Risking the Crown (The Crown 2)

The more I talked to her, the more I realized her life in Charleston was beautiful. Adaline may have been the reason she moved, but the more time I spent with her, I realized Sophia was the reason she wanted to stay. And for the first time since I discovered her secret, I got it. I understand what she wanted, and why.

Today everything had changed. I suddenly had more in common with Sophia. My hand ran over my stomach. I was still in my silk robe, not ready to get dressed. I wanted to soak in the moment a little longer.

I sat in the sunroom, scrolling through another round

of applicants Sutcliffe had sent over for royal managers. Trying to find a pair wasn’t easy. It didn’t help that I compared them to my own credentials. I couldn’t bring myself to schedule interviews.

I took a sip of lemon tea.

Nic walked into the room. “Good morning, baby.”

“Hi. How’d you sleep?” I asked. He leaned, kissing me on the neck. It always made me shiver with a tiny spark of electricity.

“I think I’m starting to get used to beach life. I like sleeping with the windows cracked. The ocean puts me right to sleep.”

I laughed. “You and Adaline,” I teased.

“Too bad, we have to leave. I can’t get this ocean breeze in my apartments.”

I sat forward, closing the laptop. “What do you mean leave?” It was the first time he had mentioned it.

“I talked to Damon this morning. This hiatus is over. He needs to take some time off with Molly. I have to head back to Freychon immediately.”

“Is everything all right?” I asked. “Is something wrong with Molly? The baby?”

“They are fine. But he has to go to London with her for two weeks. He doesn’t want her to travel alone, though he says she tried to convince him to stay. He wants me to take over.”

I bit my lip. “Oh, for her dissertation.” My shoulders relaxed. They had been going back and forth to London for a while. But I hadn’t known the king to take off for more than a few days at a time.

“What are you going to tell Sophia?” I asked. I wasn’t ready to think about returning to Freychon.

He looked out at the water. There were sailboats on the horizon.

“I was hoping if she saw Adaline with me, she’d be willing to move. She should know a daughter shouldn’t be without a father.”

“I know that’s what you want, but she doesn’t want to leave the U.S. If you try to take Adaline, it’s going to turn into a huge legal battle. And any goodwill she does have, will be gone. It will be played out in the international press. And she will hate you for it.”

He hung his head. “I know. I know.”

“Nic?”

“Hmm?”

I wanted to choose my words carefully. I couldn’t believe what I was about to suggest. It went against everything I thought about myself. But I wasn’t the same person I was a month ago. Loving Nic had taught me so much.

“What if we stay?”

“Damon said I have to be in Freychon before the weekend. We need a day to go over his briefings.”

I shook my head. I rose from my seat and walked around to him.

“What if we stay here permanently?”

His eyes widened. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “I think we should.”

The tears welled in the corners of my eyes. I had pictured this moment a thousand times. I had played it over in my head. I had practiced the words. I had imagined the expression on his face, but nothing prepared me for it.