by Jeannie Moon
“Like Astrid?”
“Anton, there’s no need to be antagonistic.”
“Father, I love Josie. And I’m going to marry her with, or without, your blessing.”
“You’d do that? Tear your family apart over this American?”
“It’s not me. It’s you who will be making the choice. Please let me know if this is your final word. I’ll contact the Prime Minister about renouncing my title.”
“You will do no such thing!” Now his father was angry. “You’d give up your legacy, your life, for a woman? There are consequences, you know!”
His father didn’t—couldn’t—understand, because it wasn’t something he’d ever had to face. He’d accepted his arranged marriage. Tony’s mother was a good match, but his father had never had to walk away from the woman he loved. Anton had tried to forget about Josie, but he just couldn’t do it.
“Father,” he stood, pacing the room as he composed his thoughts. “I will marry Josie, and consequences be damned. I’ll abdicate, and move to New York permanently. You won’t ever have to deal with us. Marie will make a wonderful queen.”
“Anton.” His father took an audible breath. “Please think about this carefully. This will change your whole life.”
“Yes, it will. I suggest you think about it, as well. And please let Mother know. I’m sure she’ll have her own set of concerns for you.”
His mother would be concerned about her future grandchildren, and if she would ever see them. It would have absolutely nothing to do with the line of succession.
“Call me day after tomorrow, Anton. We’ll talk again. Hopefully, you’ll come to your senses.”
“Have a good day, Father.”
Disconnecting the call, Tony was relieved he’d finally told his father what he wanted, but he still couldn’t believe his father would dismiss his happiness so easily.
Peering out the door, he saw Josie sitting at the edge of the pool. Her long hair was tied back, and she was patting her face with a towel. Part of him wanted to go outside and hold her, but the other part of him didn’t know how to tell her everything was changing.
He wouldn’t have his family. He’d be choosing between her and his country. For as long as he could remember, he’d been raised to be the leader of Marinbourg. It had been his whole existence. Josie knew this now, and she understood what was at stake. He hoped she would let him, that she wouldn’t step away and try to save his position.
He couldn’t go forward with anything so monumental without her by his side.
Chapter Nine
Josie watched Tony emerge from the house with Lucky and lead him to the patch of lawn adjacent to the beach. He chatted quietly with the dog, giving him bits of training, and then getting him excited enough to do a couple of vertical leaps. The dog had springs for legs.
She wondered how the call with his father went. He hadn’t come right out to tell her everything was going to work out, so she had to assume she wasn’t acceptable to the King. Tony looked serious, even with the dog leaping and frolicking for attention. He had something on his mind, and Josie figured it probably meant the end for them.
There were many things Tony wanted, but unfortunately, his sights were set on things he couldn’t have. He balanced two lives. In one, he was the cosmopolitan European policy maker who dined with heads of state and made deals with major corporations. In the other, he was the heir. The man a nation looked to for its identity. An icon.
The first man had a chance at a normal life. He could have the large house in the suburbs or the luxury apartment, a wife and children could all be in his future. He could be the one picking up the kids at dance class or coaching soccer. The other man would have the wife and family, but none of the normalcy attached. There wouldn’t be school concerts or baseball games. And it made her incredibly sad, because he was made for the life of an involved father.
He let the dog inside the lanai and Lucky trotted over to where she was sitting, tail wagging and ears back. This had to be the cutest little mess of a dog she’d ever seen. Josie hoped she could keep him.
Tony followed, smiling, but not really smiling.
The dog went off with one of his toys as Tony sat down next to her, letting his feet dangle in the pool. He looked away, fiddling with his fingers. Something was wrong.
“Are you going to fill me in?” There was no use beating around the bush.
“Tell me, if you had to pick a city in which to live, do you have a favorite?”
The question caught her totally off guard. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.”
“I suppose we could always go back to New York. Would you want to pick up your studies again? We could find an apartment in Tribeca. That wouldn’t be hard for you, would it?”
