Page 17 of The Duke

“I went to a public middle school.”

“You did not.”

She nodded. “I did. For one month.”

“That had to be the worst.”

“Well, it was. They were nice enough, but the body guard thing didn’t go over well. The kids thought I was way more weird than cool. Some of the guys created accounts dedicated to me and how far they could get.”

Trane immediately bristled. “Jerks.”

“Jerks.” She laughed. “I can think of a couple other more choice words.”

“And I’m sure they deserve them, but I do not need to sully my mouth because someone else was disgusting.”

Phina liked that. “You keep those lips clean. I have a vested interest.”

He stopped, dust billowing up all around him. “Do you now?”

She scooted back so they were side by side. “I do.” She leaned close. “I want these lips just how they are.” She pressed her mouth to his, enjoying the warm insistence of his response. Then she sighed. “I keep asking myself when this will end.”

“And I hope your self answers appropriately.”

“What should she say to me?”

“I hope she knows that Trane is all…In.”

She let his words wash over her in a great assurance. “I hope so.”

He reached out and ran his hand down her cheek. “I haven’t given you much history to go off of as an example, but I’m determined. We will make this work and take it where it goes.” His grin turned sheepish. “At least as far as I’m concerned.”

“Then as far as I’m concerned too.” And she knew she loved him. As she always had. More of her opened to a hope that they could be together. But if he ever let her down again, the fall would be worse than ever. Could she ever recover? She didn’t know. But looking into his warm eyes, sparkling love back at her, she knew it was worth it. At least she told herself that it was.

They took off again. The road narrowed and he took her up and down bike paths, through forests and across great meadows until the area around them turned rocky, filled with great climbing boulders and narrow footholds.

They left the bikes, and she followed him up the summit. Black rock, red lava rocks, and white tipped areas surrounded them. She pulled out her phone to snap multiple pictures, including several of Trane from behind because she couldn’t resist.

At last they reached the top, the rim of a great volcano, long since cold. The crater was filled with a brilliant blue water and rimmed with great volcanic rock.

“So beautiful.”

Trane looked out over all the land in every direction and she wished she could read his thoughts. He looked calm. He turned to her. “You know Jo had a hard time understanding that the crown comes first.”

Seraphina took a minute to grasp where he might be going.

“When the press went after her father, when they went after her and her relationship with Nico, she almost didn’t care enough to weather it out and stay. She left, you know.”

“I wondered where she went. Suddenly during the coronation there was no news of her, no pictures, no footage.”

Trane smirked. “Youarea Jo fan.”

Seraphina shrugged. “She’s the best kind of queen.”

“We are all better off because she married Nico and stuck with it. She came back.” He turned to her and took her hands. “She came because her love for Nico was stronger than any of her fears.”

Seraphina swallowed. “That’s beautiful.”

Trane held his arm out. “This.” He turned in a circle, sweeping the island in his gesture. “This means everything to me.”

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