The next day I drove my truck to Ramsford earlier than I was scheduled to. Maxwell called me, frantic and desperate for help getting the estate prepped before the rest of court showed up the following day. Apparently their staff took the day off unbeknownst to the Brothers Beaumont, and there was a ton of shit to do.

Normally, I'd say no, but I'd grown closer to Maxwell over the past couple months and felt bad for the guy. Not to mention Bragnae would be there. I was excited to see her, but after I came back down to earth from my pleasured high of being with Bragnae, I realized what we'd done.

I couldn't shake the doom and gloom feeling I had since this morning. I betrayed my best friend to be with his girl. I lost all sense and control and I shouldn't have. I should have been stronger than that. I had plenty of opportunities to leave her room last night that I chose to ignore. I was a shitty friend. And worse yet, Liam didn't even know. The poor guy had no clue I even liked her let alone that we shared an intimate experience last night.

How the fuck am I going to tell him? He'll hate me forever. We didn't technically have sex. Maybe he'll be more forgiving of that. I sighed in disgust at myself. Who am I kidding? We both kissed, grinded and moaned our way to incredible orgasms that we both needed and craved from each other. Goddamn it.

When I arrived at the Beaumont estate, Bertrand told me to help Maxwell in the kitchen, so I headed there. I stepped into the room to see him and Bragnae standing across from each other with a counter in between them as they worked on what I assumed was a caviar appetizer. I'd been to enough of these fancy parties to recognize the pretentious delicacy all the nobles went nuts over.

"I'm here. What do you need me to do?"

"Drake! Oh, thank God!" Maxwell shouted. "Thanks for coming to help out."

"Hey, Drake," Bragnae said with a smile.

I gave her a side smirk and a quick nod, not wanting to make a big deal about it in front of Maxwell. I couldn't trust myself around her now. Even if I smiled in her direction, I'd give myself away. I needed to get my head wrapped around the situation before I was ready to talk about it. No one could know until I talked to Liam.

I felt like an ass because I didn't want her to feel like I changed my mind about her. Because I still very much cared for her. If given the choice of having Bragnae by my side or a bottle of cold water in a hot desert, I'd choose her every damn time. But, I failed as a best friend, and I needed to make that right despite my own happiness.

Maxwell typed something on his phone quickly before shoving it back in his pocket. "Bertrand said we have caterers for the rest of the food for tomorrow. Whew! Drake, why don't you help me make the rest of these Jewels of the Sea as I'm calling them, and Bragnae, could you go help Bertrand with the cleaning?"

Dodged a bullet there. Even though I'd love to stand here and look at her, smelling her sweet perfume, it's probably best she go somewhere else in the house.

"Sure thing!" She walked around the counter, and brushed her hand across my lower back as she left the kitchen. I hesitated, but watched her leave anyway. She had turned back and smiled at me before leaving the room.

I sighed and got back to work while Maxwell jabbered on like a monkey in a tree.

Later, I found myself arranging goddamn flowers in glass vases for the dining room. Me. Arranging flowers. I sighed. How the fuck do I get myself into these situations?

I heard Bertrand telling Bragnae to help me with the center pieces, and my heart skipped a beat. Goddamn it. I already missed her. It had been a few hours since I'd seen her around. Part of me wanted to pull her in close and never let go, but the other part of me wanted to keep my distance. Keeping her near would only hurt more in the long run. Fuck. I hated how complicated this got all of a sudden.

"Hey, Drake. I didn't know you had a knack for arranging flowers like this."

I kept my eyes on the vase in front of me as I responded. "Yeah, who knew? The things I do for you people."

"Seems to me that you have a lot of hidden talents we all aren't aware of. I wonder what else you can do." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her face tilted up to me with a bright smile. I had to look at her otherwise she'd suspect I was ignoring her.

So I did. Goddamn, she was pretty. I scoffed a laugh. "Guess you'll just have to wait and see." Wait and see? When, idiot? You're supposed to push her away, not give her little pieces of hope to cling to. I'm so bad at this.

"Well, I can't wait." She touched my arm. Her warmth sent a tingle down my spine. My heart beat faster and my breath quickened. All from one little touch. Jesus Christ.

"Lady Bragnae!" Bertrand shouted from across the room.

Startled, she whipped around to face him. "Yes?"

"Come here for a moment, please."

Bragnae darted off to Bertrand, and I could breathe again. I needed a moment or two to myself. Now was my chance to sneak off. I quietly left the dining room and headed down the hall to the study. I shut the door behind me, and leaned against the wall. No sooner did I close my eyes did I hear the sound of high heels clicking down the hallway.

