Claimed: Gowns & Crowns, Book 3 (30 page)
Read Claimed: Gowns & Crowns, Book 3 Online
Authors: Jennifer Chance
But Stefan found he couldn’t wait another second for what he wanted to say—what he needed to say. He turned to Nicki and took her hands in his. “I’ve been very lucky to have you, too,” he murmured.
Nicki froze in Stefan’s grasp, the light hold of his fingertips somehow too strong for her to escape—and she didn’t want to escape, if she was honest with herself. Stefan seemed to be waiting for her to say something though, and she stammered out a response. “Well—I mean, thank you. I’m lucky to—”
“No, I don’t think you understand.” Stefan squeezed her hands, seeming to send warmth directly to her, through her fingers, into her veins, swirling in a tight protective whirl of strength and focus. “When you first walked into my life, you turned it upside down. Inside out. I’d never met anyone like you, and I didn’t want to know you.”
Nicki blinked. “Oh,” she managed, stung to the quick. She tried to pull her hands away, but Stefan wouldn’t let go.
“I realized instantly how much you would change me,” he said instead. “How you would smile at me and brighten my whole world, how you would challenge and provoke me, irritate and frustrate me. And most of all, how you would make it impossible for me to live for even one day without knowing that you were safe, you were healthy. That you were mine.”
Nicki jolted, jerking her gaze up to meet Stefan’s when she realized she’d been staring at his mouth, as if she couldn’t quite process the words that were coming out of it. His eyes were the color of a winter sea, a turbulent blue gray, and she felt her heart kick up its pace, not frantically, not erratically…but as powerful and true as Stefan himself, standing like a rock in the storm that was building around her.
“I—I don’t—I didn’t mean to upset you,” she finally said, and Stefan’s fierce expression wavered, a warmth coming into his eyes as his lips curved into a tender smile—a more gentle smile than she’d ever seen on his face.
“But you did upset me, Nicki. You changed everything for me by walking into that room. I know you have a life beyond these walls, beyond the four corners of this kingdom. You have an entire world of adventures to live. But I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t want you share those adventures with me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you to stay with me—by my side—to see what we could find if we explored this world together. Not racing each other to the finish line, not seeing who ends up first at the top of the hill, but seeing how fast and how well we can run together, pulling and pushing each other if need be, or simply holding each other close. That’s…” he swallowed, and his smile faltered a little, his expression suddenly a little dazed, as if he hadn’t expected to say all those words at once. “That’s what I wanted to say. To ask you, really. If—if you’d consider remaining for a while longer in Garronia.”
Nicki wanted to respond—she really did. She wanted to speak with the same flowing and beautiful words that Stefan had. Words that no one had ever said to her, no one could have probably imagined saying to her, even if she’d slowed down long enough to let them. But the tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head, hard, her voice barely a rasp as she finally managed speech.
“I—yes,” she said, her heart overflowing with its own set of tears, dissolving and breaking all the tight web of protections she’d built up around it for so many years. “Yes, Stefan. I don’t have to go home right away. I can live anywhere in the world, I think, as…” She let her gaze fix on his, his beautiful eyes steady and true, staring back at her. “As long as you’re there too.”
Her words were barely a whisper, but it didn’t seem to matter as Stefan bent toward her, claiming her mouth with his.
“It’s going to be all right,” he said, when he finally broke away from her. “You’ll have to trust me on this.”
Only then did she hear the sound of applause.
Nicki’s head came up, as Stefan turned with her, his arms around her as if he thought she would fall. But he stood with her, not before or behind her, as she looked out at people she had come to care about impossibly much over the past few weeks. The king and queen, standing together with hands clasped. Dimitri and Kristos and even Cyril, all of them watching Stefan as if he had six heads.
And Queen Catherine, her face radiant with delight, her hands clasped to her heart as if her every wish had somehow come true.
“Welcome to the family, Nicki,” she said, beaming. “Thank you for bringing us home.”
Epilogue
Nicki lay collapsed on the chaise beside a crystal blue pool, every muscle in her body screaming in muted agony. Beside her, Stefan lay with a towel draped over his head. A tray between them held fruit juices and a collection of sugary pastries, but neither of them had the energy to stretch that far, not even for food.
“Those people were barbarians,” Nicki groaned.
“They were…certainly thorough.” Stefan sighed as he pulled the towel down his face, his starkly beautiful features appearing untroubled, as if they hadn’t just run the equivalent of a marathon uphill carrying bricks. “They’ll have preliminary results soon, I suspect, but I consider the fact that neither one of us collapsed a good thing.”
She didn’t miss the concern threading through his wry comment. If it were possible to hover from a treadmill across a gym floor, Stefan had hovered. First through the bloodwork, then through the VO2 max stress test, then through the window as they’d been taken in separately to be scanned. Nicki had undergone an echocardiogram test, sort of an ultrasound for the heart, and the techs had retained professionally neutral expressions throughout the entire procedure—the same kind of expressions that the diabolical personal trainers had worn as they put them through every muscle, sprint and endurance stress test Nicki had ever heard of, and a few she hadn’t.
But Stefan was right. She’d not passed out or gotten dizzy. She’d taken every challenge up to the point where she felt uncomfortable, and then backed off, determined to do only as much as she could without pushing herself to a limit that no one asked of her—a limit no one wanted her to hit. It was strange, not going all out, but it was right too. She had a reason to protect herself.
She smiled at Stefan. “It’s been one good thing after another, it seems.”
