35
THAYER
“I don’t know you can fly a chopper.” Kennedy laughed at her words, sitting beside me.
The two idiots settled at the back.
The weather was sunny. The sky was clear. At this time of year, Guardion was an ideal place for sailing.
“Why did you laugh?”
“You’re a royal pilot, to be precise.”
“Yeah. Royal Air Force.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised.”
I turned on my comm. “Kingsbyrie Tower, this is Guardion 583 Alpha ready for departure, inbound West.”
Tower replied immediately, “Guardion 583, this is Kingbyrie Tower, your good to go.”
“Over and out.” I closed my comm. The take-off took smoothly. “You don’t have fly anxiety.”
“Not really, but I never tried a chopper.” She seemed unsure, biting her bottom lip.
“We’ll try skydiving next time.”
“What?” She looked at me as if I just lost my mind. “No thanks. Hard pass.”
“Said a woman who planned to jump off the jet,” said Lud.
She turned herself, probably glaring right now. “I was not serious, idiot. I’ll choose to die in a heart attack than planning to suicide by jumping off the plane. I would rather die pretty with my body intact.”
“It’s skydiving then. You’re going to love it. We’ll do tandem. I promise you’ll be safe.”
She shook her violently. “I’ll stay on the ground. It’s safe and sound. Thanks.”
Ash and Lud laughed at the back.
“I told you that was the best idea.” He high-fived with Ash.
“You’re an asshole, Ludovic.”
“Can you swim, love?”
“Why? Do you have a plan to throw me off the boat as well?”
I laughed, held her hand, and pressed it against my lips. “Relax, darling. I’ll kick them out of this chopper before they can even think of harming you.”
“Well, it’s time for you to stroll around Guardion. Have you been to Maine?” Ash asked.
“Portland, Maine? No. Why?”
“Guardion is closer to Maine. And you’ll go sailing.”
“You, too, asshole. I’m trying to surprise her, and you’re ruining my plans.” I threw a glare at Ash.
“Sorry, boss. My bad.” I knew he wasn’t sorry. He was grinning as he looked outside the window.
“Asshole.”
We were almost twenty minutes flying. “Look down, darling.” In this area, she would see a lake surrounded by green forest.
“Wow.” I could see the amazement in her eyes. “That’s gorgeous from up here.
“Wait until you see the other side of Guardion. If you have San Valley Idaho, we also have Thorne Fulke. The best Skiing destination,” Ash said proudly.
“How is it possible you have like summer weather here, and the other is cold?”
“Remember when I told you about Levi?”
Her eyes lit up. “In Finland? Yeah, and I didn’t have a clue that you were already talking about your country. Why didn’t you just tell me where you came from?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t want you to know me just yet. Usually, I didn’t like the reaction when people found out who I was.”
“And you definitely got the oddest reaction ever, Your Highness,” Ash seconded.
Kennedy smiled. Maybe she remembered how she ran away.
“Yeah, I usually expect an awe reaction followed by one thousand questions. But what I got from Kennedy was running away—what did you say to my father? Your ass is on fire?”
She burst out laughing, so did Ash and Lud.
“Wait a minute, T. Did you just say she told your father like her ass on fire?” Lud laughed out loud. “Jesus, I wish I was there to see the reaction on Prince Isodore’s face.”
“Well, I didn’t know what else to say. I was starstruck by his mother even if I already met her twice. Then the Prince was asking questions, and his sister was blasting at Thayer. So here I was trying to save him from awkward moments.”
“That’s our girl. I still wanted to see the Prince’s reaction, though.” Lud was still laughing.
We touched down in the Pad at the Guardion Manor that was belonged to me, seated in a fifteen-acre land.
The vehicles were already waiting for us. Kennedy and I shared the same car with Lud and Ash. The SUV they rented was only to avoid exposure to the public.
I still had to take care of the little privacy Kennedy and I had before the announcement.
Less than an hour later, we arrived at the private port. The yacht was waiting for us.
Capt. Galen welcomed us aboard. I led Kennedy to our private room. She hadn’t said a word since we boarded. Now she made me worry.
“Do you feel seasick?”
She sat on the queen size bed with a velvet duvet. “I don’t know.”
“You’ve never been to the sea?”
She rolled her eyes. “Mom is from LA. I never went to a boat or a yacht like this. It’s too luxurious for me, but I can swim.”
“Great. The deck up has a pool. We can swim there. Your luggage is pack with a swimsuit.”
She suddenly went silent.
“What is it, darling?” I knelt in front of her.
“Thank you.” She looked down at me. “I wouldn’t have experienced this if I didn’t meet you.”
“We will have a lot more things to experience. I still consider skydiving with you.” I smiled wickedly.
“No way in hell I will jump off the plane. What if there’s faulty in the parachute?”
“I’ll make sure to pack another one.”
“It still doesn’t make me feel better.”
Before the sunset, we settled on the deck. Our drinks arrived. The two goons were in their floral blouse, pretending as if they were on the tropical Island in Hawaii. My woman, however, was wearing red two-piece suits underneath her Kimono Bohemian covers.
“Beautiful,” she muttered as we watched the sunset.
The ocean was so serene. It was refreshing. I, myself, didn’t get a lot to have a vacation on my own due to tight schedules since my grandfather got ill. Even before, I only had holidays, the rest of the days, I was working.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Even if we just spend at the back of the manor, I’d enjoy it.” She sipped her Margarita. “As long as you are with me.”
“I’d love to take you out a lot if my schedule allows.”
“I understand. Don’t worry. But thank you for taking me here.”
“Anything for you, darling.”
“Why do you keep calling me darling?” Her brows shot up, but there was an amusement brewing in her eyes.
I grinned. “It’s how I want to call you.”
“There’s something behind it. Do you have someone you already called babe, baby, or maybe sweetie?”
I laughed out loud. “I call you darling because it suits you. You can look up the meaning online.”
“I know what darling means.” She rolled her eyes.
The water splashed from our left. Kennedy gasped beside me, her hand gripping around my arm.
“Yo!” it was Lud, yelling down the water.
“Oh, God! He’s gonna freeze down there.”
I leaned against the stainless rail. “I doubt that. He’s a diver and trained in hot and cold weather. One thing I’m sure is his balls will freeze.”
She shook to laugh beside me. “I’d love to hear him say that.”
Ash followed, jumping down.
“Holy! Are they insane? How deep is that?” We watched the two idiots swim.
“Deep enough that the yacht doesn’t dock.”
“Come on, Your Highness! I know you miss this!” It was tempting, but not a chance.
“I need my balls in good conditions. Sorry!”
Kennedy hit me playfully as she laughed at my joke. “You are so not the Duke I expected.”
“I know how to have some fun, Kennedy.”
“You certainly does.” She pressed her lips against mine. I quickly respond to her kiss while the idiots were cheering at us.
“Pop the question already!” Lud yelled.
I gave him my middle finger while I was kissing Kennedy, causing them to laugh even more. “This is the most romantic date I had in my life.”
“So did I, my prince.”
