Unwind My Resolve: Regal Rights Book #3 Read online

  Her looks helped ease my mind.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

  I could barely hear her over the conversations around us, so I leaned closer to hear what she had to say.

  The truth was, nothing she said throughout the dinner was particularly exciting. It appeared as if her father had kept her under wraps until he could find her a suitable husband. I supposed the king was suitable enough for him, but talking to her was like talking to my fork.

  “Your life in England sounds so exciting,” she said after I explained about running the company in England. I hated to resort to business talk, but we didn’t have much in common, and I was running out of ideas.

  “It wasn’t much,” I said. “I worked a lot. Enough that I barely had time to do anything else.”

  “I know how that is,” she said.

  “You do?”

  “Of course,” she said. “My days are filled, too.”

  “With what?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound too rude. From what she’d already told me, she had no hobbies and barely made it out of the city.

  “Oh, plenty,” she said with a laugh, but I failed to understand what was so funny.

  I chided myself for thinking poorly of her. She was pretty and nice and probably nervous to have dinner with me—a king.

  “I keep my parents’ house tidy, and I am in charge of the servants,” she said.

  What a vacation it would be for me to be in charge of the servants. I noticed a little flicker of something in her expression. A small smirk that reminded me of Mother when she attempted to pull a fast one on me. It was then I realized that Saanvi had been prepped for this dinner.

  I sat back in my chair and used my food as a distraction, taking a breath and recalling the rest of the conversation. She was a blank slate, no personality, no hobbies or job. She was completely open to being molded into a queen. Her being “in charge” of her servants was the kicker. It was Mother’s sole purpose at the palace to keep it running smoothly. With Saanvi’s only qualification of running a household, of course, Mother would think she was perfect. She had the title and the ability to give me what I needed. Sure, she was beautiful, but that would only take her so far. I was sure plenty of other single men would be happy to be with her. Not me.

  I felt sick. Never had I worked so hard at a conversation before. I imagined Sophia sitting across from me. She had enough life experience—at least ones that were foreign to me—to carry an entire meal just on her stories alone. This woman was nothing like her, and she wasn’t what I wanted.

  While I stewed inside, I gave Saanvi no indication that I knew that I’d been set up in the worst way. Mother would never stop if I didn’t take charge of my life. The longer I sat with Saanvi, the more I wanted Sophia. If it were possible, I wanted Sophia even more than I had right after she left. Mother’s plan had backfired, and there was only one thing I needed to do.

  My head was clearer than it had been in a month.

  When dinner was over, I parted ways with Saanvi politely and went back home. As I walked up the palace steps, my nerve endings fired rapidly. The solution was clear, but I had avoided it, suffering much more than I needed to.

  Mother shuffled into the front entryway of the palace, just as I expected her to.

  I didn’t end the date early since I wanted to give Saanvi a good time. It wasn’t as if I would ever see her again in the same setting. Maybe she would be able to regale her family about the time that she went on a date with a king. I was sure she would make some man happy, but that man wasn’t me.

  “How did it go?” Mother asked. Her lips pressed into a smile, and her hands clasped in front of her.

  “The meal was fine,” I said.

  “Fine?” Mother asked.

  As much as Mother enjoyed playing games, I preferred to be straightforward. “I’m not going on another date with Saanvi.”

  “What?” Her clasped hands fell to her sides into fists. “No, you will try again. She’s perfect for you. I’ll talk to her. She was probably nervous. I told you we should have had dinner here.”

  “We? No, Mother. She’s perfect for someone, but not for me.”

  Mother stepped forward, but I wasn’t going to back down. “You will see Saanvi again. How can you know someone after one date? She’s beautiful and smart—”

  “And boring and not for me,” I finished for her.

  She balked. “You need a wife, Luke.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “Then why are you pushing back so much?” she asked. “You and Saanvi will have exquisite royal children—”

  “Stop it, Mother,” I said. “You’re pushing too hard for this. I need you to listen to me. I don’t want to be with Saanvi. I don’t want to be with any woman that you choose for me. I want to pick my own wife.”

  “You’re a king. There’s no dating app for that. You need these women to be brought to you. It’s the way that kings have done it for years.”

  “I understand,” I said. “But I choose to do things differently.”

  She crossed her arms. “How are you going to do that?”

  I took a deep breath, knowing that I was going to disappoint her more than I ever had before. “I’m going to America to do something I should have done a long time ago.”

  Mother’s mouth fell open, and I strode past her, hoping that she wouldn’t follow me. This was something I needed to do, and as king, no one could tell me otherwise. I would deal with the fallout when I returned home.

  6

  Sophia

  The hot feeling of embarrassment over the encounter with Thomas faded over the next few days. While I knew Matt wanted me to get a one-night stand out of my system, he’d been supportive when I told him what happened. It wasn’t as if I would ever see Thomas again, but talking to him all night and feeling that rush of excitement at a new love interest was what I needed at the time.

  Sex would come later. It would be with someone I knew well, as I had known Luke well before taking that step with him. I wasn’t about to jump in the sack for the sake of it. I was worth more than that.

