our departure tomorrow, ma’am.”
“Then I’ll say good night.”
Astrid dropped a curtsey. “Goodnight, ma’am.”
Both she and Jack waited until the Queen had closed the door before Jack held out his arm for her to proceed him. His hand was steady on her lower back, but not inappropriate in any way.
“Are you ready for dinner?”
“I am. I hardly touched my meal at the ball.” She had been too busy fending off that old pervert and watching the people in the room to eat more than a few bites. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, I thought as it’s a nice night we’d take a picnic down to the beach. It’s lit from the grounds above and will give us a chance to talk in peace.”
She glanced down at her pale blue satin dress that fell to the floor in an A-line with only the slightest embellishment on the v-neckline. “That sounds lovely, but we aren’t exactly dressed for the beach.”
“You look stunning, Astrid, like a princess.”
She’d heard more than her share of compliments over the years but somehow coming from Jack, who was usually snarling at her, it meant so much more.
“Okay who are you and what have you done with Jack Granger?”
His warm chuckle was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard and instantly had her smiling, and her body prickling with desire.
“I deserved that. I’ve been a bit of an asshole lately.”
“Lately? Buddy, since we met, all you’ve done is glare and snarl at me and call me annoying.”
They moved down the path towards the beach after Jack picked up a hamper from the kitchen and Astrid removed her shoes, not wanting to take a swan dive over the cliff in her heels.
“I know, and I apologise for that.”
As they reached the beach Astrid saw a small fire had been lit and wondered who Jack had asked to do that for him. Certainly, none of his men. She watched Jack pull some slack into his pressed trousers before folding his large body to the ground. They settled on the warm sand side by side, and Astrid drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Tipping her head back, she let the breeze blow her hair and took in the scent of the sea air mixed with the cologne Jack wore. It was becoming her favourite scent in the world.
“I thought you hated the sea.” Laying her head on her knees, she angled her head towards him as he drew food from the basket and was surprised to see two fully loaded burgers with fries.
“I do, but I thought this was a way to replace a bad memory with a good one.”
“I like that idea.”
He handed her a wrapped burger and a napkin. “I think I might love you right now.” She saw Jack go ashen at her words and grinned. “For the burger. I’m so sick of fancy food.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I bet.”
Astrid took a bite and moaned at the flavours. “Oh my God, this is so good.”
Jack fidgeted next to her, and she stopped, seeing him watching her with naked desire on his face. She swallowed the food and fought the urge to throw herself at him. So many times she’d found herself thinking of scenarios where she and Jack were alone and the sexual tension would get the better of them, but she’d honestly never thought it could happen.
Perhaps that was why she was scared now it was happening. It had been safe before, and now it wasn’t, because he wanted her too and was willing to act on it.
“You can’t moan like that if you want me to stay sane.”
She licked the juice from the burger off her fingers and placed it on the wax paper someone had wrapped it in before looking at Jack. “Why not?”
“Because when you do, all I can imagine is you naked with my hands on you, my tongue tasting every part of your sinful body.”
Astrid knew it would only take the slightest bit of encouragement and she could take what she wanted from him. Feel his body over her, inside her, making her come, but what would he take in return? She was scared to find out because he could leave her devasted, and she couldn’t take that right now, especially not tonight. “Okay, Jack.”
She turned back to her food and kept her moans to herself, the taste not quite as good as before now her belly was full of desire, and images of Jack taking her how she