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Her arms folded over his and she rested her head on his shoulder. She rocked slowly from side to side in a silent dance. ‘That’s tragic, but I bet it can all be resolved with a good mediation.’
He laughed, found himself moving along with her, swaying to her inner music. ‘You believe you can succeed where countless others have failed?’
‘Mediation is about breaking things down to the basest level and routing out what each party needs the most. Once it’s clear, most people will settle for their innermost desires instead of what their greed dictates they need.’ Her voice had softened to an introspective murmur.
Reyes stared down at her sweet face, her perfect nose and gorgeous mouth. Something moved within him. Not his libido, even though it was awake and alert to any imminent action.
His innermost desire included kissing her, making her his. Permanently...
He realised she was growing drowsy from the drink and visibly forced his gaze away from temptation. ‘What are your innermost desires, Jasmine?’ he asked before he could stop himself.
‘World peace. Or barring that a magical carriage to whisk me back down this hill so I don’t have to walk.’ She giggled, and a smile cracked across his face again.
Dios, he was in danger of slipping deeper into her web. Maybe this trip hadn’t been such a good idea.
Or maybe he just needed to take a leaf out of his sister’s book and follow his heart rather than his head for once. He and Jasmine might have arrived at this arrangement unconventionally, but fate had gifted them a compatibility that he would be foolish to ignore.
Tomorrow morning, there would be a vote to elect a new council, after which he’d be named Prince Regent. The palace press had already announced his impending wedding. His father’s doctors had assured him that the King’s health was holding for the moment and he’d seen a slight improvement in his father’s condition when he’d visited him today.
As for Mendez, the Valderran prince knew something was up. He’d been putting out feelers as to Santo Sierra’s position on the old treaty. Reyes had ignored him so far. Let him stew for a while.
For now, Reyes intended to enjoy an evening free of guilt and anxiety. With the woman who would become his in less than forty-eight hours.
The woman who was carrying his child.
He paused as a bolt of satisfaction lanced through him. Reyes realised having Jasmine and their child in his life was a prospect that didn’t terrify him as much as it had this time yesterday. Yesterday, he’d convinced himself it was duty driving him.
Today, his feelings were more of...elation.
Bending, he swung Jasmine into his arms. She gave another giggle and curled her arms around his neck. Her nose brushed his jaw and his belly tightened.
Sí, a worry-free few hours were just what he needed.
‘We don’t have a carriage, but I have something in mind that might please you.’ He strode to the top of the hill, turned ninety degrees and nudged her with his chin. ‘There,’ he murmured in her ear.
* * *
Jasmine pried her gaze from Reyes’s breath-stoppingly gorgeous face and jawline and glanced where he’d indicated.
She was aware her mouth had dropped open. Again.
Could she help it when Santo Sierra had so far delivered one stunning surprise after another?
‘It looks like a giant, gorgeous wedding cake,’ she whispered.
‘Because it was designed as a present for a bride’s wedding day. But it’s actually a summer house.’
‘Set into the hillside so it looks like layers. It’s perfect.’
The smile that had flashed on and off for the last half hour curved back into sight. Again her heart beat wildly, sending her blood roaring in her ears.
Although she was thankful he wasn’t growling at her or walking away from her as if she didn’t exist, she was terrified at seeing this new, relaxed side of Reyes. This Reyes was too much for her senses. Too breathtaking. Too charming. Too...close.
But not too much that she wanted to get away. Or return to her lonely palace suite. She tightened her arms when he started towards the utterly splendid structure.
If she’d truly believed in fairy tales, this would’ve been her dream house. But she didn’t, so it was just as well that the effects of the punch had worn off enough for her to realise this was nothing but a short interlude in time for both of them.
He climbed the stairs to the surprisingly large square structure and the wooden shuttered doors slid back. Jasmine’s gaze slid from the love seat on the porch to the interior.
