Page 25 of Prince She Shouldn’t Crave (Royal House of Halrovia #2)

‘Come this way,’ he said, placing his hand on her lower back, the warmth of his fingers seeping into her skin as he led her into a lounge area.

The light from some side lamps painting the room in gold.

Glorious silks lined the walls. The furniture sumptuous, comfortable-looking, yet undoubtedly antique.

An elegant room she could see he fitted into, and clearly the room of Halrovia’s prince.

But what struck her aside from the opulence was something else.

All around the room, all surfaces had candle holders and candles, imbuing the space with a warm, flickering light.

In the corner, by what appeared to be a set of windows with the curtains drawn, was a beautiful little table with armchairs.

On the table flickered small tea-light candles in holders.

There was a bunch of flowers in a cut-crystal glass that glittered in the low light.

Beside the table was a wine bucket, wine on ice.

Gabe stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. His body warm against hers. He leaned down, his breath brushing her ear. ‘Do you like it?’

‘I love it,’ she said. Tears prickled her eyes at the time and care this would have taken, the organisation. She turned. ‘How did you manage to do all of this without anyone finding out?’

He smiled.

‘It’s easy. I know where the palace stores are. It wasn’t hard to get supplies. The flowers are from my terrace outside. I have a small kitchenette area if I ever want a snack without calling the chef late at night.’

‘It’s thoughtful. Beautiful…’ Romantic, even though this wasn’t a romance.

‘But it’s not as beautiful as you,’ he said, sliding his arms around her waist. Kissing her gently this time.

Long, deep and slow. She closed her eyes, relishing the attention.

The care he’d taken. How would she live without this when it ended?

All she’d expected was mind-altering passion. This was something else entirely.

Gabe finally pulled away and all Lena wanted to do was grab him and drag him right down again.

‘We need to stop or we’ll never get to eat. Come to the table,’ he said, leading her over and pulling out her chair as she sat. He then went to a sideboard, opened it, and retrieved a small plate.

‘The food’s a little simple tonight. I said I was hungry so they’d give me more, but asked for something light that I could snack on. I hope there’s something here that suits. Help yourself.’

He kept the smaller plate for himself and gave her the gold-embossed royal dinner service and cutlery.

There were cured meats, cheeses, small salads, pickles, then a little cooked food.

Potato rosti, some sausages. Bread with pats of butter, embossed with the royal seal.

She helped herself, her stomach growling.

‘Next time I shouldn’t leave you so long. Would you like wine?’

She nodded, biting into a crispy rosti. It was a little cool but still delicious. Gabe uncorked and opened the wine. Poured the pale fluid into her glass and his own before raising it.

‘To subterfuge.’

Lena raised her glass, touching it to his. ‘To secret passageways.’

She took a sip of the crisp, fresh wine.

Trying to ignore the niggle in the back of her mind that this was not where she saw her life leading.

She didn’t want to ruin tonight, not after the effort Gabe had gone to.

Tomorrow she could give this strange feeling more thought.

Instead, she’d savour the delicious food.

The sight of Gabe, relaxed. Happy in front of her.

Lena changed the subject, to safer ground.

‘It seems one of the men who played football with you must have sold a picture of you to the press.’

Gabe’s eyebrows raised. ‘Good on him, if he can get some money for it. Which one was it?’

She reached into the pocket of her dress, pulled out her phone. Showed him. To her shame she’d screenshotted it. It was the moment Gabe had winked at her. He’d seemed so alive, full of movement and passion.

The look on his face…as if he’d just rediscovered himself.

She showed him.

‘That’s hardly interesting.’

‘The press are applauding your new look, an image makeover.’

‘Yet nothing’s changed at all. I didn’t even have to wear a mohair coat to achieve it.’

Something had changed though. Them. She ignored the bruised kind of feeling his comment inflicted.

It’s all part of how they were together.

Flirtatious. Fun. Not serious. With a definite ‘use by’ date, even though the end date hadn’t really been specified.

Though what would it be like to be chosen for once. Enthusiastically. Openly…

They were thoughts for another time, when the possibilities were real. Not this glorious fantasy.

‘You’ll never let me live that coat down.’

He shook his head. ‘Probably not, no.’

