Chapter Nineteen
Sadie
The beds in the palace had been made of the finest materials in Verdalach. Or so I had always believed. This memory foam, however, molded to my body, supporting every part of me, and when I awoke the next morning, I felt magnificent.
Of course, that feeling may have been caused by the incredibly sexy and kind man still slumbering beside me on that memory foam.
Spending the night with Beckett had clearly illustrated that some men knew how to treat a woman. He’d pleasured me in ways I hadn’t thought possible. Ways Cian had never attempted, most likely because Cian was a selfish, dominating, bridge goblin that only thought of himself.
But Beckett? Oh, sweet Beckett. He’d shown me what lovemaking was supposed to be and I was hooked. On him. On what we’d done together. On snuggling against his warm, solid body under the blankets.
On memory foam.
I longed to gush all about Beckett and our wonderful night together to Orla. She’d squeal with delight over how I was living in a romance novel right now.
“Are you hungry?” Beckett asked, his voice morning raspy and plucking chords deep inside me.
I turned to face him more and the sliver of golden sunlight streaming into his bedroom from the window lit him in a way that made me feel as if he’d been sent to me directly from Heaven.
“Hungry for what exactly?” I ran my fingertips along his chest, traveling down, down, down until I reached his arousal.
“Originally, I meant for food, but now . . .” Beckett rolled on top of me in a quick spin and we began today the way we’d ended yesterday.
“Okay. Now I’m hungry for food,” I said after we’d cleaned up and put on the clothes we’d washed free of mud last night.
“Let me make you breakfast then.” Beckett took my hand and led me out to the kitchen.
He took a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator.
“My mother made sure all of us kids could cook at least a few dishes before we moved out of the farmhouse.” He pulled a frying pan out from a cabinet and placed it on the stovetop.
“A BLT was one of them, which you’ve already sampled. An omelet was another.”
I watched in awe from a stool at the kitchen island as Beckett proceeded to make an omelet that rivaled anything that had ever come from the royal kitchens.
Perfectly browned. Properly fluffed. Expertly cheesed and plated with a side of toast and a medley of fruit.
A mug of tea accompanied the omelet and by the time Beckett sat beside me with his own plate, I was ravenous from the aromas alone.
“Ladies first.” Beckett gestured to my fork. “Dive in.”
I did just that and the first bite pulled a hum from me. “Culinary bliss, Beckett. You’re a man of many talents.” I nudged his elbow with mine.
“Does this mean you’d be in favor of another slumber party with me?”
“I would definitely be in favor of that,” I said, “although we didn’t do that much slumbering.”
“I know, but calling it a sex party didn’t feel right either.” Beckett grinned before he shoveled more omelet into his mouth.
“That’s because it wasn’t just sex,” I said. “It was showering, soaking in the tub, sex, more sex, and some more sex, snuggling, sanitizing the bathroom to rid it of mud, slumbering, more snuggling, morning sex, and now savoring this delicious breakfast.”
“It’s a deluxe package,” he said. “One reserved only for you.”
“I’m sure you’ve had other women stay overnight, Beckett.” He was too attractive and generous and thoughtful to not have been in other relationships.
“Well, yeah,” he admitted, “but normally I would have pissed the woman off by now.”
“Pissed her off? How?” At no point during my stay with Beckett had he made me angry. The exact opposite was true instead. I was happier than I’d ever been.
Beckett chewed his toast slowly as if he needed some time to consider how to answer me. He washed that down with some orange juice then swiveled a bit on his stool.
“I would have been on my laptop or tablet or phone at some point during a woman being here. Probably at multiple points.” He shrugged. “I’d like to blame it on work, but it’s actually because I get bored.”
“The last time I saw your phone was when you opened your garage door yesterday to let us in after we’d gotten all muddy,” I said. “You haven’t been on it since.”
“I know. I’m not even sure where my phone is right now.
” He glanced over his shoulder into the living room.
