CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 27

“Okay. So, Ingrid told me what you eat and what you don’t, so I tried to make something I think you’ll really enjoy. I have an appetizer and an entrée. Ingrid said you’d be fine for dessert,” Sarah Anne said.

“What? Sarah!”

Elin’s eyes went wide. Ingrid’s blush, which had been ever-present all night, deepened.

“I meant that you–”

“No, it’s fine. Just… thank you and go,” Ingrid said.

“Sarah Anne, thank you for this.” Elin smiled up at Sarah. “I’m sure it’s delicious, but just arranging this for us – I genuinely appreciate it. I never could have done this without you letting–”

“Okay; it was my idea,” Ingrid teased. “Just remember which sister you’re on a date with there, Elin.”

Elin laughed and said, “Thank you, too, Ingrid.”

“I’ll leave you to your appetizer. I’ll bring out the entrée in about ten minutes,” Sarah announced.

“Take your time,” Elin replied, looking at Ingrid.

Sarah nodded, rolled her eyes, and walked back into the kitchen.

“So, dessert?”

“It’s not what you think,” Ingrid said.

“Oh,” Elin replied, smirking at her.

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” Ingrid asked.

“A little.”

Ingrid laughed and said, “Sarah is lending me her kitchen for the night. I thought we could make your favorite dessert.”

“Skolebrød?”

“Yes,” Ingrid replied. “I bought all the ingredients. They’re already in the back, and I’ll be Sarah’s guinea pig for the next year in exchange for tonight. She plans on trying just about every combination of ingredients in the known universe, I think.”

Elin laughed, and Ingrid just listened to the sound.

“Well, I can help, maybe. I mean, if I can contribute in any way, I will. Maybe if… I help or something, I can cut your time in half.”

“That would require you becoming a mainstay at our apartment,” Ingrid replied.

“I guess you have a choice to make then: I can come around more, or you can enjoy the year of risky recipes.”

“Not a choice, Elin,” Ingrid said.

Elin smiled at her, and they ate their appetizer in relative silence. It really was delicious. The entrée was even better. Sarah had really outdone herself, and Ingrid would happily be her tester for a decade because Elin was sitting in front of her, eating and laughing.

“Tell me about your new job. We haven’t really talked about it,” Elin said.

“Well, my stepdad owns his own company now. He’s been working on it, toiling away working for someone else his whole life, and he decided to finally take a chance on himself. It’s not all that large yet, but I’m in an entry-level role right now. Well, I’m a step above that, but I wanted to work my way up.”

“Like you did at the palace?” Elin asked.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “Anyway, it’s just starting to turn a profit. He’s had a standing offer for me for a while now, but I was happy where I was.”

Elin smiled and told her, “So was I.”

“Are you still?” Ingrid asked.

“Not as much as I was, no, but I’m still trying to get used to everything. I just miss you. I have since you left; really, since my father told me I’d have Markus as my secretary, and I didn’t fight him on it.”

“You understand why I can’t come back, though, right?”

“As much as I miss working with you, Ingrid, I want this more,” Elin replied.

Ingrid smiled and said, “Me too.”

“So, are you happy where you are?”

“It’s not exactly what I thought I’d be doing, but… yeah, I think I am. I’m still getting used to things myself. I’m paid about the same as I was at the palace, so that’s nice, but while the company’s turning a profit, I don’t think my stepdad’s ever going to get rich from it. I’m good, though.”

“I’m glad, then,” Elin said.

“Okay, I fed your security guard, and he told me there’s another one outside, so I’m going to take him something, too,” Sarah announced, emerging from the kitchen. “Then, I’m going to go, if you guys are okay. I’ve cleaned up my mess. Just clean yours up before you leave, okay?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Ingrid promised.

“And you have the key and the alarm code?”

“I do. I’ll make sure everything’s locked up.”

“Good. I could absolutely get fired for this, Ingrid, so please don’t burn the place down or steal all the booze.”

Ingrid and Elin laughed and said, “We won’t.”

“And will I see you back at home later?” Sarah asked with a lifted eyebrow.

“Goodbye, Sarah,” Ingrid told her.

Sarah laughed and said, “Good night.” Then, she looked at Elin. “All joking aside; I don’t really know if I’m supposed to do the whole ‘Your Majesty and bow’ thing or not if you’re on a date with my sister, so I’ll just say goodnight.”

“I think goodnight is perfect,” Elin replied.

