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His gaze focused on her lips, and then his blue eyes grew determined as they met hers. “We have to keep up the dating farce unless you want to tell everyone why you’re really here.”
She sucked in a breath and admitted, “The prime minister thought it was a good idea when I emailed him last night. If the media finds out I’m here as a member of parliament on an emissary mission, it might cause a mess. I guess the fake dating is the lesser of two evils.”
He studied her. She could easily see he didn’t like her terminology. “Please meet me in the family living area for breakfast.”
“How soon?” She had no idea how to tell him no. She needed to practice in the mirror, pray for strength, remember how awful it had been when Bradford ditched her and Chad had cried himself to sleep for months. Chad was a strong, self-sufficient man now, but she worried she’d cry herself to sleep when Nolan moved on.
“As long as you need, Madeline.”
She quivered at those words and the look that accompanied them. It seemed he was saying he’d wait for her as long as she needed. He would take it slow?
“I’ll be there in half an hour,” she said.
He nodded.
Madeline slipped into her room, closing the door behind her. Leaning against it, she wondered what she was doing. The king seemed to be interested in her, invested even.
If she couldn’t reciprocate, was she ruining her chance at love with that unreal man, or was she saving herself from another heartbreak, a loss of her independence, and a whole load of responsibility?
ChapterSix
Nolan’s stomachchurned as he showered and dressed in a gray suit. The royal stylist Arianna filled his closets with the perfect clothing for each season. This suit was much lighter fabric, and the white button-down underneath was short-sleeved.
And you’re not … And you’re not …Those words rolled around in his mind. He had no idea what Madeline had meant. He wasn’t the right one for her? He wasn’t the man she was looking for? Why did he even go there?
Nolan had been king for thirty years. He couldn’t rule a flourishing kingdom and especially navigate through all the havoc of last year and pain of losing his wife without being confident, decisive, and never second-guessing himself.
Madeline not responding to his flirtations had knocked his confidence out at the knees. How could he get her to fall for him? She and Kiera getting along so well last night had felt like a green flag.
Nolan knotted his red tie and eyed himself in the mirror. Was he ready to date, to move on? He hated the terminology of moving on. He’d never forget Anne or replace her. If he and Madeline fell in love, the relationship would be different than his and Anne’s had been, but he hoped it would be just as fulfilling and a true partnership.
He needed to stop thinking about these things, as Madeline didn’t seem to be on the same page. At all.
Maybe he was just lonely. With Anne gone. Henry gone. All of his sons married off. He was fully invested in his children and thought of them as his friends and support, but it would make sense that he was searching for the closeness and understanding and friendship of someone closer to his age. He simply hadn’t spent time with a gorgeous, smart, intriguing member of the opposite sex in his age demographic. It could be possible he was over-exaggerating the connection and spark he felt when he was around Madeline, and especially when they touched.
He exited his suite and strode down the hall into the large two-story family gathering area. The space had an open living room with a kitchen stocked with snacks and easy meals and a dining area. It was much more informal than either of the dining rooms downstairs, and he often took breakfast here.
Madeline stood by the open patio doors. She wore a white dress with small red flowers on it. The dress was a V-neck, had short sleeves, and ended below her knees. It clung to her in a way that made his pulse quicken. He’d liked her pink business suit yesterday and had loved her blue swimsuit last night, but there was something about this dress—feminine and alluring and as if she’d worn it with the sole purpose of drawing him in.
She glanced over at him, and his mouth went dry. Her emerald eyes drew him in quicker than any well-fitting dress could. His theory that he’d over-exaggerated their connection and was simply lonely blew away like cotton in the summer sky.
“Madeline.” Her name came out in a husky groan of need, of longing. In ways it felt too quick, but these feelings had been building since their dance seven months ago. He needed her in his life, not as some fake girlfriend, not as a member of parliament, but as the woman who would stand by his side, the woman he could love and be loved by.
Forget being the confident king. If she’d have him, he’d drop to his knees and plead for her to have mercy on his heart.
Actually, he needed to be the confident king. He needed to prove that she needed him in her life. A poised and successful woman like Madeline would not be drawn in by some shrinking wimp.
Nolan didn’t think about the consequences of dating again or the very real possibility of rejection as he strode across the room and into her space. Her pulse was going like mad in her neck. She leaned against the frame of the patio door, clinging to it with her hands as if to stabilize herself or maybe to keep from reaching out to him.
“That is an unbelievably nice suit,” she whispered.
“A closet full of Brioni, remember?” He smiled, but he didn’t want to talk about his suit. “I absolutely love your dress.”
“Clearance rack at Harrod’s.”
He shook his head and chuckled, certain that dress was from no clearance rack. He gently swept her hair over her shoulder, then cupped her neck with his palm. The smooth skin was perfect under his fingertips.
“Madeline.” He leaned down. Could he kiss her now? It was too quick, but everything about his feelings for her was powerful and quick. It was so unlike the slow way he’d fallen in love with Anne. With Madeline, everything was fire, sparks, and intensity. Was that wrong or simply different? He’d thought about her too often since that dance at Christmas. Had he built up a fantasy that would never be, or were all of his dreams about to come true?