“I always know where my phone is, but you, Sadie Rodgers, have proven to be more entertaining and addicting than any technology I currently possess. I haven’t been bored once since we’ve been together. ”
I put a hand to my chest. “I feel so special.”
Beckett leaned over and caught my mouth in a quick kiss.
“That’s because you are special.” He moved in for another kiss, but his phone rang from somewhere down the hall.
“It’s like it knew I was talking about it.
” He kissed me again then went back to eating his omelet while the phone kept up its ringing.
“Aren’t you going to check that?” I asked.
“Nope.”
“What if it’s one of your family members? What if they need you for something important?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You’ve discovered my weakness.” Sighing, he slid off the stool and went down the hallway.
A man whose weakness was being available for his family? Beckett Hartley was truly The Perfect Man.
Was he also someone who could handle the truth of who I was? Of why I’d come to Vermont? I didn’t like keeping this enormous secret from him. Not while we were becoming close. He liked Sadie Rodgers, but what would he think of Princess Aislinn Síomóin of Verdalach?
I paused, my fork hovering over my omelet. Saying my real name—even only in my mind—felt foreign. That name no longer belonged to me. To the me I’d created here in Vermont.
To the me that was falling hard for Beckett Hartley.
He came back out to the kitchen and set his phone on the island. “Just my gaming buddies wanting to know if I was free to play.”
“Oh, I can get going.” I popped the last bite of omelet into my mouth and made a move to take my plate to the sink. I had to do some thinking about telling Beckett everything anyway. That type of considering was best done not in the tempting presence of this wonderful man.
Beckett caught hold of my sweater sleeve before I could step away from the island.
“I told my buddies I wasn’t available.” His phone chimed several times on the island.
“And that’s them, once again, not comprehending my non-availability because I never refuse an opportunity to play video games when they ask.
” He held up an index finger. “Except when I have an irresistible guest in my home.” He looked at me.
“So far, you are the only irresistible guest I’ve had in my home. ”
His phone chimed several more times and Beckett ignored it. Instead, he turned on his stool to face me and stared at me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Gazing dreamily at you.” He grinned. “Am I doing it right?”
I laughed. “It appears so because I’m feeling a little . . .” I searched for the right word for the warm, melted sensation happening inside my chest.
“Squishy?” Beckett asked.
“Yes, squishy.” I lowered back to my stool. “That’s it exactly.”
“I’m totally doing it right then.” He patted himself on the back in congratulations then reached down to slide my stool closer to his. He put a knee on either side of me and slid his hand up to my cheek before coming in for a slow, gentle-yet-stimulating kiss that made me forget both of my names.
A sudden pounding on the front door, however, made me jump.
“Fuck,” Beckett said. “That has to be a family member.”
“Your one weakness.” I waved a hand toward the door. “Better go see who needs you.” I patted his cheek and he turned his head to press a kiss to my palm.
Grumbling as he slid off his stool, he grabbed his phone. He tapped the screen a few times then angled the phone toward me so I could see Darius and Flora standing outside at the front door.
Beckett padded on sock-covered feet to the front door and opened it. “Do one of you need a kidney? Because that’s the only reason I’m going to let you in.”
“No kidneys needed,” Darius said.
“But we did have a meeting scheduled with you to go over the social media campaign for the All Hallow’s Eve Walk on the nature trail.” Flora wiggled the tablet she held. “You’re the one that set up the meeting.”
“Right. I did.” Beckett looked over his shoulder at the same time Darius and Flora glanced my way.
“Oh, you have company.” Darius looked at Flora. “Beckett has company.”
Flora grinned. “It appears he does. Early morning company that maybe began as late night company?” She arched an eyebrow at Beckett then waved at me. “Good morning, Sadie.”
“Good morning.” I walked over to the door and nudged Beckett aside so he wasn’t blocking the entryway. “Come in. Have your meeting.”
“Damn.” Beckett rested his head on the doorframe.
