That sounded sensible, and I knew I should do the same. Even though he didn’t make a show of dressing, he wasn’t in a hurry. And he didn’t seem to mind me watching him. Part of me feared the atmosphere between us would change once dressed, as if it would erase the intimacy we shared. But I felt none of that as Sam zipped my skirt—commenting on my lack of underwear—smoothed my tunic, and pressed his lips to mine.
He only let go when a knock on the door announced the arrival of his meal.
It felt rude not to join him, so I arranged both chairs around the table and sat while he carried over the tray. It smelled wonderful.
“If there’s anything you want to try, feel free.” He held out an extra set of cutlery.
“Perhaps a small slice of steak,” I said as I took the cutlery. Fries had never appealed to me.
“Their espresso might be disappointing, but they know how to make good food.”
He worked his way through his meal as if he hadn’t eaten in days while I savored a small piece of steak, trying to forget our impending talk. It was tender, with charred edges, and a hint of thyme.
When he finally put his cutlery down, he smiled. “So, I’ll start. I’m sorry I laughed. It was rude and insensitive, and I apologize.”
“It was… unexpected.” And puzzling.
“Yeah. Sorry.” He threw me an apologetic smile. “Remember I told you about the fountain?”
“Prince Bartholomew?” Of course, I remembered. “You called it a fairytale.” Because he married a barista. “And fairytales aren’t just for children.”
“No. They’re not.” His lips twitched into a smile. He reached across the table and grabbed my hand in his. “I didn’t mean to insult you when I laughed. I promise. But I couldn’t stop thinking that I’d kissed a prince. It felt so surreal.”
“My sibling is marrying a poet. Quinn talked about her when we met.” Environmental poetry started Kaia’s career as an influencer. Frank had been a fan of her books long before they’d met.
“Kaia Blue. Yeah. They’re a fan. They showed me reels from the engagement party.” Sam patted his pockets with his free hand and showed me his phone. “I watched them again, earlier, just to see if you were in them.”
I expected Frank and Kaia’s horrible music to screech fromthe speaker, but the phone stayed silent as a reel of them dancing played. It was strange to see myself standing in the back—clearly broadcasting I didn’t want to be there. But Frank and Kaia were beautiful.
Could Sam be my Kaia?
Chapter Twenty-Two
SAM
allowed to have fun
Adri’s eyes filled with longing as he watched the reel play over and over. Not just longing, but loneliness. What did he see? What was it he wanted? Maybe I shouldn’t have shown him.
But Adri kept watching and watching. It gave me the sense he wasn’t ready to talk or didn’t know what to say. As the silence stretched on, I felt an urge to lighten the situation with a joke, and before I realized it, I blurted out, “So do I call you Your Highness?”
Adri dropped the phone onto the table, and his face just closed up. Shit. I swallowed and closed my eyes for a moment, running my hand through my hair. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I tried to make light with a joke. It was wrong. I shouldn’t have said it. Maybe I should go.”
I rose, but when I grabbed my phone, Adri wrapped his fingers around my wrist. He shook his head, and I sat back down, but he still didn’t let me go, as if he was afraid I’d leave if he did.
I needed to be patient. This seemed so much easier when my kids were involved. Why did I keep putting my foot in it with Adri? I took a deep breath and leaned my elbow on the table. Notvery comfortable, but Adri needed time. So, I’d give him time, even if it meant sitting in such an awkward position.
Adri said, “My mins are the High Energies of the Niren, what humans would call the ruling family. We don’t have set titles, but humans started calling our ancestors kings and queens, so we adopted the same terms.” He took a breath. “Our society isn’t very hierarchical. So, no, you don’t have to call me Your Highness. No one does.”
“So what does being High Energies mean?” And did mins mean parents? I was sure he’d mentioned it before.
“Our family brokers the connections between our people—and NiraTech—and the outside world. We meet with royal representatives, country leaders, foreign dignitaries, and heads of companies to secure contracts, business opportunities, and exchange programs. Anything you can think of.”
“So, that’s your job?”
Adri shrugged. “Yes. And no, I’m a tech mage. So, I spend most of my time designing, testing, and programming the systems NiraTech builds, including full-scale environmental projects.”
“Like what you do here, on a grander scale.”
