Page 39 of Romancing Rayne

“You didn’t let me down. You found me.”

“I didn’t find you, Meghan did. I was getting close but—” My stomach growled loudly, and Ghost stopped mid-sentence. “Up you go. We’ll talk about the rest over breakfast.”

“So bossy.”

I got out of bed and when my bare feet hit the plush carpet, I understood the meaning of luxury. It felt like I was walking on pillow soft clouds. The en suite was a tad overdone for my taste: gold trimmed the ceiling and bathroom fixtures, more centuries-old artwork hung on the walls, and marble floors, which were surprisingly warm. The only part of the room I did like was the huge, claw-foot tub. I could picture Ghost and me relaxing in a warm bath with candle light dancing on all the shiny surfaces.

Finding a note from Meghan with my name on it sitting on top of a bag of toiletries, I gratefully tore open the toothbrush and quickly brushed my teeth and combed my hair, pulling it into a ponytail. By the time I was done, Meghan and Harry were already seated on the love seat, and an impressive spread of breakfast dishes was displayed on a white-linen-covered table.

“Good morning, Rayne.” The prince stood and greeted me. “Glad you have some color back this morning.”

“Good morning, sir. Thank you again for all your help yesterday and for allowing me to stay the night.”

“No trouble.”

“Ma’am.” I turned to Meghan and smiled when she rolled her eyes. I wondered what Mary and the other girls would think of her. I had to suppress a laugh when I thought about what Meghan would think of Mary. She was an acquired taste; her larger than life and straight-forward personality were a lot to take in. But once she let you in and allowed you to see the real her, there was no one more loyal or protective. You couldn’t find a better friend than Mary Laughlin.

Ghost waited for me to sit in a high-backed wing chair before he took his own seat.

“You must be starving after your great adventure yesterday. Help yourself,” Meghan offered, pointing to all the yummy food.

I didn’t want to be rude, but I was hungry. I piled my plate with eggs and bacon, wondering if I could fit a Danish on the fine china without looking like an uncivilized pig. Deciding I didn’t care, I grabbed one and sat back to dig in.

Light conversation carried on around me, but I was too focused on my food to pay attention. The mention of Oliver’s name drew me away from the cheese-filled pastry, and my ears perked up. I didn’t remember seeing Oliver yesterday.

“Oliver was with you?” I asked Ghost.

“Yes. Once Tex found you getting in a taxi on the CCTV, I called Oliver.”

“Tex? You called Tex?”

“Yes, he sends his congratulations and he’s sending me a tracking device. You’re to wear it at all times. You’ll have three choices, a watch, a pair of earrings, and a necklace. But anytime you leave the house you need to wear one of them.”

Maybe I should’ve balked at the directive; he was telling me I was going to wear a tracking device. Not a moment’s consideration was given to if I minded, effectively, being low-jacked. However, oddly, I felt cherished. A beautiful warmth washed over me knowing what lengths Ghost would go to to keep me safe.

“Okay.”

“Start from the beginning, what happened?” Meghan asked.

Ghost’s face turned to stone, and I reached across the small distance and placed my hand over his forearm and squeezed. His face relaxed a fraction, then he began recounting our day at the Tower of London.

He stopped, and on a sharp inhale he continued, “There was this little girl, she, literally, ran right into me. She was lost, and the bit— excuse me, the woman behind the counter wouldn’t call for a security officer to come to the store, instead she told me to take her to their office next door. That was my mistake. I left the gift shop, leaving Rayne unprotected.”

“Was she okay? Did you find her parents?” I gasped. “The poor thing must’ve been terrified. Someone could’ve taken her.”

“Yes. Her parents were already in the security office reporting her missing.”

“Thank God, she ran into you and not some sleaze-ball pedophile. I bet her parents were grateful. My husband, the superhero swooping in to save lost little girls.” I smiled, proud that he’d helped reunite the family.

I know how freaked out Emily gets when Annie takes off on her tank cruising around the property on an imaginary combat mission and she loses sight of her. And they have more cameras surrounding their house than the Pentagon. Emily would lose her shit if Annie got lost at some place like the Tower of London.

“You know what I was thinking when the girl spilled her drink on me? I was annoyed. And when she couldn’t find her parents I was pissed, wondering what kind of idiots lose their child.” Shame marred his handsome face, and he shook his head. “I’m such an asshole. I was going to lambast the parents for inconveniencing me and explain all the things that could’ve happened to their child in their absence. But when the mother turned around and fell to her knees in relief, I realized she already knew and was terrified. Then when I went back to the shop and you were gone—I’d lost you, the most precious and important thing in my life—I understood.”

“What did you understand?”

“The fear of not knowing. The terror.”

“I’m sorry I left the shop. I thought maybe you’d gone outside to get away from the crowd. I knew better but . . . I was stupid.”