Charlotte & Nate (Royals of Valleria #4) (22 page)

His gaze moved to her face, and took in her well-worn lips and a blush of red from his stubble coating her neck. She looked thoroughly well and fucked, and he bet he did, too. They’d barely made it through dessert before they’d made love again, her giving him complete control of her body. It was a breathtaking experience.

“I’ve got to get up, Nate. The Prime Minister’s visit is today and I’ve got tons of desserts to finish making for the state dinner later.”

Reality encroached, swift and bloodless. He sighed. “Then I guess we both need to get up and face the world again.” He brushed her hair back, his thumb caressing her pale cheek. “You won’t disappear on me, will you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’ll try this with me? Try a relationship? I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“I’ll try,” she said quickly, then paused. Her hand traced the swallow tattoo over his heart. “Nate, last night was amazing. No one’s ever tried to put me first before. I guess they’ve never wanted to.”

“That’s their loss.”

Charlie nodded. “Thank you for that. Thank you for, well, everything.”

“Thank you, Charlotte-mine.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “Thank you for taking a chance on me. I’ll work to deserve it, I promise.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “You already do.” She kissed him, with more purpose than he’d done a moment ago.

He pulled away with a growl. “We’re out of condoms, so I suggest you get in the shower, and I’ll make the long trek back to my apartment.”

She slid off the bed and made her way towards the bathroom, Nate watching every movement acutely. “Will you stop by my kitchen later?”

Nate’s eyebrows popped up. “Would you like me to? I would have thought you’d be too busy today.”

“If you’ve got time. I know we’ll both be too busy tonight to see each other.”

Nate frowned. Yes, he and his whole family would be busy playing politics while Charlie was busy helping serve dinner and dessert. “Will you have time for lunch? I can sneak back in here.” He wagged his eyebrows and she laughed, the sound filling him with a yearning he hadn’t felt in years.

“If we meet here, the last thing we’ll do is eat, and we’ll both need sustenance.”

“True.” He got off the bed and lumbered towards her. He couldn’t help but notice the way her nipples peaked in the early chill of morning. She was too enticing of a meal.

He pulled her against him and gave her a long kiss, one of his hands unable to resist fondling her breast. “Remember me today, Charlotte-mine,” he rasped when he pulled back.

“It’d be hard not to.”

“I think it will actually be all too easy.” He dropped a quick kiss before patting her on the ass. “Go take a shower. I’ll see you later. I’m not sure when, but I will.”

She smiled shyly and scampered off, Nate once again enjoying the twitch of her ass before he turned away and began to dress.

***

It was odd, but Charlie thought she could sense the moment Nate left. As the heat of the shower eased any unusual aches, she felt suddenly alone. Was that normal? Was any of this normal?

She only knew she felt positively giddy this morning. She had orgasmed three times in one night, and not by her own hand. As her soapy hands ran over her body, flashes of last night permeated through. She felt his hands on her body, his throbbing cock inside her, the unending feeling of flying in his arms. Just the thought of it all had her gasping.

He hadn’t thought her lacking. For the first time, she had been admired as a woman and not just for her baking skills. Not just her, but her body, too. As she gave herself one last rinse, she felt as though a miracle had happened.

When she stepped out of the shower a few moments later, she remembered the robe was still in the dining area. She wrapped one towel around herself and used another to dry her hair as she made her way into the bedroom, which seemed transformed. Her discarded, ripped clothes now lay folded on the bed, next to the robe. Her vibrator and gel had been cleaned and placed back in the drawer. Nate’s clothes were gone.

She took a quick look in the other rooms, but no one was there. She was alone but, for the first time in a long time, she didn’t
feel
alone.

She didn’t want the feeling to end.

Chapter 13

Charlie spent the morning hustling around the kitchens. Extra staff had been hired or reapportioned to accommodate the needs for the Prime Minister’s visit, who had arrived with his wife and daughter in tow at barely nine in the morning.

A late breakfast had been held in the large solarium. Keeping the food warm as it traveled the lengthy halls had been a challenge, but it had been done.

Lunch came all too soon, the leaders choosing to dine while working in the King’s offices, while the Queen ate with her counterpart at a fashionable restaurant in Valentia.

Teatime came and went, with the men forgoing tea for cups of fine Vallerian roast coffee. The women, meanwhile, chose to indulge in the full tea service in the gardens, the brisk November chill kept at bay by the large heated lanterns surrounding their table.

Now, with the sun already setting in the sky, Charlie had begun to panic inside. Each time she saw the clock, it ticked closer to the opening bell of the state dinner. The kitchens were filled to the brim, orders being shouted left and right, pots clanging, and Coco’s voice steady and loud above it all. Charlie only briefly wondered if she could handle a situation like this as well as Coco, before she became too busy to think about anything but the cakes she was making.

“Did you miss me?”

Charlie’s head popped up to see Nate leaning casually against the doorjamb. His hair was pulled back and his tailored suit covered almost every inch of his body. All she could picture, however, was him completely naked, with tattoos of pain and love and duty snaking all over his body.

He pushed away from the doorway and walked towards her, a bemused smile on his face. “I bet you didn’t think of me at all, did you?”

“I did,” she said defensively. “A little. It’s been very busy today.”

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. “Mmmm,” he said as he licked his lips. “You always taste so sweet.”

“It’s the buttercream for the cakes I’m making.”

“Cake? I thought you were making a traditional Australian dessert.”

Charlie stiffened. “The Queen requested a menu change, which I am happy to accommodate.”

