Despite the rather dramatic way in which Jackson carried me to his room, about half an hour later the vibe is very different – calm, easy and simple, honestly like we do this every night. I’m freshly showered and dressed in another ridiculously large set of his pajamas as he comes out of the bathroo
“Exactly,” Jackson says, nodding solidly as he holds my gaze. “Trust your course, Ariel. An effective military needs people with many branches of expertise. Neumann is requiring you to learn your stuff because that’s what he believes you need to know – not military strategy like the rest of us. He w
The palace is quiet as Daphne slips out, stifling a yawn as she trots down the front steps, her bag slung over her shoulder and a portfolio clutched in her arms. She shivers a bit in the cold as she hails a cab from the busy street in front of her, sending one last wistful look at the sleeping palac
“Come here, Fifs, you disaster, let poor Daphne go,” Jesse calls, holding his arms out for the baby in Daphne’s arms. He’s sitting on the floor in front of the couch now, a puzzle spread out before him, both Chase and Bella on either side of it, sorting through the pieces. Seraphina – called Fifi by
“They’re beautiful,” Rosie whispers, her voice reverent as she sorts through the pages of Daphne’s designs.“I can make you one too,” Daphne says, peeling her eyes from Jesse and leaning forward to smile at the girl before her, just on the cusp of her teenage years.Rosie squeaks with pleasure and h
“Don’t beg,” Daphne murmurs, taking a deep breath and staring at him, unblinking.“You’re not in charge, Daphne,” he whispers. “I’ll beg if I want to.”“Not proper, for a Duke to beg.”He smirks. “Depends on what he’s begging for. And whether it’s worth falling to his knees.”She laughs a little. “S
“What, you snuck out? Didn’t…tell him?” Jesse asks, his frown deepening in his confusion.“What did you want me to do,” Daphne asks, giving him a genuine grin, “go knocking on bedroom doors and wake everyone up just to tell them I’m leaving? It is very early, Jesse, even if you keep psychotic child
I gasp a little, pretending to be more scandalized than I am at his evesdropping. But then my shoulders slump and I glance over to where my parents are sitting, mom finishing up wrapping some of the presents that we’ll open tomorrow.“Luca kind of got in trouble with my dad yesterday,” I whisper, an