To Steal a Prince (11 page)

The prince tucks a wet strand of hair behind my ear. “Is there anything . . . else you’d like to do?”

I freeze. I know what he’s asking, but there’s no way I’m ready for that. I’ll have to pretend not to get his hint.

“You mean the beach trip? Are you still up for that?”

Damon smiles. “Anything you want.”

I’m relieved that he’s not annoyed. I know some men can get pushy when their needs aren’t met.

“Let me bear you hence, my lady.” Damon surges to the pool’s steps, splashing us with froth. I laugh at his antics, uselessly trying to keep water out of my mouth. True to his word, the prince carries me out of the pool, setting me down on the tile.

“We need to dry off first if we’re going to fly.” He throws a towel over me, rubbing my shoulders with a gentle caress.

“We’re going to what?”

“I forgot that you got here on a cruise ship. Have you never flown before?”

“No.” I can’t help a shudder from stealing over me.

“The air is safer than the sea could hope to be. And I’ll be there.” Damon grabs a towel for himself, running it through his hair. The towel covers his eyes for a moment, and I don’t hesitate to sneak another glance at his taut body. I was clinging to that just a moment ago. I hope I don’t look too smug.

Damon dries his back and stomach while I squeeze water from my hair. I wish I could concentrate on how beautifully his muscles move, but all I can think about is how crazy people are to strap themselves into metal tubes and go hurtling through the sky. We poorer folk may be the more sensible for never setting foot in airplanes.

“What’s that look?” Damon asks.

I wrap the towel around my waist. “Do we have to fly?”

“It makes the trip shorter, and the view is worth a million bucks.”

“Really?”

“It had better be. That’s what it’ll cost to see it.”

I can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

Damon holds his watch up to his lips. “Requesting a bird in T-minus fifteen.”

A bird? Now I know he’s messing with me.

His watch beeps. “They’ll be ready soon. Let’s get to the roof.”

He holds out his hand, but I hesitate.

“What is it?”

“Shouldn’t I put on some clothes first?”

Damon hands me his blazer. “This should do. We’ll be flying low, but it can still get cold.”

I frown, uncertain. “How many people are going to see me in a bikini between here and the beach?”

“You think you have it bad?” Damon asks. “I don’t even get to wear a top.”

Rolling my eyes, I put on the blazer. He’s impossible sometimes. I’m not sure if the blazer is much better. It’s large enough on me that it looks like I’m wearing nothing else.

“Come on.” Damon grabs my hand. “I can’t wait to show you.”

His enthusiasm is so infectious that I happily let him pull me onward. Luckily, the hallway is empty. We step inside the elevator, and Damon punches the button labeled R. The doors close, and the elevator whisks us upward.

This may be my last chance to get out of flying. “Are you sure we shouldn’t drive? I’m not a huge fan of airplanes.”

A blast of wind greets us as the doors open onto the roof. Surely that will change his mind.

“All right,” he says. “No planes.” Pressing his hand to my waist, he leads me into the sunlight.

As my eyes adjust, I see a helicopter ahead. Its blades spin lazily. Damon waves to the pilot and the blades pick up speed. Of course a prince would have a helipad. I should have known. The idea of bouncing around the sky in a metal bubble makes my stomach churn.

“Excited?” Damon asks.

That’s one euphemism for it. The noise of the rotors is deafening. I press my hands against my ears. Why did I ever agree to this?

A man runs over with two headsets. Damon secures one around my ears. The noise dulls instantly, though I can still feel a mechanical pulse in my bones. It’s rather unsettling.

Damon flicks a microphone to his lips. “Better?”

I can hear him in my headset. He moves my mic down so I can respond.

“Much.”

The prince squeezes my hand in reassurance. I do feel a bit better.

He helps me step into the chopper. “Watch your head.”

I make the mistake of staring up into the whirling blades. They’re so close, almost hypnotizing. Could they really cut off your head?

“Grace…”

“Sorry.” I climb aboard, taking one of the soft leather seats.

Damon slides in next to me, securing me in a harness. I blush as his fingers graze my breasts.

“Where to, Highness?”

I recognize the pilot’s voice. It’s Rashad.

“Pride Bay will do nicely.”

“Very good, sir. I’ll just conduct the final checks.”