I sighed. Damn it. I opened the door as the footsteps approached to see Bragnae fill the door frame. She beamed as soon as she saw me.

"Hi! Can I come in?" She was incredibly enthusiastic, and too charming to deny. Shit.

"Of course." I stepped aside and invited her in the study before closing the door behind her.

"Are you hiding out in here?"

"You could say that."

"Well, this is perfect because I wanted to talk to you. First things first..." She said before reaching up to kiss me. No matter how much I tried to push her away, as soon as her lips hit mine, I couldn't turn her down. I was an addict and her kisses were the drug. After a drawn out moment, she pulled back. "I've been waiting to do that all day."

I couldn't help but smile at her. "Me too." It was the sad truth I couldn't deny.

She rested her hands on my chest as she continued. "I decided I'm going to tell Liam that I'm withdrawing from the Social Season."

"Why?" I kept my hands on her hips because I couldn't resist not touching her.

"Because I want to be with you, Drake. Last night was amazing. I woke up with a big smile on my face this morning, and it won't go away. I think about you all the time, and I'm always searching the crowd for your face. I'm so happy when I'm with you. And finding out that you also cared about me was like a dream come true."

Her words humbled me. But how could she feel so strongly for me when she had Liam? "I'm glad to hear that I make you happy. Last night was... incredible for me as well. But maybe you shouldn't make this decision now. Liam really likes you. I know he wants to pick you as his bride." I cringed at the thought.

"I know, Drake. And that's why I have to tell him before his coronation, so he's not humiliated in front of the entire court when I decline his proposal."

She was really set on this, but she wasn't being practical. "I have nothing to offer you, Bragnae." I couldn't help the sadness that fell over my face.

"Drake, believe it or not, I didn't come here to be queen. Going through all of this made me realize that I'm not really cut out for the job anyway. I'm independent, impatient, and sarcastic. I'm not very diplomatic either. I will always say what's on my mind, and I don't want to screw up something big for the country because of who I am. I truly have no interest in it." She paused. "When Maxwell invited me to Cordonia, I was looking for an adventure to reignite my life. And I said yes because I also wanted to fall in love."

That word. I drew back slightly, stunned a bit if I was being honest. I swallowed as I focused more intently on her face. "And did you?" I didn't know what I wanted her answer to be. I cared for her very deeply, but was it love? My feelings for her were more than I've ever felt for anyone else. I wasn't sure it was love, but I knew it was more than a crush.

Love was deep. Love was a commitment. Love was special. I'd never been in love before. It was never something I saw happening for myself even though I hoped to someday. With my life dedicated to Liam, there wasn't time for relationships. Or maybe I just didn't care to engage in them. Just one night stands. Sometimes even dragging some of those out to three or four dates if the sex was good.

"I'll let you know." She smiled at me. "I have to tell him sometime this weekend while we're still in Ramsford. I'm sure things will get busy for him once we head back to the palace." She stood on her toes again, pulling me in for another kiss. "I'll find you later. I have to go help Bertrand with something."

Before I could say anything more, Bragnae scurried out of the room leaving me with my thoughts. I walked over to a chair and slumped down into it. This was worse now. She was going to throw away a life of luxury and security just to be with me. I still couldn't fathom it. Why would she do such a thing?

I'm nobody. Liam was everything.

Of course I wanted to be with her, but it just couldn't happen. I couldn't let it happen. Liam deserved to be happy, and he cared about her. Who was I to stand in his way?

My heart ached with a miserable heaviness as I realized what I was going to have to do. If she couldn't see it, then I'd just have to tell her myself. We couldn't be together.

Later that evening I found myself on the terrace sipping on some whiskey looking out at the stars over the vineyard. It was a beautiful night. A slight cool breeze came in occasionally, and crickets chirped in the distance. Being outdoors always helped to clear my head.

The conversation I needed to have with Bragnae, however, was taking its toll on me in every way imaginable. It was all I thought about since this afternoon. I dreaded it – the conversation I'd have to have with her and the aftershocks of it all. Having to see her as queen on the arm of my best friend. I didn't think I'd have the strength for it.

Maybe I'd move away. I'd done it before when I went to college. I could do it again. Once Liam had Bragnae, he wouldn't need me anymore.

I heard the hinges of the door creak, and my gut told me it was Bragnae. Sure enough, the very same clicks of heels from earlier could be heard as she made her way over to me. I took a deep breath and sat my glass of whiskey down before I turned to her.

