by Jeannie Moon
His good deed was done and there was no reason for him to stay around. If Josie came fully awake, he was sure there would be hell to pay. His goal for tomorrow was not to antagonize her. If he could manage that, maybe they could get on even footing. It would be a start.
A vibration deep in the pocket of his shorts had him grabbing for his phone. Noting the caller ID, this was one call from home he could answer.
“Hey, what are you doing up so early?” It was six in the morning in Marinbourg, and his sister wasn’t known to be an early riser.
“I had to call before the rest of the house woke up. How are you, Tony? Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, Marie. As I said, I’m at a friend’s home. Actually, do you remember Nick DeMarco?”
“Do I remember him? I practically swooned at his feet.” Marie Therese was a surprise his parents never expected. Ten years younger than he was, she was irreverent, brilliant, and beautiful. She could play their father like a pro, something he had never mastered.
“His sister, Josephine, lives in Florida. A small community on the west coast. Very nice. I walk out of my room right onto the beach.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Marie remembered. “The poor girl who was mistakenly drawn into that betrothal scandal a few years ago. How is she? The house sounds fantastic. Can I come visit? Father is insufferable. I don’t know if he’s angrier at you, Astrid, or the press.”
“Me, for now,” Tony growled. “Ultimately, he’s going to call Astrid’s whole family on the carpet for her behavior.”
“Astrid doesn’t care. Taking those photos was more about getting back at her own father than you. You were just an easy target.”
“I suppose.” Flipping the light on in his room, Tony walked to the large glass door that led to the Gulf. A bright full moon reflected off the water, making the whole beach glow in blue light. “I’ve been thinking I should get back. Deal with any fallout in person. Confront the press.”
“That could go both ways, but it’s up to you, of course. It’s not your fault.”
As much as Tony knew this, it never seemed to matter. “Tell Father that.”
There was a break in the conversation as they both regrouped. His sister knew the ‘fallout’ Tony referred to didn’t necessarily have to do with the photos. It was about finding him a suitable wife, taking his rightful place in court; basically, waiting for his father to die. Tony had been fighting off one arranged marriage after another, and insulting the daughters of several European royal families in the process. Currently, there was a duchess waiting for a proposal and a ring. She was going to be waiting a very long time.
“So is Josephine Nick’s older sister? I’ve forgotten.”
“No, Josie is younger. She’s about twenty-eight.” He should have avoided the topic. The minute he gave details, he knew he was in for it.
“Really?” His sister’s tone was the stuff of adolescence. “She’s attractive, I’m assuming? The good looks surely didn’t stop with Nick.”
He couldn’t give himself away on this, but he wasn’t going to lie. “She’s quite pretty. Smart. Lovely. It was very nice of her to let me stay here.”
“And you two are still…friends?”
The directness of the question made him hesitate, but once again, he couldn’t lie even though it would be easier. “Yes. Friends.”
“How does she feel about hosting a prince? I mean, royalty in her house…”
“We haven’t really discussed it, but this is the United States. If I was Harry Wales, it might be different,” he snapped. Other than her acknowledgement of his title, his status hadn’t come up. Josie had avoided talking to him, pretty much. “Anyway, enough about Josie.”
“Tony, is there something I should know about Josie? She seems to be a bit of a sore spot for you.” His sister had an uncanny ability to read him, even if she wasn’t in the same room. Or on the same continent, for that matter.
“There’s a history. But I don’t want to get into it.”
There was more silence. No doubt his sister trying to figure out what this all meant.
“You care for her,” she said matter-of-factly. “Don’t you? The gossip rags were onto something a few years ago, weren’t they?”
Of course he did. But should he bring his sister into his confidence? Tell her everything?
Not yet.
“I do, but I’m not prepared to give you details. Suffice it to say, things didn’t go well for us. It was my fault.”
“Admitting fault isn’t like you,” Marie teased. “She must be quite special.”
“I’m going to try to sleep. Thank you for checking in with me, Love. Tell Father and Mother, and the prime minister, that I’m fine and I’ll be home soon to deal with the press regarding Astrid’s stunt”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. I understand Father is angry, but I do feel his advisors are right. This will settle down faster if I stay out of sight. Not giving Astrid any attention will make it less likely she’ll try anything again.”
“I’ll tell them, but they still want you to come home, Anton. I want you to come home. We all miss you.”
“I know. I’ll speak to you soon. Goodnight, Marie.”
Josie awoke with a start, trying to remember everything that had gone down the night before. Nick left, Tony was getting a car, she drank wine, Lila came over, there was more wine.
Shit, no wonder her head was pounding and her mouth felt fuzzy. “God, what was I thinking?”
Thankfully, she didn’t feel sick, but she didn’t have any memory of Lila leaving or going to bed. All she remembered was a very strange dream…that probably wasn’t a dream.
Tony brought her to bed. She remembered the feel of his arms, the warmth of his body, and waking just a bit as he settled her onto the mattress. Even now, just thinking about being held, her skin tingled, her heart raced. And deep inside, a tiny part of her wished he’d stayed.
Now she was going to have to face him.
