Page 12 of Palace of Betrayal

León frowned, his jaw tensing, and she could tell he didn’t like the idea and was going to object, which would piss her off. Why did men always conclude that she’d be better off sheltered despite all the evidence to the contrary?

“Fine but be careful.”

Surprised, Bebe tried not to show it, especially as very few people could shock her these days. “Badass, remember?”

Leo seemed to drag his eyes over her in a slow deliberate perusal, which had her tummy tightening. “Yeah, I remember or you’d be locked inside this room until it was safe.”

Bebe sat up straighter, rolling her lips between her teeth. “I’m going to put that sexist comment down to grief and shock and not kick your ass, Leo, but don’t do it again.”

His lips twitched in a smirk and some of the darkness left his eyes as he leaned closer. “Why does the thought of getting hot and sweaty and sparring with you make me so damned turned on?”

Bebe swallowed, noting the desire in his eyes. “Because you were dropped on your head as a baby?”

Leo threw his head back and laughed before he leaned in close, cupped her cheek, and kissed her as if she was the only source of oxygen on the planet and he’d been starved of her.

A sigh broke free from her throat as she balanced a hand on his hard thigh for support. This man kissed like a damn god. All too easily she was swept up in the feeling and didn’t notice the man standing in the shadows of the balcony door until he cleared his throat.

“Excuse me, sir, but the King wishes to speak to you.”

Leo took his time pulling back, his green eyes heavy with lust as he pecked her lips once more before turning to his butler. “Thank you, Hans. Tell the King I’ll be with him shortly.”

Hans nodded, shooting a look of disapproval at Bebe before he turned on his heel and walked away.

“I don’t think Hans likes me.”

“Don’t let it bother you. Hans doesn’t like anyone.”

Bebe tipped her head to the side. “Oh, I wasn’t going to. It was more of an observation.”

Leo leaned back as if he needed some distance between them and she sure as hell needed it. It had been way too easy for her to fall into the kiss and ignore her surroundings, imagining it was real. Their chemistry was off the charts, and she didn’t like it one bit. A connection like that was a distraction and could get her killed if she didn’t keep her head in the game.

“Talking of observations. We had two new appointments to the palace staff that I had no prior knowledge of, and that makes me nervous. Especially given what’s happened.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, Brody James who’s the new press secretary, and Albin Wojcik. According to my uncle, he’s here to help stabilise European relations.”

“What happened to the old press secretary?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask, but Mallory St James has been with us for years and was great at her job. Never took a sick day and she got on well with my father, which was a big help as he can be a stubborn so and so at times.”

“I’ll look into it. As soon as I have access to the security network or preferably my own feeds, I’ll run facial recognition on them.”

Leo stood and she followed suit. “Brody is American and, if I had to guess, he’s CIA.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Gut feeling and the way he was watching me as if he knew something. I should go find my father.”

He turned to walk away, and Bebe touched his back to stop him. Lifting on tiptoes so she could speak into his ear as he bent lower, her lips feathered his stubbled jaw as his masculine scent enveloped her. “Leo, who approached you about working with me on this?”

Leo angled his body toward the balcony, the sun catching the natural highlights in his hair, making him look every inch the prince he was.

“A woman named Emily Reynolds. She works for MI6. We worked together a few times when I was in the military on special operations.”

Bebe bit her lip in thought. “Yes, I know her. She’s one of the good ones.”

“She is and I trust her. The intel she gave us saved a lot of lives, including mine.”