Page 5 of Rogue Royal
“Is there any way to encourage a phone or video call with the children’s charity before the meeting?”
Mav raised his eyebrows. “I can have the conversation.”
“Please do. I’d like to get my ideas across as soon as possible. If they are agreeable, we could start progress before the meeting.”
Mav nodded. “I’ll ask.” He noted it down on his list.
“Are my other appointments today going ahead?”
Douglas wandered over to his dresser, and before Mav could figure his intent, he’d stripped his shirt off and thrown it on the bed. There was nothing casual about the body of this man. He knew of other royal members who refused to take care of themselves, but he could not accuse Douglas of that.
His skin tanned easily, especially with how much he went without a shirt in the gardens, and the warm hues showcased the body of a man who took care of his appearance. Mav knew the club needed the Monitors to have a certain strength in case of security issues, but this was above and beyond the requirement for that role.
Mav could attest to the hours Douglas spent working out. Douglas had taken to adding it into his schedule to ensure he always had time to do it.
Clearing his throat, Mav refocused on the tablet. “Yes. The Secretary of State at one o’clock, dinner with your family at seven o’clock, and the club at ten o’clock.”
“Are you ever going to visit the club?”
Douglas spun around to face Mav, pulling a grey T-shirt over his head and hiding away the feast.
Mav tried to recall the question. “Um, no. Not planning to. I’ve told you before, it’s not my thing.”
“How do you know unless you’ve tried it?” Douglas stalked closer.
“Do you have everything you require for your first appointment?” Mav ignored Douglas’s words.
Douglas’s mouth curled at one side. “One of these days, you’ll surprise me and agree to visit, even if it’s to assuage your curiosity.” He stepped back. “Yes, I have the paperwork I need.”
“Good. If you need anything else, please let me know. I will be in my room.” Getting some sleep if he could.
“Thank you, Maverick.”
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.”
Mav strode to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle when Douglas called his name.
“If you came to the club, I’m sure someone would help you lose some of your tightly woven control.”
Mav lowered his head, then exited the room. He’d never willingly let go of his control. He’d worked too hard to become a solid, dependable force of nature for more reasons than Douglas could imagine. Mav refused to lose control.
He concentrated on the steps that took him back to his room, breathing slowly and deeply until he was behind closed doors. Resting his head back against the wood, his eyelids fluttered shut. The headache had turned into spikes, hammering into his brain. He needed paracetamol and sleep because a migraine was on its way, if the aura spinning in his eyes was anything to go by.
Stumbling to his bed, he took the tablets, signed off to ensure no one disturbed him for a few hours, then climbed into bed fully clothed. Pulling the cover over his head to block out any light, he sighed as the pain eased partially.
The trill of his phone woke him, and he fumbled for the device, knocking it to the floor. He cursed and shuffled closer to the edge of the bed, reaching for it. When it was in his hand, it rang again, and he shoved it under the covers to answer.
“Maverick, the king would like an update on the incident from yesterday—or this morning.”
Mav cleared his throat. “What time is it?”
His friend and the king’s personal assistant, Randall, chuckled. “It’s three o’clock.”
“Oh, shit!” He threw the covers off and trudged to the bathroom. “Give me half an hour.”
“You got it.” Randall paused. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I was catching up on some sleep after the late night. I forgot to set my alarm.” Nobody needed to know about his headaches.
