Page 145 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

River holds the door open for me as we enter. The air smells like lemons, and the waiting area is spacious, with comfortable chairs and tables stacked with books. The receptionist’s desk is in the corner, and the woman behind it is in her thirties and has short blonde hair.

She greets me with a smile. “How can I help you?”

To be honest, I’m not sure I know how to answer. “Um … I need to get a check-up.”

She continues to smile at me warmly, and I’m so grateful for that. She asks me questions and types the answers into her computer. When we’re finished, she tells me to take a seat and the nurse will call me back in a few minutes.

River and I sit down near the corner, and I stretch my legs out, yawning.

“I still feel so tired,” I admit as I recline back in the chair.

“You should go get some rest after you’re finished here.” He rests an arm behind me, the scent of his cologne engulfing my nostrils. “You’ve been through a lot.”

I look at him. “I will after we talk.” I waver. “Actually, I need to run a few errands, too, so after that.”

He frowns. “What errands?”

Like I’m going to tell him that I need to figure out how to find my phone—he’ll just try to buy me a new one.

“Just some stuff. Private stuff,” I stress, hoping he’ll drop it.

I can tell he doesn’t want to, but ultimately keeps his lips sealed.

As we sit in the silence, my eyelids begin to lower as exhaustion tugs at me.

“You can rest your head on my shoulder if you need to,” River whispers in my ear.

I shouldn’t, but I’m too tired to care. So I twist my body and lean into him, resting my head on the curve of his shoulder.

His arm slips lower, and his fingers slip through the strands of my hair soothingly.

“I’m still mad at you for paying off Drew with so much money,” I mumble with my eyes shut. “But thank you.”

His nose brushes my hair—I think he might be smelling it. “You’re welcome, Maddison.”

God, does my heart do crazy things in my chest at the sound of my full name coming off of his pretty lips.

I’m so damn screwed. I know this. Not only is he a royal, but he’s a betrothed royal. I should lift my head and go back to being mad at him, but I can’t bring myself to. Dammit, this is going to end poorly, yet I can’t find the energy to care. Instead, I end up falling asleep with my head resting on his shoulder and the scent of his cologne circling in my dreams.

River wakes me up when the nurse calls me back by smoothing his hand over my cheek gently. When I open my eyes, he’s staring down at me with a trace of concern.

“Hey,” he says softly. “They’re calling you back.”

“Oh.” I straighten and stand up, my gaze traveling to the woman dressed in scrubs, standing in the doorway in the far back. She has an iPad in her hand and offers me a smile.

“Are you Maddison?”

I nod and start to walk toward her when River calls out, “I’ll wait out here for you.”

I twist back around toward him. “You don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to.” He reclines back in the chair and stretches out his legs, getting comfortable and showing me that he means his words.

I exhale loudly. He’s so stubborn.

And nice.

Too nice.

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