your family say about that? Hell, what would Marcello – your brother and my boss – think about that? They’d say we don’t have a future. They’ll ask me to leave, so you can find the man you need, the man you deserve.”
Cat wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling Edward was the man she needed, even if her mother didn’t agree. “Edward, I need to tell you something.”
His eyebrows furrowed in worry. “All right.”
“It’s about my mother.”
“Oh?”
“After Alex and Rebecca became engaged, my mother issued me an edict, of sorts.” She took a deep breath, and spoke on the exhale. “She told me that I’ve got to be at least engaged before Alex and Rebecca get married, or else.”
He blinked. “What?”
“We’ve kept it pretty well hidden from anyone outside the family. I know it sounds ridiculous–”
“That’s why you’re seeing Philip, isn’t it?” he cut in, then waited until she hesitantly nodded.
“It’s complicated. Philip is complicated.”
“Explain that. I’ve seen you with him. I can’t say you seem all that enthralled by him.”
“No. Enthralled I’m not.” She sighed.
“Jesus.” When he started to pull away, she held him close.
“I still want to give us a try.”
He shook his head. “It won’t work between us. You need to marry someone else. Your parents would really never agree to it now. And what did Queen Genevieve mean by ‘or else’?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care. No, it’s true,” she said at his disbelieving look. “I don’t care anymore.”
She tried another tactic. “You said I should be with a man I deserve. What makes you think I don’t deserve you?”
“Catharine.” He sighed. “I’m a commoner, with a less than stellar past, and you’re a princess.”
Frustration eeked through. “So what? You think I’m a stuffy princess only after someone with the ‘proper’ position or status? Do you really think me so shallow? Do you really think that Philip is more deserving of me than you?”
His hold around her tightened. “You can do better than him,” he growled.
“In four months? There’s not time, Edward. Not unless it’s us.”
She could see the indecision in his pursed lips and furrowed brows, until his expression evened out again.
“I’ll need to leave.”
“Edward, no.”
“There’s no use fighting about it. I can’t leave in the middle of our investigation into the security breach but, after that, we should consider if my leaving is the best thing for both of us.”
Cat pursed her lips and tucked her head against his neck again. Maybe what she felt with him wasn’t the same as he felt for her. She wasn’t enough for him as a woman and, as a princess, perhaps she was also too much. A lot came with being a royal, and she wasn’t ignorant. She knew they’d be judged, by her family first, then the public.
Cat was in her mid-thirties. She didn’t expect true love anymore. She just wanted to feel safe and cared for. She wanted someone she could be herself with when her day of royal duties was done.
That man might be Edward.
And she didn’t want to give him up without a fight. “You said you couldn’t stop thinking about me.”
“Catharine.”
“That means you care for me, at least a little.”
His arms gave her another squeeze. “More than a little.”
Her heart beat faster. “Then give us a chance. We’re not talking forever; we’re just talking about tomorrow.” And the day after that, and every day after that , she didn’t add.
He held her for several long moments, then kissed the crown of her head. “We should go, or you’ll be late to dinner.”
He hadn’t said yes, but he hadn’t pushed her away, either.
Progress.
She nodded against him and inhaled deep, taking in the whole of him as she did. She memorized his unique, musky scent and the way his beard scratched welcomingly against her skin. She wanted more.
If they were forced to reject each other, she’d find some way
Cat wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling Edward was the man she needed, even if her mother didn’t agree. “Edward, I need to tell you something.”
His eyebrows furrowed in worry. “All right.”
“It’s about my mother.”
“Oh?”
“After Alex and Rebecca became engaged, my mother issued me an edict, of sorts.” She took a deep breath, and spoke on the exhale. “She told me that I’ve got to be at least engaged before Alex and Rebecca get married, or else.”
He blinked. “What?”
“We’ve kept it pretty well hidden from anyone outside the family. I know it sounds ridiculous–”
“That’s why you’re seeing Philip, isn’t it?” he cut in, then waited until she hesitantly nodded.
“It’s complicated. Philip is complicated.”
“Explain that. I’ve seen you with him. I can’t say you seem all that enthralled by him.”
“No. Enthralled I’m not.” She sighed.
“Jesus.” When he started to pull away, she held him close.
“I still want to give us a try.”
He shook his head. “It won’t work between us. You need to marry someone else. Your parents would really never agree to it now. And what did Queen Genevieve mean by ‘or else’?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care. No, it’s true,” she said at his disbelieving look. “I don’t care anymore.”
She tried another tactic. “You said I should be with a man I deserve. What makes you think I don’t deserve you?”
“Catharine.” He sighed. “I’m a commoner, with a less than stellar past, and you’re a princess.”
Frustration eeked through. “So what? You think I’m a stuffy princess only after someone with the ‘proper’ position or status? Do you really think me so shallow? Do you really think that Philip is more deserving of me than you?”
His hold around her tightened. “You can do better than him,” he growled.
“In four months? There’s not time, Edward. Not unless it’s us.”
She could see the indecision in his pursed lips and furrowed brows, until his expression evened out again.
“I’ll need to leave.”
“Edward, no.”
“There’s no use fighting about it. I can’t leave in the middle of our investigation into the security breach but, after that, we should consider if my leaving is the best thing for both of us.”
Cat pursed her lips and tucked her head against his neck again. Maybe what she felt with him wasn’t the same as he felt for her. She wasn’t enough for him as a woman and, as a princess, perhaps she was also too much. A lot came with being a royal, and she wasn’t ignorant. She knew they’d be judged, by her family first, then the public.
Cat was in her mid-thirties. She didn’t expect true love anymore. She just wanted to feel safe and cared for. She wanted someone she could be herself with when her day of royal duties was done.
That man might be Edward.
And she didn’t want to give him up without a fight. “You said you couldn’t stop thinking about me.”
“Catharine.”
“That means you care for me, at least a little.”
His arms gave her another squeeze. “More than a little.”
Her heart beat faster. “Then give us a chance. We’re not talking forever; we’re just talking about tomorrow.” And the day after that, and every day after that , she didn’t add.
He held her for several long moments, then kissed the crown of her head. “We should go, or you’ll be late to dinner.”
He hadn’t said yes, but he hadn’t pushed her away, either.
Progress.
She nodded against him and inhaled deep, taking in the whole of him as she did. She memorized his unique, musky scent and the way his beard scratched welcomingly against her skin. She wanted more.
If they were forced to reject each other, she’d find some way
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