Page 39 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

A tangible weight seemed to roll off his shoulders as he stepped into the late afternoon sunshine, its warm reach dissolving the shadows of his office-bound existence. With each step toward the sanctuary of the park, the arguments of earlier in the day receded, replaced by the promise of tranquility and the sweet anticipation of her presence. His muscles loosened, and the tension at his temples lessened.

He strode to the fountain in the park and sat on the edge. As he waited, the steady rhythm of water cascading into the pool below mirrored his own attempts to keep the tumultuous waves of his life in a steady flow. Ellie, with her spontaneous plans and ability to see beauty in the mundane, was like an unexpected burst of water that made the fountain dance in the sunlight.

A shadow loomed over him a few minutes later. “Are you lonely, soldier?” a British accent asked.

He couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him as he rose and pulled Ellie closer. “Not anymore.”

With a peck on her lips, he greeted her.

She slid her hand into his and tugged him toward the park’s entrance. “Did your day get any better?”

“It did right around five.”

“You’re a flirt, you know that, Nathan Parker?”

“I’m not. I’m just a regular guy who constantly has bad days and relies on his exceptional girlfriend tomake them better.”

“I see. You’re also a flatterer.”

“Only when it’s deserved,” he answered as they waited to cross the street. “So, where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

He flicked his eyebrows up. “Really? You’re still not going to tell me?”

The light changed, and she tugged his hand toward the crosswalk. “Why would I tell you?”

“Because I’m asking so nicely.”

“Oh, I see. You think that’s all it takes, do you?” She grinned at him as they reached the sidewalk and continued down the street. “Well, seeing as we are nearly there, I suppose I can tell you. We’re going to the museum. When I’ve had a bad day, art is very soothing.”

“That’s perfect,” he said, fixing his gaze on her. “I love looking at beautiful things.”

“Flirt,” she answered with a giggle as they ascended the stairs to the revolving doors leading inside.

“Two, please,” she said as she approached the docent and shoved a credit card forward.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Paying for our admission,” she said as the woman handed her back the card and gave them their admission slips.

She snapped her gaze to him, her features pinching. “What?”

“I’m supposed to do that.”

“Oh,” she said, her features turning pensive. “Right. I had almost forgotten this is still the 1950s.”

He clicked his tongue at her. “That’s not it.”

“Then where is your notion of gender equality, Nathan? You have paid for every date so far. You’re going to start to think I’m a moocher.”

He laughed as they passed through an arched entrywayinto a room filled with paintings and benches. “I don’t think that.”

“Not now that I’ve paid for something,” she said as they stopped at a painting of a woman from centuries past.

He side-eyed her as she studied it. His lips tugged upward at the corners as he spotted the tiny crease between her brow that deepened when she was deep in thought. She snapped her gaze to him, her expression exasperated. “Nathan, you are supposed to be looking at the painting, not me.”

“You said you brought me here to look at beautiful things.”

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