Page 55 of Forbidden Royal Vows

“You are a questionable man,” the Queen Mother said with a sniff. But then she smiled, because being a grandmother had mellowed her. Even she and Carliz had found a sweeter side to their relationship. “But you make a good king. Far more important, you’re an excellent husband to my daughter. She needs both.”

And much later that night, he crawled into bed with his queen, his wife, his love. He told her of his triumph, then pulled her close the way he did as often as possible, because there was nothing better than this.

The bright fire between them. The light that never went out.

The love that only grew with each passing day.

And at least once a season, they went to the September House, just the two of them, to make sure that they were still them. To get back to them if they’d drifted a little. To see the truth of who they were in each other’s eyes.

Some years, that took a minute. Some years, there were conversations to be had, misunderstandings to clear up.

But sooner or later, they ended up on that same rug before that same fire, watching the flames dance and flicker.

And they found their way back to the real beat of their hearts that felt like one heart shared, one kiss at a time.