ROME I packed another bag with my new sets of clothes. When I went down, Linden had just arrived with my friends. They wore the same suit. “Wow. Isn’t that too much?” “Too much? You should have seen your lobby.” Kye showed me the live footage outside the building. He was right. There were at least thirty heads in the lobby, and I bet a few more outside waiting for me. It was shocking how people were so interested in royal romance. They still believed in fairy fucking tales. “Whether you like it or not, you have to write our cheque,” Kye added. I snorted. “I thought we were friends, asshole.” “You’re kidding. But I can’t wait to see Triberean,” Sax said. “I thought they call themselves Caprean,” Kye told Sax. “Caprean is like pure blood. Tribereans are mix and modern.” I watched Zee and Linden as they planned on the laptop. “Have you talked to Carly— Princess Carlott?” I looked at Sax. “Yeah. Just right after I talked to Linden. Why?” “Did she tell you how the media got
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
ROME The late King was placed to rest. Still, I was having a hard time wrapping things around my head. We just arrived at the Guardion via the fastest train from Winterbourn. It only took one hour and fifteen minutes, but it felt like twelve hours. Her details were a pain in my ass as if I was planning on kidnapping the princess. Then she drove the pretty vintage car, her details, and my friends were tailing us in the SUVs. “You’ve been silent throughout the ride.” What did she want me to say? “Dating a princess comes with a lot of security details and less privacy.” “I’m so sorry.” She looked at me and held my hand. “Eyes on the road, princess. Why can’t you even let me drive?” “It’s customary.” “Customary?” I scoffed and was confused. “You are my guest. We’re not yet married. And also, I missed this car.” “Jesus. Are we allowed to sit at the back together?” “Yes. No problem.” “And I haven’t kissed you.” Her lips spread into a smile. “What? I can’t kiss you too?”
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
ROME I worked on my laptop and ignored my faces on TV as they watched the local and international news. Thankfully, it was just news briefs, and they focused on the plans for the coronation of the new King. While Carly was back to do her duty, I made money. I kept in contact with my new assistant, updating my schedule and itinerary. “Jesus. Are they also interested in knowing the size of his dick?” Kye reacted. “The Princess won’t be so thrilled,” Sax replied. “I guess that is his life now, always under the public eye.” Zee joined them. “This will be over. It just happened the Princess made a comeback, The Late King passed away, and the new King took over the throne. This will go back to normal, bro.” Linden slapped my shoulder. “Everything won’t be back to normal,” I finally said a word. “I love Carly.” They whistled. “What?” I stared at them one by one. “You just said it loud, but we’ve known since you walked into that restaurant, remember?” Of course. How can I forget?
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
ROME She loves me. And I just sat there and did nothing. I wished I could turn back the time, grab her head, kiss her so hard and tell her I loved her more than I had shown her. We landed earlier, and I couldn’t get a hold of Carly— I already missed her. Zee drove me to Mom’s house, and I knew we were all tired. Linden and the other guys went home. “Go home, Zee. Take a day or two off.” “You need a bodyguard, Rome.” “I’ll call Cade. Go and see Heera. I’m sure she’s waiting for you.” He nodded. “But if you need me, I’ll be there ASAP.” “Okay.” Mom surprised me in her living room. “What are you doing here, Rome?” “I missed you, too.” I opened my arms to give her a hug. “Oh, my boy. I think you are getting taller than the last I saw you.” I laughed. “Yeah, it was two weeks ago. Next week, my head will reach the roof.” “You just landed?” She saw my suitcase on the floor. It had been a while since I came home. It just, I saw Dad in every corner of this house, and it fucking
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