Книга - Wedded For His Royal Duty

Wedded For His Royal Duty
SUSAN MEIER


Marrying the shy princess…When playboy prince Alexandros Sancho discovers he’s inherited his older brother’s betrothed, he’s horrified! Princess Eva Lataiva might be beautiful, but his belief in marriage died with his first love. However, walking down the aisle is his royal duty….unless he can persuade Eva to break the engagement herself?Except Alex’s plan backfires – far from putting her off, he finds himself falling for the warm but shy princess! Now he must convince sweet-hearted Eva he wants her as his royal bride – for real!









The Princes of Xaviera


Two princes, conveniently wed!

You are cordially invited to celebrate the weddings of Xaviera’s most eligible princes …

When Prince Dominic spends one night with Ginny Jones it comes at a price … a marriage of convenience in order to claim his heir!

Pregnant with a Royal Baby!

Prince Alex has always believed royal rules were made to be broken, but when his royal duty comes calling it’s time for Alex to meet his Princess—and wife-to-be!

Available February 2016

Wedded for His Royal Duty

For better or for worse, these gorgeous princes are about to claim their brides!

Available July 2016




Wedded for his Royal Duty

Susan Meier





www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


SUSAN MEIER is the author of over fifty books for Mills & Boon. The Tycoon’s Secret Daughter was a Romance Writers of America RITA


Award finalist, and Nanny for the Millionaire’s Twins won the Book Buyers’ Best award and was a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice awards. She is married and has three children. One of eleven children, she loves to write about the complexity of families and totally believes in the power of love.


To my readers …

You inspire me to always write the best stories for you!


Contents

COVER (#u71188be8-d655-5309-a2f6-b49f717b9437)

INTRODUCTION (#ua2bc8f71-849e-5edd-80f8-05e55db79ce2)

TITLE PAGE (#u326a1748-6290-51d5-8e97-93bc6e7ea982)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (#uc1ead462-28d0-5952-8af0-57c89872792e)

DEDICATION (#ud25ae87f-2025-55be-98eb-cb5c625bed01)

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EXTRACT (#litres_trial_promo)

COPYRIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)


CHAPTER ONE (#ue9928694-95db-580a-9426-a3b4bdf84ff0)

PRINCE ALEXANDROS SANCHO drove his horse up a thin path that wound through the woods behind the palace grounds of his family’s estate. Thor moved with the speed and agility of a true champion, creating a tunnel of wind that swirled around them.

Normally, Alex would be on the beach right now. Enjoying the bikini-clad beauties showing off their toned and tan bodies, pretending they were oblivious to the attention they drew.

With his ever-present bodyguards dressed as tourists, standing strategically around him, and a steady stream of friends at the ready, he’d swim a bit, have lunch, gamble, take a nap and then shower to start all over again.

First, he’d hit the casinos to see if he could find a woman who suited his mood as a companion for the evening, then they’d have dinner, maybe gamble some more and let the night take them where it would.

He nudged Thor to go faster. Today, he couldn’t do any of the things he loved to do. Least of all find a willing female. No. Today was the day he would officially meet the woman he would marry.

The princess.

He all but spat the word in his mind as the wind caressed him, trying to soothe him and failing. He’d seen pictures of her, of course. Through the years, they’d also unofficially run into each other at boarding school. But she was several years younger, and he’d met her believing she’d be marrying his older brother Dominic as part of a treaty. So their greetings had been stilted, though polite. After boarding school, their paths never crossed again. She’d attended university in the United States where she’d taken up causes—everything from starving children to stray cats.

He struggled not to squeeze his eyes shut in frustration. Dominic had gotten a one-night stand pregnant, and he’d married Ginny because their son was the next heir to Xaviera’s throne, which made Alex the only prince available to fulfill the terms of the treaty with Grennady. Princess Eva had turned twenty-five a few months before. She was officially marriage age, and his time of doing what he wanted, when he wanted, was up.

Even worse, she would be Grennady’s queen one day. Marrying a crusader who would be queen seemed apt punishment for a prince who’d spent his life avoiding responsibility.

With another nudge to Thor, he sent the horse galloping toward the stable, only slowing the pace when they got close to the wide wooden barn door. He jumped off and tossed his riding crop to a servant girl milling about the building. Her faded blue jeans and T-shirt showed off a fantastic figure, but it was her dark hair and pale blue-gray eyes that made his hormones sit up and take notice.

Any other day, he’d flirt, itching to run his hands through the shiny black locks that probably reached her bottom when they weren’t hiked up in a ponytail. But, today, he was about to meet his future bride.

“Thor gets the star treatment,” he said, taking off the black helmet that matched his black leather boots and gloves. “Don’t think you can scrimp with brushing. I’ll be back this evening after tonight’s dinner party to make sure he’s been properly cared for.”

The woman looked at him in bewilderment.

He sighed. “I know. He’s an Arabian with four white boots. Bad luck if you want to breed him.”

“But I’m—”

“New. I get it.” And he didn’t want to stand around chatting. Especially not with a beautiful woman, who only reminded him of everything he was tossing away because of his family’s misplaced sense of duty. “Off with you, now. I have business.”

* * *

Princess Eva Latvaia looked at the riding crop in her hands, then Prince Alex Sancho’s back as he walked away from her. Sweat caused his white-and-tan polo shirt to stick to his skin, displaying unexpectedly toned muscles. He ran his fingers through his gorgeous, thick curly black hair.

At least their children would be getting good genes.

She shook her head and took Thor’s reins. “A fine name for you, sir. A child of the gods.”

The great horse whinnied.

Eva laughed. She said, “You’re a misfit,” but she stroked his nose to take the sting out of it. “So am I.”

Thor shook his head.

“How’d you end up in a palace?”

One of the stable employees raced out of the open double doors. He grabbed the reins in Eva’s hands. “I’m so sorry, Princess.” He bowed.

She straightened regally, aware of her position, but she also smiled. “This is what I get for taking a stroll when I should be getting ready for a party.”

The older gentleman chuckled and turned to walk Thor into the stable.

Eva had heard the Sancho household was different. She supposed having a new baby around was part of it. But she’d also heard that the woman who’d married Dominic, the prince Eva had been dreaming of since she was four, had brought a more relaxed attitude to the royal family.

And now Eva had to face Dom tonight—and his princess—the woman who’d basically stolen him from Eva. In a way, his marrying someone else was good. She was next in line for her throne. So was he. Theirs would have been a difficult life and a difficult marriage. Still, she’d been dreaming of Dom since she was old enough to watch Cinderella, in love with the idea of marrying a handsome prince and ruling their countries together. Her whole world had worked itself out in her head. And now—

Now, add losing Dom to what her father had done, and everything was off. Wrong. Almost unbearable.

Head high, she walked back to the palace. She rode the elevator to the fourth floor and the guest apartment she’d been given for her stay. She opened just one door of the elegant double-door entrance, and strode through the high-ceilinged foyer to the sitting room, where her mother picked a chocolate from the tray provided as a welcome gift from the king. It seemed she’d replaced crying with eating.

“You’re not going to fit into your mother-of-the-bride dress for the wedding if you keep eating those.”

