Page 80 of A Royal Disaster
They would never be traditional royals, and the only thing that mattered was that they were in this life together.
“Just the three of us,” he told Jinx, who purred appreciatively at being included. “And if you stop using my loafers for scratching, I promise to spoil you rotten. All the canned salmon you can eat, how does that sound?”
The cat flicked his tail and narrowed his eyes. Bugger. It had been worth a shot.
“We’ll try The Sunken Garden,” Liam called over his shoulder. The photographer gave a quick grunt of acknowledgment. “We can start at the center and work our way out.”
Elena had taken to the gardens instantly and spent much of her free time outdoors. The gardens were far more peaceful than the palace itself, and visitors were restricted, which meant more often than not, she had them to herself. Oh, she might run into the queen on occasion, but at least she didn’t have to worry about the courtiers harassing her out here.
It had taken her two full weeks to relax after arriving in Valeria, and not just because she’d been the talk of the court. The guilt and panic of leaving Nia in charge of the studio for the summer had made her restless, but once she’d realized the world wouldn’t come crashing down because she’d taken a holiday, she’d embraced the opportunity, spending her days painting and sketching while he attended to palace business.
She insisted the serenity of the gardens was good for her inner muse, and she’d completed a few new pieces for the upcoming exhibit at The Verve. The exhibit opened in a few weeks and, though he was looking forward to opening night, the prospect of Elena returning to New York full-time left a hole in his chest the size of the city itself.
The summer had passed in the blink of an eye, their time in Valeria far too short. Between his duties and the Spartan deal, he’d shown Elena everything his country had to offer and he was certain that in time she would come to love Valeria as much as he did. It had truly been the best season of his life, the days flying by in a haze of sightseeing, socializing, and sex. It was absolute perfection, and he couldn’t have been happier.
His parents, on the other hand, weren’t pleased. But that was nothing new, and their protests that it was too soon for an engagement fell on deaf ears. Liam had waited long enough, and he wasn’t going to delay a second longer. Their summer at the palace had proven Elena could adapt to royal life, and having her by his side made every day sweeter.
Oh, there had been a few hiccups along the way, like the time she’d invited a group of visiting schoolchildren to tour the private areas of the palace and the time she’d tripped the alarm, bringing the King’s Guard out in full force. None of that mattered. Not to him. He knew in his heart that Elena was the only woman for him and he wanted her to know it, too.
Hell, he wanted the world to know.
The people loved her, and a royal wedding would bring the country together, giving them a long overdue cause for celebration and serving as a springboard to the future.
Assuming she said yes.
“What do you think, little guy?” he asked, examining the ring that hung from Jinx’s collar. “Do you think she’ll like it?” He’d never given a woman jewelry before—let alone a royal heirloom—and he hoped like hell he’d made the right choice, because he wanted her to love the ring as much as he did. He’d chosen a simple design, classic and understated, knowing she wouldn’t want anything too flashy or cumbersome. The moment he’d laid eyes on it, he’d been certain it was the one.
Now if he could just find Elena to give it to her.
As he approached The Sunken Garden, the sound of running water steadily rose from a quiet trickle to a steady burble. He rounded the hedges and followed the limestone pavers past a colorful array of delphinium, canna lilies, and peonies. The scent of lavender hung in the air, and he welcomed the sense of calm that washed over him as his gaze slid across the rectangular pond at the center of the garden and landed on Elena.
She stood at her easel, back to him, seemingly lost in thought. He sensed the photographer move away, but he only had eyes for Elena—could only ever have eyes for Elena. She was a vision of loveliness in a flowing yellow sundress that showed off miles of sun-kissed skin and pooled at her feet on the pavement. Her hair was swept up off her neck and pinned in place with—what else?—a paintbrush. He knew that if he could see her face he’d see her beautiful smile and warm eyes and in that moment his love for her was so damn big, it nearly spilled out of him, his chest tight and his eyes burning with the ferocity of it.
“That woman is my entire world,” he whispered, adjusting Jinx’s collar. “My best friend, my love, my queen.”
…
Lena studied the painting of The Sunken Garden she’d been working on for the last two weeks. Something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was easy to see the finished product in her mind’s eye, but on the canvas?
Not so much.
Maybe she’d gone a little too abstract. Or maybe it just needed more texture. She reached for her brush as a hand snaked around her waist. Lena lurched, heart racing as her fight or flight instincts kicked in. She drew her right arm forward, fully prepared to give the perpetrator a swift elbow to the groin when soft, warm lips brushed her cheek.
“Hello, love.”
“Ay Dios mío,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief as she twisted to face Liam. He was grinning from ear to ear and looking a little too pleased with himself. Jinx was curled up against his chest, purring contentedly, a red satin ribbon decorating his collar. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. You scared the crap out of me.” She smiled up at him sweetly and batted her lashes. “Do I need to remind you I’ve got a solid right hook? Not that you wouldn’t look great sporting a black eye, but I prefer you just the way you are,” she said, patting his cheek. “And after the incident with the King’s Guard, I’m trying this new thing where I don’t give your parents new reasons to hate me.”
Liam chuckled, the low rumble going straight to her ovaries. Six months of toe-curling orgasms and she still got turned on as easily as a faucet. Life was good.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Meetings wrapped up early today. Jinx and I couldn’t wait to see you.” He tilted his head to look over her shoulder. “The painting is coming along nicely.”
“You think?” Lena asked, scrunching up her nose.
“Indeed.” He paused. “Can you take a break? There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Well, that didn’t exactly sound encouraging. Lena’s stomach churned. It wasn’t quitewe need to talk, but it was pretty damn close. Too close for comfort. Had she unwittingly broken royal protocol again?
Liam took her hand and led her to the pond, his expression serious as he turned to face her.
