Page 57 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty (The Legacy of Aquila Hall #1)

EPILOGUE

DOROTHEE

The ball of Aquila had been astronomical. Literally.

My parents had wished me a good night and were now on their way to their hotel before we drove to our family manor tomorrow, and I was on my way to fulfil the promise I’d made to my favourite person.

The cold marble floor felt pleasant against the soles of my feet after all that dancing. My heels had been killing me, so I had to take them off, and I didn’t think the person I’d spend the rest of my night with would mind.

I smiled to myself when I reached his door and knocked.

Kingstone stood in cursive writing on the board beneath his room number.

After a moment, the door opened, and he pulled me inside by hooking his arm around my waist. I chuckled in surprise and threw the door closed behind me.

“You’re so impatient, Kingstone,” I teased, throwing my shoes next to the door.

Archer eyed them disapprovingly. “If I wanted a messy room, perhaps I should have asked Jesse for a dance.”

I spun out of his arms and rearranged my shoes until they stood neatly by his closet, which was placed next to the door. “Oh, please, do next time. I’d prefer a dance with Naomi over bruised toes.”

Archer laughed, pulling me back into his arms and planting his lips on my jaw. I closed my eyes, wanting to feel the softness of his lips on my skin for eternity.

“Too late. You should have said that a little sooner. I’ve already saved all my future dances for this mesmerising girl,” he said, and I could feel his smile against my throat while he continued to place gentle kisses there.

I leaned into his touch. “Mmh, tell me more about this mesmerising girl.”

“She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” A kiss to my jaw. “She’s smart—so incredibly smart. I can barely contain myself when she talks about how beautifully the arcades of our school have been designed.” A kiss on my cheek. “She’s also a remarkable artist. If said girl had a little time on her hands, she could draw me like one of her French girls.”

I laughed, but he silenced me by capturing my lips with his. Turning around in his arms, I hooked mine around his neck and deepened our kiss.

Archer’s hands got lost in my hair, and I let out a quiet moan that died down in his mouth.

Heavens, I could never get sick of kissing this man.

But to my disappointment, he ended our kiss, pulling away and walking towards his desk where a music box lay.

“You promised me a dance. After that, we can get dirty if it pleases you,” he joked, giving me a sideways smile over his shoulder as he typed away on his phone.

The soft tune of a song began playing, and I gaped in surprise. Venus by Sleeping At Last.

Archer placed his phone down and held out his hand. “You said you’d only save me a dance if it were to your favourite song. So, may I have this dance?”

I placed my hand in his, loving the warmth of his skin. “I’d love to,” I smiled.

Gently, he pulled me towards him, our bodies fitting together as if we’d done this a thousand times before. His arm slid around my waist, my hand resting lightly on his shoulder. We swayed to the rhythm of the song, the world around us fading to the point where I only just noticed the candles he had lit and decorated his entire room with.

The safety of his arms was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life. Archer completed every missing piece of me.

The song’s gentle beat guided our movements.

Archer looked into my eyes, and I felt my breath catch at the depth of emotion in his gaze. We’d waited so long for this. To just give in and not care about anything other than this— us .

I held his eyes with mine, feeling the same intensity, the same connection.

I laid my head on Archer’s chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart, reminding me that we had survived this night.

He rested his cheek on my hair, careful not to break my headpiece of stars.

We moved as one, lost in this moment, every touch a promise for eternity together.

Time seemed to stretch, the minutes melting into one another, until the final notes of the song began to fade. We slowed our movements, reluctant to let go, savouring the last moments of the dance.

As the music died away, Archer held me a little tighter, and I felt a sense of perfect contentment, not wanting this moment to end.

“Why did you leave me?” he breathed the question against my hair, and I pulled back, frowning at him, not understanding.

I brushed my fingers across his cheek. “What do you mean? I’m right here, Archer.”

His eyes started to water, a tear rolled down his cheek and dropped onto his beautiful suit. “You’re with the stars, Doe.”

Suddenly, his body began to fade beneath my touch, and my eyes widened in shock as I tried to hold him, keep him here with me. But all that was left of him was golden stardust.

I spun around. “Archer?” But my words only echoed back to me.

His room turned to never-ending darkness, the only light seeming to seep out of my own skin.

“Archer?” I called out for him again, feeling abandoned in a place I didn’t want to be.

All I wanted was to be with him.

“Hello, Dorothee,” the confident voice of a young woman echoed to me, and I turned to where a tall figure approached me.

When my light illuminated her, she paused, a gentle smile spreading across her face as she extended a hand to me. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”