She did not resist his help, finding it hard to bend with her tight dress. She straightened in her seat, allowing him to finish what she started. However, she found his touch on her skin slightly uncomfortable, especially when he was kneeling just in front of her.
“Hey, did you not hear? I am also entitled to be King.” When she did not smile at his statement, he realized that it was not funny at all, not even to his ears. “Anyway, I’m sorry if I placed you in a very compromising position. I honestly did not think that this would end up this bad.” He decided to change the topic.
“Nothing we could do about it now, right? So, I think all we can do is work hard on making this comfortable for the two of us for the duration of our arrangement and not let anyone catch us with our lies.” She stated resignedly.
She could sense the sincerity in his voice when he said that. It would seem that he, too, regretted their decision to enter into this arrangement. But just like her, he was also stuck.
“Done.” He finally declared when he had entirely untied the laces on her legs and removed the shoes on both feet.
Honestly, when he saw those shoes, something else came to his mind. He had imagined removing them from Dani’s beautiful slender legs just like this, but not on a bench in the palace grounds. He immediately shook off the thought, knowing that it was not helping his situation.
“Thanks.” She had nothing else to say after feeling relieved that the torture was over. That was from the shoes and his touch.
She wiggled her toes, trying to relieve her feet from the confinement of her shoes earlier. But, Alex suddenly placed his fingers on her toes.
“Would you like me to massage it?” He was unsure where the offer came from since he never did that with any other woman before. It just came out of the blue as if that was the most natural thing he should do upon seeing her discomfort.
“No.” She blurted out, abruptly pulling her feet away from him. Then, she quickly stood up from her seat. “Shall we continue on our way?” She did not want him touching her, even at the tip of her toes.
She was not afraid of his touch. It was quite the opposite. She was terrified of how her body was reacting with it. It would seem that her body was craving more of it. Every time that he was near.
Alex also stood up, aware of how she reacted to his small action. He was uncertain if he should be happy or wary that she was not thrilled with his touch. Then again, he was also conscious of the way his body was reacting to her nearness.
“This way.” He directed them on another path away from the palace towards a secluded area. A few more meters of walking revealed a wall with a rose garden and a small house behind it.
It was not exactly tiny, but compared to the palace, it was relatively small.
“Whose house is this?” She asked when they stood at the front door.
She wondered who would live here when a large palace was just on the other side of this ground. She doubted that this house was for the helpers. It was too beautiful and elegant.
“It was my grandmother’s private area. She left this to me before she died. She loved this place.” He told her, gazing around the place.
“It is beautiful.” It reminded her of the children’s book, The Secret Garden. It was a book she once read when she was young.
“My grandmama told me that it could be my sanctuary, just like it had been to hers. Everybody is off-limits in this area, except for a few people I trust to maintain the place.” He stated, opening the door with a key that he took from his pocket. “So, we can stay here for the week without people watching our every move.”
It was one of the few things that her grandmother owned. The late queen was just like the other princesses in the old times. They never had much right compared to a prince. When they reached a certain age, they were married off to a prince to bear them their sons.
That was the life of his grandmother. She married his grandfather because it was her obligation and not because of love. Arranged marriage was not exactly new to him. It was a practice in the previous generations, and it would seem to continue until the next.
“You can take my grandmama’s room, while I will take the guest room next to it. It only had two rooms upstairs.” He suggested as they moved towards a beautifully well-kept living room.
“I’m good with whichever room.” She was in no condition to demand anything from him. He already had been very accommodating to her needs.
“Are you hungry? I can whip something up in the kitchen. I know you barely ate anything today.” He offered as he walked to the open kitchen on the other side of the room.
“I am not hungry.” But the mention of food alerted her stomach that it was almost empty. She was not able to stop the growl it made that was slightly discernible with the human ears.
“I think your stomach begs to disagree.” He pointed at the sound it just made. “Come on. I am hungry too. We can share a sandwich or something.”
He beckoned her to follow him as he started to rummage on the fridge and the cupboards for the things he would need.
She decided that she already had no choice anyway, so she sat down on the counter and watched him moved around the kitchen.
She enjoyed observing him as he sliced the tomatoes and lettuce. Then he fried some ham to create a simple sandwich. She could not expect him to make her a gourmet meal at this late of the night.
“Do you like some cheese on it?” He asked as he placed a slice of cheese on his portion.
“Yeah, sure.” She could not help but feel herself salivating from the look and aroma of the sandwich he was making. The excitement and the apprehension she felt since they arrived in this place prevented her from eating her full earlier.
“Here.” He finally gave her a plate of his creation. “Dig in.” He quickly took a bite of his sandwich, making a show of how mouthwatering it was. He only wanted her to act comfortable around him.
“Thanks.” She also followed his example. Taking a huge bite out of it. She could not help it anymore as hunger took over, disregarding her grace and poise.
“How is it?” He asked when he saw her swallowed her first bite.
“Good.” She admitted as she took another bite, not caring if she was acting unladylike.
“What about some juice to go with it, or do you prefer something else?” He offered as he went to the fridge to get something to drink. He was afraid that she might choke with the way she was attacking the sandwich.
“Just water.” She answered him back. She then returned to the sandwich in her hand.
He took two bottles and handed her one before going back to his seat across from her. He was amused at how she never cared about the way she looked.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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