by J. S. Scott
How many times had I wanted to call Nic?
How many times had I wanted to change my mind?
But I didn’t. His safety and his family’s came first, and having me in his life would put everyone at risk.
I heard the ping of my cell phone, reminding me that I hadn’t put it on airplane mode. I pulled it out of my purse, catching a glimpse at the message before I went to switch it to a safe setting for flight.
The message was from Jessica. We’d exchanged numbers before I left her.
Jessica: Diana, where are you? Please don’t leave if you’re still here. Nic was attacked and he’s injured pretty badly. He’s asking for you.
My heart stopped for a moment as I read her message. The thought of Nic being hurt crushed me down to my soul.
“Miss, would you like something to drink before we’re airborne?” a flight attendant asked me politely.
I was the only one on the private jet that I was assuming belonged to one of the royal family. “No,” I answered breathlessly, looking up at the pretty, olive skinned woman. “I have to go. I have to get off the plane.”
“But the princess had this all arranged—”
“She changed her mind,” I interrupted. “Look.”
I held up the phone so the female could look at Jessica’s message. Her hand flew to her mouth with a gasp as she read the words.
“Oh, no! His Highness is injured? Attacked?”
The woman was distraught, but not nearly as much as I was. “I need to get off this plane.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt just as the jet began to move.
“Please,” I squeaked as the plane went into motion.
“Wait,” the female requested. “I’ll take care of it. If Prince Nic needs you, we’ll get you to the hospital.”
She hustled to the front of the plane, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the jet came to halt.
I waited impatiently until the Rubarean pilot and co-pilot joined me in the passenger area with the flight attendant close behind.
“We’ve called a car, Miss Longmont,” the pilot said briskly. “They’ll be here momentarily.”
I stood up on shaky legs. “Thank you,” I answered gratefully.
“Do not thank me,” the pilot insisted. “Prince Nic has always been there for me when I needed him. We were classmates at one time. He helped me get my education. I wouldn’t be in my position if it wasn’t for the royal scholarship fund that he manages.”
“Me, too,” the co-pilot added. “He even watched out for my wife and kids when he knew I was away with Prince Ballasare.”
“This is Ballasare’s jet?” I asked.
“Yes, miss,” the flight attendant added. “But Prince Nic has always been the poor people’s prince. We love Prince Ballasare, but he takes care of all of his people, and he’s destined to be the king. His responsibilities are many. Prince Nic champions those of us who are at a disadvantage, and he does it personally.”
“He’s a very good man, and we couldn’t ask for a better prince to look after the needs of the few who weren’t born to money here in Rubare Virgina. No one goes hungry or cold on his watch,” the co-pilot said emphatically.
The flight attendant nodded. “Even if we weren’t born into money, we thrive because of His Highness.”
I swallowed the huge lump in my throat as I saw the earnest adoration of Prince Nic’s people. These were his citizens, a small group who had nothing but gratitude for the things that Nic had done for them. I was willing to bet there were more. Many more. I’d never had any doubts that what Nic did here for Rubare Virgina was important, but I was getting a chance to see how the things he did really effected lives.
I gave the three citizens a watery smile as I gathered my belongings. “He’ll be okay,” I said aloud. “He has to be.”
“Please take care of him for us,” the flight attendant said grimly.
I nodded. “I will. I promise.”
I flew down the stairs of the jet the minute the pilot had lowered them, then raced to the dark limousine that was waiting for me, jumping into the back without waiting for the driver to open the door. “Please hurry,” I pleaded with the elderly man who had stepped out of the car.
He nodded as though he understood the reason for my haste, which he probably did, and got back into the car and got it in motion faster than somebody his age should be able to manage.
I dialed Jessica’s number the moment the car started to move. “What happened?” I asked when she answered, not even bothering with a greeting.
“Diana. Thank God. Where are you?”
“On the way to the hospital. Is Nic okay?”
My heart galloped as I waited for her answer.
“He’s in surgery right now,” she answered nervously. “He lost a lot of blood. God, it was so awful.”
“Why?” I said in a desperate voice. “Why Nic?”
He championed his more defenseless people. Why would anybody want to hurt a man like Nic?
“Ballasare’s father said it was a warning from the Arcano,” Jessica answered. “Nic’s birthday is only a few days away, and he didn’t announce his choice at the anniversary celebration today. King Heinrich got a note shortly after we arrived at the hospital saying that if Nic didn’t heed their warning, he’d be dead.”
“Oh, God,” I groaned as I leaned back against the leather headrest.
The secret police had intervened. Since Nic hadn’t shown any interest in marrying, they were going to force his hand. It made me angry, but from what I understood, there was very little I could do.
“Are you close?” Jessica asked nervously.
“I don’t know. How far is the hospital from the airport?”
“Fifteen minutes or so.”
“Then I’ll be there soon.”
“Nic should be out of surgery shortly. He’ll want to see you. It will make him feel better to know that you’re here.” Jessica paused before she added, “I told him, Diana. I explained about Alex. I’m sorry, but he had to know.”
