Page 52 of Royal Icing
His heart shattered, and he held her tighter.
“The day we finally left, we moved into a shelter in the city. We went out and bought our own Christmas tree, decorated it exactly how we wanted, and slept underneath it for a whole week. I can still remember waking up, panic in my chest, waiting for the front door to crash open, and seeing the twinkling of the Christmas lights. It was the first time in my entire childhood that I felt truly safe. It’s wonderful that you’re going to give your people a safe space.”
Silence fell between them. Shock, grief, and shame warred in him.
“I can’t believe I just complained about my two-parent household while being raised in a castle,” Leo said. “I’m sorry.”
Emma broke away from his chest to look at him. “We all have our own trauma. I was lucky to be loved so hard by my mom. One loving parent is infinitely better than two ambivalent ones. Don’t cheapen your experience. You deserve to be loved.”
The firelight brought out glints of amber in her green eyes. Her hair had thawed out and was drying in loose waves that hinted of summers on the beach. She had been so honest about something that caused her so much pain. Something deeply primal and protective had awoken in him. She didn’t deserve this life. She was a caregiver, a hard worker, persisting even when the entire world conspired against her.
“So do you,” he said.
Before he could second-guess it, he closed what little distance there was between them. Her lips were unbelievably soft and still had a touch of chill to them. She froze for a second under his touch, then snaked her arms around his neck.
Explosions rippled under his skin. A long, slow pull in his stomach had his fingers pressing into the bare skin over her vertebrae. He hadn’t been kissed in an embarrassingly long time. Was it always this way—heat and ripples of need?
She pulled back a minute later, breathing hard. Her skin was warm beneath his fingertips. Finally.
“We should really get you to a doctor,” he said to cover the silence, even though he’d give away his entire fortune to never leave this cabin again.
She shook her head. “Let’s stay. Please.”
“As you wish.”
They descended into silence once more, but this time it was comfortable, almost necessary. Leo drifted into sleep with Cooper at his back and Emma clutched to his chest, the smell of lake water in her hair. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EMMA
Emma awoketo the rough scrape of a doggie tongue on her cheek. She opened one eye blearily.
Her heart jumped in her chest. Where the hell was she? And why was she soaked in sweat and pressed into a very impressive set of naked pecs?
She elbowed the coat and blanket off her, and everything came rushing back.
Cooper. The lake. Leo coming to her rescue.
And now here he was, sprawled out mostly naked on a hard wooden floor, a beam of sunlight hitting him like he had been personally chosen by the heavens. He’d saved her life, and then—as long as her memory wasn’t failing her—he had kissed the crap out of her.
That kiss. Holy shit. The velvety warmth of his lips pressed against her frozen ones. The scratch of his beard against her skin. A shower of sparks danced up her spine.
Maybe she had imagined it. She’d probably been closer to death than ever before.
But no. She could still feel the gentle press of his thumb against her pulse like it had been tattooed there.
So what did it mean?
Nothing. It had meant nothing. There wasn’t going to be a fairytale ending here. He was a prince, and probably duty-bound to save the lives of dumb tourists who fell through the ice. Women probably threw themselves at him all day long. Who knew how many meaningless kisses he’d exchanged over the years?
But it hadn’t felt meaningless—to her, at least. He had been unexpectedly honest and open about his childhood. Her heart ached for the little boy who felt forgotten and unloved. He deserved better, and he would find his own happiness in time. She was sure of it.
There wasn’t time to dwell on it though. No matter what was—or wasn’t—going on with Leo, she needed to get back to the castle and start plotting the parts of the dessert that she could without the blueprints. She needed to gather recipes, make a list of ingredients, and chat with the royal chef. Her future awaited, and she couldn’t allow anything to distract her. Not even a half-naked prince who had saved her life.
She slowly climbed to her feet, knees cracking like kindling. There was a crick in her neck from sleeping on Leo, and the musky spice of his deodorant was on her cheek. Would it be weird if she never washed her face again?
To her relief, sensation had returned to her hands and feet, and they hadn’t fallen off in the night. It would’ve been hard to bake with no hands.
