Secrets of a Prince (The Princes of New Sargasso #3) - Carol Moncado Page 0,46
king asked, looking around the room.
They all shook their heads.
He turned to Minnie. “Thank you very much for coming in and taking the time to go through all of this with this task force, Lady Waterford.” He inclined his head then pushed away from the table. “We’ll be in touch if we need anything else.”
“Yes, sir.” She curtsied because she was pretty sure she’d forgotten to when she walked in, but none of these men would likely know she’d already seen the king at a family breakfast.
An aide held the door for her. Joss waited outside. There were too many people around for her to walk straight into his arms, but he rested his hand on the small of her back as they walked out of that office area and toward his office.
Once inside, with the door closed behind them, he wrapped his arms around her, and Minnie found herself leaning into his strength.
They simply stood there for several long minutes.
“Thank you,” she said, pulling back. “I needed that.”
“How did it go?” He took her hand and led her to the chair near his desk.
“Okay. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Not as easy as I hoped. I’m not allowed to talk about it with anyone who wasn’t in the room, though.” She sat heavily in the chair. “I wish I could.”
“I know. I tried to get here, but there was an auto accident on the way back. It delayed us more than we expected. I tried to get in touch with my father and have him push it back a bit but either he didn’t get the message, or he wasn’t able to.” He sat on the arm of the chair.
“It’s fine. I think it’s probably good that I did it on my own.” She was proud of herself, though she felt a bit shaky.
“I’m proud of you.” Joss kissed the top of her head. “I have a couple of things to finish, and then I can be done for the day. What if we go do something together? Watch a movie or walk through the gardens. You can show me the spot you and Rosie picked for the wedding. Something with just the two of us.”
Minnie gave him a tired smile. “I think that sounds lovely. Why don’t we head back to the apartment and change into something less like a business suit?”
This time he kissed her. “That sounds perfect.”
They needed a date night. That’s what Joss decided while he finished his work. What could they do without leaving the palace?
Dinner?
They had dinner together every night.
Even candles wouldn’t be much of a difference.
A movie?
Eh. Didn’t seem quite right.
What about a picnic?
Hm. That had promise.
Joss called the kitchen and asked them to prepare a basket. He could grab a blanket from the apartment.
When he reached the apartment, Minnie had changed into leggings and one of those boyfriend flannels she’d bought online. “Is this all right?” she asked. “Or do I need to wear something nicer?”
He shook his head. “It’s perfect. I’ll change, and then we’ll go.”
Despite having slept on the couch since Minnie moved in, his things were all still in the bedroom. After changing into some jeans and an untucked, collared shirt, he grabbed an older blanket out of the closet.
He sat on the chair in the living area and slid on his trainers. After tying them, he stood and held out a hand. “Ready?”
“Sure.” She put her hand in his and let him help her to her feet.
Once in the hall, he linked their fingers as they took a back way to the kitchen. He didn’t tell her where they were going. Outside the kitchen, he had her sit down and went inside. He didn’t think she knew where they were.
The chef didn’t have a basket for him, but did have a bag. That would help with the surprise aspect of it. Joss tucked the blanket on top.
Back in the hall, he helped Minnie to her feet again then to a side door out to the gardens. “So, show me where we’re getting married.”
Minnie looked around. “Uh, I’m not sure I know how to get there from here. Where’s the main entrance where I came out with Rosie? It’s near where their wedding was.”
Joss chuckled. “It is a bit of a maze.” He led her to the spot where the wedding had been held. “Now where?”
Minnie laughed and tugged on his hand. “This way.”