Page 96 of Royally Matched
“I do.” With my pulse thudding, I push all the reasons we shouldn’t be together away, all the reasons this thing between us is impossible. None of that matters when the chemistry between us is off the charts, my feelings for this woman deepening day by day.
I close the short distance between us, now so close to one another, we’re almost touching. “Sofia, I—” I begin, only to be interrupted by a loud voice over a microphone.
Talk about terrible timing.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” says a middle-aged man atthe microphone. He’s wearing fancy blue velvet robes with fluffy white fur trim, with a shiny gold chain with a medallion hanging around his neck. To top it off, he’s wearing a matching blue velvet hat with a gold badge on the front.
“That must be the mayor,” Sofia comments.
“What gave it away?” I tease.
She giggles and nudges me with her shoulder. The brief contact sends a shiver through me.
I am a dead man.
“I hope you’ve enjoyed tonight’s festivities! As usual, the village of Monteluce has come together to put on the most wonderful night of the year, both for the villagers and for our guests.”
Applause ripples through the crowd.
“And now, for the final act of the night, the traditional releasing of the lanterns is about to take place, marking the end of this most wonderful festival. Please collect your lanterns and join me by the town wall to bid goodnight to one and all.”
As people move to collect their lanterns, I say, “I would love it if you would release a lantern with me,Principessa. Well, me and several hundred other people.”
“I think I can manage that.”
We collect our lanterns and follow the crowd to the edge of the town. If it wasn’t dark, I bet we could see for miles and miles from our perch at the top of the world in this romantic village.
The festival lights dim, and an excited hush falls over the crowd. We each hold a lantern, the paper delicate in our hands. Someone passes us a lit candle, which we use to light our own candles inside the lanterns. People begin to release their lanterns into the dark night air, peopleooh-ing andahh-ing as they float silently away, up, up into the night sky.
Sofia and I share a smile as we release our lanterns, and they float upward, joining hundreds of others as they float away.
The scene is breathtaking, a sea of glowing orbs drifting toward the stars. Sofia and I watch in silence, her shoulder pressed up against my arm in the crowded space. We’re both wrapped up in the magic of the moment, the lanterns twinkling like stars, and I’m overcome with a deep sense of peace and possibility.
Being here with Sofia, sharing this beautiful experience, makes everything feel right. Like we’re meant to be.
As the lanterns disappear from sight, people begin to disperse until we are some of only a handful of people left. I turn to look at Sofia, and she tilts her face up to mine. Her smile could light up any room, her eyes sparkling with warmth and kindness. Her hair falls gracefully around her shoulders, framing her pretty face, and I feel a flutter in my chest that grows and grows.
We have a connection that’s proving impossible to ignore. Even with the most steely resolve, I’m weakened by the force of my feelings for this woman at my side.
As close to one another as we are, all I need to do is reach out and pull her gently to me to feel her soft curves pressed against me, to breathe in her intoxicating scent, to finally,finallyfeel her soft lips against mine.
It would be so easy, but I’m wrestling with my feelings. This woman, this beautiful creature at my side, has bewitched me, and I don’t have the strength to fight it anymore. Not in this achingly romantic setting.
I’m powerless to resist her any longer.
With my heart banging like a malfunctioning washing machine, our gazes lock. My breath is tattered as I reach out to touch the soft skin of her cheek, cupping her face with my hands.
She swallows, her lips parting, her gaze intensifying, and I know, in this moment at least, she feels this strong pull to me, too.
“I know I promised I would never touch you again after that time in the car,” I begin falteringly. “But Sofia.Principessa. I need you to know how very difficult it has been for me to keep my word.”
“It has?” she asks, her voice trembling.
I inch closer to her, my heart beating out of my chest. By now we’re close enough that I can breathe in her scent, the distance between our lips a mere handful of inches.
All the reasons not to do what my heart demands evaporate into the still night air as I allow the tips of my fingers to trail a track across the skin of her neck.
She lets out a small shudder, telling me she wants me as much as I want her.