“My studies, an apartment…? I’m very confused.”
“I don’t think my father is going to approve of you, of us. I need a plan.”
“Oh. Um…” The water splashed around as she gently kicked her feet. “So why are you asking about New York? I wouldn’t have a problem going back, I guess, but another city might be a better choice. Are you planning on keeping me there?”
His expression stilled, growing serious. “Pardon? Keeping you? What are you talking about?”
“You know, like for stolen weekends. You keep the princess or whatever at home and I’m the woman you see when you have time.” Josie’s voice cracked. “It would be tragic and romantic—”
Heartbreaking. It would be heartbreaking.
“Josie, have you lost your mind? Mon Dieu.”
Forcing the tears down, she couldn’t look at him, not that she had a choice when he turned her to face him. “What?” she snapped. “If your father won’t approve, I’m guessing it would be a workable solution. You could have what you want on two continents.”
Oh, don’t cry, Josie. Don’t. But the thought of him with anyone else crushed her heart. She’d have to accept he wouldn’t be hers. Hard as it was, that was the truth.
“Mon ange, I don’t want to keep you as a lover.”
“You don’t?” Wiping at her eyes, Josie cursed the emotions welling up from inside. Tony took her hands and dropped a soft kiss on her lips.
“No. Oh, darling, don’t cry.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. “I want you to be my wife. Whatever my father says, I want us to be together.”
“Your wife? You mean that?”
“I don’t have a ring, but, yes, I am proposing. Will you marry me, Josephine? Whatever happens?”
Josie stared into Tony’s clear blue eyes and she saw forever. She saw a promise so pure and perfect, that for the first time since he’d walked back into her life, her heart settled into a steady rhythm and she could breathe.
“Are you sure? I mean your family, your title…”
“Title be damned. Nothing is as important as you.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Speechless was new for her. Wonderfully new.
Kissing her again, he smiled against her lips. “Say yes,” Tony whispered. “Say yes, Josie.”
It was an incredible risk. There were so many things pulling at him, that Josie knew everything could change in an instant, but deep down, she believed in him. Believed with all her heart.
“Yes.” Taking his face in her hands, Josie kneeled up and pressed her head to his. “Yes, Anton. Yes, I will marry you.”
“I promise I’ll always treat you like a queen.”
God, he was delicious. Sexy, handsome, brilliant…hers.
“I will, and I’m going to start—” In one motion he pulled her to her feet and swept her up in his arms. “—by making love to you until you cry.”
“Oh,” she sighed, nuzzling his neck. “That sounds lovely.”
“You’re lovely. I could keep you in bed all day.”
Shaking her head, she relished the idea of spending the day in bed with him. “I have to go to work in a couple of hours. Swim school starts today.”
“Blasted job.” He
grumbled as he threw her on the bed. “Fine, I’ll have dinner plans made by the time you get home. You and I are going out.”
“What if I want to stay in?”
“Is that what you want?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. A handsome prince just asked me to marry him. I want to show him off to the world.”
Her bathing suit was gone in one smooth motion, and before she could revel in any of his kisses, he’d donned protection and eased his way inside her. He filled her so completely, when she moved they both groaned. “I love this. I missed this so much,” Josie breathed.
Tony didn’t say anything, but raised himself over her, his muscles bunching in his shoulders and neck. Josie held on, watching the bliss and agony on his face. She felt every stroke driving into her with incredible strength, moving a little deeper each time. She pressed her hips into his to feel him better.
“Oh, my God, Josie. I love you. I never should have left.” The strain in his voice was pure pleasure, but there was no denying the power, the strength in him, was what attracted her in the first place.
But this Tony was a different man than the one who left her all those years ago. That man was cocky, entitled, a little bit smug. The man in her arms was powerfully quiet, a humble leader. He’d grown into a truly spectacular man.
