Extraits

- Pourquoi cet air abattu ? Si je me souviens bien, vous pensez qu'ils sont tous les cinq à égalité.

- C'est compliqué. Celui avec qui je dois absolument converser ne voudra peut-être même pas me parler. (Je soupirai.) Souhaitez-moi bonne chance.

- Vous n'en avez pas besoin.

J'éclatai de rire. Je comprenais de mieux en mieux pourquoi ils avaient passé toute leur Sélection à se disputer.

A moi maintenant de terminer la mienne.

Les garçons éclatèrent de rire : je devinai qu'ils avaient eu autant de mal que moi avec les chiffres... et qu'ils étaient si concentrés qu'ils n'avaient pas remarqué mon baiser avorté. Je reportai mon attention sur le tableau en m'évertuant à comprendre les mots qui y étaient écrits au lieu de penser à la proximité Spoiler(cliquez pour révéler)d'Henri.

- Je crois qu'il faudrait penser à se nourrir.

- Tant que je ne suis pas obligée de me mettre aux fourneaux.

Il garda son bras autour de mes épaules tandis qu'on rebroussait chemin vers le palais. Comme un petit ami.

- Mais on s'est super bien débrouillé la dernière fois.

- La seule chose que j'ai apprise, c'est l'existence du beurre.

- C'est l'essentiel.

Ce processus était absurde, certes, mais je comprenais comment ça arrivait, comment le coeur se retrouvait chaviré dans l'aventure. Je l'espérais très fort à présent : que le devoir et l'amour se mêlent et que, prise entre les deux, je trouve le bonheur.

Je ne peux pas vivre dans un monde où tu ne m'aimes plus.

« I don’t know anyone who’s had a really good first kiss.”

After a second he answered. “Me neither. Maybe it’s not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it’s the last ones. »

The following morning I was almost first to the office, beating everyone except for General Leger, who was rooting around rather forcefully in my father’s desk drawers.

“General?” I asked, announcing myself.

He bowed curtly and went back to his search. “Sorry. Your father has broken his glasses, and he said there was another pair in his desk. I’m having no luck at all.”

His voice was gruff, and he shoved the drawer closed before turning around to scan the shelf behind him.

“General Leger?”

“He said they would be here. Are they right in front of me and I’m missing them?”

“Sir?”

“One thing, that’s all I had to do. I can’t even find a pair of glasses.”

“General?”

“Yes?” he replied without looking at me.

“Are you all right?”

“Of course.” He searched and searched, not pausing until I laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You wouldn’t lie to my father. Please don’t lie to me.”

He finally looked up from his task, bewilderment in his eyes. “When did you get so tall?” he asked. “And so eloquent? I feel like it was just yesterday that your mother was rushing into the room to get us to come watch your first steps.” He smiled a little. “I don’t know if you know, but Ahren nearly beat you to the punch. But even back then, you weren’t going to let anyone show you up.”

“You still haven’t answered my question. Are you okay?”

He nodded. “I will be.”

I hurried into the hallway. No more than two steps out the door, I saw ***** waiting for me. He popped off the bench immediately and bowed.

“Hi. Is everything all right?” I asked, coming over.

“Yeah,” he said. “Well, except that I’m probably about to do something so incredibly stupid that I can feel my heartbeat banging in my feet.”

“Oh, please don’t. I’ve had enough stupid to last a lifetime.”

He chuckled. “No, it’s not like that. I just . . . I wanted to ask you for something.”

I raised my eyebrows, proceeding with caution. “All right. You have two minutes.”

He gulped loudly. “Okay, wow. So I’m really flattered that you kept me in the top six. It made me feel like I did something right, though I’m still clueless as to what that was.”

I shrugged. “***** made me laugh. Laughter is important.”

He smiled. “I agree, but it kind of proves my point.” He fidgeted with his hands. “It’s just, this far in, with you so busy and with me never having had one-on-one time with you, I was wondering how good my chances are.”

“It’s a fair question. But I can’t really answer it right now. I have so much to figure out.”

“Exactly,” he replied enthusiastically. “So I am going to ask for something ridiculous. Could I kiss you?”

I stepped back. “Excuse me?”

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But I think a kiss can say a lot. I think one kiss would be enough for you to know if it’s worth me pursing you or you pursuing me.”

There was something sweet about his request, like even though a picture of me kissing Kile had been plastered across the country, he still didn’t think it was a given that I’d just go and kiss anyone. And that he’d learned enough from Jack’s expulsion to move with care. That alone made me want to give him what he was asking for. But to do this, to potentially lose a final suitor without even trying to know him better? It felt foolish.

“You could be a prince. You could have more money than you knew what to do with, be so famous people who don’t even have televisions would know your face. Are you willing to bet all of that on one kiss?”

“I’m willing to bet your happiness and mine on it.”

I inhaled, thinking. “Okay.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

Once the surprise wore off, ***** placed his hand on my waist. He lowered his face to mine, stopping momentarily to laugh.

“This is a bit surreal.”

“I’m waiting, sir.”

He smiled just before our lips touched.

Source : http://www.epicreads.com/blog/read-the-first-excerpt-from-the-crown/

Ce n'est peut être pas les premiers baisers qui sont censés être uniques mais les derniers.