To Kiss a King (Kings of California #11)(22)
Author: Maureen Child

He had to laugh. Shaking his head, he studied his brother and asked, “Why do you insist on dating women who don’t have two active brain cells?”

“There are…compensations,” Griffin said with a grin. “Besides, you date women who can walk and talk at the same time and you don’t look happy.”

“Yeah, well.” What the hell could he say? He wasn’t happy. Things with Alex were more complicated than ever.

He was tangled up in knots of hunger and frustration. Torn by his sense of duty and responsibility. For two days, he’d fought his every urge and instinct. All he wanted to do was get Alex na**d and have her to himself for a few hours. Or weeks.

Instead, he’d made damn sure that the scene in the boat or anything remotely like it, hadn’t happened again. For those few moments with Alex, Garrett had allowed himself to forget who and what she was. To put aside the reality of the situation. He’d indulged himself—putting her in a potentially dangerous situation—and now he was paying for it.

Every cell in his body was aching for her. He closed his eyes to sleep and he saw her. He caught her scent in his car, on his clothes. He was being haunted, damn it, and there didn’t seem to be a thing he could do about it.

Disgusted, he said, “I’m happy.”

“Yeah, I’m convinced.” Griffin scowled at him.

He was really not in the mood to listen to his twin. He didn’t want to hear about how he should let go of the past. Stop blaming himself for what had happened so long ago. He didn’t want to talk. Period.

“Go away,” he said, snatching up his pen again and refocusing on the papers in an attempt to get Griffin moving. Of course, it didn’t work.

“Princess giving you problems?”

Garrett’s gaze snapped to his twin’s.

“Whoa. Quite the reaction.” Griffin’s eyebrows lifted. “So she’s getting to you, huh?”

He dropped the pen, scraped both hands across his face and then shoved them through his hair. When that didn’t ease his tension, he pushed out of his chair and stalked to the window overlooking the ocean. The moon was out, shining down on the water, making its surface look diamond studded. It was a scene that had soothed him many times over the years. Now, all it did was remind him of Alex. Of being on that boat in the sunshine. Of holding her while she—

“She’s not getting to me. Everything’s fine. Leave it alone, Griff.”

“I don’t think so.” His twin stood up and walked to join him at the window. “What’s going on, Garrett?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That’s the problem.”

Griffin studied him for a long minute or two and even in the shadowy light, Garrett saw amusement flicker in his twin’s eyes. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right. Everything’s great with you. That’s why you’re here. In the middle of the night, sitting alone in the dark.”

“My desk light’s on.”

“Not the point.”

“What is the point, Griffin?”

His twin gave him a half smile. “The point is, the mighty Garrett King is falling for a princess.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Sure I am.”

“She’s a job. Her father hired us, remember?”

“Uh-huh.”

“She’s a princess. And God knows I’m no prince.”

“Rich as one,” Griffin pointed out helpfully.

“It’s not enough and you know it.” He shook his head. “Royalty hangs with royalty. Period.”

“Not lately.” When Garrett glared at him, Griffin shrugged. “I’m just sayin’…

He shifted his gaze away from his twin and stared unseeing at the ocean. Alex’s face swam into his mind and as much as he tried to ignore it, she wouldn’t go away. He was getting in too deep here and he knew it. But damned if he could see a way out.

“She’s a job,” he repeated, and which of them he was trying harder to convince, Garrett wasn’t sure.

“Sure she is.” Griffin slapped him on the shoulder. “Look, making yourself nuts over this just isn’t worth it, Garrett. Why not just tell her the truth? Tell her who you are, that you’re working for her father.”

He’d thought about it. But confessing all wouldn’t solve anything. He’d still want her. And he still wouldn’t be able to have her. And as a bonus, she’d be hurt.

“Can’t do that.”

“Fine, then let me take over,” Griffin said.

Garrett just stared at him. “What?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time we twin-switched somebody.”

“You can’t be serious,” Garrett said with a snort of laughter.

“Why not? If she’s just a job, I’ll show up as you, spend some time with her…”

“Stay the hell away from her, Griffin.”

His twin grinned. “So I’m right. She does mean something to you.”

Blowing out a breath, Garrett frowned and turned his face back to the window. His own reflection stared back at him.

“Yeah, guess she does,” he murmured, talking to his brother but somehow hoping to reassure the man in the glass as well. “Damned if I know what, though. But in another week or so she’ll be gone. Problem solved.”

“You think so?”

“I know it.” All he had to do was find a way to keep his hands off her. Then she’d be back behind palace doors and his life would go back to normal. If the man in the glass didn’t look reassured at all, Garrett ignored it.

Glancing at his twin, he deliberately changed the subject. “As long as you’re here, bring me up to speed on what’s going on with the business.”

“Garrett…”

“Drop it, Griff,” he said tightly. “Just, drop it.”

“The most stubborn son of a—fine. Okay then, we’ve got a new client.” Griffin moved back to the chair and sat down, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankle. “He’s opening a luxury resort in Georgia and apparently he’s having trouble with some local protestors.”

“What’re they protesting?”

Griffin snorted. “He’s building a golf course and apparently threatening the home ground of the three-legged-gnat-catcher-water-beast-frog or some damn thing. Anyway, to protect the insects, they’re threatening our client, and he wants to hire us to protect his family.”