Trenton took one look at Jennifer’s face and knew he wouldn’t be able to take her to his bed that night. She couldn’t even keep her eyes open, let alone have the energy to make love. He’d have to make sure they didn’t put so much on their agenda the next day, because he couldn’t go another night with nothing more than a cold shower.
He watched her stumble into her suite and decided he’d check on her in a few minutes to make sure she’d at least made it to her bed. He was exhausted, too, but he realized it had been the best date he’d ever been on. She was so genuine and full of life, and things seen through her eyes were much better than the jaded people he was so used to being around.
He drank a double shot of bourbon, checked on Jennifer, and then took a long, cold shower, before crawling into his own bed. He was surprised when his eyes shut - he was just about as tired as she’d been. He fell asleep with a small smile on his lips.
***
Jennifer woke up and jumped from the bed. She was eager to start her second day as a tourist in the city of Vienna. She didn’t know where they were going, but she knew it would be great. She quickly showered, dressed and then practically ran to the dining area.
Trenton was already seated and drinking coffee and she didn’t even stop for pleasantries. The sooner she finished breakfast, the faster she could be out on the streets, exploring the city more.
“You know you can actually slow down, nothing is going to disappear if you have a decent breakfast,” Trenton told her as she piled the food in. She grinned at him like she was an excited child.
“I can’t wait to get back out. There’s so much more to see,” she told him and then stuffed the rest of her breakfast down her throat and jumped up to grab her coat. “Where are we going today?”
“I thought I’d take you to the Schonbrunn Palace. It’s on the outskirts of the city and where the royal family resided during the summers,” he said, which gained him another one of her full blown smiles.
“That sounds perfect, let’s go,” she said, leaving him no choice but to get up and follow her, or be left behind. She caved in and let his driver take them to the place, since she was so eager to get there.
They walked from one beautiful room to the other and listened to the tour guide talk about the royal family. They talked of Joseph Franz and his wife Elizabeth - known by the world as Sissi. Their marriage had been a political alliance, which saddened Jennifer.
“I can’t imagine having to marry someone to better my country, or because my parents told me I had too,” she said. He was surprised by her naiveté, though he shouldn’t of been.
“Marriages are all about what the other person can bring to it,” he said.
“That’s not true. I know there are still marriages of convenience, even in this day and age, but most marry for love and passion, as it should be,” she told him stubbornly.
“If you want to think so in your naïve world,” he said with a mocking smile. She glared at him, but decided not to let his pessimism ruin her day.
They continued to walk through the rooms, looking at the beautiful ceilings depicting everything from landscapes to haunting scenes, to simple artwork. It was all exquisite and made her gasp repeatedly.
When they entered the room of mirrors, she spun around in delight, trying to look everywhere at once. She could imagine a royal ball going on and twirling through the room on the arm of a prince. Soft music played in the background and Jennifer was surprised when Trenton took her in his arms.
She heard some of the other guests giggle as he swirled her around the room in a dance that could’ve easily been performed there. She stared into his eyes and quickly forgot about everyone else in the room.
They continued to dance, and she felt as if her feet weren’t even touching the ground. He pulled her tightly against him, and she sucked in a breath as he pressed his hips against hers and she felt his obvious desire for her. She could feel her cheeks heating at the intimacy of the moment and as his head lowered toward hers, her only thought was of their inevitable connection.
Trenton touched his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, which quickly heated up. His hands pulled her even tighter against him. She let everything else go, except the priceless moment.
There was a clearing of throats, which snapped Trenton’s head back. Jennifer stared at him in a fog, wanting to know why he stopped, when reality slowly started seeping in. She looked around at the smiling faces and was mortified by her behavior. She couldn’t believe she’d let herself go like that in front of so many strangers.
“Oh, you two are so romantic - you must be on your honeymoon,” one of the ladies said and then she hit her husband, and Trenton chuckled. He felt a bit sorry for the poor man. Jennifer had her head buried in his chest and he could feel the heat from her face through his clothing.
“We just can’t seem to get enough of each other,” he said, and Jennifer’s head snapped up to glare at him, making him laugh harder. “Come on, dear, we’re holding up the tour,” he told her before throwing his arm around her shoulder and pulling her after the group.
Jennifer was so shocked by the situation she let him lead her after the group without saying another word. She found she liked being wrapped in his arms, and let herself pretend for a few moments that they were a couple on their honeymoon. It scared her how much she desired this fictional dream.
They stepped outside the palace walls and she was delighted by the light covering of snow beginning to fall on the ground. It turned the entire area into an enchanted wonderland and she felt tears come to her eyes at the breathtaking beauty of it all. She was grateful they were there in the winter, even though she was sure it was just as spectacular in the summertime, with the flowers blooming all over the place.
There was another Christmas market set up in front of the palace and Jennifer pulled away from Trenton so she could search through all of the homemade crafts and gifts. She once again loaded down his arms with her purchases until he handed them off to be loaded into the car.
They had a romantic lunch at a small diner, where the food was exquisite and she found herself laughing often. The room was barely lit and smoky, as the division for smoking and non-smoking was only a table. Things were so different than back in the states.
She realized as their hands brushed, that she was falling in love with Trenton. She pulled back and his brows rose in question at her instant withdrawal. She knew he wouldn’t understand why she pulled away, but she couldn’t possibly let him know how she was feeling.