She means nothing.
It’s all in my imagination.
“Hold that pose.” The reporter turned and frowned at the camera guy. “What’s the problem? Don’t keep the prince waiting.”
The photographer waved over the reporter. With a flustered look on Ms. Russo’s face, she uttered an apology and rushed down the steps to straighten out the problem.
“Are you really planning to oversee this project personally?” Zoe’s gaze was hard and cold.
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Why wouldn’t I? This is my project. Surely you know that.”
“I know that they were bandying your name about when I was hired, but I figured they were just trying to impress me. I had no idea you could actually be persuaded to take part in this venture.”
He wanted to take offense. He wanted to assure her that he was always on top of things. But then again, not so long ago, he’d had his priorities all turned around. Back then, he’d only been worried about his personal happiness. Even as a teenager, he’d known that once he stepped up and took his rightful place in the monarchy that his life would not be his own. So he’d put off the inevitable as long as possible.
He kept his voice low. “Things have changed since you knew me.”
“You act like we were just strangers that passed in the night.”
Demetrius cleared his throat. Using the same voice he used when his advisors didn’t agree with him, he whispered, “This revitalization project is important. There’s a whole lot more at stake than just my reputation—”
“Sorry about that.” Ms. Russo joined them again. “My cameraman had a problem with the equipment. We need to film the part where you shake hands again.” Hesitantly they joined hands while Ms. Russo smiled. “This is great! The viewers will love it. This will definitely add a sense of hands-on attention by the prince.”
Hands-on. The words conjured up the memory of Zoe in his arms. Demetrius schooled his facial features to keep the unintended meaning of the reporter’s words from showing. He didn’t dare look at Zoe. He didn’t want to do anything to bring about a reaction in her. After all, how was he supposed to smile and relax while standing next to the one woman that he thought he could trust above all others?
“Can you look at each other?”
Demetrius reluctantly gazed at Zoe. Her gaze was closed and guarded. She was none too excited about this unexpected reunion, either. Well, good, he was more than willing to share the discomfort, although it didn’t come close to the agony he’d experience after she’d run out on him.
“Good. Good.” The reporter’s voice held a happy tone. Obviously she was the only one happy about this encounter. “Now could you continue to shake hands while talking about the project? We need a sound bite—one showing you two working together. A team effort.”
Demetrius cleared his throat. “Grazie. Your presence is appreciated.”
There was a pause and Demetrius tensed, waiting and wondering what Zoe would say.
“I’m honored to have been chosen for this very special project.”
“We are the lucky ones to have your talent to create a stunning retreat for the residents of this facility to forget about their lives—their problems—and just relax in the common rooms of this historic building.”
There was the slightest flash of emotion in Zoe’s eyes, but in a blink it was gone. “I hope to live up to your expectations.”
He’d give her credit. She was keeping this professional. Then again, he could never fault Zoe for acting anything but mature and professional. Otherwise they’d have never been able to maintain a relationship that was out of sight of the paparazzi. Which left him with a question that had been nagging him since she’d left him—why hadn’t she sold her story—their story—to the tabloids?
His gaze narrowed in on the woman standing before him. He didn’t understand her any more now than he did before. Perhaps he understood her even less. His advisors had insisted she was holding out for a bigger payday—bigger than the check he’d insisted on sending with the annulment papers. Was that why she’d never signed and returned the papers?
He withdrew his hand and turned to the reporter. “Ms. Sarris needs to get on with her work.”
Zoe thanked both of them and turned away. Then instead of leaving, she headed inside the building. The fact she didn’t use the opportunity to make a hasty escape surprised him. Then again since the night she’d walked out on him, everything she did surprised him.
CHAPTER THREE
THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING.
It must be some sort of nightmare.
Zoe seriously considered pinching herself, but before she could put her thought into action, she heard footsteps behind her. Her pencil paused over the rough sketch she’d been making of the ballroom with notes for a tentative design.
She didn’t even have to turn around to know who was behind her. It was Demetrius. What did he want now? The sure, steady steps of his dress shoes clicked over the marble floor, growing louder as he grew nearer. The footsteps stopped. He cleared his throat as though to gain her attention. Her entire body tensed.
The truth of the matter was that she owed him an explanation. It was long overdue. But this was not the time nor the place for this reunion. She didn’t even know what to say to him. “Sorry” just wasn’t enough. Regardless, there was no chance of ignoring him.
She leveled her shoulders and turned. “Did you need something, Your Highness?”
“You can stop with the ‘Highness’ bit, we’re alone.”
Zoe’s gaze darted around the room, just to be sure. She took a calming breath. “I honestly didn’t expect to find you here.”
