Page 42 of A Fierce Princess

I hear Logan push back from the table. I turn to him.

“You going to join Auggie?” I ask.

“No, I think I could use some sleep, too,” he admits.

I nod, and we all leave the room together. Chris excuses himself to grab a cup of tea in the kitchen, and I head up the grand staircase with Logan behind me. We reach the landing, and I see Logan hesitate. There are guards placed throughout the palace because of the plane incident. I could easily have one of them show Logan to his room, but I decide I’d rather do it myself.

I can’t help the grin that suddenly erases the frown on my face. “Lost?” I ask him.

He sighs. “I do believe this summer palace is a little big for my liking,” he says.

“Follow me,” I say to him as I lead him down the hall and in the opposite direction of my room.

“I can’t imagine growing up here,” he says to me as I lead him in the right direction.

I shrug. “I don’t know any different,” I explain.

“You must have been able to play hide-and-go-seek for hours,” he contemplates.

I laugh. “We did, on occasion,” I admit. “Here you go,” I say as I stop in front of his door, after turning a corner. I open the door and put out my arm.

“Would you like to come in?” he asks me. I freeze because I have absolutely no idea what to do. I look down the hallway where a guard is walking in the opposite direction from us, but he’s far enough away to not hear Logan’s question.

“I-I…” I trail off as words fail me. Didn’t he say we needed to not take this friendship to another level and now he’s wanting me in his bedroom. He must sense my conflict because he grins.

“Just to talk and have a nightcap,” he assures me.

“Oh, uh, sure,” I say, following him inside his room.

The guest room is one of the larger ones. We enter a large sitting area. It’s separated from the bedroom and bathroom beyond by two giant French doors that are ornately carved. Each panel of the door has a different inlaid wood design. I stare at them a while because I realize that I’ve never taken the time to study the sheer beauty of them before.

“Scotch OK?” Logan asks.

“Uh, yes,” I answer, suddenly feeling silly being served by my guest. But Logan seems to have made himself at home as he walks over to a side table and pours us each a glass of scotch.

“The doors are beautiful,” he says, noting my intense gaze.

“They are. I so seldom come in here, I’d forgotten about them,” I say. “They were originally part of a castle. My mother bought them at auction when I was little.”

“I imagine every square inch of this place has a story behind it,” he says as he walks over to me and hands me the crystal tumbler. I take a sip and feel the liquid burn a path down my throat.

“You must be tired,” I note.

He shrugs. “I could use a little company. One could get lost in this place and never be found,” he says.

“Hardly,” I say with a laugh. “The grounds on the other hand…”

“I look forward to exploring them…when we are cleared to do so,” he adds.

I give him a tight smile. “I’m sorry,” I say quietly. My eyes focus on his shoes as I’m too embarrassed to look up at him.

“Why?” he asks. My eyes follow the sound of his voice, and I find him looking intently down at me.

“For all of this. I was foolish to think I could play at being a spy and rescue you. And I let my stubborn drive to keep my worlds separated lead me instead of my intuition. I’m not sorry that you’re safe, Logan. I just am sorry you’ve had to deal with all of this,” I say to him.

He takes my glass from my hand and sets it down on a table next to his. He clasps my hands in his and stares at me. His eyes boring into my soul.

“I’m not sorry. Do I wish we had met under different circumstances? Yes. Do I regret meeting you? No. This is all…well, it’s a lot to wrap my head around,” he admits. He releases my hands, and I immediately crave his touch.

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