Page 19 of The Royally Broke Billionaire
As the meal came to a close and the royals stood to dismiss their guests, the couples each went in separate directions. Piper’s throat felt parched and she struggled to swallow as she watched Finn escort Amber out of the room. She was desperate to know where they were going, but it would be highly inappropriate for her to follow them. It took all of her willpower to refrain, but she remained frozen in her spot until they were out of sight.
When Cole suggested that they take a dip in the island’s mineral hot springs, Piper feigned a headache and insisted on retreating to her room. She feared Cole might try to turn soaking in nature’s spa into a romantic moment, but Finn’s new relationship was too ingrained in her mind for her to even pretend to focus on Cole. Besides, she was finding herself unable to continue to give Cole the benefit of the doubt by ignoring his flaws. She was beginning to believe Cole’s arrogant front might not be an act at all.
Cole looked disappointed when she declined his invitation, but he politely kissed her hand and bid her goodnight in the hallway. As they went their separate ways, Piper couldn’t help but think that Finn would have gallantly escorted her to her bedroom door. It wasn’t a fair comparison, since the royals had made it known that Cole wasn’t exactly welcome in the royal residence, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
Silently sticking up for Cole, she reminded herself that being polite was Finn’s job description, while Cole constantly had people bending over backwards to accommodate his needs. The man’s wealth and privilege wasn’t something that she should hold against him.
She was being unfair to Cole. Most women would jump at the opportunity to spend time alone with him. Pausing on the staircase on the way up to her room, she considered turning back to find the billionaire to tell him she would be happy to bask in the hot springs with him. She stood there mid-step for a long moment, but she just couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to go find him.
Retreating to her room to wonder what Finn and Amber were up to sounded far more appealing. Unwilling to admit why that was the case, she reminded herself that she wanted some quality alone time with Liam, too. She was used to constantly being with her baby, so repeatedly leaving him in Hettie’s care felt foreign and off-putting, despite the woman’s warm and loving demeanor with her son.
Smiling to herself, she resumed her trek up the stairs to her bedroom suite. Knowing that she and Liam could use some fresh air, she decided to sit out on her balcony and rock him in the white wicker rocking chair. They would both enjoy the quiet time. She could savor the incomparable view of the vast sea beyond the palace grounds, and if she happened to spot Finn and Amber walking outside together, she could do a little spying.
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Hettie had already changed Liam into his soft, blue cotton footie pajamas. Piper thanked and quickly dismissed the matronly woman, wanting her baby to herself.
Her sweet boy’s face lit up with happiness when she took him in her arms and carried him outside to their private balcony. She sat down on the large, comfortable rocking chair and gazed down at her tiny bundle of sunshine.
She was constantly amazed at the daily changes that occurred in him. He grew and learned at a rate that she wouldn’t have believed to be possible before seeing it for herself.
Mother and son smiled at each other and further cemented their already-firm bond as she rhythmically moved her feet, rocking them back and forth. Piper ran the back of her index finger lightly along the soft skin of her son’s chubby cheek.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat out there together, but when Liam’s eyes slowly drifted closed, she wasn’t yet ready to put him in his crib for the night.
Movement along the lit path leading towards the beach caught her eye. The person was wearing a bright white dress shirt, like Finn had sported at dinner, but she couldn’t be certain if it was him. The potentially good news was that the man was alone. If it was Finn, he had already parted ways from Amber. Piper wasn’t sure why that thought made her heart jackhammer in her chest as fast as a dog’s leg thumped when it scratched its ear.
When the man suddenly stopped his trek and turned to look back at the castle, Piper was tempted to hunker down out of sight. She didn’t want to be caught watching him, but hiding like a small child seemed like an immature maneuver––especially with her sleeping baby cradled in her arms.
Finn’s brown gaze quickly locked with hers, almost as if he had sensed her presence out on the balcony. Piper’s cheeks flamed hot over him discovering her spying on him, but she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from the enchanting and handsome royal steward.
He stood there frozen, staring at her for a long moment. Piper longed to communicate with him through the distance. She wanted to tell him that Cole’s kiss on the beach, which Finn unfortunately witnessed, meant nothing. She longed to ask him about his relationship with Amber.
Her rapid pulse as she looked at Finn told her that she was incredibly attracted to him.Was he attracted to her, too? Or was he just kind and polite to her as part of his job?
The urge to run downstairs to talk to him was nearly overwhelming. Liam was sound asleep, so she was confident that chasing after the steward wouldn’t disturb her baby. It seemed like a desperate move, though, and she feared looking like a fool if he didn’t feel the same connection as she did thrumming just beneath the surface of their interactions.
Breaking their locked gazes to glance down at her baby, Piper decided that since they would be living at the palace for the foreseeable future, it didn’t make sense in the long run to pursue a romantic relationship with a castle employee. If things ended badly between them, there wouldn’t be any avoiding seeing Finn on a regular basis.
Steeling her resolve, Piper raised her face back up, intending to give Finn a friendly wave before quickly retreating inside to her bedroom. Even across the distance, she could see the smile that turned up Finn’s lips when her eyes locked with his once more.
His charming and flirtatious grin made her arm pause in midair on its way up to give Finn a dismissive wave. When Finn raised his right arm to place his palm over his heart, Piper couldn’t wipe the thrilled expression off her face. His sweet gesture was enough to give her confidence that he felt something extra for her, too. It immediately quelled her worries about their suitability for each other.
Continuing to cradle Liam with her left arm, Piper mimicked Finn’s movement, placing her right palm over her heart. They stood there like that for a long moment, beaming at each other and silently communicating through the distance.
Finally breaking the spell, Finn removed his hand from his chest and pressed it to his lips. After blowing a kiss in their direction, he pointed to Piper. He then blew another kiss and pointed at Liam.
Beyond touched, Piper blew her own kiss back to him before turning to go back inside her elegant suite. After she closed the door behind her and bent to gently lower Liam into his crib, she realized that she now knew exactly what the saying ‘walking on air’ meant. Gravity was no longer holding her down to the ground. Finn’s flirtation made her weightless and filled with warmth from the inside.
She needed to talk to him, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. For tonight, she would just bask in the happy knowledge that the royal steward was attracted to her.
Flopping back on her bed, she grinned at her ceiling. Feeling wide-awake, Piper decided that the logistics and feasibility of a relationship with Finn could work out. She would have to explain to him that her kiss with Cole on the beach had meant nothing, and she wanted to make sure that he didn’t have feelings for Amber, but she was suddenly confident that she was meant to pursue a romance with Finn. As her heart pounded in her chest, she realized that she couldn’t wait to get started.
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After feeding Liam the next morning, Piper showered and got ready to go down to breakfast. She knew Finn’s work schedule kept him busy, but she intended to find some time alone with him today. Overnight, her confidence in his feelings for her had wavered. A sweet, blown kiss was a good sign, but she wanted him to confirm his romantic interest in her.
Hettie arrived at their door. After kissing Liam goodbye and sneaking in a quick sniff of his delicious baby scent, Piper gently handed him to the nursemaid and practically skipped down the ornate hallway.
