Page 88 of The Gilded Fae (Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods 2)

ALEX

“Careful,” I warn, suppressing a smile. “If you do it too right, I won’t want to share you with others.”

Though I expect the princess to blush, Sabine only smiles, looking as if she might give up sailing to spend an afternoon with only me.

I gulp, too tempted. “We’ll be to the boat shortly.”

“Do you sail, Alex?”

I focus on the bridge ahead of us. “Not personally, no. But I asked a friend for a favor, and he said he would take us out today.”

“I didn’t know Frederick has a boat,” she teases.

“I do have friends other than Frederick,” I say, pretending to be offended.

In a strange, intriguing mood, Sabine laughs. She’s lighter away from the city—away from everything.

So brilliant she rivals the sun.

We stop near the graying coach depot, and I hop out of the cabriolet first. Sabine takes my hand as she steps down after me, and I keep her by my side instead of releasing her.

“Can you tend my horse?” I ask the stable boy who appears from the coach house.

His eyes drift to Sabine, and he stares at her for several seconds, caught in her glow. When he finally rips his attention back to me, he says, “What?”

I offer him several coins. “My horse…the carriage. Will you tend them for the day?”

“Oh, yes.” He jerks his hat. “Of course, sir. My pleasure.”

A few minutes later, Sabine and I walk toward the pier, frequently stopping so she can examine the flowers on the storekeepers’ porches. Several fishing vessels float in the distant water, along with a few smaller sailing boats like the one we’ll be taking today.

“Alex!” Reginald calls, raising a hand when he spots us.

We join him and his crew, and introductions are exchanged. As everyone seems to be, they’re especially taken with Sabine. She wears her hair loosely braided back today, covering the tips of her ears.

I doubt they realize she’s Fae, but her allure is undeniable.

“Everything is prepared,” Reginald says. “Are you both ready?”

I turn to Sabine and raise my brows.

Looking as giddy as I’ve ever seen her, she nods. Bemused, I watch the princess practically run up the gangplank, wondering how I got so lucky to have her shine on me even for a short while.

* * *

When we return to land,the sun is low on the western horizon, and the sky is ablaze. I’ve burned the back of my neck, and Sabine’s cheeks are pinker than usual.

I’ve never seen her smile so much.

“Come again anytime,” Reginald says to the princess, bowing over her hand for slightly longer than necessary. “It was a pleasure.”

“I had the best time,” she tells him. “Thank you.”

I clear my throat when Reginald doesn’t drop her hand. Suddenly remembering himself, he releases her and turns to me. More formal, he says, “It was good to see you, Alex.”

“You as well. Be sure to come to the show—I’ll save my box for you.”

We say our goodbyes, and Sabine and I walk back to the coach house. Smiling, she says, “Look at you—all influential, tossing around tickets like you own the place.”