She tugged his hand to make him stop. He did, taking her other hand in his, holding them to his chest. His muscles blocked the wind of the night air, but she leaned up and stood on her tiptoes so only he heard her. "Marco, why are we making the rounds to talk to everyone?" Why didn’t he correct them when they assumed she would be his princess?
She could feel the beat of his heart. "I want you to see that the people in my parents’ kingdom are kind and pleasant. Every-day folks and nobody to be afraid of."
So, this was about her running. She’d been a fool. She closed her eyes, banishing the panic that had caused her to flee. The note was still in her back pocket. He wanted her to see that she could have a life here, unafraid. But what did that look like? "Marco, I'm a school teacher. How can I help you or your family?
He blinked and stared at her like she spoke another language. "I don’t understand."
She nodded at him with encouragement. Where did he see her in his daily life? "I need you to answer."
He studied her face intently, her hands against his heart. "Why would you need to help with anything?"
She squeezed his palms. The idea of being a guest with nothing to do, no purpose, filled her with dread. "I'm not the type of woman who can just stay home. In a castle, you have people who take care of your cooking and cleaning, and honestly, I can’t even bake—so where do I fit in?"
He tapped her knuckles slightly, his brow furrowed as he considered her words. "You teach history?"
"Yes, pretty useless in a country older than America." She shrugged. "But I enjoy working."
He nodded, then smiled. "I do have this idea, about a tourist industry?"
An industry sounded much larger than managing a class of fun-loving smart teens in an AP class. A voice in her head questioned if she was good enough for something like that, but she quieted it. "So you want my opinion on how to rebuild tourism?"
"I like history, though it was never my favorite subject. But we are surrounded with ancient ruins and legends. You would be perfect for putting together interesting facts in a fun way."
She nodded. It would be bringing history to life, and that did appeal to her.
He kissed her beneath the moonlight. "You can handle the whole project if you like. I'm sure my parents would be thrilled someone in the family took an interest."
Well, she’d asked for it. The thrill of creating something new made her smile. "Okay, I'll look into it."
"Now come." Marco led her to the other side of the ferry where an older man smoked a cigarette. He lowered it when they walked over to him. Marco said, "This is Jack, a local fisherman."
The older man’s bright smile showed all his crooked teeth. "Your bride is even more beautiful than the television made her out to be, Your Highness."
"I agree," Marco answered with pride.
She wasn't a bride. They weren't in love. Lust wasn't love, but the yearning inside her to be with him was more than just casual. She wasn't sure what to say. With a nod, she replied, "A pleasure to meet you, Jack."
Marco brought her back to his motorcycle as the ferry docked. He handed her a helmet. "The people on the ferry were nice." As soon as they had privacy, she would make him promise to start correcting people. There was nothing wrong with her being a girlfriend.
The final heave of the ferry caught their attention and she quickly put on her helmet.
"Climb on." Marco slid onto his motorcycle and held out his hand for her to join him. His touch ignited immediate lust. How was she supposed to separate feelings from desire? He started his engine. "I want to take you to where we'll spend the rest of our lives."
"If we get married," she said quietly while he rolled off the ferry.
"I like the word when better in that sentence." He revved the engines to go faster.
"Marco..." He raced down the empty dock and onto the street. No more conversation was possible, so she held tight, memorizing every ripple of muscle in his sculpted chest while he sped faster up a never-ending hill that must end at the castle in the distance. Desire grew as she held onto him.
Finally, he rode into a driveway, past the metal gates that closed behind them. He slowed down and said, "I can hear you thinking. Wait until we get inside."
She dismounted and gazed up at the medieval castle with white walls and blue slanted roots and the cliff they were on that overlooked the Mediterranean. In the morning, this view would be breathtaking, but the moonlight on the dark waters already stirred her imagination. He came behind her and she turned to walk beside him. "This is your castle?"
He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Mine, when I get married technically, so it would be ours. Every so often I come and visit the South Castle. Here we're surrounded by water and everyone who lives here knows each other."
"I see that." She listened to her heart that whispered it was okay to believe in love at first sight and to trust in Marco’s affection. If she truly belonged with Marco, then everything should be natural and good.
He took her hand and guided her toward the edge where they could look down at the Mediterranean far below them. She resisted so close to the ledge, and he tugged her arm. "Come see the view."
"It's spectacular." She held her ground. Heights weren't her thing and her gut told her if she looked down, she'd freeze. He must realize she was not the best candidate for wife.
He returned to her side without pressing further and they walked toward his castle door, arm-in-arm. As the doors opened, she hugged him closer and tugged him into the side room, to have a private conversation. The moment they entered, she squared her shoulders. "Marco, I'm sorry I ran scared. The moment I was on the plane, I realized I made a huge mistake. I was so happy you came for me. I didn't want to go."
He closed the doors. A fireplace roared and she felt the tips of her fingers and toes began to lose the light frost of the night air.
Marco knelt down. "Renee, we can live here, together, and be happy, if you’d have me. I want you in my life forever. Marry me."
