Peach

So much snow falls Monday night that Papaya can’t go to school, and we spend the morning having snowball fights and building obscene snowmen in the courtyard. The best part, though, is when Viktor ambushes us as we’re attempting to come inside just before lunch.

He converts Papaya to his side quickly, and as soon as he turns his back, she disappears inside.

Which leaves him free to tackle me in the snow.

“You are such a cheater!” I shriek while I try to rub a snowball in his face.

“On the contrary, my lady, I am a master strategist.” He easily avoids my attack, and I end up with snow dropping all over my face instead.

He’s smiling so broadly, I think his dimples might have gotten dimples.

And the sight of that smile makes my heart soar.

I make him happy.

Making someone else happy—truly happy, just by being me—is a joy I never understood before.

And being wanted—warts and all—is freeing in a way I never expected.

I wiggle under him until he’s settled between my legs, and I wiggle more when I feel that thick bulge growing against me. “Is this your master strategy?” I ask him as I shamelessly tilt my hips into his erection.

“Merely the first phase.”

His mouth is hot in the cold winter air, and I forget about frozen toes and fingers while he treats me to a deliciously luxurious kiss.

So I’m basically never going to get tired of kissing him. And even though I kept him in bed until just a couple hours ago, I’m ready to drag him back there again.

“Your nose is quite cold,” he murmurs. “I should take you inside and warm you up.”

“You should,” I agree. “It’s all your fault I’m somewhere my nose gets cold.”

“Completely reprehensible of me,” he acknowledges.

“And I think there’s snow melting through my pants.”

“Such a terrible predicament. Are you getting quite wet?”

“You are so hot when you talk dirty.”

He smiles again, his eyes crinkle, his dimples pop out, and holy Thor, I am so in love with this man.

I touch my gloves to his dimples. “You know that smile could cause global warming,”

He barks out a laugh, then rises and pulls me to my feet. But he doesn’t stop there.

Nope.

He tosses me over his shoulder and carries me through the courtyard.

But instead of taking me to our room, he carries me through a minor construction zone and takes me straight to Alexander’s office.

“Are we going to screw around in the king’s office?” I ask. “Because I could be up for that.”

“Perhaps tonight,” he replies.

He knocks and enters without waiting for an answer, then deposits me on the rug. “As requested, Your Majesty,” he says to Alexander, who rolls his eyes.

Viktor grins. “Ah, the tables have turned.”

“Sit your arse down and be quiet.”

“Am I being banished?” Peach asks. “Because I’d prefer a spanking to banishment.”

Viktor chokes on a laugh while Alexander’s eye twitches.

It’s kinda nice to not be the one with the twitch. For the moment, anyway. Papaya’s still Papaya, after all.

“I believe I’ll regret this sooner than anticipated,” Alexander says.

“Probably,” I agree.

Though I’m not actually opposed to spending time in his office. I’m still figuring out where my balance will be, but I know I’m continuing a few of the projects I started while Viktor was king. I’m also going to start some networking for Weightless though, because I think we could easily expand into Europe.

Alexander scans me up and down, and he suddenly seems to be struggling not to laugh too.

I look down at my makeshift snow pants, which are soaked in odd patches. I’m in boots two sizes too big, and I don’t even want to know what my hair and hat look like.

“’Tis fitting,” Viktor says to his brother while he squeezes my shoulder.

“What’s fitting?” It occurs to me that I actually don’t know why Alexander wanted to see me.

“My lady,” he tells me, “as the King of Amoria, ‘tis my honor and privilege to bestow upon you the Duchy of Elbony.”

My jaw drops, and I squint at him. “I’m sorry, your accent is hard to understand today.”

“The Elbony estate is a mere ten kilometers past the capital,” he continues. “I expect it’s in some disrepair, as it’s among the older of the monarchy’s holdings, but I believe you’ll be an excellent representative of what we expect in the aristocracy of Amoria. You’re smart, you’re occasionally charming, and you’re quite dedicated to seeing the value in a person’s character over their situation.”

“You’re making me a duchess?” I stutter.

“Made, Your Grace,” Alexander replies. “I’m merely notifying you of the fact now.”

I look at Viktor, who’s playing everything straight-faced, though I can tell by the twinkle in his dark eyes that he’s amused. “And so you’re a duke?”

“No, Your Grace, he’ll remain a mister unless you or I decide he should be allowed to have a title,” Alexander replies. “Though I daresay Viktor is the sort who would decline even if declining were not an option.”

“I’m the sort to decline,” I point out.

“And you’ve no option, and the citizens of Elbony are quite the fans of you, so ‘twould be rather rude, even for you, to decline.”

“Is your brother baiting me?” I whisper to Viktor.

“He’d best not, as I know how much that excites you,” he murmurs back.

Again with the twinkle.

“I rather think he’s being quite honest, Your Grace.”

I poke him in the ribs.

He smiles at me.

“Are you quite finished?” he asks Alexander.

“Yes, yes, go and tear each other’s clothes off to celebrate. But please bear in mind, Peach, that your title does not automatically pass to your offspring. ‘Tis a duchy that must be earned, so long as I am king.”

I’ve leapt around the desk to strangle Alexander in a hug before I realize I’ve moved.

I don’t care if I have a title or land or whatever.

Getting a family—a man I adore with all my heart who comes as part of a package with people who want to make a difference in the world, and who accept me and Papaya and Meemaw—is priceless.

And it’s so much more than I ever knew I wanted, and nothing I’ll ever take for granted.