Page 20 of Falling for the Queen Mother

He didn't know who had taken it or what she was looking at, but the laughter seemed more real than it had than in any other photo since the death of her husband.

A sudden thought swept over him.

He wanted to make her laugh like that. To smile as the breeze blew her hair.

And then came another unexpected thought.

Was there already another man who could do that?

He dismissed the thought almost immediately. She wouldn't have kissed him or fallen asleep with him if there was someone else.

Turning on his heel, he looked straight into her eyes.

"What if this was real?"

Was Nathaniel saying what she thought he was saying?

Alaina needed to be sure. "Could you clarify your statement?"

"I know we didn't plan to get married, but here we are. I would be honored if you would consider getting to know each other better and finding out if there is something more between us. Obviously, that kiss last night said there is a physical attraction. We've been getting along well for the last couple of days. None of that guarantees that we'll find that we're compatible long term, but the idea of someone to grow old with, even just as friends, does hold great appeal."

"You're not wrong," she admitted to him. "The idea of being seen as a third wheel or hanger-on has never held much appeal to me. I have friends, but it's not the same. They have lives of their own."

He gave her that crooked grin that also gave him a twinkle in his eye. "The good news is that I don't have much of a life outside of the archival work I do and my family, so there's not a whole lot to compete with there. My children are scattered around the globe at the moment, so it's not like I even have them in one spot."

Alaina smiled back, just a little bit. "Mine all live literally thirty seconds away at the moment, except for my daughter who is literally the queen consort in another country I visit often."

Nathaniel took a step toward her. "Then perhaps we give it a chance?"

After a second's hesitation, Alaina nodded. "I don't know about a romantic relationship, but I would be interested in pursuing a friendship."

"I feel the same way." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder lightly before rubbing his hand up and down her upper arm.

It wasn't meant to be anything but reassuring, but it still reminded Alaina of the physical attraction. That would need to be dealt with, but that would be a discussion for another time.

Before either of them could say anything else, a knock on the door distracted them.

She stepped away and let the staff member pushing the silver cart in with their dinner.

Once she assured the young woman that they could handle it from there, Alaina moved the cart to the small cafe style table near a large window looking over the gardens. Nathaniel helped set the meals out on the table and then held her chair for her as she took a seat.

He took his own seat and told her the meal she'd chosen looked delicious. It was a basic pasta dish, one she'd always loved, but nothing fancy.

"Tell me about the king?"

The request surprised Alaina, but it made sense. "Frederick? He was always a good child, a bit more serious, but his father had been the same way, at least according to my mother-in-law. It likely comes with the territory when you're the heir."

"I actually meant your late husband, but your son works as well. What was his favorite thing to do as a child?"

She wouldn't have expected him to dive into her married life and was grateful he didn't press for her to change the subject of their conversation now. "He loved to play on the beach, at least for a few years when he was quite young. He would build sandcastles and dig holes, search for shells, let the waves bury his feet then run squealing when a slightly bigger one would wash up to his knees." She couldn't help smiling at the memories. "He loved it when his father would carry him out into the water and let the bigger waves hit them. Nothing too big, of course, but big enough."

"Of course. Would he do that on the beach here by the palace?"

Alaina shook her head. "No. We have a property on a small island. We often holiday there. The family has owned it for as long as anyone can remember. I don't think it's officially a royal property though. Most of those are owned by the state and used by the family. This one was owned by my husband's great great grandmother's family before she married a future king. Technically, it belongs to the royal family or may be in a trust of some kind, but the widowed consort has control over it and then... I think it's the eldest child who is not the monarch. Something like that. I didn't pay that much attention. I just knew that I have full authority over it until then."

"Tell me about it?"

"The family was part of the local aristocracy. In fact, some of the descendants are still on the Council and in Parliament. Some of them would cause trouble if we tried to have this annulled now. They've never gotten over the fact that their cousins are the royal family despite the fact that she married into it and they wouldn't have been a part of it any other way."