“I’ll come find you when I’m done with them, okay?”
She nodded, her cheeks pinking, but she held his gaze as she went out the back door of the kitchens. Alex rushed to the other room to get the contractors in order. The sooner he did, the sooner he could get back to Jan.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jan kept pressing her fingers to her lips. She’d been doing that for the past few days every day since her first kiss with Alex. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit she’d been doing it for a month since the very first time he’d pressed his lips to hers.
With each subsequent kiss, he’d fed a fire in her. Now she was burning up inside. The only time she felt relief was when she was in his arms.
Oh, boy, did she have it bad.
She was happy to know that she wasn’t alone. Alex hadn’t professed his undying love for her back in the kitchen, but he’d made it clear that he was feeling something too. Alex, the uncatchable catch was somehow, miraculously, unexplainably hooked on her.
On her; Jan. The plain pie maker. Jan the jilted. Jan had a suspicion she wouldn’t be jilted this time.
No, he hadn’t promised her forever. Not a love kind of forever. But he’d promised her a business kind of forever. The romance, or whatever it was blossoming between them, might last a few weeks, a few months. They might even have a few years.
Jan knew it was more than Alex had ever planned to give anyone. It was more than she’d ever thought she’d wanted for herself.
And she did want it.
With him.
Standing at the farmer’s table, Jan squeezed the tomato in her hand. It gave. Much like her resolve to give up on love.
“Excuse me, miss,” said a fellow shopper to her left. “Can you help me choose? I’m a terrible cook.”
Jan turned to face the woman. Helping the culinary-challenged was a favorite hobby of hers. But the moment she looked into the woman’s shrewd gaze, Jan reared back.
“I have nothing to say to you.” Jan put the ripe tomato in her basket and gave the reporter, Lila Drake, her back.
Lila raced in her heels to keep up with Jan. The pavement was cobblestones. Jan hoped the woman’s spike heel got caught in a crack and broke her back.
“Did you see this morning’s papers?”
Jan remained mute as she marched on to the next crate. She gave her full concentration to the long, orange carrots neatly placed in rows.
“I just need a quote from the would-be bride.”
“Would be?”
“Oh, come on, honey. You don’t really expect Prince Alex, the playboy prince, to actually get to the aisle? From what I hear, you have some experience with that.”
Jan bit the inside of her cheek. She knew what the reporter was doing. Trying to get a rise out of her so that she could get a scoop.
Jan gave her a sweet smile. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you. And if it happens, I’ll be sure and contact your competition to give them all the details.”
Lila snorted. “Right, because a handsome prince is going to marry a jilted, plain-looking, pie maker from New Jersey. That’s how the storybooks go.”
Jan felt the sting. She wanted to say it wasn’t true. She wanted to say that there was a thing between her and Alex. But she wouldn’t believe it.
“He’s never getting married,” said Lila. “He’s just going to live off the people’s tax money until he dies. This is clearly a stunt to detract from that. But everyone loves an underdog story; the dog being you. I can easily make you into a sympathetic character if you play ball.”
Jan squeezed the carrot in her hand. Unlike the tomato, the vegetable didn’t give. It snapped.
She had had enough. She was used to people talking and believing poorly of her. But Alex was a good person inside and out. He hid behind a facade so that he could go around the world making people’s lives better. And people like Lila Drake did nothing but spew negativity and lies.
“You were there in Nairobi weren’t you?” said Jan. “You know he didn’t hook up with that actress or model or whatever.”
“Oh, honey, he hooked up with a model, believe you me.”
Jan grit her teeth. “You saw what he did in the village.”
‘With the green house thing? So what?”
“Why not report on that?”
“Because no one wants to read about a do-good prince,” Lila said as though Jan were the most naïve schoolgirl in the world. “Women don’t dream about a charitable prince. Notice how little press King Leo gets. Every girl wants the bad boy.”
“The people should know the truth of their prince. That he doesn’t spend extravagantly. When he goes off on these trips, he’s always helping the less fortunate. That he barely spends a dime. Others just gift him services because they want to use his name. Everyone just wants to use him.”
“But not you?” said Lila.
“Of course not.”
“So you’re not after his inheritance? I’d bet you could open many restaurants with that money.”
It was a little too on the nose, and Jan had to settle her face before she spoke. Unfortunately, Lila caught the subtle shift.
“Wait a minute, this is about his inheritance isn’t it?”
“Wrong again,” said Jan. “It’s actually not. Alex isn’t using his own money. We have investors.”
Lila shook her head. “Something doesn’t add up.”
“Yeah, your investigative skills. There’s no story here.”
Lila ignored Jan and began counting the facts on her fingers. “A prince who said he’d never marry suddenly shows up with a fiancée who’s a virtual nobody.”
“Hey!”
“The two of you are opening a restaurant, but you’re using other people’s money to do it, even though the prince could have his own funds if only he married. Wait. That’s it. You’re scamming the investors.”
“We are not.” How could she add up all those facts and get the wrong sum? “Alex would never do such a thing.”
