Recklessly Royal
Page 64
“Nothing right this minute.” She cupped my cheek and I was reminded of when I was a child. “We think about it and handle it with a clear head.”
I led her to a seat across from where David was sitting on the couch. “Sit here and I’ll get you some tea.”
“I’ll get it, ma’am.” The young nurse disappeared.
“She’s probably going to slip drugs into it.” Selene frowned. “Good morning, David.”
“Good morning, Selene.” David smiled at her, his hair sticking out in different directions. “I’m sorry you woke up to this.”
“This is my job. To make sure Cathy doesn’t panic or make the wrong move.” She shook her head. “Where is Tabitha?”
“Are you not taking your medicine?” I glared at her. “Why do you think they are drugging you?”
“Because they’re tired of me complaining.” She waved her hand. “They probably aren’t, but I bet they wish they could. Now, where is Tabitha?”
“I don’t know. She disappeared last night.” I shrugged. At the time it had been a relief. Of course she did drink an entire bottle of wine in the car, so it was likely that she was still snoring in her bed. “Maybe in her room.”
“We need to talk about the photos.” Selene said the words quietly. “Have you seen them?”
I shook my head, my stomach rolling. I remembered the kiss, the intense need, the way he had cupped my ass. I didn’t want to see that splattered in a tabloid.
“They aren’t that bad.” Selene leaned back in her chair. “They’re actually sweet. David, can you pull them up on your phone?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He fiddled in his pocket until the phone was free, and he pressed buttons until he had pulled up the file. He looked at the pictures for a minute, but I refused to look down. Instead I watched his face as he decided what he thought. “They aren’t bad. Just personal.”
“No, and what I’m most worried about is where the photos came from.” Selene said the words calmly, but it sent my heart racing.
“What do you mean?”
“Those are cell phone pictures. Who else was staying on the floor with you?” She frowned. “I don’t remember much from the hospital, but I know that you would have been in a penthouse. Were there other rooms on the floor?”
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head.
“No, that’s not right. There was a door on the opposite side of the hallway from yours.” David narrowed his eyes.
“I thought that was a janitorial closet.”
“It would have been large enough for someone to hide in.” He looked around the room angrily as if he could spot the perpetrator walking through my living room.
“Who would have done that? The staff? How long did they hide in that closet? Just for the chance of a photo?” My mouth worked for a minute as I watched Selene’s serious face. “Who has time for that?”
“Someone that could make large sums from selling the pictures.”
“A hotel employee?” I shook my head. “Can we call the hotel and figure out who it was?”
“I’ll have someone look into it.” Selene took a sip of her tea.
“Not Tabitha.” David’s voice brooked no argument.
“Okay.” Selene watched him carefully. She wasn’t used to taking orders from people other than the royal family. “Why?”
“She tried to insist Cathy go to the auction last night after she dropped the bomb about the pictures in the car.” His voice was a growl. “Cathy had a panic attack.”
“Are you okay, dear?” Selene looked at me with worried eyes.
“I’m better this morning.” I took a deep breath as if to prove it. “David kept me calm.” I smiled over at him. “But I think I ruined this dress.” My smile turned into a frown as I looked at the material hanging around my legs. There was mascara on the pale pink skirt.
“You still look amazing.” He reached out and tucked some of my hair behind my ear.
“I hate that I wasted the dress.” I sighed. “I had been saving it for a special night.”
“Playing Crazy Eights wasn’t a special night to you?” He mock-frowned. “I’m heartbroken.”
“Oh hush.” I pushed at his shoulder. “Chadwick will be glad you loved your new tux so much that you slept in it.”
“Remind me to thank him for insisting on the extra tight pants. They were so comfortable last night.” The snark was palpable.
Selene was watching us with a small smile. “Not to interrupt your adorable banter, but what do you want me to do with Tabitha?” From the sound of her voice, she had a few ideas of her own.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. The truth was that despite the laughs we had shared, I’d be just fine if I never saw her again. But that seemed unfair. She had done her job for the last two weeks, even if she was a bit confused about what that entailed.
“I’m going to say something that Cathy will probably disagree with, but I think it should be said.” David turned to look at me. “I don’t trust her. I’ve been thinking about this all night and I don’t see why it couldn’t have been her that leaked the photos. Somehow the media has been following you relentlessly since she started working for you. She could be leaking information.”
