Princess in Training (Prince Harry #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

The crisp sheets weren't something Meredith was used to. Even in her "commoner" days, Meredith didn't have crisp sheets; well, she didn't really have sheets but just loads of blankets. With Harry crisp sheets weren't a thing, because everything was a thousand-count-something.

Rolling over, Meredith didn't know if Harry was awake, but she thought so, or at least she thought it was time to get up. Without any dark curtains, the sunlight shone through. Birds chirped and chipmunks scurried past the window.

Woken up by her warm breath, Harry smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she whispered.

"I'm already awake. There's no need to whisper."

"These walls are thin, and my mom probably has her ear pressed against it." Meredith kept her voice low. "Do you want to hear a secret, Harry?"

He nodded.

"Chipmunks really like sour gummy worms."

His eyes peeled as his mouth dropped open. "Really?"

"Yes. I've fed chipmunks sour gummy worms. They quite like them. They lick off all the sugar, an then they eat the gummy part."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant."

"Is it the secret portion that you're confused about?" she whispered. "See, I don't think chipmunks are supposed to eat sour gummy worms because it doesn't really fit into their diet, and I think people might get angry about it."

"Still not what I meant."

Meredith curled closer, putting her legs across his, and her arm sprawled out across his chest. Their eyes met, neither of them blinking. "I like being this close."

"I like this too." Harry kissed her nose, and she shook her head. "You don't like that?" He rolled her over and hovered above her. His lips came down, gracing her sunburnt skin. If it wasn't already on fire, it burned now. "Do you like this?"

Meredith let out a giggle and then pushed him back. "My mom is going to hear."

"She wants you to marry me. I think she'll be fine."

"No." She pushed him off, and the bed creaked as Harry landed beside her. "Not here, Harry, not with her around," Meredith begged. The sooner the vacation was over, the better. Meredith loved her dad, but her mom made too many comments about everything for her not ready to bust. "Are you ready for the boat today?"

"I spent yesterday on it."

"Yeah, but you get to spend it with me." She winked. "It's probably not the kind of boats you're used to, you know with the Royal Britannia and all?"

Harry laughed. "The Royal Britannia is no longer in service."

"But you rode in it at some point?"

"I'm not going to confirm or deny that." His arms curled around her. "I'm excited to see you in a swimsuit again."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Harry."

"Never." He kissed her.

Later, when they were on Bad Axe Lake, the anchor was dropped by Meredith's dad, who began to fish off the end of the pontoon. Meredith opened the front door and locked it in place, allowing Harry the first jump into the lake. He hesitated.

"You can jump out of the boat and swim to me, but you can't do this?" she asked with a smirk.

"I jumped into six feet of water," Harry protested. "This is thirty feet. I might drown."

"I'll save you."

"Why can't we go somewhere that isn't so deep?"

"Because there will be seaweed."

Harry sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere. His blue eyes reflected off the blue lake. Deciding he was taking took too long, Meredith pushed him in. Harry let out a scream. Cold water splashed up, coating her legs. Without a second of hesitation, before even Harry resurfaced, Meredith jumped in.

The cold water almost took the air right out of her, making her head wanting to collapse in. Her long and straight body sent her straight down. Opening her eyes, it was a dark green down here, and she didn't like her. Without even her help, her body floated upward. Her feet gave tiny flips as her arms reached the sky. Sunlight graced her skin.

Harry treaded water, unhappily.

"What?" she asked with a smile. "You're alive. I wasn't going to let you die. I know you can swim."

Harry still wasn't impressed.

"It's safer than an ocean. There aren't any sharks. The only harm you have is coming from the loons if you go anywhere near their babies, so don't." Meredith glided through the water, going away from the boat.

"Are you going to swim back to shore?"

"I just want some privacy," she yelled, and Meredith dipped below the surface. She heard him call to her, but she ignored it. Water pushed against her skull, threatening to break in, and her eardrums were ready to burst. She slid through the water, heading toward the never ending green.

Something white in front of her vision, and she grabbed it, yanking the surprised human under water. His growl came from above, but he didn't go down far. His mouth didn't even leave the surface; it was more of shock. Meredith bounced up beside him.

Harry look unimpressed again. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"Probably not." Meredith planted a kiss on his lips, and he reeled back.

"You taste like fish," he argued.

"Or do fish taste like me?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm getting out of the water. I'm cold." He swam over to the boat.

"You're going to burn easily out of the water."

That comment didn't stop him.

Meredith had the lake to herself as she rounded the pontoon, waving at her father as she went past. He waved back, grinning broadly. When it came to Harry, his eyes watched her intently, ready to get away from the edge if she even attempted to splash him. Meredith dove below the water. When she came up for air, Harry had the same look.

Climbing into the boat and laying herself across Harry, Meredith asked, "Did I scare you, Harry?"

"No."

"Are you sure? You sound hurt."

"I'm not hurt, but, yes, a bit scared," he admitted, and Meredith waited for more. "I have no problem with swimming, Mere, and you do you when it comes to swimming, but some fear comes into me when you dive below. You stay so long down there, and I can't see you."

Meredith kissed his chest. "I'm fine, I promise."

"For now."

She couldn't stop his fear. Grabbing her book, she laid her wet hair across his chest and started to read aloud. Today's book, or at least this afternoon's book, was The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry. It was fair and a bit confusing. Meredith just went with it, since she wasn't much of a historical fiction fan. This was her fourth book of vacation with her excessive reading habits, but at least it wasn't drugs.

Without a clue of what was going on in the book, Harry listened happily and proudly to Meredith's strong and confident voice.