Alone.
That word shouted through his mind and instantly, his professional side sat up and took notice. Letting go, for the moment, of the fact that she’d lied about who she was—where was her security detail? Where were her bodyguards? The entourage? Didn’t she know how dangerous it was for someone like her to be unprotected? The world was a dangerous place and helping out the wackos by giving them a clear shot at you didn’t seem like a good plan to him.
So just what was she up to?
As if reading his troubled thoughts from the emotions in his eyes, Alex’s smile faded slightly. Garrett noticed and immediately put his game face on. She was keeping her identity a secret for a reason. Until he found out what that was, he’d play along.
And until he knew everything that was happening, he’d make damn sure she was safe.
In the huge parking lot, they all said goodbye and Jackson and Casey herded their girls off toward their car. The parking lot lights above them flickered weirdly as tourists streamed past like zombies in search of the best way home.
Garrett turned to look at Alex again. “Where’s your car?”
“Oh, I don’t have one,” she said quickly. “I never learned to drive, so I took a cab here from the hotel.”
A cab, he thought grimly. On her own. She was asking for disaster. It was a freaking miracle she’d made it here without somebody recognizing her and tipping off the press. “Where are you staying?”
“In Huntington Beach.”
Not too far, he thought, but far enough that he didn’t want her repeating the “grab a cab” thing. His gaze scanning the crowded lot and the people passing by them, he said, “I’ll give you a ride back to your hotel.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she argued automatically.
He wondered if it was sheer politeness or a reaction to his change in attitude. The closeness, the heat that had been between them earlier and definitely cooled. But how could it not? She was a runaway princess, and he was the guy who knew better than to give in to his urges, now that he knew the truth.
She was a princess for God’s sake. Didn’t matter that his bank account was probably close to hers. There was wealth and then there was royalty. The two didn’t necessarily mix.
“Yeah,” he told her, “I really do.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said.
“I’m sure you can. But why wait for a cab when I’m here and ready?”
No way was he going to let her out of his sight until he knew she was safe. She was too high-profile. Princess Alexis’s pretty face had adorned more magazine covers than he could count. Reporters and photographers usually followed after her like rats after the Pied Piper. Her luck was bound to run out soon and once it did, she’d have people crowding all around her. And not all of them would be trustworthy.
Nope. He’d be with her until he got her back to her hotel, at least. Then he’d figure out what to do next.
“Well, all right then,” she said with a smile. “Thank you.”
The traffic gods were smiling on them and it didn’t take more than twenty minutes before he was steering his BMW up to the waterfront hotel. He left his keys with the valet, took Alex’s arm and escorted her into the hotel. His gaze never quit moving, checking out the area, the people, the situation. The hotel lobby was elegant and mostly empty. Live trees stood in huge, terra cotta pots on the inside of the double doors. A marble floor gleamed under pearly lights and tasteful paintings hung on cream-colored walls.
A couple of desk clerks were busily inputting things into computers. A guest stood at the concierge, asking questions, and an elevator hushed open to allow an elderly couple to exit. It all looked fine to his studied eyes, but as he knew all too well, things could change in an instant. An ordinary moment could become the stuff of nightmares in a heartbeat.
Alex was blissfully unaware of his tension, though, and kept up a steady stream of comments as they walked toward the bank of elevators. “It’s this one,” she said and used her key card to activate it.
While they waited, he took another quick look around and noted that no one had paid the slightest attention to them. Good. Seemed that her identity was still a secret. Somehow that made him feel a bit better about his own failure to recognize her.
But in his own defense, you didn’t normally see a princess in blue jeans taking a cab to Disneyland.
She was staying in the penthouse suite, of course, and he was glad to see that there was a special elevator for that floor that required a key card. At least she had semiprotection. Not from the hotel staff of course, and he knew how easily bribed a staff member could be. For the right price, some people would sell off their souls.
When the elevator opened, they stepped into a marble-floored entryway with a locked door opposite them. He waited for her to open the door then before she could say anything, he stepped inside, to assure himself that all was as it should be. His practiced gaze swept over the interior of the plushly decorated suite. Midnight-blue couches and chairs made up conversation areas. An unlit fireplace took up most of one wall and the sliding glass doors along a wall of windows afforded an amazing view of the ocean. Starlight filled the dark sky and the moon shone down on the water with a sparkling silver light.
He stalked across the suite to the bedroom, gave it and the master bath a quick, thorough look then moved back into the living room. He checked the balcony then swept his gaze around the room. No sign of anything and just the stillness in the room told him that there hadn’t been any intruders.
“What’re you doing?” she asked, tossing the key card onto the nearest table.
“Just making sure you’re okay.” He brushed it off as if it were nothing more than any other guy would have done. But she was no dummy and her blue eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.
Her nose was sunburned, her hair was a wild tangle and she looked, he thought, absolutely edible. His body stirred in reaction and he told himself to get a grip. There wouldn’t be any more kisses. No more fantasies. Not now that he knew who she was.
Alex was strictly off-limits. Oh, he wanted her. Bad. But damned if he was going to start an international incident or something. He’d met her father. He knew the king was not the kind of man to take it lightly if some commoner was sniffing around the royal princess. And Garrett didn’t need the extra hassle anyway. Yeah, she was gorgeous. And hot. And funny and smart. But that crown of hers was just getting in the way. And beside all that was the fact that she was here. Alone. Unprotected. Garrett was hardwired to think more of her safety than of his own wants. And mixing the two never worked well.
“Well, I appreciate it,” she said softly, “but I’m really fine. The hotel is a good one and they have excellent security.”
Uh-huh. He wasn’t so sure of that, but he’d be doing some checking into the situation, that was for damn sure. True, it was a five-star hotel and that usually meant guests were safe. But as he had found out the hard way, mistakes happened.
“Thank you again.”
Alex walked toward him and everything in him wanted to reach out, grab her and pull her in close. He could still taste her, damn it, and he knew he wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon just how good she felt, pressed up against him. His body was hard and aching like a bad tooth, which didn’t do much for his attitude.
“I had a wonderful day.” Her smile widened and she threw her arms out. “Actually, it was perfect. Just as I’d always imagined my first day at Disneyland would be.”
That statement caught him off guard and he laughed. “You imagined