Her mom, a short thin woman with hair as black as Eva’s, offered the candy to her. “They’re divine. You should try them.”

“Then both of us will need a bigger size dress.”

Eva’s mother dropped the chocolate back to the tray. “You’re right. I want to look nice. I want your derelict of a father to feel bad for leaving me. And I want to prove at least some of us take our royal duties to heart.”

Eva sat on the sofa. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, Mom.”

“Running away with an aide.” She shook her head. “Seriously. Could he be any more cliché?”

“It’s not exactly cliché to give up your throne.” He hadn’t officially put down his crown, but a royal divorce came with consequences. Running away with another woman meant a divorce would soon follow, and her dad would no longer be king. Then she would be queen. At twenty-five years old, she’d have the weight of a country on her shoulders. She couldn’t believe her father had done this to her—and for a mistress.

She thanked God that the Sancho family had insisted they fulfill the terms of the treaty that promised her in marriage to one of King Ronaldo’s sons. At least she had this way of bringing herself into the good graces of their subjects before she took the crown. Even if she wasn’t getting the prized prince, the son who would be king, she would prove she would do her duty to her country even when things were crumbling around her, by upholding the terms of a treaty that ensured oil and safe passage for Grennady’s tankers.

“I wonder if he’s coming to the wedding.”

“Your dad?” Her mom winced. “Great. Thanks for reminding me that he might. Now I really do have to give up chocolates.” She tossed the candy tray to the coffee table. “While you were out, did you hear any palace gossip about when the wedding will occur?”

“Xaviera’s servants are a happy, obviously well-cared-for staff, and they are incredibly closemouthed.”

Her mom rose from the sofa. “I guess we’ll find out tonight.”

“I guess we will.”

As her mother turned and walked to her bedroom, Eva headed in the opposite direction to the second bedroom.

Having lived in America for seven years, she no longer had a maid draw her bath. She relished the simple pleasure of running water, adding scented oils and luxuriating—alone—for twenty minutes.

But remembering the way Alexandros had thought her a servant girl, she called for the palace hairdresser. She had housekeeping steam her gown to make sure there wasn’t a hint of a wrinkle.

That evening, when she stepped out of her room and into the apartment’s sitting area, her mom gasped. “Oh, Eva! Are you sure red is a good idea? And strapless? Showing your shoulders when you meet a king and your future husband? They could think you a tart.”

With a quick nod of approval for her mom’s sedate blue gown that showed off her thin figure and suited her black hair, she said, “Alexandros already mistook me for a servant girl.”

“What?”

“I ran into Alex when I took a walk to the stables. He handed me his riding crop, told me to take care of his horse.”

Her mom gaped in horror.

“I want to see the look on his face when he realizes who I am.”

“Is it that or are you trying to make Prince Dominic jealous?”

Eva stopped halfway to the sofa, her heart rattling around in her chest. She’d loved Prince Dominic from the day she’d found his picture in the newspaper and her mom had told her he was the boy she would be marrying. While other girls crushed on rock stars and soccer players, she’d happily shown everyone the picture of her handsome prince. She never had to feel bad if she didn’t get invited to a dance or if boys ignored her at a party. She had her prince.

And he’d married someone else.

She swallowed hard, as humiliation bubbled through her, but when she faced her mother she wore a happy smile. Her mom had enough misery of her own. She didn’t need to be further upset over how uncomfortable this situation was for Eva.

“Now, wouldn’t I be silly to be pining over a man I didn’t even know?”

Her mother eyed her shrewdly. “You’re sure?”

“I’m positive.”

She seemed to buy that, but Eva’s breath gave a funny catch. What was it going to feel like not just meeting Dominic, but meeting the woman who had stolen him right out from under her?

A member of the palace guard arrived and escorted them to the king’s private quarters. The king himself and his new wife, Queen Rose, greeted them.

King Ronaldo took Eva’s hand and kissed it. “It is such a pleasure to meet you as an adult, Princess.”

Eva smiled graciously and curtsied. “The honor is mine, Your Majesty.”

“This is my new wife, Rose. She’s Princess Ginny’s mom. She and Dominic aren’t here yet, but you know how new babies are. They don’t always adhere to schedules.” He laughed. “Anyway, Queen Rose, may I present Princess Eva Latavia of Grennady.”

Eva curtsied again. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Queen Rose, a tall blonde with just a hint of pink in her hair and a very obvious Texas twang, waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, none of that for me.” She suddenly enveloped Eva in a hug. “This is the way we welcome people into the family in Texas.” She pulled back and looked Eva in the eye. “You’re familiar, right? You were educated in the US?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Eva said, mimicking the Southern drawl she’d heard the entire time she was at Florida State.

Rose laughed. “That’s my girl!”

King Ronaldo turned to Eva’s mother. “And this is your mom? Queen Karen, correct?”

Eva’s heart swelled with gratitude when the king mentioned nothing of her father’s potential abdication of the throne and still gave her mom the respect of the title Queen.

Her mother curtsied. “Your Majesty.”

He bowed. “It’s my honor to meet you.” He motioned to Rose. “And this is Queen Rose.”

Karen curtsied again. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Rose chuckled. “I know you people like your official greetings, but I’m just a hugger.” She gave Karen a big squeeze.

The king directed everyone into a drawing room with a bar.

Eva looked around in unabashed curiosity. She knew some royals were wealthier than others. Xaviera’s location alone gave them access to oil money. But this palace was amazing. The art so casually displayed on the walls was probably worth the gross national product of Grennady.

Her mom leaned in and whispered to her daughter, “So, the mom of the last princess ended up married to the king. Maybe this won’t be such a bad deal after all?”

Eva couldn’t stop a giggle that escaped. “Behave.”

“Rose doesn’t.”

“She’s the queen. That gives her license to be eccentric.”

“Right.”

The king motioned to the bar. “Can I get anyone anything?”

Karen said, “I’d love a wine spritzer.”

“Princess Eva?”

“I’d like—”

But before she could name her wine choice, Alexandros rose from behind the bar. Dressed in the royal uniform of their country, black trousers with a red jacket filled with medals, he looked totally different than the guy in the riding breeches, white-and-tan shirt and scuffed helmet.

His dark eyes met hers, and the bottle of wine he held fell to the bar top.

She smiled.

King Ronaldo said, “I understand you’ve met Alex in school.”

Holding the gaze of his dark eyes, she said, “And we met this afternoon. Accidentally. At the stables.”

Rose said, “Oh! You ride.” She winced. “Of course you do. It was probably part of your training. I’d love to go out with you one of these mornings.”

Polite and proper, Eva faced Rose. “I’d like that too.”

King Ronaldo said, “Funny. Alex didn’t mention seeing you this afternoon.”

Feeling her pride return, Eva spared Alex a glance before returning her gaze to the king. “I don’t think he knew who I was.”

* * *

Alex felt his face redden like a teenager’s.

“He handed me his riding crop and told me to make sure his horse got the star treatment.”

The king gasped. “Alexi!”

“Well, she didn’t look like this,” Alex said, pointing at her red gown and dark hair pinned up just enough to get it off her face while the rest spilled over her shoulders and fell in thick curls down her bare back. He thought of all that black hair fanned out on a white pillow and almost dropped the wine again.