Darius and Flora hesitated, but I insisted they come in.
“If there’s a Hartley free to give me a ride home,” I said, “I actually have some things to prepare for my first appointments this week and I have jewelry orders to fill.” Jimmy’s request for a pendant for Mrs. Hartley came to mind. I wanted to get that one perfect.
“There’s always a Hartley available.” Darius pulled out his phone, tapped away for a few seconds, and it buzzed with a reply right away. “Ashley is on her way to Faraday’s Hardware for her shift today. She says she can swing by and grab you.”
“That’s perfect,” I said.
“No, it isn’t,” Beckett said, but he closed his front door and motioned for Darius and Flora to have a seat in the living room. “I wasn’t done with you yet.”
“Oh, it’s so cute to see Beckett grumpy over his girl having to leave,” Darius said.
Beckett narrowed his eyes at his brother then he refocused on me. “When can I see you again?”
The fact that he wasn’t trying to hide his eagerness to be in my company while his family members looked on as if they were audience members at a theater show touched me.
“She has to check her busy schedule of bookings,” Flora said.
“That’s true,” I said, “but Beckett here is the reason I was able to get Kalm Kingdom up and running so smoothly. I think that means there’s always room for him in my schedule.”
“That sounds right,” Beckett said. “I like this policy.”
I picked up my purse and headed for the door, Beckett right behind me as a beep sounded outside.
“That will be my ride home,” I said. “I’ll call you later and we’ll figure out our next date.” I leaned against Beckett, loving when his arms came to my hips and he held me closer.
“Okay.” He brushed his lips against mine and I was certain he wanted to do more than leave me with a kiss, but more beeping sounded outside plus Darius and Flora were waiting for him.
“Thank you for a lovely time, Beckett,” I said as I stepped outside.
“I’m looking forward to our next lovely time. And that All Hallow’s Eve Walk event I’m planning with Darius and Flora? You’re totally coming to that as my date.” He gave me a little smile and it took all my energy to walk to Ashley’s waiting car.
“Good morning!” Ashley sang as soon as I sat in the passenger seat.
“Yes, it is a good morning.” I waved to Beckett who was still standing in the doorway.
Ashley looked at me then glanced in Beckett’s direction before meeting my gaze again.
“Wow. There’s some electricity crackling between you two.
” She drove through Beckett’s semi-circular driveway, gave the horn a quick two-beat honk, then navigated onto the dirt road.
“Okay, we have fifteen minutes of travel time between here and Slater’s Pond so spill the tea, girl. ”
“Spill the tea?”
“Yeah, give me all the details,” Ashley said. “What’s happening between you and Beckett?”
Ashley wasn’t Orla, but the invitation to discuss how wonderful I felt was too much to resist. I spent the entire ride telling Ashley about the way Beckett had treated me.
“And he didn’t suggest anything technological?” Ashley asked as we neared Hank’s cabin. “No watching movies on his big screen with the impressive sound system? No choosing video gaming over conversation with you? No checking social media or texting or anything?”
I shook my head. “No. He was attentive to me the entire time we were together.”
“Amazing.” Ashley pulled into the cabin’s driveway. “Being a robotics engineer, I share Beckett’s fascination with technology so I understand the allure of gadgets. You’re wielding some serious magic if you’ve managed to become more interesting to Beckett than his electronics.”
“I’m not doing anything though,” I said. “I’m just being me.” Well, the me that I’d created here in Vermont anyway.
“And that’s apparently all it takes, Sadie.” Ashley smiled. “Just keep being you.”
I thanked her for the ride and bid her a nice day at Faraday’s. “Tell Hank I said hello.”
Then I stood outside the cabin as Ashley drove away, wondering again what Beckett would think if he knew my real story.
What I was doing in Vermont, however, felt more real than anything I’d ever been or done in Verdalach. Princess Aislinn was a distant memory now. I’d keep her in the past where she belonged.