Free Her Secret Prince by Madeline Ash Page B

her ear. “I look like I haven’t got a thought in my head.”
    “Except that you did. Bad, depressing thoughts. Remember how you were feeling?” Alexia’s tone was persuasive. “If you sleep with him and it goes badly, you’ll feel worse. You want to look like that bad again?”

    She sighed. “Not particularly.”
    Dee heard Alexia inhale to respond. Then she paused. “Dee—did I hear a toilet flush?”
    “Yeah, I’m in line.”
    “You’ve been having this conversation in public?”
    “We’re all women, honey. It’s like a slumber party in here.”
    Alexia gave the laugh that always came with an eye roll. “All right, what do the girls think?”
    Dee lowered the phone and spoke to the womanin front of her. “My friend wants to know what you think. Should I sleep with him?”
    Surprised, she answered, “Not until you’re over those hang-ups.”
    “There,” Dee said, phone back to her ear. “A sensible answer. Why couldn’t you just say that?”
    Alexia sighed. “Fine. Don’t do it if he’s not willing to make sacrifices for you. And don’t do it if you’re not willing to do the same. Don’t do it ifyou’ll regret it. And from what you’ve said, you’ll regret it unless you’re both in love.”
    “Guess I asked for that.” Dee frowned, each point a stab in her libido. The queue moved again, and the blonde headed for a cubicle. “By the way, I’m in New York on my way to Paris with him, and from there we’re going to meet his dad, a guy he’s never met, likely so dangerous he’s forced his mom to liveon the run her whole life. I’ll call you when we land, okay?”
    “Wait—what?”
    “Finally, my turn, love you, bye,” she said, dragging out the final vowel before hanging up.
    *
    Dee needn’t have worried about the flight to Paris. Within minutes of take-off, the faint cry of a baby came from the front of the plane. It didn’t bother her or Jed—theywere far enough back that they could tune it out. But as was the habit of babies on international flights, it refused to stop. And it bothered a man sitting nearby.
    The general chatter on the plane hushed when he shouted. Necks craned, trying to watch the altercation between him, the parent, and several flight attendants. He wouldn’t be calmed.
    “What a moron,” Dee muttered.
    “Hm.” Jed had leanedinto the aisle, watching the conflict.
    “Reckon I should go tell him to back off?”
    “Better to fight fire with water.” He looked at her, smiling faintly. “You could hold your own sitting next to him, right?”
    She feigned insult.
    “Thought so,” he said, and unfolded into the aisle. Within minutes, he’d spoken to the attendants and arranged for seats to be swapped. A seamless solution, aside fromone thing. With arms crossed, Dee watched the man make himself comfortable in Jed’s seat, lowering it for sleep with a self-satisfied smile. He caught her eye a moment before closing his.
    She grinned.
    Sure, she respected that Jed could fight fire with water. Flowing cool and calm, putting out tempers and pleasing all parties. It was an admirable trait, for a peaceful approach was rarely theeasiest.
    It had never been her approach.
    “Hi,” she said, leaning close. “I’m Dee. I’m nocturnal, can talk the paint off a wall, and will decide to clamber over you to get to the bathroom approximately every twenty minutes. Hope that’s fine by you.”
    The man’s eyes snapped open.
    Dee liked Jed’s approach. He could cool all tempers so that she could be the last fire burning.
    *
    “Good flight?”
    Dee’s eyes were puffy as she appeared beside him at the terminal. Jed knew he didn’t look any better. That baby had some serious stamina.
    “Woeful, but productive.” With nothing for it, he’d sketched the next few weeks’ worth of his comic. “You?”
    “Woeful, but vindicating.” She sounded bitter, sagging at the shoulders as they headed for the exit. The beauty of travelling withcarry-on only. “Now I need