KENSINGTON PALACE
CORDIE'S APARTMENT
After Cordie had beaten her brother within an inch of his life, she had gone about the rest of her day as usual. She had attended the opening of a new children's home in Surrey, and she had managed to sit through a family dinner at Buckingham Palace without killing her snotty sister-in-law or even making fun of her too severely. It wasn't until later that night, when she was at home, soaking in her bathtub, that she got around to checking her mobile messages. With everything she had on her plate on a daily basis, she tried to stay off of her phone as much as she could. It was only a few years earlier that a London tabloid had managed to hack into the phones of Cordie, James, and their younger sister, April. Sure, the ones responsible had been caught and sent to prison, but Cordie hadn't been able to fully trust electronic devices ever since.
Cordie only found one text message waiting for her. It was sent from an American phone number, so, curiously, she opened it.
*** You have one of the most angelic voices that I've ever heard. I can't wait to hear it again tonight. ***
Cordie didn't know what to do as she felt her cheeks warm, and her heart began to race. It certainly seemed like Paxton Rainey was hitting on her. This was literally her teenage dream coming true. Sadly, the awkward adult in her didn't know how to handle the situation. She may have had royal blood, but that didn't automatically make her a Disney princess. She had grown up in a fishbowl with nannies, guards, and the press watching her every move. She was anything but graceful and charming when around members of the opposite sex, especially men she was interested in.
Luckily, Cordie didn't get too much time to think about things before her mobile began to ring. Looking at the called ID, she saw Pax's number. Taking a slow, steadying breath, she answered. "Hello?"
"Nice to hear that pretty voice again, baby doll."
Cordie's heart damn near stopped at the flirtatious tone in his voice. He had NOT been talking to her in that tone of voice earlier in the day when James had also been on the line.
"How are you tonight, Pax?" She wasn't even going to attempt to flirt back because she knew that she wasn't any good at it. Her few past attempts had proven much too embarrassing to ever repeat.
"Better now that I'm talkin' to you," his reply was smooth.
"You know, Pax," she nervously challenged. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were flirting with me."
"And if I was?" Pax countered.
"I wouldn't stop you…"