Page 48 of Royally F*cked

Chapter 16

Charlie

Jude cradles me between his legs under the warm water while he massages my shoulders and kisses along my neck.

“You are exquisite, Charlie. I do hope you know that.”

I brush my hand through the water and slowly lift it up, capturing the bubbles and watching them drip back into the tub. “Before all of this, I wanted to talk with you about a few things.”

“And now?”

I can feel his smile against my skin.

“I’m still upset, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I am not the one who walked into my office and demanded sex as a distraction. You did that all on your own.”

“It wasn’t meant to be a distraction, but rather a confirmation. I needed to confirm a few things and clear my head,” I tell him.

“Did it work? Did you get the confirmation you were seeking? Were you able to clear your head?”

“Not exactly.”

“Because you’re still struggling to believe that I can actually be attracted to you,” he states, matter-of-factly.

“I was. Perhaps I still am but it’s a little harder to think that you’re not after what just happened. And when I’m here with you, like this, now.”

“One day, you’ll see it clearly. I’ll make sure of it,” he promises.

“Can I tell you something? Something I noticed when we were speaking with your grand…I mean, the king.”

“You can tell me anything.”

Turning to my side so that I can see him a little better, I bite my lip and hope that what I’m thinking isn’t true. “When you both were arguing, he said ‘It’s not just because you’ve lowered your standards to sleeping with the help.’ That’s the same thing one of the headlines said about us this morning.”

Jude stiffens. “And you’re wondering if my grandfather had anything to do with it?”

“I…I’m not sure. Perhaps he read the headline and that’s where he got it from.”

“What’s your gut telling you?” Jude asks.

“Honestly?”

He nods.

“It feels too coincidental.”

“I agree. And I need you to trust your gut. To tell me these things, even if you think I’m not going to want to hear them. It will serve you well during your reign as queen.”

“That’s obviously not the only thing I wished to discuss, but do you think that there is a reason - outside of his obvious displeasure over you and I being together, that he’s behaving the way he is? You said he wanted you to take the throne, right? So, why threaten to take it all away simply because of me?”

“My grandfather is a rather complex man. Ozzy is still doing some digging for me, but it is possible that there is indeed way more to all of this and that it truly has nothing to do with you. I have my own suspicions, but I prefer to keep those to myself until I know more.”

This time it’s me who tenses and puts some space between the two of us. As much space as one can in a bathtub. “Right. And I guess that is why you failed to mention needing to have an heir as one of the parameters to be king. And why you did not give me a choice in wedding dates.”

“I will admit that my communication skills are not the greatest. I am not used to sharing my life, my thoughts, or my decision making with someone else. Even though I have my reasons for selecting that date, I should have consulted with you first. I should have asked for your opinion.”

“And if I said that May 21st does not work for me?”

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