"Hey, Bennett." I couldn't hide the agony on my face. She picked up on it immediately.

"What's wrong, Drake? Are you okay?" She affectionately ran a hand down my arm.

Ugh. I didn't even deserve that. She would hate me for this. "You can't tell Liam, Bennett."

A look of confusion contorted her face. "Why not?"

"You care for Liam, right?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"And he cares for you. You two would be great together."

Her expression transformed into frustration and anger. "Drake, did you not listen to anything I told you earlier?"

"I did."

She threw her hands up. "And yet, you're still pushing me away."

I sighed and looked to the ground for support. "He needs you."

Bragnae took a step forward maneuvering her head to lock eyes with me again. "Don't you need me, too? Don't you want me? I mean... don't you want to be with me?"

Yes to all of that – God, yes. I hated doing this to her. The hurt and pain on her face was almost too much to bear. I had to be strong. I had to finish this before I faltered. "Liam needs you more."

My own words felt like a knife to my heart. I watched her eyes fill with tears, and I wanted to die. I'm doing this to her. I'm such a fucking asshole. "Bragnae, I'm sorry." I reached out to touch her, but she moved away.

"No! Don't fucking touch me. Don't even talk to me anymore. You are such a coward, Drake." Tears streamed down her face as she turned to go back inside.

I moved quickly in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. "I just don't want you to make a mistake. You'd be throwing everything away just to be with me. And you deserve the best, Bragnae."

"No, Drake. I deserve to be happy, and to be happy with who I want to be with. But it's clear I'll never have that." She shrugged out of my hands and ran inside.

Great. That couldn't have gone worse. I blew out a frustrated breath, and walked over to the table that held my whiskey. I knew I'd need this tonight. I threw back the rest in one gulp. My grip tightened around the glass as I thought about how I just hurt Bragnae, the one woman I ever truly cared about. And now she didn't even want to me to talk to her.

The sting of tears pricked my own eyes as I looked out across the vineyard. In an attempt to give Liam and Bragnae a happier and more fulfilled life, I gave away all that I had. Not only would I not have the girl of my dreams, but she wanted nothing to do with me anymore.

Angry with myself, I threw the empty glass far into the vineyard, losing sight of it in the night. What the fuck is wrong with me?

~

A week had gone by since I last spoke with Bragnae. It felt longer. The amount of pain that I carried with me was insurmountable. When the rest of the court showed up in Ramsford the following day, it was clear Bragnae had lost that extra pep in her step. Even as she sat next to Liam, she'd put a smile on when addressing him and the king and queen, but as she turned back to her plate, her face fell.

I tried to approach her, but she walked away from me. I wanted so badly to console her, but I knew my presence was only making her feel worse. So, I honored her wishes and kept my distance. I didn't try to speak with her, but I couldn't stay away completely. I had to see her. I had to make sure she was safe. I wanted her to smile like she did before, but every time she did, I could tell it was forced.

Seven days had passed and not one look from her. Not one smile in my direction. Not even a middle finger from her telling me to fuck off. Hell, I'd take that just to know she still acknowledged my existence. Nothing. She had cut me out. I couldn't blame her. I knew she hated me. I hated me, too.

I just wanted to talk to her again. It was such a shock to go from having her actively in my life every day to having nothing. I missed her. I missed the way she laughed at my sarcastic jokes. I missed the way she never let me get away with anything. I missed her touch.

I would think of the way she kissed me, and let the thought of it whisk me off to sleep at night hoping for pleasant dreams of her. That never worked. Even my subconscious was punishing me for my actions with restless sleep and nightmares of losing Bragnae.

In that time, however, I found solace in the fact that I realized I was in love with her. Having her cut me out like that forced my head out of my ass long enough to recognize how deeply I cared for her. I was happy to know I was capable of falling in love with someone, but I berated myself for figuring it out too late.

Given the chance now, I would never give her up like I did back in Ramsford. She had opened her heart to me that day, and instead of embracing her affections, I stomped on it telling her what I thought she wanted and needed. I was a real dick.

I wish I could change the past or even apologize now to try to win her back, but she wouldn't even allow me near her without finding some excuse to leave the room. I screwed up big time. And now I have to live with it. I only wish that she would find the happiness she deserves.

I straightened my tie, and looked myself over in the mirror. I put on a suit tonight for Liam's coronation. It'd been a long time since I wore a suit, but tonight meant something to my best friend, and I didn't want to disappoint him.

