“True.” He got off the bed and lumbered towards her. He couldn’t help but notice the way her nipples peaked in the early chill of morning. She was too enticing of a meal.
He pulled her against him and gave her a long kiss, one of his hands unable to resist fondling her breast. “Remember me today, Charlotte-mine,” he rasped when he pulled back.
“It’d be hard not to.”
“I think it will actually be all too easy.” He dropped a quick kiss before patting her on the ass. “Go take a shower. I’ll see you later. I’m not sure when, but I will.”
She smiled shyly and scampered off, Nate once again enjoying the twitch of her ass before he turned away and began to dress.
***
It was odd, but Charlie thought she could sense the moment Nate left. As the heat of the shower eased any unusual aches, she felt suddenly alone. Was that normal? Was any of this normal?
She only knew she felt positively giddy this morning. She had orgasmed three times in one night, and not by her own hand. As her soapy hands ran over her body, flashes of last night permeated through. She felt his hands on her body, his throbbing cock inside her, the unending feeling of flying in his arms. Just the thought of it all had her gasping.
He hadn’t thought her lacking. For the first time, she had been admired as a woman and not just for her baking skills. Not just her, but her body, too. As she gave herself one last rinse, she felt as though a miracle had happened.
When she stepped out of the shower a few moments later, she remembered the robe was still in the dining area. She wrapped one towel around herself and used another to dry her hair as she made her way into the bedroom, which seemed transformed. Her discarded, ripped clothes now lay folded on the bed, next to the robe. Her vibrator and gel had been cleaned and placed back in the drawer. Nate’s clothes were gone.
She took a quick look in the other rooms, but no one was there. She was alone but, for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone.
She didn’t want the feeling to end.
Chapter 13
Charlie spent the morning hustling around the kitchens. Extra staff had been hired or reapportioned to accommodate the needs for the Prime Minister’s visit, who had arrived with his wife and daughter in tow at barely nine in the morning.
A late breakfast had been held in the large solarium. Keeping the food warm as it traveled the lengthy halls had been a challenge, but it had been done.
Lunch came all too soon, the leaders choosing to dine while working in the King’s offices, while the Queen ate with her counterpart at a fashionable restaurant in Valentia.
Teatime came and went, with the men forgoing tea for cups of fine Vallerian roast coffee. The women, meanwhile, chose to indulge in the full tea service in the gardens, the brisk November chill kept at bay by the large heated lanterns surrounding their table.
Now, with the sun already setting in the sky, Charlie had begun to panic inside. Each time she saw the clock, it ticked closer to the opening bell of the state dinner. The kitchens were filled to the brim, orders being shouted left and right, pots clanging, and Coco’s voice steady and loud above it all. Charlie only briefly wondered if she could handle a situation like this as well as Coco, before she became too busy to think about anything but the cakes she was making.
“Did you miss me?”
Charlie’s head popped up to see Nate leaning casually against the doorjamb. His hair was pulled back and his tailored suit covered almost every inch of his body. All she could picture, however, was him completely naked, with tattoos of pain and love and duty snaking all over his body.
He pushed away from the doorway and walked towards her, a bemused smile on his face. “I bet you didn’t think of me at all, did you?”
“I did,” she said defensively. “A little. It’s been very busy today.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. “Mmmm,” he said as he licked his lips. “You always taste so sweet.”
“It’s the buttercream for the cakes I’m making.”
“Cake? I thought you were making a traditional Australian dessert.”
Charlie stiffened. “The Queen requested a menu change, which I am happy to accommodate.”
Nate’s eyes narrowed. “Did she come speak to you again?”
Charlie shook her head. “She mentioned it to Coco, who told me. It will be similar to the cake I made for your family dinner a few nights ago, but these will be individual cakes with the Australian flag.”
Charlie gestured to one of her counters, covered to the brim with individual cakes already covered in fondant, and huffed out a breath. “They’re layered and I’ve already done the filling inside and covered most of them. I just need to finish making the toppers.” Charlie gestured to the counter behind her, where over a hundred small rectangular pieces of fondant lay in wait for their finishing touches.
He stepped away from her and walked toward the flags, a look of awe on his face that had her heart jumping. “Charlie, these are amazing. Did you do these all by yourself?”
Charlie shook her head, though she almost wanted to say that she had in order to keep that look on his face. “I had help covering the cakes with fondant and creating the stars for the flag. The Australian flag is pretty straightforward, except for its stars.”
He walked back to her and their arms went easily around each other. “Asking for help isn’t something to be ashamed of. Everything you do is amazing.” He leaned closer, his mouth whispering near her ear. “Everything.”
