Page 47 of Her Royal Rebellion

“Corned beef.”

“With mustard?”

“Of course.”

“No sauerkraut?”

“Never.”

A smile cracked her lips. “Thank you.”

She swung her legs around so she was sitting up and held out her hands. I gave her the plate and sat next to her.

“I’m sorry.” There was more I needed to say, but that was the most important.

She ignored me, taking a bite and moaning. “This is exactly what I needed.”

I tried not to take that too personally. Hungry Isla didn’t always think things through.

“I know better than to tell you what you need. You get enough of that from everyone else. The last person who should be adding to that is me.”

She took another bite, not speaking.

“That wasn’t what I was trying to do though. I simply wanted to make sure you had time for yourself. We’re here so you can be alone and unbothered. I didn’t want to add to your stress.”

She swallowed and demurely dabbed at her mouth with a napkin I’d brought up. “I understand. I did say I needed space, but I didn’t mean from you.”

I sucked in a breath. That was not what I was expecting.

“There is so much of my life that’s controlled by others. My day to day life is handled by someone else. My time is scheduled based on other people’s needs. I’m told what to do, where to go, sometimes even what to say. I understand that it’s a part of my role, but I need a place where those rules don’t apply. A sanctuary where I can be completely myself.” She ducked her head and picked at the bread. “I feel that with you.”

“Isla–”

“Don’t start in with the excuses, Logan. I have them all memorized. I’ve tried to show you that there’s more to life, more to you, than just your job. You have other passions and skills. You can have a future without the Marines if that’s what you want. If you want to stay, that’s fine too. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to see your own potential and take control. You have that ability. I don’t.”

“I appreciate that, Isla. You’ve shown me there’s more to life than following orders. I’m scared of what comes next, though.”

Her eyes held mine. “What’s that?”

“I don’t know. It’s not just for me to decide,” I whispered. This was the closest I’d ever come to admitting my feelings. To telling her that I wanted her in my future.

“You’re speaking in code.”

I held her eyes. “I can’t make any decisions without all the information.”

“What do you need to know?”

This was it. It was time for me to lay it all out for her. No one was going to barge in. No maids or assistants or guards. No interruptions. No emergencies to distract us. Just me and her.

“I can’t make any permanent decisions about my future and my career without knowing what you want.”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “What I want?”

My stomach rolled at the thought of having to spell this out, but there couldn’t be any room for misunderstanding. Not right now.

“I need to know how you feel about me. What future you want for yourself and if it involves me. Did you mean what you said downstairs?”

She made no move. Just stared at me until what felt like hours had passed, and she smiled. “You’re going to let me say it this time?”