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CHAPTER 12

TRISTAN

“Tristan!” Amelia giggles as I grasp her around the waist, cupping her bare ass in my hands as we exit the shower. I’ve never had this kind of playfulness with anyone else. Her giggle is like balm to a scrape on my soul.

“Don’t act like five minutes ago I didn’t have my face buried between your thighs.” I move my hand around her to the front of her body, slipping my finger right where my tongue was.

She closes her eyes, tilting her head back. A moan is torn from her throat. The sound going directly to my cock. A small smile lifts the side of her mouth. “I’m not, I’m just saying we should probably get dressed for when the food gets here.

“What if I don’t want you dressed.” I let my eyes travel her body appreciatively.

“You want me to eat naked?”

“I want you to eat however you choose to.” I sober up from my playful banter before. “I want you to be in charge of what you want to do. Don’t let me or anyone influence you. It’s important to me that you keep your strong personality. Don’t let me change that, and don’t let the title change it either. Your personality will be one of your greatest gifts to this country.”

“You seem like you know a thing or two about this.” She disentangles herself from me, wrapping a towel around her body.

With her body hidden from me, I admire the elegant, soft slope of her neck. The way her hair flows over her shoulders, the wet strands sticking to her back.

I watch quietly as she goes over to the vanity, using some sort of wipes to wash her face. After that, she puts a cream on her fingertips, smoothing it over her face and neck. Intrigued, I give her my full attention. This is the type of relationship I’ve never had. Where we shared the important daily stuff with one another. In the back of my mind, I always knew any woman who was with me would be with me because of who I am. Maybe I thought it was easier to wait until the decision was made for me. Either way, I can say I’m extremely happy with the choice that was made. Amelia has been a surprise and a delight in every way.

“I do.” I go over to where she’s putting that stuff on her face, lifting myself up on the vanity to sit while she does whatever it is she’s doing. Looking down at my hands, I shrug, trying to make this seem a lot less than what it is. “My mom,” I start, stop, and then start again. “She had a personality a lot like yours. She wanted me to be a regular kid and experience things for myself. I’ve done things and gone places that my ancestors never even thought of. Like eating McDonald’s and going to Disney.” I grin when she gasps .

“They didn’t eat at McDonald’s?”

“No, and it’s the biggest fast-food chain in the world. According to my mom, when they married, my dad had never done his own grocery shopping.”

She finishes rubbing the lotion on her face. “I can’t imagine not knowing how to grocery shop.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” I whisper as I hop down from where I was sitting. “I’m the first one to have a debit and credit card. None of the previous kings before me did. They either carried cash, or it was bought on the paper credit system, and ledgers were settled at the end of each month. It was a big deal when I made my first purchase with the card. It wasn’t like they had the press there, but they wanted to. My mom wouldn’t allow it.”

“That seems so archaic.” We make our way back to the bedroom, her still wrapped in the towel. Me in one around my waist.

“A lot of the ways that are considered proper, are archaic. I plan to turn the monarchy on its ear in a few months. We’re in the age of the internet, and women doing things they’ve never been allowed to do before. People marrying who’ve never been allowed to marry. I don’t want Haldonia to get left behind the rest of the world.” I blow out a breath I’ve been holding as we stand facing one another. “I fear if we don’t make changes and keep up, we’ll not be seen as a good place to visit or live. It’s important to me that we keep up with our history, but still make progressive strides.”

“I’ll be there by your side, each step of the way.” She gives me a bright smile, one that I know will help me make it through the difficult days we have ahead. Changing an old rule system isn’t easy, but I want my legacy to be that of an innovator, of a man who didn’t listen to what I should do. I want to do what’s right. That’s what my mother would have wanted. This is the only way I have left to honor her, and that’s what I want to do.

“Good, that’s exactly where I want you.” I wrap my hand around her neck, dragging her in for a kiss. It’s only been a few moments, but I need to feel her again, want to be as close to her as I can. “But you’re right, we really should get dressed before our food gets here. Did you even bring lounge clothes?” I can’t recall her having them in her suitcases when they were unpacked.

Her face blushes bright. “No, my parents were sure you’d be so formal that I’d never be able to wear them again. The only thing I have are day-to-day clothes and pajamas.”

“Surely your brother knew better?”

She grins. “Nobody listens to him, least of all me.”

I’ve heard him say that a time or two and hearing her confirm it makes me laugh.

“Maybe I have something you can wear.” I wink, keeping a bit of the playfulness in our interaction.

“I swear to God, Tristan. If you pull some other woman’s clothes out of your drawers, I’m going to be very upset.”

The chuckle breaks from my chest and out of my mouth. I still don’t expect her to be funny, but she keeps surprising me. “There’s that feisty spirit I like.” I dig through, looking for some older clothes, from when I was smaller. “But I do assure you.” I pull out a pair of sweatpants that have seen better days, but at least have a drawstring on them, and a T-shirt, handing them to her. “These are mine. From when I was younger. They should at least not fall off your body. They’re from before I started going to the gym.” I slightly flex for her, causing her to giggle again.

“These are yours?” she asks, reaching for the clothes. “ I’ve never worn a man’s clothes before.” She tilts her head to the side. “Although I have to admit I always dreamed of being that woman who wore her lover’s button-down shirt after they heated up the sheets.”

“Tell me more, Lia.” I’m all ears. It just so happens I’m wearing a button-down to the dinner we’re going to. I can make all of her dreams come true, and she has no idea.

“No.” She giggles. “I can’t reveal all my secrets. It’s just a little fantasy I had. You know that I’m in that sort of relationship where I can wear a man’s clothes. I’m sure lots of women have worn yours.”

She goes quiet, quickly dropping the towel and getting dressed. I do the same, but as she goes to turn away from me, I grab her around the wrist, stopping her from retreating. Sliding my hand down, I let our fingers entwine. “You’re the first, Lia.”

“Really?”

If I’m not mistaken, there are tears in her eyes as she asks me the question. This moment. It feels huge between the two of us, and I’m scared whatever I say won’t be right. I think about lying to her, making up some crazy situation, but in the end, I go with the truth. “Really. You’re the first to do a lot of things with me, Lia. I don’t take that lightly. I never wanted to give another woman parts of me that I knew would only be for my wife.”

We’re staring at each other when there’s a knock on the door. “That’ll be our food. Be right back.”

A few hours later, we’re lying in bed, the TV is on, but neither of us is watching it. I’ve got her wrapped in my arms and she’s got her legs wrapped around mine. We’re both tired, both have our guards down. She’s been halfway drifting off for the past fifteen minutes and I’m not far behind.

“Thank you for tonight,” I whisper into her ear as she snuggles closer to me. My arms tighten around her, not wanting to let her go. She makes a sound, digging her head a little deeper into my shoulder.

Her voice is heavy with sleep. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t talk about my mother to people, I don’t discuss the other women I’ve had in my life, and typically a stressful day is finished with a glass of scotch and an empty room. That room becomes filled with thoughts that make me doubt every decision I’ve ever made. You changed that tonight.”

She sighs, burying her head in my chest. “I didn’t do anything.”

“No,” I speak quietly, as I drift off, tightening my arms around her. “That’s where you’re wrong. You did everything.”