She laughs and heads back toward the door. I give her a short head start, gathering myself. I’m hard as fuck and desire pulses through me, but we’re taking it slow.
Soon, I follow her back down to the party. We have a decent time, and we talk to a lot of people that I haven’t seen in awhile. But the whole time, the only thing I can think about is that kiss and the way she looked at me afterward.
12
Hazel
For the rest of that night and as soon as I wake up the next morning, I just keep thinking about that kiss.
His friend Jessie was straightforward about him. She didn’t sugarcoat his past. I know that Nolan has been with a lot of girls, and Jessie didn’t try to pretend that he’s some kind of saint.
But he’s clearly very well liked, even though he disappeared from their social circle for years. I think a lot of them respect him for that. I get the sense that these lords and ladies don’t exactly love the direction their country has been going in, and they don’t want to be complicit in it anymore either, or at least that’s what I got from Jessie.
And she made sure to tell me good stories about him, like the time he saved her life. Apparently Nolan is known as a natural leader and a really good guy, although his recent years have been difficult. He doesn’t get along with his father, and his father was notoriously hard on him for his entire life. I think a lot of the people in that room understood why Nolan left court and didn’t come back for so long.
And then he took me up on that roof. It was beautiful up there, so quiet. The city spread out in front of us like it was ripe for the taking, and I felt so good for the first time in a long time.
The kiss took me by surprise. I don’t know what kind of relationship I actually have with Nolan, which is so confusing considering we’re married and he’s supposed to get me pregnant. But I don’t know if this is just some business deal where we’ll have sex until I get pregnant, and then I go my own way, or if there’s something more between us. I’ve noticed the way he looks at me, which makes me blush, but he’s so arrogant, so cocky, and so handsome. I’ve never had a man like him show any interest in me before. And I’d be lying if I tried to pretend like his past didn’t bother me at all. It just makes me wonder if I can understand or even trust his real intentions.
But that kiss… that was something else, and totally unexpected. He wasn’t trying to fuck me, or to make some crude joke, or whatever. He was just kissing me, like a man kisses you when he really wants you. There was something deep and sensuous behind every moment of that kiss, and I just can’t stop thinking about it. I was dripping wet and would have thrown myself at him at the time, if it weren’t for the last thing Jessie said to me before Nolan came over.
She had just finished her story about him saving her life. “He’s a good guy,” she said. “Misunderstood. But a good guy.”
“I think I see that,” I replied.
“But listen to me, Hazel. Go slow with him. Sometimes, you have to show him what he really wants.” She delivered that with such a serious expression in her face that I couldn’t help but listen.
I didn’t get a chance to ask her to elaborate or explain, since Nolan came over a second later. But that comment was what held me back up on that roof. It’s what made me not follow him back into his room last night. It’s what’s making me hesitate this morning.
I sigh and slowly get up. I can smell something in the other room, and it smells really good. I get dressed, brush my teeth, and head out into the kitchen only to find Nolan standing in front of the stove.
“Good morning,” he says as I walk toward him.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
He cocks his head at me and gives me that handsome smile. “Cooking pancakes. Americans love pancakes, right?”
“Right,” I say, laughing. “Every single American loves pancakes.”
“Like I said.” He grins at me and expertly flips the pancake from the pan and onto a plate, like we’re in some cartoon.
“Why are you so good at that?” I ask him, sitting down.
“Lots of practice. I like to cook, actually.” He places the plate in front of me, along with a cup of coffee and some syrup. I pour a little syrup and take a bite… and it’s incredible.
“Holy crap,” I say. “These are amazing.”
“Nutmeg,” he says, grinning. “That’s the secret.”
“They’re perfect.” I eat quickly, surprised at how hungry I am. He finishes cooking and joins me at the counter, eating a small stack himself.
“So do I have this to look forward to every morning?” I ask him.