“Obviously. Your start date isn’t until tomorrow. What are you doing here early?”
The easiest solution would be for her to hand in her resignation here and now. The words teetered on the tip of her tongue. But the artistic part of her didn’t want to walk away from this amazing opportunity. This mansion was steeped in Old World charm and beauty. However, her feet were poised to run from the one man in this world who could make her heart flutter with excitement with just one dark, mysterious gaze.
Fight or flight? Fight or flight?
Her spine stiffened and her chin lifted. “I wanted to be prepared for tomorrow when I meet with Mr. Belmonte.”
“Your meeting isn’t with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that your meeting is with me. I requested you for this job.”
Zoe’s stomach lurched. None of this made any sense. Why would he hire her with their messy history?
“By the time this job is completed, this mansion is going to be restored to its former glory. It’ll start outside with the sweeping steps and the large, white columns and continue inside with its vintage style. In this section, I want people to forget that it’s a care home and instead feel as though they’ve been transported to a tranquil place. Do you think you can deliver something like that?”
She glanced around at the peeling paint and the chipped plaster. The mansion had been downright neglected. It was hard to imagine the building being transformed into one of beauty. But she knew that it could be done.
“Of course I can do it.” Her unwavering gaze met his. “But you knew that or you wouldn’t have hired me.”
“True enough.”
“What are you really up to? And don’t tell me that you hired me out of the goodness of your heart. I won’t believe you.”
Demetrius’s dark brows rose. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you just implied that I’m heartless.”
“I don’t want to play word games with you.” She took a second to pull herself together, because it felt as though her world had just slipped off its axis. “What are you up to?”
“I would think that is o
bvious. This is a royal project and I am overseeing it from start to finish.”
“Not that. I want to know why you hired me of all people.”
“Does it matter?”
“It does.” There was something more—something he wasn’t saying.
The man standing before her wasn’t the same man she’d married—the man who’d swept her off her feet was sweet and fun. His biggest worry back then had been wondering what he’d do for entertainment the next day. She didn’t understand how someone in his position could have lived his life so carefree, but obviously it’d all caught up with him. Because this man with his lips pressed together into an uncompromising line while staring directly at her meant business—of that she was certain.
He crossed his muscular arms. “Perhaps hiring you was a mistake—”
“No—” She bit back her next words but it was too late. Demetrius’s brows lifted at her sudden outburst. “I mean, we have an agreement. Or at least I do with Mr. Belmonte.”
“Agreements are made to be broken.”
“But it’s in writing.”
“And you didn’t think that I would leave myself a loophole—a way out if the need arose?”
Who is this man? And what had happened to the laid-back Demetrius?
Her gut told her to get out now. That she was getting in far too deep with a man who still had a hold on her heart. But what kind of daughter would that make her? This was her chance to make the remainder of her mother’s life better.
And to complicate matters further, she had no job to return to. She’d already resigned from her position as interior designer for the island’s most prominent and discriminating furniture store. And most important, this job paid well—well enough to pay her mother’s bills.
Zoe was stuck.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you hire me?” She watched him carefully, not sure what sort of reaction to expect.
“I wanted the best for this job. And you are the best on the island.”
Was he serious? He thought she was the best? A warmth swirled in her chest and rose to warm her cheeks. Their gazes connected and held. Her heart thudded harder, faster. She refused to acknowledge that his words meant anything to her. She was over him. Past him.
“So you just expect us to work together like...like nothing ever happened?”
* * *
A loud bang echoed through the expansive ballroom.
Demetrius’s body tensed.
“What was that?” Zoe whispered.
He didn’t know but he certainly intended to find out. He peered around the various drop cloths, plaster buckets and scaffolding. “Who’s there?”
A movement caught his attention. Across the room, a worker in a yellow hard hat straightened from where he’d dropped a load of lumber. He glanced their way. “Hey, you aren’t supposed to be in here. This is a designated hard hat area.”
Demetrius nodded his understanding. “We were just leaving.”
“See that you do. I don’t want to have to throw you out.” The man turned and walked away.
Obviously the man hadn’t recognized him with the shadows and the distance. That was all right with Demetrius. Sometimes he got tired of being the prince, of posing for pictures and answering questions. Sometimes he just wanted to be plain old Demetrius. He’d been able to pull that off not so long ago when he was partying and showing up in places most inappropriate for royalty. But those times were over and not to be repeated.
Zoe laughed. The sound startled him. It’d been so long since he’d seen her happy. In the beginning, their relationship had been an easy and relaxed one. He missed those times. He hadn’t relaxed like that since—
No. He wasn’t going down memory lane. That was then. This is now.