Her limbs shook and it wasn't from the slight cold because electricity coursed through her. She tugged his arms for him to stand and he did. "I know I shouldn't care about anything other than you and me. Along the way I fell in love with you and I can't shake the feeling. All it does is grow and this feeling scares me slightly when I try to ignore it. I want to believe in happily-ever-after, love at first sight, and not care what anyone thinks or says."
"What is keeping you from that?"
On the golf course, her father scuffed his heel and told his friends that she was never going to be a success like Neil. "I wish my parents for once gave me their blessing."
"Consider it done," he said.
She shook her head. There was no way he understood the magnitude of his task. Blood drained from her face as she imagined poor Marco being cut down by her parents. "You don't know them."
He winked like he had everything under control. "I'll have them meet my parents tomorrow, and they will get the royal treatment."
"I don’t know…" She wondered if she wanted the wrong thing. Perhaps it was best to keep Marco's world separate from her parents. The last thing she needed was for Marco to lose face over this and her parents were like statues that never changed their minds. But with him, she’d have to get married without their blessing.
He held her hand and his gaze felt like it penetrated her soul. "I love you, too."
Instantly she forgot everything else. His lips met hers and she was lost in his arms. All she wanted was to stay with him, forever. She kissed him back with every part of her body and soul. Marriage would be right. The only thing this night truly proved was that they both loved each other. It should be enough. It had to be.
16
The next morning, Renee woke up naked and in Marco's arms. Outside the window, the brightness of the day bloomed.
And they were truly alone, in a place that was almost too big to be her future home. Her body ached from where he’d touched her last night, and she was
tempted to stay in bed.
Her mind wouldn’t rest, too curious about this place in the daylight. She sat up slowly, so as not to wake Marco, and studied the room.
The white sheets, white furniture, and white marble floor made everything gleam with elegance. It would be too bright, but the sea blue trim on the walls and frescoes brought warmth.
Marco woke up, stretched, and asked, "What's going on?"
"Good morning." She glanced at him and how casually he lay naked on the bed. His slight scruff that he’d shave off soon just made her heart beat a little faster. He was so sexy in the morning. She quickly stood, comfortable now in her own nudity. "I'm curious about your castle."
He followed her, his hand brushing against her bare skin, igniting a spark of desire. Marco said, "Let me get dressed and give you the tour."
"Perfect." But part of Renee wanted nothing more than to return to their bed, again. Every second they were together, the feeling of desire and raw lust inside her grew, which was funny because until she’d met Marco, she wasn't ever this needy.
Instead of sharing her feelings, she hopped in the shower. Marco followed her into the bathroom, and goose bumps raised on her skin as she wondered if he'd take her again. He walked into the shower and turned on another shower head above his head, less than a foot from her.
She turned and watched the water cascade down his hard, muscular body. If she stayed here, right now, she'd be the one to drag him to bed and have her way with him. At this rate, she’d never see the castle…she caressed his trim abs and left the shower to dress.
Waiting for Marco, Renee straightened the sheets and comforter on the bed, humming as she worked.
Marco joined her and made no mention of servants.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes, tell me about your palace." She took his offered hand and they went into the hall.
"The South Castle was built as a family retreat in the fourteenth century, though we renovated it a few times to add things like running water over the years."
"I loved the shower." And him, in it. As they walked, she noted more blue-green trim.
He opened the next bedroom and showed her one that was similar to theirs. "We have sixteen bedrooms and four tower rooms that can be used as bedrooms or anything else you like."
Naturally the castle might house multiple people, or even families. She shrugged though her stomach flipped. "And the ballroom?"
"Smaller than my parents’. It holds about three hundred, though we only open that at Christmas here for the locals to have a celebration."
He walked her to the massive stairs where blue-green carpet runners covered polished redwood. At the top of the stairs hung a massive crystal chandelier.
This castle was out of this world, gorgeous. All of this could be hers. She clutched her stomach as they descended the stairs. "So, why do you get this place when you marry?"
They stopped near a huge window. He opened it and she stared out at the Mediterranean Sea, entranced by the blue richness of the color. "Lucio gets the mountain castle to raise his family, which is fine by me. I've always loved the ocean." Marco tugged her chin so she looked at him. "You'd be safe here."
On an island, they'd know everyone's name, even those just here to visit, but it wasn't the logic of his words that caught her attention. It was his arm that stayed on her shoulders. If she stayed, he'd hold her, forever, and that felt good. She sighed and met his gaze. "Marco, you don't have to call my parents. I'll marry you without their approval."
He massaged her lower back. "Don't worry about this. I promise they will give you their blessing though when I called to arrange their flights here to meet them in person, they said they needed a month."
He had no idea what herculean task he took on. Her parents never changed. She felt her heart thump in her chest. "I know them. If they don't..."
"Relax and enjoy." He interrupted her negative thoughts. "We can stay here for a month and when they’re ready, we'll head back to the mainland, and deal with parents and relatives. We’ll consider this a pre-honeymoon, if you like, because for right now, it's just the two of us."
