Leopold: Part Five (8 page)

T
he next few
moments bleed together, and I’m not sure exactly what happens or in what order. Leo says he loves me. I almost say it back. The couch-thing we’re on crumbles beneath us, sending us both flying.

And a woman screams.

I look up, trying to see who it is in the doorway, but Leo is still half on top of me, and I can’t see around him. He shifts and reaches down for his pants, awkwardly trying to pull them up while he covers me—maybe he’s trying to shield me—with his body. I have no idea where my pants have gone—I lift my head to try to look, but there’s barely any light in the room.

Leo finally rolls off me, standing up to buckle his belt and I finally see my pants lying on the floor. I shift slightly to grab them, pulling them on before I stand and fasten them.

We haven’t said a word to each other in the minute that’s elapsed. We’re both embarrassed by our raging desire, I think. At least I am—I don’t know what the hell happens to me when I’m around him. Why I can’t seem to control myself for even a second. And I think we’re both waiting for what we know is going to happen next.

The doorway is empty now, but the door itself is definitely open. I’m not sure who saw us or how much they saw, but someone was
definitely
there only a moment ago.

If it was Sophia, it’s probably okay. I mean, it would be embarrassing, but I doubt she’d go running off to tell King Edmund that she’d just caught her older brother fucking his courtesan or whatever. But if it was anyone else…

I should have left
. I should have run while I had the chance. My stomach has hardened into a knot and my face feels impossibly hot. And Leo won’t make eye contact—not that he could in the darkened room, but he also hasn’t said anything. It’s like we’re both waiting for the firing squad to start shooting and there’s really nothing either of us can say to make it better.

“Leo, I’m…” No, there really isn’t anything I can say to make this situation any less difficult. “I mean, we’re both really tired and—”

But I don’t even get to finish my thought before another figure darkens the doorway of the parlor. I recognize the pudgy outline of the man standing there immediately. I can’t see his face, but I see his arms cross over his chest before he speaks. “You’ll both follow me to His Royal Majesty’s chambers at once.”

Leo grumbles something under his breath—I think it might be in French—but I can’t make out what he says.

My words tumble from my mouth. “If the car is still here, I think it would be best if I go—”

Leo spins to me so quickly I can’t finish the sentence. He grabs me by my shoulders, lowering his head so there’s no question that he’s speaking to me. “You will do no such thing. You agreed to stay another day, and I intend to hold you to that promise, Elle.”

My mouth falls open but I can’t make any sound come from it. There’s something so raw about him. So wounded. I hadn’t seen it before—maybe I hadn’t wanted to see it. But there’s something about the way he speaks to me—I can’t put my finger on it. I only know I need to explore the depths of whatever this is between us, even though it’s unfamiliar to me. And scary as all fuck.

Stephan clears his throat—it seems like he’s lost his patience, not that he probably had much to begin with.

I hear something that sounds almost like a growl come from Leo’s throat as he takes my hand in his. “My companion will be retiring to her chambers, Stephan. I’ll escort her there before I go to my father—”

“You’ll
both
be seeing His Royal Majesty at once.” He motions us into the hallway. “And the young…” He clears his throat. “The woman will be leaving tonight as planned. His Royal Majesty will no doubt agree, now that you’ve both already undermined the arrangement he agreed to with this abominable behavior.”

Leo tugs at my hand and we walk into the bright hallway, turning to face Stephan. Leo’s voice is low, almost growling. “As I said, I’ll be escorting Elle to her chambers—”

“You’ll be following me to see your father.” The man sneers, narrowing his gaze at me. “Disgusting American filth…” He almost hisses the words. “Though I never could have imagined such behavior under His Majesty’s own roof—”

Leo pulls his hand from mine, his fingers curling into a fist.

I grab his arm as he’s reaching back, pulling at it before his fist can connect with Stephan’s jaw. “Leo, no!”

Leo blinks a few times and turns to me. “I’ll not have him speaking about you like that. I’ll not have
anyone
—”

“Stop trying to defend my honor.” I shake my head and pull his arm down to his side, trying to loosen his grip enough to take his hand in mine. “I’ve told you before, Leo, I’m not worth it. You need to stop—”

“
You
need to stop, Elle. Stop saying that—”

Stephan interrupts with a sound of utter revulsion. “You
both
disgust me. Now…” He motions down the hallway ways with his hand. “His Royal Majesty will be waiting.”

