bad surprise to me.”
I hit him in the chest, and he pulls me into him and kisses my head.
The car turns onto the Seventy-Ninth Street Transverse that drives through Central Park. We stop halfway through the park, and Hunter gets out.
“Do you have your phone?” he asks, and I nod. “Take your picture.”
He motions behind me. When I turn around, I see we’re standing in front of Belvedere Castle.
The gray stone structure is something I’ve seen many times from the Great Lawn of the park, yet I have never been this close. I turn back to Hunter, curious as to why we’re here.
“I know it’s only a mini castle, but it wasn’t on your wall. I thought you’d like to add a new one to your collection. What do you think, kid?”
A huge smile bursts from my face. This is the most non-cliché romantic gesture a man could have made. “It’s perfect.”
I take out my phone and snap a picture, needing the flash, as the sun is quickly setting. The early sunset is the only thing I don’t like about this time of year.
I pull my coat tight against my body. “It’s a shame it’s closed. You brought me all this way for a picture. It’s very sweet.”
Hunter takes my hand and pulls me toward the entrance. “Don’t be so sure.”
We get to the entrance, and the door opens. A gentleman greets Hunter, and when they shake hands, I’m pretty sure I see at least two hundred-dollar bills in Hunter’s palm, which disappear when their hands separate.
“Thanks, Rodney,” Hunter says as he brings me inside.
“You have a half hour.” Rodney disappears, leaving Hunter and me alone.
I grab his lapel and pull him toward me. “You bribed to get us a private viewing?”
He raises a brow. “You’re not the only one who knows how to pull strings, Miss Reservation for Branson Ford at Tavern on the Green.”
With a soft kiss to my lips, he grips my hand and walks me around the space. It’s not very big, but it has that romantic, mysterious charm of all old structures. With its stone walls and slab floors, arched windows and wooden casings, it most definitely feels like the castles I visited in Europe.
Since the sun has set, there’s not much to see out the windows. He leads me up a set of narrow, winding stairs. At the top is a viewing platform. We step outside, and I’m thankful it’s not too brisk tonight.
It’s too hard to see the foreground, but I know the lake and Great Lawn are just beyond us. While we can’t see too much nearby, there is plenty to see around us.
Manhattan from this view is positively gorgeous. With a mix of skyscrapers and landmark buildings, it’s the new and old combined.
We walk up to a second platform, and the view gets even more beautiful as we take in everything from The Plaza Hotel to the Empire State Building. I’ve had my fair share of city views, but this is by far the most unique.
I’m standing by the edge, hands on the stone wall serving as a railing. Hunter glides up behind me and places his hands around my waist, pulling me in.
“When I was researching this place on the internet, I found out that Belvedere means beautiful view. The sole purpose of this place is to appreciate the city from this vantage point.”
I lean my head against his chest. “It’s perfect. Thank you for bringing me.”
He spins me around in his arms and kisses me firmly. His lips are cold, yet his mouth is hot. I bask in his warmth, grabbing his coat and pulling him in closer.
“I like making you smile,” he says.
I grin at his comment. “I thought you didn’t like my fairy tales. Bringing a girl to a castle could give her the wrong idea about there not being a Prince Charming.”
“There are no princes here. Only kings.”
“So, if you’re a king, where is your castle?”
He leans forward and kisses the skin below my ear. “Upper East Side. What do you say we go back to my place and role-play? You’ll be the damsel in distress, and I’ll be the unsavory knight who tempts you with whiskey and dirty sex.”
I pretend to mull over his proposition. “Sounds fun, but where’s the role-play?” I tease and am rewarded with another kiss.
We take another Uber to his building.
I’m not surprised when I see he has a doorman who greets him with a smile and a quick chat about