by Nikki Ash
We get to the end of a path and waiting for us is a large, spread out blanket and a basket. “Is this for us?” I ask dumbly.
Liam smiles. “It is. I figured what better way to spend the afternoon than having a picnic with my girls.”
Jasmine cheers excitedly, dropping onto the blanket and opening the basket. She passes out the food and drinks, then quickly devours hers, clearly starving. Once she’s done, she asks if she can feed the fish in the pond her leftover bread.
“Sure,” Liam tells her.
She skips over to the water and it’s then I notice Harold standing a little ways away. “Has he been here this whole time?”
“Of course,” Liam tells me, pulling me between his legs. It’s a gorgeous day outside—not too hot and there’s a nice breeze. I lean back against Liam’s hard chest and glance up at him. He dips his head and kisses me.
“This is nice,” I murmur against his lips. It wasn’t until I spent time with Aria and Giovanni that I saw how a real couple behaves. Although I spent time with Amber and Nico, it’s different when they’re at the mansion. But with Aria and Giovanni, in their home, I got my first glimpse of what love looks like. The way Giovanni always hugs and kisses her. The way they work together as parents. I even witnessed a few arguments between them and was shocked by the way they would eventually compromise. Whoever was wrong would apologize and the other would forgive. I used to imagine what it would be like to meet someone and spend my life with him. To love and be loved by him. And now, it feels like I might have it.
“What’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours?” Liam asks, kissing my temple.
“This is my first relationship,” I admit. “And I’m scared. And nervous. I don’t want to mess it up.”
Liam tips my chin, so I’m looking up at him. “There’s nothing you can do to mess this up. We’re in this together.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon playing in the gardens. Liam and Jasmine play tag, and afterward, he shows us the rest of the grounds. When Jasmine gets cranky, obviously exhausted from the busy day, Liam scoops her up into his arms and carries her back to the car. He’s patient with her while she whines and cries, until she falls asleep, and I fall even harder for him. It’s one thing to create a child, but it’s another to actually be a dad. The man who helped create me was great at making babies, but he sucked at being a father.
When we get home, Liam lays her down, while I grab us both a cup of tea. We meet on the balcony in Liam’s room.
“She’s out,” he says with a laugh. “Harold will let us know when she wakes up.”
I hand him his tea and he takes a sip then sets it down. He plucks my cup from my hand and sets it down as well, then pulls me into his arms. “Did you have a good day?” he asks, his blue eyes meeting mine.
“A wonderful day. You are the perfect tour guide.” I give him a chaste kiss. “So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow? A tour of the vineyards? Or how about we visit the beach?” I joke.
Liam’s face drops. “We could maybe visit the vineyards, but I would have to get it approved first, but the beach… I don’t think…”
“Whoa, stop.” I cradle his face in my hands. “It was just a joke. I know you can’t just go anywhere on a whim… and especially not right now, since nobody knows about Jasmine and me…”
Liam exhales a breath of relief. “I’m sorry. I just know Jasmine thinks this place is like a fairy tale, and I love that she thinks that, but I need you to understand that because of my position… my family’s position… we can’t just come and go. It’s like the President of the United States.”
“I get it. It’ll take some adjusting, but like you said, we’re in this together.”
Liam’s eyes soften, and then he says three words nobody besides my mom, Jasmine, and Aria have ever spoken to me in truth. “I love you.”
Before I can say anything back, he captures my mouth with his own. He reaches around and grabs my ass, lifting me into his arms. He carries me inside our room and sets me on the bed. Our clothes come off and then he enters me. His movements are slow, his kisses soft. The way he touches me is as if he’s making love to me. I’ve had sex too many times to count, but nobody has ever made love to me. Nobody has ever made me feel the way Liam makes me feel.
Emotional tears prick my eyes, and when Liam notices, he places a soft kiss to each of my wet eyelids. We both come at nearly the same time, and when we do, he whispers again into my ear that he loves me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt, I’m done searching for my Prince Charming because I’ve found him.
