“I’m not really a big musicals person,” he says doubtfully.
My face stretches into a grin as I feel a challenge being extended. “You’re not a big musicals person yet. Trust me, baby, soon you’ll be singing a different tune,” I tell him, laughing at my own stupid pun. “Besides, we’re not having sex again until you can tell me what the lonely goatherd were doing.”
Lukas’s eyes widen dramatically. “How long is this movie? Do you have it on your tablet? We can watch it now!”
I let out a wry chuckle. “Love the enthusiasm but it’s getting light. People will be moving around.”
He sighs, running a hand gently over my face. “I don’t like leaving you.”
I offer a warm smile. “I don’t like you leaving.” I press a soft kiss to his lips, but pull away before it can turn into anything more. No time for that, and I have a condition to uphold. “I’m going to go shower. We’ll watch the movie tonight.”
Lukas lets out a groan of frustration as I pull away from him to slide off the bed and the sound goes straight to my balls. But I manage to ignore it and get myself to the ensuite before my dick has a chance to seize control.
When I return to the bedroom after my shower, I’m surprised to find Lukas is still there. He’s stretched out on my bed, one arm back behind his head, a triumphant grin on his face.
“What are you still doing here?”
“They were on a hill, yodeling,” he says.
“Huh?”
“The goatherd.”
My eyes narrow on the phone in his hand. “That’s cheating.”
“I was being resourceful.”
“Mmhmm.” I arrange my features in an attempt at a stern expression but I can feel my lips twitching. I realize it’s the same thing that happens whenever I try to discipline Katya for something that’s technically against the rules but I find absolutely endearing.
Lukas slides off the bed and stalks toward me. As he reaches me, he grabs the towel at my waist and uses it to pull me closer to him. “I answered your question about the goats. Now we can have sex.”
I chuckle, my arms automatically flying up to link around his neck. “People are up and moving around. You won’t be able to get back to your rooms unseen.”
His lips quirk up. “Maybe I don’t care about being seen.”
“Lukas…”
“I’m not suggesting we start walking hand in hand around the palace. But I think it would be okay to relax a little here in the residential suites.”
I feel a grin stretching across my face. “If you’re comfortable with that, I’m absolutely on board.”
Relaxing in the residential suites begins with dinner with the prince and princess that night. Just me, Lukas, Tomas and Katya, and I can’t help feeling like we’re starting to establish a little family.
“Is Penny coming for dinner as well?” Tomas asks as he slides into his chair at the table in the family dining room, clearly bemused by my presence.
“No, just Jai,” Lukas replies.
Tomas’s brow draws together in the exact same way Lukas’s does when he’s perplexed about something. “Why is Jai here and not Penny?”
“Tomas, don’t be rude,” Lukas scolds.
I let out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay, it’s a fair question.” To Tomas, I say, “Penny’s busy tonight, and since she and I usually eat together I was all alone. I hope it’s okay I’m crashing your dinner.”
“It’s okay, Jai!” Katya pipes up. “I like that you’re here!”
I offer her a wide smile. “Thanks, Princess.”
The servants arrive with everyone’s meals, serving us in order of rank: Lukas, then Tomas, then Katya, then me. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to being waited on like this, but as Penny keeps reminding me, serving in the royal household is a very prestigious and well-paid job, even if it does seem a little redundant at times.
“Jai do you like boys or girls better?” Katya asks as we’re finishing up our meal, prompting a drastic shift in the conversation which had been about riding lessons and ballet.
I smile indulgently at her. “I like both.”
The princess rolls her eyes dramatically. “But which do you like kissing?”
I sputter a cough as a sip of water gets caught in my throat. “Uh, in that case I’d have to say I prefer boys. Big boys, I mean. Grown ups,” I rush to clarify.
Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Katya turns her attention to Lukas. “Papa, do you like kissing boys or girls?”
“Don’t be stupid, Katya,” Tomas drawls in the superior manner of all his eleven years. “Papa likes kissing girls. Mama was a girl.”
“But maybe Papa likes both boys and girls,” Katya argues.
“You can’t like both boys and girls, you have to choose one,” Tomas shoots back.
“That’s not true!” Katya all but wails.
“The princess is right on this one, Your Highness,” I interject gently. “Your cousin Sebastian likes both boys and girls.”
The prince considers this for a moment, his expression still a little doubtful. Fortunately, he’s not an overly stubborn child—not like his sister—so he lets the matter drop and I make a mental note to suggest to Lukas a further, private discussion might be in order. Although, I’m sure he’s already filing the thought away himself.
Before the children can start in again on questioning Lukas about his preferences, I rise from the table and start collecting the empty plates. “Princess, would you like to help me get dessert ready?”
Her face lights up and all talk of kissing is forgotten. Dessert is her favorite meal of the day, after all.
Once the kids are in bed, Lukas and I settle in to watch The Sound of Music. I am still absolutely dumbfounded that he hasn’t seen it already and it’s something that needs to be rectified as soon as possible.
We watch in comfortable silence for a little while, but then I feel Lukas tense up behind me. “What is it?”
“What’s what?”
“What’s got your brow all creased?”
“How could you possibly know
