Free Winning the Queen's Heart: Contemporary Christian Romance (The Brides of Belles Montagnes Book 2) by Carol Moncado Page B

He always did, but seeing her first with the young children and then with the teens, he caught a glimpse of their future. What he hoped their future would be.
    “Your Majesty?” He stopped her before she went into her suite.
    She sighed. “We are alone, Alexander. You are my husband.”
    “Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?”
    She hesitated.
    “Please?” She wanted him to call her something less formal, but wasn’t sure about joining him for dinner?
    “Of course.” She gave him a tentative smile and closed the door behind her.
    Alexander went to the galley to see what he could find. The cook, Paul, was in there working on dinner for the crew.
    “Can I help you, sir?” Paul looked up from carrots he chopped on a cutting board.
    “I’d like to have a romantic dinner with the queen tonight. Candles on deck, good china, the whole nine yards.”
    Paul’s face lit up. “Of course. What do you have in mind?”
    Alexander shrugged. “I’m open to suggestions. I know it’s too late for you to shop. What do you have?” They spent ten minutes going over dinner options before they settled on an entrée, side dishes, and dessert that could be prepared in the next hour. Alexander offered to help, but Paul sent him away. A steward would take care of the table setting.
    Instead, Alexander knocked on Christiana’s door.
    “Yes?”
    “May I come in?”
    The door opened. She had changed into something much more comfortable than she’d worn earlier in the day. Yoga pants with a rugby shirt from one of the country’s universities and the Rensselaer family name on the back. “Is it time for dinner?”
    Alexander shook his head. “No. Not yet. We have about an hour before it’s ready. I did want to see if you wanted to dress up for dinner or dress down?”
    He could see her turning it over in her head. “Would you mind if we dressed down? I am quite comfortable and would prefer not to get dressed up again.”
    “That’s fine with me.” With one finger, he touched the side of her face. “You always look beautiful.”
    A blush spread across her cheeks as she ducked her head. “Thank you. The girl I spoke with at the gymnasium told me she believed you were very cute.”
    He could feel the twinkle in his eyes as he leaned closer. “And you, Queen Christiana? Do you think I’m cute?”
    Her face reddened further. “Yes.”
    “I’m glad.” He turned, whistling as he walked away. “I’ll see you in an hour.” Despite her desire to dress down, he would wear one of several tuxedos he had with him. He wanted to woo her. He wanted to go all out and sweep her off her feet.
    Nearly an hour later, he tweaked his bowtie as he waited for her to join him on the upper deck of the yacht. When her head came into view, he heard her gasp. The white twinkling lights provided the sole lighting, save the moon and two flickering candles on the table.
    “Has the ship stopped?” she asked as she turned.
    “Not completely, but we have slowed down so we could enjoy our meal by candlelight while not worrying about the candles blowing out.”
    “What did Paul make us for dinner?”
    Alexander grinned. “That, my dear, is a surprise.” He bowed to her with one hand outstretched. “May I have this dance?”
    “There is no music.”
    As though on cue, soft jazz filled the air. “May I?”
    Christiana put her hand in his. “Of course.”
    He pulled her to him, far closer than the other night. There was no one watching. No one but the two of them.
    “I did not think we were going to dress up.” The white lights behind him reflected in her eyes.
    “I wanted you to be comfortable.” He shrugged. “But I wanted to have a romantic, very nice, candlelit dinner with my wife. To me that means tux.”
    He pulled her a bit closer, loving the feel of her close to him.
    They moved slowly around the deck. “Were you okay with the interview today? I’m sure you weren’t ready for some of those questions.”
    “No. I was