“True or not, it’s the angle that’s going to get printed.” Lila whipped out a cell phone and began texting.
Jan stood rooted in her spot. There was nothing she could do to stop the salacious reporter. It was just like Alex had said. Once they got their narrative, that’s what they’d run with. They’d ignore anything to the contrary. All Jan could do was warn Alex.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alex shook hands with the last contractor as the man walked out the front door. He just needed to wash his hands, grab his jacket, and then head out to find Jan. But heading back into the kitchen to retrieve his coat, he turned and stared.
The dining area was essentially a blank slate. But Alex saw it clearly. He saw the guests lining up out the door. He saw tourists gaping at the finery as they took a seat. He saw locals toasting at the bar after a long day’s work. He would be at the front of the house, commandeering it all.
Jan would be at the back in the kitchen of her dreams. Every spice from around the world would be within reach of her fingertips.
He’d taste every dish before it went out. Not to check up on her, but because he wanted to taste whatever came from her imagination. But that would be right after he tasted her lips. In fact, he doubted he’d ever use a dining utensil again. From now on, he’d only eat food straight from her fingertips.
Pride swelled in his chest as he headed for the door. He wondered if he could push the open date up sooner. This was an accomplishment he did want to shout about. He wanted the whole world to know about what he and Jan could do together.
Before he could pull the door open to find the woman he wanted to share the spotlight with, she raced up the steps and flung herself into his arms. She was shaking, trembling. Alex held her tightly and brought her inside the safety of the nest they were building together.
“Jan? What is it? What’s wrong?”
She sobbed into his chest, not showing him her face. Alex’s heart cracked, threatening
to splinter in two at the sounds. Whatever happened, whoever did this, he’d open up the dungeons to them.
“I’ve screwed it all up,” Jan hiccoughed.
“What, my darling? Please, tell me what’s happened, and I promise I’ll fix it.”
He brought her tighter into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin. He rubbed his hands at her back, trying to sooth the cries out of her spine. It took long moments, but soon her cries died down, and her breathing steadied.
When Jan looked up at him, anger sparkled in her blue eyes. “That reporter, Lila Drake, cornered me while I was out shopping.”
Cold dread washed through Alex’s entire body. It was a lucky thing that he held Jan in his arms. Otherwise, he’d race out of there to find the tabloid tattler and give her a piece of his mind. He no longer cared what they said about him, but Jan was off limits.
“I was trying to defend you,” Jan said. “But I slipped up. She figured it out. The inheritance and the investors. She knows. Pretty soon, everyone will know that the engagement is fake.”
Alex closed his eyes and breathed a sigh. This was his worst nightmare. So, why was he so calm?
He brushed the tears away from Jan’s eyes until he saw her clearly. There was nothing fake about their engagement. Unless they counted their own denials of how they felt for each other.
“Alex, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I tried, but then she went on and on about how you were just a playboy living off the citizen’s dime, and it wasn’t true.”
He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “I don’t care what they say about me. I only care what you think about me.”
“I don’t believe any of it. I mean, I did. But that was before I got to know you, the real you.”
She sighed and the morning strawberry sweetness still lingered on her breath. Alex realized he had never gotten his taste test.
“But now I’ve ruined everything,” she said, bitterness lacing her tongue. “When Lila Drake prints that story, the investors will find out. They’ll think we scammed them. They’ll pull out.”
That caught Alex’s attention. He hadn’t considered that bit of fall out.
“I think I should just leave,” she said.
Jan gave a tug, but Alex wouldn’t relinquish his hold on her.
“I think it’s for the best,” she continued. “The press will forget about me. You can still open the restaurant. Alex and Esme will invest if you don’t want to use the inheritance. You can hire another chef and—”
“No.” His voice was firm. “I won’t hear of it. This place is nothing without you. I am nothing without you.”
“But I’ve crushed your dream.”
She hadn’t. Not even slightly. He would run a food cart so long as she was beside him. For now, he laced their fingers together, down to the webbing until it felt like they were one.
“I’ve dreamed of opening a place like this all my life,” he said. “But I never thought I could do it until I met you. We do this together or not at all.”
“You want me to stay?” she asked. “As your business partner?”
“I want you …” He swallowed a huge lump in his throat.
The rest of the words were right on the tip of his lips, but they wouldn’t come out. She’d been so ready to walk away from him. Could she feel the same way about him as he did about her if she were so ready to give him up?
“I want you,” he tried again, “however I can keep you.”
Jan gasped at his words. Ever the opportunist, Alex took advantage. He pulled her to him. His lips brushed lightly over hers before he broke away and led them out the front door.
The light kiss wasn’t enough, but it would do. They had work to do. There still was a chance they could save the restaurant and their dream. But they’d have to move fast.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The King of Cordoba slammed the morning paper down on his desk. The edges of the thin parchment trembled under his fingers. Though the paper was lightweight, its words fired heavy artillery.
Jan flinched at the sound of Leo’s palm on the wood, and at the angry, belligerent picture they’d captured of her.
