Page 17 of Royal Charmer
“I have to come back here in the daytime,” I tell him. “It’s gorgeous.”
“You should. The staff go to a lot of effort to maintain the gardens. Of course, when we were kids, we didn’t appreciate that. We wanted a shrubbery maze instead.”
I laugh. “That would be fun too.” A marble fountain of fish spouting water in crisscrossing arcs comes into view. “Cute fountain!”
“One of my mother’s rare touches of whimsy. She added it when she first arrived on Villroy as a new bride.”
“I love it. It’s playful. Is that how she is?”
“Oh-hh no. Not at all. Though, in her defense, she was the queen and mother to seven children, five of whom were unruly boys. My sisters were much more proper rule followers.”
“Maybe now that you’re all grown, she can find that playfulness within her again.”
He gives me a sideways look. “Bit of an optimist, eh?”
“Of course. I have to be. My stories always end happily. I mean, back when I was writing them. Now—”
“You will again. You just need to let go of some of the rubbish mucking up the works.”
I nod. “I sincerely hope you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. You’ll learn I’m always right.”
“There’s that modesty again.”
His crooked sexy smile emerges, making it hard to find fault with any arrogant thing that comes out of his mouth. “I fear modesty isn’t in my DNA. If you met my brothers, you’d understand. We’re the same that way.”
“Tomorrow I’ll meet Gabriel.”
“Ah. He’s the exception to the charming thing the rest of us have going on. Very serious.” He glowers impressively, his brows drawn together, his lips in a flat line. “Though he’s mellowed considerably since he married Anna.”
“I suppose having the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders could make anyone serious. It’s a heavy responsibility.”
He frowns and snaps, “Which is all the more reason he should delegate the business responsibilities to me.”
I blink, momentarily startled by the unexpected harsh tone from such a laid-back guy.
He turns, muttering as he walks away, “I’ll go fetch the firepit.”
I continue on, reaching the beach, my feet squishing into the soft silky sand. Something in me relaxes. It’s almost like I traveled all this way for this moment. Soft sand between my toes, the soothing waves, the glow of moonlight overhead. It’s like something out of one of my stories, only it’s real. I keep going, drawn by the hypnotic pull of the sea. The sand turns wet, cooler, and I go farther in, letting the baby waves run over my feet, feeling the pull of the undertow as it draws back. A deep sense of contentment fills me. All of my thoughts, my constant internal chatter, quiet down, and for the first time in a week I’m truly at peace.
A few relaxing minutes later, Lucas calls from behind me, “Got the firepit.”
I turn to see him carrying a metal bowl that resembles a Viking shield. “That looks heavy.”
“It’s solid steel. Of course it’s heavy.”
“I don’t need to burn the lingerie.”
He halts. “You don’t?”
“No, just being here with the water has helped a lot.”
He lifts the firepit higher in the air, displaying impressive upper-body strength. “What am I supposed to burn, then?”
“Put the firepit back and stand in the waves with me. It’s so relaxing.”
He grumbles and heads back to the storage chest, an old metal thing partially hidden behind a short white fence and a dune.
