Chapter 6
Truffle pooped out the ring the following morning, after a sympathetic vet gave the pooch something to speed up the process. The royal butler, Desmond, was the lucky recipient of her gift. He made sure it was spotless before handing it back to Victoria wrapped in a silk handkerchief.
“Honestly, Ma’am, you’d never even know. If anything, it’s cleaner than it was; the staff polished until it shone. Better than when it left the jeweller if you ask me.”
Victoria appreciated him trying to talk up what had happened, even if she didn’t believe a word of it.
The problem was that the Queen treated those dogs with more affection than her actual children.
If either she or Michael had wolfed down someone’s wedding ring, they’d never have heard the end of it.
However, the ring was back, and the story had a happy ending.
Just like hers was about to. Now, she just had to persuade Ash to give notice on her flat.
She’d been living with Victoria part-time, keeping on her St Albans flat for the nights when she needed to be closer for training, or when she saw her family.
Victoria understood it was the last piece of independence she was reluctant to give up. The Palace security team did not.
The front door slamming shook her from her reverie.
“Hi honey, I’m home!”
Ash. Victoria’s heart did a backflip. Still did, even after all this time.
She poked her head out of the kitchen, where Ash hung up her jacket in the hallway cupboard. “I’m in here, and I’m making one of your favourites.”
Ash smiled at her, her blonde hair loose around her shoulders. “I know, I can smell it.” She grinned. “Also, you messaged me earlier to tell me, which was somewhat of a giveaway. You need to work on your mystery. Especially now we’re nearly married.”
“I’ll try to remember that.” But Victoria didn’t move. She simply waited, as Ash walked towards her, knowing that in a moment, their lips would meet. Sure enough, in seconds, Ash’s lips connected with her own, and pure, glittery bliss surged through her.
Kissing Ash had always been her favourite thing, but lately, with the football season over and Ash spending every night with her, this ritual had come to be a favourite part of her day.
Ash coming home to her, kissing her, sharing their everyday life together.
She was starting to glimpse what marriage would feel like, and she wanted more.
After so long worrying she’d never find the one, she was certain now that she had. What she hadn’t anticipated was it feeling so right — so at peace with love. This part was still new enough to be an absolute thrill.
Ash pulled her lips away, but wrapped an arm around Victoria’s waist as she did, anchoring them close.
“I would have stopped to pick up some wine, but Alex said it wasn’t worth the hassle because of the press tailing us.”
Ash kissed her again, and Victoria’s head swam.
“Plus, as you keep reminding me, you have a cellar with tons of wine.”
The way even the corners of Ash’s eyes up-turned when she smiled? She was damn-near perfect.
“You know I like to pay my way,” Ash continued. “I don’t like turning up empty-handed when you’re cooking.”
Victoria shook her head. “How many times? You’re not a guest. This is your home.
Our home.” She’d told her this until she was blue in the face, but Ash didn’t seem to fully get it.
With only two days until their wedding, she really needed to do so quickly.
“But anyway, come with me. I need to stir.”
Victoria pulled Ash into the kitchen: they’d talk about this being their home later. Right now, she had dinner to finish.
The counter held a chopping board laden with basil to go into the risotto at the final moment.
The creamy rice dish bubbled gently in the pan, the rich aroma of cream, mushrooms, garlic and bacon rising up into the air.
Victoria already had a Picpoul on the go.
She grabbed a stemmed glass and gave it to Ash.
She enjoyed the times when it was the off-season and Ash could share a wine with her.
“Did you drive through the centre of town and see the crowds?”
Ash had spent the afternoon volunteering at a youth football centre for girls. The Palace had wanted her to rearrange, but Ash had been insistent.
“We did.” Ash poured herself some Picpoul, then hopped onto a stool at the island.
“They’re already two or three deep down The Mall, even with this rain.
I want to hire a burger van or something, to show we appreciate their effort.
The season the Royal Ravens recorded our best attendance ever, we gave away a thousand burgers to the crowd to say thank you.
” She took a sip of her drink. “But I think the Palace would have other ideas.”
Victoria coughed a laugh. She could just imagine what the Palace press team would say.
Something about food poisoning and a possible PR disaster.
Victoria had been in the royal machine all her life, and knew exactly the way they’d see it.
Sometimes, she wished she could have Ash’s more simplistic outlook on life.
It would be a lovely gesture, but it’d never be approved.
Ash leaned over, grabbed a spoon and scooped a little risotto. She ate, then gave a thumbs-up.
“Even better than the first time you made it, when you were trying to seduce me.”
Victoria grinned, walked around the island and kissed Ash again. “It worked, didn’t it? The risotto must have had something.”
Ash pulled her close so their bodies were flush.
