Erik
Watching Casey fall in love with Limaj made me fall for her even harder. We drove to the coast and spent a few hours in the sea, getting sunburned and having a picnic on the sand. As always, I was recognized but not bothered. A few people came over to say hello, mostly older people who had sweet things to say and a few who wanted to tell Casey they were big fans. Though it made Sandor and Aziz nervous, I was never really worried around regular citizens. I wasn’t sure why, but it had just always been this way.
“Do the people here approach everyone in the royal family like they know them?” Casey asked as we devoured fresh loaf of French bread, a tangy selection of cheeses, and grapes.
I shook my head. “No. I think Daniil is fairly approachable, but he doesn’t spend much time here and Anwar and his brothers wouldn’t be caught dead talking to the people without an agenda.”
“You love your country, don’t you?” she asked softly, her eyes meeting mine with loving respect.
“Of course. Don’t you love yours?
“I do, but…” She chewed the inside of her lip thoughtfully. “It’s different. I’m proud to be an American, but I don’t ever think of what the people of my country are doing or what’s best for them or anything like that. My thoughts are purely personal—am I safe? Am I happy? Am I living a good life? And I don’t mean that in a selfish way. I donate to charity and make sure I know who I’m voting for during local elections and stuff, but I kind of trust the government to take care of big stuff like trade or laws or whatever. You think of things on a different level…through the eyes of a leader.”
I frowned slightly. “I guess that’s true to an extent. I’m not their leader, but I do think of the people because I worry about the future for all of us. I’m blessed to be able to pick up and go anywhere I want. Most people can’t and the idea that they’re worried about putting food on the table is worrisome.” I’d told her about my conversation with Herman at the candy shop.
“You’re going to do something about it,” she responded softly. “I don’t know how or what, but I know it as sure as I’m sitting here that you won’t sit back and let that happen.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t, merely leaning over to press my lips to hers. I fell more in love with her every day.
Two days later, we left Limaj and headed to Greece. I’d found a private villa on the island of Crete where we could bask in the sun—and each other—with minimum intrusion from the press. For whatever reason, they rarely bothered me in Greece, and Casey said she loved it there, so I was looking forward to playing house for a while.
We had a gorgeous four-bedroom villa that overlooked the ocean. It was a short walk to get to the beach, but we had a pool and a hot tub that was giving me ton of fun sexual ideas. I just had to make sure Sandor went to bed early on those nights. Although it wouldn’t be the first time he’d watched me have sex—hell, we’d both had sex in front of the other while we were at university—this was different. Neither of us had been in relationships then and our partners hadn’t even batted an eyelash. My gut told me Casey wasn’t into that kind of voyeurism and, frankly, neither was I. Not now that I’d found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
We’d just come back from the beach when my cell phone rang, and I recognized my father’s number. We hadn’t spoken often since Casey and I had left Vegas and I figured he’d heard from my uncle or seen something about us in the tabloids. Either way, we didn’t usually go too long without talking and I answered as Casey got into the shower.
“Hi, Dad.”
“How are you, son?”
“I’m great.” I sank into a chair on the patio, staring out at the beautiful view. “We’re great.”
“Things are good with you and Casey?”
“They are.”
“That’s wonderful. Your mother and I, and Casey’s parents, have all been holding our collective breaths, hoping you two give us grandchildren.”
“Give us a little time, would you?” I laughed. “I’m working on that.”
“I’ll bet you are.”
We chuckled together.
“So, you took her to Limaj.”
“I did.”
“Your aunt and uncle liked her a great deal.”
“Too bad Anwar is such a douche that it soured the experience for her.”
Dad sighed. “I know, son. I wish there was a way to make Isak see it, but he doesn’t.”
I told him what Herman had heard as well as about the conversation my uncle and I had after dinner that night. “He said I gave him a lot to think about.”
“Look, it’s not like he doesn’t know who and what Anwar is, but he keeps hoping he’ll change, grow up, something. I put him in an untenable situation by abdicating. He wasn’t raised to be the king, and Klara never planned to be a queen. They were unprepared for the responsibilities that came with it, and the kids fell to the wayside to a degree while they figured out what they were doing.”
“Or, you know, Anwar is just a prick.”
“That too.”
“Uncle Isak asked me to be a member of Parliament, and I said no. Am I an idiot?”
“Do you want to be a member of Parliament?”
I hesitated. This was a loaded question. “For the most part, no. I don’t ever want to work with or under Anwar. I don’t particularly want to live in Limaj full-time, and I know for a fact Casey doesn’t.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“It was an honor for a twenty-four-year-old to be asked by the king.” I paused. “Wasn’t it?”
“It was, but you have your whole life to work in politics. Right now, you should be exploring the world—and the woman you love. You have plenty of time to take on those kinds of responsibilities. I’m relieved you said no, regardless of your reasons. You think I gave up the throne lightly?”
“No, I know you didn’t.”
“I don’t want it for you either. The pressure is enormous, and with how unsettled our government is right now, you’re better off far away.”
“Well, it’s not a thing since I told Uncle Isak no. Anyway, Casey and I are going to spend a few weeks here in Greece and then I suppose we’ll make our way back to Vegas.”
“How long are you going to wait before you propose?” My dad knew me too well sometimes.
“I don’t know, but probably not long.”
“Your mother sends her love, and we’ll talk again soon.”
“Love to everyone.” I disconnected as Casey came out of the bathroom.
“Who do we love?” she asked.
“My parents.”
“I have to call mine too,” she said. “It’s been a couple of weeks. I usually talk to my dad every other day.”
“Not your mom?”
She smiled. “I talk to my mom too, but Dad and I talk music, so we talk a lot more often because I go to him for song ideas, when I’m shopping for a new instrument, when I have an equipment issue during a show… He’s my go-to for everything to do with music, which was ninety-nine percent of my life before you came along. My mom and I hang out a lot when I’m home, but not as much on the phone.”
“What are you going to tell them about us?” I teased, pulling her onto my lap.
“The truth? That I’m crazy in love with you and we’re fucking like bunnies?”
I belted out a laugh, shaking my head. “A little too much information, no?”
“Oh, well, for a guy maybe, but my mom will flat out ask and then she and your mom will speculate, so it’s easier to just give her the scoop and be done.”
“If you say so.” I leaned in to kiss her just as Sandor knocked on the open door.
“Erik.” He held out some papers. “These arrived by courier.”
“What are they?”
“Newspapers and magazines.”
“And?”
“With all kinds of pictures.”