Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 141385 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141385 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
I sigh. “Yes. Between your schedule, my work, and all the preparations we need to make, I don’t think there’s any time.”
He grunts, tensing his shoulders.
Cute.
Wait, cute? What’s wrong with me?
“Well, it’ll be worth it.” He lifts our clasped hands and kisses my fingers, then peers down at me with a smile. “Just be careful, Hattie. Your family don’t suspect anything, do they?”
I shake my head. “Jasmine and Rosalyn won’t even be here from Wednesday. They’re going off for some fancy spa getaway so she looks all pretty to get her heart broken.”
His smile grows just a tiny bit. “Keep it that way. If they suspect anything…”
“I’ll be fine.” I squeeze his hand as we approach the entrance to the garage. “I know how to stay out of their way.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod. “Positive.”
“All right.” He pauses, then pulls me against his body. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my hair, then dips his head and brushes his lips against the corner of my mouth.
He’s worried about me.
For me.
Will I ever get used to this? To someone caring?
How do I ease his worry? I know how to calm scared children and distract wayward toddlers. I know how to settle the nerves of nervous young’uns with a dream, but a man? Who cares about me?
The warmth of his lips on the top of my head tingles its way down to my toes, and, ah—I know.
Touch.
He’s a touchy-feely person.
I’m not. I never have been. Not since I was a child, at least. As an adult, affection and closeness has never been something that’s crossed my path, and I feel clumsy for even considering it.
Physicality seems to come so easily to him. Whether it’s stroking my hair, touching my hand, resting his arm over my shoulders… it’s so natural, like he’s barely even thinking about it.
It’s just so foreign to me.
But I want to try. I don’t want him to be worried about me, and if I can’t stop it, then surely, I can do something to ease it. Something in his language, something he understands, even if I don’t.
I turn my face until our lips meet. It’s a soft, barely-there brush of our mouths, but it sends a little fizz of something unknown through me.
Ah.
I kissed him.
I really did it.
Finn pulls back and gazes down at me with questions in his eyes.
Uh-oh. Did I mess up? Shouldn’t I have done that? Did he not like it? Was it too presumptuous of me?
My heart thumps in my chest. I know we’ve had sex, but what if he really didn’t like the kiss? Did I go too far? I know the Royal Family doesn’t show affection in public, but this isn’t public, and I just wanted to comfort him like he was me, and oh God, I’ve fucked up.
“Sorry.” The word hurries out of me, barely registering in my brain before it falls from my tongue. “I shouldn’t have done that. I—”
“No.” Gently, he lifts his hand to my face and brushes his thumb across my cheekbone. “You can kiss me whenever you want, Hattie. In fact, I encourage it.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he murmurs and lowers his mouth to mine. This kiss is just as gentle, just as warm, and I lean into him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.
Ah.
Yes.
This… This is the sunshine he embodies.
I’m like a moth to a flame, and even though I know it’s dangerous, I’ll fly up and flirt with his fire again and again if it means I can feel this dizzying warmth.
“Come on,” he whispers, barely pulling his lips from mine. “Before I change my mind about letting you go.”
Something blooms inside my chest, and I nod. “I really do have to go.”
“I know.” He kisses the tip of my nose and steps back, putting some space between us. We walk the remaining short distance to the underground garage entrance, and he pulls open the door. “So, I suppose I’ll see you in a week.”
“Yeah. I guess so.” I step through into the garage where Sophia, Marina, and Joe, the usual driver, are all waiting for me by the car.
“Keep Marina close,” he orders. “And if anything happens, tell me. At least tell her—Alec will be able to deal with some things much faster than I can.” He pauses. “And if you notice anyone suspicious around you, check with her.”
“Because Alec has a small security detail on me whenever you don’t?” I ask with a half-smile.
“How did you… You know what? Never mind,” Finn trails off with a shake of his head. “After what I just witnessed, I won’t question you.”
“Good plan.” I pat his chest, and he quickly grabs my hand to kiss it.
His eyes twinkle when our gazes meet. “See you in a week, Hattie.”
“Yeah.” I slide my hand out of his and take a few steps back, unable to stop the small curvature of my lips. “See you in a week, Finn.”