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Her lips were swollen when she shot me a crazed look. “Should I hide under the blankets?”
“First off.” I laughed. “That would probably look worse.” She smacked me on the chest. “Ouch!”
“What!”
“Second, we are engaged and they already know you’re here, if it makes you feel any better, you can just say we shared body heat.” I kind of felt my face fall when I said that, like it was all this fever dream, this Christmas miracle, one last one before she was either forced to marry me or another stranger was.
My chest ached.
I slowly started getting up out of bed, it felt like the worst disappointment, other than knowing my biological parents were dead. Better to taste and dream than have not tasted, not dreamt.
I was just throwing my leg over the bed when she jumped onto my back like a freaking animal, taking the top blanket with her to cover us both up. “What are you doing?”
“I have no idea.” She sounded distressed. “I just didn’t want to lose your warmth.” Her chest pounded against my back, then I felt her mouth on my ear, kissing down my neck, her hands digging into my hair just as the lock turned and both of our servants, plus King Arthur and King Frederick walked in.
I don’t know who cursed, but I imagine it was Arthur out loud and Frederick in his head at the scene.
Slowly, we both turned to them.
Arthur was smiling behind his hand, wearing a full white snowsuit and beanie. Frederick, however, had his eyes narrowed a bit, which was strange even for him.
Rupert rushed forward. “We brought you both clothes, you must have been so afraid, good thing both Kings were in the army and have survival skills we were able to hike up here no problem, we’ll have to get the car later but we’ll take you down on the Snowmobiles.”
Frederick still looked perplexed while Rupert dropped the winter clothes on the couch. “We’ll just leave you to, er, change.”
Arthur gave me a thumbs up and walked out like I’d just accomplished an insane feat.
The door clicked shut while they went back into the bitter cold and we just stood there, me holding her staring out the window, her holding on to me, probably wondering what she’d just done.
It’s not like we weren’t already engaged, but she’d just sealed her fate by making it look like we’d slept together in cheerful anticipation of our vows.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered. “I could have come up with an excuse for you.”
“I did what you wanted,” she said right back.
Wow. “And you? I’ve never been what you wanted.” I peeled her from me and covered her up with the blanket. “I’ll go change in the kitchen, nothing they haven’t seen before, you can change in the bathroom.”
Those few steps into the kitchen kept cadence my heart pounding a painful rhythm against my chest, what did I expect anyway? For her to fall in love with me in less than twelve hours? For her to choose me because she wanted to, but not because she knew I needed her?
What?
To confess undying affection?
Heart stuck in my throat like a burning coal, I blew out all the candles after getting dressed, doused the fire and walked out of the cabin, only to turn to go back in and see her dressed in a similar snow suit.
She handed me the journal. “I didn’t want you to forget this.”
I only had to wonder if she did.
This whole evening.
Was I merely nice stories and a warm body?
I forced a smile and grabbed it. “Thank you.”
The snowmobiles started.
Rupert waved me over. “Sire, it’s all warm and ready for you.”
