Chapter Eight

Bruce's POV

"Where are we even going?" Dakota asked for the millionth time. 

"Be patient."

"That's what you have been telling me for the past twenty minutes. Just tell me already. I'm very very curious."

"We're almost there. I really don't want to spoil the fun for you."

"It's fine. I want you to spoil the fun. Please spoil the fun."

I chuckled. "Anyone ever tell you that you're beautiful when you're frustrated?"

Her cheeks stained a bit. She looked away. "Don't patronize me, Bruce."

"I was not doing that."

"You were." Her eyes met mine again. "Besides you promised me just this morning that we'd leave this... Thing, whatever it is, behind us. I took your word for it. Don't make me regret that."

"Okay, so I'm not allowed to compliment you?"

"I don't know! I never know when it comes to you. I've known you for only one day and one moment I'm talking to you and another moment I'm pinned against the wall and you're kissing me." She heaved, then stared at her hands on her lap. "And I'm liking it." She muttered, I could barely hear her.

"We're here!" I announced, eager to lift the somber mood that was soon resting in our midst. I got out of the car and quickly opened the car for her.

"What is this place?"

"A place where you can be free. I promised you that, didn't I?"

"Okay. But this is a beach bar house. How is that supposed to make me feel free?" She looked like a young Nancy Reagan scolding me. Laughing at her expression, I reached down and started taking off my shoes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking off my shoes."

"I see that! Why are you taking off your shoes is what I mean."

"Because we are going in there."

"No."

"Yes." I opened the door and flung my shoes inside. My jacket quickly followed. When I started rolling up my white shirt, I saw that her eyes were glued to my forearms. She shook her head and immediately looked away. 

I smiled. I wasn't even trying to hard.

"I have quite the reputation. I cannot be seen at some bar. One picture of this could literally ruin my life."

"These people are secretive, nobody cares who you are. Plus there's a strong no phone policy. Come on." I said and she studied me for a while, sighed and started bending to take off her shoes.

"I sincerely hope that I won't regret that."

I bent and took her shoes off. I tossed them into the car and locked it.

She smiled her thanks. "Thank you." 

I couldn't help but stare at her. There was something about her smile that made me want to smile. Something about her eyes that disarmed me. Heck, even her standing here all barefooted was... Calming. I hated it.

"You're welcome."

***

"I love it here." She said as the second singer made her way down the stage. 

"It's cool, huh?"

"It is. Thank you for bringing me here. I... I like how people are allowed to sing without fear of looking weak or silly."

" Some people consider music as weak?"

She was smiling, but her eyes drowned in sadness. "My dad. He says music are for foolish people. As a teenager it used to drive him buts whenever I picked up my guitar to play. He'd storm into the room and scream at me. I guess it just kept on happening until I lost interest altogether."

My hatred for Parker tripled. So did hatred for myself at this moment, because for some reason I wanted to stay close to this girl. One I'd swore to destroy.

"You sing?"

"I used to love it. Thought I'd be the Dolly Parton of my generation. It was pretty stupid. Wishful thinking." She chuckled softly.

I hadn't realized what I was doing, until it was over. I rose my hand and the man who'd been scouting for more singers from the audience for the past two minutes rushed to our tables. Al the while Dakota's eye were wide.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

"My friend here would like to sing." I said to the lean guy who smiled pleasantly at her.

"No... I... I don't—"

"She'd probably need a Dolly Parton sound, which ones do you have?"

Her face and neck grew redder. "I am not getting on that stage!"

I shrugged. "Fine, then you'll sing here."

And as if it had been rehearsed, the crowd started chanting:

"Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!"

She tried to glare at me but it immediately broke into a smile. She smiled at the man and took the microphone. Just like I'd suggested she hadn't followed the man up the stage. The audience grew quiet. Their eyes were fixed on her, but she'd closed hers.

When the melody of 'Run, Rose, Run' played and she sang to it, everyone was quiet. No one ate. No one moved. People hardly even blinked. They just stared at her. It was breathtaking. She was.

***

"We're late! We're late! I promised her I was going to be there." Dakota said as we made our way back to the Whitehouse. Both of us hadn't bothered to wear our shoes.

"I'm sorry." I said and she laughed.

"Are you kidding me? I haven't felt this great for a while. You weren't bluffing. I really felt free." She said as I pulled over to the Whitehouse.

I pulled the car to a stop and started getting out of the car when she grabbed my hand. She leaned in and pressed a light kiss to my lips. She leaned back, smiling softly.

"I know I said none of those, but... I just... Well, thank you."

Blinded by the softness of her lips and intoxicated by her scent, I quickly rolled the sit down so I could effortlessly pull her to the front. She didn't try to stop me, instead she held on to me as I did.

We stared at each other for a while, then she reached out and buried her hands in my hair. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against mine, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Her heavy breathing matched mine. I hadn't thought I'd ever want a woman as much as I wanted her.

"We shouldn't be doing this." She whispered. "I can't be doing this."

"Why?"

"You know why, Bruce."

I sighed. I was going to get her. It was just a matter of time. "What if we didn't do anything."

"What?"

"What if we just stayed like this. You and me." I said and she straightened, her eyes soft.

"You don't want to..."

"Oh, believe me when I say I do, I really, really do. I just... I don't want to force you, so how about we just stay like this for a little while."

"What about tomorrow?"

"We'll figure tomorrow out." I said and pulled her in for a kiss, convinced that nothing was going to break what was happening at that moment until the her elbow hit the horn, making us both jump. We'd have continued what her elbow had rudely interrupted, only flashlight started heading towards the car.

***

Dakota's POV

"Where the heck were you, Dakota?" Daddy said through gritted teeth. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago. Even A.J is here and you know how late he can be." He scolded and I swallowed. I struggled to come up with something.

"I got lost beneath paperwork. Sorry, dad."

He sighed. "I'm not excited you're late but it's definitely good to know it was work that kept you."

"Yes." I said, trying my best to smile as I collected the wineglass one of the butlers graciously offered.

"Your sister is upset with me." He announced. No kidding.

"She just needs time. She didn't exactly see herself becoming a princess." I tried to smile through the anger that I felt coming up. I couldn't toss the whole wine down into my mouth all at once without looking like a drunk.

"She has lived a worthless life running that fashion house, it's time she made something of herself. Besides, she likes to control things and I'm doing her a favor of giving her over to control a whole village and one day, be the wife of the king of England. That's a gift."

"She just needs time." I said, despite the mouthful I had boiling up. I felt courageous tonight. Perhaps it was all those margaritas Bruce had gotten me. Bruce... My heart hammered whenever I thought about him.

As I lifted the wineglass to my lips to take a long sip, a hand reached behind and collected the glass from mine. I turned around. It was Bruce. He looked handsome and... Angry? At me?

"What are you doing?"

"You can't drink that."

"Why not?"

"Because you can't." A chill ran down my spine and it had nothing to do with the cold room. His tone was off. His eyes were cold. What was happening?

"He is your bodyguard, Dakota. Listen to him." Daddy said and started towards a tensed Sophia and prince Jordan. Bruce glanced at the drink in his hand then stalked out of the room.