He handed her a glass as he said, “I haven’t had so much as a cold since I was a boy.”
The slight brush of his finger fanned her desire. Calm except when she was around Leo. “Lucky you.”
“Do you get sick often?” He finished pouring one for himself and looked at her, lifting his glass toward her.
“A few months after my parents died, I had a flu for a week.” She clinked with him and the crystal rang. “But since then, not really.”
They both sipped, eyes on the other, until he set his glass down and opened one of the silver cloches revealing crackers and cheeses. “So how did my setting up a picnic and following you in the rain make you more agreeable to being physically close?”
It was time to be honest and tell him her thoughts—he’d asked for truth from her. She held the stem of her glass tightly. “I want a chance of happiness… with you.”
He froze and held a slice of cheese above the porcelain plate. “What chance?”
He slowly put the cheese down.
Her heart beat so fast she might faint, but she needed to be honest. The wine in her glass sloshed slightly as her hand trembled. “The one where you might just fall in love with me and then we get to happy.”
He rounded the table and took the glass out of her hands. “Is that what you want, Anna? Love and happiness?”
His warmth calmed her. He hadn’t run away. She met his gaze and ignored how her face was hot as she asked, “Is that silly?”
He gave her a smile that hypnotized her. “Not if that’s what you want.”
Perhaps it wasn’t wise to be this honest so fast. Maybe he was just saying whatever he could to seduce her, but her lips were still parted and wishing for more kisses—that he’d been slow to give her, saying they didn’t have to rush. “You don’t have to humor me.”
He gently squeezed her shoulder. “I’d like for us to be in love too.”
The word love reverberated in her ears—she hadn’t imagined the conversation going like this. He always had a string of women available. “You would?”
He handed her the glass of wine back and picked up his own as he said, “Why not? Then we wouldn’t have to ever worry about scandal and maybe we could raise the next king to want to help his people and give him the right to marry who he pleases.”
A commoner. She held her glass with both hands as she asked, “So why all those years of rebelling against your parents?”
He sipped and then he put the practically full glass down. “I was never asked to state my opinion on anything and in fact actively told to avoid politics.”
His words didn’t make sense. She put her glass down next to his. “But you’re to be king one day?”
He reached out and caressed the neckline of her shirt. “One that was to be devoid of opinions.”
She placed her hand on his heart and noticed how fast it was under her palm. “You’ve been doing good things for a while now.”
He smiled down at her and she felt part of his team again. “Only because you make me want to be better, Anna. Keep doing that.”
He tugged her closer and a thrill raced through her. “I trust you.”
He held her hips but stared at her lips as he said, “You shouldn’t.”
For the past year, she’d seen the real him. Leo had the potential to be amazing, though he’d made bad choices in women. From now on, she’d do whatever she could to be the best queen for him one day. She cupped his jaw while she said, “Don’t be modest. Let’s find out if we match… in bed.”
“I’ll do whatever you want, Anna.” He leaned down and the air smelled completely like him. She arched her lips and then he kissed her, making her forget the world.
Right or wrong, she wanted him. Right here. Right now. And no regrets.