I considered not going at all. I wasn't sure how I could handle seeing Bragnae accept his proposal. She was still in the running for his hand. The press would have announced it if she withdrew her standing. So, that must have meant that she considered being with Liam after all. Good for her.

After everything I'd been through to get to this moment, I decided I had to show up and support Liam no matter how uncomfortable I was.

I made my way to the ballroom. There was still an hour until King Constantine turned the throne over to his son. I dragged out the night as long as I could, but it was time to make my appearance. As I walked down the hallway, a door opened to my right, and a shimmering gold dress got my eye. I turned to see Bragnae standing there frozen in place.

She was a sight to be seen. The golden sparkles in her dress brought out the amber in her eyes, and her silky hair was pulled into an elegant side-do. She looked magnificent.

"Hi, Bragnae," I said softly. My nerves got the best of my voice, or perhaps I spoke that way out of fear that I'd spook her. I just wanted to spend five minutes with her without her running away.

She stood there staring at me, not saying a word. Her eyes scanned the length of my body undoubtedly surprised to see me in a suit. She pursed her lips together and straightened her posture keeping her walls up for protection. It was understandable, but it hurt that she felt she needed protection from me. But at least she hadn't run off yet. These 30 seconds had been the longest I'd spent face to face with her since Ramsford. I'd happily take it.

"You look very nice," I said, trying to break the ice.

Her mouth opened as if she was going to speak, but she blew out a ragged breath instead. Her expression left its resolute phase and became one of torment. It was hard to see her like that knowing it was my fault.

I took a small step towards her. "Bragnae, I'm sorry."

I barely got the words out before she turned on her heel and walked towards the ballroom. My head hung in defeat as I stood in her jilted wake. I should have told her I loved her, but it probably wouldn't have been received well. I just wanted her to know.

Twenty minutes and a glass of whiskey later, I was hanging out in the corner of the ballroom watching the crowd gather in anticipation of not only seeing a new king crowned, but to find out which of the suitors Liam was going to choose. Madeleine, Olivia and Bragnae were considered the top contenders.

The king and queen obviously favored Madeleine. The press adored both Olivia and Bragnae, but the people seemed to rally more around Bragnae. All of those factors including the recommendation of the Royal Council, and of course, Liam's favorite were all taken into consideration for who the next queen would be.

I hadn't seen much of Liam over the past week. He had been extremely busy getting ready for tonight, but when we did have the chance to hang out, he told me Bragnae was the one. At that point, he'd only had Constantine and Regina to convince. Everyone else supported his decision to choose her.

Now, it was just a matter of time. As the clock ran down, the crowd started to form around the stage. I moved closer too, spotting Hana. As I sidled up next to her, I noticed she was crying.

"Hana, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes before turning to me. "Yes, I'll be fine. I just found out Bragnae's leaving Cordonia tonight."

"What? Why? Had she been planning this?"

Hana shook her head. "No, she made the decision just a little bit ago."

"Does Liam know this?" I scanned the room for Liam, but didn't see him.

"Yes. She told him after they danced. Now, she's in her room packing. I'm just so sad she's leaving, Drake."

"Fuck."

Hana winced. "Drake."

"I'm sorry, Hana," I said, patting her shoulder. "I have to go find Liam." Before she could reply, I was working my way through the crowd to find him. I had to get to him fast to explain everything, so I could stop Bragnae before she left. This had to be done right.

I'm sure Liam was crushed, and he had to know I was the reason. I spotted Bastien standing near an entrance to a private room for the royals in the far corner. I ran over to him immediately.

"Bastien, do you know where Liam is? I need to speak with him."

"He's taking a moment to himself before the coronation, Drake. It will have to wait."

I stepped closer to him. "Please, Bastien. It's important. I wouldn't bug you if it wasn't."

Bastien looked around the room and sighed. "Okay, but make it quick." He turned to unlock the door behind him to let me in.

"Thanks, Bastien. I owe you." I clapped him on the shoulder, and made my way inside the private suite.

"Liam?" I called out to him as I navigated through a small hallway.

"Drake? Is that you?"

I turned the corner to see Liam dressed in his royal regalia slouched in a chair at a table with a drink in his hand. He looked depressed as fuck. God, what a mess I've made.

"Liam, I need to talk to you." I pulled out the chair next to him and took a seat.

"I'm not in the mood, Drake." He took a sip of his drink. Liam favored scotch. I'm sure that's what filled his glass.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Look, I know why you're upset, and it's because of me."

