Page 16 of Night’s Fall (The Four Realms #1)

Pleased?

A fter dinner, I sat beside Aleksei in the JetPanther and watched the Sceptred Isle get closer, as well as the expansive gardens, spires, turrets, flags and majesty of the Celestial Palace gracing the sweeping slope of the highest peak on the island.

One could say, I was now in deep need to take that pause I already deeply needed to take to figure out where I was in regard to what was going on with the prince.

Because dinner was fantastic.

Not just the food.

No.

Mostly it was the company.

At first, Aleksei spent a lot of time telling me what was in the Catalogues and offering to show me other stuff if I wanted to see it (and I was all over that, asking to see the royal jewels, and he’d told me security measures around those were tighter, thus it would take more arranging, but we’d go back later so I could pore over them).

I also learned (what I already knew, considering I’d have seen pics of it everywhere if he had) he didn’t laser joust, “ Because the possibility of serious injury is sheer stupidity to court just for the five-second thrill of riding a robotic horse and aiming a laser lance at a shield.”

I was relieved he thought this, because I agreed.

I never understood the lure of the joust. It seemed like long stretches of boredom punctuated by mere moments of superfluous violence.

Aleksei also wasn’t a fan of pit ball, but did like ring ice, and (this was news) played it himself.

“We have a secret league. Some friends and acquaintances of mine throughout the Four Realms . We keep it secret so we can play and concentrate on that without the media taking the enjoyment from it.”

I had visions of Aleksei on the ice, and then I had to force those visions out of my head so I didn’t ruin my outfit by throwing myself over the used dishes on the table at him.

I further learned his favorite style of cooking was Land’s Endian . “ It’s hearty, so people underestimate it. They think it’s simplistic. But they program their Cook - Companions to make it. They don’t know how many steps there are or the importance of the perfect blend of spices.”

In fact, he pretty much let me grill him the entire dinner.

So I also knew he did own the Pink and Black Club , the entire building it was in, and further rumor proved true, sharing he lived in the penthouse at the top when he wasn’t in his suite of rooms at the Palace (he also shared he wasn’t often in his suite of rooms at the Palace since he’d moved out three years ago).

I learned his hobbies were not only ring ice and cooking, but also reading and target shooting, both on legs and in craft, but he didn’t often have time to partake in any of these, save the reading (and yes, he too, collected real books, he told me his collection was (unsurprisingly) bigger than mine, and he promised to show me that too).

He further disclosed he did not gamble, though some of his ring ice friends pulled together a friendly poker game every once in a while.

And he traveled often, mostly for business, rarely for royal appearances, which fell to King Fillion , Queen Calisa and Princess Aleece , “ Because Timothee and Errol have their brains in their balls, and until they’re surgically removed and relocated, they’re one step above useless, and sadly, too often, two steps below it. ”

Yes!

He talked smack about his brothers.

Right to me!

As delicately as I could, I shut down his gentle probing about my parents (no way I was ready to go there, at least not over beautiful food with a handsome man in a private room).

Truth: I’d prefer never to talk about them.

But although he backed off with grace, I saw the way his eyes darkened, the tiny pinpricks of stars that came out in the irises, and while this was fascinating, and beautiful, it was also more than a little scary.

To show my gratitude, I didn’t ask about Princess Anna .

At dessert, Sirk Parrin , Stained Glass’s famous chef, showed personally.

This was my favorite part of the night, not only because Sirk was a big, brown-haired, friendly, burly bear shifter, but because there was no bowing and scraping or your royal highnesses.

Aleksei and Sirk were, indeed, friends ( Sirk was in their ring ice league).

Good ones.

While I looked on in astonishment, they did a male hug, bumping chests and slapping backs. Sirk even lightly smacked Aleksei’s face affectionately a couple of times after the hug and before he turned to me.

“Ah, look at this female! The fates have always shined on you,” he announced grandly before he pulled me into, yes, a bear hug.

When he let go, he asked, “ Enjoy the meal?”

“Aleksei introduced me to Chateau LeBrand a few days ago. Your food was better,” I replied with total honesty.

After I said that, he swooped me into the side of his bulky body with his arm around my shoulders, turned to Aleksei and declared, “ You can’t have her, seeing as I’m in love with her.”

Aleksei just made a point to stare at his arm around my shoulders, which meant Sirk chuckled good-naturedly and let me go.

