Page 57 of Princessa
Chapter 31
We devoured the delicious meal we’d prepared, then set out for a hand-holding stroll around palace grounds. Stars twinkled in the dark sky above, crickets sang in the bushes, while a light breeze performed a brisk dance around us.
Grayson was quiet—had been during dinner too. I wanted to ask what had him preoccupied, yet at the same time, wondered if it wasn’t my place to push. By now, since we’d been comfortable enough to share any and everything with each other, I was certain he’d come around if it were important. Thus, I let the brooding prince stew and enjoy the hushed peacefulness.
We came upon a gazebo adorned with rose-colored sparking lights, and he led me up its steps.
As I leaned against the baluster, Grayson swooped in, pressing himself close to me, palms cupping the nape of my neck. Sliding my gaze up to meet his, I was met with a pair of eyes shaded with sincerity.
“Baby, when I look at you,” he spoke softly, “I see miles and miles of forever. A life I never knew I wanted. A love I never dreamed attainable.” His thumb skimmed my bottom lip. “A woman I’d be honored to call my wife.”
My body shook and the tears—lots of them—that dampened my eyes became a struggle to keep at bay. “Grayson, what are you saying?”
An assured smile caressed his lips. “Marry me, Arabella. Please, marry me.”
I kept nodding and grinning, not realizing I’d not actually given him an answer.
“I mean, we don’t have to right away, we can have a long engagement, but I—”
“Hell, YES!” I squealed. “I’ll marry you.”
We made love all night and, in between, talked about what to expect going forward, the fact my parents and best friend had yet to meet him, and the ring, which by tradition, would be given to me at theCompromísGala.
Surprisingly, Grayson wanted to hold the event at RRF instead of in Andorra. “It’s where we met, there’s plenty of space, and the resort could use the publicity,” was his rationale.
I didn’t argue his points; all were valid and the idea of having something so regal at the resort, was beyond thrilling.
The next morning, Grayson set out to speak privately with the king and queen about his decisions and it gave me time to catch up with Lauren. That time of the day, she was usually at Haute Couture Headquarters, but I tried my luck with a FaceTime call, fingers crossed she wasn’t held up in a meeting of some sort.
“Hello, stranger. You’re looking fresh. How did everything go in Andorra?” From what I could tell, it looked as though Lauren wasn’t at the office but instead at home in bed.
“I’m still here, at Grayson’s cottage.” I tapped the camera icon to change the view so she could get a glimpse of the kitchen. I was sitting at the table, finishing off a cup of decaf coffee. “And it’s been amazing, Lauren.” I tapped the icon so the camera was back on me. “He’s amazing.”
“I knew you two would hit it off. Did you…ahem…sleepwith him?”
My cheeks heated.
Lauren’s the only other person on Earth, besides my mom—who’d die if she somehow found out otherwise—who knew I was a virgin.
“Holy fuck! You don’t even have to say it. The color on your face says it all,” she squealed. “How was it? I hope you waxed.”
“Magical? Addictive? Everything?” I didn’t bother addressing her waxing comment seeing how I’d been getting a Brazilian wax for years now.
“Sounds about right, girl. Congrats, by the way.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’m so happy, not only because you deserve it, but now I can talk to you about sex and YouPorn and—”
“Wait.YouPorn?”
“Yeah, girl. It’s my go-to source whenever I wanna study a new move to try out with Jaxson. Well, itwasmy go-to source. I’m not having sex at the moment. In fact, I’ve been told to rest easy. Therefore, I’m pretty much stuck here. In bed. For. Ever.”
“Oh no, Lauren. Bedrest?” It explained why she was at home in bed.
“Yep. We had a scare the other day. I was having contractions too close together. Apparently, Gigi wants to make her debut early. Doc says if I can hold out two more weeks, that will put me at thirty-seven weeks, when it’s safe for her to bust out. So, Jaxson took time off from work and he’s home with me, waiting on me hand and foot.” She swiveled her phone’s camera view to Jaxson, who was at the foot of the bed, massaging Lauren’s feet.
“Hey, Arabella.” He smiled and waved before Lauren switched the view back to her.
“Sorry, babe. I should have told you he was in the room because he can hear all of our conversation. But I would have told him anyway. It’s what married folks do. Share. Everything.”
I giggled. “It’s okay, he’s like a brother to me. Speaking of married folks,” I said, leading into Grayson’s impromptu proposal. “Last night, Grayson asked me to be his wife.”
