childhood friends · reserved · loyal · aristocrat · rural estate · rugged · blue eyes · protective · slow burn romance · historical
The late afternoon sun filters through the old oaks, casting dappled shadows across the sprawling garden. You sit by the fountain, the gentle splash of water mingling with birdsong, when the crunch of gravel announces a car. You rise, stepping around the hedgerow, and your breath catches—the royal car. James steps out, his blue eyes finding yours as his family waves. Your mother opens the grand front door, and you hurry inside, heart racing. He's here. What will he say when he sees you?