Page 14 of Royal Secret

“What doyoulike?” I ask.

He blinks, looking perplexed. “Honestly? Work is my life.”

“Yeah, but aside from that.”

He has to take some time to think about it. “Music. I love going to jazz clubs. I used to play piano.”

“Used to?”

“Adulthood.” He smiles.

“Yeah,” I laugh. “I know how that is. Can you… play something for me? Something that’s your favorite?” I nod at the Bluetooth speaker in the corner.

He brightens up and quickly pulls out his phone. In a minute, an upbeat instrumental song floats from the speaker.

“Shall we?” Jakob stands, offering his hand with a dramatic flourish as if he’s about to lead me in a waltz.

We dance — or something like it, since I never actually learned how to dance — in the small open space of the hotel room. His hands rest lightly on my waist, and it’s only natural for me to move closer into him. Our movements are playful and uncoordinated, more giggles than grace, but it feels so right.

“Sorry I’m messing you up,” I say. “I can tell you know what you’re doing.”

He shrugs. “I was in dance lessons from the time I could walk.”

I cock my head. “Is that a Bergovian thing?”

“Ah… more like a family thing.”

I nod, the questions piling up. It seems very posh, learning to dance as soon as you can walk. What sort of family is he from? They sound rich and high-class.

Before I can wonder any more, the music fades and he draws me in for a kiss. It’s tender, yet filled with the promise of more, stirring a whirlwind of desire within me. For a moment, I lose myself in the sensation, the taste of wine lingering on his lips mixing with the thrill of the unexpected.

And, just like that, I know that we’ve stepped over the line of innocence. He wants to stay the night, and I want him to stay.

I pull back, my heart racing with the possibilities of the night ahead. Can I really do this — have just one night of carefree intimacy and wake up tomorrow without any regrets? It goesagainst everything I’ve been raised to believe, every self-imposed rule I’ve followed.

But as I look into Jakob’s eyes, those deep pools reflecting a warmth and understanding that seem to pierce right through to my soul, I realize that he’s not the kind of man that I can let slip through my fingers.

“Stay,” I hear myself say, the word slipping out like a secret I hadn’t meant to share.

For a heartbeat, the world seems to pause, my question hanging between us, fragile as the curtains billowing softly at the window.

Jakob’s eyes search mine, and I fear for an instant that I’ve overstepped, misread the easy intimacy that’s grown between us. I brace for rejection, my heart thudding in my chest, the tick of the wall clock suddenly too loud in the quiet room.

But then, he smiles — a slow, genuine expression that eases the tension from my shoulders — and nods. “I would like nothing more,” he says, his voice low and sincere.

Relief floods through me, mingling with a sense of anticipation that sends a shiver down my spine. As he steps closer, any lingering doubts evaporate under the warmth of his touch. Tonight, caution is the last thing I want.

Tonight, I am finally and fully alive.

CHAPTER 8

JAKOB

Iblink my eyes open, the memories from last night hitting me in raw, sensual waves. My hands in Courtney’s hair, her lips against my chest…

It was the material of dreams, the kind of experience that is so wonderful that you’re left wondering if perhaps it even happened.

Rolling onto my side, I find her curled on her side, still asleep. My chest tightens, both from a feeling of sweetness and a pang of worry. I didn’t plan for this, never meant to stay the night. But as we talked, as she laughed — a sound as clear and refreshing as a mountain spring — I knew I was lost to her charm.

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