“And I want to be with you. That’s the simple part.” I brush a strand of hair from his forehead. “The rest—the logistics, the politics, the public opinion—that’s just noise. Important noise we have to deal with, but still just noise.”
He reaches up, capturing my hand and bringing it to his lips. “When you put it that way, it almost sounds manageable.”
“It is. We’ll figure it out as we go.” I lean down to kiss him, a gentle press of lips that carries promise rather than heat. “One day at a time, remember?”
He smiles against my mouth. “One day at a?—”
The door to his quarters’ burst open without warning, slamming against the wall with a bang that has us both jolting upright.
“Leo, you won’t believe what that insufferable woman—“ Kit stops mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she takes in the scene before her—her brother and me, clearly naked beneath hastily pulled-up sheets, looking like guilty teenagers caught by a parent.
I will not think about the used condoms beside the bed. I will not think about the used condoms myQueenis looking at.
For a moment, the three of us are frozen in tableau, the silence almost comical in its awkwardness.
Then, to my astonishment, the Queen of Astipia simply waves a dismissive hand and continues as if she hasn’t interrupted her brother in bed with his lover.
“Never mind that,” she says, waddling further into the room, one hand supporting her heavily pregnant belly. “Did you know Jane Beesley has been meeting privately with mining executives for months? Months, Leo! Before any of our discussions even started!”
Leo blinks, clearly struggling to shift mental gears. “Kit, could you possibly?—”
“Jonathan found out from one of his sources in Parliament.” She paces now, her usually stoic composure nowhere to be seen as she gestures wildly. “They’ve been planning to stonewall us all along! They never intended to compromise!”
I pull the sheet a little higher, fighting the urge to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The Queen of Astipia is ranting about politics while her brother and I are naked in bed, and she hasn’t even acknowledged it.
“That’s... concerning,” Leo manages, shooting me a helpless look. “But perhaps we could discuss it after?—”
“After what?” Kit demands, turning back to face us with her hands on her hips. Then, as if suddenly remembering the situation, she gives us both a quick once-over. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. We shared baths until we were eight.”
“I wasn’t in those baths,” I point out, unable to help myself.
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. Five minutes to get decent, then we’re discussing this. This is too important to wait.”
With that, she turns and waddles toward the door, muttering under her breath about “politicians” and “useless fools.” Just before she reaches the exit, she pauses, turning back.
“Though I will say thanks,” she adds with a sudden grin. “Charlotte owes me twenty pounds.”
“You bet on us?” Leo asks, sounding mortified.
“Of course we did. The pining was unbearable.” She smirks. “Five minutes, brother mine.” The door closes behind her with a decisive click.
Leo collapses back against the pillows with a groan. “Well, that was humiliating.”
I can’t help it—I start to laugh, the tension of the moment breaking into unexpected mirth. After a second, Leo joins me, his embarrassment giving way to the genuine absurdity of what just happened.
“Did my sister, the Queen of Astipia, just catch us in bed together and immediately start complaining about the Prime Minister?” he asks between chuckles.
“She did.” I wipe at my eyes, still laughing. “And apparently she and Charlotte had a wager on when we’d get together.”
“God, my family is impossible.” He sits up, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I suppose we should get dressed before Her Majesty returns and starts discussing fiscal policy while we’re in the shower.”
Five minutes later, hastily dressed and still slightly dishevelled, we join Kit in Leo’s sitting room. She’s made herself comfortable on the sofa, a pot of tea and several folders spread on the table before her.
“Finally,” she says, looking up from a document. “I was beginning to think I’d need to send in a search party.”
“You gave us five minutes,” Leo points out, settling into an armchair across from her. “And you might have knocked.”
“I’m the Queen, I never knock,” she says, as if that explains everything. “Besides, it’s an emergency.”
