We walked through the gardens, watching the sun start to disappear behind the mountains. The pinks and oranges of dusk dancing across the sky. A shiver ran through me as the mist from a fountain touched my exposed skin.

"Here." Clarence handed me his jacket, which I gratefully slid my arms into.

"Thank you." I smiled, absentmindedly pulling the edges of the jacket together in front of my face. "I could get used to a place like this." I said as I followed him into a small clearing with an archway and several benches. The light danced through the branches in the trees, making a pattern all over the ground.

We sat down on one of the benches and he put an arm around me before he spoke. "You could, you know."

What was that supposed to mean? There's no way that means what I think it does, right? I tried to keep careful time for my breathing to steady myself. Focus, Genevieve.

My brain whirled around without me, trying to find something to say that worked regardless of what he meant but nothing did. It's time to be brave, Genevieve.

"I'd like to," I whispered, not willing to look at his face when I did. Without giving him the chance to say anything, I shifted the conversation. "What is this place?"

"It's one of the more secluded parts of the garden." He looked at me and smiled. "I thought you'd like it the best.

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrow, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Well, it's away from the prying eyes."

"You're right." I looked around. "I don't even see a guard."

"I don't even think my mother can see in over these trees," he chuckled to himself.

We both know if his mother wanted to know, she'd find out. I looked around at the beautiful flowers and the curved stone path. "It's lovely."

"Yes," he sighed. "I guess you deserved it after spending today with everyone's eyes on you. You handled it with such grace."

The heat rose up in my cheeks. "Thank you. You really don't have to say that." I turned to face him, and instead of some snarky joke comment, I was met with his hand turning my chin so I was looking up at him.

"No," he replied. "I don't have to, but I want to." He slid a little closer to me and exhaled a sharp breath, his hand brushing an imaginary hair off my cheek.

My whole body warmed at his touch and I closed my eyes, swallowing the growing lump in my throat.

"Do you--?" he asked as his hand fell to rest on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to stare into his. Is he asking what I think he is?

His eyes searched mine, as though hoping for the answer to a question he could not ask. We have that in common.

I felt my eyes drift down towards his lips and then snapped them back up to his eyes, only to notice his deep brown eyes drifting back up to meet mine.

"I--" have no idea what to say?

He slowly leaned towards me and I could smell his cologne. I could practically see our first meeting at the club playing in front of me, his attractive form drawing me in even then. But it was nothing like the club in that moment, the cold air stinging the back of my legs as we sat inches apart from each other in the secluded part of the palace gardens.

My feelings for him had grown like the trees that surrounded us. Slowly at first and then seemingly all at once. By the time I came back to reality, he was so close I was sure he could hear my heart racing a mile a minute.

"Could--?" he started to ask me something, but I stopped him

"Yes," I answered. Whatever it is, the answer is yes. I grabbed a fist full of his shirt in my hand and pulled him towards me until our lips met. My stomach twisted in knots. I'm about to find out this was a huge mistake, aren't I?

I couldn't hold onto my worry for long as my thoughts melted away at the touch of his hand on my cheek. He used his thumbs to guide my head back so he could deepen the kiss and my head spun. Not a mistake!

Soon, I found myself losing my grip on his shirt and allowing my hands instead to wander across his broad, muscular shoulders. He slid his arms around my waist until there was no space left between us and my heart raced, the hairs on my arms all standing on end. I let myself enjoy the moment and slid my hands down, feeling him shiver as they came to rest on his lower back.

When we finally broke apart, I buried my head in his shoulder, not wanting to see the look on his face and ruin this perfect memory. If everything else falls apart right now, at least I'll always have this perfect kiss.

"Is everything all right?" He finally asked, gingerly kissing the top of my head. "I..."

I raised my head to look at him as he trailed off, searching his eyes for any sign I had done something wrong. I so desperately wanted to believe he felt the same way about me. Had I imagined the whole thing.

"It's fine," I started, trying to smile and hoping he would give me some cue as to which way I should go with this.

"Oh," he looked away from me, pretending to study the lights coming through the trees and dancing along the ground at our feet.

"Clarence?" I pulled away slightly and he loosened his grip.

Not a good sign.

"Yes?" He asked, braving a brief glance at my face.

"Could we just...?" I asked, leaning towards him again. "Maybe try that again knowing we both want to do it."

I swallowed the lump growing in my throat and my heartbeat bounced around my ears. Please don't say you don't want to do it. Please don't say it was a mistake. Please...

"Did I give off the impression I didn't want to kiss you?"

I didn't have any time to answer, because I felt his lips on mine again, warm and soft. I pulled him in closer and returned the kiss, feeling his hands dance along my lower back and up into my hair as we did so. The knots in my stomach turned to butterflies as we broke the kiss and he sighed into my hair.

"I only wish I had been the one to kiss you first," he said when he finally spoke.

We sat there for a moment. Still. Silent.

My body tingled and my head raced. I can't remember ever being kissed like that, I thought to myself. Josh who?

Clarence put his arm around me and scooted in close. "I can't believe this is real life," he whispered, burying his nose into my hair, and pulling me back to the moment.

"I thought princes always got the fairy tales?" I teased him, standing up in an attempt to release some of my pent up energy.

"It's the first one for me," he stood up too, watching me as I bounced slightly in place.

But as soon as he wrapped his arms around me, I felt at peace. He leaned down and placed a brief kiss on my lips; too brief for me to keep his lips locked on mine. I settled for wrapping my arms around him until my head rested comfortably on his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, and it was obvious he wasn't as calm as he looked. I smiled to myself and snuggled in a little closer.

"And I honestly thought there was no way it would ever happen."

The brief sighting of Clarence's true feelings seemed even more intimate than the kiss we had just shared. There was something about this side of Clarence I didn't want anyone else to see.

Just me.

"Well it has," I said softly. "If by 'it' you mean 'I'd like to go on an actual date with you and hold your hand for more than just show.'"

"I do," he whispered into my hair and squeezed his arms tightly around me. "More than words can express."

I smiled and turned to face him a little, wrapping my arm around his chest.

I could stay here forever.

I reached up and placed another soft kiss onto his cheek before settling my head on his shoulder. I don't know how long we stood there, staring at the garden and wrapped in each other's arms; time stood still.