Chapter Thirteen
Natalie
One Week Later
I stare down at the gift-wrapped box with a huge grin on my face. There’s a note taped to the front that reads: OPEN ME. I laugh, wondering what Liam is up to. We just laid Jasmine down for the night and Liam told me there was a surprise waiting for me in the bedroom. I assumed he meant him, but apparently he has something up his sleeve.
This past week, getting to know Liam again, has been nothing short of amazing. During the day, we spend our time as a family, and at night, after our little girl is tucked into bed and fast asleep, we spend our time alone, getting to know each other on a more intimate level. I know things won’t always be like this. Liam will eventually have to return to his duties as the king, but I’m thankful for him choosing to put us first and taking the time to get to know us. Jasmine has fallen head over heels for her father. We’ve needed this time with him to connect as a family.
I open the box and find the most exquisite crimson dress and black heels. Inside, there’s another note: WEAR ME. I’m not sure what he’s up to, but I’m excited to find out. After putting on the gorgeous dress and fixing up my hair and makeup, I step outside of the room, unsure where to go from here. Liam has said we can’t leave the grounds, so I’m not sure what he has planned.
“This way, Miss,” Samson, one of Liam’s many guards, says with a smile. I follow him down the hall, passing Harold, who is on his laptop in the sitting room. He’s never far from Jasmine, even when she’s asleep.
We walk for what feels like miles down several hallways and up a spiraling staircase. When we get to the top, he motions for me to enter the door, then bids me a good night. When I step through the door, I find I’m outside. The night is black, and the stars are twinkling high in the sky. It’s beautiful out here.
I glance around and find Liam standing next to a table dressed in a suit. “You look stunning.” He walks over to me and places a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“What are we doing out here?” I ask, curious.
“We’re going on our first official date,” he says with a smile. “We can’t leave the grounds, so I had to improvise.” He motions toward the table. “Join me?” he asks, as if it’s even a question.
He pulls my chair out for me, reminding me of the weekend we spent together all those years ago, then has a seat. Moments later, a server comes over and pours us each a glass of wine. I take one sip and immediately recognize it. Just to be sure, I turn the bottle to view the label. Napa Hills Estates.
“How did you do this?”
“I had it shipped over,” he says with a shrug.
My heart pounds against my chest at his thoughtfulness. “I haven’t had this wine since our time together.” I had run out of the hotel so upset I didn’t take any of the wine he bought with me.
“Good,” he tells me, taking a sip. “It’s our wine.”
The server comes back out, setting an appetizer on the table between us. “Is this insalata caprese?” It’s one of my favorite things to eat in Italy. It’s a combination of mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil.
“It is. I thought, since you’ve spent the last week learning about Lexenburg, we could bring a little bit of your home here. I figured you might be feeling a little homesick.”
Oh, this man…
“Thank you.” I cut into the tomato and mozzarella and take a bite. It’s delicious.
“I
also have a little surprise for you at the end of the meal,” Liam says with a flirty wink that has my insides melting.
We spend the rest of the meal talking and getting to know each other. We talk about trivial things like our favorite colors and go deeper about what we want our futures to look like. I never imagined living anywhere but in Florence, but now I can’t imagine living anywhere without Liam.
“You ready for your surprise?” he asks, after the dinner plates are cleared.
“I’m a woman, we’re always ready for a surprise,” I joke.
Liam laughs and gives a slight head nod to the server, who a minute later, walks over carrying cups of… “Is that coffee?” I squeal as she sets them down and I immediately smell the caffeine.
“It is,” he says with a chuckle. “Ordered you a coffee maker and espresso machine.”
“Oh my God, I love you,” I breathe, taking a sip of the coffee. It’s been weeks since I’ve had a cup of coffee and I’m dying for one.
Liam’s brows shoot to the top of his head, and it’s then I realize what I said. The statement was said as a joke, but the words… I mean them.
