Page 60 of The Princess, the Prick & the Priest (Confessions 4)

“Welcome to your dining room for the evening, princesse,” Julien said.

“It doesn’t seem real.”

“I know,” Julien said, and glanced over his shoulder at the waterfall in the distance. “I didn’t believe your mother when she said it was here.”

“Neither did I,” Robbie whispered as he tilted his head back to take in the scene in its entirety. “This whole place, it’s exactly the way she described it.”

“Oui, it is. The original owners passed it down to their children, who updated a few things, like this deck,” Julien said as he placed a hand on Robbie’s lower back. “I promised her you’d take lots of photos.”

The candlelight reflected off Robbie’s shimmering eyes. “That’s the one thing she always regretted.”

“I know,” Julien said, and then drew his fingers down Robbie’s jaw line. “Will you take a seat? Let me dazzle your taste buds?”

Robbie looked at three silver-domed place settings. “Did you do all this?”

“With some help,” Julien said as Priest came to them.

“He’s being modest.” Priest pulled a seat out for Robbie. “He did nearly all of this.”

Priest’s compliment made Julien’s heart warm as he walked around the table and pulled the cork from the bottle of Pinot he’d paired with tonight’s meal. Once Robbie and Priest were seated, Julien poured them both a glass, and then he went about removing the covers.

“Oh, wow, Jules. This looks incredible,” Robbie said as he peered down at the meal in front of him. “Is it duck?”

Julien nodded as he took a seat on the other side of the table, next to Priest. “Oui. It’s Magret de canard aux cerises avec une sauce au Porto. Seared duck breast with cherries and port sauce.”

“You two are totally spoiling me. This sounds delicious,” Robbie said as he took his napkin and draped it over his lap.

“It is,” Priest said. “It’s a meal that reminds us of a very special moment in our lives.”

“What’s that?”

“I was testing this meal on Priest for the restaurant the night you first called us from CRUSH,” Julien said, and Robbie frowned.

“When I— Ohhh.”

Robbie’s cheeks flushed, and Julien looked at Priest, who had a mystified look on his face, as though he couldn’t believe where they’d all ended up from that one night.

“Mhmm,” Julien said as they all picked up their knives and forks. “I decided right then that this meal would be one that I kept specifically for us, and now that includes you.”

Robbie shook his head and looked around again. “I still can’t believe I’m here. Sitting in a place I only ever imagined in my head, with the both of you.”

“I can,” Priest said. “We’d been looking for you. Once we found you, this was only a matter of time.”

Robbie sighed. “It feels too good to be true.”

“That’s how you know for sure it is,” Julien said. “Nothing this powerful could ever be anything but real.”

Robbie nodded, his eyes twinkling, and before he took his first bite of food, he said, “Do we get to stay here for the whole night? Please say yes.”

Priest eyed him, his lips twitching a little. “You mean, out here with two crazy men in the middle of the woods with nothing but the clothes on your back?”

Robbie playfully smiled, his joy over the evening bubbling right up out of him. “Or off my back. I’m not picky.”

“Then yes. I believe you get to stay here for two whole nights with those crazy men,” Priest said, which seemed to please Robbie immensely.

“And then?” Robbie said, looking to Julien.

“Then,” Julien said, and winked, “they’re going to take you home and marry you.”

Chapter Twenty

Sometimes dreams really do come true.

If you wish hard enough

~ Robbie

“DID YOU HAVE enough?” Julien asked, as Robbie finished the final bite of his chocolate soufflé and sat back.

Had he? Robbie didn’t think he’d ever been more satisfied by a meal in his life. Not that that was a surprise, considering a world-class chef had cooked it. My world-class chef. Wait, no—my fiancé.

“Oui,” Robbie said with a grin. He was so damn happy right now, he was surprised his mouth wasn’t stuck in a permanent smile. “That was amazing.”

“Bien. I’m pleased.”

“And I have to say, being served by the winner of Chef Master in his sexy uniform far surpasses my earlier idea of having you both dress up and play good cop/bad cop.”

Priest reached for his glass of wine and chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know. That idea certainly has its merit.”

“Yes, well, we all know which cop you would be,” Robbie said to his other fiancé—yeah, okay, that’s never going to get old.

He still couldn’t believe where he was and what had happened here tonight. He was now engaged to Julien and Priest, and no matter how much time passed, his brain kept coming back to that over and over again.

“What are you thinking about, princesse?” Julien said. “You have a very dreamy smile on your face.”

---