Alexander & Rebecca (Royals of Valleria #1) by Marianne Knightly
Authors: Marianne Knightly
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No one else in the family understood it, but he didn’t know what he would do without it. “It’ll be all right, Kitty Cat,” Alex said, calling her by the rarely used nickname that he knew would bring her comfort. “No one else was violated; we checked.”
“This isn’t like the other threats you’ve gotten over the years,” she said as she pulled back. Needing to lighten the mood, for her own sake as well as everyone else’s, she playfully said, “If anything happens to you, I’ll have to be queen one day. Don’t you dare do that to me.”
Alex chuckled and playfully pulled her hair. “Never.”
“Why don’t you tell her what else you and Papa talked about?” Marcello said with a gleeful smile.
Alex sent him a scathing look that would have felled another man, but not someone as tough as Marcello.
“What? What else is going on?”
After a silent communication between Alex and Marcello, where Alex made it clear he would happily murder him and Marcello responded with a smug smile, Alex spoke. “There’s a woman.”
Cat’s face broke into a broad smile and she gripped Alex’s arm. “Truly? Who is it? Do I know her? Can I meet her? Tell me!”
Alex shook his head. “Please calm down. No one knows. I won’t introduce her to anyone just yet, not until we’re sure.”
Cat gave him an assessing look. “You told Papa about it. You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t think it was serious.”
“I told him because he deserves to know. You’ll notice I didn’t tell Mama for the same reason I was going to avoid telling you just yet.”
“No, there’s something else. Tell me. You know you can’t hide it from me for long. You never could, you know.”
Alex sighed. Wasn’t that the truth? “All right, but this does not leave the three of us. I mean it. No one can know.”
When she nodded, Alex said, “I’m in love with her.”
Cat squealed and clapped her hands. “That’s great, Alex,” she said before giving him a fierce hug. “Oh, I was so worried you might just end up marrying for duty instead of love.”
When she pulled back, Alex said, “I’m hoping to marry for both, but I don’t know if we’ll get there. It’s still early days for us, so it could just as easily fall apart.”
“Then I’ll wish and pray for the best,” she said as she kissed his cheek. After a little more conversation, Cat left for her rooms as well.
Once they were alone, Alex slid over to Marcello and punched him in the arm.
“Ow,” Marcello said as he rubbed his arm. “What the hell, man?”
“Why did you force me to tell her about my budding romance?”
“She was worried after we mentioned the threat, and the romance was a good distraction for her. She’d have been up all night worrying if we hadn’t given her something else to think about.”
“I know that. She’s my twin. I know her better than any of you, but there were other ways of distracting her.”
“Yes, but none that would have embarrassed you in the process. So, you know, that was a nice bonus for me.”
Alex laughed despite himself and threw a pillow at his brother. “Jerk,” he said, still laughing, and waved goodbye as he left the room.
Chapter 6
After a night spent tossing and turning, Rebecca stopped for a triple espresso at the corner café before heading into work. When she’d slept, she’d dreamt of Alex. That was nothing new. What was new, was that now her dreams took on a more vivid reality. Now that she’d felt his lips warm on her skin and his strong body against hers, all of her dreams had left her warm and wanting.
Because she was sure her day would be terribly long, or terribly short if she were fired, she also treated herself to a fluffy, fruity pastry. She knew Alex would not make a promise he couldn’t keep, so she’d likely keep her job, but until she heard one way or the other,
“This isn’t like the other threats you’ve gotten over the years,” she said as she pulled back. Needing to lighten the mood, for her own sake as well as everyone else’s, she playfully said, “If anything happens to you, I’ll have to be queen one day. Don’t you dare do that to me.”
Alex chuckled and playfully pulled her hair. “Never.”
“Why don’t you tell her what else you and Papa talked about?” Marcello said with a gleeful smile.
Alex sent him a scathing look that would have felled another man, but not someone as tough as Marcello.
“What? What else is going on?”
After a silent communication between Alex and Marcello, where Alex made it clear he would happily murder him and Marcello responded with a smug smile, Alex spoke. “There’s a woman.”
Cat’s face broke into a broad smile and she gripped Alex’s arm. “Truly? Who is it? Do I know her? Can I meet her? Tell me!”
Alex shook his head. “Please calm down. No one knows. I won’t introduce her to anyone just yet, not until we’re sure.”
Cat gave him an assessing look. “You told Papa about it. You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t think it was serious.”
“I told him because he deserves to know. You’ll notice I didn’t tell Mama for the same reason I was going to avoid telling you just yet.”
“No, there’s something else. Tell me. You know you can’t hide it from me for long. You never could, you know.”
Alex sighed. Wasn’t that the truth? “All right, but this does not leave the three of us. I mean it. No one can know.”
When she nodded, Alex said, “I’m in love with her.”
Cat squealed and clapped her hands. “That’s great, Alex,” she said before giving him a fierce hug. “Oh, I was so worried you might just end up marrying for duty instead of love.”
When she pulled back, Alex said, “I’m hoping to marry for both, but I don’t know if we’ll get there. It’s still early days for us, so it could just as easily fall apart.”
“Then I’ll wish and pray for the best,” she said as she kissed his cheek. After a little more conversation, Cat left for her rooms as well.
Once they were alone, Alex slid over to Marcello and punched him in the arm.
“Ow,” Marcello said as he rubbed his arm. “What the hell, man?”
“Why did you force me to tell her about my budding romance?”
“She was worried after we mentioned the threat, and the romance was a good distraction for her. She’d have been up all night worrying if we hadn’t given her something else to think about.”
“I know that. She’s my twin. I know her better than any of you, but there were other ways of distracting her.”
“Yes, but none that would have embarrassed you in the process. So, you know, that was a nice bonus for me.”
Alex laughed despite himself and threw a pillow at his brother. “Jerk,” he said, still laughing, and waved goodbye as he left the room.
Chapter 6
After a night spent tossing and turning, Rebecca stopped for a triple espresso at the corner café before heading into work. When she’d slept, she’d dreamt of Alex. That was nothing new. What was new, was that now her dreams took on a more vivid reality. Now that she’d felt his lips warm on her skin and his strong body against hers, all of her dreams had left her warm and wanting.
Because she was sure her day would be terribly long, or terribly short if she were fired, she also treated herself to a fluffy, fruity pastry. She knew Alex would not make a promise he couldn’t keep, so she’d likely keep her job, but until she heard one way or the other,
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