“Can we do this again?” Adri asked, raising his eyes to meet mine.
I wanted to. We’d been good together. And he was bold. And so damn gorgeous. Why was I hesitating?
Adri leaned forward and kissed the tips of my fingers. “I understand if you don’t want to be with me. I’m leaving in a month, and you have your family to consider. The café. But I’d love to see you again.”
Did I mention bold? How could I say no to that? Yes, I had my family to think of. The café. But they were going on vacation this Friday, and I’d be alone for three long weeks. Evan would be the first to tell me I was allowed to have some fun. And what was it Tammy had said?
“Just give him a chance.”
Of course, we hadn’t known Adri was a prince then—a runaway prince at that. But whynothave some fun? We were consenting adults.
I rose, pulling Adri with me. “Yes. We can do this again.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
ADRI
time to be grown-ups
The past few weeks had been a rollercoaster, as humans say.
Night after night, we scrambled to catch up on the renovation work. Undoing the damage Jim had caused—replacing parts and rewiring the affected floors—took up most of our time, but every shift ended with a new spark of hope that we might make it.
My days revolved around Sam, once his children left on their vacation with Evan. After well-deserved naps and exploring every inch of each other, we ventured into Princedelphia. Sam showed me a different part of Princedelphia every day. From the twins’ favorite store and the kids’ schools to their paddling club and the house he’d grown up in, I mapped every single one. He didn’t only show places close to his heart. He also took me to the zoo and the Princedelphia Metropolitan Museum, where I spent hours drawing and gazing at birds in many forms.
Today, he’d taken me to his home. I wasn’t sure who’d been more nervous—him or me. Drinking espressos on the swings of their combined backyard—excellent, of course, even if he didn’t have an industrial Gandalf at home—he’d entertainedme with snippets of their lives together. He had a story about every toy, tool, and piece of furniture. They made his face light up, more so when he talked about his children. It was clear he missed them.
As his tour ended, he’d invited me into his bedroom, where he’d fucked me long and slow.
Sitting on Sam’s wonderfully soft mattress, his head in my lap, his sweat-soaked hair tickling my legs, I embraced his family’s vibrant, hectic, and loving energy surrounding us. This was the energy Sam lived and breathed every day. He thrived on it. Nothing seemed too much for him.
I’d expected their spirited chaos to affect me more, to turn my system jittery, but Sam’s presence calmed me. Even when he’d driven me to the height of arousal, my system buzzing with need, his grounding shielded me, and I could truly let go.
He personified the perfect grounding system—dispersing all ambient stimuli before it unsettled me. Like my weighted blanket, with added espresso and addictive kisses.
“Can you not think so loudly?” Sam muttered.
“I…”
He snorted. “It’s a joke. Well… it should be, but there’s something buzzing beneath your skin that feels far too active for someone I just fucked through the mattress.”
And he made me feel comfortable, even when he made me blush—comfortable enough to try a joke myself. “I’m relishing in your energy. You were more than generous.”
A silent beat, then bright laughter. Sam raised his head. “Funny. Though, I’m sure I read an article by a conspiracy theorist from the sixties who’d believe that shit.”
“I read that too. When I said everything contains energy, I didn’t mean we could steal energy from sentient beings.”
“I didn’t think so.” He sat up and leaned his head against my shoulder. “Time to be grown-ups and get out of bed.” He kissedme. “If I want to get you back to the hotel in time for your shift, I’m going to need more coffee.”
I followed him, and we dressed in companionable silence. It made me smile when he helped me with my skirt while he was only half-clothed himself—pants clinging to his knees, one arm through his shirt.
I was still smiling when I drank his coffee.
“What?” Sam asked as he grabbed his car keys off the hook.
“I like it when you zip up my skirt.”
“Good. ‘Cause I like it too.”