Still feeling shy about discussing such things she’d so long been ashamed of, she nuzzled against his jacket. His arms tightened, then let go after he gave her a kiss on her temple.
“I can’t stay, unfortunately.”
“I understand. Thanks for coming to see me.”
“Thanks for asking me to come.” He brushed an errant lock of her hair back. “Will I see you dashing around the formal dining room tonight?”
“Maybe. I don’t know yet.”
“Well, message me if you get a free minute.”
“That’s not likely.”
“Still. Did you know there’s to be dancing tonight?”
Her eyes widened. “Who are you dancing with?”
“You, if you have the time for it.”
She stepped back, an unconscious movement that was hard for either of them to ignore. “I can’t dance with you at a formal state event. I couldn’t.”
He stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t upset yourself. I know you’re not ready for that, and I won’t push you if you’re not.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“There is a terrace just outside the dining room, or other rooms nearby where we could still hear the music.”
“And that dining room will be filled with press, royalty, visiting dignitaries, and God knows who else. Anyone could catch us.”
“It’s just a dance, nothing more. Trust me.”
Could she trust him? Was she being naïve or overly cautious by saying no? She wasn’t sure. “Like I said, I doubt I’ll have the time for it.”
“Then I’ll see you in passing, and hold you in my arms tomorrow.” He bent down to kiss her, soft and sweet like the cakes surrounding them. “Good luck tonight, Charlotte-mine.”
“Good luck to you, too.”
His lips brushed her cheek once more and then left, giving her a last look at the door before he turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Charlie took a deep breath, and then got back to work.
***
Nate had just finished up a meeting with his father, Alex, and the Prime Minister. It was safe to say that things had not gone as planned.
“Are you really surprised he wasn’t interested?” Alex asked, fixing a drink for himself and their father.
“Not really,” Nate replied as he got up from his chair. “I do think we’ll hear from him about it again. He had to decline the offer initially. After
he talks to his people, he may have a different view.”
Gabriel took the glass of scotch Alex offered him. “I think you may be right. He’s got a very good poker face, but I’ve got one better.”
“Well, nothing will be decided along those lines on this visit,” Alex said as he stood behind his father’s chair.
When the door knocked a moment later, they all turned to see Marcello enter without waiting for an invitation.
“Something wrong, my son?”
His grave look was all the answer they needed. “My investigation’s leading to some troubling conclusions.”
“You found out who’s been siphoning the money?”
Marcello shook his head as he took Nate’s vacated chair. “Maybe, but I can’t confirm that yet. What’s troubling is that half the ministers on the Royal Council seem to be neck-deep in bribes.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “You can prove that?”
Marcello nodded. “Easily. My suspect list for the embezzlement just grew.”
“What sort of bribes?” Alex asked.
“Mostly from special interest groups, some with mob connections in Europe and beyond.”
Alex shook his head. “But that doesn’t make sense. The Council doesn’t really have any authority, not like the king does. They serve in an advisory capacity.”
“That’s not entirely true, though, is it?” Nate said and three pairs of eyes swiveled towards him. “It’s like you told me yesterday, Papa. The Council gets to argue about the budget I present and, even if their proposals are ludicrous, you still have to yield to some of them. They still have power, even if they take a less direct route to use it.”
Gabriel nodded. “You’re right.”
“Which Ministers would you need to consider if they make a counter-proposal about the budget?” Marcello asked his father. “It could lower my suspect list.”
“There’s quite a few I need to make a show of considering, a handful that I actually need to consider, and even less that I would need to yield to, barring a completely ridiculous request. I’ll send you the full list.”
“I’ll do it, Papa,” Alex interjected. “You should try to get some rest before dinner.”
Gabriel nodded. “Thank you, Alexander. I think I will.”
“Are you feeling okay, Papa?” Nate asked, knowing the extra strain of the debt was weighing him down quite heavily.
“I’ll be fine, my sons,” Gabriel said as he stood up. “I’ll see you all tonight. Make sure you aren’t late.”
They all assured their father they wouldn’t be as he walked out of his office and began the long trek to the Royal Wing, his security shadowing him on all sides.
“He’ll be fine once we get this all behind us,” Alex said, still watching the door their father had already walked through. “He’ll be fine.”
“Of course he will,” Nate said, because it was what they all wanted to hear. “I’ve got some things to take care of. I’ll see you when we assemble for dinner.”
“What are you doing?” Marcello asked.
“The budget announcement is tomorrow. If you don’t have viable suspects by then, I’ll need to take the fall for everything. I’d like to enjoy my time as a free man while I have it.”
Marcello stood up. “Damn it, I know you didn’t do this.”
