Arianna & Finn (Royals of Valleria #3) by Marianne Knightly Page B

spoken to me directly about it, or even asked me that question. Until they do, I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong.”
     
    “Who are you trying to convince?” he asked as he rested his forehead against hers.
     
    “Both of us, I imagine.”
     
    Finn sighed. “I want you. I’ve never wanted anybody like this before.”
     
    Her brows shot up. “Really? But you have, well, quite the reputation.”
     
    “It’s mostly just gossip, and you can’t trust most of that.”
     
    Arianna briefly wondered about the things she had overhead earlier that day, and decided to dismiss them. If there was one thing she knew as a royal, it was that you couldn’t trust everything you heard.
     
    “So none of it is true then?” she asked.
     
    “I’m not saying I was celibate or anything. I have a past, but I’m not person anymore. Rumours of my prowess have been greatly exaggerated.”
     
    She chuckled. “From what I’ve seen, perhaps the quantity was exaggerated but the quality seems to be on point.”
     
    He smiled. “Glad it’s to your liking.”
     
    They spent the next few minutes just wrapped in each other’s arms in the quiet room, listening to the sounds of the lake crashing gently against the shore outside. Eventually, Finn sighed again. “We should get going if we’re going to make it to dinner on time.”
     
    Arianna’s gut clenched. “Dinner. Right.” She stood and Finn followed, both of them fixing their clothes as they did. Arianna fixed her hair and picked up the fallen flower on her way out.
     
    After locking up, Finn pulled her against him for the walk back to the car. Their security agents, who had been stationed outside, also prepared to leave. Arianna blushed as she wondered if they had seen or heard anything. Since Finn didn’t seem too worried, she decided not to be, either.
     
    She had enough to worry about with dinner that night.
     
    ***
     
    Finn was lost in his own thoughts all the way back to the palace, and so, it seemed, was Arianna. He’d been honest with her about his past and what he felt. Hell, when he’d seen her in the church, a smile on her face as she took it all in, it had been only too easy to imagine her as his bride, and it had thrown him for a loop. However, in the end, what he felt may not even matter.
     
    Now there was the possibility that Henry was the groom in that vision, not him.
     
    He couldn’t believe Arianna was thinking seriously about the proposal. If she was only marrying Henry to help Valleria, perhaps there was something he could do. But, if she was marrying Henry for some other reason, and he sensed she was, then he may have to let her go. He wasn’t sure he would be able to, if that time came.
     
    The way she fell apart at his touch, the way she smelled, the way she moved, the way she seemed interested in what he had to say - he felt needed and wanted by a woman for the first time in his life. He’d been with women, sure, but they had wanted to be with a prince.
     
    She was the first who seemed to want to be with him.
     
    He dragged his hand through his hair as the capital came into view. A few minutes later, he was working his way through the various palace security gates. A few minutes more, and they stopped in front of an entrance.
     
    Arianna waited for him to open the door this time, and gave him a long look and a soft smile when she stepped out.
     
    “Thank you for the lovely day,” she said.
     
    “You’re very welcome, Arianna. Believe me, the pleasure was all mine.” Finn kept the car door between them; it was the safest thing to do. Otherwise he’d be tempted to kiss her hard against the car door and there were too many eyes watching them now.
     
    “It’s about time you two made it back,” Alex said as he walked casually towards them. He gave Arianna a pointed look. “Dinner is in an hour.”
     
    “So it is,” Arianna said smoothly. All signs of the passionate woman that had been in his arms earlier had