Erich’s face scrunched in confusion. “How can anyone be an illegitimate uncle? That doesn’t even make sense.”
He was too cute. Too sweet. Too perfect.
This was all too much. I couldn’t spend this kind of time with him. We had sex, then we went our separate ways. We never just hung out. “I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll probably see you at breakfast.”
That was the nicest way I could kick him out of the room. I mean, not that I wanted him to go, but he was incredibly distracting. If he didn’t go, I’d likely be late for breakfast and late to start my day. Cort was a stickler for schedules, or rather, his assistant was.
Erich stood up. The covers remained in a ball on top of the bed. I would have to sort them out after he left. I never left my bed unmade. I didn’t want to make more work for the staff.
Of course, I would be making more work for them, because I needed my sheets washed.
Eric gripped the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. His lips pressed against mine, and I melted into him. I sighed against his lips, letting myself get lost in his touch.
“I’ll see you later. I’m going to be in the country for the next month, maybe two. Hopefully longer, if I can convince Cort to quit sending me all over God’s green earth.”
“I’m thinking of putting in my notice.” I had not been thinking anything of the kind. The words spilled out of me without thought. If Erich was nearby because he wasn’t traveling, there was no way I could resist him. The only reason this worked was because he was gone so often. I missed him when he wasn’t around, but it was better this way. He was too tempting this close. “I’ve definitely overstayed my welcome here.”
That was definitely true.
“That could never happen,” Erich said. His hand was still behind my neck, and he squeezed softly. “You know we’re happy to have you, right?”
That was what everyone told me. But surely in some corner of the palace, someone was whispering about how I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t worthy of everything they were offering me.
“You should consider staying.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.
That was what my brother told me every time I brought up moving.
“I will,” I said. “I mean, I have the courses to finish, after all. I’ll at least finish out the year and see about transferring credits.”
Erich smiled and didn’t call me out on that bullshit lie. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he said, and he kissed me again.
Chapter 7
Erich
Three Months Prior
After a long day of travel, followed by a long day of spending time out with my family smiling and talking with citizens of Swena, I was exhausted. Minus the hour I had gotten to spend with Jacques the night before, I had not had a moment to myself, and I desperately needed one.
But still, when my parents informed me that we were having a family dinner in the informal dining room, I couldn’t resist, nor did I want to. I couldn’t say no. One didn’t just say no to theformer king and king consort of Swena. Not when they laid on the guilt trip thick with talk of how long it had been since they last saw all their children in one place.
Having dinner in the informal dining room still meant that it was a catered affair, with servants delivering the meal. It was just more low-key than if we were in the formal dining room. Cort and Thomas wouldn’t wear their crowns. No one outside the family would be there. It was just us.
It also meant that I could arrive just a little bit late without getting the third degree. That didn’t stop my omega father from shooting me a glare when I walked in. Everyone was already seated at the long table. The twenty-foot table was a gift from Italy sometime during the 1800’s. It used to be in the formal dining room, but as the family grew, we needed a larger one, so this table was moved and we had another table designed and built by a local artisan. As a child, I didn’t understand why we needed something so grand, just for us. But now, as an adult sitting at a table with my four brothers and their spouses, plus the children, I could see why a twenty-foot table was necessary. Actually, it was a little cramped. The waitstaff worked like hell getting all of the place settings lined up with so many of us.
I was happy to see that Jacques was here with us. He was sitting to the right of His Royal Highness Thomas, helping to fasten the bib on the baby. Little Markus waved his hands and babbled at his uncle and father. Thomas pushed Jaq’s hands away and shook his head, telling him something I couldn’t hear—hopefully telling him that he wasn’t on duty. This was family time, and Thomas and Cort didn’t need him watching over their children.
Jaq should be able to just enjoy the meal without thinking of it as work time.
“So nice of you to grace us with your presence,” Iain said to me as I sat down.
“Yeah, where you been, loser?” Kalwin chimed in, ever the one to follow royal protocol. His husband, Bren, elbowed him in the side.
“Is this how you want your children to talk to one another?” Bren said.
I shot my brother a look. “I think you’ve been hanging out with your American husband too much. Perhaps spending too much time living in that apartment of yours, pretending to be a commoner.”
Kalwin lifted his roll off his plate and made like he was going to throw it at me.
