Page 28 of Royally Matched

As they reached the bottom of the tarmac, the wind blew Lily’s hair across her face. Max reached out and pushed the locks out of her eyes. She smiled, revealing her incredibly cute dimple, which was Max’s undoing. He pulled her towards him and placed a passionate kiss upon her lips.

“What was that for?” she asked, slightly out of breath.

“It seems I can’t keep from doing that lately.”

“That’s okay, you’re welcome to kiss me any time.”

They made their way into a waiting car which drove through the streets of Karamay. Lily was looking out the window. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized familiar buildings and landmarks. “Are you taking me to the orphanage?” Lily gasped.

As they pulled down the dirt road that led to it, Max could feel joy bubbling up in him as he watched Lily get excited. She clasped her hands together as she said, “I can’t believe you brought me here, and today of all days. I didn’t think I would get to be a part of the groundbreaking ceremony because of our arrangement.”

Max reached out and took her hand. “What’s important to you, is important to me. I know how much work you put into this. I didn’t want you to miss out on this monumental moment.”

“This means so much; more than you will ever know,” she whispered, squeezing his hand with gratitude. “Thank you.”

The car pulled to stop at the front of the orphanage. As Lily and Max got out, Sue, along with the other orphanage staff and a couple of the older children, were present. There was also the board of trustees, several news reporters, and Lord Rogers.

Max wasn’t happy Rogers was there, but Max knew that Rogers had been a huge supporter of the project. He couldn’t control the guest list, but it didn’t mean he had to like who was on it.

Lily and Max made their way over to the group. The other people greeted them, telling them how pleased they were that they were able to attend.

Rogers picked up the shovel and handed it to Lily. “You said you wanted to shovel the first load of dirt. Now’s your chance.”

They turned to face the gathered local townspeople who were there to watch the ceremony as Sue addressed everyone. “We are so glad that everyone could make it here today. This is a big moment for all of us. We have been working to make this happen for a long time.” Gesturing behind her, she added, “And we couldn’t have done any of this without Lady Liliana. We are so glad she is here with us.” Looking back out at the crowd, Sue ended with, “It’s time to move that dirt.”

Lily moved forward, along with the chairman of the board and Sue. They each took a shovel, pushed it into the dirt on the far side of the orphanage, and lifted it up. The cameras snapped away, catching every moment.

Afterward, Lily and Max talked with everyone for another half hour before they went inside and greeted the children. They spent an hour reading to them and playing a couple of games.

As they climbed into the car, Lily let out a yawn as she leaned her head back. “That was wonderful, but I’m exhausted.”

“Does that mean you’re not up for anything more?”

Lily turned her head to Max and asked, “What did you have in mind?”

“I was hoping you would want to go to dinner with me before we head back to Triola.”

“I think I can spare the energy for that,” she said with a smile. “But we probably shouldn’t go anywhere too fancy. I’m pretty dirty from today’s activities.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”

They headed to a luxurious downtown hotel where Max escorted Lily inside. The hotel manager was waiting anxiously by the door, with two key cards in his hand. “Here you are, your Royal Highness. We have both your suites ready for you.”

“Thank you,” he said, taking the key cards. “Have the items for tonight been delivered to both rooms?”

“They have, your Royal Highness,” the manager said with a nod.

Max turned to Lily and handed her a card. “Meet me down here in an hour?”

Lily nodded and made her way towards the elevators. Though the first part of the day was wonderful, Max couldn’t wait for the second part of the night where he would get to spend alone time with his future wife.

* * *

Even though she shouldn’t have been, Lily was surprised to find a beautiful formal, red dress waiting for her in her room, complete with all the accessories.

After taking a quick shower, she slipped the dress on, pulled on the red heels, and added the jewelry. She took a final look in the mirror and decided she was ready.

Max was waiting in the lobby. As she moved towards him, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

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