“Wait!” Dashing forward, I catch her hand. It’s slim and cool in my noticeably larger one. “I was just…” I motion back toward the ballroom. “Taking a break, and I heard you. Were you reciting poetry?”
“I love your accent.” Her chin drops, and I’m pretty sure she’s blushing. I almost can’t control the urges burning under my skin.
“It’s so beautiful here…” She slowly pulls her hand out of mine and points over the hill. “The ocean is just there, and the roses smell so nice.”
In that moment, I remember. “Were you reciting ‘In the Clearing’?”
“You like Robert Frost?” Her eyes sparkle, and I only want to see that light in them forever.
I look around, thinking. “He’s American, but his poems were easy for me to remember. They rhyme, and they feel logical. Intuitive.”
“Yes,” She smiles and nods, as if I’ve read her mind. “That’s how I feel!”
Again, I reach for her hand. Looking down, I notice our skin seems to match, although I can tell she’s been in the sun. Her hands are soft and elegant, and I want them on my body. I want her on my body. I want our bodies entwined, our sweat mingling in the throes of passion…
When she pulls away, it physically hurts. “I’d better get back. I only stepped out for some air. They’ll wonder where I am.”
I capture her hand again. “Who are they? Who are you here with?”
Her chin drops, and she looks worried. “Oh, well, umm…” I watch as her eyes trace the flagstones searching for an answer.
I’m hypnotized by those eyes, by her full lips. Reaching out, I touch her cheek. Moving closer, I’m ready to taste her. Her chin lifts, and her pink tongue slips out to touch her bottom lip. It’s like a match to gasoline, and I know the moment we meet, we won’t be going back.
“There you are!” A clear voice cuts across the patio, breaking the spell. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
I look over my shoulder to see a pretty blonde, who only appears to be a little older than the angel I’ve found. Her hair is tied back, and she’s wearing a dark silk gown. When she sees me, she stops moving, and her eyes widen.
“Are you…?” Her voice trails off as she stares at me.
My attention is pulled away when the one I want struggles out of my arms and rushes to her side.
She takes the blonde woman’s hand and whispers. “I’m so sorry, Zee. I didn’t mean to…”
I’ve had enough of all this. I’m the king, dammit. “Who are you?” I demand. “Who did you come here with?”
“Good evening, your majesty.” The one called Zee does a little curtsey, but before I can respond, I see a face that changes my burning need to raw fury.
The beautiful woman is momentarily forgotten along with her friend. I cross the space as the heat
rises to my eyes.
“How dare you step foot in this place,” I say through clenched teeth. “How dare you step foot in this country!”
Reginald Winchester stands in front of me, his cold blue eyes narrow as he evaluates my response. “Your majesty,” he says in a voice dripping with insolence.
My late father’s suggestion of the guillotine floats through my mind. “You’ve got ten seconds to leave here before I order the guard to throw you out.”
Reginald only sneers down his nose. We’re the same six-foot-two height, and I am not intimidated by his scowl. “You might want to hold the threats until you hear what I have to say.”
I can barely control my anger. One of my first acts was to banish him from Monagasco along with his scheming cousin Hubert and the rest of their traitorous ring. He conspired against my father, and I hold him indirectly responsible for my father’s death. If it weren’t for this disloyal asshole, I’d still have a life. I wouldn’t be forced into the life of an inundated monarch at twenty-seven.
I’d still have my father.
My jaw is clenched so hard, I can barely speak. “There’s not a word you can say that will change my mind—”
“Your mother invited me here.”
My mother?! I can’t decide if I want to shout or throw something. My own mother went behind my back? It doesn’t make any sense. Only last week she was saying how proud she was of me for cleaning house.