"Okay." She prayed she could just have fun without the threat of seeing her parent’s reaction to his flashy, lavish lifestyle.
He walked her down the stairs and threw open the veranda doors. She imagined herself sitting on the ledge and taking in the sea air while she relaxed in the shade.
Marco guided her down the cliff, the steps leading to the docks and to what must be his yacht. "Now, at this country club of yours, did they have you host anything?"
In her parents’ circle, they still thought of her as the poor unfortunate girl with bad judgment. In Miami, she was at least seen as capable. She shook her head. "Not really. But I learned management skills in my classroom." She turned to face him and the sea air tossed her hair around wildly. "So what hosting do you need me to do?"
He winked at her. "Well it would be nice to give the locals a more upscale pageant when you're the princess."
Princess sounded like they were discussing a job in the newspaper that morning and not her future. She laughed. "Sometimes, I think we're talking about someone else, someone who is not me."
He crossed his arms. "Why?"
Right. This was too new, but she swallowed, stopped laughing and placed her hand on his heart. "I feel like two separate people and part of me wonders when I'll wake up from this dream."
He put his hand on top of hers to keep her with him and turned, like they were dancing. "So you do want to marry a prince?"
She nodded and followed his lead. "Since you asked so nicely, yes. But before I met you, I was sure I was going to turn out just as my parents expected."
His gaze still had the incredible, he didn't believe her blink. Soon he'd see for himself. "And a princess is a bad choice for them?"
She closed her eyes, smelled the fresh sea and listened to her heart while she mimicked her father's tone. "It gives them a false sense of entitlement for the family."
"Hmm." He spun her around and caught her off guard. "I might have to go to this Country Club of yours and see it for myself."
"It’s not mine." Her parents were unique and not the same as the other members. She shrugged, placed her hand on his shoulder and danced again. "I'm sure every other member and their families would love you. Mine are the special ones."
"And what does your brother do for a living?"
Neil was the perfect son. He did everything just the way they liked and never made a mistake. She hugged Marco's shoulder closer to her head so she could lean on him. "He's an accountant, like my father."
A shadow passed over them and they stopped to look up. Renee leaned against the marble stones of the ledge and stared higher to see what was now on the balcony they’d just left. "What's Henri doing up there? I thought he worked inside the castle."
"Let's go find out." Marco took her hand. "Anise, your maid in my parent's house, is his sister. I was having her background check run after yesterday."
"Good, because she was tied up in my room and then wanted to clean everything."
"She never mentioned that."
There was no way Anise tied herself up in her room, but Renee kept her lips sealed. Perhaps there was a connection. Henri had a smooth smile had made her suspicious—though he was probably not guilty of anything more than being a player.
As they made their way up the marble steps, Renee told Marco, "I believe that love knows no boundaries or class system. But I know from research that Europeans who grow up in England can be more strict when it comes to class and rank. What’s the score of that in Avce?"
"People are class-conscious, but since you’re foreign born and best friends with the new princess, it’s not a problem for you."
"I can't wait to marry you."
"Good, because I love you too," Marco said.
She didn’t get tired of hearing that. They turned the corner and Renee saw a breakfast table set up for the two of them, complete
with hot coffee and tea. Renee shook her head. She shouldn't have suspected Henri. Her feelings were known to be wrong in the past.
She followed Marco to the breakfast table and relaxed. Today was a perfect day. Nothing could go wrong now.
17
The moment Renee finished eating, her stomach stirred. Today was the day her parents came to Avce and they’d head back to the mainland soon. She glanced at the double doors in the middle of the veranda and assumed it led to the ballroom they'd discussed earlier. This month in Avce had flown by, though it was still the heat of summer.
She asked, "Can we go in and see?"
Marco had no objection. He finished his last bit of coffee and dropped his napkin on the table. Henri would clean up after them. "Also, do castle servants get days off or is this a seven day a week job?"
"I would compare our castle staff with hotel staff in any country, with benefits like vacation time. Most are full time with two days off, but we have part-timers too."
He opened the ballroom door. Renee half expected to be wowed from the enormous chandelier like in the cartoons when she entered the room, but she laughed. Rows upon rows of wedding gowns greeted them, half stealing the limelight from any chandelier, which illuminated nicely. Her face must have given her away because he walked over to her and placed his hand on the small of her back. "Renee, what's wrong?"
"I didn’t know we’d have all these dresses like in your mother’s house." She pulled away and then paced. "Please send a note to your mother that we are getting married and once I go through these, we’ll tell her what dress I want."
Marcus paused. "You don't have to."
"Yes, I do," she said. Something was off inside her, but she didn’t know what it was. She tried to brush off the thought and focus on the task. "And it will be easier to focus in your mother's with this done. I want all our attention on my parents."
"I'll grab my laptop in the library. Meet me there when you're done with the dresses? It's across the hall." He led her to the next doors that he flung open. "I want to take you to the village on this island when you’re through."
Forbidden Prince (Princes of Avce Book 2) Page 9
