Some Like it Easy (8 page)

In silence, they descended the steps. At his apartment, he let Penny in, paused to glance at the cameras, then at Grady.

“I’ll turn off the main surveillance in your apartment,” Grady said quietly. “You have your panic button?”

He did, though he hated the damn thing. The rules, however, were the rules. Shutting off the cameras also meant one of the men would be stationed on his door. Penny deserved privacy and that was the sacrifice for it. Inside his apartment, he locked the door. Penny had shed her boots and stood somewhat forlornly next to his sofa.

She was a splash of color against the dark woods and leather furniture. Since most of it came with the apartment, George hadn’t given it any thought. His walls were bare and the only item worth looking at in the room was the large television.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he told her. “I’ll get your surprise.” Hoping she’d settle, he went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard next to the fridge. He’d done very little grocery shopping since arriving. Some basic foodstuffs had already been laid in for him and, the first time he’d run out, he’d asked Grady how they ordered it. Since his staff was limited to personal security, Grady took pity on him.

Shopping in a grocery store was a new experience and the cost of common items had been a wild annoyance, because his allowance didn’t go as far as he’d like. He’d discovered Penny’s weakness for pastries, particularly toaster ones. Once he’d found her favorites at the store, he’d bought three boxes.

“Pop Tarts.” Penny said from behind him and he turned with a frown.

“You were supposed to be waiting for your surprise.”

“You got me Pop Tarts?” Incredulity turned to a smile and all the dark clouds of her upset evaporated. “That’s—that’s the coolest thing ever.” When she fisted his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss, he went quite willingly.

“If I’d known they would have made you this happy, I’d have bought a whole case.”

Her laughter wrapped around him and he nuzzled her lower lip. She smelled faintly of the cigarette she’d had. Talking her out of smoking those moved high on his list. They weren’t good for her health. She needed to be healthy and happy.
Always.

“Trust me, one box is a treat.” She reached for them, but he held them away and tore open the foil.

“I was going to toast them for you. Go, get comfortable and I’ll bring them to you with something to drink.” Wine probably didn’t go with the pastries, but he could make hot chocolate. Penny liked that almost as much as she liked coffee. He even bought a can of whipped cream. He’d trading back a couple of other food items, but he wouldn’t starve, especially not since he’d discovered cheap meals he could microwave.

“Fine,” she said and rolled her eyes, but there was a jaunt to her step as she left the kitchen. It only took him a couple of minutes to heat the pastries and fix her cocoa. When he carried both out, Penny wasn’t in the living room.

“Back here,” she called and he followed the sound of her voice to the bedroom. She’d shed all of her clothes and left them on his floor. Lying in the center of his bed, resting on one elbow, she patted the comforter. “You said get comfortable.”

His body got on board swiftly. “I believe you are very correct.” He handed her the pastries and she held one end up to him for a bite.

“Share it with me?” The sweet offer was oddly erotic and probably the most intimate of his life. He took a minute to strip, then joined her in the bed. They ate, drank her cocoa and laughed. It wasn’t until after she’d fallen asleep next to him, sated and replete, he realized she’d avoided talking about the university and her denied application.

George hadn’t forgotten. He just needed to figure out what he could do about it.

“
H
ow long have
you two been sleeping together?” Mallory stood in the doorway to the bathroom, arms folded and eyebrows raised. Unfortunately, she hadn’t left for an early class and was very much awake when Penny let herself in to take a shower before she went to classes.

“Does it matter?” She’d hoped to skip this whole conversation. George wasn’t overly demonstrative when Mallory was around and, when she’d first returned, she’d been exhausted and distracted.

“Yes, it matters. He’s hot. And royal. And—and really nice.” Like a dog with a bone, she wasn’t letting it go, and she followed Penny back to her bedroom. “Really nice, Penny. I owe him a lot after he got me to Kansas for my mom.”

“I’m not going to eat him, Mal.” She dragged on a tank over her bra and then hopped a little as she pulled on her jeans.

“You don’t
do
relationships Penny. He’s the happily ever after guy, the prince on his white horse kind of literally, and you’re Mata Hari.”

That assessment stung and Penny paused. “Wow. Thanks for that.”

Mallory groaned. “You know what I mean, Penny. When was the last time you had a boyfriend for longer than five minutes?”

“We’re not having this conversation.” She sat on the bed and pulled on her socks. “I have to finish the soldiers today and then I have to attend a seminar tonight given by Cote d’Ansio. Not to mention I have to write two papers due to my senior advisor.”

“Penny.” Mallory dropped to sit next to her and bumped her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to work. We need to shop, and we’re both broke.” Also, she desperately wanted to change the subject. “The soldiers aren’t coming out like I hoped they would.”

On her feet once more, she added another layer over her tank top and then hit the closet to dig out a coat. She had so much on her plate. “I traded shifts, so I’m going to work this weekend, pick up some extra money.”

Her best friend continued to say nothing and Penny turned, finally meeting her gaze. Worry darkened her eyes and her mouth was tight. “I can take care of the shopping today. I still owe you for the rent and you need to go pick up your rings.”