He slowed his pace a bit, and stared into her eyes. “Je t’aime, ma chere.”
Josie moved, thrusting her hips up so she could get closer, only to have him hold her bottom and slow her down. “Not so fast,” he chided. “I don’t want this to end yet.”
Slow. Josie gave in and let him control the pace, even if it was agony. It was the most exquisite torture; each movement, each bit of pressure drove her closer and closer to her climax. All she could think about was Tony. How he loved her, how he made her feel, all of it. Being with him was as near to perfect as she’d ever imagined.
The wave didn’t crash over her like it did the night before; this time, it built gradually, moving back and forth, the heat in her belly inching its way out, consuming her.
Tony knew it, and he smiled as he watched her start to unravel. Biting down on her lip, she moaned. The sensations kept building, and her body was screaming at her that nothing would ever be the same. He’d changed everything by giving her back her hope. Her faith in him.
As she hit her release, so did Tony. Josie arched her back as he called out. They were perfectly in tune with each other. For a change, everything felt right.
All Josie really wanted was for that feeling to last. She wished they could stay in bed forever.
Tony paused by a large palm positioned right where Barefoot Bay eased into the side of Mimosa Key. As he approached the beach, he saw kids in groups, apparently led by a young adult or teen, engaged in different activities. Josie ran a small swim school, and in the distance he saw her with a group of four small children. They were at the edge of the beach, sitting under a curving palm tree. They were close enough to the water for the sand to be wet, but far enough away that there was no risk of getting clipped by a wave.
As he approached, he could see what they were doing.
They were building a sand castle.
He watched for a few minutes, enjoying Josie as she interacted with the kids. She loved them, and it was obvious they loved her right back. A teenage girl in a Casa Blanca T-shirt came to retrieve her charges, but Josie didn’t leave their sand castle; she kept patting the sand, firming it up.
He sat next to her and the smile she flashed for him was blinding, as beautiful as the Florida sunshine. “Nice castle,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.
“Thanks. I’m sure it’s not as nice as castles you’ve known, but we’re pretty proud of it.”
Tony shrugged. “Castles are often beautiful on the outside, but on the inside they can be cold and impersonal. People are what make a place special. I learned that the hard way.”
Filling a plastic cup with wet sand, Tony added a turret. A castle could never have too many turrets.
“What brings you down the beach, Your Highness?”
He smiled, warmed because he was with her, and enjoying her gentle teasing. “You did. And I came to make a reservation for dinner.”
“You could have called, you know.”
He grinned, softly kissing her sweet lips. “True enough. But then I wouldn’t have seen you.” Josie leaned into him. It was enough that he felt her warmth, but discreet enough that no one would claim they were being inappropriate. Considering his history, he’d used up all his indiscretions, even if they weren’t of his doing.
“Did your lessons go well?”
Josie nodded and smiled. “Four-year-olds. They can all float now.”
Tony remembered his reaction when he saw her with the children a few minutes ago. He immediately thought about what a beautiful mother she would be; about the children they would raise together. With each passing moment, the decision to be with Josie made more sense.
“I bet you made it fun for them.”
“I hope so.” Josie waved to a woman with a wide smile and long curly blonde hair.
“Who is that?”
“Lacey Walker. Clay’s wife.”
“She’s lovely.”
Josie nodded. “She is. They’ve built a wonderful place here. I come to the spa every once in a while, but I’ve never been to the restaurant. Apparently, it’s amazing. The menu changes constantly.”
“Let me make that reservation, then. Seven-thirty?”
“Sure.” Her face tilted toward his, and the sun caught her features in such a way that she was truly ethereal. He’d always referred to her as his angel, but here in the dappled sun on this lovely tropical beach, he could see her innocence, and the beauty that came from deep inside. This was a woman whom he did not deserve, but he’d do everything possible to keep her happy.
“Tony, is everything okay?”
Bending toward her, he kissed her lightly on the head. “Everything is perfect.”