For the first time since he left, Josie had spilled her heart out to someone. She told her friend everything, from how she’d met Tony, to the friendship that turned very serious, to his leaving. Josie relived the heartbreak in shattering detail. Usually upbeat, Lila didn’t know what to say or do, and Josie felt bad for dumping it all on her the way she did.
She needed to shower, brush her teeth, and make herself somewhat presentable. Stepping outside of her room would be impossible if Tony knew how much he still affected her.
Staring at herself in the bathroom mirror, eyes swollen, skin pale, she looked like the walking dead. Maybe if she went out there like this, it might scare him away.
A hot shower and clean clothes did wonders for the hangover, but nothing for how her insides were on perpetual meltdown. She felt like one of her fifteen-year-old students in the throes of a romantic crisis. And Josie hadn’t liked being fifteen when she was fifteen.
“Three deep breaths, Josie. Just breathe.” Trying to follow her own advice wasn’t working, but she couldn’t hide in her bedroom all day, either. It was her house, and she had things to do. Prince Anton could go to blazes.
Just as she was about to walk out of her room, her cell buzzed. A text.
Lila.
How are you?
I’ve been better. Did you talk to him much? Hopefully she hadn’t.
Just told him that you were stressed. Had a little too much to drink. End-of-school-year decompression.
What a friend. She was probably lying—Lila had almost no filter—but there was no way to prove it. He carried me to bed! I woke up when he put me down, but honestly I thought I was dreaming.
I got a good look at him when he got back to the house. That man is a dream walking. Talk about a handsome prince. I can’t believe you never told anyone about him.
I couldn’t. I still don’t know how I’m going to deal with him in my house.
You will. Somehow you will.
I have to eat something. I’ll talk
to you later.
Josie wanted nothing more than to head to the water for a swim, but it was gray and rainy, so instead she donned a hoodie and readied herself for Tony.
The house was so quiet she could hear the surf, and for a minute she thought he might still be asleep, but then the smell of coffee hit her nostrils. Just the aroma helped clear the fog in her brain, and all at once Josie realized there was no way to hide from this anymore. It was time to face the day.
Anton was standing in the kitchen, scrolling through his phone and sipping a cup of coffee. He wore a pair of blue knit pants and a plain white t-shirt. His feet were bare and a day’s growth of beard shadowed his jaw. He could have been a businessman, a teacher, or a doctor just checking the scores before he went to work.
In that moment, the man leaning his hip against the counter wasn’t royal, he was just the man she fell in love with. Except that he was royal. Which was the reason she could never have him.
When he looked up and saw her there, Tony drew a breath. It was more than Josie had been able to do since he’d arrived. “Morning,” she croaked out.
“Good morning,” he replied, setting his cup on the counter. “How are you feeling?”
God, this was awkward. “Um, okay. A little fuzzy, but not as bad as I could feel.”
“You were really out when I got back.” An amused grin played at his lips, brightening his entire face.
“You carried me to bed?”
He froze. Nodded. “I couldn’t leave you out there on the couch.”
“No? Why?”
“I don’t know. It didn’t seem right. Are you angry?”
Looking away, she wasn’t sure. “I don’t think so. It’s just…odd. Having you here, and… I don’t even know what to say to you. I’ll be fine, but it’s weird.”
“Josie, I’m the same man you knew. I swear, I haven’t changed much.”
That pretty much said it all. Taking a mug from the cabinet, she poured herself some coffee and put in enough cream that the liquid muted to a soft light brown. “Not changing is a problem, you know? All things considered.”
“I guess I deserved that.”
Watching him pace the kitchen, Josie got to appreciate the muscles in his body moving and flexing under the knit fabric. He was tense, unsure, totally out of his wheelhouse. But he still made her want like no one else. If he gave her a little nudge, she’d be in bed with him. No hesitation.
Proving, once again, that he shouldn’t be staying with her. Clearly she couldn’t be trusted with him.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“Excuse me?”
Without hesitation, Tony took the cup from her hand, leaned forward, and crowded her personal space. Josie’s senses went on overload. He was big, strong, and his scent embraced her like the water in the gulf on an open water swim.
“Tell me what’s on your mind. Whatever it is. Get it off your chest.”
The accent was still a killer for her, especially paired with his deep, resonant voice, but it was the challenge that cut to the core. He wanted to know what she was thinking? How could she possibly tell him without opening herself up to more hurt?
“I can’t. No.”
There was no warning when he reached out and grabbed her hand, closing his warm fingers around hers and pulling her close. “Why? I want you to tell me what’s hurting, Josie. I deserve it. Let me have it.”
“No. I can’t. It’s too…”
“Too what?” He wasn’t letting go of her hand, and she was starting to forget why she thought boundaries were necessary. “Josie,” he said. “There was never anything we couldn’t tell one another.”
That did it. “Are you serious? You didn’t tell me who you were. You left the most important piece of your identity out of our relationship.”
“My title?”
