Forbidden King (Princes of Avce Book 9)

by Victoria Pinder

  That was out loud? She shrugged and didn’t care as she twirled around the table. “I’m happy. Can we go outside to get our breakfast?”

  He nodded and motioned toward the window. “There is a veranda that’s shaded and overlooks the ocean one floor down.”

  Perfect. She peered down to the beach and surf. Life was so good here. Bumping into him as she turned, he held her hips to steady her in place. “I love it here, Leo.”

  He kissed her cheek. “You’re glowing, my sweet.”

  Sweet made her think of chocolate, and how a piece in the middle of a stressful day helped her focus. She hugged him., “You made me happy.”

  A proud smile fleeted across his face and for a second her lips had a tingle like this would transition into more than just a kiss. Her eyelids batted closed, but then a piercing ring echoed in the air. Leo reluctantly let her go. “Your phone is ringing.”

  He stepped back and took her phone off the table where both of theirs were charging. He handed it to her and she said, “It’s my grandmother.”

  He picked up his folded paper and his cup. “I’ll get the staff to prepare breakfast. Take your time.”

  She followed him with her gaze, eyes locking on his hard muscles beneath his light gray pants. Anna called out, “Be right behind you.” He winked at her and strode out of the room. She picked up her phone and said, “Grandma, I didn’t think you’d call me back so quickly.”

  Her grandmother sounded serious. “I spoke to the queen this morning and thought I should tell you.”

  Good. Hopefully it was about moving. She settled into the seat that was still warm from Leo. “You went to the castle?”

  “No,” Maria said. “She came here.”

  Immediately Anna tried to imagine Queen Anastasia in her royal blue gown having her guards roll a red carpet for her as she walked into the senior center where residents often gathered to play cards in the lobby. She blinked as she asked her grandmother, “To our… your apartment?”

  Her grandmother sniffed like she had something to say, and Anna better pay attention. “I’m moving to the dower house today. The guards are already moving all my belongings. I wanted to tell you that when you get back, I’ll be close by.”

  She straightened. “That’s great, Grandma! I’ll tell Leo.”

  Maria then said, “It’s good to hear you call your husband his name and not sire.”

  The last word had a tinge of judgment. Anna stood and twirled her wedding ring as she explained, “Well, if Leo and I don’t get along, I’m in for a lifetime of misery.”

  Her grandmother coughed to clear her throat, ensuring every word was crystal clear as she said, “And if you don’t tell him that you love him then you’re in for a lifetime of pain.”

  Anna froze and pressed her hand to her heart. “What?”

  “I know you, Anna. And I need you to be open. Don’t be afraid because of what happened to your parents.”

  If she’d been with her grandmother, she’d have shoved a cookie at her to soften her words. Anna backed into the chair she’d just left and lowered her hand. “Grandma… Mom and Dad were happy until they died.”

  “I know that,” Maria said. “And the only regret they’d have is leaving you alone, so follow their example and show your love to your husband.”

  Her words were like arrows. How did her grandmother know her so well? It was like having a spotlight on her deepest secret—how could Grandma know before Anna had even admitted it to herself? All she said was, “I’ll see you when I get home.”

  After goodbyes, she put her phone in her back pocket and then realized Leo had left his. She scooped his up and put it in her back pocket as well.

  Her mind raced and her skin buzzed. Maria spoke the absolute truth.

  Anna Camila was in love with Leo. She’d married him because she loved him.

  To deny the truth of her feelings was lying to herself. A quick chuckle escaped her lips as she walked down the steps. Maria would be the one to point out the obvious.

  Her steps were light as she made it to the first floor.

  She didn’t see anyone, not even a servant, so she headed toward the back and assumed she’d find the veranda. Anna opened the door to a room that was on the way and stepped into a ballroom with a gasp. The gold and blue murals were from the renaissance era and the chandeliers sparkled.

  This castle was truly beautiful, and it was her home.

  She twirled, her feet ready to dance, when in the distance she saw glass doors, and the sea on the horizon. The blue ocean seemed peaceful and beautiful, but waters like that had capsized her parents when they’d gone sailing. Ice embedded in her spine—a warning that everything changes in an instant.

  Anna blinked and willed the thought to disappear.

  Everything was perfect.

  If she ever designed a castle, she’d lead the ballroom to the veranda over the ocean.

  Anna practically floated toward the glass doors and found Leo sitting outside, with his paper and another cappuccino.

  She let herself out the door and walked toward him from the side.

  He stood and held out her chair for her as he said, “Anna, you look delectable.”

  His lips teased hers and heat washed through her.

  Maybe she should have suggested that they’d stayed in the bedroom, but then her stomach grumbled. His eyes widened which meant he’d heard, so she patted her belly and said, “Funny, because I’m famished.”

  He waited for her to sit and then pushed her chair in before sitting down himself. “Then let’s dig in.”

  She moved her still-hot cappuccino closer to her and lifted her eyebrow. “Dig? Did you say that?”

  He set his silver spoon in his saucer. “I was trying out the vernacular.”

  She scrunched her nose and offered him some grapes for his plate as she added them to hers as well. “That’s not a word for you, my prince. Let’s not try that again.”