It’s like a death march, walking through the corridors of the palace. Leo grips my hand more tightly than he ever has, almost like he thinks if he lets go, I’m going to bolt.

He’s probably not far off if that really is what he’s thinking.

Reckless. That’s what I’ve become—how I behave around Leo. And that isn’t who I am at all. Leo might be able to embrace each day as it comes—enjoy whatever the moment brings. But I’ve never been that way. Everything he says
sounds
good. Right, even. But things aren’t that way for me. And considering how the universe seems to always intervene, I know that this isn’t meant to be. That there is no room in my life for happiness. I’m not sure why I ever thought there could be. Blind lust—clearly there’s room for that—but happiness? Love? No. Not so much.

I stop walking and turn to Leo. “I can’t.”

He turns to me and frowns. “He won’t expect you to say anything, Elle. The blame lies entirely with me—”

“Enough with this, the both of you. I demand that you follow me.” Stephan stamps his foot and crosses his arms over his chest again.

Leo’s jaw clenches for a moment and he turns to the man. “Go fuck yourself, Stephan.”

Stephan’s mouth falls open and his eyes widen. “His Royal Majesty—”

“Go.” Leo interrupts, motioning with his head. “Run down the corridor and tell my father what I’ve said. And do know, Stephan, that as soon as I arrive, I’ll be advising him of the stunt you pulled with Elle this evening while I was preparing for dinner. How you
betrayed
his wishes and went behind his back.” He lifts a brow and motions with his hand. “Do go. I’m going to delight in telling him of how you offended a guest of the palace. How you
betrayed
him.”

Stephan flinches every time the word
betray
is used. But he doesn’t cower away—he lifts his chin, almost in defiance. “Then we shall both delight in our conversations with His Majesty this evening, Prince Leopold.”

As much as I might love seeing Leo win this particular pissing contest, it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t affect anything about what’s happened tonight—or how we really have already violated the terms of the agreement with our behavior.

Why the hell couldn’t we have waited until we got back to my room? For the love of God, I don’t think I’ve ever been this out of control in my entire life. And I don’t like it at all.

“I’m going to go, Leo. I mean, maybe it won’t fix anything between you and your father, but it’ll at least—”

“No.” Leo’s jaw clenches again and he turns back to me. “I’m not going to say it again, Elle. You’re not going anywhere.”

I’m not sure if it’s the situation or the sheer exhaustion, but tears sting at my eyes. I try to blink them back, but I can see in Leo’s reaction that he saw them, too.

“Elle…” His expression softens and he pulls my other hand into his. “Please…”

I shake my head and blink and blink and blink to try to stop it, but it’s too late. I know I’m going to fall apart as soon as the first tear begins to slide down my cheek.

Leo’s gaze snaps to Stephan’s. “You see what you’ve done, you detestable piece of—”

I hear a woman’s voice I don’t recognize behind us. “Leopold.” Her words are clipped, almost curt. “That will be all, Stephan.”

Stephan bows his head and takes a few steps back. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Oh. Fuck. No.

A female
Your Majesty
can only mean one thing. Leo’s mother is somehow in the hallway with us now.

But Leo doesn’t seem to care. He wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs before he pulls me into an embrace as soon as Stephan turns. And he holds me like that for at least a minute.

I close my eyes and let myself believe—if only for that moment—that everything is going to be okay. That somehow this really isn’t a giant mess.

The woman—the
Queen of Montovia
, for God’s sake—clears her throat softly after a few minutes of us standing there like that. Her voice is low and soothing. Kind, even. “We should speak somewhere in private.”

Leo tips his head and places a gentle kiss on my forehead. He looks into my eyes, raising his eyebrows—asking me without words if I’m okay.

I nod.

He gives me the smallest of smiles and takes my hand in his again.

The queen has already turned by the time I look over at her, and she’s leading us to a room in the middle of the hallway.

She walks in first and waits beside the doorway until Leo and I have passed through before closing the door firmly behind us. She turns, giving me a small nod and motioning with her hand behind us. “Why don’t we sit down?”

