Sovalon Royals: The Complete Series Read online

  “The gardens here are lovely,” he said and pointed to a row of azalea bushes. “They remind me a bit of the ones at the castle.”

  Piper felt herself blush. “That’s probably because I designed and planted the garden,” she admitted.

  Aldon’ eyes lit up. “You are quite the artist, Piper.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I helped too!” Willa said then ran ahead of them, eventually breaking into a rhythmic skip down the pebbled path.

  “Aldon,” Piper began, “I want to thank you for what you did at the shelter today. You were the hero this town desperately needed.”

  Aldon waved away her compliment. “It was really no big deal.”

  “It was a big deal to them,” she said then paused. “And to me.”

  As Willa skipped ahead, Piper stopped in her tracks, causing Aldon to turn and face her. Entranced by his gorgeous eyes, she closed the space between them, stood on her tiptoes and planted her lips onto his.

  In the space of that moment, the world went away, and Piper let herself be swept away by the prince’s kiss.

  7

  Piper’s sudden kiss threw Aldon for a loop, but he found that he enjoyed kissing Piper more than he’d enjoyed anything in a long time. As he pulled her close, letting his lips explore hers, a passion kindled in him that was stronger than anything he’d ever felt for Carrie. It didn’t make sense, but for once, he decided not to overthink. Not to think at all. He tangled his fingers into Piper’s red hair and continued to kiss her hungrily until Willa’s voice broke the moment.

  “You can’t catch me!” she called, causing Aldon to pull back, feeling like a teenager, caught in the act.

  Piper smiled sheepishly at him. “I’m sure she didn’t see anything. If she had, she would have teased—or asked a million questions.”

  “Okay,” he said and returned Piper’s smile. He couldn’t ignore the warmth that coursed through him after having shared a kiss with her.

  As they walked toward Willa, he felt the urge to touch Piper, and took her hand in his. She gave a squeeze, and he knew she approved. They walked in quiet, hand in hand, for a minute, until Aldon noticed a couple walking toward them and unlaced his fingers from Piper’s. He couldn’t risk being seen holding hands with another woman—not when the status of his relationship with Carrie was not yet public information.

  “Let’s go out for dinner somewhere,” he said as Willa approached. He patted her on the head. “Willa’s choice.”

  The little girl jumped up and down in a show of joy. “Yay!”

  “Where will it be, Willa?”

  “Nadia’s café,” Willa proclaimed.

  “I don’t know, Willa,” Piper said, an unsure look on her face. “It’s not really fancy.”

  “‘Not fancy’ sounds perfect,” Aldon replied. Piper had shown him in the span of a day that simplicity was what he needed. That and a double dose of her lips.

  He led the way back to the car and followed Piper’s directions to the restaurant. The corner café was tucked behind an ivy-covered gate. White twinkle lights were strung from tree to tree, dancing above the outside space in a glowing canopy. They slid into a cozy booth, Aldon on one side and Piper and Willa on the other.

  “Willa, this place is so great!” he said. “It reminds me of a fairy tale.”

  “Well, you’re a prince, right?” she said and took a big gulp of water.

  Aldon had to laugh. He looked at Piper, and a warmth fell over him. Being with the two of them felt so right. It didn’t seem real that he’d only just met them days ago.

  “Let’s take a look at this menu,” he said and glanced at the parchment paper list in front of him.

  “Fairy Fries?” he read aloud. “Wonderburger, made with unicorn horn dust and magic? Willa, this is one silly menu!”

  Willa giggled, and the sound was sweet music. He couldn’t believe he was enjoying this kid so much. It wasn’t like him.

  The waitress approached.

  “Can I take your order?”

  Aldon tapped on his chin dramatically. “I’ll definitely have the Wonderburger,” he said. “I’ve got a major craving for unicorn horn dust.”

  The waitress grinned. “And just so you know,” she said, obviously playing along, “no unicorns were harmed in the making of this burger.”

