The Royal Contract

She gazed at the moon, wondering what magic it held for the night. Because at the moment, she wanted one. She could feel the beating of her heart as if it was about to burst at any time. 

She wanted him so much that it suddenly felt hard to breathe. She waited for him to speak about what scope of their relationship was about to change.

He moved in the sand until he was finally facing her. He stared at the side of her face, illuminated by the light that came from the only source of light. He could see the uncertainty on her face, but he could not read her eyes as she avoided his gaze.

"Look at me, Dani." This time, he was not forcing her. It would be up to her to decide if she would like to agree to his new arrangement. 

He would not be using any tactics, a form of coercion, or any incentive. 

He wanted her to accept his proposal because she wanted it too, without any conditions. 

"What is it?" She finally turned to face him, staring directly into his eyes. She could slightly decipher that he was mirroring the same feelings that she had. The uncertainty was evident when she read his eyes.

"It is indisputable that we are attracted to each other. I would not deny how much I want you, and I believe that you felt the same way." He started but was cautious in every word he said.

"Yes, I won't deny that I felt the same way." She did not plan to deny it anymore. Her heart suddenly came alive as hope grew with his words. "But what are you trying to say?" She was tired of second-guessing him and waiting.

"I like you very much. I want us to stop pretending that nothing is going on between us." He studied her face, checking her expression for any reaction. 

She still kept her silence, letting him take the lead in this one. She wanted to hear what he had to say before she said her piece.

"I am not saying that. I will never love you, but I think I am not there yet. But I am hoping that I would eventually reach that point as we develop our feelings in this relationship." He would never lie to her. 

He would never use her for any selfish means. He wanted her. He was sure of that, but he would not promise her anything that he was not ready to give so that he could have her in his bed. 

But one thing he could promise was that he was opening his heart to the possibility. He might be already in love with her, or on his way, or he might be wrong too. It was too early to tell. Because as of now, he was not sure of what he was feeling for Dani. 

When she nodded in agreement, he continued. "Are you willing to see where this relationship would lead us?" He was hoping she would. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

She stared at his eyes, knowing what to answer him. She already had decided her fate, and she was not about to back out now. "Yes, I want to." She smiled at him.

He immediately enveloped her in his embrace, wanting to feel her body against him. "Are you sure about that?" He asked, hoping that he did hear her correctly.

But why did it sound as if she just answered his marriage proposal? They barely passed courtship, and there was a long way to go before they eventually ended up in an engagement, a real one. He chastised himself for thinking too advance into the relationship.

"Definitely." She looked up to him, letting him see what her expression was trying to convey to him. 

She was happy that they were finally letting their feelings free to explore where it would lead them. "Just like you, I am not sure if I am ready to love again. But I am attracted to you. I like you, and I am willing to see if we can work on a real relationship."

He was happy to hear that as he slowly shifted her until she was in line with his face. There was only one thing he wanted to do under the moonlight. That was to see her face and the happiness painted on it as he claimed her as officially his.

He lowered his head until he could feel her breath on his face. He stared at her eyes, glad that they felt the same way. He touched her cheeks, wanting to feel the softness of her skin.

He still could not believe that she accepted his new proposal. He was not expecting that this would happen to them, but he was glad that it did. He was happy to know that she was now his.

"Can I kiss you now?" He teased her, staring directly into her eyes. He knew he did not need to ask, but he could not help seeing her reaction to his question.

He did not hear a response from her, but he felt it as she pulled him towards her, closing the distance between them. She allowed her actions to answer his question.

With the moon as their witness, he finally sealed their agreement with a zealous kiss. He moved his hands until he had her secured in his arms. As of the moment, he was not about to let her go.

Not unless they were about to move back to the house and continue what they both wanted to happen. Even then, he might not even let her go, afraid that she would again slip away from him.

If this was a dream, he did not want to wake up yet. He would like to savor every second that he could feel Dani in his arms and her lips attached to his.

But this was not a dream. Alex knew he could take what he wanted. "Do you want to go back inside?" Another question that he was not sure how she would answer.

But from the way she was responding to his advances, he might have a chance. It would seem that they had the same idea. She was on the same page with him.