Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Ass loved me—oh, very odd sentence,” I replied.
“You...wow.” She gasped. Her gaze moved away from me and onto the private dark and sandy beach up ahead of us. The water was a deep, stormy blue, and it rolled in gently with the breeze. In the distance were mountains that reminded me of Ersovia. “This is beautiful. How did you know of this place?”
The internet. “Don’t spoil the magic,” I replied, hopping off my horse and helping her down from hers. “Especially when it’s not finished yet.”
“What do you mean?”
I grinned, taking her hand into mine and leading her onto the beach.
“Gale, the horses!”
“Don’t worry about it. They will be here when we come back.”
“Back? Back from where?”
“There.” I pointed to the white sailing boat by a large thick tree.
“You know how to sail?” she asked skeptically.
“What can I say? I am a prince of many traits,” I replied, spinning her into my arms. “Come, brunch is on board!”
“Gale, you didn’t have to do all of this!”
“No. But I wanted to.” I really wanted to.
He did know how to sail, and he looked completely magnificent as he did so—the wind blowing through his hair as he stood with his jacket off and sleeves rolled up, holding on to the wheel as if he were the king of the sea. He would let me touch nothing. I was seated like a queen behind him, stuffing my face with bagels, fruits, and juice as he took me away. It was so surreal and perfect that I needed a picture.
Taking my phone, I sat up a bit straighter, leaning forward to where he was.
“Make sure to get my good side!” he called out, catching me.
“And which is that?”
“Good question,” he said in a serious tone, glancing back at me. “I am perfect, so I guess every side is good.”
“Way to be humble.” I groaned, tossing down my phone.
He laughed, leaving the wheel. Coming back over to me, he lifted my phone up before sitting down.
“Royals are not supposed to take selfies, but since you asked for my good side—”
“I did not ask!” I said as he hugged me to him.
“I will make an exception,” he continued on as if I didn’t have his face beside my face.
It was worse looking at myself in the camera, seeing how—how happy I was, grinning like a fool. What happened to me rejecting him? What happened to me wanting him to go back home? What happened to me?
“Three...two...one...” I smiled, and he turned his head, kissing my cheek as he took the picture. “Happy birthday, Odette,” he whispered in my ear, making me shiver.
“You’re really making it hard not to start falling for you,” I whispered back, trying not to look at him. Instead, I reached for my phone.
“So are you.”
I looked at him, and he was staring back at me.
I think we would have just stared at each other if not for the drop of water that fell from the sky and hit his cheek—then another that hit my nose.
“No.” He gasped, looking at the sky. “They said it was supposed to be clear today!”
“Welcome to Seattle!” I laughed as the skies opened up, and all the water in heaven began to fall on top of us both.
He rushed to the steering wheel.
“What should I do?”
“Make it stop raining!” he called out, and even though I knew he was kidding, I felt too good, so I started to dance. “What in the world are you doing!”
“You said to make it stop raining. Here is a rain dance!”
“Isn’t that what you do to make it rain?”
I paused.
And he broke into hysterical laughter, his head going back before yelling at the top of his lungs against the rain. “Odette Rochelle Wyntor!”
“What!” I yelled back.
“I’m going to marry you!”
I froze, and then my heart started to dance, and soon, I could not stop myself from yelling out, “Galahad Fitzhugh Cornelius Edgar!”
“What?”
“Marry me!”
He nearly slipped and fell. He was shocked, so I reached out to grab on to him, and he grabbed on to me.
“Are you okay?”
“Did you hear what you just said?” he asked, completely unbothered by nearly falling overboard.
I nodded.
“Say it again.”
“Marry me.”
He gaped at me. “Are sure you?”
“Let’s get married,” I repeated, my heart twisting, but I wasn’t sure if it was panic or excitement.
“Odette, I am going to ask you one more—”
I closed the distance between our lips to shut him up and then backed away. “Let’s get married, Gale.”
He nodded, grinning. “Yes. Let’s.”
“Right now.”
“What?”
I nodded. “If we wait, I’m going to get scared and chicken out.”
“Odette!”
“Are you saying no?”
His mouth dropped open. He ran his hand through his hair, once, then twice, and just sighed. “You are going to drive me crazy, do you know that?”
“At least you know that now!”
He held my face before pulling me close and kissing me hard. Because of the rain, the clothes between our bodies felt thinner. I could feel him, all of him, holding on to me.