Charlotte & Nate (Royals of Valleria #4) by Marianne Knightly Page B
Authors: Marianne Knightly
Ads: Link
change and pick up some flashlights and blankets, as well as the picnic basket he’d ordered for dinner; he just hoped that Charlotte hadn’t been one of the people working to assemble it.
After putting on a soft, thick sweater and grabbing his supplies, he made his way through the secret passages towards the northeast entrance. He exited onto a small path that wound around the palace and waited.
Night had fallen swiftly and the stars blinked bemused above him. The paths to the gardens were lit with moonlight, and most of the leaves and flowers had tucked away for winter. Nate knew of a few spots that would still afford them privacy; he would need it for their night ahead. Though he’d like the privacy so he could hold her in his arms, he would actually need the privacy to tell her that her job might be in danger. He may never see her again after his confession.
Nate sighed and adjusted his arms, which were bundled with the basket and blankets, and leaned against the solid stone of the palace. It had been built well over a century ago and had withstood the tests of time and numerous wars. The palace would always be there, strong and sturdy.
Scores of his ancestors had come and gone but few of them were really remembered; Nate did not expect to be one of them. He would be a footnote on a family tree somewhere down the line in the history books, if that; only his father’s and Alex’s names were more likely to be remembered. As a royal prince, he never felt so small as he did while thinking about the palace and his place in Valleria’s history.
“Did you change your mind?”
Nate turned at the voice and his breath caught. The moonlight glinted against her silky hair and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the night. She’d changed – and showered, too, by the sight of her wet hair – into something warm and soft.
A sharp pang of heat and need clenched inside him; he wanted her, wanted her gentleness to soothe his battered heart, he wanted her sharpness to challenge his churning mind, and he wanted to lose himself inside her for hours and forget that the rest of the world existed, for just a while.
“Do you want me to go?”
Nate couldn’t understand why she was so unsure around him, but then, he was just as unsure around her, wasn’t he? He stepped up to her, and ran his hand over her damp hair. “I only want you to go if it’s to dry your hair. You’re going to catch a chill. Why would you think I changed my mind?”
“You looked sad, or maybe regretful.”
“Not about you.”
“Oh. Are you really worried I might get sick?”
“Clearly, you’re not.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, a trick his mother often used to gauge their temperature when they were children; Charlotte’s head seemed fine but he would keep an eye on her, at least tonight when she might still let him. “You look beautiful in the moonlight, by the way.”
Before she could recover from the compliment, Nate pulled her hand into the crook of his arm and was pleased when she left it there. He was even more pleased when she pulled closer to him, trying to get warm. “Come on, then. The night awaits.”
The air was quiet as they walked along the well-worn paved paths into the gardens. They walked for several minutes, and he turned down a few more paths before stepping through an opening between two hedges much taller than him. The hedges actually formed into a small square, casting the area in shadows and giving a modicum of privacy. Another entrance was to their left, giving a beautiful view of the Rhone River. But the true beauty lay above them.
“What is this place?” Charlotte asked as she turned, her head tilted upward.
Nate’s mouth lifted in a half-smile while he laid down a blanket over an area of chilled grass. “Do you like it?”
“It’s wonderful. I bet it looks even better in spring.”
“It does,” Nate said as he took her hand
After putting on a soft, thick sweater and grabbing his supplies, he made his way through the secret passages towards the northeast entrance. He exited onto a small path that wound around the palace and waited.
Night had fallen swiftly and the stars blinked bemused above him. The paths to the gardens were lit with moonlight, and most of the leaves and flowers had tucked away for winter. Nate knew of a few spots that would still afford them privacy; he would need it for their night ahead. Though he’d like the privacy so he could hold her in his arms, he would actually need the privacy to tell her that her job might be in danger. He may never see her again after his confession.
Nate sighed and adjusted his arms, which were bundled with the basket and blankets, and leaned against the solid stone of the palace. It had been built well over a century ago and had withstood the tests of time and numerous wars. The palace would always be there, strong and sturdy.
Scores of his ancestors had come and gone but few of them were really remembered; Nate did not expect to be one of them. He would be a footnote on a family tree somewhere down the line in the history books, if that; only his father’s and Alex’s names were more likely to be remembered. As a royal prince, he never felt so small as he did while thinking about the palace and his place in Valleria’s history.
“Did you change your mind?”
Nate turned at the voice and his breath caught. The moonlight glinted against her silky hair and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the night. She’d changed – and showered, too, by the sight of her wet hair – into something warm and soft.
A sharp pang of heat and need clenched inside him; he wanted her, wanted her gentleness to soothe his battered heart, he wanted her sharpness to challenge his churning mind, and he wanted to lose himself inside her for hours and forget that the rest of the world existed, for just a while.
“Do you want me to go?”
Nate couldn’t understand why she was so unsure around him, but then, he was just as unsure around her, wasn’t he? He stepped up to her, and ran his hand over her damp hair. “I only want you to go if it’s to dry your hair. You’re going to catch a chill. Why would you think I changed my mind?”
“You looked sad, or maybe regretful.”
“Not about you.”
“Oh. Are you really worried I might get sick?”
“Clearly, you’re not.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, a trick his mother often used to gauge their temperature when they were children; Charlotte’s head seemed fine but he would keep an eye on her, at least tonight when she might still let him. “You look beautiful in the moonlight, by the way.”
Before she could recover from the compliment, Nate pulled her hand into the crook of his arm and was pleased when she left it there. He was even more pleased when she pulled closer to him, trying to get warm. “Come on, then. The night awaits.”
The air was quiet as they walked along the well-worn paved paths into the gardens. They walked for several minutes, and he turned down a few more paths before stepping through an opening between two hedges much taller than him. The hedges actually formed into a small square, casting the area in shadows and giving a modicum of privacy. Another entrance was to their left, giving a beautiful view of the Rhone River. But the true beauty lay above them.
“What is this place?” Charlotte asked as she turned, her head tilted upward.
Nate’s mouth lifted in a half-smile while he laid down a blanket over an area of chilled grass. “Do you like it?”
“It’s wonderful. I bet it looks even better in spring.”
“It does,” Nate said as he took her hand
Similar Books
