I almost told Royal that my dad owed me money, but I couldn't do it. It wasn't just that Royal was wealthy and I wasn't comfortable pointing out how very much I wasn't. It was more that Royal saw me as a businesswoman. In a way, as a peer. I didn't want him to know how foolish I'd been and think less of me.
“It just got to me all of a sudden,” I went on. “The way my mom and Grams hang on every word he says and never question any of it.”
“I used to feel like that about my dad. He'd go on and on bragging about how he'd outsmarted everyone, when I knew being smart had nothing to do with it. He'd probably lied and cheated to get his way.”
I let out the breath I'd been holding. I'd been right, Royal did understand.
“I usually feel like I have my life under control,” I went on, “and then my dad shows up and it all starts slipping away. I feel guilty because I just want him to leave and let me go back to my peaceful, organized life. But he's my dad. I want to love him and I want to want him around, but I don't. Grams is so happy when he's here. I don't want to spoil it for her, so I just keep my mouth shut and go along.”
“I wish I could fix it for you,” Royal said, “but parents are the kind of problem you can't fix.”
“I guess you know that better than anyone,” I said and took a sip of champagne before leaning my head on his shoulder.
“I guess I do,” he agreed. “Here, try this.”
Royal stroked a dark chocolate truffle over my bottom lip, the bittersweet scent filling my nose. I bit in, my taste buds prickling as the potent ganache melted across my tongue. A low hum vibrated in the back of my throat, my brain lighting up with pleasure.
Champagne and chocolate definitely improved the end of my day, but not as much as Royal himself. I opened my eyes to see Royal studying me, absorbing every change of expression, every sound I made.
“Are you watching me eat again?” I asked, my voice husky with embarrassment but more from the look in his eyes as he watched me.
“I'm thinking about feeding you truffles naked. Does that count?”
My mouth dropped open. I'm not sure what I would have said if Royal hadn't popped the other half of the truffle into my mouth. His lips grazed my ear. “Do you want me to feed you chocolate naked? If it helps, I'd be naked too.” He sucked at the spot beneath my ear that always made me dizzy. Liquid heat flooded between my legs at the rhythmic pull of his lips on my skin.
“Naked is good. I want to see you naked,” I breathed, my head spinning. Reality intruded, my thoughts skipping to something other than lust. “My life is complicated right now.”
“So is mine,” Royal countered. “Life is always complicated if you do it right.” His lips skimmed down the side of my neck. “That's part of what I like about you.”
“That I'm complicated?” All the blood in my body was somewhere other than my brain. I wasn't getting it.
“I always thought complicated was too much work. But not with you. Complicated is worth it with you.”
“What if I'm too complicated?” I asked, not sure why.
Royal moved his mouth from my neck, kissing my jaw before he sat up and topped off the champagne I'd barely sipped.
“I don't know, so far, you haven't scared me off, no matter how hard you've tried. And I'm not exactly simple. There's my family, for one thing. Complicated doesn't even cover them. And there's your boyfriend.”
For a second, I had no idea who he was talking about. Oh, yeah. J.T. Wasn't it time to come clean about that? I couldn't tell him the whole story. That wasn't mine to share. But I could tell him the truth that was mine.
“I don't have a boyfriend,” I admitted, waiting for him to pounce on the words with some version of 'I told you so' or 'I knew it.'
“Since when?” he asked, sounding curious rather than vindicated.
“Since a long time.” I took a sip of the champagne, the tart sparkle washing away some of the chocolate. Spotting the box of truffles beside Royal, I took one out and lifted it to his mouth, watching with rapt attention as his eyes lowered when he bit in, his thick lashes dark fans across his tanned cheeks.
“I think I just got used to saying J.T. was my boyfriend. People assumed, and we let them because it was easier and neither of us was looking for someone else.”
Royal swallowed, and when his eyes opened, they fixed on mine. “Did you sleep with him?”