“I know that Princess Samantha trusts him, but you don’t know him very well.” She said the words quietly and I tried to see the worry beneath her disappointed tone. It obviously hadn’t taken much of a jump to figure I was referring to David.

“That’s what I’m trying to correct,” I responded. “I’d like to know more about him.”

“Okay, then.” She nodded her head but not without a grin. “I’ll check with Chadwick and see what we can work out.”

“Thank you.”

By the time we pulled up to D’Lynsal, I was more than ready for a hot bath and my bed. My apartment at the palace was great, but despite what I had said to David, it didn’t feel like home the way our family estate did. The palace was meant to house visitors, showcase our culture and history, while giving the country a place to look toward during tough times.

After I turned eighteen I had the apartments updated to my tastes, which had been fun but weird. People had complained in tabloids about the fact that I was wrecking historical objects. Others cheered on my need to modernize the palace. In truth I was just tired of the rose petal pink wallpaper and green carpet. I’m sure that had been the height of fashion at some point, but I couldn’t stand it a moment longer.

D’Lynsal, however, was ours. It was the home we didn’t have to share with the media. There were no flyers or press releases if I decided I wanted to change a paint color or update a light feature. Some of my fondest memories were running through these halls or fighting with Alex and Max. Seemed odd when you thought about it, but the best part of being a child was that we had nothing more to worry about other than dessert and getting out of events we thought would be boring. The older we had gotten, the harder it had become to avoid those important functions.

And now I even looked forward to some of them. Well, not many. At least not as much as I was looking forward to seeing David again—despite the butterflies that came with the thought. I still couldn’t believe that he had come back to ask me on a date after what had happened that night. Not that I had a great deal of experience with men, but I didn’t think that many of them would have tried to find a way to make it okay. In fact the men, or I should say boys, that I had spent my youth around would never have even thought to stop when they realized I was a virgin. Most of them would have felt it was an even better score—which was exactly why I was still a virgin.

The driver came around and opened the door for Selene and me, helping carry my bags up the steps and passing them on to some of the household staff. I hadn’t put my shoes back on when we climbed out of the vehicle, completely comfortable at our home. There was a small fire in the great room, even though it was summertime. The evenings could have a chill in the air despite the time of year. Dropping my shoes onto a small footstool, I curled up onto the settee and watched the flames jump.

It felt like it had been years since I had last curled up in this same position. Here in this spot, I could remember my father sitting in a nearby chair while reading a book and mother working on paperwork. She had never been able to take time off—even on the weekends or late at night. Father had thought it was because of the way she had grown up watching her father do the exact same. It was one of the reasons our father had pushed for us to have hobbies, to do things that we wanted, and kept us from performing royal duties until we were older.

The ache that accompanied my thoughts was familiar but manageable. No matter how long it had been since I’d last seen his face, I’d miss him like the accident had happened the day before. Now though, I also remembered the happiness and good times, not just the pain.

“What are you doing, monster?” Max mussed my hair before plopping down into Dad’s seat.

“Relaxing.” I curled up even tighter into a ball so my feet would be closer to the warmth.

“You? Relaxing?” Max picked up one of the magazines on the table and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m relaxing. Why is that weird?” I craned my neck so I could look at him.

“Because,” he said. “You’re like Mom. Always working on something.”

“That’s not true. I take time off.” I scrunched my nose.

“Sometimes.” He shrugged while looking at the magazine in his hands. “But even then you’re working in your head. You don’t ever turn it off.”

“Turn what off?” My voice rose a bit and I frowned.

“The list.” He looked at me with an amused expression.

“List? Are you drunk?” I rolled my eyes.

“No, I’m not drunk.” He reached out with his foot and pushed the seat I was curled up on. “The list. The one where you’re mentally checking things off, planning what to do next, and accepting more responsibility.”

“Not everyone can get away with hiding in an office or studio all day.” My sneer was obvious.

“Sure they can.” He laughed. “You just have to not care what everyone else wants.”

“That’s not as easy for some people.” I closed my eyes, not wanting to let him ruin my peace. “Other people have to pick up the slack, in case you didn’t know.”

“Right. Thanks for that.”

“You’re an ass.”

“Well, say something else that we already know.”

“You’re a terrible Sudoku player.” I laughed.

“Now that’s just cruel.” Max fake-groaned. “What is the point of those puzzles anyways?”