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Wolfe’s amber eyes twinkle when he looks at Asher, who bows to my brother. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You bow to Wolfe but not to me?” Looking at my brother, I jerk my thumb toward Asher. “This guy wouldn’t know proper etiquette if it hit him across the face.”
“He’ll get along well with Rowan, then.” Wolfe grins, glancing at his wife.
“Hey now.” Rowan arches a brow. “I just didn’t appreciate your sense of entitlement. It has nothing to do with etiquette.” The breeze picks up, blowing her red hair over her shoulder as a smile stretches over her full lips. She looks at Wolfe like he’s her whole world, one hand moving to stroke her son’s back. Wren shifts in Wolfe’s arms, stretching out toward his mother. She takes him in her arms, blowing a raspberry on Wren’s neck as he giggles.
It’s hard to be so close to all this love and happiness. It’s hard to see the change in my brother, from a lonely soul to a family man…
…but it’s not quite as hard as it was before. Behind my pain, something new tugs at me. Warmth soaks into my blood, and I find myself happy for my brother, for once. Truly happy for him. Seeing him with his wife and child, I still feel my own losses, but somehow they’re not as loud as they were before. It’s…easier.
Maybe I’m finally ready to let go.
That child could be the future King of Nord, and…that’s okay.
When I glance at Asher, I find him staring at me. His hand stays on my lower back as we head toward the castle, and my heart does a funny kind of flip. When we cross the threshold, I’m like a snake shedding its skin. I’m leaving the cold, icy woman behind, and I’m opening myself up to something new.
18
Asher
When I’m with Penelope, everything else fades in the distance. The company, my father, the upcoming merger with Donovan Enterprises—nothing matters. All I see is her soft blond hair, her brilliant smile, her velvet blue eyes.
The tremors in my chest feel unfamiliar, but they happen every time she’s around. Whenever she laughs at a stupid joke I make or slips her hand in mine, my heart squeezes in a way I’ve never felt before.
We watch the sun go down at the back of the Summer Palace, having eaten a big meal with Penelope’s brother, Wolfe, and his new wife, Rowan, before leaving them to put their son to bed. The two of them are so in love it’s sickening, but it makes me feel an odd sort of yearning.
Alone with Penelope, I catch myself glancing at her, wondering if she feels this tugging in her chest like I do.
“We used to come to the Summer Palace every year with our parents,” Pen says, smiling at me. “It was my favorite place.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Framed by two tall mountains on either side, the sunset throws pinks and reds across the sky. An eagle cuts across my field of vision, diving down to the meadow below. Soft grasses sway in the wind, and Penelope lets out a happy sigh.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she says.
There it is, that clenching in my chest again. I nod, choking the words out. “Me too.”
“I wonder…” She shakes her head.
“What?”
“I wonder what would happen if we stopped being…professional.”
“I’m not sure we ever have been.” My grin tugs at my lips, and I enjoy watching a blush sweep over Penelope’s cheeks. She ducks her head away from me, watching the sun dip lower on the horizon. Clearing my throat, I reach for her hand. “It would cause a lot of controversy.”
“Would you mind?” Her eyebrows arch.
“If newspapers said nasty things about me?”
She nods.
I chuckle. “No. I’ve heard it all before. Would you?”
“I…” Her blush deepens. She shakes her head, a tendril of gold falling loose from her braid. “I don’t think so.”
Tucking her hair behind her ear, I bring my lips to hers. No matter how many times I kiss her, I just can’t get enough of her lips. They taste like the sweetest candy. Like the most delicious thing I’ve ever had, tantalizingly close anytime she’s near. I slide my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. When she rests her head against my chest, it feels…right.
“Is that what you want, Penelope?” I ask. My voice has a rough edge to it, as if I can’t quite shake the emotion off. “You want us to be…public?”
