Page 38 of Falling for the King

‘I’d listen to the sounds of the forest, I’d watch the sunrise from one balcony and the sunset from the other. In between all that I’d get my long-neglected sketch pad out and draw. And I wouldn’t have to worry about dressing up, or make-up, or having my hair done.’

‘You sketch?’

He watched her like he was seeing past her shyness, past Katerina the heiress, the princess, to the real her … and found her fascinating. A frisson of something stronger and deeper than desire charged through her—connection. And she’d never felt anything like it.

With shaky hands she lifted her drink to her lips buying some time so she wouldn’t reveal her feelings. Taking a sip then another she rubbed a finger across her lips.

Xavier remained motionless except for his eyes which tracked her every move.

‘Badly and not for years,’ she answered husky and high losing the battle to hide her reaction.

‘Why?’

‘Because it’s a hobby not a necessity. I’ll take it up again one day.’ She went to rub a hand over her neck then remembered she’d worn something different today, lower, more fitted. She dropped her hand again and returned it to her mug.

‘When you have more time?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And you haven’t been to the eco lodge that’s captured your imagination for years, for the same reason?’

‘Partly, I came across the details right after I met Max and imagined it as part of our honeymoon. Max had other ideas and since then, I’ve been busy with other things.’

‘Like your duties and studies?’

‘Yes, but you make them sound like a hardship when they’re not, they’re just … tiring at times.’

‘Only at times? Not constantly?’ he asked with a hint of a grin.

Katerina felt an answering one pull at her lips. ‘That I refuse to answer and you can hardly preach to me about this when you’re as bad as me, which is exactly where this conversation started.’

All teasing left his demeanour. ‘I acknowledge that but I want you to go to places that bring you pleasure, do things that bring you joy. Promise me you’ll go, you’ll take some time out and soon.’

‘I’ll think about it, Xavier, I’ll see how I can make it work.’

He opened his mouth to what. Argue? Agree? Then closed it again and jerked back in his seat.

She took another sip of her hot chocolate and Xavier did the same as silence settled between them.

‘Why boarding school in England?’ he asked finally as she finished her drink and placed it on the table ready to leave. ‘That’s a long way from home.’

Surprised he’d asked a question, like her he’d have an endless list of things to do. Yet maybe like her he’d found sitting here together talking … enjoyable, freeing, fascinating. And maybe like her he didn’t want this to end. Or maybe she was reading too much into it, either way she didn’t want to be anywhere but here listening to him talk about the experiences growing up that had shaped him, and enjoying sharing her past with him. Now the floodgates had been opened she’d wanted to tell him how she’d felt, really felt, not the official version when she’d been sent off halfway around the globe by her father.

‘It was, at the time it felt like total rejection. I mean I already lived separately to Dad. I saw him regularly, I’d either visit him at whichever casino penthouse he was using as his base or he’d come to the ranch to see me. But being sent to the other side of the world—’ she lifted her eyes to find his pinned on her, ‘—that I couldn’t understand.’ She sighed long and deep. ‘Looking back, I realise sending me to such a prestigious school was a sign of his success, he needed people to know he’d made it.’

‘That should have never surpassed his duty as your father.’

‘It shouldn’t have but I don’t think he really knew what to do with me. I was so different to him. He liked that my grades were good yet despaired that I was studious and introverted. He used to call me Goody as in goody two shoes. My only true rebellion was when I was seventeen and I went through his personal papers to find anything I could about my mother. He’d always refused to talk about her, I’d never even seen a picture of her, the only thing I knew was her name and that’s because it’s on my birth certificate. He caught me in the act and was furious, beyond furious.’

‘Did he hurt you?’

‘No, not physically anyway. It was the only time he’d ever been truly angry at me. Disappointed yes, bemused definitely, but not furious.’ She shrugged. ‘He wanted to know why I couldn’t be a normal teenager and get drunk, go to wild parties and sneak out to be with a guy. None of which I was interested in, I wanted to know about my mother.’

She’d never told anyone about that day not her friends or even Mrs BC. It hadn’t even occurred to her to share it with Max. In retrospect there’d never been any real depth to their relationship, she’d been woefully gullible and even now it hurt to think how much so.

‘That’s perfectly normal to want to find out about your mother.’

She nodded although it had taken her a long time to come to terms with that.