  “Of course they weren’t!” he said. “The Kingdom of Sovalon would never stand for it!”

  The waitress’s eyes grew suddenly. “Wait! You’re the other prince, aren’t you?”

  Ahhh, yes, that was him. The other prince—not the heir, not the playboy, just the one that always got lost in the shuffle. The word sliced through his mood, tripping him up, but only for a moment until Willa came to the rescue.

  “This prince would never hurt a unicorn. He helps people,” she said.

  “I heard what you did at the homeless shelter,” the waitress said, and Aldon shrugged.

  “This prince is a hero,” Willa said.

  “Well, thank you, Willa,” he said. “Now what will it be?”

  “I’ll have the Magic Macaroni and the Fairy Fries,” Willa said.

  “Mmmm, sounds carby,” Piper said. “I’ll have the same.” She looked at Aldon. “I love comfort food.”

  “I’m a carnivore,” he said. “Nothing more comforting to me than a good burger.”

  “Especially when it has unicorn horn dust in it,” Willa said, making both Aldon and Piper laugh.

  Again, the desire to touch Piper grew in him. He so wanted to hold her hand across the table, but he knew he had to be careful. So many people were watching, and word of his presence here had obviously started to spread in town. He dared to let his eyes rest in hers for a moment, and her smile grew.

  “What are you smiling about?” he teased.

  “Just you,” she said, her words melting his doubts.

  Aldon knew his father wouldn’t be happy to catch wind of his budding romance with Piper, but in that moment, he no longer cared. He reached for Piper’s hand and folded it into his.

  This was a life he could get used to.

  It felt so good to have Aldon holding her hand. Piper could feel the growing number of eyes in the restaurant flickering towards her. She didn’t like the attention, but it felt right to be closer to Aldon.

  “Here comes our food,” Willa announced and rubbed her hands together eagerly.

  The waitress placed their orders on the table and left them to dig in.

  “How’s your Wonderburger?” Piper asked Aldon.

  “Delicious,” he said. “The unicorn dust really hits the spot.”

  Willa giggled, and Piper found herself drifting into a daydream of what life would be like if it were her, Willa, and Aldon, sharing meals like this all the time. Aldon and Willa were really warming up to each other, and, surprisingly, it turned out that he was good with kids. Maybe he just had never been given the chance to spend time with a little one before.

  As Piper crunched on a fry, she noticed a couple standing up from their chairs and looking toward her. The man was tall and lanky, dressed in khaki shorts and a T-shirt. His shoes had holes in them. The blond-haired woman next to him had deep circles under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept well for a long time.

  “Uh, Aldon?” Piper nodded toward the couple.

  “Do you know them?” he asked, and Piper shook her head as the couple cautiously approached. She was used to there being very few people in town she didn’t know, but since she’d started living in the castle, she’d missed getting to meet some of the more recent arrivals.

  The man cleared his throat and spoke.

  “Excuse me, Prince Aldon,” he said. “I apologize for interrupting your dinner.”

  “It’s okay,” Aldon said and held a hand out for the man to shake. “Please just call me Aldon.”

  The man gave the woman a surprised look and then turned back to Aldon.

  “Sir, I’m Justin Young, and this is my wife, Mindy. We just wanted to than
k you for what you did at the shelter today and for the promises you made.”

  “We’ve struggled for the past few years,” Mindy said. “We owned a pizza shop in town. Best pizza in Thistledown!” She looked at her husband and he smiled in obvious agreement. “With the water problems, we were forced to shut down.”

  Mindy’s face fell, and Piper was afraid she might cry.

  Aldon stood from his chair and shook both of their hands. “I’m sorry you went through that,” he said, and Piper could tell he meant it.

  Another couple approached, trailed by two teenagers. “We couldn’t help but overhear you, Mindy,” the man said. He wore a baseball cap and had a burly beard.

  “Oh, hey, Stan,” Mindy said. The two obviously knew each other. “Stan and Barbara lost their business too,” she explained to Aldon. “It’s been hard on their family.”

