“Aw, honey,” Marie says, as she walks over to me and rubs my back. “No matter the circumstances, if he’s the right man, a good man, you’ll hear from him again.”
“Agreed,” Stacey adds. “He won’t just not ever talk to you again. We saw how he looked at you when he was here. That man was all about you. You don’t just walk away and get over that.”
“I want to believe you, but he hasn’t even sent a text. Nothing. I think he got home and realized, you know, what a life he has there, and how complicated it would be if I came.”
“Would you go if he asked?” Marie questions.
“I don’t know.”
Stacey reaches across my desk and pats my hand. “Just give him time. If his father passed, God forbid, it’s got to be a difficult time. When my grandfather passed, my mom had to handle everything, and so much more goes into it than you think. And we’re not royalty.”
I laugh, dabbing my eyes with a tissue. “You’re right.”
“He’ll come back,” Marie says. “I know he will.”
“I hope so.”
“Now,” Stacey says. “Eat your cupcake. Chocolate always makes a girl feel better.”
“Thank you.”
As both women leave, I lean back in my chair, hoping that somehow, he’ll return here. Somehow, he will make his way back to me. Staring at my phone, I will it to ring, then wonder why I don’t just text him. What would I say at this point? Maybe I could just say, hope everything is okay and pray he answers? What if he doesn’t though? Would that be worse? Sighing, I decide to at least give it a try. It’s all I’ve got at this point.
Hey, Lathan. Hope things are going okay for you there. I miss you.
I read the text, deciding to erase the last three words, but then slowly type them again and hit send. Now, I wait. Still.
After work, I enter my apartment wondering what I should eat for dinner. Plopping down on my couch, my eyes roam the tiny place that once made me happy. It was like my little retreat from the busy city. Now it feels like a box I can’t get out of. My happiness is five thousand miles away.
Sighing, I wonder how long it will take to stop thinking about him every moment of every day. How long before I stop crying myself to sleep or checking my phone for his call or text a million times a day. How long before I can accept the idea that I’ll never see him again.
Sitting up, I pour a glass of wine from the leftover bottle sitting on my coffee table. My attention shifts to the knock on my door. Standing, I walk over and open it to see a delivery man standing there.
“I have a package for Delaney Somers.”
“That’s me.”
He hands me a clipboard. “Can you sign here please?”
I sign on the line and he hands me a small box. “Thanks.”
Walking inside, I look at the return address and my heart flutters. Havendon! I tear open the box to find a small package of chocolates. Tears stream down my face as my hands shake while I open the note inside.
My darling, you are missed. I will call when I can, but please know, every moment of every day, I think of you. Every moment of every night, I dream of you. Until we are together again, enjoy these sweets. Yours in rebellion, Lathan.
I smile, wiping away my tears. The note is dated nearly a week ago which makes me feel a lot better. He’s been thinking of me. I set the box down and start to find my phone to call Fallyn when I hear another knock on the door. Weird. I open it again then step back in shock.
“Oh my god.”
He smiles. “Hello, my darling.”
I throw my arms around his neck. Stepping back, I shake my head in disbelief. “How did you get here? Why?”
“Why? To see you of course.”
“I literally just got this package of chocolates you sent. I thought for sure you weren’t coming back.”
His brow creases. “Why would you think that?”
“Because… I saw… well, you haven’t…” I take a deep breath, calming my tears. “Should I call you Your Royal Highness?”
His eyes open wide. “How did you—”
“There was a documentary on TV one night about Havendon. I saw you. You’re a prince?”
Lathan closes my door, stepping toward me. “I am.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why haven’t you called?”
“Can we sit? I’ll tell you everything.”
I nod, walking silently to the couch.
“But first, Delaney, please, a kiss before I die of desire?”
I smile in spite of my slightly hurt feelings. “First, a kiss.” As our lips press together, I melt into him, absorbing the warmth of his body against mine. He wraps his arms around me, enveloping me and making me feel so small.
A moment later, he steps back slightly. “I have missed you. It felt like I left part of me here. I am no longer complete if you aren’t with me.”
“Why didn’t you call or text? I thought you forgot about me.”
“An impossible task. My thoughts have been consumed with you.”
“When did you get here?”
“I came straight here from the airport. I’ve been traveling all day.”
“Oh. I texted you, but—”
“I haven’t even turned it back on after the flight.”
My mind races with so many questions. “Are you hungry or something? I have, um, well, I have cookies.”
“Cookies?”
“And wine. Pretty much what I’ve been living on since you left.”
“I am starving actually. Order in?”
“That’s a good idea. There’s that Chinese place nearby.”
“I like Chinese.”
“What do you want? I’ll call it in.”
“You choose.”
I pick up my phone and dial the restaurant, putting in an order for chicken lo mein and Mongolian beef. After hanging up, I gaze at Lathan. Just seeing him again, makes my body tingle. God, how I missed his touch. I tuck my legs underneath me and pick up my wine glass.
