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Nolan had no idea what to say and, for the first time in his memory, he wanted to escape from a dinner with his family. He wanted to be alone with Madeline, assure her he hadn’t put those words in anybody’s head, and replace the panicked look in her eyes with yearning for him.
He’d been afraid he was rushing too fast, but he couldn’t deny the intensity of his feelings for her. As he looked around at the stunned but also very hopeful gazes of his children, it appeared some of them were rushing at warp speed. Who had told them all about him and Madeline ‘dating’? He knew it wouldn’t be Tristan or Ray. He could never get after Jennifer, Macey, or Kiera for sharing.
No. He needed to focus on the most important issue.
How was he going to keep Madeline from running screaming from the castle?
Chapter Seven
Madeline stared in shock at the adorable child cuddled in the king’s arms. Princess Sunny August had asked if she’d be the next queen. No, not asked—she’d stated it. Oh my.
She looked at Nolan. His blue eyes looked panicked. It didn’t appear he’d instigated such a comment. Something about that scared her in a completely different way than the thought of being queen. Nolan had obviously wanted to kiss her this morning. She’d never felt such desire and yearning for and from someone. He seemed very intense and passionate about her, but maybe he didn’t want her to be queen. She would never imagine the moral, upstanding king of Augustine would be looking for a fling with no strings attached, but what did she know? She’d assumed her husband was committed to her and Chad.
“Silly Sunny,” the king said in a teasing and only slightly tight voice. He tipped the little girl upside down, and she squealed happily.
“Madeline, it’s wonderful to see you.” Sophie rushed up to her and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry about my girl.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Madeline waved a hand as if it were no big deal, but her insides were squirming and her heart hurt. She hadn’t imagined the alarm in his reaction. Was she only a distraction for Nolan? Her feelings were intense and miles deeper than stealing a kiss and moving on. If she let herself keep falling for him, she’d be hurt just like she had been years ago. Time healed, but she’d never forgotten.
The family who’d arrived for dinner each came to greet her, thankfully distracting her from her doomsday thoughts.
Malik and Sophie; Derek and Ellery; Steffan and Hattie; and Curt and Aliya were all as friendly and welcoming as they could be. She loved Hattie and Aliya’s southern accents and feisty quips.
The family settled down to dinner. When Nolan took her hand in his and offered a deep, sincere prayer, she felt like she belonged here. Was it all an illusion, a pipe dream she’d never see fulfilled?
Dinner was loud and fun and rushed by quickly. The initial awkwardness of Sunny’s statement dissipated, and everyone teased and laughed with each other. After dinner, Kiera begged everyone to swim. They all agreed, and it was a much different experience than their swimming last night. There were no intimate moments with Nolan. She thought back to the embrace of this morning, the feeling of his lips on her neck, the pressure of his body against hers, the yearning in his eyes that she’d wanted to fill.
No. She couldn’t let herself get into that situation again. This was safer for her heart. She didn’t want a quick burn with Nolan. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but that little girl saying she would be queen and the panicked look in Nolan’s eyes dug at her confidence that they could ever be together long term.
After swimming, everyone said their goodnights, Steffan and Hattie insisting it was their turn to do scriptures, songs, and prayers with Kiera. Before Madeline knew what was happening, Nolan was walking her to her suite. Alone. There weren’t even bodyguards trailing him tonight. Did that only mean the castle was secure, or had he purposely sent them away?
She trembled at the thought of being alone with him, but she had to slow their developing relationship. One touch from him and she was quivering to be held close, to kiss him and forget her purpose here, his very heavy responsibilities, and his deceased wife that she didn’t want to compete with or be compared to.
What if they kissed and it was a failure compared to the many kisses he’d shared with the beautiful and perfect Queen Anne? Goodness. Did she need one more worry to add to the list?
They reached her door. Her suit was damp and her swimsuit coverup had wet spots on it. Nolan wore a T-shirt and swim trunks, but she could easily envision the well-formed chest, shoulder, and arm muscles under that shirt. His stomach wasn’t some six-pack like his sons’, but she didn’t care. They weren’t young anymore. She admired everything about Nolan, including the shape he’d kept himself in. If only she could trust his intentions toward her.
Leaning against her door, she murmured, “Thank you for a fun evening.” She grasped her door handle. It would be much easier to not address the elephant in the hallway.
“Madeline.” His voice was husky and filled with need. A need for her.
Her stomach flip-flopped. She looked into his blue eyes. How could she slow this down when she longed for him as much as he obviously did for her?
“Can we … talk?” he asked.
“Nolan,” she breathed out.
“Yes?” He leaned closer, and her brain waves short-circuited.
No! She was a successful and independent single mum. She didn’t fall to handsome men. Even if the man standing in front of her, staring at her as if he wanted her and only her, was the most intriguing, impressive, and powerful man in the kingdom. More handsome than Russell Crowe in her opinion.
“Whatever is happening between us needs to stop,” she rushed out before she could second guess herself.
“Stop?” His brow furrowed. He looked like she’d just ran over his dog, then backed up and hit the poor animal again for good measure.
She nodded in the affirmative, though she feared her lower lip quivered. The thought of not kissing him, not touching him, not growing closer as they had been was devastating. And that was far too dramatic for her to even think.
He gently cupped her chin with his palm. “You want this to stop?”