  He served her a croissant and she blinked. In the past year she’d never seen him add food to anyone’s plate, including his sisters. He truly was being thoughtful, and not just for sex. He said, “Very well. How is your grandmother?”

  Right. They were going to share. She added strawberries next while she said, “Your mother must have convinced her somehow because she’s moving into the dower house without arguing.”

  “Great.”

  She enjoyed the food and took another croissant. In the palace, the chef was good, but here at the castle, it was like the croissants were made from the clouds of heaven itself.

  Full at last, she sat back and sipped her cappuccino when her back pocket vibrated. She took out his phone and handed it to him. “Your phone is ringing.”

  He pressed the ignore button and placed his phone on the table, picking up his coffee again. “I’ll answer Pierre later. Today I’m on my honeymoon.”

  Her heart melted but she pretended to be unaffected by this romantic side of her husband. She placed her cappuccino cup in her saucer. “I see. So you’re all mine today?”

  He moved his chair closer to her and their knees touched. “If you’ll have me. We can do whatever you want.”

  He folded his hands on the table but she leaned closer and smelled his masculine, almond-scented soap as she asked, “Anything?”

  “Yes.” He nodded confidently.

  If only she had something exciting to dare him with right now. But she didn’t, so she reached out and brushed against the back of his hand. “I don’t want to go far or anything, but I’ve heard you’re an excellent sailor. It would be nice to see you in action without a crew around to handle everything.”

  “I thought you didn’t like sailing.”

  “I forced myself to sail a few times, but since working at the palace, I stopped and now the fear is coming back.”

  “Then we’ll go alone and you can help with everything.” He motioned toward her coffee. “Finish up so we can go.”

  Her heart fluttered. He’d agreed so e
asily. She settled back in her seat and picked up her almost empty cup as she said, “One minute. This coffee is good.”

  Somehow the small staff here surpassed every formal offering of the palace in Avce; perhaps the fewer servants at the island castle allowed them to work more as a team.

  She drank the delicious coffee while he said, “The staff will ensure the ship is stocked for lunch. You need to put on sneakers or boat shoes before we go.”

  Fair, but her heart began to race and it wasn’t the caffeine. She put the cup down and reached for his hands. “I’m on it, but there is something else.”

  “What?” He settled closer to her and stared at her with open eyes.

  His brown hues were intoxicating. Anna shifted her chair so they were face-to-face, though she preferred to be nose-to-nose. “Come closer.”

  He moved his seat and clasped her hands. “This sounds serious.”

  Her pulse zipped through her, but her heart was whispering to be honest. “It might be. I wasn’t entirely honest earlier when I said I was happy.”

  He flinched. “You’re not?”

  Her skin was warm as she realized this might be a mistake, but she nodded and said, “I am happy. But I wanted to talk about… my parents.”

  He patted her gently like he wanted to comfort her. “What about them?”

  Right. She took a deep breath and stared at how their fingers were now locked together. “I told you my parents capsized.”

  “We don’t have to go sailing if you’re scared.”

  Her stomach flipped and for a moment she didn’t move. She hadn’t thought he’d think she was ever, ever, ever going to think she wanted to take her sailing request back. “No. I made myself go sailing more than once after they died so I wouldn’t be afraid but life got in the way. So now I’m hesitant as it’s been so long and we’re surrounded by the ocean here.”

  His lips curled into a smile. “Thank you for telling me. You can help me with the sails and captain for a little bit.”

  So she hadn’t told him that? It seemed so trivial but it was in her past so she nodded and said, “I have my license that doesn’t get used much.”

  “That can be changed.” He squeezed her palm. “So what about your parents?”

  And they were back to her feelings. Her heart expanded as she stared up at him, sitting there like he’d protect her. If he felt the same, she’d never want for anything. “I grew up knowing that they loved each other.”

  He gave a nod of acknowledgment and her skin surged with awareness. She focused on his regal nose. “Good. I think my parents love each other, though they’re not exactly…warm.”

  Well, his parents were the regents of their country. She closed the small gap between them and their knees touched while sitting in their own chairs. “That’s wonderful. I hope they do, but I want us to be… warm.”

  He reached under the table and traced the back of her knee as he winked. “I think we have that covered.”

  This was more than just sex, though last night was better than she’d have imagined. Maria knew her well and she’d never been good at holding back truths. The way Leo’s brown eyes made her feel was all the fuel she needed. She took a deep breath and then said all at once, “I need to say that I love you. I’ve been in love with you long before I ever said I do and I should have told you when you asked for my hand. I said yes because I was already knee-deep in love with you.”

  He stared at her without saying a word. Not so much as a blink of an eyelash.

  Her heart zoomed faster. It was good she knew, but honesty might have landed her in trouble.

  Did he hate her?

  Probably not.

  Did he not know what to say right now?

  Probably. She hadn’t known either.

  Her skin buzzed that she should have kept her lips sealed. Her body began to tremble in the silence, but then finally he broke through whatever spell he’d been under as he asked, “You love me?”

  Was he upset? She hoped not—but she had to follow through and tell the truth. “Yes,” she admitted freely. “Maybe if I show you my heart, you might love me back one day.”