  Funnily enough, thinking of Luke didn’t hurt as much since returning from Seattle. I imagined Gia had set him up on plenty of dates already and he had probably chosen a bride by now. The relationship we had was a whirlwind, but it wasn’t practical. I would hold it in my heart forever, but the sting of heartache I had felt began to fade away.

  I went into Monday morning with a new outlook on life. While getting ready for the interview, I went over my portfolio in my head, trying to pump myself up. For some reason, I couldn’t do it. For years, my life had been about reporting. I ate, slept, and breathed journalism.

  I knew I was good. The Dallas Post wouldn’t have kept me on if I was terrible. But something had changed. Whether that was because I’d ended my career with them so abruptly, or it was Luke opening up my eyes to a whole new world. Either way, I wasn’t itching to get to the interview and start a new job. That itch had lived with me for years, pushing me to write better and create more interesting stories.

  Practicality came into play when my passion fizzled out. Looking around at my apartment, I wanted to keep it. It was my sacred space, and nothing was going to take it away from me. I’d already had enough tragedy when it came to my love life. Being homeless on top of that would tip the scales in a not so favorable direction.

  As much as I loved him, taking Matt up on his offer to move to Seattle into his apartment was not going to happen. I was heartbroken, but I wasn’t a weak person. I would survive on my own.

  I took a deep breath and checked myself out in the mirror. After weeks moping around my apartment in various stages of pajamas and undress, it was strange to be in work clothes again. Even after drinking my weight in wine and indulging in every type of food in Seattle, my clothes still fit. The black slacks hugged my butt, and the pumps I wore only for interviews made my legs look fantastic.

  Pairing that with a gray blouse that ac
centuated my light blue eyes, I knew I was ready.

  There was nothing like a good outfit to add pep to my step as I walked out of my apartment.

  My confidence wavered in and out while on my way to the interview. Since this job opportunity was my only prospect, I had to nail it. Moving on with my life was the only way to overcome what I’d dealt with in my past. There was no use holding on to things that were never going to happen.

  Strangely, Thomas had taught me that. Luke was never going to happen, so there was no use in thinking about him or allowing the idea of him to hinder my life.

  Reporting wasn’t my dream job anymore, but until I figured out what I wanted to do, I had to force myself to do the only thing I was good at. Once I got my bearings again—and replaced the hole in my savings account—I would be able to figure out the rest of my life.

  * * *

  Outside the building for Dallas News, a direct competitor for the Dallas Post, I took a big breath and propelled myself toward a new future. One that I could go into on my terms.

  If only Mr. Fraser could see me now.

  The inside of the newsroom was impressive. While the Dallas Post was up on current technology, Dallas News had taken it to a whole other level. The newsroom was one room with glass dividers separating the few offices on the edges of the room. Everyone worked in a wide open space instead of cubicles that cut off the editors and head reporters from the rest. Each of the desks had thin computer screens that were so big, they hid the faces of many of the reporters. Who needed cubicles when you had those massive things?

  “Sophia Holmes?” someone asked from behind me.

  I whirled around to see a tall, rail-thin woman with voluminous wavy auburn hair. Her high cheekbones almost reached her eyes as she grinned at me.

  “Carrie?” I asked.

  Carrie Lyons was the editor in chief at Dallas News. She had contacted me hours after I sent in my resume. Mr. Fraser rarely contacted anyone directly unless it affected him personally. His secretary, Chelsea, was the middleman between him and anyone that might annoy him.

  “It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” she said, taking my hand in hers. “Let’s go to my office.”

  She wore heels better than I ever could. Her confidence shone through every step. While I hadn’t been so confident in my future, there was something about Carrie that made me want to work for her.

  “Sit, sit,” she said when we entered her office. She had a fantastic view of downtown. Other than the traditional desk and chair near the window, she had two leather couches sitting opposite each other, close to the glass dividers separating her from her reporters.

  I placed my bag down next to me and pulled out my portfolio.

  “Not yet,” she said, waving a hand at my folder. “I want to talk about your experience.”

  “Oh,” I said, putting the folder down. “Well, I’ve been with the Dallas Post for six years.”

  “Six years and they just let you go?” she asked.

  I hadn’t been transparent in my cover letter about why I left the Post, but I knew this was the time to put it all on the table—well, enough that she would hire me.

  “I had a conflict of interest with one of my stories and my boss—my previous boss, Mr. Fraser—couldn’t see past that.”

  She shook her head. “As reporters, we have to go with our gut. And working with someone for six years, I’m surprised that he didn’t allow you to have your own feelings about the matter.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Carrie was nice, but she was, at the very least, a reporter. I wanted to believe she was genuinely interested in me, but I couldn’t reveal too much too quickly. Falling in love with a subject of a story wasn’t something that reporters did while expecting to keep their jobs.

  “What was the story?” she asked.