Setting my coffee down, I stand and walk around the table over to Liam, who must know what I’m doing, because he pushes his chair back slightly, so I can climb into his lap. I lift my dress up and straddle his thighs. I cradle his face, and he looks at me, his azure eyes searing into mine.
“I…” The other two words are on the tip of my tongue. I want to say them, but for some reason I can’t. Not yet. Maybe it’s because I’ve never said them to a man before. Maybe it’s because I know the power those words hold and once I say them, they’re out there. I’ve never felt like this before and I would be lying if I said it didn’t scare me. “I need you,” I croak out.
Liam sighs, and I worry he’s upset, that he’s disappointed I wasn’t able to say the words he’s so easily able to voice, but then his mouth collides with mine. His tongue delves between my parted lips, deepening the kiss, and it’s as if he’s telling me with his actions it’s okay. He knows what I want to say. He knows how I feel. And he’ll wait for me.
We kiss like this for several minutes, getting lost in each other. His lips are strong and his tongue moves in perfect sync with my own. He tastes of coffee and sex, and I want to rip this suit off him and ride him right here… Then, I remember we’re alone on this balcony and I can do just that.
Without breaking our kiss, I reach between us and tug at the button on his dress pants. Understanding what I’m doing, he lifts slightly so I can pull his pants down enough for his dick to spring free. Not even bothering to remove my dress, I lift it up, so it doesn’t get caught and guide his hard length into me. I lower myself slowly, and we both groan when I’m completely seated around him.
“Fuck,” he hisses against my lips. “You feel so damn good.”
I glide my hands up his shoulders and around to the back of his head, threading my fingers through his short hair. His hands find my hips and he digs his fingers into my flesh. I might be on top, but when he lifts and then lowers me, making sure to hit that perfect spot that will have me coming in no time, it becomes clear he’s fucking me—and I let him.
I find my release first, and he follows shortly after. When we break our kiss, my lips are swollen, and my body feels like Jell-O. I lay my head against his shoulder, completely content to stay like this.
“Move in with me,” he whispers into my ear.
That has me lifting my head back up. “What?” I heard what he said, but I need him to repeat it.
“Move in with me,” he repeats. “I don’t care that it’s only been a week… I’m in love with you and I don’t want to be away from you.” His face beams with love. “We can even visit—”
“Yes,” I tell him, not needing to hear anything more. He’s right. I love him and he loves me, and I don’t care how long it’s been. We’ve wasted enough time and all I want to do is spend my days with him and our daughter. We can figure it all out as we go.
“Yes?” he parrots.
“Yes,” I say again. “We’ll stay.”
His grin widens, his dimple popping out. “You’ve just made me the happiest man on Earth.”
Chapter Fourteen
Liam
Two Weeks Later
“Daddy, throw me again!” Jasmine yells, swimming over to me like a cute little fish. Since Natalie agreed to move in with me, we’ve taken steps to move them in. We’ve hired a moving company to pack up and ship all of their belongings here. Their furniture is being put in storage for now, and once things settle down, we’ll visit and get it sorted. Stephanie isn’t happy that I’ve put off all my duties the last few weeks, but like I told her, my family comes first. I’ll have a lot to catch up on when I do return to work, but it will be worth it.
Every day with my girls has been better than the previous day. Even though we can’t leave, that doesn’t stop Jasmine from living her best life. She loves exploring the castle, and her favorite activity is playing hide and seek. Today is an exceptionally hot day, so when Jasmine asked if we could spend it in the pool, Natalie and I thought it would be the perfect way to spend the day.
Lifting her by her tiny waist, I throw her a couple feet. She plops into the water, then quickly swims back up, the top of her head, then the rest of her body, breaking through the surface of the water.
“Again!” she squeals, shaking the water off her face.
“Food first,” Natalie calls out.
I glance over and find her in a tiny as fuck string bikini. Her body is as perfect as it was all those years ago, but now, from carrying our daughter, her hips are a bit wider and her breasts are fuller. I love the way I’m able to grip her hips when I’m fucking her.