Nate’s eyes narrowed. “Did she come speak to you again?”

Charlie shook her head. “She mentioned it to Coco, who told me. It will be similar to the cake I made for your family dinner a few nights ago, but these will be individual cakes with the Australian flag.”

Charlie gestured to one of her counters, covered to the brim with individual cakes already covered in fondant, and huffed out a breath. “They’re layered and I’ve already done the filling inside and covered most of them. I just need to finish making the toppers.” Charlie gestured to the counter behind her, where over a hundred small rectangular pieces of fondant lay in wait for their finishing touches.

He stepped away from her and walked toward the flags, a look of awe on his face that had her heart jumping. “Charlie, these are amazing. Did you do these all by yourself?”

Charlie shook her head, though she almost wanted to say that she had in order to keep that look on his face. “I had help covering the cakes with fondant and creating the stars for the flag. The Australian flag is pretty straightforward, except for its stars.”

He walked back to her and their arms went easily around each other. “Asking for help isn’t something to be ashamed of. Everything you do is amazing.” He leaned closer, his mouth whispering near her ear. “Everything.”

Still feeling shy about discussing such things she’d so long been ashamed of, she nuzzled against his jacket. His arms tightened, then let go after he gave her a kiss on her temple.

“I can’t stay, unfortunately.”

“I understand. Thanks for coming to see me.”

“Thanks for asking me to come.” He brushed an errant lock of her hair back. “Will I see you dashing around the formal dining room tonight?”

“Maybe. I don’t know yet.”

“Well, message me if you get a free minute.”

“That’s not likely.”

“Still. Did you know there’s to be dancing tonight?”

Her eyes widened. “Who are you dancing with?”

“You, if you have the time for it.”

She stepped back, an unconscious movement that was hard for either of them to ignore. “I can’t dance with you at a formal state event. I couldn’t.”

He stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t upset yourself. I know you’re not ready for that, and I won’t push you if you’re not.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“There is a terrace just outside the dining room, or other rooms nearby where we could still hear the music.”

“And that dining room will be filled with press, royalty, visiting dignitaries, and God knows who else. Anyone could catch us.”

“It’s just a dance, nothing more. Trust me.”

Could she trust him? Was she being naïve or overly cautious by saying no? She wasn’t sure. “Like I said, I doubt I’ll have the time for it.”

“Then I’ll see you in passing, and hold you in my arms tomorrow.” He bent down to kiss her, soft and sweet like the cakes surrounding them. “Good luck tonight, Charlotte-mine.”

“Good luck to you, too.”

His lips brushed her cheek once more and then left, giving her a last look at the door before he turned the corner and disappeared from view.

Charlie took a deep breath, and then got back to work.

***

Nate had just finished up a meeting with his father, Alex, and the Prime Minister. It was safe to say that things had not gone as planned.

“Are you really surprised he wasn’t interested?” Alex asked, fixing a drink for himself and their father.

“Not really,” Nate replied as he got up from his chair. “I do think we’ll hear from him about it again. He had to decline the offer initially. After he talks to his people, he may have a different view.”

Gabriel took the glass of scotch Alex offered him. “I think you may be right. He’s got a very good poker face, but I’ve got one better.”

“Well, nothing will be decided along those lines on this visit,” Alex said as he stood behind his father’s chair.

When the door knocked a moment later, they all turned to see Marcello enter without waiting for an invitation.

“Something wrong, my son?”

His grave look was all the answer they needed. “My investigation’s leading to some troubling conclusions.”

“You found out who’s been siphoning the money?”

Marcello shook his head as he took Nate’s vacated chair. “Maybe, but I can’t confirm that yet. What’s troubling is that half the ministers on the Royal Council seem to be neck-deep in bribes.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “You can prove that?”

Marcello nodded. “Easily. My suspect list for the embezzlement just grew.”

“What sort of bribes?” Alex asked.

“Mostly from special interest groups, some with mob connections in Europe and beyond.”

Alex shook his head. “But that doesn’t make sense. The Council doesn’t really have any authority, not like the king does. They serve in an advisory capacity.”

“That’s not entirely true, though, is it?” Nate said and three pairs of eyes swiveled towards him. “It’s like you told me yesterday, Papa. The Council gets to argue about the budget I present and, even if their proposals are ludicrous, you still have to yield to some of them. They still have power, even if they take a less direct route to use it.”

Gabriel nodded. “You’re right.”

“Which Ministers would you need to consider if they make a counter-proposal about the budget?” Marcello asked his father. “It could lower my suspect list.”

“There’s quite a few I need to make a show of considering, a handful that I actually need to consider, and even less that I would need to yield to, barring a completely ridiculous request. I’ll send you the full list.”

“I’ll do it, Papa,” Alex interjected. “You should try to get some rest before dinner.”

Gabriel nodded. “Thank you, Alexander. I think I will.”

“Are you feeling okay, Papa?” Nate asked, knowing the extra strain of the debt was weighing him down quite heavily.

“I’ll be fine, my sons,” Gabriel said as he stood up. “I’ll see you all tonight. Make sure you aren’t late.”

They all assured their father they wouldn’t be as he walked out of his office and began the long trek to the Royal Wing, his security shadowing him on all sides.

“He’ll be fine once we get this all behind us,” Alex said, still watching the door their father had already walked through. “He’ll be fine.”

“Of course he will,” Nate said, because it was what they all wanted to hear. “I’ve got some things to take care of. I’ll see you when we assemble for dinner.”

“What are you doing?” Marcello asked.