I don’t want to distract Rashad, but I’m so surprised to see him here. “You can fly helicopters too?”

He looks back at me, his smile proud. “You have to be multi-talented to survive here, my lady.” Rashad turns back to the instrument panel. “Warning caution lights are out. The RPM’s in the operating range. Manifold pressure is optimal. EGT is within limits. Everything’s in the green.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Damon asks.

Rashad hesitates. “Did you want to wait for Nic?”

“Nah. He should be here by now. We can take off without him.”

It doesn’t look like Rashad likes this plan. No doubt Damon isn’t the one Nic would chew out for such a stunt. Then again, isn’t Nic furious at us right now? Would he really want to babysit us on the beach?

“Get her in the sky, Rashad.”

“Of course, Highness.” Rashad pulls a lever, and the rotors start purring.

“Are you going to close that door?” I ask Damon.

“I like to feel the wind in my hair.”

I take that as a no. I clutch my stomach, hoping that I won’t be sick.

We lift away from the ground smoothly, despite the wind. Rashad’s a great driver, and I’m sure he’s a great pilot too. They wouldn’t entrust a prince to him otherwise. The thought makes me feel a bit calmer.

Rashad tilts us away from the palace, until I can see our shadow on the helipad. It’s impressive and terrifying at the same time.

A man bursts onto the rooftop, running flat out. I recognize the burly form of Nic. He waves his arms wildly at us, clearly ordering us down.

“Should I set her back down?” Rashad asks.

“For what?” Damon inspects his fingernails. “I can’t hear a thing from up here. He’s probably just wishing us well.”

Nic crosses his arms as we hover above. I feel sorry for the bodyguard. From what he told me earlier, he only wants to keep Damon safe.

I lay a hand on Damon’s. “Can we go back?”

“Are you sure?” The prince sighs. “He’s going to ruin the mood.”

“It would mean a lot to me.” After all, I think I owe Nic one. He convinced me to return to the palace. The least I can do is let him protect the man I returned for.

“All right. Rashad?”

We hover right above the helipad. Nic jumps in, bending low to avoid the rotors. He straps himself in and bangs on the side of the chopper. Rashad takes us up again.

The bodyguard adjusts his headset, not looking at the prince. “I’m only going to say a few words. No matter how mad you make me, I’m going to be there to protect you. But you have to keep me with you.”

“Don’t be late if you want to stay with me,” Damon says. “I’ll let it slide this once.”

“If you say so, Highness. I know who asked to turn back.” Leaning over, Nic nods to me. I have the feeling that it’s the highest compliment he can offer.

I grip Damon’s hand as the chopper climbs away from the palace. The wind whips at us from the open door, but there’s solid glass beside me. Before we depart, Rashad takes us on a spiraling tour of the palace. The waterfall is even more magnificent up close, and the ivory towers shine bright.

Green hills roll away, turning yellow the farther they get from the gardens. Calling alarms, a flock of peacocks takes flight below us, the tips of their wings bright orange in the sun. I’m openmouthed with delight.

Damon drapes an arm around me. “I take it flying isn’t so bad?”

I have to laugh at my earlier fear. Flying isn’t so terrifying after all. In fact, it’s enchanting. To be fair, I’m not sure how much my exhilaration has to do with the bare-chested man beside me.

Rashad flies us over the city, low enough that I can see its veins. Below us are the arteries of its main roads, the thin meandering side streets. We’re high over everything, everyone. Nothing can touch us here. I’ve never felt so free.

“You think this is good?” Damon asks. “Just wait until you see the beach.”

8

It shows itself in pieces. First there’s the huge arc of a horizon, green waves stretching into the distance. We break over a line of trees and there it is, a thin strip of pristine beach. It bows inward at one point, deep green water collecting in the bowl. This must be the bay. The sky is a cloudless blue as Rashad sets down, the chopper’s blades scattering sand.

“Call me back and I’ll be here,” he says as we disembark.

Damon gives him a lazy salute. I wave to the rising chopper, shutting my eyes against stinging sand.

“What now?” I ask Damon.

“Walk with me.” He takes my hand. Nic follows a few paces behind.

It’s so deliciously hot out here. The sun’s already starting to bake me. I hope I get a nice tan. I haven’t been outside enough lately. Too many indoor heists, I guess.

