Burning Heart // CL16

Sixty Seven

"This way madame, monsieur," the host of the very fancy restaurant tells us, Charles's hands on either side of my hips, gripping just enough to let me know he was right behind me as we glided between the tables and towards the window. The sun was just about to begin setting but the night was still young and very warm and although there was a light breeze - it was still nice and warm. However, we don't stop there, we went deeper into the restaurant until we step through a door I didn't know existed and I see a balcony with a singular table and two chairs looking out onto the famous Monaco skyline.

Charles goes out of his way to reach around and pull out the chair for me before guiding me into the seat and pushing me into the table. However, all I could think about though was the way his hand had kept on drifting to graze the bare skin on my leg as we chatted on the short-ish drive to the restaurant before he rushed to jump out of the car and pass the key to the valet. The second valet waiting at the station had opened my door but by the time I was attempting to elegantly get out of the car, with several cameras on it and therefore us, Charles was there to take my hand - his typical charming smile on his lips but it felt different from normal.

Now there was a sparkle in his eyes as he waited for me to accept his help.

That sparkle turned into a spark of electricity in my fingers as his hand wrapped around mine to help me out the car before it was magnified when he moved his hand to rest between my shoulder blades and we slowly walked into the restaurant. That was before they later dropped down to my hips as he walked behind me, so close that I could feel his breath on my neck. I appreciated it, the friendly gesture to those with cameras would be discounted by the many eagle eyed viewers as being a respectful touch between us. I could also tell that Charles was in a hurry to get me out of the view of the cameras and the people, only stopping once to sign his autograph on a hat for a fan before dipping inside what I already knew to be one of the most exclusive restaurants in Monaco.

My favourite restaurant.

Not just because of the privacy but the amazing food and wine. It was one that we had defaulted to using every single time we went out with his family for different celebrations over the course of the last eight months so I was relieved that there was nothing new or weird about the situation. We could pretend it was the same as always and that little thoughtfulness from him in picking the venue meant a lot to me, I could tell he'd done it to bring me ease and remind me that this wasn't that big of a deal, it didn't have to be. The only reason it felt different at all was that we were led out to a balcony I hadn't known existed until now and we could enjoy the sky which was currently painted red and pink as the bottom of the sun was just flirting with the horizon.

"I love it here," I confess as Charles sits next to me, the table set so the both of us could look out at the water, a small bouquet of roses on the table and a couple of candles lit around us with some fairy lights on the ground made my head slightly dizzy. Two minutes later I was still looking around as I took it all in, my hand shaking just a little with the mix of feelings that were cascading through my body.

"I know, me too..." Charles smiles at me, face illuminated by the soft candlelight and the sunset, eyes soft as he looks at me in a way that makes me self conscious - the exact same way it has every other time he's looked at me like that in the last few months. When he thinks I'm distracted with work or Ruby and not looking at him, little does he know that I can't ever really take my eyes off him. "Thanks for agreeing..."

"Thanks for suggesting. You're right, I definitely prefer this to a random set up with someone," I tell him with a smile as I lift up my phone and take a photo of the sunset before turning the camera towards him, the grin on my face only widening as I see him unflinching in the face of it as I snap a couple of photos - watching them on my screen as they becoming increasingly absurd and he ends with the duck face and a peace sign. "You're ridiculous," I tell him as I lower the phone to reveal his face still bright with happiness as he leans forwards to look at me. I liked that I could take the photos with no judgement, it was comfy despite all the charade that it was a date.