Her lips were pulled from her teeth in a snarl as she faced off against that awful reporter. One hand was raised, a finger raised in the woman’s face as though she were telling her off. Well, that part at least, they’d gotten right.
Jan had told Lila Drake off. She’d tried to make the woman see reason, see the truth. But like every other story the scandal pusher published, this story twisted and contorted the facts until it wasn’t even reality.
“This is an unmitigated disaster,” said Leo. “It’s the worst jam you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Those comments were directed at Alex. Just as Jan wouldn’t stand by and let the reporter paint Alex in a negative light, she wouldn’t allow his brother to do it either.
“Alex didn’t do this,” said Jan. “It was that horrible reporter. I told her the truth about him. She knew the truth and still all she wanted to do was print lies.”
“But this isn’t a lie.” Leo held up the paper.
The headline read Flambé Fiancée. The story went on to detail how Jan was the mastermind behind a plan to swindle Alex out of his inheritance. Lila was cruel characterizing Jan as a brain with no beauty. The words had hurt, not because they were true, but because they would be so easy for others to believe.
Jan had never been some great beauty. It made sense that the only reason Alex had agreed to marry her was out of trickery. She supposed she should be pleased that she was portrayed as smart enough to pull it off.
“Not a word of that about Jan is true.” Alex’s voice was a low growl. He stood behind her chair. His hand, which had been resting at the top of the chair close to the nape of her neck without touching it, tensed.
Esme sat beside Jan, holding her hand in a tight, supportive grip. Outside, at the palace gates, the press had gathered. Out Leo’s office window, Jan could see their flashing lights in the distance. They were quite literally storming the castle.
“I’m referring to the part where the two of you have no plans to get married,” said Leo.
Jan felt Alex stiffen beside her. She might have changed her stance on marriage, but she hadn’t thought he had. She knew he never wanted to walk down the aisle.
But now it was all ruined. If they continued the engagement, everyone would speculate that they were only in it for the money. If they broke it off, it would confirm it as well. What were they going to do?
“We can salvage this,” Alex said quietly.
Jan looked over her shoulder so that she could see his face. Gone was the mischievous glint to his dark eyes. He looked tired, resolute.
“I made you a promise,” he said, “and I intend to keep it.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Leo.
“She gave up everything to try to make this work. She left her home, her family, her business,” shouted Alex, prowling over to Leo’s desk. The two brothers stood toe to toe. “We were never going to need the inheritance. This is a good, sound investment. We are a good, sound investment.”
The two brothers glared at each other. Jan’s insides twisted. Everything was ruined; the business, the relationship that was just getting started with Alex, and the relationship he had with his brother.
Instead of things coming to blows, Leo reached out to his brother and brought Alex into his arms.
“You should’ve come to me,” Leo growled. “Don’t you know you can always come to me?”
“I didn’t think you’d believe …” Alex let the words trail off.
“You didn’t think I believed in you.” Leo broke the hug and held his brother at arm’s length so he could look directly into his eyes. “I’m ashamed to say there’s a possibility you may have been right.”
Alex looked down at the ground and sighed. When he raised his head, there wasn’t
defeat in his gaze. “That’s fair.”
“I would’ve believed in Jan.”
Alex gave his brother a punch in the shoulder. But, despite the levity of the moment, they were still in a world of trouble. All eyes rested on the opened paper still on Leo’s desk.
“We can still make this work,” said Alex.
“How?” said Esme, speaking for the first time since seeing the paper.
“I just need to step out of the limelight for a while,” said Alex.
“You’re leaving me?” Jan rose, letting go of her best friend’s hand. Without Esme, she realized there was nothing tethering her, and her knees nearly buckled.
“No.” Alex came to her, wrapping her up in his arms. “Yes but no.”
Jan searched his gaze. There was remorse in his dark eyes. But there was more, something deeper. It was the same look he’d given her the other day when he asked her out to dinner. The same look he’d had when he’d leaned in to kiss her when they were alone without any cameras.
Jan wasn’t an expert in reality. She’d seen enough romantic comedies to think she knew what she was looking at. It looked like real, live desire. It looked the way the hero looked at the heroine in the last few moments of the movie before declaring his undying love. Was Alex about to declare his undying love for her? Jan desperately wanted to turn to Esme to get her bestie to give her assessment of the potentially declarative look of love in Alex’s eyes.
“I think we should break up,” he said.
It was déjà vu. She’d been here before. It was different words but the same feeling.
Her heart was in her feet. Her head was light. Her legs unsteady.
She’d had to take a seat after Chris had told her he was leaving her. She’d been standing at the back of the church in her wedding gown, ready to walk down the aisle toward him. He’d been holding another woman’s hand as he spoke to her. Jan had had only the wall to hold her up.
She was in the center of Leo’s office. The wall was more than a yard away. So how was she still upright?
Alex’s arms were still around her. In fact, he was holding her even tighter. As though he never wanted to let her go. But hadn’t he just broken up with her?
The Prince and the Pie Maker: a Sweet Royal Romance (The Rebel Royals Series Book 2) Page 12
