The King and the Kindergarten Teacher (The Rebel Royals 1)

“Ordered? By who?”

“By the king.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Leo tapped his foot on the floor. He tugged at the strap of the seatbelt wanting desperately to be free. He knew the jet would outpace the commercial airline, but he needed to go faster. He needed to get to her this very moment.

“She’s on an airplane,” said Alex. “She can’t escape you, though she tried.”

The last part was said under his breath, but Leo heard his brother. Though Alex spoke in his typically droll fashion, Leo saw his brother drum his fingertips on the armrest. He was anxious too.

They had left the gala the moment Leo knew that Esme had gone. He was nearly an hour behind her. He’d pulled an uncharacteristic move when he’d used his power to halt all air traffic until his plane could take flight in pursuit of the woman he loved; the woman he needed to hold in his arms for the rest of his life.

What must she be thinking flying away from him? He hadn’t told her that he loved her. Though there was definitely a thing between them, neither had verbalized it.

What if she hadn’t truly known his feelings for her? He had denied those same feelings for duty. She was likely feeling horrible because of the choice he’d made. He just needed to get to her and rectify it.

He’d thought of calling her on the radio, but this needed to be done face to face. He needed to look her in the eye and tell her what a colossal idiot he’d been for not choosing her. His heart had chosen her, but his sense of duty had clouded his judgment.

That would be the last time. He was determined he would rule with his heart from this day forward. If he got to her in time.

“What if she’s changed her mind?” he said. “I did walk away from her.”

“Just toss her a tiara and a few jewels,” said Alex. “She’ll come running to your throne.”

Leo sat up in his chair. He leaned forward, but the belt held him back. “She’s not like that, and you know it. She liked me before she knew who I was, what I was. There’s a thing between us.”

Though Leo spoke with vehemence, his brother only grinned at him. Alex, who had unfastened the belt a moment before the light went off, reached over and patted Leo’s knee. “Then sit back and relax. Your happy ending is on its way.”

Easier said than done. “She’s waited all her life to have her own fairytale, and I ruined her happy ending.”

“Don’t they call that in the books the Dark Moment? But here you are about to bring a silver lining. In full regalia no less. What woman wouldn’t swoon?”

Leo looked down at himself. He’d rushed out of the castle without changing his clothes. Giles had been yelling after him about protocols and dry cleaning. Leo had ignored the man, so intent on following the love of his life.

Penelope had wished him luck, so had Lady Teresa. Would luck be enough? Could he play this by chance? It was just the rest of his life that was on the line.

“You’ll have the rest of your life to make up for it,” Alex was saying.

The rest of his life. The rest of their lives. He hoped so. He wanted to give Esme the world. He wanted to give her a fairytale.

Finally, the captain’s voice came on the overhead with instructions to begin preparations for landing. The moment, the jet came to a stop at the terminal, Leo shot out of his seat. They’d landed at a private portion of the airport. The commercial side was on the other side of the air park.

Leo raced through the airport toward Esme’s terminal. He dodged slow moving passengers and leapt over luggage trolleys. He’d move faster if he weren’t in full regalia, but he had no choice.

And then he saw her. She was walking out of the arrival’s gate with her suitcase bumping the back of her heels. Their gazes connected. Her mouth formed a perfect O. He could almost hear the gasp.

She didn’t

look at him in anger. She didn’t turn away from him. Her face positively lit up. And there, there it was.

The thing.

It pulled him toward her like they were magnets. Like there was magic between them. He couldn’t have fought the force if he’d tried.

Leo took a step forward … and bumped into a traveler. The bump of his shoulder caused the man to lose his grip on his large suitcase. The case tumbled over, and a Chinese dragon spilled out.

The massive green head rolled over onto Leo’s foot. The red, snaking tongue curled around his ankles. Leo tried to step over it, but his feet got tangled. He went down on one knee. But that didn’t deter him.