‘It was only to show you possibilities. Anyway, here you are, almost casual.’ She waved her hand in his general direction. ‘You’re not even wearing a tie. What would the King and Queen’s private secretary say?’

‘I don’t give a damn about him,’ he growled, almost feral. A delicious shiver ran through her at the sound. ‘I only care what you think.’

Gabe fixed her with his pale blue gaze. Once she’d thought it frigid. Now she couldn’t miss the heat shimmering from the depths of him. He was like a frozen lake. Cool on top, with a whole world teeming underneath the icy surface.

She placed her phone on the table. As she did, a message came in from her brother. Lena’s heart rate spiked.

‘You’re frowning.’

‘I… Do you mind if I look at this? It’s my family.’

‘Of course,’ Gabe said, his face warm with concern.

She opened the message, saying that her mother wasn’t coping with the idea of a move.

She texted back, repeating that she’d fix it but for now they’d need to find somewhere else to live.

There were no other options. Lena took a deep breath.

Any properties her mother had suggested were the same rent or even more expensive than where they lived right now.

She couldn’t understand the abject denial of reality.

She never wanted to be like that. Pretending everything was okay.

That life didn’t have to change when it so clearly did.

Lena turned her phone over so she couldn’t see any other messages.

Tried to eat some of her meal, but it tasted like ash.

Gabe reached out and placed his hand over hers. ‘Everything okay?’

She desperately wanted to say something.

For most of her life, there’d been nothing she could admit about her family.

So much had had to be kept secret. Her friendships were affected by it.

Her life had been bound by the silence. Her mother always choosing her father’s need for secrecy.

What would it be like to share something of what she had to go through—the burden she carried?

Gabe had shared his dyslexia with her. He’d been honest. He’d trusted her, so surely she could trust him? She had spent so long hiding her father’s identity that it was difficult to let that go. But perhaps she could give a little.

‘My mother has to move out of her home. She isn’t coping well with the idea.’

Gabe frowned. ‘Why does she have to go anywhere?’

What could she say that didn’t leave her family exposed? ‘My mother and father weren’t together, but he still supported the family. My brother’s studying and, whilst he’s on a partial scholarship, it still costs money. When my father died…’

Gabe stroked his thumb gently over the back of her hand. It was such a comfort that he just sat. Listened.

‘He left no provision in his will. I had to stop studying myself. Things have been a little…tight, and now the landlord has put up my mother’s rent. I’ve told her she has to go somewhere smaller. Within our budget.’

‘Do you need—?’

‘No, everything’s fine.’ Lena feared Gabe was going to offer money and she couldn’t take anything from him.

It felt too much like crossing a line that she wouldn’t be able to walk back from.

‘It’s just difficult for her because she’s lived there for so long.

But the place is too big, what with me no longer there. She needs to downsize.’

‘Does she? Surely if she needs support succession laws would give her some protection?’

What could Lena say to that other than a phrase that carried a multitude of possible answers.

‘It’s complicated.’

Something about Gabriel’s gaze darkened. ‘What families aren’t? Are you sure there’s nothing I can do? Ask some lawyers—’

‘No, thank you. As I said, we’ll be fine. It’s just… I might need some time off work to go and help her sort it out. Maybe find somewhere else to live, show her that it’ll be all right. My brother isn’t as good at reassuring her as I am.’

‘Of course,’ Gabriel said. ‘Take any time you need.’

‘I’m sorry. I’ve only been in the role less than a month.’

‘As I’ve said before, I look after my valued employees.’ Something about the use of that word when it came to her seemed like a sharp spike to the heart. But she was what she was. They couldn’t deny their respective positions.

‘We have generous leave plans here. This is a family emergency. Any time will be covered.’

‘Gabe, thank you. I don’t know what to say.’

‘There’s nothing to say. Only promise me. If you need anything…’

Gabriel stood, held out his hand. She placed hers in it and stood too.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, held her safe.

It was the first time in so long that she’d felt as though anyone cared for her.

That there might be someone who’d look after her, worry about her, who might love her.

No, not love. She’d seen what love had done to her mother. It was a trap that led to poor choices. She’d never succumb to the same thing. Something inside her stilled, gave her pause. Wasn’t that what she was doing here? Gabe was unavailable…