“They’re good for another week or two. You know Milo, he gave me thirty days.” She’d managed to make a trip to the pawnshop without George or his bodyguards being any the wiser. They’d all had adjustments to make when George moved into the building and it had been a lot easier than she thought. “I can pick them up when I get my next bookstore check, but we have to have wine…” The lack of alcohol in the house was really wearing on her, especially after the bad news the night before.

Her gaze landed on the crumpled up paper on her nightstand. She’d dropped it there when she came back. Adding the rejection to the stack she’d amassed shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, but she’d dared to hope she could achieve that admission and go to Paris for graduate studies.

“Do me a favor?” Mallory’s question reminded her that she was still in the room.

After making sure she had her keys and strapping on her watch, she glanced at her roommate. “What do you need?”

“Promise me you’re being honest with him so you don’t break his heart.”

Really?
The second time in as many minutes her best friend called her a heartbreaker. “For the record, I’m not Mata Hari. She seduced people to gain information and intelligence. I didn’t seduce him, and I’m not after anything he owns or has.”

“Well, why are you sleeping with him?”

“Because it’s fun.” Because he was nice and sweet and fantastic in bed. Being with George was easy. At Mallory’s grave look, she groaned. “You know this is why you and I don’t do this. We don’t talk about guys. I have been honest with him.” She hadn’t made promises. They were having a good time. “Be my friend, not his. Okay?”

“I’ll butt out.” She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. “And I’m always your friend.”

“From cradle to grave,” Penny said, pausing to give her a hug. “Are you really okay? You know, your mom and everything?”

“I talk to her every day. She’s recovering beautifully and said your mom has been by several times. Dad’s back in DC because Congress is in session, but she promised me he called every day, too.”

“As long as she’s getting better. Are you going to go home on spring break?” Five weeks remained before nine days off. Most years, they road tripped somewhere to get away from the city during break.

“I was thinking about it,” Mallory said, following Penny to the living room. She was dressed, but didn’t have anywhere to be until afternoon. “But I just went home and…”

“Mal,” Penny said. “Spend time with your mom. I’m a big girl. I can handle a week on my own. I need to figure out my graduation plans anyway.” Like whether or not she’d go through with graduation or if she’d just switch her major again. The minute she graduated, she would likely have to leave New York. Right now, her only option was going home to Kansas to stay.

Not an option she wanted.

“I’ll think about it. Maybe George will sweep you away to some exotic location and you can dodge paparazzi.”

Not likely, but she didn’t want to spoil her best friend’s good mood. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you later?”

“Yep. I have to hit the books and get some make up assignments done. I may head over to Sal’s later, if you want to meet me.” Sal’s was a karaoke bar. “But I will go shopping first.”

“Great, I’ll text if I’m heading that direction.” She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and left. Justin was in the hallway and she frowned. Usually they didn’t
stand
guard, not unless George was home and he wasn’t. She’d kissed him goodbye before she went to shower. “Hey, Justin.”

“Miss Novak,” he greeted her, polite and proper, then pressed the down button. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket on the ride down to the ground floor. Anna wanted her to be aware of changing news and to avoid potential phone calls from the press.

Who the hell from the press would call her? Asking might get her a deluge of information, so she settled for the point that mattered.
Are you okay?

By the time the elevator doors opened on the first floor, Anna answered.
Yes. We’re fine. TTYS.

Sending back a colon and asterisk for a kiss, she shoved her phone into her pocket so she could pull on her gloves. Justin waited inside the door while she wrapped her scarf around her neck and tucked the knit hat over her hair. When she was ready, he opened the door, stepped out, then continued to hold it open for her. Nodding her thanks, she set off for the campus and her rented studio space. A few hours of welding would do wonders for her mood.

A half block of walking later, she cast sideways glance at Justin. “On an errand?”

“Of sorts.” He didn’t miss a beat, matching her stride for stride. If she paused, so did he. When she detoured toward a coffee shop to get a latte, he held the door and followed her inside. It was odd to stand in line with him and not talk, so she searched for small talk and came up empty. She wasn’t in the mood to be sociable. In fact, her internal focus was already in the studio, welding.

After she placed and paid for her order, he followed her out of the line and didn’t get anything for himself.

“Justin?”

“Yes, Miss Novak?” Inside, he pitched his voice low, despite the crowd. She was pretty sure no one was listening to them.

The barista handed her the venti latte, and she accepted it with a quick smile. She waited until she and Justin weaved through the crowd and made it back on the street before turning to face him. “Are you following me?”

“After a fashion, Miss Novak.” He nodded once, his gaze split between her and the street around her. That was one thing she noticed about the security details, they never stopped looking, never stopped scanning, assessing and responding to even the minute changes around them. She and George could stand on the roof while she had a cigarette and they stood right there, too, within a few feet, but they didn’t participate in the discussions. It was easy to forget them, only Penny never did.

Taking a long drink, she considered the pieces of the puzzle she had at hand. Anna sent the odd message and now one of George’s bodyguards followed her. “Okay, I’m guessing there’s lots of stuff you can’t tell me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He touched her shoulder and moved her before the door flung open to let more customers out of the shop. With ease, he navigated her toward another part of the sidewalk and she didn’t miss the way he put himself between her and the passing traffic—both vehicular and foot.

