Page 48 of Handle Me

“He has his reasons,” Brex said smoothly. Apparently, he was as uninclined to share as my brother. “Don’t worry. No one can see you now.”

I got out of the Range Rover and surveyed this side of the building. From this angle, it didn’t look as foreboding. I could almost pretend it wasn’t a palace. Grabbing the overnight bag I was suddenly glad I’d packed, I asked, “So, who lives here?”

“Edward just moved out,” he told me. “Henry was here for a while, and Alexander kept an apartment here before he met Clara.”

“So basically no one?” I said flatly.

“There’s some staff. A few more guards. But in terms of the family, you’ve got the place to yourself.” He grinned at me. “Except for me. I’ll be upstairs.”

“Well, hello, roomie.” I stared glumly at the brick walls as he led me into the private entrance. “It’s not quite as grand as I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“I don’t know, dragons or moats or some shit.”

Brex laughed. “We keep the dragons at Buckingham. It’s the only way to keep Poor Boy in line.”

“Why do you call him that?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

Brex started up the stairs, and I followed. “He walked into our unit, and I shouted something about who was getting stuck with Poor Boy.”

“Let me guess…” I couldn’t help laughing along with him.

“Yeah, it was me. But Poor Boy had a bit of a death wish, so he saved my ass a few times.”

“Really?” I frowned. It was hard to imagine Alexander doing anything that didn’t benefit himself.

“Look.” Brex stopped in front of a door marked with a golden number four. “He’s not as bad as you think he is. He’s just a man.”

“A man who gets off ordering everyone around,” I grumbled.

“Would it help if I told you he was doing that with the best of intentions?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I doubt it.”

“You sound like Clara.”

“She puts up with it,” I said sourly.

“Nobody challenges Alexander more than Clara,” he corrected me. “And thank God for that. He’d have gotten himself killed, or burned the whole country to the ground by now if it weren’t for her.”

“I guess I don’t know him.”

“You don’t,” he said firmly but not unkindly. “But maybe you should try.”

“I suspect he isn’t very interested in getting to know me.”

“A piece of advice?” Brex said as he unlocked the door and opened it for me. “Don’t assume anything where he’s concerned. He’s got you here because he cares about you.”

Now I knew that wasn’t true, but I kept the thought to myself. Alexander only cared about the scandal that followed the public revelation of my paternity. I was just collateral damage he needed to find a place to store. I stepped inside the apartment and whistled.

At least it was a very nice storage box. The apartment itself looked like you’d expect a royal residence to look, complete with silk curtains and expensive furniture. However, a massive television sat in the living room, so that was a modern perk. I continued to explore. Opening one door, I found a large bathroom with a tub big enough for two, and a walk-in shower I could fit a car inside. A dozen ways I could get Lola naked and wet flashed to mind—if she didn’t overthink everything and keep her distance. I imagined she’d try for a while, especially after I’d persuaded her to break them in the lift and then again and again in other rooms and alcoves. I could almost hear her breathy gasps as she begged me to fuck her.

Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard after all.

My dick, on the other hand, was another story. I adjusted it as inconspicuously as possible as I moved to the attached bedroom. The king-size bed’s four-poster frame just gave me more ideas.

I was going to need to smooth things over with Lola as quickly as possible. If I was going to be stuck here behind security gates in a freaking palace, I might as well enjoy myself.