Page 77 of His Royal Request

“You weren’t a part of my plans, Charlie. I wasn’t expecting to ever meet someone like you. Now, I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“I don’t know what to say.” He started to pull away, but I squeezed his hands to stop him. “I didn’t expect any of this either, Aiden. I was thinking of going home the moment you sat next to me. I changed my plans too. I broke my rules even speaking to you.”

He chuckled and a bit of the tension broke.

“I don’t think either of us knows how to navigate this. I’m just as scared and out of my element as you are.”

He nodded and kissed me gently before pulling back. “As long as you want to figure this out together, I’m happy.”

I nodded. “I can’t just go on with my trip or go home after this. I won’t give up on us. As crazy as this is, I want to be with you. For real.”

“Oh, darling. We’ve been real since the night you met my parents.”

My heart swelled in my chest. I wasn’t the only one thinking that? He thought this was real too? I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding for a week.

“What does this mean?” I asked.

He didn’t answer immediately. “I need to have a conversation with my parents.”

“Okay.”

“And your parents.”

I furrowed my brows. “Why?”

“Well, if I plan on keeping their daughter in Lochland I should probably at least meet them.”

“Yeah, if you plan on doing that you should.” I couldn’t stop the smile forming on my lips.

“Is that okay?”

“Me staying?”

He nodded and I pretended to think about it. “Well, I did have a whole trip planned. And Lochland wasn’t even on the itinerary.”

I bit back my smirk while he looked worried. “We will finish your trip. I swear to you.”

“Okay.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Okay? Just like that?”

I nodded. “I just want to be with you.”

Before I could blink, his lips were on mine.

Promises were made with this kiss. We would give this a fighting chance. We’d make sacrifices for each other. We’d defy the odds. We’d fight for each other.

His lips trailed along my jaw and to the spot below my ear that made me sigh.

“Thank you.” His whisper held hope that I clung to.

22

Aiden

I hated that the day after promising to fight for her I left to go back to the office. She didn’t seem to mind when I kissed her goodbye this morning, but my heart was aching being away from her.

“And that’s why this quarter we project an increase of thirty-five percent.” The director of marketing finished his presentation in front of the board of directors and everyone gave a courtesy clap.