Read Online To Kiss a King by Maureen Child - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maureen Child
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he knew why. Soon she’d be going back behind palace walls and the freedom she was feeling at the moment would disappear.
Hard to blame her for wanting to escape. Who the hell didn’t occasionally think about simply dropping off the radar and getting lost for a while? He’d done it himself after—Garrett shut that thought down fast. He didn’t want to relive the past. Had no interest in wallowing in the pain and guilt that had ridden him so hard for so long. There was nothing to be gained by remembering. He’d learned his lesson, he assured himself, and that was why he was sticking to Alex like glue.
It had nothing to do with how she looked in those mile-high heels. Or the brilliance of her smile or the damn sparkle in her eyes.
He could tell himself whatever he wanted to, he thought, but even he didn’t believe the lies.
“You’re frowning,” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He was pitifully grateful for the distraction.
“What?”
“Frowning,” she repeated. “You. Do I look that hideous?”
He shook his head at the ridiculousness of the question, but dutifully looked at the drawing the caricature artist was doing of Alex. The guy had an easel set up under one of the trees along the highway and boxes of colored pastels sat at his elbow. Garrett watched him drawing and approved of the quick, sure strokes he made.
Alex was coming alive on the page, her smile wider, her eyes bigger and brighter and her long blond hair swirling in an unseen wind.
“So?” she asked.
“It looks great,” he muttered, not really caring for how the artist had defined Alex’s breasts and provided ample cleavage in the drawing.
“Thanks, man,” the guy said, layering in a deeper blue to Alex’s eyes. “I love faces. They fascinate me. Like you,” he said to Alex, “your face is familiar, somehow. Like I’ve seen you before. But with that accent no way you’re from around here.”
Garrett’s gaze snapped to her in time to see her face pale a bit and her eyes take on a wary sheen.
“I’m sure I’ve just got one of ‘those’ faces,” she said, trying to make light of the guy’s statement. “You know they say we all have a double out there, wandering the world.”
“Yeah,” the artist murmured, not really listening. “But you’re different. You’re…”
“You done?” Garrett asked abruptly.
“Huh?” The guy glanced up at him and whatever he saw in Garrett’s eyes convinced him that he was indeed finished. “Sure. Let me just sign it.”
A fast scrawl with a black chalk and he was tearing the page off the easel and handing it to Alex. She looked at it and grinned, obviously pleased with the results. In fact, she was so entranced by the drawing, she didn’t notice the artist’s eyes suddenly widen and his mouth drop open in shock.
Apparently, Garrett thought grimly, he’d finally remembered where he had seen Alex before. Moving fast, Garrett caught the other man’s eye and gave him a warning glare that carried threats of retribution if he so much as said a single word.
His meaning got across with no problem. The tall, thin man with the straggly beard closed his mouth, wiped one hand across the back of his neck and nodded in silent agreement.
Garrett pulled out his wallet and handed over a wad of cash. Way more than the price of the drawing, this was also shut-the-hell-up-and-forget-you-ever-saw-her money. When the guy whistled low and long, Garrett knew the bribe was successful.
“Thank you!” Alex said and finally looked at the artist. “It’s wonderful. I know just where I’ll hang it when I get home.”
“Yeah?” The artist grinned, obviously loving the idea that one of his drawings would soon be hanging in a castle. “Well, cool. Glad you like it, Pr—” He stopped, shot a look at Garrett and finished up lamely, “Miss.”
Alex missed the man’s slipup. She reached
Hard to blame her for wanting to escape. Who the hell didn’t occasionally think about simply dropping off the radar and getting lost for a while? He’d done it himself after—Garrett shut that thought down fast. He didn’t want to relive the past. Had no interest in wallowing in the pain and guilt that had ridden him so hard for so long. There was nothing to be gained by remembering. He’d learned his lesson, he assured himself, and that was why he was sticking to Alex like glue.
It had nothing to do with how she looked in those mile-high heels. Or the brilliance of her smile or the damn sparkle in her eyes.
He could tell himself whatever he wanted to, he thought, but even he didn’t believe the lies.
“You’re frowning,” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He was pitifully grateful for the distraction.
“What?”
“Frowning,” she repeated. “You. Do I look that hideous?”
He shook his head at the ridiculousness of the question, but dutifully looked at the drawing the caricature artist was doing of Alex. The guy had an easel set up under one of the trees along the highway and boxes of colored pastels sat at his elbow. Garrett watched him drawing and approved of the quick, sure strokes he made.
Alex was coming alive on the page, her smile wider, her eyes bigger and brighter and her long blond hair swirling in an unseen wind.
“So?” she asked.
“It looks great,” he muttered, not really caring for how the artist had defined Alex’s breasts and provided ample cleavage in the drawing.
“Thanks, man,” the guy said, layering in a deeper blue to Alex’s eyes. “I love faces. They fascinate me. Like you,” he said to Alex, “your face is familiar, somehow. Like I’ve seen you before. But with that accent no way you’re from around here.”
Garrett’s gaze snapped to her in time to see her face pale a bit and her eyes take on a wary sheen.
“I’m sure I’ve just got one of ‘those’ faces,” she said, trying to make light of the guy’s statement. “You know they say we all have a double out there, wandering the world.”
“Yeah,” the artist murmured, not really listening. “But you’re different. You’re…”
“You done?” Garrett asked abruptly.
“Huh?” The guy glanced up at him and whatever he saw in Garrett’s eyes convinced him that he was indeed finished. “Sure. Let me just sign it.”
A fast scrawl with a black chalk and he was tearing the page off the easel and handing it to Alex. She looked at it and grinned, obviously pleased with the results. In fact, she was so entranced by the drawing, she didn’t notice the artist’s eyes suddenly widen and his mouth drop open in shock.
Apparently, Garrett thought grimly, he’d finally remembered where he had seen Alex before. Moving fast, Garrett caught the other man’s eye and gave him a warning glare that carried threats of retribution if he so much as said a single word.
His meaning got across with no problem. The tall, thin man with the straggly beard closed his mouth, wiped one hand across the back of his neck and nodded in silent agreement.
Garrett pulled out his wallet and handed over a wad of cash. Way more than the price of the drawing, this was also shut-the-hell-up-and-forget-you-ever-saw-her money. When the guy whistled low and long, Garrett knew the bribe was successful.
“Thank you!” Alex said and finally looked at the artist. “It’s wonderful. I know just where I’ll hang it when I get home.”
“Yeah?” The artist grinned, obviously loving the idea that one of his drawings would soon be hanging in a castle. “Well, cool. Glad you like it, Pr—” He stopped, shot a look at Garrett and finished up lamely, “Miss.”
Alex missed the man’s slipup. She reached
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