Royally Not Ready(106)
“Overwhelming,” she answers as we head up the sweeping staircase. We pass by quite a few staff who bow or curtsy, and I can feel Lilly’s discomfort with the gesture. She smiles gracefully, and when we finally reach her room, I open the door for her and let her step in first.
“Oh, wow,” she says as I shut the door behind us. “This is . . . this is opulent.”
That’s an easy way to put it. The walls are covered in a cream damask wallpaper, the windows are shrouded in yards and yards of green velvet fabric, and the four-poster, gilded bed, which takes up a good portion of the space, is decorated in purple and green velvet bedding. The creaky wood floors are covered in Persian-style rugs, and the ceilings are adorned with intricate carvings. A decadent chandelier hangs from the center of it all, casting a dim light throughout the space.
“You have the option to change things if you want, if it’s too much for you,” I say, watching her examine the intricacies of the décor.
“It’s not that, it’s just . . . sort of unbelievable.” She chuckles. “Like this is the stuff you see in movies, not in real life. Like . . . Keller, there’s a chandelier in my room, a legit chandelier.”
“Yes, well, all the rooms are like this.”
“Even yours?”
That makes me laugh. “My room is in the servant quarters, remember? My room isn’t even half this size, nor is there velvet material anywhere.”
“What’s it like, then?”
“Well, it has a double bed, thankfully. A braided rug on the floor that my mum and I made together, one of the few things that weren’t destroyed in the fire, and pictures of everything important to me. A desk where I journal, a dresser for my clothes, and that’s pretty much it. I don’t require a lot.”
“It sounds nice.”
“It does the job.” I sigh and then gesture toward a door on the left. “That’s your en suite bathroom. Everything you need is in there. And the dressers and closet are full of your clothes as well as shoes. Your lady’s maid will come by tomorrow morning to wake you up and help you with anything you need. Her name is Runa. She was prepping your suite today but had a family emergency, so that’s why she’s not here right now.”
“Oh no, is everything okay?”
“Yes, she just needed to leave to help her mum. She’s excited to meet you, however. And if you need anything before Runa returns, there’s a phone on your night table. You just need to pick it up and someone will answer. Okay?”
She nods.
“Well, I’ll let you get settled.” I take a step back, but she quickly clutches my hand.
“Where are you going?”
“To my room,” I answer.
“You’re going to leave me by myself?” she asks, her eyes wide. “Keller, you can’t leave.”
“Love, I can’t be here with you.”
“Why not?” she asks, her eyes panicking now.
“Because my room is in the servants’ quarters.”
“Yes, and I’m used to sleeping next to you, your warm body wrapped around me, so unless you want me to follow you to the servants’ quarters, I need you to stay here, with me.”
“Lilly—”
“Please, Keller,” she begs. “Please, don’t leave me in this room all by myself. Not after the day I had. Please, just stay with me.”
Hell, when she looks at me like that, with those pleading eyes, there’s no way I can deny her what she wants.
“Okay,” I answer.
“Thank you.” She stands on her toes and pulls my mouth to hers, giving me a soul-searing kiss as she holds me tightly. When she releases me, she slips out of her heels and then turns her back toward me so I can undo her dress.
She moves her hair to the side, and I carefully pull the zipper down until the dress is loose enough to fall to the ground. Wearing a matching bra and thong, she turns toward me and takes my hand. Together we walk into the bathroom, where we brush our teeth, her eyes on me the entire time. I know that fucking look. I know exactly what she wants from me, and even though I think I should leave right now, I know my heart, and my body, won’t let me.
Once we’re done, I set her down on the edge of the bed’s mattress. “You need some pajamas.”
She unclasps the front of her bra, exposing her breasts, and shimmies out of her thong. “Why? I like sleeping naked, especially with you.”
“Yes, but Runa will be in here in the morning. Do you want her to see you naked?”
“Better get it out of the way. Give her an eyeful first thing in the morning.” She tugs on my pants. “Seriously, I’m not worried about that right now.”
“What are you worried about?”
“Getting close to you, finding my happy place in this crazy new day, and settling into the comfort of your arms. That’s what I need most right now.” Her fingers dance under my shirt. “Please, Keller.”
As I said, I can’t deny her.
I reach behind me and pull my shirt over my head. Instead of dropping it on the floor like I usually would, I fold it and put it on her dresser before taking off my shoes, socks, and pants. When I turn around, I watch her eyes roam over my body, mainly fixating on my chest and abs. I turn the chandelier light off, then shut the curtains, leaving only a sliver open to add light to the room, because I know that’s the way Lilly likes it. When I reach the bed, she’s already climbed inside, so I join her.