Eva casually said, “Perhaps he was just preoccupied.”

The king said, “Perhaps,” but Alex stared at her red dress. The strapless top hugged her breasts and cruised to her tiny waist, before it flared out in a skirt made up of yards and yards of some kind of filmy material. It didn’t bell out. It just flowed smoothly, effortlessly with every one of her graceful movements.

He didn’t know what he’d expected from this woman he’d met when she was little more than a child, but it wasn’t this grace. Or this sensuality. It was as if she was telling the world that she might someday be a queen, but she was also a sexy woman.

Her lips lifted into a knowing smile.

She had him stumbling all over himself, and she liked it.

No. She reveled in it. And he supposed he couldn’t blame her. His family had yanked the good prince away from her and forced her to take him or nothing. Only a week after her own father had disgraced their crown, the Sancho family had decided it was time to make good on the terms of their treaty, forcing her to marry a lesser prince, then he hadn’t recognized her at the stable that afternoon. She wasn’t insulting him by telling everybody he’d thought her a stable girl. She was repairing her royal pride.

The door of the drawing room opened and Alex’s gaze shifted as his brother and his wife arrived, and for the second time that evening he was struck speechless. Princess Ginny walked in on Dominic’s arm, wearing the same gown as Eva, except Ginny’s was a soft, romantic gray.

Dominic said, “Sorry we’re late.”

King Ronaldo and Queen Rose immediately shifted in their direction.

Rose said, “Is something wrong with Jimmy? Is he sick?”

Ginny laughed. “No, Mom. Your grandson is fine.”

Princess Eva stood in front of the bar, motionless, as if stunned into silence, watching the happy couple.

Alex leaned forward, across the gleaming wooden surface. “Well, now. What have we here? You and Ginny in the same gown. Except yours is red and hers is a pretty gray. Very innocent and sweet. While yours is...well, on the trashy side. It’s kind of like looking at those devil and angel pictures.”

He saw her back stiffen and knew he’d struck a nerve. Good. She hadn’t even tried to tell him who she was at the stable that afternoon. She’d taken his crop. Led him to believe she’d be caring for Thor. Let him walk away. And then embarrassed him in front of his father.

“Shut up.”

He watched the muscles of her bare back shift as she straightened, composing herself. But he still saw the tension and knew his golden opportunity for getting even wasn’t over yet.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind one bit being the brother to marry the devilish princess. I’m just not exactly sure this was the first impression you wanted to make on the guy who dumped you.”

“He didn’t dump me.”

“He isn’t exactly marrying you.”

“He’s already married.”

“And to somebody who looks like your polar opposite. Isn’t that interesting?”

He saw vulnerability flicker in her gray-blue eyes as Dominic and Ginny approached her. He didn’t really know Eva, but he did know what it was like to be second best. To be the one not chosen. To be the one who stood behind his brother and dad, a king and a man who would be king.

His chest clenched. She might be educated. She might be a tough crusader who could speak up for those who didn’t have a voice, but nothing could have prepared her for meeting the woman who’d stolen her fiancé from her.

She was too damned pretty to be Dominic’s second. Alex wasn’t anybody’s knight in shining armor, but he did know a thing or two about fooling people into believing he was fine. Happy. That his life was perfect. And that was what Eva needed right now. To be rescued from an embarrassing situation that befuddled her so much that even the royal pride she’d just gathered was sinking fast.

He raced around the bar. Sliding his arm along her waist, he whispered, “Here’s the story...when we met at the stables this afternoon there was an instant attraction.”

She met his gaze. “Really?”

“Would you rather be somebody who unexpectedly found herself crazy about me, or the woman left behind by my big brother?”

Her head tilted in confusion.

“Don’t be the one left behind in the dust. Leave him behind.”

“Oh.”

“You don’t have a lot of experience with men, do you?”

“I’ve been engaged since I was four.”

“And I guess now you’re going to tell me you’re a virgin.”

She said nothing, just held his gaze.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“You’ll absolutely be damned,” Dom said as he reached them. He held out his hand and Princess Eva presented her hand to him. He kissed the knuckles. “Princess Eva. It’s nice to see you. I’m so sorry we’re meeting again under awkward circumstance.”

Like a champ, she slid her arm beneath Alex’s and stepped closer to him. “There’s no reason to be concerned. We’ve barely spoken to each other. Besides, I was lucky enough to meet Alex this afternoon at the stables.”

Alex winked at her. “Love at first sight.”

Dom said, “Really?”

Alex laughed. “All right. Maybe lust at first sight.”

Eva shifted her attention to Ginny. “And you must be the woman who stole Dom’s heart.” She smiled. “You have lovely taste in clothes.”

Alex had trouble stifling a laugh. Still, from the way she’d put him in his place for not recognizing her, he should have expected she could hold her own. She’d simply needed help getting over the awkwardness of seeing Dom.

Ginny laughed and glanced down at her gown. “You have good taste too. Maybe better. That red is divine.”

“Alex told me I looked like a devil in this dress.”

“And that you looked like an angel,” Alex said to Ginny. He kissed Eva’s cheek. “But you know I’d always rather have the devil.”

“So,” Dom said, looking from Alex to Eva, appearing not quite convinced. “Things worked out for the best?”

Alex tightened his arm around her waist. “We think so.”

A servant quietly shuffled into the room and whispered something in King Ronaldo’s ear. He nodded once. When the servant was gone, the king faced the two couples at the bar.

“Dinner is served. If you’ll all follow me to the dining room.”

Dom and Ginny immediately got in line behind his father, but Eva caught Alex’s arm to hold him back. When the room was empty she said, “I owe you.”

He couldn’t help it. He grinned. She might be able to hold her own, but she’d needed him to get over that awkward introduction. “Yes, you do. I just saved you months of embarrassment—maybe years if the press decided to make an issue of Dom marrying someone else—and I have the perfect way for you to pay me back.”


CHAPTER TWO (#ue9928694-95db-580a-9426-a3b4bdf84ff0)

EVA’S HEART CHUGGED in her chest. After Alex’s good guess about her virginity, she couldn’t imagine what he had in mind as payback, but she did know she owed him. So when he asked her to meet him at the stables at midnight, she hadn’t argued. She’d simply enjoyed the dinner, keeping up Alex’s pretense that their chance meeting that afternoon had sparked an instant attraction. Then she’d said polite goodbyes to the king and his new wife and Dom and his wife, before she walked her mom back to their quarters, changed into jeans and a lightweight sweater and headed for the stable.

The moon rose high in the sky. A faint ocean breeze lured her down the cobblestone path. An island in the Mediterranean, Xaviera had January temps that were much warmer than the climate of her country, which was nestled between Finland and Russia. If she were home right now, she’d be wearing boots and a parka and battling a winter wind to get to her stables.

She reached the big stone-and-wood building and entered through a door on the side. Though the stable was the cleanest she’d ever seen, the earthy scents of horse, hay and leather hit her. She glanced down the long row of stalls and saw Alex standing in front of the last one, petting the nose of his Arabian, Thor.

She strode down the aisle.

Alex heard her and smiled. “So you’ve come to dicker.”

