime. "Is this fuckingfanfictionaboutus?"

"I don't even know what fanfiction is, Ava." I look up at him, unamused.

"Shut up, yes, you do. I know you've been reading that Omegaverse fanfic I sent you." A blush creeps over his cheeks. "Iknewyou'd like it!"

He rolls his eyes, tipping his head toward the book still in my hands. "Who's the author?" he asks. Moving it in my hands, I look, unable to find the name on the cover. "Check the end, there might be anAbout the authorpage."

My brow furrows, and I flip to the back before the world starts to spin.

A photo of Jaime and me standing together in Maine—a photo that I found out was his phone icon for me months later.

About the author:

Jaime Wilde is the bodyguard of a pageant queen and father to Princess Peach.

His goal in life is to convince the love of his life, Ava Bordeaux, to travel the world with him for the rest of his life as his wife. He went so far as to commission an entire fanfiction (he lied: he totally knows what fanfiction is, and yes, he liked that Omegaverse you sent him) and dragged her to Washington, where they had their first date, so he could ask her to spend forever with him.

"Jaime—" I whisper in panic, but then when I look up again, he's not there.

He's down on the ground.

Down on one knee, a ring in his hand, a nervous smile on his lips.

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