There was a knock on the door and Matteo answered it, thanking the wait staff who brought the rolling food cart. He pulled it inside and shut the door. My stomach growled hungrily as the delicious scent of breakfast pervaded the room.
I licked my lips.
“You’re in for a treat. Michael is one of the top chefs in the world and I have the honor of having him in my kitchen,” the king said proudly, and I smiled.
“I’m looking forward to it,” I replied and walked over to him, watching as he lifted the tops off of one silver platter after another.
My mouth watered as he revealed plates of bacon, sausage, eggs, fresh mugs of coffee and cream, as well as the mimosa and Belgian waffles I had requested. The mountains of berries on top of the breakfast treat were sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar along with several dollops of whipped cream. I licked my lips, so distracted that I hardly noticed when he passed me a full glass of a still bubbling mimosa. I took a sip and hummed with delight, tasting the most delicious breakfast cocktail I’d ever had.
“Fresh squeezed orange juice. One of Michael’s specialties,” he offered.
“It’s wonderful,” I exclaimed.
“I’ll be sure to let him know,” he replied with a grin. He was so incredibly handsome in that moment. I cocked my head to the side, enjoying the sight of his joy lighting up his eyes and brightening his face. It was as though for a little while, he had no cares other than the two of us and the downright delectable breakfast that lay before us.
There was a round table set up with two chairs in the corner of the room, which I realized must have been set up in my absence last night because it wasn’t there when I woke ye
sterday. There was a fine white tablecloth and plush red fabric chairs. He took one like the perfect gentleman and indicated for me to take a seat, which I gladly did.
He served me himself, placing the breakfast that I had requested in front of me. He poured me a cup of coffee too. The fact that he was serving me wasn’t lost on me.
“Do you take cream and sugar?” he asked, and I nodded. He mixed in a little until I indicated it was to my liking. He handed it to me, but as I sipped my mimosa, I decided that I would wait to enjoy the coffee until after I was finished with it. He placed it next to my plate and I grabbed a raspberry. I popped it into my mouth and groaned with pleasure at the rich taste.
“Let me guess, top of the line and only the best?” I asked and he nodded, a cocky smirk curling up at the edges of his lips.
“What is it like being you?” I asked and he chuckled.
“It’s good to be me, I suppose,” he replied. “I mean, it comes with its fair share of headaches, but the perks of having the influence like I do come with a lot of advantages.”
“How much influence do you have?” I questioned carefully.
“Enough so that if anyone ever causes problems for me, I can make them disappear,” he answered. There was a certain underlying danger to his tone, and I didn’t press at it. I had a feeling that he had the power to destroy someone with a single word, whether that meant their imprisonment, financial ruin, or even worse, death.
I reached for a piece of bacon and bit it softly, lost in my thoughts.
“How far does that influence reach?” I asked next, taking care to take several bites of my waffle next.
“Well beyond the borders of my kingdom here in the mountains, baby girl,” he answered. “I have allies in nearly every country in the world, so if I ever need a favor, I need only ask.”
“What does that mean?” I sat back and studied him, trying to deduce if he was really telling me the truth or not. He licked his lips and I saw his expression tense for a moment, as if he was deciding whether or not I was ready for what he had to say.
“Nothing is out of reach for me. I also have an incredible amount of influence in any industry that you might think about, be it entertainment, politics, whatever you like. Should I decide tomorrow that a certain president or dictator was no longer performing as I desired, I could have them removed from their position by the end of the day, even as I reside in my castle hidden away in the mountains,” he answered.
My heart beat heavy in my chest. Matteo was a very powerful man and that was becoming exceedingly clear with every passing moment. It should scare me, but it did the opposite. In fact, it made me feel safe.
I took another bite of breakfast, enjoying the delicious sweetness of the waffles, while also trying much of the other offerings on the table. I found that the sausages were especially tasty and put a few more on my plate to savor as well.
“How many people live here? In the mountains with you?” I asked.
“About two thousand five hundred, give or take. Many are employed to maintain the castle,” he explained. He cut into a small hunk of meat, a juicy piece of steak that made my mouth water. He caught me watching and cut a small piece, speared it with his fork, and stood up to bring it to me. He pressed it against my lips, and I opened, unable to take my eyes from his as he placed the piece of meat against my tongue. I dragged my teeth along the fork and took it into my mouth. I chewed slowly, savoring the juices as they dribbled down my throat.
“You are so beautiful, baby girl,” he murmured, his pleasure at my own more than obvious in the softening of his features.
I blushed, not knowing what to say. He returned to his seat and it turned out that I didn’t need to say anything at all. He smiled in my direction.
“I want you to enjoy your breakfast. I will tell you more about my world today, but I want you to see it for yourself,” he instructed, and I nodded.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing it with you,” I replied.