“This way.” Damon tugs me into the woods. The hint of a path stretches before us. What could he have hidden back here?

I spot a small wooden structure through the trees. It doesn’t look like a place I’d want to linger in. If this is one of his secret hideaways, I think it should remain secret. Damon whistles as we approach. A whinny escapes from within.

I spin toward Damon. “Horses?” I ask in an excited whisper.

He grins. “What else?”

I try to contain myself. It’s every little girl’s dream to have a pony. I would have been satisfied with riding one, once, but my dad’s lottery tickets always came first. My wish is coming true a little late, but it’s better than never.

We walk around to the front, and two massive heads poke out. The first is dark, the other dappled gray. The dark horse sticks his neck out, farther than I ever would have thought possible, and noses my shoulder.

“This is Felix,” Damon says. “He’s an Andalusian stallion, and very proud of both of those facts.”

Felix tries to nibble on Damon’s blazer. I’m unsure whether to step back or push him away. The second option doesn’t seem so wise, but I don’t want to be responsible for getting horse drool on Damon’s nice clothes.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s just looking for treats.” Damon raises our hands to the horse. “Let him smell you.”

The stallion sniffs our combined hands, his nostrils flaring. His breath is so warm.

“Felix, this is Grace. Grace, Felix.” Damon lets go of me to rummage in a tin next to the stalls. “The trainers should have left us something. Here we are.” He plops a carrot into my hand. “Make friends. Be sure to keep your hand flat, though. You don’t want him thinking your fingers are more carrots. He can be a dumb, greedy beast.”

I present the carrot to the stallion, keeping my hand as flat as I can make it. Felix wastes no time, his lips and tongue tickling my skin as he devours the morsel.

“He’ll carry you anywhere, now,” Damon says. “It’s very hard to win his loyalty. It sometimes takes a whole apple.”

Felix is still crunching his carrot, so I reach out to pet his nose. It feels like velvet. Felix blinks at me, ears pricked forward.

“He might be a little too much for you. You should try Sasha first.”

“Nope.” Nic steps in his path, taking the dappled horse’s reins. “Sasha’s mine. You’re not leaving me behind.”

Damon frowns at his bodyguard. “But there are only two horses.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you tried to ditch me.” Nic swings the stall door open and clucks, guiding Sasha from her stall. He swings onto her back in a practiced motion. “Are you two coming, or what?”

The prince leads Felix from his stall. “I guess we’ll have to double up.”

I’m not disappointed. I’m glad that I don’t have to ride alone my first time, especially on such a gigantic horse. Besides, I can have an excuse to grab Damon to keep from falling.

“Ready?” Damon asks.

I look up at the towering horse. He tosses his head, shaking his mane in all directions. At least his height is the only thing intimidating about him.

“I guess so.”

“Hold the reins with your left hand. There you go. Okay, put your foot in the stirrup. Lift up a bit. Now I’m going to boost you up.”

I want to ask Damon what exactly boosting entails, but I find myself already astride the horse. It’s as scary and thrilling to be up here as it was to be in the chopper, except Rashad was piloting that. I’m the one holding the reins now. But what do I do? Couldn’t any movement send Felix galloping into the woods?

“Damon?” I try to keep the panic from my voice. “Where are you?”

“Right here.” He swings up behind me.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I’m not alone. Damon’s with me.

“Don’t worry. We’re fine.” The prince puts his arms around me, taking the reins. I feel very secure now, with his hard biceps keeping me in place.

“I’m going to nudge Felix with my feet, and he’s going to walk to the beach. Okay?”

I suck in a deep breath. “Okay.”

Damon gives the stallion a soft kick, flicking the reins. Felix whickers, then starts walking. The rolling motion of the horse is something I’ve never felt before. I wonder how long it’ll take to get used to. As Felix steps through the forest, I can feel the impact of his hooves on the packed earth. He’s such an incredible animal. Leaning forward, I stroke his neck.

“You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”

“Only sometimes,” Damon replies.

“I was talking to the horse.”

Even though I can’t see the prince, I know he’s wearing a wicked grin.

Nic falls in behind us on Sasha. He’s keeping a respectful distance, maybe to reward me for helping him get on the helicopter. He fades from my thoughts as we ride onto the beach. Felix adjusts his pace, his footsteps sliding the slightest bit in the sand.