I sighed. “It’s okay.”
“I didn’t want to betray your trust, but Nic was completely destroyed that you left. And he said you were a virgin. He said he took your virginity.”
“That’s not possible,” I argued.
“I’ll let him explain. But he sounds pretty certain. He’d never do anything to harm his family, so I think he knows more than we do.”
“He definitely knows more than I do,” I agreed. Nic was very well acquainted with a woman’s body.
“Give him a chance to explain,” Jessica requested.
“I will.” I was pretty sure nothing was going to change my mind about him needing another woman to marry. But right now, all I wanted was to see him, to know he was really going to be okay.
I hung up with Jessica, telling her I should be arriving any time.
They were the longest minutes of my life as I sat there waiting to see if Nic was going to live or die.
CHAPTER 11
Diana
I stayed with Nic for the next few days, unwilling to leave his side before I saw those mesmerizing blue eyes.
The doctors swore that he was going to pull through just fine. Things were a bit rocky right after surgery because Nic had lost so much blood, but he was no longer as white as the sheet that covered him now, and he seemed to be resting comfortably since he was well-sedated with pain medication.
The rest of the royal family had gone home to get some much-needed rest, but I’d planted my ass in a recliner by the bedside, sleeping in small chunks of time when I absolutely couldn’t stay awake.
I’d left Nic once, and I’d paid for that decision when I’d tried to fly home. According to King Heinrich, the Arcano had gotten wind of the plan for me to leave, and since I’d been Nic’s only possibility for marriage, t
hey’d sent out a warning.
I shuddered as I sleepily watched the monitors from my chair, reassured by the steady beat of Nic’s heart.
If nearly killing a prince was a warning, I’d hate to see the Arcano when they were seriously out for blood.
King Heinrich had told me as long as I stayed here, Nic would probably be left alone until he recovered.
But what would happen when I had to leave?
The plan was to find Nic a wife, and then I could quietly slip away. Well, that was King Heinrich’s plan anyway. Ballasare and Jessica swore that Nic wasn’t going to accept any other bride except me. They thought Nic had more information than I did, but they thought wrong.
I had never told him about Alex.
I knew I’d been with Alex that night. My memories were hazy, but I remembered him kissing me as we entered my hotel room. Maybe Nic was a big man, and maybe I’d been inexperienced. But I had been no virgin when the prince had set my body on fire.
“Diana?”
Nic’s husky, raspy voice had me on feet almost instantly. “Nic,” I whispered, my eyes flooding with tears as he opened those incredible eyes and pinned me as I stood beside his bed.
I stroked his cheek gently. “Don’t try to speak. You’ve been sedated. Just rest.”
He didn’t listen. “You’re here. I thought you left.”
“I came back.”
“Good. I need you,” he said contentedly.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know the Arcano would try to hurt you when they found out I was leaving,” I said in a broken voice.
“Then don’t try to leave me anymore,” he answered with a small grin.
“I love you, Nic. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you, but I hated myself when I thought something might happen to you and you never knew,” I said in a breathless voice.
He reached out his hand, and I grasped it with mine, wishing I never had to let go. “I should have told you that I loved you, too,” he said hoarsely. “I’m an idiot for not telling you sooner. I think I fell for you almost from the first day we met.”
My heart twisted painfully. “We can’t marry, Nic. I love you, but for your family and your country, you need to take a wife. Next time the Arcano might very well kill you.”
“Oh, we’re marrying sweetheart,” he contradicted.
He looked weary, but otherwise seemed to be coherent. “Not possible. Jessica said she told you everything.”
“She did.”
“So how can you not think the situation isn’t a threat to your family?”
He squeezed my hand. “Because you were a virgin the night I made love to you, Diana. I wiped the blood up after you went to sleep. I would stake my life on the fact that you were untouched before I claimed you.”
“But Alex…”
“There is no Alex,” Nic said patiently. “There’s only me. It’s always been me.”
“I wish it had been, but there was an Alex,” I said stoically.
“Diana, I fell in love with you the moment you tripped down the stairs and into my arms. My name is Niccolino Alexander Demande. Alex is my middle name. I didn’t want to go to the ball as myself that night, so I adopted a different persona. I’ve done it before when I wanted to see the world after I’d finished up my business in other countries. I blend in. I hide. I do everything I can not to be recognized. Sometimes I just want to be another party guest and not a prince.” He sounded winded and tired after his confession.
“You were Alex?” I asked, stunned. How was that possible? “His hair was blond, and his eyes were dark.”
“Rinse out hair color and colored contacts,” he replied. “Since I wanted to avoid notice when I was on business, I learned a lot of tricks to disguise myself. Are you convinced now? If not, I can tell you almost everything that we talked about that night.”
“Yes, I’m convinced,” I answered simply.
I searched my brain for our conversations and interactions at the ball. Honestly, now that he’d told me and I believed him, it was difficult not to be aware of feeling exactly that same way about this man, no matter what persona he donned.
