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“What?” I ask, suddenly aware how sexy licking an ice cream can actually be when looking out at a stunning view with a hot guy at your side.
He pulls his gaze from me. “Nothing,” he replies, but that look in his eyes was definitely not “nothing” and I can’t help but feel a little thrill.
“Are you going to ask a question before nightfall?” he teases.
“Of course I am. I was just thinking.”
“Is that what you were doing?”
I nudge him with my shoulder.
“What’s your dad like?” I ask.
“My dad?”
“Yeah, you know, the tall guy with the prickly moustache. King of Ledonia. You call him ‘Dad’? Ringing any bells for you?”
“Actually, I call him Father, at his request. He’s not a ‘dad’ sort of guy.”
“Huh. That explains a lot.”
“About what?”
“You. Him.”
“What do you call your father?”
“Hey! This is my question.”
He chortles. “Touché.”
“But for your information, I call my dad ‘Dad’ or ‘Daddy’, depending on my mood. Not Father.”
“From what I’ve seen, your dad is very much a ‘Dad’ kind of man. My father is…exacting. Yes, that’s the word I’d use for him. He’s exacting in the way he treats me and others, and himself, for that matter. He has high standards, and I need to live up to them.”
“Why?”
“Why? What sort of question is that?”
“The sort you’re meant to answer. Why do you have to live up to his high expectations?”
“Because I’m his son and heir,” he says simply, as though it’s completely obvious to anyone.
“Which you look thrilled about, by the way.”
He adjusts his expression. “Better?”
I tilt my head to the side as I study his face. “Less honest.”
“Okay. Full disclosure?” he asks, and I nod. “He’s not the easiest man to have as a father. He’s not exactly the warm, cuddly type, and he’s never really taken the time to know me as a person. To him, I'm a reflection of him as both my father and my King, which is exactly how he treats me.”
My heart hurts for Alex. The relationship he’s describing is a million miles from the one I have with my own dad, and it’s plain to see he wants so much more from his father.
“That sounds hard. I'm so sorry.”
“It's fine. We’re dealt the hand we’re dealt, and my hand comes with a lot of privilege, as well as some challenges. He’s different with my sisters, and he doesn’t give two hoots about what my brother, Max, gets up to.”
“Why not?”