“And you’re going to be with me all day?” Always good to clarify.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pursing her lips, Penny itched to pull out her phone. But whom could she yell at? Her sister? George? Disliking the implications if it were the latter over the former, she really, really hoped this was Anna’s idea. “Tell me this much, Anna’s all right? No one is threatening her?”

“Her Highness is very secure, Miss Novak. I can assure you, all measures to protect her are in place.” Not really a direct answer, but Armand was a control freak.
He won’t let anything happen to her.
Since she’d already suspected Anna was pregnant, maybe this was simply preemptive action.

“What about George?” If Justin was with her, didn’t it remove someone from his detail?

“His Highness is also secure.”

She had too much to do to argue about it. Putting a pin in her objections, she motioned toward the coffee shop. “We should go back inside and buy you some water. I’m heading to my studio and I’m welding today. It gets pretty hot in there.”

“I’ll be fine, ma’am.”

“Okay,” she elongated the word. “It’s your heatstroke.” But she was twitching by the time she reached her studio and unlocked the doors. Justin did a sweep of the work area and she had to resist the urge to laugh aloud when he caught sight of her tools.

By the time she’d stripped out of her layers to the tank top and jeans and geared up to begin welding, she almost felt sorry for him. Course, she’d pay money to see what his report stated. More than once, Justin let himself out of her studio, but only after he checked all the access points.

The third time he made such a pass before stepping out, she had to take a break from welding. It was hard to not notice him. Square jawed, strong cheekbones and a definite Nordic cast to his features made Justin noticeable. Sadly, he did nothing for her, yet she couldn’t stop noticing him.

Crown molding, my ass.
Setting aside her blowtorch, she walked to the sink and splashed some water on her face. Sweat made her tank top sticky and her arms were slick with perspiration. The air inside the studio was hot, humid, and uncomfortable. She didn’t always notice it, losing herself in her work, but Justin’s coming and going coupled with the fact that he was there in the first place proved a huge distraction.

“Are you wrapping up, Miss Novak?” The question amused her because, clearly, she’d shut down the torch and storing her gear.

“Yep.”

“According to your schedule. You have a class in thirty minutes, then work at the diner?”

How the hell had he gotten her schedule?
Why am I asking this?
“Yep.” She didn’t halt her movements, however, and continued to pack things up. Once she finished the task, she paused to stare at her sculpture. Weeks of work and it was nearly done. The two warriors faced each other, swords poised for striking. She’d given them each small shields—one used his to fend off his attacker while the other used the round shield as a second weapon.

Squatting slowly, she followed the lines to the legs. The musculature worked better than she’d hoped. The ornate chest plates had been easy compared to creating the anatomy. The faces, though, they needed work. The project was due in a few short weeks. She needed the cool down time between welds, then she had to figure out how to get the piece to her professor.

One problem at a time.

“Miss Novak, if you want to make your class on time…”

“Justin, darling?” She didn’t move from her position. “If you want to keep getting along with me and follow me around all protective-like, let me worry about my schedule,
capisce
?”

A beat of silence then he answered in a clipped, controlled tone. “Yes, ma’am.”

She pissed off her guard.
Bad Penny
. The corners of her mouth quirked and she had to fight the urge to snicker. Maybe that’s what she needed to do with the warriors’ faces—make them angry. Rising, she grabbed her gloves and pulled them on and started pulling out her tools.

Heating the metal on metal with the acetylene torch, she used the smallest of her hammers and picks to begin carving. It could take hours, but she could see their faces.

Finally.

“
S
he’s not in class
, sir.” Grady paused next to him in the library where they’d retreated to wait for Penny’s class to end. Glancing up from his laptop, George frowned.

“I thought she had…” he tabbed over a couple of screens to his calendar. He’d been jotting down her schedule as he’d learned it.

“She does, yet she chose not to attend today.” Which was as clear as mud.

“Where is she?”

Grady scanned the area. They’d chosen a comfortable corner with a table, armchairs and easy visibility on all access points. It was also empty and gave him a modicum of privacy to study while he waited for Penny’s class to end. Leaning a hip on the table, Grady’s break with protocol had more to do with the image of fellow classmate and friend most of his security detail had adopted on this assignment.

“Sir, you asked to have Justin assigned to Miss Novak for the interim while Belaria was back in the news.”

Pushing aside his laptop, George met Grady’s gaze with raised eyebrows. “I’m not twelve, Grady. I know what I asked.” The discussion hadn’t been a pleasant one, Grady had given him a list of a dozen reasons why they couldn’t afford to reassign a portion of his personal detail. However, they’d reached a compromise after involving Peterson in the discussion.

The Andraste head of security rated the value of protecting Her Highness’s younger sister higher, especially when George stated the nature of his personal relationship with her. It had been a calculated risk revealing their involvement, but the security details afforded them privacy. Peterson wouldn’t tell Armand unless he deemed it a credible threat.