He nodded, but his expression turned more serious at her words. “It has,” he said. “And there’s something I really do need to explain to you.”
As if on cue, all of Nicki’s neuroses leapt to the fore. She and Stefan had retired to separate rooms the night before, but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his words in front of the royal family. She opened her mouth to tell him it was okay, that he could take it back, that he could—and then he said something that made the words die in her throat.
“You’re going to receive the Rite of Garronia, Nicki. Do you know what that means?”
She frowned at him. “The what?” Then her eyes widened. “Oh, right! The queen said that yesterday.”
“Do you know what it is?” he asked again.
From the severity of his face, she decided honesty was the best policy here. “Umm…no. Is it bad?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. It’s—it’s perhaps best stated as an honored position within the borders of Garronia. You’re not a citizen, but you’ll enjoy the benefits of one.”
“Oh!” Nicki considered that. “That sounds good.”
“And a yearly stipend,” Stefan continued, holding her gaze. “And a home, fully paid for, in your name. So that you would always feel welcome here.”
“A…” Unaccountably, Nicki’s eyes felt wet. She blinked, hard, to clear them. “Are you insane?”
A home? A home here, with Stefan? Was that even possible?
His smile was infinitely tender. “There’s more—but you get the idea.”
Nicki gaped at him a moment longer, then stiffened as Stefan’s expression changed, his gaze focusing over her shoulder.
“It’s a doctor,” he murmured.
As one they sat up on their chaises, and Nicki did reach for the juice then. If she was about to get bad news, she deserved some sugar in her system.
The doctor who strode up was part of the medical team assigned to Ari, not one of the techs who’d worked on them, and Nicki went cold inside. This wasn’t someone who knew her. This was someone who could only see tests and numbers and statistics, who could make decisions without knowing her spirit or soul, who—
“Nicki Clark?” The man asked crisply. “I’m Doctor Tanor, head cardiologist at the Klinik Im Park in Zurich. I had the opportunity to review your test results and the queen asked me to speak with you directly as soon as I did.” He barreled on without pausing, his gaze steady on her. “You don’t have any current signs of cardiomyopathy in your heart muscle.”
“I—” Nicki blinked, but she couldn’t seem to see correctly, her eyes not focusing. “I don’t?”
“You do not. You have a slight arrhythmia that’s worrisome and will require some monitoring, and I’d like to have you track your blood pressure more routinely. There’s also some diet and exercise recommendations I’d prefer you to follow to ensure you don’t tap your system unnecessarily. But the bottom line is—you are healthy, you can do nearly every activity you might want without concern other than, potentially, sky diving. And while I recommend testing your heart again in six months and consistently thereafter, you are otherwise free to carry on.” He smiled at last, his eyes softening. “I can’t speak to all your fitness evaluations, but your heart is in a very good place.”
The doctor accepted her stammered thanks then took his leave quickly after, heading next to Ari, she expected. For a long minute Nicki stared after him, as Stefan reached over and slipped her hand into his.
“It’s in a good place,” Nicki whispered, and he leaned toward her to brush her lips softly with his. “He said I’m fine—I’m fine. I’m in a good place.” She looked up at Stefan and he pressed his fingers against hers, pulling her close.
“You’re also here—with me,” Stefan said. “For as long as you wish to be. That feels like a good place as well.”
“It’s the best place I’ve ever been,” Nicki said, and she didn’t stop the tears from falling this time. “The best place in the world.”
Get ready for Crowned, Book 4 in the Gowns & Crowns series, coming this fall!
Crowned
Trauma psychologist-in-training Francesca Simmons would like to think she can help
anyone
, as long as she keeps herself centered, focused… controlled. Then she meets a man in desperate need of that zen-state serenity… and he makes her absolutely crazy.
Ryker Stavros has been rotting in a Turkish work camp his entire life… the life he can remember anyway, which began a year ago in fire and pain. When an angel steps into his world with maddeningly cool hands and gentle words that set his soul on fire, telling him he’s not at all who he believes he is, he knows she’s only trying to help…
But the devil in him won’t rest until he makes her his.
A Note From Jenn
In researching Nicki’s illness, I realized very quickly that heart conditions can vary widely, manifesting in many different ways. I found myself understanding Nicki’s hesitation in getting regularly tested, but knew that ultimately, she would have to face her fears and learn the truth about her condition, so she could manage it properly. While I was writing this book, I was also diagnosed with a physical condition in my own body that requires ongoing medical testing—a condition I’d apparently had for some time, without significant symptoms. While I was momentarily tempted to forego testing—after all, I’d gone this long and was okay, right?—I knew I had to be certain, both to ensure my own safety and to prepare my family no matter what the results were. There are many ways to treat a physical ailment, but you have to have full information before you can make any sort of decision about your health. So I urge you—if you’re ever recommended for medical testing, follow through on that recommendation. What happens after is totally your call, but at least you’ll be prepared.
And here’s wishing you amazing health, no matter where your adventures take you.
About Jennifer Chance
Jennifer Chance is the award-winning author of the New Adult contemporary romance Rule Breakers and Gowns & Crowns series. A lover of books, romance, and happily-ever-afters, she lives and writes in Ohio. She’s also urban fantasy author Jenn Stark, whose Immortal Vegas series is now available; and YA author Jennifer McGowan, whose Elizabethan spy series Maids of Honor is also available. She really, truly, loves to write.
When she’s not at work on her newest book, you can find her online at
http://www.jenniferchance.com/
, on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/authorJenniferChance
and on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/Jenn_Chance
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