He turned to look at me with a bewildered expression. "What are you talking about?"

"Bragnae withdrew from consideration tonight, right?"

He took another sip. "Yeah, she did. Now, I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do. I have twenty minutes before I'm crowned fucking king of this country, and the woman I was going to ask to marry me just told me she's moving back home. I can't believe it, Drake. I didn't see this coming." Liam shook his head, and took another swig of his scotch. After another moment he returned his attention to me. "Why is it your fault?"

My stomach rolled at the thought of hurting my friend. But time was of the essence, and I needed to tell him the truth. "I'm in love with her, Liam."

He straightened in his chair. "Say again?"

"I'm in love with Bragnae. I've had feelings for her for some time, and about a week ago, I found out that she reciprocated those feelings." I proceeded with caution despite the anger slowly consuming his eyes. "I know this is hard to hear, and I'm sorry that I have to tell you all of this. She wanted to be with me, but I told her she needed to be with you instead. I knew she cared about you, and I knew how much you cared about her. I thought I was making the right decision by insisting that she stay in the running as a suitor."

"What the fuck, Drake?" Liam said with a raised voice, slamming his glass on the table.

"I know. I'm a monumental prick."

Liam abruptly stood from the table, and walked a few paces away, keeping his back to me.

"Liam, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't want this to affect your coronation, but I just found out that she's planning to leave, so—."

He whipped around to face me, cutting me off mid-sentence. "Did you kiss her?"

"Yes." I wasn't going to lie to him.

Liam glared at me. His breathing became heavy. "Did you fuck her?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but hesitated trying to think of the best way to respond. "Sort of."

"What the fuck does that mean?" He was growing irate by the second.

I sighed. The clock was ticking. I had no idea how fast Bragnae would pack, and I needed to get this conversation over with. "Look, I'm not going to get into those details with you. Let's just say I've never been inside her, and we'll leave it at that." God, I hope he accepts that answer. I'm completely at his mercy right now.

He crossed his arms over his chest, still burning holes through me with his piercing blue eyes. "You asshole."

I dropped my eyes to the table. "I know. I'm the biggest asshole on the planet." I stood to face him properly. "I know you must hate me right now, and that's okay. I should have been more honest with you about how I felt about her, but I didn't want to stand in the way of your happiness. I thought I'd just get over it. I knew you liked her, and I'd do anything for you including push my feelings for her to the side. You're my brother." I swallowed in an attempt to clear the lump of emotion forming in my throat.

"I tried to bury my feelings for her. I was prepared to be unhappy for the rest of my life knowing you'd have the girl of your dreams, but then...Bragnae told me how she felt about me, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I'm in love with her, Liam. And because I pushed her away and told her to be with you, she has since cut me out. She won't even talk to me." Tears started to form in my eyes for God's sake. "And now she's packing to go back to New York. I need to stop her, and tell her I love her."

"How are you going to do that if she won't speak to you?" His demeanor was calmer now. Perhaps because I was showing sappy emotion for the first time since he'd known me made him see this was a serious situation. This gave me hope.

"She can at least listen, right? I've gotta try, Liam." I took a deep breath. "But I can't do that unless I have your blessing. I know it's a lot to ask, but it's important to me."

Liam lowered his gaze to the ground, and worked his jaw as he considered my request. He was silent for a long moment before he looked at me again. "She and I never did anything more than kiss. I wanted to, believe me. I even tried to lead her in that direction a couple times, but she always declined."

That's... a relief. But why was he telling me this?

"She's the first girl that's ever told me no. I told myself she just wanted to wait until she was officially mine, but it wasn't that at all." He smirked as he looked me over. "But she was willing to do... whatever it was that you two did together with you, so she must care about you."

"Liam, I'm so—."

He held up his hand, taking another moment of contemplative silence. He already had a commanding presence, and he wasn't even king yet. "In all the years I've known you, I've never once heard you speak of a woman this way. Nor have I seen you get so emotional over one." He looked me over and smirked. "Cry baby."

I grinned at his teasing remark.

He took a step closer to me. "You have my blessing."

I closed my eyes, blowing out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Liam."

"You're welcome. Now, go get your girl."

"Right." I spun around to leave the room almost losing my footing.

"And Drake?" Liam called as I was about to round the corner. I turned to face him again. "Good luck."

A smile transformed my lips. "Thanks. Oh, and I'm really sorry I'm going to have miss your coronation. I'll make it up to you."

"Yes, you will," he replied light-heartedly. "Get the hell outta here already, would ya?"

