Page 25 of Royal Player
“I’m relatively sober now,” Polly says.
“Oh, I’m still flying high,” Alice says. “Probably because I had these chocolate candies. They were like little liquor bottles with drinks inside them.”
Lucas kisses the top of her head. “Barely any liquor in them, darling.”
I turn to Polly. “Do you have funds of your own? Would you need to get the okay from someone back home?” As closely guarded as she is, I imagine her funds are held even tighter.
She presses her lips together. “I won’t receive full access to my funds until I marry.”
“And then your husband will have a say,” I point out.
She lifts a finger. “Don’t count me out yet. Let me think on it and find a way. I want to go to your meeting tomorrow to see what Charles has to say about the casino business.”
I turn to Adrian in question. He knows Charles better than any of us.
“Sure, he won’t mind one more at the meeting,” Adrian says.
Polly smiles, but she looks worried. Probably trying to figure out if it’s even a real possibility for her to invest. She wants to use her business smarts, but once again her backward kingdom holds her back. Part of me wants to rescue her from it, just take her out of there and let her live free, but I know she doesn’t want that. She wants her birthright, to be queen. I would too if I were heir to a kingdom. I just wish there was more I could do.
“You want to hit a nightclub?” Adrian asks us.
“Yes!” Polly and Alice say in unison, and then, “Jinx!” They punch each other in the arm and both say, “Ow!”
I chuckle. “Let’s go.”
We head downstairs to say goodbye to Charles, finding him chatting up a group of beautiful women, his arms around two of them. He’s a thirtysomething man with blond highlights in his brown hair and an overly white smile. I bet he gets post-party action on top of the action he already got upstairs.
“We’re heading out,” Adrian says. “Thanks so much, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Of course,” Charles says in heavily accented English. He pulls away from the women and approaches Polly. “Where have you been hiding all evening? I must know your name.”
Polly smiles politely. “I’m Polly, very nice to meet you. I’ll be at the meeting tomorrow.”
He takes her hand and kisses the back of it. That’s my move. It looks so fake when he does it. “You look so familiar. Are you royalty like your friends? Such a regal graceful air about you.”
“Yes,” she says.
He drops her hand and steps into her personal space, which you should not do with royalty. Ass. “Where are you from?”
She meets his eyes directly while shifting backward. “Beaumont Islands.”
“Beaumont?” He switches to French. “A popular vacation spot. You are the princess with the veil and the modest clothes.” He gestures to her hair. “What’s happened? The Monte Carlo air has set you free.” He smiles, showing off his overly white teeth. My own teeth are on edge.
Polly nods. “Something like that. I love it here. There’s energy and excitement in the air.”
“Such life in you.” He gestures around her body, close but not touching. I barely resist smacking his hand away. “An aura of sparkling spirit.”
Aura. Please.She does have a glow, though. Guess I’m not the only one to notice.
“Goodnight,” I say.
Polly backs up a step. “Yes. Thank you again. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, lovely,” he says in a husky suggestive voice.
She turns and walks away. We all follow her.
“You get that a lot?” I ask her. “Random guys hitting on you?”
