Even this part of Pierce’s confession explained why he was watchful, why he always seemed taut and ready to pivot. It explained why he moved so quietly and why he kept to himself. Personal connections would be vulnerabilities that could be exploited. It also explained his inability to share stories. Discretion would be a big job requirement, she was sure.
Jacquie suddenly felt like the dullest person on the planet.
“Am I allowed to ask how you know the princess?”
“You can ask whatever you want. I just might not answer your question.” Pierce frowned, then turned his mug on the table. “But then, you guessed that already.” His gaze locked with hers for a hot moment and she knew her perceptiveness had surprised him. “I appreciate that you’re observant and outspoken. I like both traits, a lot.”
His words echoed with sincerity.
Maybe that was true.
Maybe that was why they were here.
Maybe she wasn’t so boring, after all.
Even if novelty was her appeal, Jacquie would take it.
The worst he could do was decline to answer. She could live with that. “All right, I’ll bite. How did you get that job?”
Jacquie hadn’t run.
Pierce was relieved. In his experience, women weren’t at ease with him once they knew his former occupation, and often freaked when they guessed that he might be armed. There had been a flicker of something in her expression, but then her lips had set with resolve and she’d leaned closer, those eyes gleaming.
She wanted to know it all.
How much should he tell her?
How much would he tell her? The fact was that having someone actually listen to him was a novelty to Pierce and he knew that would make it seductive. People gave him orders. People—like Farah—asked his advice then ignored it, doing whatever they wanted anyway. People looked over, past, or through Pierce, not straight at him, once they’d recognized his role. The exception could be his opponents: if they looked straight at him, they gave themselves away—and he needed to move fast.
Jacquie, though, scrutinized him, as if she wouldn’t rest until she’d unveiled all of his secrets. Pierce wasn’t going there, but he enjoyed her undivided attention. He appreciated that she was analytical, practical and decisive. He wondered what she’d make of the full truth, but that wasn’t sufficiently tempting to make him do so.
But he guessed her curiosity wouldn’t persist if he shut her down. She’d just walk away and forget him.
Pierce really didn’t want that to happen.
He had to tell her something.
She was waiting for the story of Farah and to his own surprise, Pierce was prepared to tell her a good chunk of it. The problem was that he wasn’t good at divulging information. All of his training had been in the opposite direction.
He recalled Jacquie’s advice just moments before. “Start at the beginning,” he said under his breath and she smiled, waiting. A waitress came and refilled Jacquie’s coffee, but Pierce’s mug was still full.
He understood Jacquie’s silence. She wasn’t going to help him this time.
He had to prove himself.
Pierce was used to these kinds of tests. He took a deep breath and drummed his fingers once on the table as he chose his words. When he spoke, his voice was low and he saw Jacquie lean closer to catch his words. He held her gaze, watching every nuance of her reaction. She was so beautiful. He was pretty sure she didn’t realize as much.
“Twenty years ago, I was in the service and stationed in Harbor City, the capital of Greater Alghenia. We were part of a diplomatic exchange, providing some training to their troops to develop better relations between our governments. Our movements were very strictly controlled by the Alghenian government, though, and it didn’t feel as friendly as it had sounded in advance.”
“They had closed borders before the coup,” Jacquie said, proving that she read the news. Pierce felt a surge of pleasure that he wouldn’t have to explain every detail.
“They did.” He frowned, speaking with a care he hadn’t forgotten. “The royal family had a history of managing everything very closely. They used to say that nothing happened in his realm without the king knowing about it.”
“A restrictive regime.”
“Or a protective one. He thought of himself as the father of them all and insisted that he only wanted the best for every citizen.”
“You knew him,” she guessed and Pierce nodded.
“I met him briefly. Farah, his granddaughter, was abducted while we were stationed there and we were asked to assist in ensuring her safe return.”
“Oh! I never read about that.”
“It wasn’t revealed to the press. She was only five. It was part of a plot to overthrow the monarchy.”
Understanding dawned in Jacquie’s eyes. “You saved her.”
“I found her and I helped to retrieve her,” Pierce corrected, liking her guess better. “The team saved her.”
“Is it that big of a difference?”
“I have to give credit where it’s due.”
“And so you earned her undying gratitude?”
“Maybe that of her father. Farah’s never beholden to anyone.” He smiled a little, affection in his expression. He looked down at his coffee, then shook his head. “She’s infuriating and stubborn...”
“Spoiled and used to getting her way,” Jacquie supplied. “But then, there wouldn’t be much point in being a princess otherwise.”
Pierce looked up “She’s not a brat, though. She’s charming and has a good heart.”
Jacquie nodded. “You’re fond of her. That’s fair.”
Pierce felt better after that comment. “Her grandfather passed about a year after her safe return and her father, who was better at sensing the mood of the people than his father had been, negotiated with the Greater Alghenian government to change his official role. The prince felt it was his responsibility to keep the country from becoming a military dictatorship and he managed to achieve that by surrendering more authority to the elected government. Ultimately, the country became a constitutional monarchy, like England, with the prince having more limited powers.”
Jacquie nodded. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“He was a brilliant man,” Pierce
