“Thank you for today, Aldon,” she said. “For helping the people of Thistledown Valley and for helping me with Willa.”
“It felt good to help,” he admitted. Nice to be needed for a change. “It’s been a long time since someone gave me a reason to want to take a stand for something. But you… you make me want to be a better man.”
Piper scooted close to Aldon and kissed him passionately again. He pulled her to him and closed his eyes, feeling grateful to have stumbled upon this amazing woman. Soon, he and Piper were asleep in each other’s arms.
9
Aldon woke to sunlight filtering through the curtains. The moment he opened his eyes, memories of the night before washed over him. Beside him, Piper lay sleeping, the sun casting a halo of light over her perfect face. He hated to wake her, but he knew she would probably want to be in her room when Willa woke up.
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, and she stirred. She opened her eyes and seemed lost in the moment for just a second before returning Aldon’s kiss.
“What time is it?” Her words were throaty with sleep.
“Almost eight,” Aldon said. “I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful, but I was afraid Willa would wake up and wonder where you were.”
Piper sat up and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. Aldon longed to reach out and touch her bare shoulders, to caress her naked skin, but he knew he shouldn’t start anything now.
“It’s a good thing you woke me,” Piper said. “I’m sure Willa will be up any minute. I’d better get dressed and get downstairs.” She kissed him again, and Aldon closed his eyes, not wanting her to leave but knowing she had to.
He watched her rise from the bed, marveling at her flawless body, curvy in all the right places. Grinning, she turned around and faced him. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her beautiful naked body in the light of day.
“Are you watching me, Aldon Ashton?” she teased. She tossed her mane of red hair behind her shoulder and stood still for a moment, letting his eyes devour her.
Aldon couldn’t resist her. Just looking at her had aroused him all over again. He crawled across the bed and pulled her back down to him, reaching out with the other hand to fumble for the nightstand, pulling out a condom.
“I don’t have much time,” she whispered.
“We’ll be quick,” he promised and cupped her smooth bottom with one hand as he glided inside her. She cried out, as ready for him as he was for her. Afterwards, Piper slipped from his bed and wrapped herself in an oversized bath towel.
“We left our clothes in the library,” she said, giggling. “Hopefully, if Willa did wake up, she didn’t find her way there. Can you imagine the questions?”
Aldon smiled at her. “I can’t even imagine,” he said honestly.
Piper blew him a kiss and disappeared through the bedroom door, leaving Aldon feeling satiated and energized at the thought of spending another day with her. He strode into the shower and let the warm water rinse over him as he mused on the events of the day before. Without permission, thoughts of his father snuck over him. He could only guess how his father would react if he knew what had occurred between Aldon and Piper. Although Aldon felt that Piper was just about perfect for him, he was sure his father would not agree that someone of her “status” could be a suitable partner.
After Aldon was finished showering and drying off, he noticed his phone on the bathroom counter. It was lit up with messages, several being missed calls from none other than the king.
Speak of the devil.
Aldon got dressed and reluctantly resigned himself to return his father’s call.
“Sorry I missed your calls, Father,” he said when King Hansen answered the phone.
“I understand you had a busy day yesterday, Aldon.”
Aldon sat on the bed and sighed. His father had eyes everywhere. There was no hiding anything from the man.
“What on earth are you thinking, son? You have a reputation to uphold, and you romancing the gardener is not something I want smeared all over the papers.”
“I don’t see how it’s anyone’s business—” Aldon began, but his father interrupted.
“We’re monarchy, son. That makes us the country’s business,” he said. “And what’s this I hear about you making promises to the people of Thistledown?”
“Father, there are serious problems in this town, and it’s our responsibility to help solve them. Thistledown Valley may be a small town, but it’s still part of our country.” Aldon heard his father grumble, but continued anyway. “I own a home here. I have a responsibility to the community. We have an obligation as leaders to do something about the infrastructure dilemmas.”
“Aldon,” his father practically shouted into the phone, “I’ll hear no more of this. Listen and listen well. You are to steer clear of that woman, stop focusing on the Thistledown, and start focusing on repairing your broken engagement.”
“Father, I told you, Carrie and I are finished.” Aldon took a deep breath, trying to hold on to his sense of calm, but his father was challenging his temper.
“Nonsense,” the king said. “Call Carrie. Make arrangements to meet and talk things over. You can iron everything out, I’m sure. She’s perfect for you—the right choice for our family.
“I won’t!” Aldon was the one shouting now. “She cheated on me. I want nothing to do with her. She wants nothing to do with me—she chose someone else. Our relationship was never anything but a farce, and now it’s over.”
“Aldon, listen to me and heed my directive.”
Heed his directive? What was Aldon? A servant? This was ridiculous. It was his life, not his father’s.
“Pack up and leave Thistledown Valley behind. There’s still time for you to undo the damage that was done before the media gets wind of things,” the king said. “I refuse to have another son become involved with someone unworthy of his station.”
Unworthy? Piper?
Out of every preposterous comment his father had made, this one was the worst. It broke something inside of Aldon—a shackle that perhaps had long needed to be severed.
And for the first time in his life, Aldon did something that was totally out of character for him. He hung up on his father.
Piper felt altogether uncomfortable sitting in the dining room at the castle while the valet placed goblets of water and juice in front of her and Willa.
“You really don’t have to do this,” she said to the valet as he piled each of their plates with pancakes and drizzled syrup over top. “We’re fine serving ourselves like we always do.”
“Absolutely not, Miss Mackenzie,” the valet said with a smile plastered from ear to ear. Piper wasn’t sure if the smile was genuine or not. “Prince Aldon gave me specific orders to make sure you and your sweet daughter were treated like guests.”
Guests?
Piper flinched at the term. She and Piper were far from guests here. Thistledown Castle had been her home for the past five years. Though she’d never seen herself as a resident per se, she’d also never seen herself as a guest.