“Yes! That title connects you to everything important in your life, and it represents all the reasons we couldn’t be together. Your family. Your country. Your job. This is who you are, and you told me nothing. You lied to me. After everything we talked about, our future, having a family—I thought—I mean—” He was going to be with her for weeks, she couldn’t lose it on the first day.
“I didn’t tell you any lies. I wanted us to be together,” he said firmly.
“Oh, come on—”
“But I should have told you everything,” he cut her off.
“You’re splitting hairs.”
He looked away, trying to muster a defense. “You’re right. I should have told you, but I meant every word I uttered to you; thinking about it now, if I had told you, it probably would have changed your mind about getting involved with me.”
Would she have changed her mind? Or was the pull of him that powerful?
“No. It probably wouldn’t have changed anything. I wanted you, and even forewarned I wouldn’t have cared.” That was a realization, even to her. Wiggling her fingers free, Josie reclaimed her hand. It didn’t help much. When Tony touched her, the sensations lingered. “But we can’t revisit what we had. It’s just not possible. I don’t know how we’re going to do this.”
“Say the word, and I’ll leave.”
She didn’t want him to leave, which made her sadly pathetic. And weak. And still so totally in love with the man who had made her feel like the center of the universe, she ached from it.
Yep. Pathetic.
“I made a promise to my brother, so you can stay. That’s the only reason. But respect my space. Even if that means leaving me asleep on the couch.”
The gauntlet had been thrown down, and as much as Tony liked to call the shots, he realized Josie was in charge here. “Understood.”
“Good. I’m going to run to town. Do you need anything?”
“May I come along?”
God, he was pushy. “Are you not hearing me? We’re at day one. Give me a little time, okay?”
“Of course. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Looking more than a little frustrated, Tony grumbled and growled something about taking a shower, then left her alone in the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, Josie supported herself against the counter, her knees giving way to the stress. It was going to be a long few weeks.
Lila was getting a text.
Meet me for lunch?
Sure. Lila’s reply was quick. SOB at 12:30?
See you there.
South of the Border, lovingly known as SOB, was an island hideaway known only to residents of Mimosa. Lacking a sign, a menu, and the all-important bar, kept it off the tourist radar, and that was just the way the locals liked it. When Josie arrived, Lila was already seated, sipping sweet tea and chatting with the person at the next table.
Her friend was a stunner. Tall, blonde, with legs to her neck and a bucketful of Southern girl charm and sass, she was the only one who knew exactly what kind of trouble Josie was in. Truth be told, she didn’t even know if Lila fully understood how seriously she felt about Prince Anton.
Taking the chair opposite Lila, Josie’s heart was in her throat. The past twenty-four hours had reawakened so many buried feelings. With Tony back in her life, even temporarily, she couldn’t think straight. Her heart and body wanted to forgive him, even though she knew that would only expose her to deeper pain down the road.
“Am I out of my mind?” Josie asked.
Lila took a long sip of her tea, folding her arms on the table to consider Josie’s question. “Well, darlin’, if you’re asking, probably not.”
“I’m losing it. I have no control where he’s concerned. It’s horrible.”
“For what it’s worth, I do think he still cares for you. He was ready to leave last night when he saw you’d gone and gotten yourself all drunk.”
“What an ego…” she snarled. “He just assumed he was the reason I drank all that wine.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake. It was. He’s not stupid.” Lila shook her head.
But when she refused to mak
e eye contact, Josie knew she wasn’t getting the whole story. Not at all. “Go ahead, let me have it.”
“Call it a gut instinct, but I think his feelings run pretty deep,” she drawled.
“Had a conversation with him, did you?”
“Of course I did! What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t? Josie, I hate seeing you like this…”
“What. Did. You. Talk. About?”
Lila folded her arms, defiant. “It wasn’t much, but don’t be surprised if he makes a move on you.”
“Great.”
“It could be. I was thinking about the way he looked at you when you were asleep. He still loves you, Josie. Mistakes and all. And I get the sense he’s a man who goes after what he wants.”
“I don’t know. He had me, and he left.” Realizing how that sounded, she took a breath before continuing. “I did some research on Tony and his family. Profiled him, if you will.”
“Such a psychologist.”
“The royal family in Marinbourg is one of the oldest continual lines in Europe. King Edward, Tony’s father, is beloved. He has a very good relationship with the Prime Minister and the Parliament, and keeps the Royal Family’s house in order.”
“So, daddy’s a control freak, Tony’s the rebellious prince, and you were his middle finger to the palace? Is that it?”
“No.” Josie laughed at Lila’s assessment. “I wish it were that simple. Tony has been a model heir. He’s gone to the best schools and done well, he served in the military with honor, he works as a liaison between the Minister of Commerce and businesses around the world. He’s handsome, cultured, and charming. But whom he marries is not solely his decision. Tony doesn’t want an arrangement, but he’s a rule follower and he has a hard time bucking the establishment.
“In his mind, he kept his identity secret to protect me from the circus. But I think he didn’t want to put in the effort to keep up a relationship that didn’t have the King’s approval.”
“So, now he’s dropped back into your life, and everything you ever felt is bubbling right up, including all that unresolved anger.”
“Pretty much.”
