Page 6 of Her Red Hot Secret Royal Fling

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured to herself, though Ares made a throaty sound of agreement. He was at the trunk of the car, alongside the driver, who was removing two backpacks. Hers had been packed by the same person who’d shopped for her clothes; she had no idea what was in it, but she blindly trusted Salvatore to have organised this well. Hers was smaller than Ares’s, probably because she wasn’t also accommodating a tent inside.

“This is your last chance,” he said, and she flattened her mouth to curtail her irritation because he really was being so obvious in wanting her to take a ride back to the palace. “Once we start, it’s a three-day loop to get back here.”

“Great,” she nodded curtly. “Can’t wait.”

“We’ll see.”

She narrowed her gaze. “You don’t think I can do this, do you, Your Highness?”

He lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know anything about you.”

“Then why are you acting as though this hike is the worst idea on earth?”

His lips compressed in a tight line, and he glanced sideways quickly, as if to regroup. “You don’t exactly strike me as the kind of person who goes hiking for pleasure.”

“Yeah, well, there’s a first time for everything.”

He sighed so fast and hard that his nostrils flared. Sofia’s lips pulled to the side, and she couldn’t help offering, placatingly, “Look, you’re right. This isn’t my thing. But I like trying new stuff, and I would love to see more of the country. Plus, I’d like to get to know you better.”

His brows shot up at the admission.

“The Santoros are like family to me, and they all speak very highly of you.” She shrugged. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” And it was true. Though she knew this was a business opportunity, she would also enjoy finding out more about the man she’d heard them all speak about so much.

A muscle jerked low in his jaw. “I was thinking the same thing,” he admitted, slowly, as though the words were being dragged from him. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Great. Then it’s like we’re already…old friends.”

Except, it really didn’t feel like that, and she didn’t, for one second, believe he thought so either. The air between them had been crackling with tension from the moment they’d met, and it had only intensified on the drive out here, and now, in the middle of this ancient, magical forest, the atmosphere was heavy with something almost hypnotic. Drugging.

“Okay then, friend,” he drawled, clipping his backpack in place around his waist and then looking at her. “Do you need help with that?”

She glanced down at the backpack. “Oh, no. I’ve got it.” She reached for it but of course, her hand slipped a bit, so she missed picking it up the first time around. He took a step closer, but she shook her head. “I’m okay.” This time, she hoisted it onto her back quickly and easily and clipped the middle band in place. It was a little heavy, but the moment the band was fastened over her hips, the weight distribution became easier to bear. She wriggled her toes inside her boots and looked straight ahead. “Alright. Which way?”

The driver was back in the car and starting the engine; moments later, they were alone. A shiver ran down Sofia’s spine.

Ares gestured to a narrow clearing. “Let’s go.”

Once again,there was an absence of conversation, but that was not to say there was silence. Far from it. Here, in the midst of nature, Sofia was aware of a thousand and one little noises: like the rustling of leaves to the chirruping of birds, the soft rush of wind, the crunching underfoot of gravel, the heaviness of her breath, the rushing in her ears of blood and heat, and mostly, the staccato of her heartbeat. The weather was cool but not cold, and far above the massive green ceiling, the sun was shining, though its warmth was not apparent here.

They walked for hours. Step by step. At first, Sofia was searching for something to say, and the lack of ideas made her aware of the awkwardness inherent to this situation. But after the first mile, she became absorbed by their surroundings, aware more of the forest than she was of her reluctant guide. Several hours later, the silence no longer bothered her. She was content to simply walk a pace or two behind the King, marveling at this country of his.

“We’ll stop here for the night.”

“Here?” She looked around at the campsite. To her immense relief, there was a small timber building. Not big enough to sleep in, but with any luck, housing some kind of amenity.

“It’s a very rudimentary bathroom,” he murmured. “Probably not remotely up to your standards?—,”

“If there’s a toilet that flushes, then wonderful.”

“There is.”

“Okay then.” She unclipped her backpack and dropped it to the ground, grateful to have removed the thing.

“How do you feel?”

The question surprised her because it lacked any kind of mockery. It seemed to be a genuine request.

“Not too bad,” she said, and it was true. The walk had mostly been flat ground, perhaps with a slight incline for the last hour or so.

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