“Then, good night,” Sarah said.

◆◆◆

“I think I knew then, but I was still just a secretary working for a future Queen, so things were really confusing, but you were so gorgeous… It was like I was watching a behind-the-scenes feature of a Maxim shoot or something,” Ingrid confessed about their time in the hot spring pool.

Elin laughed and said, “No, it wasn’t.”

“Yes, it was,” Ingrid argued as she put the Skolebrød into the oven. “You really have no clue how beautiful you are, do you?”

“I try not to think about it too much; I’ll get a big head,” Elin joked. “Also, I was generally thinking about how beautiful my private secretary was and trying not to kill myself with scalding hot water.”

“That is not why you burned yourself.” Ingrid laughed a little.

“Ingrid, pretty much every injury I’ve had these past three or so years has been at least in part because of you.” Elin paused. “Don’t take that the wrong way.”

There was a moment where they just stared at one another, enjoying the fact that they could both finally be honest about their feelings.

“So, how long do I have to wait for them to cool before I can eat them?”

Ingrid laughed, walked over to Elin, and kissed her on the cheek. She wanted more. She wanted their first kiss, but she didn’t want it to be in her sister’s restaurant kitchen while she had flour on her face. Elin looked shocked when Ingrid pulled back, though. Ingrid worried she’d done something wrong. Then, Elin’s hand reached up and cupped Ingrid’s cheek. Apparently, Elin didn’t have the same concerns about their first kiss being here.

Elin’s thumb swiped across Ingrid’s cheek.

“You had flour there,” she said.

“Oh,” Ingrid replied. “Right. Thanks.”

Elin’s eyes bore into Ingrid’s.

“Is it hot in here?” Ingrid asked.

“Yeah,” Elin said. “I think it’s because the oven is on.” Then, she winked at Ingrid.

“See? There it is!”

“What?” Elin laughed.

“Your cool confidence,” Ingrid said.

“It comes and goes, I guess.” Elin looked a little worried then. “I can’t always… Well, I can’t guarantee it’ll be around all the time, though. Is it… something you–”

“I like when you’re at a loss for words, too,” Ingrid replied, smiling at her.

◆◆◆

After they made a large batch of Skolebrød, they cleaned the kitchen and the table they’d used, returning it to its usual state while they let their doughnuts cool. Once everything was clean, Ingrid let Elin have one now-cooled Skolebrød and loved watching her pleased reaction.

“Yeah?”

“So good, Ingrid. You should sell these.”

“I kind of like just making them for you,” Ingrid said.

“Well, you can make them for me anytime,” Elin replied.

“We should pack up the rest of them.”

“I’m going to give a few to security. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Ingrid replied. “You deliver; I’ll pack and lock up. I’ll join you outside.”

Ingrid packed up the remaining doughnuts after Elin took a few. Then, she activated the restaurant’s alarm and locked the front door. She found Elin standing outside with the two guards, all enjoying their Skolebrød.

“I’m ready,” Ingrid said.

“Can we walk again?” Elin asked. “It’s late; there’s hardly anyone out here.”

“It’s fine with me,” Ingrid replied.

“Your Majesty, just back to the residence, please,” one of the guards requested.

Elin nodded and said, “And you’ll give us some space?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he promised.

With one guard ahead of them again and one lagging behind, they took off, with the car following them as well. Elin took Ingrid’s hand this time after she placed her hat back on her head. The sidewalk was rather deserted, so she left the sunglasses off, which allowed Ingrid to see her beautiful face. As they walked, Ingrid wondered how in the hell she hadn’t realized before that she was in love with the Princess.

Her last girlfriend had been Britt, and while they’d had their problems there in the end, Ingrid could now state confidently to herself the reason they broke up was that Ingrid had started working with Elin. They’d gotten along from the beginning, sharing laughter over work and seeing eye to eye on pretty much everything. Elin had been a refreshing change for Ingrid; maybe that was why Ingrid hadn’t realized it back then. She’d chalked it up to just enjoying her work.

“So, Sarah Anne is inside,” Elin began when they arrived at the front door.

“You can just call her Sarah.”

“Oh, okay,” Elin replied. “I should probably…”

“She’ll stay in her room, Elin. If you want to come in, we–”

“I do. I do want that. But I also don’t.”

“Oh,” Ingrid said, pulling her hand out of Elin’s.

Had she misread the evening altogether?