Her hair is up in a tight ponytail, exposing her slim neck, and when she looks at me, with the most gorgeous smile splayed across her face, I make a mental note to sneak her out here one night so I can fuck her in this pool… or on the lounge chair, or hell, maybe the hot tub. Or maybe all three…
My dick perks up at the thought, and I have to think about something else to make it go down before I can get out of the pool.
“One more time!” Jasmine begs.
“Your mom said food first,” I tell her. She pouts but doesn’t argue, instead swimming over to the edge so she can get out and eat. The first time she argued with her mom and I let her have her way, Natalie explained we have to be a team and provide a united front or Jasmine would pin us against each other. I laughed and told her she sounded like some of the countries I deal with. I mean, she’s only five, and we’re the adults. The next time she did it, Natalie gave me a look, so I had her back. Jasmine cried, and the tears in her eyes damn near killed me. So I gave in. Natalie glared, and Jasmine cheered—and those tears… they magically disappeared, and I realized I’d been had.
So, the third time, I didn’t give in. The tears came and went, but she got over it. And Natalie thanked me. I’m new to this whole dad thing, but Natalie is a wonderful mother and I have no doubt she’ll be by my side every step of the way.
“Your Majesty,” Lawrence, one of my advisors, says as I’m wrapping a towel around my waist and walking over to the spread Natalie whipped up. I told her the chef will make anything she wants, but she insisted she’s capable.
“Lawrence, how may I help you?” He only comes out of his office when it’s important. He’s been with my family for over fifty years and is planning to retire this year. He’s grouchy as hell, but he’s always had our family’s best interest at heart and has never steered us wrong.
“You’re needed in the Lavender room, sir.” The Lavender room is where all our meetings are held, and I don’t recall a meeting being scheduled. “It’s of the utmost importance, sir,” he adds.
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
With a quick nod, he bows and exits.
“Everything okay?” Natalie asks once he’s gone.
“I’m not sure. He’s called an emergenc
y meeting.” Her eyes go wide in fear. “It’s okay.” I kiss her cheek. “Eat and relax, and I’ll be back soon.”
“Can we swim some more?” Jasmine asks.
“Of course, princess.” I kiss her cheek as well. “As soon as I get back, we’ll have a race.”
Her eyes light up. “Okay, bye, Daddy. I love you!”
I still at her words. The one and only time she’s said those words to me was when she was half-asleep. I chalked it up to her saying them out of habit, since she had just told her mom she loved her. But right now, those three words are done with purpose. Meant for me. Because my little girl loves me. “I love you too,” I choke out.
My eyes meet Natalie’s and she smiles softly. She hasn’t told me she loves me yet, but I know she does. She just needs time to come to terms with how fast everything between us is happening, and I’m okay giving her that time. We have the rest of our lives for her to tell me.
When I get to the Lavender room, my mom, Stephanie, Lawrence, and one of my other advisors are all there. They’re arguing with each other, and since they’re all speaking at once, I can’t make out what it is exactly they’re arguing about.
The second I clear my throat, everyone stops talking and gives me their attention. Before I can ask what’s going on, Stephanie speaks up. “I warned you this would happen.”
“What?” What the hell is going on?
“It somehow leaked,” Mom says, sadness and sympathy in her tone. My blood freezes, my body going numb. She’s not talking about…
“They know about Natalie and Jasmine,” Mom adds. “Everything.”
My instinct is to run to Natalie and Jasmine to shield them both, protect them from the shitstorm that is about to come down on us, but it’s better if they’re outside at the pool, oblivious to what’s happening.
“Everything?” I ask, dropping onto a seat.
“Everything,” Stephanie says, pushing an iPad toward me. I click on the article and read it. Pictures of Natalie and Jasmine are on the screen. Ones I’ve never seen before. Someone must’ve found some. I read the article, then read it again. They know everything about Natalie, from her time on the streets when she was a minor, to her job at La Stella’s, to the possibility of her being the mother of my daughter.