“I didn’t come to negotiate anything. I came to see what my payback will be for you saving me tonight.”

He laughed. “It’s odd to hear somebody say that. Usually I’m the one who has to make amends.”

“Quite a reputation my future husband has.”

“Actually, that’s the point. The best way you can pay me back is to not marry me.”

She gasped. “I have to marry you!”

He bobbed his head, as if thinking through her comment, then said, “Not really.”

“We have a treaty!”

“Made decades ago.” He caught her gaze. “Were you mature enough at age four to commit to someone?”

He knew the answer to that so she said nothing.

“Of course, you weren’t. And then we pulled the rug out from under you. The prince you were supposed to marry is now married to someone else. You’re not getting the prince who was promised to you. You’re not even getting the good prince, the one who will someday be king. You’re getting second-best.”

She looked at him, wearing a T-shirt with the front tucked into nice-fitting jeans, with his dark curly hair casually messed, and those intriguing brown eyes. For a beat of time, she wondered if she really was getting second-best. Dominic was handsome in the perfect, straitlaced way. This guy? Alex? He was rough-around-the-edges gorgeous. A sexy bad boy. And all hers in a few months—

She swallowed hard as strange tingling sensations cruised through her.

She ignored them. When all was said and done, this was about duty. Oil and safe passage for their tankers trumped which prince she would actually marry. And needing to make herself look strong and loyal to her country trumped both of those.

“I don’t have a choice.”

He walked toward her. “Actually, I read the agreement and the treaty. You might not have a choice. I might not have a choice. But we have a choice. If both of us decide not to marry, we can nullify it.”

She gaped at him. “Nullify a treaty? Just because you don’t want to marry me?”

“I don’t want to get married at all. And we wouldn’t be nullifying the whole treaty, just that one clause.” He sighed. “Look, I rescued you tonight because it’s not right that somebody as pretty as you are should be perceived as an also-ran, the woman who didn’t make the cut.”

Her pulse slowed, then speeded up again. Forget all about Dominic dumping her. Forget about the treaty. Alex thought she was pretty? He was one of the most eligible bachelors in the world and she was a woman whose dad had tossed their family into an unfathomable scandal. Alex should be running from her as fast as his feet would take him. Instead, he thought she was pretty? Too pretty to be known as the princess who didn’t make the cut.

“But I’m not anybody’s knight in shining armor.”

He hadn’t mentioned her father’s betrayal, or the fact that she’d soon become a queen, but she was well aware of both and the consequences. Alex might not want to rescue her, but he was her only option to show her subjects that her family still remembered their call to service.

She lifted her chin. “Like it or not, you have to be mine. Or your country is in violation of our treaty.”

“I told you we can—”

“No! My father disgraced us enough! I have to prove I will do my duties!”

His eyes narrowed. His full lips pursed. “You’re refusing my plan.”

“Yes.”

He stepped closer. Instinct told her to step back. Common sense told her he’d see that as a sign of weakness. So she held her ground, looked him in the eyes, as he circled her, inspecting her as if she were his next purchase. Waves and waves of chill bumps trickled down her spine.

“Why would a girl as pretty as you are want to marry someone she doesn’t really know?”

“I told you I have to—”

“Prove you’ll do your duty,” he interrupted her. “Got it. And I believe that’s part of it.” He stopped at her side and slid his hand under the thick lock of hair that fell over her shoulder to her breast. Running the silken strands through his fingers, he said, “I would think you’d be eager to find somebody your own age. Maybe somebody who shared your interest in land mines and whatnot.”

“First, I’m not part of the land mine fight. Second, you are my age. Five years isn’t that much of a difference.”

He flipped the strand of hair over her shoulder, and the tingles that rained down on her when his fingers brushed her skin nearly made her shiver.

“So you like me?”

“I didn’t say that.”

He smiled knowingly, stepped close. “Just attracted then.”

“To you?” She’d meant for it to sound like a scoff. It came out as a squeak.

“Or maybe you’re simply not clear about what attraction is. Being a virgin and all.”

If the feelings tumbling around her right now were attraction, then he was correct. This crazy combination of fear that he’d touch her again and longing to feel his fingers graze her skin totally confused her. Her chest was tight. Her body wanted to shiver. Even her lips tingled.

“I’ve had boyfriends.”

“So you wouldn’t mind if I kissed you.”

“As a way to get me to drop the idea of marrying you? How badly do you kiss?”

She’d barely gotten the word kiss out of her mouth before he grabbed her by the shoulders, drew her to him and planted his lips on hers. The shock of it buckled her knees. His arm fell to her waist, anchoring her against him as wave after wave of warmth flowed through her. But as quickly as he’d yanked her to him, he released her.

She stared at him. Her nerve endings glowed like the sparks from a Roman candle. She couldn’t quite get air into her lungs.

He grinned.

Not sure what to say, what to do, she fell back on dignity. As haughtily as possible, she said, “I’m still marrying you,” before she turned on her heel and walked out of the stable.

Head high, she marched up the cobblestone path so afraid he was following her that her neck hurt from fighting the urge to look behind her.

When she reached her quarters, she breathed a sigh of relief, though her hands shook and her knees still wobbled.

Her mother awaited her on the sofa. “So how did it go?”

How did it go? In twenty seconds, he’d reduced her limbs to jelly, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t get her heart to stop thumping.

“He doesn’t want to marry me. He says if we both say we want to step away from the marriage, that section of the treaty will be nullified.”

Her mother gasped. “Oh, no! Our family has disgraced our country enough! You have to do something to prove you’re still loyal enough to the crown to do your duty!”

She fell to the sofa beside her mom. “I know. I told him that.”

But convincing him of her duty was only part of her problem. One twenty-second kiss had thrown her for a loop. Made her feel hot and cold. Changed her breathing. Given her chill bumps. When she’d pictured marrying Dominic, the images were warm and sweet. When she thought of marrying Alex, the images became hot and steamy.

And, oh, dear God, she was not a hot and steamy girl.

“Our family has been respected as leaders of Grennady for centuries. But your father has put us in a precarious position. You cannot look weak or wishy-washy. You cannot walk away from a treaty mere weeks before you become queen. The press will crucify you. Your entire reign will be tainted.”

Eva’s brain tried to pay attention to her mom but couldn’t. She couldn’t stop thinking about how experienced Alex was and how little she knew. How did a virgin please a playboy?

Her mother grabbed her hands. “You’ve got to marry Alex.”

Her chest filled with anxiety. There was no good option here. If she returned to her country without marrying Alex, it would appear she had no respect for treaties. If she married Alex, she was so far out of her depth she’d most likely make both of them miserable.

“I don’t think he’s going to give up on trying to get me to bow out.”

“Then you have to make him like you.”

Right. Leave it to her mom to reduce this to something that sounded simple but really wasn’t.

She took a breath. “How exactly do I do that?”

“Flirt. Compliment him. Women have been doing it for centuries.”

Every woman but Eva. In high school, she’d only dated boys who were friends. As an adult, she gone out with men who knew she was promised to a prince and would have thought it odd if she flirted. Worse, Alex had probably been flirted with by the best. If she got it wrong, or was clumsy, she’d make a fool of herself.