He sat down and ate dessert with us, whereupon Aleksei —continuing to exhibit his prevailing tendencies of being a gentlemale and oftentimes sweet—pulled me into the conversation by talking about the vids I’d worked on.

Sirk wasn’t a screen or display kind of male, but he had seen Sheets , because pretty much everyone of majority age had seen it. And he commended me on my ability to design great underwear.

The food was amazing. Sirk was gregarious and hilarious and welcoming. The famous stained glass in the windows was a work of art. And being one of a select few people in four realms to experience a ride in a JetPanther was a thrill.

But the dinner had been a male and female getting to know each other (okay, it was the female getting to know the male more than the other way around, but I hadn’t had a brief about him ).

It was tremendously enjoyable. Aleksei was approachable, forthcoming, attentive.

But it was normal.

Which made it exceptional.

I wasn’t out to dinner with Prince Aleksei , the True Heir .

I was out with Aleksei , who had friends he let smack his face teasingly, brothers who annoyed him because they were no longer young, but they seemed dedicated to acting like bros for eternity, and opinions he didn’t mind voicing.

He flew wide around the Palace , and I straight up pressed my nose to the skyscreen at my side in order not to lose sight of its graceful lines, heart-skipping size and architectural beauty, all of it lit, so Nocturn could always see the entirety of its stately grace, sitting high on its hill, day or night.

I’d just never seen it that close.

Far away, it was striking.

Up close, it was stunning.

He aimed us toward some buildings on the east side of the island, down the hill from the Palace . Buildings that were also old and attractive, but it was clear they had a more utilitarian purpose.

After we landed, as he did when we arrived at the restaurant, Aleksei contained me in the craft until he could help me out of it (and truly, I needed his help, my heels were high, and the JetPanther slung low ) by keeping my door closed until he was out and around the craft at my door.

I’d noticed the female standing in the light coming out of an opened door on a building when we landed. As I alighted, I also noticed Aleksei lift his chin to acknowledge her.

But as he would tuck me at his side with my hand in his elbow again, I stopped him by curling toward his front and putting my other one to his chest.

I slid my teeth over my lower lip when I encountered the hard muscle under his light-blue, custom-made button down, but when I lifted my gaze to his, I saw his head bent, his attention aimed at my hand.

I quickly took it away.

Even more quickly, he caught it and brought it back, opening his hand over the back of mine to spread it across his shirt, and finally, his gaze captured mine.

“I am not a priceless work of art,” he said low.

“I know, but?—”

“You may touch me.”

My skin started to tingle. “ Thank you, but?—”

“You seem hesitant with me. I’m a prince of this realm, Laura , but I’ll not ever simply be that to you.”

Gods, he was so sweet.

“You don’t have to use deference with me,” he continued. “ Even when you must show it to others, we’ll know what we have between us.”

So. Danged . Sweet .

And he was right. I’d been distant. Maybe even…

Dear Hecate …

Testing him .

I felt badly he’d noticed, and it obviously bothered him.

But I didn’t trust this.

Who could blame me? I’d never had anything so amazing.

That wasn’t something to share on the first date either.

“Don’t worry,” I joked. “ I’ll get used to being courted by a mega-hot shifter and eventually stop thinking you’ll go up in a puff of smoke if I touch you.”

His lips twitched, his face softened, both special Aleksei -style gifts he gave me before he stated, “ I’ll be off-planet for three days.

This annoys me because I’ll be quite busy, and I won’t have much time to connect with you.

Your friend Catla’s showing is during that time, and I won’t be here to escort you. ”

Oh man, Cat would be bummed at that. Having the prince there would be a huge coup for her.

I thought this so I wouldn’t think about how upset I was that he wouldn’t be there to escort me. I was a little scared about us going public (okay, full disclosure, a lot scared), and the timing of the showing seemed really soon.

But we’d been in each other’s presence for mere hours, and the level of how dismayed I was not only that we wouldn’t be going to the showing together, but that he’d be gone for three days, was, well…seriously dismaying .

“That’s okay,” I lied. “ I’m used to going to things alone. But I wanted to say?—”

“I would ask you to come with me on my trip, but as I’ll be busy, I fear it’d be boring for you.”

I’d been off-planet once. During a shoot for a vid titled The Other Side of the Sun . It was a sappy romance couched in an action-adventure. The hero died. The audience was incensed.