“I’ll start with why I didn’t tell you.”
I nod. “That’s a good place.”
“My first month in America, I met a woman in a park I was exploring. We were chatting and getting along nicely. She asked me where I was from and I told her. We went for coffee, and as we talked I became interested in her. Then I made the mistake of telling her I was part of the royal family in Havendon, and I literally watched her transform in front of my eyes.”
“Transform how?”
“She forgot about me as a man and every question was about royal life and the functions I go to and if I wear crowns. She asked me a lot of questions about the British monarchy, as if I know intimately how they run their country. I understood at first. It’s a foreign concept to many people here, but then she asked if she married me would she be a princess. This coming from a woman I knew less than a half hour.”
“Well, was she asking just in general?”
“Perhaps, but there was a gleam in her eye when she said her friends would be so jealous to hear she hooked a prince.”
“Oh.” I nod. “Not good.”
“No, not good. No man, or woman for that matter, wants to feel that they are desirable because of their profession or luck for being born into a certain family. She gave me her number, but I never called. A similar situation happened with the next woman I told, and I decided I would never tell anyone again, unless our relationship was serious.”
“And ours wasn’t.”
“Incorrect. I believe it was, still is, and I was planning to tell you when I felt the time was right. I didn’t expect to be called away when I was.”
“Oh.”
“I thought I would come here tonight and surprise you with my big news only to find out that you knew. How long?”
“A few nights after you left.”
“You must have been shocked.”
“Understatement. Then I thought you wouldn’t come back. The longer you were gone the more I believed it and then a
ll of a sudden you were here.”
“I was always going to come back.”
“Okay, um, how is your father. Is he, um…”
“Alive? Yes, he is.”
“That’s great news.”
“Not for long though. His heart is weak.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry. Did he agree to see you?”
Lathan smiles. “You remembered?”
“Of course. It’s a big deal in your life.”
“It is, and yes, he did. I had to agree to accept my duty to become king.”
“King,” I repeat, then laugh. “Holy shit. You’re the king of a country.”
“Not yet, but soon. I spend most of my time with my father every day learning everything I need to know. In fact, he thinks I came back here just to get my things. I told him I left something precious behind.”
“You did. Your cufflinks.”
“Oh, I left something far more precious. I’m looking at her.”
“Me?”
“You.”
“I have to admit my mind is kind of blown right now. I knew you were special, different, but this is a whole other level. I understand now why you said the things you did about having an American girlfriend and stuff.”
“About that, before I tell you about my family and my role, I have something more pressing. Something I flew across the world to tell you.”
“I’m listening.”
“I was faced with a lot of information and decisions when I got home. I didn’t want to call you until I knew what I could say. I didn’t want to tell you that I missed you without being able to tell you when I could see you again.”
“I’ve been miserable thinking you got so wrapped up in your life there, that you wouldn’t be able to come back to me.”
“I’m so sorry. I should’ve thought how you would perceive my silence. I didn’t want to talk to you until I had made a decision about our future.”
I swallow hard. “Have you?”
“I have.” He takes my hands in his. “I came to ask you to come back with me.”
My mouth falls open. “Wait. What?”
“Come to Havendon with me. Delaney, in the weeks since I left, one thing has become extremely evident to me. I cannot, choose not, to live without you. What I’m going to tell you tonight will be a lot to digest. I’m asking so much of you, so I understand if it will take you time to decide, but I want you to know upfront my intention and why I’m here.”
“You want me to go with you? To your country?”
“Yes.” He lifts my hand to his lips to kiss. “You see, Delaney, I am madly, truly, obsessively in love with you.”
As his words wash over me, I’m not sure whether to cry or scream for joy. He loves me. Oh my god. He loves me!
“You are?”
“I am. I only hope that my heart has not deceived me, and that you, my darling, love me too.”
I take a deep breath. “I do, Lathan. I love you too.”
His eyes light up. “You do?”
“Madly.”
He exhales, smiling and pulling me into his arms. “I am so relieved. I don’t know what prevented me from saying it sooner, but it’s out now.” He cups my face. “Now for the rest of it.”
I nod. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”
The doorbell rings startling us.
“Allow me.” I watch Lathan pay for our dinner, and as he comes in and sets it down on the table, I walk over to him, putting my arms around his neck. He glances at me, smiling. “I thought I remembered how stunning you are, but no picture or memory can capture your beauty. It must be looked upon in person to truly comprehend.”
“I thought I remembered how romantic you are, but in person is better.”
“Chopsticks?” he asks, lifting a set up to me.
“That will do.”
We take our containers and move back to the couch. Lathan smiles after chewing a bite of beef.
“My father is the King, my mother the Queen. I am first born, so I am next in line.”
“Yes.”
