Stealing Kisses With a King (Kings of Carolina #3)- Sylvie Stewart Page 0,69
with herself.
“But… but…”
“Close your mouth before a gnat flies in, Malcolm.” That from my father, who didn’t even bother looking up from his sodding book.
“So, you have no issues with me pursuing a relationship with Alice? My assistant, Alice? Alice Williams?” I needed to make certain we were not only on the same page, but the same sentence. This was too easy to be real.
Mother set down her teacup and held my eyes. “She’s quite suitable. She’s smart, well-mannered, she has a level head to balance yours, a proven loyalty to the crown, she’s dedicated to whatever task she undertakes, and she has a wonderful habit of avoiding undesirable attention.”
My nose wrinkled. “You make her sound boring.”
“Not at all. I’m merely pointing out the ways in which she’s a suitable partner for a king. For you. Did you want me to disapprove?”
I scratched at my jaw. “No. Not really. But I will say I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t get to deliver my speech.” I was so looking forward to pounding my fist on the table and taking on the classic children’s anthem of “You’re not the boss of me!” Oh well. It was probably better this way.
My parents wisely refrained from enquiring further about the speech. “I’ll extend an invitation to her for tea after the coronation is over and things settle down,” Queen Elsie informed me.
And that had been it. No battle royale, no dramatic oaths to abdicate the throne in the name of love, no tense silence or even the barest tone of strife. If I weren’t so relieved, I’d have been most unhappy.
“I’ll go first,” Ruby volunteered, shoving Alice behind Leo instead and stripping off her t-shirt to reveal a bright red bikini underneath.
When Leo noticed Nolan looking a bit too long at his girlfriend, he decided for all of us who’d go first by throwing Nolan over himself, a satisfied smile settling over his face as Nolan’s scream faded and we heard a loud splash. It was followed quickly by some very creative cursing.
“See, he’s fine.” I shrugged at Alice, who was trying and failing to hide her amusement.
“I’ll take the towels down to the bottom,” Clara volunteered. She was home from uni until after the coronation, and we still had a lot of catching up to do. But, just like everyone else, she’d been right on board the Malcolm and Alice train. Had my nature been more glass half empty, I would have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead, I was basking in the rightness of it all.
Leo chose to be a slobbering romantic and insisted he and Ruby jump together while holding hands, and then it was just Alice and me.
“I’m still scared.” She bit her lip.
“Of what?” I asked as she allowed me to strip her of her cover-up. The swimsuit beneath was modest, to be sure, as it was a classic Alice suit, but I found it sexy nonetheless.
“Of dying.”
I bent to kiss her collarbone and noticed her nipples pucker under the tight fabric of her suit. “Would I ever endanger your life?”
She dipped her chin and pulled me up by my ears. “You do every time we ride in a car together.”
I laughed. “Very funny. I’m an excellent driver. Now, what have we learned?”
She squinted. “That rocks are hard and water drowns people.”
“No. I can’t believe I have to tell you this.” I straightened again and grabbed her by the hands. “Belly breathing, understanding where your fear comes from, imagining each step in your mind from start to finish. Need I go on?”
We’d run through the gamut of anxiety-easing techniques, racking up an impressive five successful public addresses thus far, and my confidence grew by the day. I was convinced Alice was the magic ingredient.
“Right. Okay.” She closed her eyes and did a few rounds of breathing.
“If I can get up in front of the nation and deliver a speech, you can jump off a rock.”
Her eyes opened and searched my face, a gorgeous smile settling on her lips. “Fair enough.” She removed her glasses and handed them to me before shocking me by bolting forward and hurling her tiny body off the rock. Her scream was the loudest of everyone’s, and I followed immediately after, howling as I descended until I landed with a splash and surfaced again. Alice’s smile was the first thing I saw.
“I did it! That was amazing!” She swiped at her eyes to clear the water.