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“I thought you were going to bed,” she teased.
“I am,” I replied. “But not before I give you a proper goodnight kiss.”
I leaned in and kissed her again, this time slower and more tenderly. Our lips moved in perfect harmony, and I felt myself falling deeper and deeper under her spell. My hands moved from her back to her waist, and I pulled her even closer to me. I could feel her heart beating against my chest, and it seemed to be in sync with mine.
When we finally pulled away, we were both breathless. She looked up at me with a soft smile on her lips.
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
“Goodnight,” I replied, planting one last kiss on her forehead before turning to leave.
32
EMILIE
Theo gave me a friendly hug as we all stood outside with our bags loaded in our separate cars. It was crazy, but I was going to miss him. “I’ll see you soon,” I said.
Jack and Astrid were talking quietly on the other side of the car.
“How are you going to spend your break?” he asked.
I sighed. “I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll have more dress fittings, lectures about what to say and do, and I’ll have to meet people. I don’t bother trying to learn my schedule. I just go where I’m told.”
He nodded. “Try to find some time to relax,” he said, smiling. “I don’t want you all stressed out and wound up when I see you again. But if you are, I think I know how to help you unwind.”
My cheeks burned and I had to look away. “Very funny.”
“Don’t be shy about it,” he whispered. “I think about that night all the time.”
I finally looked him in the eyes. “Me too.”
It was time to go. Astrid and I got in our car while Jack and Theo got into the other. We were going to different airstrips and taking our private jets home. The journey home was filled with a sense of melancholy that I couldn’t shake. Leaving Theo behind had been more difficult than I had anticipated.
As the plane soared through the clouds, I couldn’t help but reflect on the change in how I felt. I’d been so determined to hold my heart behind a wall of ice, but he was showing me there was another way. Theo was calm and easygoing. I didn’t think he ever got rattled. He was confident and knew what he wanted. His words, always thoughtful and measured, calmed me as well.
Oddly enough, Theo had become my anchor. His genuine nature had allowed me to let down my guard and be myself, a luxury I rarely had the opportunity to indulge in. I hoped he was the man he was showing to me. I wasn’t sure how I would handle finding out he wasn’t the calm, cool, and collected man I had come to know.
I had always been known for my assertiveness and Type-A personality. I knew I could be very stubborn.But around Theo, I got to relax. I had been free to simply be Emilie. I wasn’t the future queen or even the princess when I was with him.
Theo had a way of bringing out the best in me. He allowed me to explore a different side of myself that I had long kept hidden. It was a side of me that enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, like playing cards or whale watching. I loved being able to be comfortable without reminding myself to keep my shoulders back and not to touch my face while always smiling.
“Did you have a good time?” I asked Astrid.
Her face beamed. “I did. I hope you don’t feel like I abandoned you.”
“Absolutely not,” I assured her. “I’m glad you met someone. Are things serious between you?”
“I think they could be,” she answered. “I’m not going to rush into anything. You’re my priority. I’m not going to abandon you.”
“If you have a chance at real love, then go for it. Don’t think you need to hold back on my account.”
“I’m not going to rush into anything. I’m taking it slow. I’m not sure if it’s just being thrust together or if it’s real.”
“It certainly looked very real to me,” I said, smiling.
“And you?” she asked. “Is your relationship with Theo as real as it looks from the outside?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I hope so, but I’m not quite ready to say just yet.”