Still, she didn’t have options. She had to go through with this marriage. Plus, it would be months before the actual wedding. There was time to fix this. Time for him to get to know her. Time for her to learn to flirt.

She just had to stop being smart with him and treat him with respect—

And Google flirting.

* * *

The next morning at six, Alex’s phone rang. He groaned and rolled over, but when it rang again he recognized the ringtone as his father’s. He sat up, ran his hand down his face and snatched his cell from the bedside table.

“Yes, Father.”

“It’s me, sweet pea,” his stepmother Rose said cheerfully. “Your dad just realized that we never actually talked about the date for the wedding last night, and I thought it would be a good idea for all of us to have breakfast while we chat. So we can keep it light and friendly.”

“Great.”

“Great as in you will be there?” Without giving him a chance to reply, she said, “Thanks. You’re a love.”

She hung up the phone and Alex groaned again. The last thing he wanted to do was set a wedding date when he didn’t want to get married. But marrying a woman who would be a queen? Somebody who’d keep him in the papers for real reasons, not just his winning streaks at the casinos or his escapades with women? Oh, man. That sucked.

Marrying somebody he didn’t know because of a treaty was antiquated. Stupid. And he wouldn’t do it. It was crazy to even consider marrying Eva. No matter how pretty she was.

He rose from the bed trying not to think about how her cheeks turned pink when he teased her or how hot that one quick kiss had been.

Because it had been hot. Ridiculously hot. Kissing someone who clearly hadn’t been expecting to be kissed had been exciting. Challenging—

Hot. The hottest kiss he’d had in forever.

How long had it been since he’d had to woo a woman—

Damn it! He was thinking about her again. And he wasn’t supposed to be thinking about her. He was supposed to be hatching a plan to get her to ditch this wedding.

He headed for the shower determined to get Eva out of his head, but what replaced her almost stopped his heart. The shadowy memory of his mom’s death. His father falling apart. An entire palace full of servants weeping silently as they went about their duties.

He sucked in a breath, banishing the images, but in their place came other, more difficult visions. Memories of being told that his girlfriend, the first woman he’d really loved, had been killed in a boating accident. Vivid recollections of the soul-crushing grief that consumed him for nearly two years.

The loss had been so difficult that as the memories hit, he rubbed his chest to salve the ache always came when he thought of Nina.

Five years had passed, and he had gotten beyond Nina’s death, so he told the images to go away. If his subconscious was reminding him of his mom and his first love because it was worried he could get feelings for Eva, it needn’t have bothered. There was no way in hell he’d fall for a woman just because a treaty said he should. His subconscious could rest easy.

But he knew a royal summons when he got one. He couldn’t refuse his father about this marriage. As a prince who’d very publicly enjoyed his royal lifestyle, he did not have the option of refusing. Eva had to refuse. Then he could tell his dad she was a virgin, and say he didn’t want to force an innocent young woman to marry him. He’d look like the good guy. And his dad would agree.

That was the plan that would work, and that was the plan he was sticking to.

He dressed in lightweight slacks, a pale blue dress shirt—no tie—and navy sport coat, and headed for his father’s elaborate quarters. He entered through the gold-trimmed doors into a foyer with high ceilings and Monet on the wall, and walked to the smaller dining room, the one his father used for informal breakfasts and lunches.

Rose immediately stood, raced to him and hugged him. After being without a mom since he was a boy, having her around was equal parts sweet and disruptive. Up until Ginny had gotten pregnant, this palace had been the home of men. Gold-trimmed and filled with precious art, but still a home of men. No women. No talk of babies or fashions—

“You look very dashing.”

And no one commenting on his clothes unless he was inappropriately attired.

Luckily, he liked Rose. He was just grouchy because of this whole marriage mess. “Thanks.”

“You and Eva will be seated there,” his father said, pointing to the two chairs to his right. “We’ll put your fiancée’s mom on my left and Rose, of course, will sit across from me.”

“No Dom and Ginny?”

“No need for Dom and Ginny to be here,” his father said in his most kingly voice. “You’re the one getting married.”

He felt the noose tightening around his neck.

Escorted by his father’s butler, Eva and her mom entered. Alex’s mouth fell open. If he’d thought Eva a knockout in the red dress, the little white dress she wore tied his tongue. Simple and sweet, with some sort of short pink sweater thing, the dress shouldn’t have made her look sexy. But there was something about the way the pink made her dark hair look even darker—or maybe the way the color set off her pale gray-blue eyes—

Damn it! What the hell was wrong with him? If he was noticing colors, it was definitely time to get out of this thing.

The butler bowed, announced Karen and Eva, and left the room.

Alex automatically pulled out the chair beside his for Eva. His father directed Karen to sit to his left.

As the king’s attention was on offering the seat to his guest, Eva whispered, “Well, don’t you look like the proper man about town?”

“Would you rather I came to breakfast in my robe and slippers?”

She laughed.

He frowned. “Where’s the smart remark?”

She fiddled with her napkin. “No smart remarks today.”

“Oh, come on. We both have reason to be unhappy about this wedding. Don’t start playing Good Princess now.”

“I am the good princess.”

He didn’t want to bring up her dad. Having a father abdicate his throne wasn’t just embarrassing for a royal. It was humiliating. Still, he could use it without out-and-out saying it.

“You’re about to become a queen. That’s two huge life changes in the span of a couple of months. Too much for one person. Think this through.”

“I don’t have to think it through. Queens don’t ignore treaties.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to get married.”

She said nothing.

“And I’m going to do everything in my power to get you to agree.”

She faced him, her eyes narrowed, as if accepting his challenge. “Great. Give it your best shot. Because I intend to convince you to marry me.”

Alexi’s tongue tied again. Her anger brightened her blue-gray eyes until they were almost silver, and sent a shiver down his spine. He skimmed his gaze over her hair, the pink tint in her cheeks, her lush mouth, and realized there absolutely were worse fates than being assigned to marry this woman.

Except she was a virgin, who was about to become a queen, and he didn’t want to get married. He’d seen what happened to his father when his mom died. The king had crumbled from grief. And then there was his own loss. His first love—

Pain squeezed his heart. A wave of sorrow enveloped him.

That was why he’d thought of them this morning. Not to warn him that he could get feelings for Eva, but to remind him of why he didn’t want to get close to anyone. The pain of loss was just too great to risk.

His father picked up his juice glass. “We should have toasted this wedding last night, but we got a little preoccupied with baby talk.”

Rose and Karen laughed.

The king raised his glass. “To the wedding that unites our two countries.”

Everyone lifted his or her juice glass. “To the wedding that unites our two countries.”

* * *

Alex said the words and drank his juice, but Eva could see his heart wasn’t in it. A flame of anger licked at her soul. She was the virgin facing sleeping with a man she didn’t know, a man experienced enough to have a harem, and he was unhappy?

She did not give a damn. She was going through with this wedding. Just as her mother said, she had to get him to like her.

He reached for a tray of fruit, and presented it to her. “Melon?”

“Yes.”

Their eyes met, and thoughts of the kiss from the night before flooded her. The solidness of his body against hers when he yanked her to him, the press of his lips.

