Love For Hire

Kinsley stood at the table with Nicholas and his siblings as his parents entered the dining room. Once the King and Queen were seated, everyone else took their seats. Kinsley thanked the maid that placed her meal on the table before her. Everyone began to eat, but as usual, Nicholas sat at the table calm and relaxed, not touching his meal but drinking his wine and refilling his glass.

“Are you not eating?” Naya asked when she noticed her son had not so much as picked up his fork.

“I am not hungry,” he said. Kinsley had been at the palace with Nichols for nearly two weeks, and she had only seen him pick at his food, only eating a few mouthfuls occasionally. In all honesty, she had no idea how he managed to get through every day without fainting or experiencing weakness.

“You must eat to keep up your strength,” Naya lectured. Kinsley had to agree with his mother to a point. She would feel better if he ate more.

“I am strong enough,” he muttered, lifting his wine to his lips.

“I insist you eat,” Naya ordered.

“I must regretfully defy your insistence, Mother.”

“Nicholas…” She snarled his name.

“Nauseous Mother,” he snapped back, harshly, instantly silencing her. “Nauseous… I am always nauseated. The medications you insist on have Octavius force on me turns my stomach, and the only reason I am not on my knees bent over the toilet violently vomiting all day every day is I do not eat. So, do me the courtesy of getting off my back,” he hissed.

The whole room went quiet, and Kinsley felt awkward being witness to the royal family’s discontent. “So, Kinsley,” Teegan piped up, ending the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air, “how long have you and Nickolas been seeing each other?”

“Long enough,” Nicholas answered for her.

“Well, how did you two meet?” Teegan asked, addressing Kinsley once more.

reached out and took her hand then smiled. “I thought she was utterly enchanting and knew I had to have her. Besides, when

your veins. After all, it is not like women seduce

was speechless. Nicholas’ father had just insulted her in a roundabout way that was painfully obvious to everyone at the table. The worse part was neither Nicholas nor she could refute his accusation that Kinsley was only with him for the money. Though she was quickly

pauper, a common unimpressive peasant, who is below my son’s station and breeding. He is so far out of your league you two are not even in the same universe. Let me debunk the fantasies swirling in your mind. He does not love you. He will

will never live long enough to be King. If you think he will leave you anything in his will after he passes, you are sorely mistaken because everything he

now. You will come out of this relationship with nothing. So, enjoy the ride while it lasts and knows this; the only reason I am willing to so much as even tolerate your existence is that I love my son, and you make him happy; at this point in his brief life, he has so very

realized she had lost her appetite. “Excuse me,” she said

that everyone at the table is a guest in what is my home. And until I am cold in the ground, it is MY home, and out of everyone at this table, Kinsley was invited… you were not. So, do me the courtesy that the next time you have an opinion, keep it to yourself,” he snarled, and then he left

in their room, Nicholas let go of Brutus and sent him to his doggy bed. “Nicholas, I am sorry about leaving dinner. I just could not…” He turned and took her face in his hands,

lifted from her. “You did nothing wrong. My family means well, but they are arrogant. The downside to wealth and

“Nicholas…”

with me. I know we have a deal, and that money will change hands, but it means the world to me that you stay, given the circumstances not many women would,” his hand caressed her face affectionately. “He was right about one thing. You do make me happy. When my world has been nothing but black and dark for so long, you have been a ray of light. While my predicament has not changed and the outcome

touching. She was happy to hear he was happy with

had said. She had feelings for Nicholas; she did not want anything between them to ever make him question those feelings. She reached up and placed her hand over

dark brows drew together questioningly. “What?” He

million dollars;

do not understand,” the look on his face confirmed he could not fathom why she would not take the money. His hands fell away, and he took a step back, looking worried and tortured. “Are you reneging on our

want to be your employee. I want to be your

“If not for the money,

“You.”