and Molly and Jessica made their choices before they returned to their rooms to dress for the formal dinner.
Ginny took special care with her outfit that night, wearing a coral-colored gown. She fixed her hair in the long braid again, the way she’d had it the night he’d kissed her.
When she finally came out of her suite, everyone was already there, including her mom—and the king, who was his charming best, and anybody with eyes in their head could see the reason was Rose.
After cocktails, they passed the small dining room where Dom and Ginny ate breakfast and lunch, and entered a much bigger dining room, something almost as fancy as the king’s. Dom let the king have the head of the table, taking the seat to his right and seating Ginny next to him.
The conversation ebbed and flowed around them as Ginny watched her mom, seated across from them at the king’s right. They talked about everything from sports to politics, and the king took great delight in sparring with her.
“He’s going to miss her when she’s gone next week.”
Ginny’s gaze snapped around to meet Dom’s. From the surprised expression that came to his face, she could tell he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“It’s okay. You can talk to me. We’re a team, remember?” She motioned from herself to Dom. “In this together.”
“Yes. But we don’t want to go too far.”
She turned on her seat, her taffeta gown ruffling and rustling, suddenly wondering if this was her moment. Everybody at the table was deep in conversation. Her bridesmaids chatted up Dom’s brother. The king and her mother were so engrossed, there might as well not have been anybody else at the table.
The best place for her most private conversation with him might just be in this crowded dining room.
She took a breath, caught his gaze. “Why not? We’re in a mighty big charade. I think it’s going to be impossible for us to set limits on how close it makes us.”
“I told you that we don’t want to get close because I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You think you’re going to hurt me over a few shared comments? I’m not asking you to divulge state secrets. I’m just saying the charade works better when we’re talking.” She smiled slightly. “We haven’t talked in weeks.”
“And it’s my fault?”
She shook her head. “Dom. Dom. Dom. You’re so uptight. I’m not placing blame. That’s the beauty of forming a team and maybe even the beauty of knowing this team doesn’t have to last. We’re only going to be together for two years or so. After that, we are the parents of your country’s next heir who must get along.”
Totally against the rules of etiquette, Dom picked up a fork and tapped it lightly against his plate. “So?”
She could think she made him nervous enough to do something out of line. Or she could see she made him comfortable enough to do something totally out of line.
She liked the second. She believed the second.
“So, I honestly, genuinely believe that if we would simply allow ourselves to be friendly—maybe even to get close—in these next few years, the rest of our lives would go a lot smoother.”
He peeked over at her. “Really? That’s what you think?”
“Look at it logically. How does it benefit us to never speak? It doesn’t. It makes the charade more difficult and opens the doors for us to make mistakes.”
“True.”
“But if we talk at dinner and lunch, debrief about our days—”
This time when he peeked at her, he sort of smiled. “Debrief?”
“Sally and Joshua are rubbing off on me. I just mean we should talk about our days with each other.”
“Ah.”
“Then we won’t make as many mistakes.”
“It seems to me that just a few weeks ago, you were ignoring me .”
“I was figuring everything out.”
“And now you think you understand the whole situation?”
“I really do.”
“And your answer is for us to debrief.”
She met his gaze. “It’s more than that.”
His eyes
Ginny took special care with her outfit that night, wearing a coral-colored gown. She fixed her hair in the long braid again, the way she’d had it the night he’d kissed her.
When she finally came out of her suite, everyone was already there, including her mom—and the king, who was his charming best, and anybody with eyes in their head could see the reason was Rose.
After cocktails, they passed the small dining room where Dom and Ginny ate breakfast and lunch, and entered a much bigger dining room, something almost as fancy as the king’s. Dom let the king have the head of the table, taking the seat to his right and seating Ginny next to him.
The conversation ebbed and flowed around them as Ginny watched her mom, seated across from them at the king’s right. They talked about everything from sports to politics, and the king took great delight in sparring with her.
“He’s going to miss her when she’s gone next week.”
Ginny’s gaze snapped around to meet Dom’s. From the surprised expression that came to his face, she could tell he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“It’s okay. You can talk to me. We’re a team, remember?” She motioned from herself to Dom. “In this together.”
“Yes. But we don’t want to go too far.”
She turned on her seat, her taffeta gown ruffling and rustling, suddenly wondering if this was her moment. Everybody at the table was deep in conversation. Her bridesmaids chatted up Dom’s brother. The king and her mother were so engrossed, there might as well not have been anybody else at the table.
The best place for her most private conversation with him might just be in this crowded dining room.
She took a breath, caught his gaze. “Why not? We’re in a mighty big charade. I think it’s going to be impossible for us to set limits on how close it makes us.”
“I told you that we don’t want to get close because I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You think you’re going to hurt me over a few shared comments? I’m not asking you to divulge state secrets. I’m just saying the charade works better when we’re talking.” She smiled slightly. “We haven’t talked in weeks.”
“And it’s my fault?”
She shook her head. “Dom. Dom. Dom. You’re so uptight. I’m not placing blame. That’s the beauty of forming a team and maybe even the beauty of knowing this team doesn’t have to last. We’re only going to be together for two years or so. After that, we are the parents of your country’s next heir who must get along.”
Totally against the rules of etiquette, Dom picked up a fork and tapped it lightly against his plate. “So?”
She could think she made him nervous enough to do something out of line. Or she could see she made him comfortable enough to do something totally out of line.
She liked the second. She believed the second.
“So, I honestly, genuinely believe that if we would simply allow ourselves to be friendly—maybe even to get close—in these next few years, the rest of our lives would go a lot smoother.”
He peeked over at her. “Really? That’s what you think?”
“Look at it logically. How does it benefit us to never speak? It doesn’t. It makes the charade more difficult and opens the doors for us to make mistakes.”
“True.”
“But if we talk at dinner and lunch, debrief about our days—”
This time when he peeked at her, he sort of smiled. “Debrief?”
“Sally and Joshua are rubbing off on me. I just mean we should talk about our days with each other.”
“Ah.”
“Then we won’t make as many mistakes.”
“It seems to me that just a few weeks ago, you were ignoring me .”
“I was figuring everything out.”
“And now you think you understand the whole situation?”
“I really do.”
“And your answer is for us to debrief.”
She met his gaze. “It’s more than that.”
His eyes
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