Though her breath hitched, she held his gaze. Intuition told her this was the time she should begin flirting, but not one cute or flirty thing came to mind. Her chest was so tight it was a wonder she could draw in air. She barely managed to say, “Thank you.”

She scooped up a serving of the honeydew. When she handed the spoon to him, their fingers brushed and the memory of how he’d brushed her shoulder when he’d flipped her hair out of the way sent a shower of tingles down her spine.

He smiled. “Happy to see you’re more nervous about our wedding today than you were yesterday.”

“I’m not nervous about our wedding.”

“Then what made your hand shake?”

There was absolutely no way in hell she’d tell him that remembering their ten minutes together the night before filled her with warmth. So she said nothing.

He looked away to serve himself some fruit. The sounds of good silver and elegant china filled the air. With the exception of her mom and Queen Rose discussing gardening, the room was quiet.

Alex said, “So how are your stray cats doing without you?”

Her chest loosened. Finally, something they could talk about. “They’re fine.” She risked a glance at him. “Thank you for asking.”

“Don’t they miss you when you’re gone?”

“I started a few shelters that care for them. I don’t need to be there twenty-four-seven...or even once a month. Every shelter is fully staffed, mostly with volunteers.”

“That makes sense. Always good to have a staff in place.”

“Yes. Especially when they are a competent staff. A staff that shares my vision.” Eva relaxed a bit more. “I—” She caught the gaze of his dark eyes and almost lost her train of thought. It was no wonder he had the reputation with women that he had. He was gorgeous. His dark eyes had a lost, soulful quality that touched her heart in the weirdest way. And if they went through with this wedding, he would be hers. She would be married to one of the most gorgeous, richest men in the world. He could have his pick of women, but she’d be in his bed.

She sucked in a breath to banish those thoughts. If she let her brain leap ahead to their wedding night, she’d hyperventilate.

“I intend to start this kind of shelter in as many cities as I can.”

“In the United States?”

She had his full attention. He was curious. And she was floundering because being near him was overwhelming. While he was cool and confident, she almost shook with emotions she didn’t understand.

What she wouldn’t give for the ability to flirt.

Maybe if she batted her eyelashes? Or smiled?

That was it. Maybe she should just smile? Instead of a big flirty move, she should just break the ice with a smile.

She raised her lips, let the corners tip upward. “Yes. The problem doesn’t seem to be as bad in my own country.”

He tilted his head and studied her. “Interesting.”

She hoped he was still talking about the cats. Because if he was making fun of her smiling at him, she would die. On the spot die. But not before she killed her mother for telling her to flirt with him.

“Being a rural country, Grennady has more barns and stables, places cats and dogs can find shelter in the winter.”

“I see—” He held her gaze. The look in his eyes was so confusingly intense that she couldn’t take another second. She let her gaze fall but when it did, it landed on his mouth—the mouth that had kissed her and changed her whole perspective about this arranged marriage.

Okay. Now she really was nervous. And felt hot and cold.

She yanked her gaze away from him and tried to focus on the main conversation at the table. King Ronaldo was discussing the latest thriller novel he was reading. She hoped to insert herself into that discussion, but no such luck. As her mother and Alex’s father and stepmother found common ground in a book they’d all read, she and Alex were left behind like outsiders.

“So who’s funding your shelter?”

“I am. I—”

She stopped. Her dad had been gone a little over a week. Her mother had only stopped crying the day before. She had gotten her monthly stipend the week before her dad left, but until her dad returned or made a decision there was no one to authorize the checks.

Good God. She might not be broke, but without her dad to approve her stipend, she had access to nothing.

She drew in a long, life-sustaining breath. She might not be penniless, but she might as well be.

“I was funding my shelter. With my allowance.” She swallowed hard. “But, with my dad gone, there’s no one to authorize my stipend.” She caught his gaze. “At least four shelters will have to close.”

“That must have been some allowance.”

Damn him for being such a twit! Her life was a mess and he was making jokes! “Thank you for making fun of me.”

“I’m teasing you to lessen the awkwardness for you. I’m sorry about your dad.”

She straightened her shoulders, sat up taller in her chair. She’d rather have him be a twit than feel sorry for her. “Nothing’s official yet. He could take months before he actually divorces my mom...” And she’d be penniless until then.

The dining room doors opened again and a short, dark-haired woman entered. Dressed in a green business suit and simple taupe pumps, she carried a huge black book and a smaller one that could have been a calendar.

The king tapped his water glass to get everyone’s attention. “Princess Eva, Queen Karen,” he said, “This is Sally Peterson, our minister of protocol. She’s here to officially set the date for the wedding.”

Alex leaned in and whispered, “This date means nothing to me. All I’m finding out right now is how much time I have to try to convince you not to marry me.”

Eva fumed. Her entire life had been turned upside down and he couldn’t for two seconds pretend to do his royal duty. No. He had to keep rubbing it in that he wanted her gone.

Sally bowed and faced Eva. “Actually, Princess, your country gave us three dates. The second weekend in April.”

Alex choked. Eva blanched. Even for someone willing to go through with this marriage, that wasn’t very much time, not quite three months away. She had to convince Alex to marry her and get accustomed to the fact that she was getting married in three short months?

“The first week in March.”

Alex picked up his water glass. Eva gaped at Sally Peterson. That was worse! Why were the dates so soon? So close?

“Or the second week in February, to coincide with Valentine’s Day.”

Four flipping weeks?

Eva coughed to cover her gasp of disbelief.

King Ronaldo said, “I like the February date. So that’s our date.” He rose from his seat. “Sally, perhaps you and the ladies would like to use this morning to talk about dresses and designers.”

Rose rubbed her hands together with glee. “I’d love to! What do you say we take a pot of coffee into the living room and look at swatches and Google designers?”

Karen grinned. “That sounds like fun.” She faced her daughter. “Eva?”

Eva’s throat had closed. She swore she couldn’t breathe. She had four weeks to persuade Alex to like her and to figure out what the hell she’d do on their wedding night.

Before she could answer, Sally said, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but as minister of protocol I’m in charge of the budget, so I’ll need particulars on who’s paying for what.”

All eyes went to Karen, who looked at Eva.

Eva’s heart stopped. All the blood drained from her body. “I—I mean, my mother and I—”

* * *

Alex glanced at Eva, who had gone white, and he almost cursed. She’d just told him she and her mom had no money. Her country probably had an obligation to pony up at least part of the millions it would take for a royal wedding. But with her father gone there was no one to ask. If Xaviera’s legal counsel had to force Grennady to pay, the story would hit every newspaper in the world. The embarrassment of it would be horrendous for Eva.

Before he realized it, he was on his feet. “Actually, I think we should pay for the wedding. We’re the ones who called in the terms of the treaty, and said it was time for the marriage to occur.” He licked his suddenly dry lips. His voice slowed as he added, “I’m just saying paying for the wedding seems like our responsibility.”

Karen visibly relaxed. Eva gave him a curious look. And no wonder. He hadn’t exactly ruined a way to stop this wedding, but he was participating when he should just keep his mouth shut and let it all apart.

Time slowed to a crawl.

His father cocked his head, but after only a few seconds he smiled. “You know what? He’s right. We are the ones who said it was time for the marriage to take place. We’ll pay for the wedding.”