  The teens behind them nodded.

  “I’m so sorry,” Aldon said and shook Stan’s hand.

  A loud voice called from across the room. “You’re sorry, but what are you gonna do about it?”

  A man in a sweatshirt and jeans stood next to his table, his hands in the air. Piper cringed at the angry look on his face.

  “I’ve written letter after letter to the Monarchy,” he said. “No response. Why should we believe your promises now?”

  Piper’s face went hot. She wished she could race to Aldon’s defense, but she knew the skepticism was justified. Her neighbors and the townspeople of Thistledown Valley had implored the government for help. No one had done anything for them.

  “I understand your mistrust,” Aldon said. “In fact, I don’t blame you at all.”

  The restaurant went completely quiet. All eyes were on Aldon. Even the cooks and dishwashers had emerged from the kitchen to listen. This was more attention than they’d ever received from a member of the monarchy.

  “Look, I’m not sure exactly what I can do, and I can’t make any absolute promises, but I will go to the Crown with all of your concerns.” He pulled a small notebook from his back pocket. “I want to hear from all of you. What’s happened to you, what impact has it had, and what changes would do the most good.”

  Piper watched, impressed, as Aldon invited each family or individual to come to him with their laundry lists of needs.

  “I know I haven’t been here up to now, but Thistledown Valley is important to me,” Aldon said to the crowd once everyone had taken their turn to file their grievances. “I have a home here, and I’ve always imagined settling here permanently someday. I promise I’ll do everything I can.”

  Piper believed him. She could see a future for him here. Was there room for her and Willa in his future?

  She hoped so.

  8

  It was past ten by the time Piper, Aldon, and Willa finally left the restaurant. On the ride home, Piper leaned into Aldon, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to be with him. It was as if they had known each other forever instead of just a few days. Piper was so comfortable with him, she found herself forgetting that Aldon was Prince of Sovalon.

  “What a night,” Aldon said as they drove along dark country roads. He gave Piper’s knee an affectionate squeeze.

  “You were amazing with those people,” she said. “Mrs. Birktower is known for being a tough old bird. She gives everybody a hard time, and she melted like butter in your hands.”

  “Which one was she?”

  “The older woman with the mustache,” Piper said.

  Aldon laughed. “Oh, yes. I won’t soon forget that face.”

  Laughing, Piper snuggled closer to Aldon, wishing there wasn’t a console between them. “You made them feel like someone actually cares about their plight, finally.”

  “I do care,” Aldon said. “I hope I can quickly get some help for them all.”

  A muffle snore erupted from the backseat, and when Piper glanced back, she saw that Willa had fallen asleep.

  “I’m not surprised she nodded off,” Aldon said. “We were there for a long time. She was so patient and well-mannered. You should be proud.”

  “Thank you,” Piper said. “She’s a good girl.

  They pulled up the driveway to the castle and parked the car. Piper went to retrieve the sleeping Willa from the backseat, but Aldon put a hand over hers.

  “Let me get her,” he said. “I’ll carry her to her bedroom if you lead the way.”

  Piper stood back and watched as Aldon carefully scooped Willa into his arms. She walked him to her daughter’s room, thinking how nice it was to have some help with Willa, and how sweet Aldon had been to her tonight.

  Aldon laid Willa down on her bed, and she didn’t stir at all.

  “She’s really out,” Piper said and began taking off one of Willa’s shoes. Aldon followed suit with the other shoe and together, the two tucked her in. Piper whispered a quiet bedtime prayer over her daughter and kissed her forehead before leaving the room. Outside the door, Aldon was leaning against the wall. How surreal was it that a gorgeous prince was waiting for her, wanting to spend time with her?

  “She still asleep?” he asked, and Piper nodded. She couldn’t help but notice the perfect line of his jaw in the shadow of the hallway. Her pulse quickened under his stare. “I want to show you something,” he said and held a hand out for her. She took it.

