HENRY
Page 4
If we get there without any of the siblings picking fights with each other, and no one pouting, I am fairly certain my sister will give me a medal.
“To twenty years of marriage.” I slip an arm around my wife’s waist and pull her close. “To being even more in love with you today than when I married you.”
With champagne still bubbling on our tongues, our mouths collide in a kiss that leaves us even dizzier than a glass of champagne at eight in the morning.
I trace the curve of my wife’s bottom through her satin dress, earning a giggle and a swat.
“Don’t even think about it.” But her eyes sparkle in delight. “Do you know how long it took to press the wrinkles out of this dress?”
“That is a shame.” And it is, because I am just as wild with need for her now as I was when we first met. “Willing to see if it is worth a few wrinkles?”
My wife just laughs at me and finishes off her glass of champagne. Hand in hand, we step out of the room to continue the celebration with our family and kingdom.
We both have our duties today and our purpose in life. It is all I ever wanted.
Epilogue Three
James
“What are you doing?”
I freeze. I am in the middle of tucking a copy of my wife’s latest novel into the tote bags the queen will be giving to all of her guests at the coronation. It was supposed to be a surprise. Only she has caught me in the act.
Dropping the book and stepping away from the bags, I lift a shoulder. “Nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.” Alyssa glides into the room, her silk gown rustling as she does. “Were you stealing from the swag bags?”
“Of course not.”
Like I would ever need to steal anything. Between Alyssa’s two-decade career as a best-selling author and my skills as a leading investor and economist, I could afford to buy hundreds of her books.
Which is precisely what I have done. Only, again, she was not supposed to find out just yet.
Hands on her hips, Alyssa frowns at me. “Spill. Or I will call a guard in to shake you down.”
Sighing, I reach into a box and hand her one of the books.
Her eyes widen. “What are you doing with these?”
“It is the first of your books with your real name on the cover. I want everyone I know to have a copy.”
My wife created quite a stir in the literary community—and beyond—when she announced last month that she was the author behind dozens of best-selling romance novels.
“So you’re giving one away to everyone who comes to the coronation ball?”
I shrug. “Everyone could do with a little more reading.”
Alyssa’s eyes crinkle around the edges as she laughs. Heat licks the back of my neck, and I turn to leave the room when my wife throws her arms around me, stopping me in my track.
“You, the Duke of Paion, will never cease to amaze and surprise me.” She squeezes me until I’m nearly out of breath. “And I love you and this crazy life we have.”
I bring my arms around her, resting my chin against the crown of her head.
“You do not mind that we are staying here on a more permanent basis then?”
Her head moves beneath my chin. “You can make real change as the minister of finance. Plus, the kids like being closer to their cousins.”
It is true. Our children Sophia, Holden, Joshua, and Trevor have already adapted well to their schools.
“Besides,” she arches her neck to press a kiss to my chin. “Where better to get inspiration for my next novel then right here?”
“About that, I have a few ideas for one of your sexier scenes.”
“I’ll look forward to acting it out with you tonight in bed.”
Epilogue Four
Alex
The kids are dressed and pressed for the coronation, but according to the driver my wife has disappeared.
Fortunately after more than twenty years of marriage, I know where to find her.
Taking the back stairway down from the three-story flat we renovated years ago, I find Nikki in the kitchen of her flagship bakery. Dressed in satin and tulle, she has an apron over her gown as she carefully touches up the buttercream on the cake.
Even though we are about to be late, I keep my mouth shut. If more than twenty years of marriage has taught me anything, it is to never interrupt my wife when she is in the middle of creating one of her masterpieces. Especially when that masterpiece will be at the coronation ball.
Besides, it gives me a rare chance to just observe her. With her tongue sticking out of her full lips, and her cobalt blue eyes focused on the piping, she is every bit as gorgeous as she was when I met her. I still want to lick that frosting off of her just as much.
We do not have as much time as we once did to sneak away to the bakery for fun with baked goods. With four children—Sophia, Holden, Joshua, and Trevor—a franchise with more than fifty bakery locations worldwide, and a country to guard and protect, we are pretty busy.
But every so often, I will get a message from my wife that she has leftover chocolate sauce or buttercream. She will ask if I would like to lick the bowl.
The answer is always yes.
My wife’s eyes glance up then. Catching my stare, a slow grin spreads across her lips.
“Unfortunately I don’t have a bowl for you to lick today.”
“I you did, there is not time to do it properly.” I move behind her and wrap my arms around her waist.
“What do you think?”
“Another masterpiece.” Like always. I pull the strawberry blonde curls from her neck and kiss the smooth skin. Goosebumps pop up on her skin. I love that I still have this kind of reaction on her.
She sighs, and I am momentarily tempted to make us very late to the coronation.
Seemingly reading my thoughts, Nikki gives a low, sultry chuckle. It has the same effect as if she reached around and stroked my cock.
“I think it would look bad if the Duke and Duchess of Anemone were late for the procession.” She sets the piping aside and turns in my arms. “Besides, my hands are sticky. I can’t go and get frosting in the minister of defense’s hair.”
“Pity.” I brush my lips across hers, not wanting to smudge her lipstick. “Pick up where we left off tonight?”
Her lips curl up. “As it happens, I do have extra buttercream in the fridge.”
“I know just where to put it.”
Epilogue Five
Sarah
Meeting me outside the waiting room in the cathedral, Ryan lets out a low whistle.
“Babe, you’re stunning.” He presses his lips to my bare shoulder and lowers his voice. “If the place wasn’t crawling with servants, and you didn’t have a billion viewers around the world waiting for you to appear on screen, I’d fuck you right now.”
I giggle. “You cannot say that. We are in a church.”
“Doesn’t that make it more exciting?”
I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed. But how can I be? What woman does not enjoy being irresistible to her husband even after more than twenty years of marriage? Not even a queen—or, rather, almost queen—is above that.
“I am a little nervous,” I whisper.
“Don’t be. Just put one foot in front of the other.”
It sounds so simple. “Take it a step at a time?”
“That’s right.” He grins. “Besides you’ll have your brothers, their families, our children, and me here every step of the way.”
He gestures down the hallway, where sure enough my brothers, their wives, and their children are all lined up to begin the processional. Our children—Catherine, Alexis, and the twins Harrison and Jameson—are with them. Though we have faced ups and downs and plenty of in betweens in our lives together, we have been united. Not just as a dynasty, but as a family.
Through every bit of it, I have relied on the strong, handsome man standing next to me. With dashing streaks of gray at his temples, I would
marry Ryan again today if I could.
A single tear slips down my cheek as my heart fills.
“Hey.” Ryan brushes a thumb across my cheek. “We can’t have the queen crying on her coronation day.”
Then he kisses me just below my ear, sending a shiver of delight through me. Now I wish we had about twenty minutes to sneak off to find a closet.
The bronze doors swing open. My brothers and the other nobles lead the procession down the aisle. Ryan offers me his arm and I take it.
My reign as queen of Rhodon will officially begin the next time I step through those doors. I hope I will be a good and just leader and guide my country with kindness and grace. Whatever happens during this chapter in Rhodon’s history, I know it will be filled with love and hope.
It will be better than any happily ever after in any fairy tale. And it belongs to all of us.
THANKS FOR READING HENRY: Ridiculously Royal #4. I hope you enjoyed spending time with the Ridiculously Royal siblings of Rhodon. If you’re looking for another steamy series, be sure to check out DALLAS: Sunset Canyon Fire & Rescue #1.
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