  “The king of Qatar was stepping down from the throne,” I said, trying to keep emotion from my voice. Even though I hadn’t known Erol that long, his loss still affected me. In the end, he was a kind man to Luke and me, accepting us as a couple. “I was sent to England to interview the prince.”

  “And what happened?” she asked.

  I stared at my hands. The buried feelings about Luke resurfaced, filling me with guilt and dread for the rash decisions I had made throughout our relationship. Pushing through them, I said, “We came to an arrangement.”

  “You and the prince?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I traveled to Qatar with him so that I could secure the interview.”

  Carrie leaned toward me. “You were a visitor at the palace? Color me impressed.”

  I nodded. “Then the king died, and I returned home without a story.”

  “Why is that?”

  I wanted to tell her it was because I fell in love with the prince, but she was in interview mode, and I didn’t want this to be about Luke and me. I had to prove myself to her without Luke’s help.

  “The family was grieving,” I said. “I made a choice, and I would do the same again.”

  She sat back and licked her lips. “Well, sounds like you enjoy a good adventure.”

  I let out the breath I’d been holding. “It was an adventure, but I would prefer to cover domestic stories. It’s my strong suit.”

  I handed over my portfolio. I was done speaking about Luke and my international travels. I needed to get this job on my own merit.

  Carrie sifted through my portfolio, but I knew she had already gone through what I’d sent her. She had prepared questions that I answered as easily as breathing. I knew my previous topics well and spoke about them with confidence.

  Carrie’s smile grew the longer we were in the interview. I felt so comfortable with her, almost as if I were speaking to a girlfriend over drinks. It was a nice change from the gruff Mr. Fraser and his attitude when things didn’t go his way. Sure, he was successful, but I knew now more than ever that the Dallas Post hadn’t been for me, and I was glad for the way things turned out.

  “Well,” Carrie said, standing up after almost an hour. She flexed her legs and offered her hand to me. “I’m so happy to meet you, Sophia. I’m so impressed with everything you’ve done, and I see some real potential here at Dallas News.”

  “You do?” I asked.

  “Absolutely,” she said. “The rest of this is all formality, but I will be in touch with you tomorrow with an offer in hand.”

  I blinked. “Oh.”

  She smirked and walked over to her desk, jotting something down on a piece of paper. “I don’t like to beat around the bush. I believe in honesty and transparency. You possess both of those, and I see no sense in delaying the inevitable. Any news outlet would be lucky to have you.”

  “Thank you,” I said, shaking her hand.

  She checked the fragile-looking gold watch circling her wrist. “I have another meeting shortly, but let me walk you out.”

  Carrie bid me farewell at the door, and I walked outside with a new outlook on life. The interview was the easiest I’d ever done, and I couldn’t believe that she offered me a job on the spot, even after I told her how I’d disappointed Mr. Fraser.

  Maybe I did have the potential for greater things, but I only focused on the smaller ones to get me by. I wondered if I should have left the Dallas Post years ago, but then I would have never met Luke. For better or worse, he had changed me. In years past, I might not have impressed Carrie the way I did today. Or maybe it was because I had insight on her competitor.

  Either way, I had a new job, and I would be able to keep my apartment and the lights on.

  Getting into my car, I went to a local coffee shop and treated myself to a latte and a chocolate croissant. It was nice not to penny-pinch, and I deserved it after nailing the interview.

  I sent a text to Matt and told him about the job. There were too many exclamation points in his text to count. I smiled and sifted through my email and social media feed, feeling even more relaxed than I had on vacation in Seattle.

  I wondered when I would start at the Dallas News.
Hopefully soon. I itched to get back to a normal routine to continue to move forward instead of remaining stuck in my past.

  * * *

  After the latte and pastry, I wanted to get home and relax for a little while. Still feeling the high from the amazing interview, I looked forward to getting into some sweats and vegging out on the couch. If I had only one more day to relax, I was going to make it a good one.

  Parking in the reserved spot outside my building, I headed inside, feeling the caffeine boost from the coffee and chocolate.

  A car pulled up close to the entrance, and I glanced at the driver. I didn’t recognize him, but when the back door of the car opened, I figured it was another resident of the building. I held the door open, since sometimes it stuck even after punching in the code for the door.

  I glanced at the man getting out of the car, and I had to blink several times to be sure of what I was seeing.

  Luke strode toward me, and I wondered what the hell had been in my coffee.

  7

  Luke

  Taking the trip to America to see Sophia was the most spontaneous thing I’d ever done. Growing up in a palace with a daily schedule and then working at a company with complete focus and structure didn’t prepare me for what was to come.

  Each leg of the journey brought moments of doubt. What if she was completely over me and I was about to make a fool out of myself? Going to her apartment to see another man hand in hand with her would have broken my heart. But thinking of that possibility made it all seem very real.

  It would be better for everyone if she moved on, but I had to see her one more time. Putting it all out there for her one last time would give me a chance to either make something of our relationship or leave it in the past for good.

  It was the only way I would be able to stomach any other dates with Mother’s picks for my wife. Getting Sophia out of my head and heart was the solution.