The small room is softly lit with a few table lamps. It’s not quite a library, but there are bookshelves lining the walls with a seating area in the middle of the room. Leo leads me to one of the sofas and we sit.

The queen sits in a large armchair across from us. She’s silent for a moment, but she doesn’t appear to be angry. She’s looking at Leo with an expression I don’t quite recognize. She lets out a small sigh. “Leo, would you care to explain…?”

His expression softens, too. It’s respect, I think. And love. Whatever it is, it definitely isn’t the kind of relationship I had with my mother. He stares at the floor for a moment before lifting his gaze to hers. “Mother, it’s entirely my fault. Elle should bear no blame…”

Her lips curl into a tiny smile and she looks over at me. “So, this
is
Elle.” Her smile widens. “It is such an honor to meet you. I’ve heard so many lovely things about you and I do hope we will have the opportunity to get to know each other.”

My brow furrows. “I…” I’m not even sure how to reply. “Me…too?” It comes out as more of a question than a statement.

She chuckles. “You must be exhausted, dear. And starving—my son forgot to feed you this evening, didn’t he?” She glances at Leo, lifting a disapproving brow. “I’ll have dinner sent to your chambers. You should eat and retire for the evening. Tomorrow, we can discuss the arrangements for your stay in Montovia.” She pauses for a moment. “If you still desire to stay, of course.”

If I still desire to stay
? She obviously hasn’t heard about me breaking her antique settee.

I open my mouth to reply, but Leo speaks first. “Mother, Elle and I will be sharing a room. I hope that doesn’t shock you—”

She interrupts with a shake of her head. “It doesn’t shock me at all, Leo. But it also isn’t behavior that your father will lend his approval to.” She looks between the two of us. “You are both adults. And I expect you can be a bit more…discreet.”

My cheeks burn at her words, but she’s right. We definitely
can
be more discreet. It’s keeping the damned lust in check that’s the difficult part.

“Of course, Mother. As I said, it was my behavior that was imprudent. Elle should bear no—”

“I’m an adult here, too, Leo. And I…” I hesitate for a moment, unable to meet either of their gazes. “I’m at least as much to blame. And I’ll pay for the broken furniture.”

She laughs. “You’ll do nothing of the sort. I’ve always hated that settee, so you’ve actually done me a favor.” She folds her hands in her lap and looks between the two of us again, smiling. “I’ll speak with your father, Leo. But…” She pauses, her voice dropping slightly. “I expect he’ll want to speak with you tonight, as well. I will, however, convince him that your guest is in need of rest and is unavailable for a meeting this evening.”

Leo nods and squeezes my hand.

“Good.” She smiles and looks at me. “I’ll have dinner sent to your room, Elle.” She glances at Leo. “Escort your guest to her chambers, Leo. And by
escort
, I mean
walk
…” She grins.

His cheeks turn pink, but he nods again.

She stands and smiles down at me. “Very good. And Elle, we’ll have tea tomorrow afternoon. Just the two of us.”

“Oh…kay.” My heart skips a few beats thinking about it, but I’m sure I can figure out a way to get out of it by tomorrow. There is still time to run away, after all.

She nods again and turns to walk to the doorway. She glances over her shoulder before she opens the door. “
Walk
her to her room, Leo. And then come to see your father.”

“Yes, Mother.” His voice is low, almost reverent.

She walks out, leaving the door open.

He holds my hand for a few moments before he speaks. “We should go to your room.” His voice lowers, but it isn’t in reverence this time—it’s lust. “We’ll have a few minutes before I have to see my father. We can finish what we began in the parlor—”

I snap my head around to meet his gaze, interrupting him. My brow furrows. “Leo, we just got caught having sex. We were just
lectured
by the Queen of Montovia about our
indiscretion
, and you’re seriously asking me to
finish?
”

“Well, I do believe we were both
quite
close to finishing, Elle. It would be a shame—”

“Leo.” I shake my head. “Insufferable doesn’t even begin to cover—”

He closes his eyes and grins. “I love the way you say that word, Elle. You have no idea what it does to me.”

I groan. “I have some idea.” I stand up, pulling my hand from his. “Can you please just show me how to get back to my room? I swear to God, every door here looks the same. I have no idea how you tell them apart.”