“Prove it,” Nate said, and walked towards the door. Knowing something to be true and proving it to be so were two entirely different things.
Chapter 14
One of the larger formal dining rooms had been selected for the dinner, and it held a graceful, regal bearing that was ornate without being overbearing. The cream-colored walls were adorned with purple fleur-de-lis, the molding was in a pale off-white, and a large chandelier – which was older than any of them, ten times over – hung in the center over a large dance floor. Circular tables of eight had been elegantly arranged around the open space, and glowed bright with the sparkle of crystal, and gleaming silverware and plates on the tables.
Nate stood at the room’s entrance in between his older sister Cat and his younger brother Marcello. The few other siblings who were to attend had arrived, and their parents were the only ones missing; they would walk into the room in the next few moments with the Prime Minister and his wife.
Even while his eyes seemed to be watching the door, his head kept turning towards the dining room, where Charlie may be even now. He could still taste her sweet on his lips from earlier that afternoon, and feel her body warm against his as they had lain together that morning.
“What are you thinking about?” Cat asked him as she adjusted her dangling diamond earrings. “You look almost wistful.”
He smiled. “Just thinking about dessert.”
“You’re always thinking about sweets. It’s just not fair that all that gooey butter and pastry never sticks to your body but never leaves mine alone.”
Nate gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, making sure not to smudge her makeup; having four sisters had taught him that much. “You look beautiful, Kitty Cat,” he told her, using her pet name.
Cat patted his tie and gave him a smile. “Thanks. You’re looking pretty dapper yourself. Did you bring a date?”
Not one he could admit, anyhow. “No. How about you? You’re the one Mama wants engaged next.”
Cat grimaced. “Don’t remind me.” Their mother had told Cat she needed to be engaged before Alex and Rebecca married, or else. “I didn’t bring anyone, though I don’t doubt Mama has seated me next to someone ‘appropriate’ and eligible.”
As the fanfare began to sound, further conversation ceased. They all straightened, like little soldiers, adjusting ties, fluffing trains on gowns, and tucking in loose locks of hair.
Gabriel and Genevieve entered alongside the Prime Minister and his wife, all of them resplendent in their evening best. The women wore gowns created by a known designer in the other’s country, while Gabriel had foregone his military regalia for a standard tux to make the Prime Minister more comfortable in his. Both his parents wore simple crowns, though his mother wore a matching set of jewelry.
They walked down, greeting him and his siblings in turn, until they made it inside the room and towards the dance floor. It had been decided that some dancing would occur before the meal, and the leaders led the dance with their wives, swapping partners halfway through.
At the beginning of the second dance, Alex led Rebecca out, followed by Marcello with Grace. More couples joined and twirled along the dance floor.
The evening had begun.
***
Alex found himself hard-pressed to look away from his fiancée, though he knew he should in order to acknowledge some of those dancing around them.
Rebecca’s hair was flowing down and wavy, a small set from the royal jewels adorned her slim neck, delectable ears, and dainty wrist. Of course, none of that jewelry shone as bright as the diamond and amethyst engagement ring she wore. His ring. Really, his family’s ring, but it had come to him, and now she wore it.
He had claimed her. Possessed her.
Just as she possessed him.
“You should stop thinking whatever you’re thinking,” Rebecca teased him. Her hands were wound around his neck and her fingers teased the edge of his hair.
“Why do you say that?” He pulled her flush against him, decorum be damned. Even without looking up, he could tell his father was diplomatically glaring at him from across the room.
“I say that because I know you. I can tell every time a dirty thought passes through your head.”
“I doubt that,” he muttered and buried his head against her neck.
“You’re going to get us in trouble,” she whispered, her warm breath causing desire to coil within him.
“So what? What exactly do you think my father will do? Deny me the crown?”
She giggled softly, a sweet, high sound that usually only he heard. “Probably not, but we wouldn’t want your parents, or mine, to be embarrassed by photos of us in the
papers tomorrow, would we?”
“No,” he grumbled. One of his hands idly brushed her spine through the soft silk of her dress, while the other rested on her right side. He shuddered inwardly as he remembered the scarred strip of skin underneath her breast, where a bullet had come too close just a few months ago.
“What’s worrying you, Alex? You’ve gone cold.”
He took a deep breath. He hadn’t been able to speak to her yet about Gerald’s request to his father. Now was definitely not the time for it, either. Tonight, after the dinner was over, that’s when he’d tell her. “It’s nothing, darling. Just thinking about the budget presentation tomorrow. If nothing else, my being a little inappropriate tonight will probably lighten the news about the debt, don’t you think?”
Charlotte & Nate (Royals of Valleria #4) Page 18