Sally gasped. “But, Your Majesty—”

“No buts, Sally. Alex is right.”

Sally wrote something in one of her big black books. “Fine.” She turned to Rose. “I’ll have coffee sent to the living room where we can discuss designers.”

Rose said, “Great!”

Rose and Karen began chattering about dresses, but Eva turned to Alex as he sat again.

“Thanks.”

He felt color rise to his cheeks. Confusion and anger with himself met and merged into an emotion that made him want to kick his own butt.

“It means nothing. The way I see it, our kingdom can absorb whatever loss results when we cancel this thing.”

“Because you know my mom and I have no money.”

He shrugged. “That’s temporary.”

She put her hand on the back of his. “Yes, but you saved us from being embarrassed.”

“Is that enough to earn the payback of you backing out of the wedding?”

She laughed lightly, obviously relieved, but also the way someone would laugh with a friend. “No.”

Damn her for being so cute. His mouth tugged upward until he couldn’t stop a smile. “Don’t make me like you.”

She peeked up at him from beneath lush black eyelashes. “You’d rather hate me?”

The heat that roared through him nearly stopped his heart. Her magnetic blue-gray eyes held his. Her pretty hair rippled around an even prettier face. Everything inside of him chanted that he should lean forward and kiss her.

Kiss her.

Kiss her.

Kiss her.

But that was the real problem, wasn’t it? She was pretty enough, tempting enough, that maybe she should be the woman he married.

And then what?

Fall in love for real?

The very thought tightened his throat. He’d loved two women in his life and lost both. Only a crazy man set himself up for that kind of pain.

“I will talk you out of this.”


CHAPTER THREE (#ue9928694-95db-580a-9426-a3b4bdf84ff0)

ALEX WATCHED EVA leave the dining room with her mom and Queen Rose, then exited through the hidden door in the back. Ready to change out of these stuffy clothes and put on riding breeches, he strode through the echoing maze of tall-ceilinged halls, but at his private elevator, one of his father’s secretaries caught him.

The older man bowed slightly. “Your Majesty, your dad sent me to find you. He wants you in his office now.”

“Now?”

The old man’s eyebrows rose, an indicator Alex shouldn’t argue, and that usually meant he’d done something wrong.

Alex winced. Best-case scenario was that the king wanted to chastise him for suggesting they pay for the wedding. Worst-case, he’d overheard Alex telling Eva he’d talk her out of the wedding.

Damn.

Without a word, he motioned for the man to lead him back to his father’s office.

When they arrived, he entered, but the secretary reached inside to grab the doorknob, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

His father didn’t look up from the letter he was signing. “You cannot talk Eva out of this wedding.”

Okay. It was worst-case.

He fell to one of the velvet chairs in front of his dad’s desk. “I can’t believe you’re forcing either of us to marry when Eva was barely out of diapers and I was pulling a wagon with my bike when that damned agreement was signed. It’s ridiculous. Antiquated. And you know it.”

His dad studied him for a few seconds, then he sighed heavily. “All right. You’re right. And this situation is too important to leave to chance. You were smart enough to pick up on the money problem that I’d somehow missed, so I need you in the loop.”

Alex sat up. “The loop?”

“Eva’s dad didn’t leave her mom.”

“What?”

“King Mason got wind of the fact that his brother was about to stage a coup.”

“So he ran?”

“For his life. His brother’s coup didn’t involve taking over parliament. He intended to have King Mason assassinated so he could look like a grieving brother, reluctantly filling his murdered king’s shoes.”

Alex sat back. “Oh, my God.” He thought for a second, then said, “But if Mason dies, his brother wouldn’t become king. His daughter would.”

His father locked his eyes with Alex’s. “Exactly.”

Alex’s heart thundered in his chest. “He was planning to kill Eva?”

“Gerard couldn’t just murder Mason. He had to kill Eva too. The plan was to stage an accident or an attack on the palace, and have both killed at the same time, so he would be the next in line to rule. That’s why we separated them. Now, the two of them dying at the same time will look like the assassination that it is.”

“Oh, my God.”

“This marriage isn’t about a treaty. We brought Eva and her mother here on the pretense of a wedding to get them out of their palace and keep them safe.”

Alex gaped in disbelief. “And you don’t think putting Eva in the public eye is dangerous?”

“Exactly the opposite. As long as she’s in the press, her murder would be too public. Gerard can’t even do something like kidnap Eva and her mother to use as leverage to bring Mason out of hiding. It would simply call too much attention to him when he wanted all this to look like an accident.”

Eva’s image popped into his head. Her waist-length hair, her shy smiles, her fearless personality. The thought that someone wanted to kill her infuriated him.

“And you think a wedding keeps her safe?”

“As long as this wedding’s on a fast track, Eva and her mother are protected.”

Though he was angry that his father hadn’t told him this in the beginning, he understood the principle behind the plan. “You’re right.”

The king held his gaze. “For the next four weeks, you have to cooperate. This plan only works if we can keep everybody’s attention focused on a happy wedding. And that means you’ve got to make this look real.”

Alex didn’t even hesitate. “You have my word.”

King Ronaldo leaned forward, laying his arms on his desk. “Once we get your wedding date announced to the press, we’re off and running. That’s actually why we set the date so soon. All the royal events will happen too fast and too close together for the spotlight to leave Eva. Plus, Mason doesn’t believe he’ll need more than four weeks to sort this out.”

“What’s he doing?”

“Going through back channels to figure out who he can trust, so he can get the proof he needs that his brother wanted to assassinate him. Once he gets it, he can have his brother arrested.”

“He thinks his own staff is in on it?”

“Only some. But we both know it only takes trusting one wrong person to risk everything. And in this case what he risks is his life and his daughter’s.”

Merely thinking that someone wanted to kill Eva sent anger careening through Alex again. But he understood palace intrigue. Though there had been no siblings who wanted his father’s throne, there had been other challenges. Some subtle. Some obvious. All dangerous.

“We’ll do the press conference announcing your wedding tomorrow. Which means you and Eva need to be seen together this afternoon, looking like a couple getting married.”

“You want us to look like we’re in love?”

“No. Everybody knows you barely know each other. So I want you to look like a man and woman getting acquainted in a positive way. Then after the press conference tomorrow, you can take Eva to the country house to show her where you would live as a married couple. The press will love that. It will also keep you and Eva in the papers. And even if anyone notices the extra bodyguards, they’ll just think it’s because there are two of you, not you alone.”

He rose. “Okay.”

His father rose too. “And Alex, if Mason can’t get this done in four weeks, you will be marrying her.”

A wedding for a treaty was ridiculous. Marrying Eva to keep her safe gave him a weird feeling. His muscles hardened, his brain sharpened. He hardly knew the woman, but no one would hurt her on his watch.

“Absolutely.”

* * *

Eva, her mom, and Queen Rose walked to the formal living room with Sally from the protocol office. Once seated on the velvet sofas, Sally ordered coffee while Eva and the dynamic mother duo got down to the business of discussing designers and considering various styles of wedding dress.

The coffee hadn’t even been delivered before a member of the palace staff arrived, whispered something to Sally and left.

