“Hey,” she says. “I just got here.”
“We’re going to be late.” Walking her backwards with my hands on her shoulders, I resist the urge to pull her into my arms. Turning from her, I open the cupboard and grab a towel.
She blows out a breath. “You wouldn’t happen to have learned how to do quickies overnight, have you?”
I smile. “Go get dressed again, Arienna.” I turn around to watch her walk away from me. She sways her hips, then she looks over her shoulder. Grinning, she sucks two fingers into her mouth.
I groan.
Lighting up, she turns to run back to me.
“Get dressed. Do not make me tell you again.” But I only barely stop myself from laughing.
Grumbling, she stomps over to her clothes.
My cock calls me a fucking fool as I watch her bend over to pick them up.
Once we’re both dressed, I walk towards the door with my queen. That tension creeps back inside me with every step we take.
“Use her as bait.”
“It’s not a fucking request, Dickie.”
Shit.
The door opens before we reach it, and I instinctively drop my hand to one of my knives. Jace looks at me, then glances at my wife.
“Morning, beautiful.”
“Hi.” She giggles, but the sound cuts off abruptly as she squeals, “Fabia! Guess what happened last night?”
“Please do not tell me.”
She throws herself at her friend. Fabia places a hand over her face and shoves – something I’m sure she’s done many times before. But this time, she freezes. Her eyes widening, they shoot to me.
“You are not her friend here,” I chastise her. “You are her guard. If she wants to hug you, you damn well let her.”
Fabia nods jerkily as Arienna looks between the two of us.
“Oh my gods, did I mess up your first day? I did, didn’t I? I’m so sorry. I’ll go back inside, and we can do –”
Grabbing my queen’s hand, I tug her forwards. “She’s doing fine, especially given she didn’t sleep last night.”
“Oh my gods!” she squeals as she turns her head to look at Fabia. “Did you and Nicholas finally have sex?”
I roll my lips in, knowing how badly Fabia wants to tell her to shut up. I can practically feel the slice of her stare, and I’m only in her peripheral.
“No, Your Majesty,” she bites out. Jace laughs, and she glares at him too.
“Eyes on your charge,” he tells her with a nudge in her side. She looks back at my queen.
“Oh no! I’m really messing this up for you. I’ll be quiet.”
The softest little snort comes from Fabia, but neither Jace nor I say anything since we’re choking back our own.
When we walk into the Royal Dining Hall, Irin, Fabia, and Marrabel stay outside it to watch the door. I walk inside with my wife and Jace. A twelve-seater table stretches out under a high-vaulted ceiling. It’s a much cosier feel in here than in the hall where we eat with the nobles.
Breakfast is already spread out on one end of it. Nicholas is seated in one of the high-backed chairs, along with one of his guards. The other two in his security stand watch; only one of them will eat at a time.