“It had so much going for it. A sexy chef, buckets of flavour, but it was the dessert that got me.” She raised a single eyebrow and her green eyes danced with possibility.
Heat surged through Victoria, sudden and salamander-hot.
Damn, she loved this woman.
“Play your cards right, Woods, and I might put out for you again later.”
“I’d be honoured, Ma’am,” Ash replied, then pinched Victoria’s arse as she walked away.
She shook her head in mock outrage. “Pinching a royal is a serious offence.”
“I’ll slap you on your naked bum cheek later if you like.”
Victoria held up her index finger. “Don’t tempt me. But we need to eat before that. I’m starving.” She dished up, and they settled onto their stools at the kitchen island.
“A toast.” Ash raised her wine. “To the rain hopefully stopping, and to me moving in.”
Victoria’s wine glass was half-raised when she realised what Ash had said. Her eyes widened as a grin took over her face.
“Are you serious? You’re finally moving all of your things in here? Not in a half-arsed way?”
Ash nodded. “I know it’s what you want. I also know it’s what I should do.
I’ve just been having a hard time moving out of the place I’ve always lived in.
” She shook her head. “But I work with women who’ve moved all over the world to follow their dream.
I’m unusual because I never had to leave my home town to play football.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing.
Perhaps it’s something I should have done a while ago.
” She paused, and looked Victoria dead in the eye.
“Even my mum says so, and she loves having me close by.”
Relief flowed through Victoria, cool and sharp. “I know this is a big decision, and I appreciate you finally making it. But you do know that St Albans is under an hour by car from central London?”
Ash raised her shoulders at that, a sheepish look crossing her face. “I’m a homebody, what can I say?”
“This is your home now, okay? Anyone would think I’m trying to ensnare you in a cult, rather than simply wanting my wife to live with me.” She raised a single eyebrow. “Even my mother asked why you hadn’t moved in now that Michael has moved out.”
“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to truly commit. It’s nothing to do with how I feel about you.”
“I really hope not. Because there’s a massive great wedding taking place in two days, and a whole lot of people out there waiting for it getting very wet.” She slid off the stool and moved towards Ash, slow and deliberate. “Talking of getting wet…”
Ash arched an eyebrow. “Nice segue…”
“I thought so.” Victoria stopped just short of her, close enough to feel the heat radiating off Ash’s skin, and to catch the faint trace of her perfume: something dark and warm that always undid her a little.
“I want to make you wet today. I’ve got a surprise for you.
” She paused. “The one we talked about.”
She let the words land, then waited for Ash to catch up.
It took Ash a beat — Victoria could practically see the cogs turning behind those green eyes — and then it landed. A blush streaked high on Ash’s cheekbones, climbing up to the tips of her ears.
Damn, Victoria loved that she could still do that to her. That after everything — the proposal, the ring, the rehearsal, the first dance — she could still make her England-captain fiancée blush like a teenager with one well-placed sentence.
“It arrived?” Ash’s voice had dropped half an octave.
“It sure did. Luckily it didn’t get delivered to the Duke of Norfolk, otherwise I’d have a whole lot of explaining to do over the garden fence.”
Ash gave her the cockiest grin in her arsenal: the one Victoria had first fallen for, the one that turned her knees to liquid the very first time it had been aimed in her direction. A couple of years on, it still worked. Possibly more so.
“My favourite meal and my favourite dessert, all in one day?” Ash tilted her head. “The royal family gets a bad rep, but I’ve always found them very responsive to my needs.”
“Uber responsive. Five-star ratings, in fact,” Victoria replied with a suggestive wink.
“Plus, we only have today before the wedding. I have to spend tomorrow night at Buckingham Palace as that’s where the bridal route is starting and ending.
Astrid and Sofia are thrilled. Michael is grumpy.
” She rolled her eyes. “Hence, you’ll be moving in after the wedding, not before.
You have somewhere to stay tomorrow night? ”
Ash nodded, staring at Victoria in a way that made the gold flecks in her already impossibly green eyes stand out.
Victoria’s knees buckled. She couldn’t wait to have Ash today. She needed it more than she could say. Her days had been filled with wedding overload. She needed to blow off steam. Ash was the perfect solution.
“Cam and I have very fancy digs in Mayfair, all arranged by your mother’s private secretary. I will be spending the evening fretting, practising my speech and our dance routine, with Cam as your stand-in.”
Ash’s hand travelled up her back, and Victoria’s clit throbbed.
“My parents are staying there, too, so we can all be picked up together. Cam and I are doing the bridal route in an official limo, before you do it in your fancy glass carriage. Consider us your bridal route fluffers, Ma’am.”
Ash bowed her head as she said the last bit, before placing a bruising kiss on Victoria’s lips.
That was enough for her.
She grabbed Ash’s hand, then dragged her out of the kitchen.