Sally turned to Eva. “It seems, Princess, that Alex has arranged a date for the two of you this afternoon.”

Working to keep the surprise out of her voice, she said, “He has?”

“You’ll be lunching at a seaside restaurant. It will be the first time the press sees you as a couple. They won’t get to ask questions, but they could shoot them at you from behind their cameras.” She smiled briefly, obviously still miffed over the fact that her crown was paying for the wedding. “But you’ve handled this kind of thing before.”

“Yes.” Since she was old enough to stand behind a microphone, her dad had let her have her own voice.

She had to fight not to squeeze her eyes shut in misery. It was the first time in a week she’d had a good memory of her dad. He’d been the best supportive, funny, loving dad, and she suddenly missed him with a fierceness that brought tears to her eyes.

She blinked them away as she rose from the sofa. She refused to get maudlin over a man who had left her and her mom in such a precarious position.

“Thank you, Sally.” She faced her mom and Queen Rose. “I’ll need to leave to get ready.”

Rose jumped up to hug her. “Enjoy the afternoon.”

Karen kissed her cheek. “Yes. Enjoy yourself. Remember, brides are happy.”

Rose laughed and batted her hand in dismissal. “We went through this with Ginny. Got pregnant in a one-night stand, barely knew Dom and suddenly had to marry a man she didn’t know because her baby would be a king.” She hugged Eva again. “It worked out for Ginny and Dom. It’ll work out for you too, sugar.”

“It will,” Karen agreed sagely.

Eva only smiled. Obviously, they hadn’t overheard any of Alex’s comments about convincing her to call off the wedding.

She turned to leave, but Sally stopped her and handed her a computer tablet.

“All the links to the websites of the approved designers are in here. I’ll need a name very soon so I can have him or her here ASAP to take measurements.” She tapped her watch. “We don’t have weeks for you to mull this over. We have, at best, a few days for you to choose a designer.”

Her nerve endings popped with apprehension. Everything would be happening so fast, she had to get with the program. This afternoon’s date with Alex had to be step one in her plan to get him to like her.

Three hours later, she stood in front of the mirror in her dressing room, inspecting herself. After watching several video demonstrations on flirting, she’d received a call from Alex’s staff with the time and location she was to meet her betrothed.

Deciding she had a good variety of flirting techniques, she’d showered and dressed in black pants and a white top, with her long hair pinned up on her head in a tight bun.

She sighed. She looked like a librarian. Casual Prince Alex would most likely wear something übercomfortable. This outfit only highlighted their differences, all but shouting that they didn’t belong together—

Oh, darn him! Now she got it. The prince who kept saying he would talk her out of this marriage hadn’t scheduled this lunch as a date. He’d set it up to get them out of the palace and in front of the press, as a way to publicly demonstrate that they didn’t belong together.

She fumed as the truth settled in. What better way to get her to back out of this wedding than by proving they were different? Really different. So awkward as a couple that the media might make an issue of it and make her life too miserable to endure.

Furious, she yanked the pins out of her hair and let it fall around her. She turned right, then left. The effect was better but still not good enough for the woman marrying Xaviera’s casual playboy prince.

Rummaging in her drawers, she found denim capris and a flirty blue top. Sleeveless and low-cut, made of airy material that billowed out when she moved, the blouse was one of her favorites. Not only was she comfortable in it, but she was pretty. She felt flirty. And the videos she’d watched on YouTube said feeling flirty was half the battle. He might be on a mission to get her to dump him, but she was on the opposite mission. If it killed her, she would get him to like her enough he’d go through with this wedding.

No! By God, she would get him to fall in love with her!

After filling her black clutch bag with her phone and other necessities, she headed out.

When she saw Alex at the small side entryway where he’d indicated he would meet her, she watched his expression falter. Wearing worn boat shoes and scruffy jeans, with a white Oxford cloth shirt that tried unsuccessfully to make him respectable, he looked like a commoner. A dirt-poor, derelict commoner.

She didn’t quite look that bad, but she hadn’t dressed like a proper princess either, and from the quick once-over he gave her, it surprised him.

He shook his head as she approached.

She smiled. “You wanted to point out our differences by looking scruffy. But I figured out your game. So I scruffed down my outfit and, guess what? Here we are. A match.”

“I did not set this up to point out our differences.” He smiled engagingly. “And you’d look great no matter what you wore.”

She’d look great no matter what she wore?

Eva stepped back. “What?”

“You look great. But, more important, we need to be out in public today because we’ll be announcing our wedding tomorrow at a press conference.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I thought you were going to talk me out of it?”

He laughed lightly. “Let’s just take this one day at a time.”

Her eyes narrowed even more as she studied him. He might be a nice enough guy to save her from embarrassment twice, but he did not want this wedding. He should not be acting as if everything was fine.

“All right. What’s up?”

He pointed at a black Mercedes. “Nothing.”

As he helped her into the car, she analyzed their situation one more time, and realized that maybe there was nothing wrong. He had to look attentive and proper in public or his dad would know he wasn’t taking this seriously. But that really worked in her favor. She could use the four or five hours they’d spend together getting him to like her.

To her surprise, he drove, with bodyguards following them in a big black SUV. Being accustomed to security details in her own country, she didn’t even blink. Instead, she glanced out the window at the scenery. Though she’d viewed most of the island from the air as her royal family’s jet touched down, being close to the thick green foliage and the rocky coastline took her breath away.

She sighed.

He eyed her curiously. “What’s up?”

“Your country is beautiful.”

“It is.”

Okay. Even though it worked in her favor, his being nice to her was getting weird.

She stole a glance at him, running the situation through her brain again. He was so sexy in his scruffy jeans and white shirt that she had to admit she sort of liked the idea of marrying him. Even if his being nice to her was an act for the press, this was her shot. Her chance. She should not be overanalyzing this. She should be using it, engaging him in normal conversation to soften him up for when she experimented with flirting.

“What was it like growing up in such a warm climate?”

He took another quick look at her. “You mean as opposed to being required to wear a parka ninety percent of the year?”

She laughed at his perceptiveness. “Yes.”

“Nice.” He thought for a second. “I loved the beach, but I didn’t like the private area behind the palace. I wanted to be on the real beach, the public beach, with kids my own age. It wasn’t easy, and my bodyguards would groan when I was home from boarding school, but they generally found a way for me to be a normal kid.”

“That’s why I fell in love with America. Most Europeans knew who I was. And if they didn’t, they knew I was ‘famous’ for some reason, so they’d Google me and that would be the end of any casual relationships. But in America, even knowing I was a princess, they’d shrug and say, ‘that’s cool,’ but otherwise, I was just a person to them.”

“Interesting.”

“I’m surprised you never encountered that.”

He sneaked another peek at her. His brown eyes softened when he thought. His lips tilted up just slightly, as if something he remembered made him want to smile.

Tingly warmth filled her. Oh, boy. It would be so flipping easy to fall for that smile. But it wasn’t real. And even though his behavior could only be an act for the press, something felt wrong. Off. Really, really off.

“Stop the car.”

“What?”

She huffed out a breath. “Stop the car. Go back to the palace.”

“We can’t. We’re supposed to be seen in public.”





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