ROMEThree days since the King died, we barely talked. I missed her, but I also had a job to do. I just came back from a business trip and hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours. I couldn’t even take a nap. All I could think of was her cries. I hoped and prayed she was okay.Everything must be foreign to her since she’d been away for years. I wondered if they treated her right, but I knew her brother would take care of her no matter what that the King had decided for her future. Her father, now the King, just gave a speech in line with his father’s death. I saw the resemblance between Prince Thayer and Carly. And I still pinched myself every now and then that my girlfriend was a princess.My new assistant walked with the file in her grasp.“What the hell is that?”“The report you asked me for, sir.”“I needed that three hours ago, Aryan. And why it’s still in your hand?”“Sorry, sir.” She quickly handed it to me, and she almost tripped. “Careful.”“Sorry, sir.”“I don’t need your apolo

CARLY “I am still talking to Langston!” I glared at my brother, who had just snatched the phone from me. “Why would you do that? The palace is doing you a favor, sister.” He turned off my phone. “It’s a death trap for Langston. I can’t just force him to marry me. I’m not like you, Thay.” He arched a brow. “He will still be here. Trust me because it’s how he feels about you. He is tenacious. Nothing can stop him if he wants something. I believe you know it by now.” “You don’t know that.” I just wiped my tears and asked him to return my phone. Instead, he slipped it into his pocket. “I do know him better than anyone. I see myself in him once that I would do anything to be with the person I love.” “I don’t think so.” I hit him in the arm. “He won’t waste his time kidnapping me, you prick.” He just laughed at my outburst. “I love you, Carlott, so much that I want you to be happy for the last time. Rome is the man who can give you eternal happiness. The palace did you a favor, and

CARLY It was warm in the cabin, and I could see the snow falling outside. It felt like the holiday season right here. It was pretty romantic. We just had amazing sex. Then we cuddled on the sofa with our hot chocolate and watched a football match. “So, this is like a big deal here, huh?” He sipped his hot choco. “Yup, just like coffee and milk teas. Here you can find hot choco in a lot of varieties.” “Hmm.” “What does hmm even mean?” “I could live with it.” “You’re a guy who drinks black and isn’t fond of dessert but likes chocolates?” “Who doesn’t like chocolates, Storm?” “Come on. You can’t just be that guy.” He looked down at me, meeting my gaze. “Tell me what’s bothering you?” Rome felt it— he felt that I was hiding something from him, and one thing I loved about him— he cared and asked, but he didn’t push. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head as I curled into him. “My father paid you a visit?” “Well, when we arrived at the airport, we

CARLY “Babe?” “Hmm.” Rome was tracing kisses on my tummy under the blanket. We just made love. My body was still buzzing after my most intense orgasm. And here he was, trying to put me back on track. If there was one thing he was good at, it was sneaking out. He told me his friends made a diversion so no one would notice him visiting me. “I’m serious, Langston.” “So do I? What is it all about?” He threw the blanket over his shoulder, meeting my gaze. “What did you and my father talk about?” Groaning, he moved to my side, pulling me close to him so I could rest my head on his shoulder. “Sweetheart, I did not even stay five minutes inside the study to talk about a lot of things. First, he told me about the rich history of the desk. He might have seen my reaction because the desk is actually pretty cool. It was a fine desk. Maybe I should order one like that from a carver.” “Enough about the desk, Romare.” I snapped. He laughed softly. “You never called me by my name. You said i

CARLY “You’ve been working hard since you came back. You need a break.” Kennedy was right. I worked literally seven days a week. I had not done visiting the charities and was still doing royal engagements, attending galas and parties for almost a month. I needed to make up and catch up on the years I lost. And I had not seen Rome. I missed him so much but needed to get my mind off him for a while since it was impossible for us to meet. We talked every night, and it was daytime in the U.S. We chatted, talked over the phone, and Facetimed. And he’d been patient and understanding. I didn’t know how I remained sane despite my busy life. I managed to balance my sleep, my time with Rome, even long-distance, and my work. I traveled a lot as well. When you loved somebody, you would do everything to make your relationship pan out— I kept that in mind. And I was grateful there was no selfishness between us. We gave, and we took. “I’m only taking a rest once I’m with Rome.” I rubbed her g