Page 90 of Daniil
He grips me tightly around the waist.“How about we knock one or two off every time I make you come in the next week?”
“That’s not fair—it’ll be negative before the week is out!”
We both laugh, and he presses a soft kiss on my lips just as the elevator doors open.
“Come on, already!”Marcus yells.“By the time we get going, it’ll be time to come back.”
“Oh, slow your roll,” I say with a laugh.“It’s been fifteen minutes.”
“Yeah, yeah.”We load everything in the SUV, and I look around.
“Isn’t Jesper coming?”
“He said Charlie is sick, so they’re staying home.”
“It’s just the five of us then?”Daniil asks as Harlow gets into the SUV.
“Viv and Gunnar said they might come but they’ll drive on their own,” Harlow calls out.
“And Lennox isn’t feeling up to it,” Marcus adds.
There’s something bothering Daniil, and I nudge him.“What’s up?”I ask.
“Nothing.”He shakes his head.“Just odd that Jesper was so excited about going and then suddenly bailed.If Charlie is sick, he could have left him with the nanny and brought Briony.”
“Should I call up?”Marcus asks.
Daniil hesitates.“No, let’s just go.I’m ready to get out.”
“Me too!”Harlow’s sitting up front with Marcus, so Daniil and I crawl into the back with Micah, who’s in his car seat, happily gnawing on a frozen teething ring.
“I really want langos from that Hungarian food truck,” Marcus says.
“Yes!”Harlow nods happily.“Have you tried it, Courtney?”
“No, what is it?”
“They call it Hungarian pizza, basically fried bread dough covered with a garlic cream cheese mixture, cheese, and then you can get meat or eat it without.It’s seriously awesome.”
“I’m in,” I say happily, reaching for Daniil’s hand.
And I’m not just talking about Hungarian pizza.
Chapter37
Daniil
Something is off.
I can’t put my finger on it, but my gut is screaming that we shouldn’t be here.I don’t know if there’s legitimately something to worry about or if I’m being extra cautious because Courtney has just agreed to stay here.With me.To give our relationship a try.I don’t even know exactly what that means going forward, but I don’t care.All I care about is that she’s going to stay.
“That’s the langos truck,” Marcus points as we walk up the sidewalk.He and Harlow are holding hands, and though he appears relaxed, focused on his date, I know he’s equally focused on everything around us.
As am I.
I want more than anything to enjoy spending time together as a family, but that’s just not part of my life.Not yet anyway.I’ve been ruminating some ideas since my talk with Sandor and Erik earlier, and it might be time to be firm with Erik.Politics isn’t what I want.If that’s my only option, then maybe I need to find something else to do with my life.Charity work or some other aspect of royal life that doesn’t include politics.
My Royal Protector duties are a big question mark right now.I haven’t actuallyprotectedanyone since I came back from exile.I can take care of myself and anyone I’m with, and though Marcus is usually with me as a matter of protocol, I don’t get duty shifts like the others.