I’d been attracted to Alex.
I was attracted to Nic.
There hadn’t been a single man who made me feel those kinds of emotions during the entire twenty-four years that I’d been on Earth. How had I not guessed that Alex and Nic were one and the same?
“You came to my hotel room after the ball,” I reminded him.
“I did. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I kissed you and you passed out. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one,” he joked lightly.
“That’s why I don’t remember having sex,” I said in a loud whisper.
“You don’t remember because it didn’t happen. We had fun together, but I’m not…a jerk,” he said, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. “I don’t make it a habit of having sex with an unconscious female. I wanted you willing or not at all.”
I was still trying to absorb what Nic was saying, and all that it meant. “Why didn’t you tell me when we met the next morning?”
“I was hoping I could improve your opinion of royalty before I confessed. I never knew that you’d assumed we’d been intimate or I would have told you immediately. I thought you’d just forget about Alex and you’d start to see me.”
“I always saw you,” I admitted.
When I thought back to how I’d spoken to Alex about the prince, I might be able to understand why he hadn’t outed himself. Since I was willing to sleep with whoever talked to me at the ball, I guess I painted a pretty bad picture about how much I didn’t want to be with Prince Nic.
But he could have told me later, after we’d gotten to know each other. “Why didn’t you tell me later?”
“I honestly didn’t see it as anything important anymore. Alex disappeared and we connected very quickly. I wasn’t even sure you remembered much of that night, so I decided to wait until you mentioned it. Other than the kiss, it was pretty innocent.”
“I didn’t think it was,” I reminded him. “I thought I’d given my virginity away to an unknown man who I liked but would never see again. You said to enjoy the island in your note, so I assumed the deed was done.”
“I said that because I knew I’d find you the next morning. I’m sorry, Diana. I really am. If I had known that you were waiting for me at the ball, I would have gladly come as myself. But my father arranged everything, and I was angry with him. I didn’t think I could possibly meet anybody I was crazy about at an event that had been rigged to bring me in contact with a suitable bride.”
“But you stilled showed up.”
“I did. I knew it was my duty to be there, but I didn’t want people to just see a wealthy prince.”
“I don’t care about your money. I’m already rich.”
“I know,” he muttered. “That made it difficult to impress you.”
“Oh, I was impressed,” I corrected him. “But it wasn’t your money or your title, and I’d just as soon not be a princess. But I started to understand that this country and your responsibilities are part of who you are.”
“So can you possibly be a princess, even though you don’t really want the title?”
I shrugged. “I’ll think about it. Maybe once I’m over the fact that you duped me.”
He grinned up at me. “I’ll make it up to you, and I’ll make it worth your sacrifice. I promise.”
He looked worn out, but so incredibly…alive. Knowing how close I’d just come to losing him terrified me.
“Rest,” I demanded. “That’s enough talk for now.”
He yawned. “You look tired, love. Have you slept?”
His concern for me, when he himself was in a lot of pain, touched me. “I’m fine. I don’t want to leave.”
“Kiss me,” he demanded. “Then go back
to my place and sleep.”
I smiled weakly. His place was actually a very large castle that extended over an enormous amount of acreage.
I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I doubt they’d let me in,” I teased.
“They will let you in,” he answered. “It’s your home now, too.”
I stroked a lock of hair from his forehead. “Go to sleep and don’t worry about me. I’ve been just fine where I am for the last few days.”
“Have I been out that long?” he asked in a concerned tone.
“Yes. Your birthday is the day after tomorrow.”
“Then they better let me the hell out of here,” he mumbled. “And kiss me like you mean it. That wasn’t a proper kiss.”
I watched as his eyes fluttered closed. I knew from his slurred speech that he couldn’t stay awake any longer.
Kiss me like you mean it?
I smiled as I looked down at his sleeping form. There weren’t going to be kisses like that for some time. Nic had healing to do, and I didn’t want to do anything to hold back his full recovery.
But we were going to get married.
I wasn’t completely over the fact that Nic hadn’t come clean about Alex, but I guess I understood why he hadn’t. The only reason I occasionally thought about Alex after I’d met Nic was because I’d slept with him, which ruined my chances of being Nic’s wife. Had I known the situation for what it had been, I would have considered it a fun interlude with a nice guy.
I sighed as I pulled my hand from his, trying not to wake him, then plopped back into my chair. No way was I going to his castle. I wanted to be here every time he woke up in case he needed me.
Grabbing my purse from the chair next to the recliner, I pulled it out and dialed Jessica.
There was going to be a wedding, and I wanted it announced as soon as possible. King Heinrich could make the announcement while Jessica and I planned a wedding from Nic’s room in the hospital. Maybe it wasn’t the way royalty usually married, but it was going to be necessary to keep the Arcano happy.
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I looked at a defenseless Nic in the hospital bed, the left side of his chest and shoulder completely bandaged.