  “I sent my valet on a little errand while we were out,” Aldon said. He led her down the long corridor toward the library, where he stopped and faced her. “I think you’ll like it.”

  Piper was bursting with curiosity as to what Aldon was talking about. He ushered her into the room and gestured to a table in the middle of the room. It was piled with books. When she got closer, she realized the stack of books were for her.

  “They’re amazing,” she said, as she ran her hand over the gorgeous covers. They were all books on botany, just like the ones she’d asked about. She flipped through a thick hardcover that’s pages were filled with gorgeous illustrations of all types of shrubbery. “This was incredibly thoughtful of you, Aldon,” she said and peered up into his warm eyes, feeling touched. In only a few short days, Aldon was changing her whole world, giving her hope for the town, and making her life at the castle more magical than it had ever been.

  He sat down at one of the chairs where she could feel him watching her until she looked away from the beautiful books and met his eyes. Piper put down the book that was in her hands and moved toward Aldon. She leaned over him and let her lips rest gently on his. It was a kiss to show her gratitude but quickly turned into something more as Aldon responded.

  He drew her into his lap and pulled her body against his. She placed her hands on his torso as they kissed, and let herself explore the chiseled muscles of his abs and chest. With her legs straddling him, she angled closer and closer into him until she could feel the rock hardness of his attraction to her. She pushed into him, unable to help herself.

  It had been a long time since a man had made her feel this hot.

  Leaning back, she let Aldon unbutton her shirt and slide his fingers beneath her bra. She sighed as he gently pinched her nipples and kissed her neck, his tongue flicking the sensitive spot behind her ear. He was driving her crazy.

  “I want you, Aldon,” she whispered, and her words were all it took to spur him into action. With her legs still wrapped around him, he stood and laid her carefully on the long wooden table. Pushing the books aside, he climbed onto the table as well, straddling her. He placed his lips over hers, sucking on her lower lip while he unfastened her bra and slid it off so that she was naked from the waist up.

  She let him take control, closing her eyes as his hands and mouth explored her body. She watched as he shed his clothes and shivered as he began undressing her too. He slid her panties down around her ankles, and she kicked them aside, wanting nothing, not even a shred of material, to be between his skin and hers. As his fingers played along the wet folds between her legs, she spread them just a little wider to let him
know she approved. It felt so good to have his fingers inside of her, all over her, drawing circles on the most sensitive spot on her body until she wanted to scream.

  “Please, Aldon,” she moaned, distantly aware of a rustling sound that seemed to be Aldon retrieving a condom from his pants pocket and putting it on before he climbed atop her once more. As he entered her, she felt her muscles squeezing around his hardness. “Yes!” she cried. Her back arched as they came together, right there in the library in the midst of Aldon’s book collection.

  Piper sighed with utter satisfaction and wrapped her legs around Aldon’s body. She’d never dreamed this man could possibly be a part of her life before all of this. But now she couldn’t imagine losing him. Tenderly, she kissed his cheek.

  “Are you up for round two?” he asked.

  She grinned, and let Aldon carry her to his bedroom, sweet anticipation pulsing in her veins.

  Aldon curled his body behind Piper’s, pulling her into his arms after their second round of lovemaking. The curve of her form fit perfectly into his. In fact, everything about Piper seemed to fit Aldon to a T. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago he’d come here seeking nothing more than rest and quiet, only to find this beautiful and warm-hearted woman with so much to give. When he’d first met her, he’d found her attractive, but he’d never imagined they’d end up like this, especially after having spent a life always expecting that things inevitably wouldn’t work out.

  But he could imagine things working out with Piper. She just seemed right.

  “You okay?” he asked, as he brushed a strand of red hair from her face.

  “I’m great,” she said and turned toward him. Her face had the afterglow of good sex and satisfaction.

  “I am too,” he said. “Today was amazing. Helping at the homeless shelter and talking to all of those people at the restaurant made me feel useful, like I matter for a change.”