“My father is only the second king of the independent Havendon. Before him and my grandfather, every king was subject to another country’s rule. It’s a wonderful place, but also like a step back in time compared to America.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I told you some of our customs about courtship and the like.”
“Yes.”
“We have all the modern conveniences that you have here, but we’re a small country, self-contained, with little outside influence. It will be a shock to you.”
“Can you give me an example?”
“Yes. You live alone here in your own apartment. You have a job and basically do as you please.”
“Right.”
“Children, even when they become adults, stay at home with their parents until they marry. A woman would never live on her own. Never. Women don’t have jobs like you do here. They are responsible for the home and the children.”
“It’s like the 1950’s were here.”
“Yes, your evolution continued, ours has not.”
“But everyone’s happy?”
“Very. We have virtually no crime and what we do have is minor and nonviolent. We have no prison, only a small correctional facility. People mostly walk or ride bicycles although we do have cars.”
I laugh softly, slurping a bite of noodles. “It looked pretty in the documentary.”
“I remember when that was made. I was just a boy, sixteen I think.”
“You looked young.”
He nods. “We have wonderful food and shopping, and we’re near all other major European countries if you want more.”
“So if women don’t live alone, where will I live?”
“In my palace that I will live in when I marry. It’s called Havendon House.”
“In a palace. Of course.” I shake my head. “This is wicked crazy.”
“It is. You can make it as you wish. Change anything, decorate it to your taste. In fact, I want it to feel like you when I visit.”
“Visit?”
He smiles softly. “Here is my plea, Delaney. Come with me to Havendon. My cousin will be your mentor. She will help you with everything you need to know to transition to life there. I cannot stay with you, but I will lie in your arms every night. I will make love to you in the bed I hope to share for the rest of our lives. I give you my heart, my darling, and if you accept, you will have the world at your feet. You will be my princess, and eventually, my queen. You already have my heart, but my kingdom will also be yours.”
I blink rapidly trying to make sense of this. “So, let me get this straight. You want me to just leave everything I know behind and move to a foreign country with man I met just months ago?”
“Yes.”
I nod. “What if I don’t like it there?”
“Then you may leave. Unlike me, you are free to do as you wish. Just know, that if you leave, you take my heart and my happiness with you.”
“And if I do like it?”
A slow smile spreads across his lips. “Then I will be the happiest man in the world. I will devote my life to you.”
My eyes well with tears as a feeling of excitement and hope washes over me. “What if the people hate me?”
“We will make sure they do not.”
“What if I want to visit my parents?”
“You can come here as you wish. In fact, we’ll keep my apartment.”
“What will I do all day?”
“Whatever you desire.”
“Can people visit me? Like Fallyn.”
“As often as it pleases you.”
“What can’t I do?”
“There is etiquette and traditions Ophelia will help you learn, but outside of that, you are essentially free. Our public life will be different than our private one. In a way, we’ll be celebrities. People will always be interested in what we do, where we go, what we wear. Like Kristin Karlyle here.”
I tilt m
y head. “That’s an odd reference.”
“But you understand.”
“I do.”
“I must be honest. You will be pursued every time you’re in public. I’ve never had a girlfriend, as I told you, and certainly not an American one. There will be much interest in your accent, your behavior, your thoughts. It can be daunting.”
I nod. “Is it dangerous?”
“No, but you’ll always have security just in case. We have to prevent against kidnappings and the like.”
“Kidnappings. Right.”
“We’re a rich country.”
“Got it.”
“I am going to be the king soon, Delaney, and every king needs a queen. I want you by my side. No other. I realize my request is astonishing and grand. I know what you are giving up for me.”
“Lathan—”
“We’ll keep you in our private chambers until we feel you’re prepared to face the public. I will protect you with my very life, Delaney. I assure you—”
“Lathan, I—”
“You’ll have everything you could ever want for,” he interrupts again. “I can provide a wonderful life for you. Just please consider it. I don’t know what I’ll do if you say no.”
I smile. “I’ll go.”
His eyes open wide. “You’ll go?”
“How could I not? I love you. King or no, I need you.”
His face relaxes. “You won’t regret it.”
“I just have one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You break the news to my parents.”
“A fair demand.”
Putting my Chinese carton down, I lean closer. “Now, I need something else from you.”
“Name it, my sweet princess.”
“Make love to me. Before I die from my desire.”
Lathan grins, scooting closer. “With great pleasure.”
As our mouths come together, we go from polite to beast mode in just seconds. Clothes are flying off as our bodies tangle together.
“God, I love touching you,” he whispers against my mouth. “It’s fucking heaven, Delaney. Heaven.”
Sliding my hand into his boxers, I sigh once I get my hands on his amazing cock again. “I missed you.”
“Climb up here,” he says as he reclines. “Sit on my face and fuck my mouth.”
Unexpectedly Royal Page 20