  He traced her arm while he said her name, “Anna Camila Aussa…”

  His voice trailed off. Her body sparked with electricity from his caress. “I like my new last name.”

  He stood and kissed her cheek. Her lips ached wondering why he avoided them. “I will take my vows seriously and treasure your heart. I hope one day I’m worthy of you.”

  Seriously? Leo was perfect. She tilted her head and stared at him. How could he not know this? “You already are. You don’t have to change anything.”

  He cupped her face. “I need… I need time but please don’t close up on me. Wait for me?”

  That was okay. They had their whole lives ahead of them. And of course he needed time. He hadn’t known she was anything other than his secretary until the night before the wedding. She gave a quick nod. “I can do that, Leo.”

  He offered his hand to get up. She stood on her own while he said, “Good, now let’s go sailing.”

  Her lips ached that there had been no kiss, but then he tugged her into his body and the storm brewing inside her dissipated in an instant.

  His kiss made her believe one day he might love her too. As she wrapped her hands in his thick hair, she let out a sigh as he pressed harder against her.

  If she shook off her fears and gave Leo time, perhaps everything would work out. She had nothing to fear.

  Chapter 11

  The ocean was clear blue and there were no clouds overhead though in the very far distance a storm brewed.

  Leo glanced behind him as Anna steered and he tightened the rope on the sail. They probably had an hour or two before the rain began. Hopefully this was enough time for her to feel the freedom of sailing again and not let her fears take over.

  He checked the levers near the wheel but let her captain, as he’d promised. For now all was good so he came beside her and opened a bottle of water, offering it to Anna who took it from him, before grabbing another from the cooler. He settled in next to her.

  Anna’s soft brown hair wrapped in a tight ponytail whipped behind her with the clip of the wind, but it was as if she didn’t care. She lifted her face and smiled.

  She was truly beautiful. How he hadn’t noticed her as a woman for a year seemed improbable now. Respecting boundaries shouldn’t have blindfolded his eyes.

  Leo trusted her, though, which meant on some level he’d seen her true essence. Now he needed to earn her trust and handle his own problems. And let her face her fears while he stood beside her.

  If only he could be as honest with her as she’d been with him and put the Francesca fiasco to rest, so they could move on. “Anna, I do wish I’d have just noticed you last year and not gotten involved with Francesca.”

  Her gaze narrowed as she turned toward him. “What are you saying? What’s going on in your head?”

  His skin buzzed and part of him wished he’d kept his mouth shut. He shouldn’t have told her. He swallowed and stared off at the distant gray clouds. “Nothing but regret for being blind.”

  She gently bumped her shoulder into his. “Well, maybe it was good for us to get to know each other’s quirks without romance as a possibility, though I do admit I used to imagine some illicit late nights.”

  “You’re a good woman, Anna.” He took her hand. “I’m just glad we’re here, together, now. And I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She didn’t blink as she just gazed at him like she trusted him entirely. “Then you won’t.”

  The surety of her words was a dagger in his heart. “It’s that simple?”

  “It doesn’t have to be hard.” She tilted her head. “Let me give some examples to explain myself.”

  His mind raced almost as fast as his pulse while he tried to imagine what she’d say as he hadn’t told her about Francesca’s pregnancy. “You haven’t stated what you’re proving.”

  She held
up a finger and placed her water bottle in the seat beside her. “Give me a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  She checked her bearings and set the boat’s course, then brought her seat closer to him, crossing her calves. “A few months ago you and I went to the children’s hospital to visit cancer patients?”

  He remembered the day where he’d toured the facility treating children with no hair, fighting for their lives. “Yes.”

  She let out a sigh like what she said made complete sense. “You said you wished the parents all had the funds to pay for advanced care and spoke about how you could help.”

  He had to be able to keep Anna and figure out a way to be a good father if he had to be. The problem ran through his mind, but he stayed on topic when he squeezed her hand. “While our hospitals are free to our citizens, advanced care isn’t easy to get in Avce. I wanted to bring awareness so we could improve their situation.”

  Her nod was an agreement that his point made sense. “Right. And a few months before that there was the auction ball where you bought art that you hated but said it was to help children?”

  Thunder rolled in the distance. They needed to head back soon. And this conversation weighted against his shoulders. He ran his hands behind his skull and said, “Right, but I don’t think you understood my question.”

  She lifted her head and said with absolute confidence, “Let me finish.”

  Afterward he’d steer the conversation in a different direction. Hopefully Francesca wasn’t having his child and that she’d found a new man. All would be well then. He traced Anna’s arm. “Okay. What are you saying?”

  She smiled up at him like she knew him and trusted everything about him. “I’m saying I know you have a heart that’s good. I trust we’re on course both in this boat and in our lives where it’s possible we get to be happy.”

  Trust. If only it was that easy. If Anna had his son, he’d never leave her side. And it wasn’t because she was his wife. Unlike any other woman he’d ever met, she… she loved him and cared about his thoughts and listened to him and trusted him. He never wanted to let her down. “I’m not that noble. I wish I was, but I’m not.”