The Royal Contract

"What's bothering you? You are quiet today." Dani asked Alex as soon as they were inside the apartment.

Although he had been accommodating to her needs since he picked her up from the office, she could still sense that his mind was preoccupied with something else.

"Well, I was going to discuss this with you after dinner, but I don't want to keep you waiting." Alex placed his bag on the side of the entrance while Dani continued to stroll to the living room and slumped down on the couch.

Alex rolled up his sleeves, walked over to her, and sat down next to her. He pulled her feet to his lap and started massaging them. He usually did this when he knew that she had been busy at the office.

"Why don't we order in for tonight instead of preparing a meal? I think we are both too tired to move a muscle." Dani suggested, seeing the tiredness on his expression. 

He could keep denying his physical state, but his face and eyes could not lie to her. She could easily read the telltale sign if he was too exhausted and would not admit it.

"What do you feel like eating?" Alex asked, agreeing with her suggestion. He did not feel like cooking too.

He could think of several dishes, but he was too tired to move a muscle, and Dani was right with her assessment. His mind was busy processing the information he did learn earlier.

"What about pizza? I am craving something different today." She had been craving all afternoon on an ad she saw with those creamy cheese and an assortment of toppings on them.

She could also eat some other meal, but she would appreciate a simple slice of pizza for the night. She looked forward to the use of her fingers and tongue in licking its juicy goodness.

"An excellent choice. Let me order first before I continue massaging your feet." Alex stood from his position and took his phone from the jacket he had disposed of earlier when they arrived.

After calling the pizza shop, he decided to take two glasses from the kitchen and a bottle of red wine. Then, he returned to his seat beside Dani and handed her a glass of wine, half full.

"So, what was bothering you earlier?" She quickly asked the question before she forgot all about it again as she sipped on her wine and waited for his answer.

She tucked her legs under her so that he could not distract her with his touch and divert her attention to something else. She liked to be privy to what was happening to him, most importantly, if it would concern her in the end.

"Well, several things." He admitted to her as he finished his first glass of wine. "Let me break it down for you. First, our wedding. We have barely been able to discuss it."

Alex felt it was time that they should talk about it. They could not keep putting it aside because they were very busy with their career. If they were serious about marriage, then they should make time for it.

"Maybe we could skip the entire ceremony and drive to Vegas and elope," Alex said jokingly, but his eyes were quite serious about his intention.

He would settle for the fastest marriage ever and marry Dani in the quickest way possible. All he wanted anyway was for her to belong only to him, and the same went with him.

But he knew he could not deprive her and their families of the traditional wedding that everyone was expecting from them. That would include all the trimmings and the glitters.

"That is what I also want, to be married to you as soon as possible. I think our parents also have the same idea anyway." Dani also expressed her extreme wish to be his wife.

She moved closer to him and lowered her head on his shoulder, wanting to feel his body against her. She sometimes questioned her decision to rush things. But marring him felt so right.

"Then, maybe we could move it up in the calendar because I don't think I can still wait for a couple of months more." He shifted in his position until he was facing her.

He grabbed her face on both of her cheeks and stared into her eyes. He could see the impatience in them. He was not sure if it was related to the wedding or something else on her mind.

But one thing he guaranteed, he wanted another ring on her finger as soon as possible. It was the only way to secure their future together, and he had no plan to let her slip away from him.

"Then, we should discuss this with Katherine and my mom." Dani felt excited that they were finally discussing the wedding. 

He was setting a schedule soon, and the wedding was on its way. She could not wait for the actual day to happen. But she could almost feel it in the air, seeing the same excitement coursing through his eyes.

He lowered his head until his lips were almost touching hers. "I will tell them the good news in the morning." He whispered in between his small kisses.

But she was tired of his teasing, so she grabbed the back of his neck and trapped him into one persuasive kiss. She dueled with his tongue for dominance, but not to overpower the other, but only to make the kiss more intense.

But before they could do more, the bell ringing reminded them of dinner, making them stop on their tracks. He had to pull himself reluctantly away from her to answer the door.

"I'll be back later for the continuance." He promised as he stood from his seat to answer the door.

As expected, one big box of pizza was waiting for him by the door. After paying and giving the young man a nice tip, he quickly closed the door and served the mouthwatering Italian dish in front of Dani.

Dani quickly picked the lid off and grabbed a slice, not caring if the creamy cheese was messing up the table and the floor. She scooped up the dripping delicious sticky yellowish cream with her hand and shot it in her mouth.

"Hey, leave some for me." Alex teased her as he also followed her and grabbed a slice for himself. "Want to see a neat trick?" He asked her as he positioned the pizza in front of his face.

He could not pass up a chance to impress her with another of his neat tricks. One thing he liked about her was that she was not hard to please. Simple things could easily make her smile.

"Ok. I know you will not stop until you show me this one." She jokingly said, but she was looking forward to what he had planned to make her smile.

It was like he had made it his mission to entertain her and wiped out all her troubles.. She appreciated the effort and made sure to laugh at his jokes, even if it was borderline corny at times.