"I'm gone!" And with that, I turned tail and left the royal suite.

I pushed my way through the growing crowds until I made my way out of the ballroom. Thankfully everyone was corralled there, which made the hallways clear. I could run without any interference.

And run I did. And I didn't stop until I got to Bragnae's room. Taking only a second to catch my breath, I knocked on her door. And waited. I knocked again. My mind raced through all the possible locations she could be if she wasn't in her room. I had to have a plan B, C, D... whatever it took. I needed to find her before she left. If I had to stand on the fucking runway itself, I would.

I knocked a third time. "Bragnae? Are you in there? Please open up if you are." I laid my head against her door. Fuck. Okay. New plan. I'd have check the front of the palace to see if the guards knew if she'd left yet.

As I turned to leave, I was stunned to see Bragnae standing in my path. She had changed out of her gown and into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Her hand rested on the extended handle of her suitcase.

"I forgot my phone charger." It was so good to hear her sweet voice spoken in my direction again.

"Don't leave, Bragnae. Please."

She blew out an exasperated breath as she walked toward me – rather, she walked toward her door. I stepped out of her way as she unlocked it and opened the door. This was a good idea. At least we'd have some privacy and I could tell her how I felt. She tried to shut the door on me, but I pushed it open anyway, and followed her in.

I shut the door behind me and stood in front of it. I watched her walk over to her bed side table and pull a charger cord out of the drawer. She shoved it in her purse, and cocked her hip when she saw I was blocking her path.

"What are you doing? I have a flight to catch. Can you please move?" She was annoyed, and tried to hide the emotion in her voice, but I heard it anyway.

"No." She sighed at my response. "Not until you hear what I have to say."

She relented, exhaling a deep breath. "Fine. Make it quick."

"Put your bags down." She started to protest as I walked towards her, taking the purse off her shoulder and tossing it on the bed. I yanked the suitcase handle out of her grip and rolled it away. "I want your attention on me, not your flight."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest putting up the last piece of armor she had left. "What do you want, Drake?" Her voice shook a little, and definitely lacked the fiery zing it had just a few minutes ago.

I put my hands on the sides of her arms stepping closer to her. She turned her head slightly, but didn't move out of my touch. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I was for being an idiot. For denying your affections and making you feel unwanted. And for any pain or hurt I caused you." I tilted my head to the side to catch her eye. "I was wrong. And every day since then I've regretted my words." Goddamn these emotions! The lump in my throat returned as I continued.

"Not having you in my life over this past week has been torture. I missed your smile, the way you laugh. I wasn't happy at all because I knew you weren't. You were right, Bragnae. You do deserve to be happy, and I want you to have that no matter what. If you need to leave Cordonia to be happy again, then I won't stop you. But you have to know something first." I took a deep breath, and poured all of my energy and feelings into my words. "I love you, Bragnae Bennett."

Her mouth fell open as she inhaled a sharp breath. "You do?" She barely squeaked out the two words.

I smiled. "Yeah, I do. I have for some time, but I didn't realize it until after I'd hurt you. And I'm sorry for that." I took another step closer, lightly tugging on her arms to loosen them, so I could hold her hands. "Bragnae, you're an amazing woman. I love everything about you, and I know I can't live without you in my life. I'm not strong enough. And if you decide to stay in Cordonia, I'll do whatever I have to do to show you how much I care about you."

Bragnae took in another breath. "Say it again."

I paused, giving her a questioning look. "Which part?"

"That you love me."

I grinned, standing so close to her our chests touched. She had to tilt her head back just to look at me. "Bragnae Bennett, I love you. And I will always love you."

Her eyes glistened with emotion. "I love you, too, Drake."

My body filled with goosebumps hearing her reply. I smiled, stroking the side of her face with my finger. "Your love means the world to me. And I will never take it for granted."

"Good." She ran her hands up my chest, forming a loop at the base of my neck. "So, kiss me already."

"Yes, ma'am." We met in the middle as our lips connected in one of the most wonderful and fulfilling kisses two people could share. As the kiss deepened, I lifted her up and walked over to the bed to sit down with Bragnae in my lap. "This brings back pleasant memories." I was getting turned on just thinking about it.

She giggled. "And we'll make plenty more."

"So, does that mean you're going to stay in Cordonia?"

Bragnae outlined my jaw with her finger. "There's no way I'm leaving you."

"Good answer." Our lips came together again as we both fell back on the bed getting lost in our love and desire for each other.