PLAYBOY PRINCESS (gxg) ✓

25. Paris Young

              A second, smaller throne was empty beside him.

              Distantly, Paris wondered if Rory's mother had left because she had felt like this. Overwhelmed by the royalty and the riches and the power.

              But Paris stood her ground.

              She was a doctor. She had worked her ass to get through medical school. She had forgiven Rory, and she . . . she was in love with the princess.

              She deserved to be here.

             The king looked up.

             Through the screen, he had seemed younger. Less weathered lines. But in person, there was an aged quality to him—as though he was ten years older than Paris knew he was. And although his hard jaw and trim silver-speckled beard were handsome, there was something distinctly severe about him.

              As he saw Rory, his face betrayed nothing but stone.

             "Her Royal Highness," announced one of the guards. "Accompanied by Paris Alvarez Young."

             Rory leaned over to the guard and whispered, "Doctor Paris Alvarez Young."

             And Paris thought she had never loved Rory more than in this instant.

             How was it possible to love someone this much?

             Paris didn't even realize she was grinning until the announcer corrected himself and the king turned his severe stare onto her.

             "Doctor," he said with cold distaste.

             This was the man who had told her to break his daughter's heart.

             He wanted a perfect, broken princess.

             He wanted a tamed daughter.

             But even if Rory wasn't as wild as she had been, there would still always be that violent delight in her, that feral passion. And that was a part of her—that was something nobody deserved to take from her.

             Not even Paris.

             "King William," Paris said with equal coldness.

             "Father," Rory interrupted. "I wanted to tell you . . . I wanted to tell you that this is the girl I'm bringing to the Charity Gala tomorrow. This is the girl I want by my side."

              "You have many lovers, Rory," said the king. "It would not do to pick one now and end up with another one whenever you like. People will talk."

              "People have always talked," Rory gritted out. "But this is the girl I want by my side now and for the . . . foreseeable future."

              Paris wondered if she had meant to say forever. 

              And her heart clenched at the thought. At the joy that it brought her, thinking of a forever with Rory.

              Because strangely, stupidly, ridiculously enough, Paris could see them together.

              This is crazy, she thought.

              The king said, "Fine, Rory. Do as you like. But you remember what I told you?"

              Rory motioned to the crutches on either side of her.

              "How could I forget?" she said darkly.

              "Good," said the king, and there was icy satisfaction in his tone.

               Paris wondered at that—the promise in his tone.

               But she didn't have time to think about it, because they were being escorted out of the throne room and Rory was breathless and grinning beside her.

              "That went well," Rory said.

              "That went well?" 

              "Sure," she said easily. "It doesn't get any better than that."

               "Then I'd hate to see how it gets worse," Paris mumbled.

               But Rory only laced her fingers through hers. "Want to come see the pink lake?"

               All the guards had dispersed except for Simon. He leveled a glare at both of them. 

               "No funny business!" he called out, as Rory began limping as fast as her crutches would allow her, pulling Paris along. "I don't want to see any skinny-dipping!"

               "Of course not!" Rory shouted, looking back at Simon with what Paris knew was her signature, devilish grin. To Paris, she whispered, "That's for later tonight."

✺✺✺

You guys are safe for now.

We are going to hopefully try and finish this today, but if not, I'm probably going to delay the ending for this until after Christmas.

From the moon and back,
Sarai