Chapter 43

Nolan answered the phone immediately, before the first ring could trill all the way through. That was a first.

“Nolan,” I said when he picked up.

Then I realized I didn’t even know where to start.

“I know,” he replied. “I am sorry about the post, but Yena, please let me tell you congratulations first. I am so proud of you.”

“Thanks,” I said, “but seriously, why did you do that?”

“I don’t know. It was an impulse. But I… I don’t regret it.”

“You don’t?” Now I was starting to get irritated.

I was still in the car with Lucy, who could not hide the fact that she was loving life in this instant. She was eating chocolate covered strawberries like it was her job and listening to my phone call on the edge of her seat.

I put it on speakerphone. She could hear most everything anyway.

“What I mean is,” Nolan continued, “you’re more ready for this than you realize. And I can help you, any way you need.”

“I am not ready to start a business, Nolan,” I snapped at him.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “You are. You’re just doubting yourself.”

Lucy looked at me and nodded enthusiastically.

I gave her a look that I hoped she’d understand meant, Do not get in the middle of this.

She put another strawberry in her mouth in response, so I think she got the message.

“I don’t know anything about running a business,” I told Nolan. “And I only just started studying design. I have so much to learn before I could even think about—”

Nolan interrupted. “You can keep learning. You can still go to school, and we can work on the business together.”

I paused. It surprised me to hear him saying he wanted to start a business with me. I wondered if it was something he could ever actually have time for.

I had more questions, but now was not the time. I told him we would talk more about it later at dinner.

NOLAN

Nolan wrapped his arm around Yena the moment she stepped out of the car. He held her close to him as they walked into the restaurant. They were near the coast, and the salty air was bitingly cold.

She was not nearly as mad at him as he had been expecting. But the night was still young.

They sat in a small, private dining room with a big window, through which they had a dramatic view of the cliffs and ocean below.

“This is beautiful,” Yena said breathily, after they sat down.

“I’m glad you like it,” Nolan replied with a smile.

He selected a bottle of sparkling wine and a waiter poured them two glasses.

“To you,” Nolan said, raising his glass. “Congratulations on the first of your many big successes.”

Yena tapped her glass into his and they drank.

“Nolan,” she said as she set her glass back on the table. “What are we doing?”

His mouth was busy sipping wine, so he raised his eyebrows in response.

“Why would you even want me to start a business right now? Why would you want to help me with it? Why… is this important to you?”

He set his glass down and thought carefully about what to say next.

“Because I believe in you,” he said. “I care about you, and I want you to be happy.”

She looked a little bit pleased and a little bit doubtful.

“I can’t do it though,” she replied.

Just then the waiter reappeared, bringing them a basket full of fresh bread, steaming hot from the oven. He set it on the table along with two little bowls of butter, two glasses of water, and two small salads.

Yena started eating and waited for Nolan to reply.

“You can do it,” he said earnestly. “I saw the work the other students in your school are doing. You are so far beyond them.”

She didn’t look up at him.

“I don’t want to discourage you from continuing your education,” Nolan continued. “You should stay in school if that’s what you really want. But I know you’re better than them already.”

She took a long drink of her wine.

“Yena, your dedication and natural talent are unmatched. You could do anything you set your mind to. If you act now, you can start living your dream, and that’s all I want for you.”

A little glisten of tears appeared in her eyes, and Yena cracked a hesitant smile.

She looked at him and said, “That was a pretty convincing speech.”

“I meant it,” he said. “And I will support you every step of the way, with whatever you need. I promise.”

Nolan reached across the table and took her hand. He felt her pulse quickening in her wrist.

Just feeling Yena’s heart beating was enough to give him a fast, wild vision of throwing this table aside and climbing on top of her right here in the restaurant.

He gave her a smile instead.

Yena looked into his eyes, and he got the feeling she was reading his mind. She stroked his hand lightly and sent a shiver up his arm.

Then she cleared her throat and finished off her wine.

“I’ll do it,” she said, looking down at the table. “But I really will need your help.”

YENA

I didn’t want to encourage Nolan to do something like this again. But I could admit it privately to myself.

I was really excited about starting my own clothing line.

I hadn’t thought about this before, but now that the fashion show was over, I really did need something to do. Classes would be ending soon, and what else was I going to do? Draw lots of sketches and wait around for the new semester to start?

I would never have started a business so young, if it weren’t for Nolan. But that’s what he did. He kept changing my life.

So far, everything he had done for me had made my life better.

And since Nolan promised he would help and support me, I knew this could be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Money was not an issue for royalty, that was for sure. But I still hadn’t adjusted to the concept of having it in endless supply. It never occurred to me before now that my marriage gave me unlimited access to any resources I needed, for whatever I wanted.

It was hard to wrap my mind around.

When we got back to the palace, Nolan held my hand while we walked to our suite.

We got inside and he could not wait. He locked the door behind us and then started working my dress up over my head a fraction of a second later.

Nolan picked me up and kissed me while walking over to the bed. He laid me down and hovered his body over mine for a moment, like he wanted to be gentle.

I spread my legs to let him know I was ready.

He sat back and unbuttoned his shirt slowly, giving me an intense look. I was getting wetter every second.

Then he unzipped his pants. But left them on. He ran his hands up my thighs and touched me right where I wanted him to, and I couldn’t stay still any longer.

I reached out for him and tried to pull his face up to mine for another kiss.

He shook his head. Then bowed it to kiss me somewhere else.

I just about fainted. He licked me all over, and even put his tongue inside me a little. It just made me hungrier.

I begged him for more.