“No, Ingrid… Please. I had an amazing night. I’m having… It’s just one…”

“Oh,” Ingrid repeated, smiling this time and pulling Elin’s hand back into her own. “One of those moments?”

“I’ve never done this part,” Elin said.

“Which part, exactly?”

“Oh, no. I mean… I’ve done that part.” Elin’s eyebrows lifted. “I’ve definitely done that part.”

“Definitely?”

“Not, like, a bunch. I mean, I haven’t…”

Ingrid pulled Elin in closer and wrapped her arms around Elin’s waist.

“Still not sure which part we’re talking about,” Ingrid lied with a smile.

“Sex,” Elin whispered adorably. “I’m not a…”

“Virgin?”

“What? No, I’m not. I’ve been with–”

Ingrid leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together, and Elin stopped talking.

“Well, if you’ve done that part, which part haven’t you done?”

“Saying goodnight at the door,” Elin replied.

“So, you’re saying goodnight?” Ingrid asked.

“It’s our first date.”

“It is,” Ingrid replied, pulling Elin’s arms around her neck and then replacing her own around Elin’s waist. “How, exactly, have you had sex with someone not on a first date without doing the goodnight-at-the-front-door thing?”

“We were long-distance from the beginning, so she just always stayed with me, and I stayed with her.”

“I see,” Ingrid said. “So, you’ve never kissed a girl goodnight at her door before, then?”

“No.”

“Do you want to now?”

“Yes,” Elin whispered.

“I want that, too,” Ingrid told her.

Elin moved a little closer. Then, even closer. She was so close, in fact, that they couldn’t kiss because Elin was pulling Ingrid in for a hug. Ingrid smiled, hugging her back. This would be enough for tonight.

“Good night, Ingrid,” Elin said when she pulled back.

“Good night,” Ingrid replied, letting go of Elin’s hands to let her turn and walk down the hall.

“You know what?” Elin turned back around and briskly walked toward Ingrid.

Then, Elin’s hands were on Ingrid’s face, pulling her toward her own. What started as a hard, heated kiss quickly evolved as Ingrid’s hands moved to Elin’s hips, pulling her closer, and Elin’s arms wrapped back around Ingrid’s neck, pulling her in as well.

Ingrid was kissing the Queen of Norway. She was kissing her Queen. They slowed their lips as their hands began to wander, and Ingrid moaned softly. Elin gripped the back of Ingrid’s shirt in response. When Ingrid slid her tongue into Elin’s mouth, Elin’s hands went under Ingrid’s shirt. Ingrid nibbled on Elin’s lower lip, and Elin groaned, pressing her hands firmly into Ingrid’s back. This was hot. Elin was hot. Ingrid was boiling. Her own hands slipped around to Elin’s back and a little lower to cup Elin’s ass. Then, Elin laughed, which broke both their kiss and the spell they’d been under.

“What?” Ingrid asked, laughing, too, now.

“I’m a little ticklish there,” Elin replied.

“Where? On your–”

“Yes,” Elin said, still laughing. “Well, a little on my lower back and then… yeah, there, too.”

“How ticklish, exactly?” Ingrid asked, not moving her hands.

“Not a lot. That’s why I said a little,” Elin said.

“So, I can hold my hands here?” Ingrid asked, giving Elin’s ass a little squeeze.

“Not if I’m going home right now.”

“Why not?” Ingrid teased, kissing Elin’s lips lightly.

“Because I’m thinking about not going home right now.”

“Then, don’t,” Ingrid replied.

“I should.”

“You should stay,” Ingrid told her.

“I’ve waited three years, Ingrid.” Elin pulled back a little. “I can wait until we’re not wondering if security is watching us from down the hall or if your sister is listening to us on the other side of that door.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Ingrid joked. “But I will,” she said more seriously. “When can we do this again?”

“I have to go to London this week. But when I come back?”

“Will you call me – or text, at least – while you’re gone?”

Elin smiled and said, “Yes.”

“Okay. Then, I’ll ask you to text me when you get home, too, while you’re saying yes to things.”

“I will.” Elin pecked her lips. “After my cold shower.”

Ingrid laughed and said, “Good night, Elin.”

“Good night,” Elin replied.

Then, Ingrid watched her walk down the hall toward the elevator. Elin turned around and gave her an adorable wave, which Ingrid returned. Ingrid unlocked the front door, walked inside, and found her sister leaning back against the sofa.

“You’ll have to take a cold shower, too, because I used up all the hot water,” Sarah Anne told her.