YENA

I woke to the sounds of Nolan moving around. It was still pitch dark like the middle of the night, but I checked my phone and saw it was almost five in the morning.

He was in his walk-in closet, getting dressed. Trying to be quiet.

Half-asleep still, I closed my eyes. He walked back into the bedroom and I smelled his scent. It was like sandalwood and salty sea air.

It drove me crazy, the smell of him. Made me feel like I was slipping back into a dream.

Nolan thought I was asleep. He approached my bedside quietly.

I felt his presence and relished it. Listened to the slow pattern of his breathing. When he finally reached out and stroked my cheek, I rolled onto my back and let his thumb fall into my open mouth.

I sucked on it sleepily.

Nolan dug his fingers into my cheek, squeezing my face. A very quiet growl came from deep in his throat.

I took his hand and moved it down my chest.

He pulled it away.

Then he brought his face very close to mine and whispered in my ear, calling me a bad girl.

He said, “I’ll fuck you later, Princess.” And gave me a tiny, playful slap on the face.

I pulled him in for a kiss. He indulged me just a moment. Then begged me to let him go so he wouldn’t be late, and I released him.

I couldn’t get back to sleep after he disappeared into the dark.

It was a still and quiet morning. Felt strange to not hear any sounds of storm outside. No distant growl of thunder, no howling winds.

So I heard when light footsteps came pattering down the big, echoey hallway, and paused outside the bedroom door, probably an hour later.

I could tell it was the deaconess.

She was deciding whether to knock. Listening for sounds of movement and not sure if she should disturb me. Probably holding something in her arms and thinking about how much she would prefer to be done with her chore now and not have to return later to let me sleep in.

I slipped out of bed and cleared my throat, making sure she heard me. And shrugged a robe around my shoulders on the way to the door.

Smiling, Rafaela brought in a tray of coffee, pastries, and strawberries. Then she handed me a white envelope. I turned it over and immediately recognized the imprint in the gold wax seal.

Luna was inviting Nolan and me to an early dinner this evening. I sighed.

That meant I’d be spending my morning and afternoon getting presentable for her. Hair, nails, makeup, the works. I’d learned early it was best to look your best for her.

NOLAN

The prince closed the car door behind him and leaned back in his seat but did not relax yet. He waited till they were on the highway before he let out a noisy exhale and wrung his face in his hands.

He chugged half a bottle of water. Then splashed some on his face and wiped it dry with a handkerchief.

That was all the break Nolan needed. He planned to use the rest of the drive for a couple phone calls that he needed to make before the dinner meeting with his mother.

He plugged his phone into the charger in the armrest. And then saw a text from Gina that was arriving right as he unlocked the screen.

Hey stranger. Can we talk soon?

He shook his head and whispered something under his breath that he was not proud of calling a woman.

Then he typed back to her quickly.

Talked about this before, Gina. You and I have nothing to discuss.

He paused for a long minute with his thumb hovering over the send button.

He was remembering the wakeup call he had, up in the tower.

Nolan needed to be careful about everything he did and said right now. That meant trusting no one.

Except Yena.

But no one else.

Nolan could not be sure about Gina’s motivations for contacting him constantly in the years since their teen romance flamed out and ended abruptly.

She was the one who broke things off. But that did not mean he missed her afterward.

She had turned into a needy nuisance, always asking Nolan for money, or an introduction to someone, or some other favor.

He had been indulging Gina’s requests for years, because it was easier than arguing with her. Nolan knew now that had been a mistake.

But now, Yena was involved. That factor made any continued contact with Gina a bigger problem than ever.

Nolan considered the text message one last time.

He deleted it and called Gina instead. Better not to give her something she could screenshot and end up using against him.

She picked up right away, sounding happy.

“I’m not calling to chat, Gina,” Nolan said, skipping the formality of a hello.

“Oh,” she replied. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes. We discussed this before.” He kept his voice even.

Gina sighed dramatically.

“It is inappropriate for you to contact me,” he continued. “Whatever your reason. I’m not interested in hearing it and must ask you again to leave me alone.”

“Nolan,” Gina whispered. “Don’t talk to me like that. We’ve known each other for so long.”

“And we do not know each other anymore. You ended our relationship years ago, and I regret that I continued to speak with you afterward at all.”

Then Gina was quiet.

Nolan could tell he had hit his target with that one.

“I’m hanging up now,” he said.

“Don’t!” she cried out.

Nolan held his hand over the microphone and exhaled through clenched teeth.

Then he told her, calmly, “Gina, it’s beneath you to act like this.”

“I have to tell you something, Nolan,” she said frantically. “And I have to tell you in person.”

“I’m sorry, Gina,” he said. “Goodbye.”

And he hung up.

He glanced at his watch and grimaced.

Nolan now only had time to complete just one of his business calls in the privacy of the car.

He conducted the other one while walking through the palace and ended the conversation in a hurry just as he approached the prince and princess’s bedroom suite.

Yena was standing in front of a mirror when he walked in.

She was dressed and ready for dinner. And looking beautiful as always.

“Hi,” she said sweetly, making eye contact with Nolan in the mirror.

He saw she was working on putting on the gold necklace he had given her. He went over to help and hooked the clasp together quickly.

Before Yena could let her hair fall back down over her shoulder, Nolan leaned in and pressed his mouth and nose to her neck.

He breathed in her scent. And felt his temperature rise.

“Hey,” Yena said, pushing his lips away with a single, gentle finger.

His eyes snapped up to meet hers in the mirror again.

“No time,” she said. “You need to get ready. And you should probably shave, too.”

Nolan looked at his reflection and saw she was right.

He buried his face in her neck for just one more moment, rubbing his stubble beard against her skin and making her giggle. Then he kissed her once. And hurried off to get ready.

For whatever his mother had in store for them tonight.