Page 40 of The Royally Broke Billionaire
Eyes still locked with hers, Finn leaned in slightly and responded. “What a lucky fellow.”
Careful not to jostle her now-snoozing baby too much, Piper leaned in towards Finn. They lingered with their faces mere inches apart over the wooden picnic table, enjoying the moment and savoring the prelude to their first kiss.
Finn’s masculine scent of Bay Rum aftershave and fresh pine wafted over to Piper as she took a deep breath and ingrained the delectable aroma into her mind. She wanted to wake up with that smell on the pillow beside her every morning, but she didn’t want to rush and risk ruining things with the gorgeous, kind, and loyal man.
As if he could read her thoughts, Finn said, “I know it’s still fairly early in our relationship, but I plan on this being my last first-kiss ever.”
Piper’s eyes drifted closed while she listened to his glorious words. When his lips moved as he spoke, she felt intoxicated by their nearness. If either of them leaned forward another fraction of an inch, their mouths would brush together.
As much as she craved that tender connection with him, she couldn’t bring herself to end this delicious, suspended-in-time moment.
Eventually, Finn spanned the distance between them and brought his lips to hers. She felt his sweet kiss all the way to the tips of her toes in a way that she had never before imagined.
When they finally pulled apart, she beamed a smile at him and said in a dreamy voice, “That has to be the best last first-kiss ever.”
39
It became understood that as the king and queen’s most valued and trusted advisors, Piper and Finn were now welcome to eat their meals at the royal table. Since the queen’s brothers and their wives had returned to their homes in the U.S., the king insisted that meals were too quiet when only the four royals were in attendance.
Sometimes, Piper preferred to have a relaxed meal in her cottage by the sea with her two favorite men, but since she and Finn worked such long hours, it was often easier to eat in the castle when the monarchs did. Besides, the entertainment value of dining with Princess Mo ensured there was never a dull moment when she was around.
Currently, Mo was glaring at a steaming mug of herbal tea that had been placed before her. “I missrealtea. This unleaded version just doesn’t cut the mustard. It’s like drinking liquid salad.”
Giving her an amused smile, Prince Pierce said to his wife, “Too much caffeine isn’t good for the baby, but you won’t be pregnant forever, my love.”
Jumping on that, Mo bugged her eyes out and said, “It’s beginning to feel like I might be, and I’m starting to knock over things with my belly because I’m not used to having it poke out so far. As if I wasn’t clumsy enough already.”
The queen insinuated they were in the same boat by saying, “My feet are so swollen that they’re almost as wide as they are long. None of my shoes fit any more.”
Mo rolled her emerald-colored eyes dramatically. “Oh, please. You are a perfect, cute, and perky pregnant lady, while I am over here growing to the size of a beached whale.”
Obviously wanting a change of topic before the preggos started comparing symptoms to determine who had it worse, King Sebastian turned to Finn. “You’ve been rather quiet this morning. Is everything right in your world?”
“Of course, Your Highness,” Finn answered respectfully before adding, “I just didn’t get very much sleep last night.”
Mo made a loud, very un-princesslike scoffing sound deep in her throat. It was obvious that she thought Finn was insinuating that he and Piper had spent the night together doing things that kept him from sleeping.
Piper bugged her eyes out in Finn’s direction, silently demanding that he correct the misunderstanding. Her reputation had been dragged through the mud enough in that regard. She certainly didn’t want to be accused of something that hadn’t happened.
Ever the gentleman, Finn quickly clarified. “Last night’s storm made it hard for me to sleepalonein the royal steward’s hut. Not only did it feel like the entire structure might blow away at any moment, but the thatch roof also sprang several new leaks.”
Turning to address the king directly, he said, “As long as it’s okay with you, I am going to send a few members of the royal maintenance crew over to repair the hut’s roof later this morning.”
It was obvious that Finn had assumed the king would be fine with his request by the way he bugged his eyes out in surprise when the king responded, “No, it’s not okay.”
“Oh!” Finn nodded, clearly trying to absorb the fact that the king had denied his perfectly reasonable request. “Okay, then. After we’re finished working for the day, I’ll call some local contractors to see when they can come out to fix it.”
“No. It’s an ancient structure that isn’t worth repairing. In fact, it’s a bit of an eye sore. Have the royal maintenance crew tear it down.” The king said matter-of-factly, as if they were discussing tossing away an old shoe, not the royal steward’s home.
Finn blinked blankly at his monarch. Piper could practically see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to absorb the sudden shift in his normally fair and generous monarch. Despite clearly being stunned, Finn replied respectfully. “As you wish, Your Highness. I’ll move my belongings back to the employee housing units and make the necessary preparations for the demolition.”
“Why would you move back there when there is a perfectly inviting and cozy guest cottage right next door to that ramshackle little hut?” the king snapped, honestly sounding perplexed.
It was Piper’s turn to blink in surprise. If the king was giving Finn the cottage where she and Liam lived, where were they supposed to go? Everything had been going so well, she had assumed that she and her son would continue to be welcome to stay.
Knowing the king had every right to assign the guest cottage to whomever he chose, Piper said to him, “I’ll pack our belongings and move out of the guest cottage this afternoon, Your Highness.”
“No, no… That won’t be necessary.” The king huffed, sounding frustrated.
