Sleeping Beauty (Not Quite the Fairy Tale Book 7)(16)

The showers weren’t easy to work out, but once he had, he’d sighed in delight. The multiple heads coming from the ceiling and the walls? He wholeheartedly approved. He’d developed a pronounced liking for it and wasn’t ashamed to linger over half an hour, practically purring under the hot, high pressure water.

He went to get dressed, adding another line to his notes. He needed new clothes. His were entirely too old fashioned and the maids who’d washed them had needed to get rid of over half of his wardrobe. One item amongst a million other things one had to think of after so many years.

Aurora would need clothes, too.

Dammit, where was Mal, now?

Finally, it was time. He stepped into his office at one minute past eleven. Rory walked in right after him. She hadn’t slept a wink either, he could tell. She was just as stunning as ever but she looked like she was ready to curl up in a corner. He felt a little guilty, but mostly proud, knowing it had been his kiss keeping her from her rest. His lips on hers.

“We’re taking the morning off.”

“What?” she said, astonished, looking at the mountains of files they still needed to sort through.

“You haven’t slept,” he stated. “Nor have I. Follow me.”

He passed his small office, his music room, his library, and headed back to his room. Rupert removed his shoes, undid the top buttons of his shirt, and got into bed.

“Well, what are you standing there for?” he teased.

Rory blushed.

“Come, we both need sleep.”

And he couldn’t get any if she wasn’t in the room.

“Don’t you give me that look. Your virtue is quite safe.”

“Well, that’s not what you said the last time us sharing a bed was suggested.”

“That was yours, at night - this is mine, during the day, while I’m playing King. I’ll keep my hands to myself if it kills me.”

And it just might.





Chapter 13





Maleficent





She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. She loved to pretend that exhaustion had won but truth was she’d slept ill for days without him there, worrying that something might happen to him, that someone might attack him while he was away. With his heat next to hers, her system immediately shut down, giving in.

Aurora woke up before him and watched him sleep. A smile played on her lips; how many times had she done that in the past? But it had never felt like this. Like she had a right to the possessiveness she’d always felt. Like he might be hers.

“I can feel you staring, you know,” said he, without opening his eyes.

“Sorry?” she then asked, “why are you pretending to sleep?”

“I’m waiting for you to be so good as to move from the bed.”

“Why?” She breathed.

“Because,” he replied, “I’m a man of my word and I said I was to be honorable. Only, I was exhausted, and quite stupid, too. If you’re still next to me in my bed when I open my eyes, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep my promise.”

Oh.

What if I don’t want you to keep your promise? She almost asked. Aurora bit her lip.

She remained in the bed for a long minute, feeling each second, each of his heartbeats and hers. Then she finally moved. He opened his eyes “Tell me about Aurora,” she asked, while putting her shoes on.

Rupert lifted a brow.

“Aurora?”

“Yes, your daughter.”

He hesitated. “She isn’t.” She frowned. “She isn’t my daughter, not by blood. I only touched Marina once, to ratify our union. Trust me when I say neither of us needed a second run of that particular mess. Officially, of course, Aurora is mine. And in my heart, she certainly is, too. Marina was a terrible mother. I started to care for the child out of duty and she ended up creeping her way into my heart.”

“Sounds like she very much is your daughter, to me.”

He smiled, visibly glad she got it. “Maleficent will know how to undo her blasted spell by now.”

“And what makes you so certain she’ll wish to help?”

Rupert shrugged. “She’s my closest friend. At least she was.”

Aurora’s jaw dropped and he laughed. “Why is that such a surprise?”

“She’s…” evil. “Not a nice person. Her reputation is dreadful. She got me in quite a fix a while back, too. Well, not me personally…”

She stopped talking, knowing they were going down a slippery slope now.

“I’m not going to let that go, Rory. Tell me.”

She groaned. “I was young and silly at the time.”

“Weren’t we all.”

“I was engaged to a man who didn’t care very much for me. I can’t say I cared either. A purely political match arranged by my father.”

“I’m not over-fond of your father. Go on.”

“Well, he cheated. I knew that, but when I witnessed it, I wasn’t very happy and I…” she winced. “I may have wished.”

He frowned.

“My aunts told me I have the power to wish for something; two things, in fact. My Fay ancestors have to grant them. I wished a very dreadful thing for Aiden and he was cursed. His entire kingdom suffered for it. It was Maleficent who granted the wish, I heard. I’ve always felt so guilty. My fault, you’d say, but she certainly didn’t need to make the situation so very dreadful.”