Josie was in her closet, tossing clothes over her shoulder, when she heard Lila’s voice echo through the house. “Where are you and what’s the crisis?”
“I’m in my room,” she called.
“Holy—what the hell happened in here? Was there a robbery?”
Josie stepped out of her closet, defeated. She had shorts and tops, sundresses, bathing suits, work clothes, but nothing fancy or trendy. No sexy little black dress.
“I have nothing to wear.” Josie dropped onto her bed. “Tony made reservations at Junonia and I have nothing to wear.”
“You’re letting him take you out to dinner? A week ago you didn’t want him near you.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“No? Okay then. What’s different?”
Standing and walking away from the bed, Josie fingered a pair of earrings that were sitting in a dish on her dresser. The little dish was something she’d found in a second hand shop. It was blue with a funky floral pattern that made her think of her grandmother’s flowers. It represented her very normal life, and she wondered how her life and his, however things ended up, were going to fit together. Because right now, the only thing in her life that was certain was how she felt about Tony.
“Josie?” Tony poked his head in the bedroom and smiled when he saw Lila sitting on the bed. “Oh, hello Lila. Nice to see you again.”
“And you, Your Highness.”
“Tony, please.” He smiled warmly before addressing Josie. “I have to take a ride into Naples, do you need anything while I’m out?”
“No, I’m fine. Just trying to find something to wear later.”
“You will look beautiful in whatever you choose.” Dropping a kiss on her cheek, he left her to face her friend’s questions.
“Okay, so apparently you two have buried the hatchet?”
Josie nodded. “You could say that. He, um…he asked me to marry him.”
She waited for the reaction. And waited. And waited. Nothing came. Turning, she saw L
ila, slack-jawed and speechless.
“Are you breathing?” Josie asked. “I mean, really; you look like a fish.”
“I’m processing what you just said. Darlin’, he asked you to marry him?”
Josie moved toward her and sat down on the bed. “He did. I said yes.”
“Hot damn. You’re going to be a princess?”
Josie laughed. “That part is still a little up in the air. He needs the approval of his father to marry me. That still hasn’t happened.”
Now Lila was the one walking around the room. She was quiet, thinking in the way that she did, processing all the details. “And if Papa King doesn’t approve?”
This was the hardest part to swallow, and the one that made her feel more than a little guilty. “Tony wants to relinquish his title. We’ll get married and move on.”
Crouching in front of Josie, Lila took her hands. The look in her friend’s eyes was a combination of sadness and concern. Lila wasn’t an overly sentimental person, so Josie was surprised by what she said next. “Is that what you want? You’d be giving up your whole life for him. Don’t do this just to chase what you lost.”
It was something that could have offended her, but Josie knew Lila was concerned and her question came straight from the heart. Having Tony there the past week had been an emotional roller coaster, and to be sure, they weren’t coming together under ideal circumstances. But that was what marriage was all about, dealing with whatever problems came their way. She was ready.
“I understand, and I know you’re looking out for me. But I love him, and he loves me. He’s willing to give up his whole life for me, too.”
There was a long pause, followed by a lot of sniffles coming from her friend. For Josie’s second surprise of the day, practical Lila was shedding some tears. “Well then, Sugar. We need to find you something to knock his highness’s socks off. Or have you already knocked ’em off?”
Josie grinned. “I guess you could say that.”
“Well, damn, girl. Now I am jealous. Let’s get you ready for your man.”
When they walked into the restaurant, Josie felt like she’d been transported to an island oasis. She and Tony were seated at a beachside table, on the edge of the main hustle and bustle of the restaurant. She loved watching people, reading body language and facial cues. It was something she’d always done, and it was a skill that certainly came in handy at her job. She wondered how it might help her if she and Tony did return to Marinbourg. She wanted to see his home and meet his family. They were important to him, so that made them important to her, even if she wasn’t their idea of a suitable bride.
