Walking over to Helena, I place my hands on either side of her before leaning in close. “The ‘boys,’ as you called them, Maddie, are busy. I would ask that you refrain from regaling them with your stories in the future.”
Tilting her head, Helena purses her lips as she studies me. Her fingers start flying over the keyboard without even looking at her phone.
Princess: Is that an order?
“Yes,” I bite out between clenched teeth, running my hand through my hair as I fight to keep my voice down. The last thing I want to do is give my crew something to talk about. “It is an order.”
Princess: Too bad I’m not a member of your crew, so you can’t order me around. You sure are cute when you’re angry, though.
My nostrils flare as blood rushes to my face. There is a roaring in my ears that is hard to ignore.
Cute.
I am six feet five inches, two hundred and thirty pounds of terrifying flesh. A vein pulses in my neck, and my eyes bulge as I glare at Helena. Her shoulders shake in silent laughter as she giggles, my phone buzzing in my hand once more.
Princess: See? You’re all sweetness beneath that hard, grumpy shell. Basically, you're a cinnamon roll. ??
Just like that, all the warm feelings from earlier are well and truly gone. They’ve dissipated into thin air. In their place are all the reminders of why Helena and I are a bad idea. She pushes all my buttons, she doesn’t respect me, and she distracts my men.
Me: That’s a donut.
Princess: They don’t have a cinnamon roll one. Take it up with the Summer Fae.
It takes everything in my power to turn on my heel and march out of the mess hall. I hear the crew calling after me, but I ignore them as I head to my room. My sanctuary.
It isn’t until I’m twisting the doorknob that I remember.
I told her she could sleep here.
Groaning, I pound my head against the door jamb. How could I have been so stupid? In a moment of weakness, I had suggested the cot. At the moment, it seemed like a good idea. Now, though, the realization of what it means is setting in. I can either return to sleeping in my office or deal with it. With her. The thought of another night on the uncomfortable furniture hurts my back. That’s not an option.
It looks like I’m stuck with Helena in my personal space.
This will not go well.
* * *
Not well is an understatement.I spend most of the evening dreading Helena’s arrival, knowing it will be a matter of time before she walks through my door. At first, I pace the room, double-checking that she returned everything after her tantrum this morning. Nothing is out of place except for the cot against the wall.
I begrudgingly admit she did a good job tidying up. Even my books have been returned to their rightful spots. She even alphabetized them. I run my fingers down each spine before continuing my circuit around the room.
After about an hour, the pacing loses its appeal. I refresh my phone a dozen times to see if she’s messaged me.
Nothing.
Pinching my lips together, I tap my fingers at my side. I feel trapped. Knowing that Helena will be coming at some point this evening has completely destroyed any chance of peace I might have had.
Eventually, I run out of patience. Grabbing a towel, I stalk out of my room. Mumbling under my breath about the female that has me all up in knots, I head into my bathroom and turn the water on full blast. It takes a few moments, but soon, steam is billowing out of the shower. Relief fills me as I shed my clothes, dumping them on the floor.
The moment the hot water hits my skin, tension melts off me in waves. Shutting my eyes, I focus on the steady pounding of water on my back. With every passing moment, I feel more like myself.
She's just a female. You are apirate.Don't let her get to you.
After a few minutes, my mind is clear, and my resolve is firm. I will not let Helena take over my room.
It's easy enough, I reason with myself.Just be strong. Relegate her to the cot and let her know her place.
Emboldened by my shower, I dry myself off with the towel before I pull my clothes back on. My resolve to be strong lasts up until I reach the door. The moment I push it open, somethingfloralhits my senses.