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“Where are we going first?” I ask Kingston excitedly.

He wraps my arm around his elbow so I’m pressed against his warm body, and replies, “I thought I could show you the view of the Alps first, then we’ll grab a bite and visit the Ice Palace next.”

“Sounds great.” I grin. “I’m too eager to sit still and eat.”

The distance to the viewing platform is a short one. Adrenaline pumps into my bloodstream as we near it. There’s a small queue as people enthusiastically wait to move ahead. The glass windows on either side, along with informative facts hanging on the walls, allow an escape to pass the time. I love learning about new places. So, I read each of the written facts.

“Stay close,” Kingston murmurs in my ear once it’s finally our turn.

“Worried about me?” I tease.

His tone is serious as he replies, “Yes. I can’t bear the thought of you being hurt, no matter if it’s something small. In fact, it’ll ease my mind if you hold my hand while we’re up there.”

The deep protectiveness shining in his beautiful eyes for my safety has me fighting back tears. No one’s put me first the way he does. Sometimes, he sounds too good to be true. But I know it’s just my insecurities talking.

There’s no mask around Kingston.

What you see is what you get.

“Okay,” I whisper in a thick voice, controlling all the emotions volleying inside my heart. I squeeze his hand to assure him and smile. “I’ll stay close.”

His face relaxes and he caresses my cheek.

As much as I love a little possessiveness like any other girl, it’ll never match up to the protectiveness of a man. Anyone can be possessive, whether it’s over a materialistic thing or a person, but only a man, who feels something deeper than lust for a woman he’s with, will be protective of her.

After one final look, we turn to the man who will be accompanying us. I guess he’s been waiting for a while because we’re shuffled into a lift and a tiny pressure thrusts us upward. It stops and opens to the iron and steel staircase leading even higher to the observational deck.

My heart thumps wildly behind my ribs, while my stomach hollows out at nerves when I step onto it. Even though I’m not scared of heights, a trickle of fear makes me lightheaded. I hold on to Kingston tighter.

Since we’re in the thick of the winter season, the air is windy and cold. But not enough to hinder the beauty. The steps squeak under my shoes as we ascend.

“Wow,” I mutter as we reach the spacious platform.

Forget about the view I gushed about in the cable ride, this one beats it out of the park. It’s a thousand times more stunning and jaw-dropping.

“This is breathtaking, King.”

He hums in agreement as we stroll to the edge. I curl my fingers around the banister while Kingston stands behind my back, caging me in with his hands on each side.

“You came on the perfect day,” shares the man. “The weather is in your favor. If you look there.” He points to a spot and says, “That’s Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau in the north.”

He continues to indicate all the different Alps, which my nerdy side loves.

I gulp in all the names, excited to tell Tina all about them.

It’s like we’re in the wild. No civilization for miles. Nothing but valleys and peaks cocooning us. My lips hurt from smiling as I admire the beauty. Almost an hour later, after we’ve clicked several pictures at the booth, we go inside.

“Can we visit the Ice Palace first?” I ask Kingston, who is toying with my hair. I’ve caught him doing that often. Pretty sure he’s obsessed with it. I find it cute.

“Whatever you want, darling.”

He stares at me so intensely, my mind flashes with the memory of us in his office earlier. When he asked me to call him Daddy in a domineering and silky voice, it took me by surprise.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he warns darkly against my lips. “You know I have no problem dragging you into a corner and fucking you with all these people around.”

I trail a finger up his chest, feeling his muscles flex, and retort, “Haven’t you learned that doesn’t scare me?”

Yanking my head back with a possessive grip of my hair and a teasing nip to the corner of my mouth, he mysteriously rasps, “Don’t tempt me like that, woman. You might just get your wish.”