I led her to a seat across from where David was sitting on the couch. “Sit here and I’ll get you some tea.”
“I’ll get it, ma’am.” The young nurse disappeared.
“She’s probably going to slip drugs into it.” Selene frowned. “Good morning, David.”
“Good morning, Selene.” David smiled at her, his hair sticking out in different directions. “I’m sorry you woke up to this.”
“This is my job. To make sure Cathy doesn’t panic or make the wrong move.” She shook her head. “Where is Tabitha?”
“Are you not taking your medicine?” I glared at her. “Why do you think they are drugging you?”
“Because they’re tired of me complaining.” She waved her hand. “They probably aren’t, but I bet they wish they could. Now, where is Tabitha?”
“I don’t know. She disappeared last night.” I shrugged. At the time it had been a relief. Of course she did drink an entire bottle of wine in the car, so it was likely that she was still snoring in her bed. “Maybe in her room.”
“We need to talk about the photos.” Selene said the words quietly. “Have you seen them?”
I shook my head, my stomach rolling. I remembered the kiss, the intense need, the way he had cupped my ass. I didn’t want to see that splattered in a tabloid.
“They aren’t that bad.” Selene leaned back in her chair. “They’re actually sweet. David, can you pull them up on your phone?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He fiddled in his pocket until the phone was free, and he pressed buttons until he had pulled up the file. He looked at the pictures for a minute, but I refused to look down. Instead I watched his face as he decided what he thought. “They aren’t bad. Just personal.”
“No, and what I’m most worried about is where the photos came from.” Selene said the words calmly, but it sent my heart racing.
“What do you mean?”
“Those are cell phone pictures. Who else was staying on the floor with you?” She frowned. “I don’t remember much from the hospital, but I know that you would have been in a penthouse. Were there other rooms on the floor?”
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head.
“No, that’s not right. There was a door on the opposite side of the hallway from yours.” David narrowed his eyes.
“I thought that was a janitorial closet.”
“It would have been large enough for someone to hide in.” He looked around the room angrily as if he could spot the perpetrator walking through my living room.
“Who would have done that? The staff? How long did they hide in that closet? Just for the chance of a photo?” My mouth worked for a minute as I watched Selene’s serious face. “Who has time for that?”
“Someone that could make large sums from selling the pictures.”
“A hotel employee?” I shook my head. “Can we call the hotel and figure out who it was?”
“I’ll have someone look into it.” Selene took a sip of her tea.
“Not Tabitha.” David’s voice brooked no argument.
“Okay.” Selene watched him carefully. She wasn’t used to taking orders from people other than the royal family. “Why?”
“She tried to insist Cathy go to the auction last night after she dropped the bomb about the pictures in the car.” His voice was a growl. “Cathy had a panic attack.”
“Are you okay, dear?” Selene looked at me with worried eyes.
“I’m better this morning.” I took a deep breath as if to prove it. “David kept me calm.” I smiled over at him. “But I think I ruined this dress.” My smile turned into a frown as I looked at the material hanging around my legs. There was mascara on the pale pink skirt.
“You still look amazing.” He reached out and tucked some of my hair behind my ear.
“I hate that I wasted the dress.” I sighed. “I had been saving it for a special night.”
“Playing Crazy Eights wasn’t a special night to you?” He mock-frowned. “I’m heartbroken.”
“Oh hush.” I pushed at his shoulder. “Chadwick will be glad you loved your new tux so much that you slept in it.”
“Remind me to thank him for insisting on the extra tight pants. They were so comfortable last night.” The snark was palpable.
Selene was watching us with a small smile. “Not to interrupt your adorable banter, but what do you want me to do with Tabitha?” From the sound of her voice, she had a few ideas of her own.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. The truth was that despite the laughs we had shared, I’d be just fine if I never saw her again. But that seemed unfair. She had done her job for the last two weeks, even if she was a bit confused about what that entailed.
“I’m going to say something that Cathy will probably disagree with, but I think it should be said.” David turned to look at me. “I don’t trust her. I’ve been thinking about this all night and I don’t see why it couldn’t have been her that leaked the photos. Somehow the media has been following you relentlessly since she started working for you. She could be leaking information.”
