Considering the peril facing her island, Nyssa decided it was better to keep her true identity a secret from Tatum. She’d once trusted Mahana, as had her father, and he turned out to be a spider lurking among the flowers. She’d meet her new friend as Neese, not Princess Nyssa, thus keeping her family safe.
“Kingston,” she said quietly.
He turned his head slightly, his eyes always looking for danger.
“The man I am meeting today does not know who I am. I would like to keep it that way. The less he knows about me, the safer I am.”
He worked his jaw. “What are you asking?”
“For space.”
“The last time I gave you space, you ducked out a back door.”
“I know, and I’m sorry for that.” She peered up at him. “I won’t disappear again.”
A battle raged behind Kingston’s light brown eyes. Nyssa had never looked closely before, but he had really pretty eyes. She wondered if he had a love back on the island, someone who made him coconut pudding and pork for Sunday dinner. Finally, he nodded once before going back to staring out the window.
With a small smile, she placed her hands in her lap and allowed her thoughts to finally travel to seeing Tatum. The anticipation made her heart considerably lighter, light enough that it fluttered.
Chapter Nine
Tatum arrived ten minutes early and took a seat in the vegan bakery. The 1950s décor was entertaining, with seafoam-green walls and an ancient stove, a mixer his grandmother would covet, and chevron patterns on the tabletops. The display case was packed with cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and a host of other delectable goodies he rarely had the opportunity to enjoy.
He rubbed his hands together, feeling out of place and out of sorts. He wore slacks, a button-up shirt, and his boots, which were scuffed and worn and comfortable and probably not appropriate for a meeting with a princess. Once again, he was out of his comfort zone and not happy about the situation. He had to admire Nelson for handling this end of the business for the last four years without complaint.
It was close to eleven-thirty and he wondered if Neese’s stomach was still on Zimrada time or if she’d adjusted to DC time. Her beautiful bright eyes hadn’t shown signs of jet lag last night. He’d stared into her eyes enough that he would have noticed any trace of fatigue. They’d captured his thoughts and tugged at his heart-stone. He’d fallen asleep thinking about their warm brown color, like molasses with a sprinkling of brown sugar that caught the light.
He shook his head. He shouldn’t be daydreaming about a woman he couldn’t have. The thought he’d been so quick to stash away last night while they were together, the one about the darkness and how it didn’t belong in Neese’s life, came back to him as he drove to his hotel. His pay-by-the-week hotel was in an area he wouldn’t want Neese to drive through, let alone visit.
With a shake of his head, he knocked that train of thought off the tracks. Neese would not be visiting his hotel. He switched tracks and pondered the best way to approach the princess. Should he jump right into the presentation, or should he work at small talk first?
Just as his nerves reached a fever pitch, Neese appeared in the doorway, wearing a knee-length skirt and a sweater combination that brought to mind the word “sweet,” which wasn’t a word he used often when referring to, well, anything. Her long black hair was pulled to the side in a stylish chignon. She belonged in a café like this. Of course, a woman with her beauty and poise could belong anywhere. Getting to his feet for introductions, and because it’s what his mama trained him to do when a lady entered the room, he felt like a backwards hick.
Neese hovered in the doorway, taking in every inch of the restaurant, her wide eyes soaking up the décor and sparkling with joy. When her gaze landed on him, an enchanting smile spread across her cheeks, reaching right out to strum his heartstrings. He pulled out a chair as an invitation and she glided across the room.
“Hello, Tatum.” She clutched her purse in front of her chest, beaming. The thought that her smile was because of him warmed his soul right through.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” She tried the word and grinned. “Thank you for the seat.” She set her small purse on the table and tucked her skirt under her legs as he pushed in the chair.
Tatum took the chair across from her. His tension had evaporated the moment she arrived.
He tapped his finger on the table. The tension may have left, but his nerves were on high alert. The intensity of the attraction he felt for Neese overwhelmed his senses. Even with the heavy scent of sugar and cocoa powder in the bakery, her tropical perfume tickled his nose. He hadn’t forgotten how it felt to hold her close and wanted to pick up right where they’d let off the night before. For some reason, that didn’t seem entirely possible. Last night, among the flowers, fountain, and fairy lights, there was a magic that didn’t exist in the bright light of day.
“So this is an American patisserie.” She brushed her palm over the tabletop.
Tatum laughed. Maybe some of that magic remained. Neese was just as beautiful and charming—another word he didn’t know was part of his vocabulary—as she had been last night.
“What?”
“Your accent makes it sound so fancy.”
“It’s not?” Her forehead crinkled. “I read the online reviews. This is a highly favored bakery among the locals—well known for its caramel cuppy cakes.”
Tatum turned to look at the display case. “Do you mean cupcakes?”
“Yes! And turtle brownies.” She glanced both ways before leaning over the table. “What is a brownie?”
Tatum was taken away by the innocent excitement in her