Everything had changed over the past year. He refused to be swayed by the way the gold specks in her eyes twinkled when she smiled or how her cheeks filled with color when she was paid a compliment. He was immune to it all.
Zoe turned her attention back to him. “I guess he didn’t realize who he was threatening to toss out of here.”
“The man was just doing his job and making sure that no one is injured on his watch.”
“Then I guess we better hurry.” She turned and snapped a couple more pictures of the room with her phone. “I’ve already been given the dimensions of the rooms as well as the architectural drawings.” She glanced around again. “And now with these photos, I should be able to get started. We should get going before that man comes back.”
Demetrius stepped in front of her. “Not so fast. We need to establish guidelines for our working arrangement.”
“That’s easy. When I have some sketches, I’ll contact you.”
When she once again started around him, he reached out and grasped her wrist. “That won’t work. I want a more hands-on approach.”
She yanked her arm away and glared at him. “Surely you aren’t proposing to look over my shoulder?”
“That’s not how I would have worded it, but so be it.”
Zoe planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t work well under close supervision. I need room to do my research and then I start sketching and playing with colors. It isn’t going to be an overnight project. It will take me time.”
“I understand that. As long as you understand that you’ll need to keep your design plans a secret from everyone—even your family and friends. The big reveal will be the week of the Royal Christmas Ball. Large contributors will be invited to wow them into donating more funding for more renovations in the neighborhood. The following day, Ms. Russo will be airing another segment on her television show giving viewers before and after shots of the mansion.”
Zoe nodded her understanding. “Trust me. No one will see my designs. When I have something ready for you to see, we can meet in the village at the caffè house.”
“That’s impossible. My daily presence in the village, as well as the security detail, would be far too disruptive to businesses.”
A frown pulled at her beautiful face. “Fine. What do you suggest?”
Demetrius glanced over, noticing the workman had yet to return, but his gut told him the man would be back soon. They had to make this brief. “I think our best solution is to work at the palace.”
“The palace?” Zoe’s face noticeably paled.
“Offices have been set up there for the architect, the PR consultant and others. It will be very handy having all of the key people under one roof.”
“But I don’t have a car.”
He hadn’t thought of that, but if that was her only objection, he’d find a solution. “I’ll send my car for you.”
Her mouth opened, but then she closed it as though she’d run out of protests.
Good. Another problem solved. “Now that we have that straightened out, let’s get out of here before that guy comes back. I don’t relish the idea of facing him down.”
The worry lines smoothed on Zoe’s face. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I remember how you’d visit the gym each morning, not to mention your evening run along the beach. I’m guessing you still do both.”
“I do. When time allows.” Demetrius’s shoulders straightened. Had she just paid him a compliment? “Still, I prefer to keep a low-key presence.”
“Since when? You used to love to be the playboy and you didn’t care who photographed you.”
“Things certainly have changed since those days.”
She glanced away. “I guess they have.”
Everything had changed, apparently for both of them. And the more time he spent with her, the more he wondered about those dark smudges under her eyes that her makeup didn’t quite cover. Something was keeping her up at night. But what?
CHAPTER FOUR
WHAT HAD SHE been thinking?
Agreeing to work side by side with her ex.
And at the royal palace of all places.
The next morning, Zoe muttered to herself as she tried on outfit after outfit. The pile of discarded clothes on her bed was growing. What did one wear to the palace? Business attire? Nah, too stiff. A summer dress? Too casual. Nothing seemed fitting for the occasion.
And then she recalled that she wasn’t an invited guest. She was the help. She’d probably be ushered in the back entrance and kept out of sight. With that in mind, she dressed as she normally would for a consultation—a short purple skirt, a white blouse and a pair of heels.
Up until now, she’d carefully avoided Demetrius. In some ways, it seemed like forever since that horrible day at the palace when her whole house of cards had come tumbling down, and in other ways it seemed like just the other day. Demetrius had no idea how much that decision had cost her—she’d sacrificed her heart that night. And her life had never been the same since then.
Leaving had been the only way she’d known to care for her mother and to protect the prince. With Zoe gone from his life, he could move on. He could find someone else to be his perfect princess—someone whose DNA didn’t have a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting the blueprint for early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.
In the beginning, she’d let herself get so caught up in his attention—in the belief that their love could overcome anything. In the end, she’d learned the harsh reality of life.
Love couldn’t fix everything.
If it could, her mother wouldn’t be ill. Her mother wouldn’t be fading away right before her very eyes.
As it was, her mother had just gone to stay with a family friend who had a house by the sea—the community where her mother had grown up. Her mother insisted that she wanted to go. She’d referred to it as her final vacation as the sea had always brought her mother great peace. The trip couldn’t have come at a better time. It provided Zoe with a chance to make the most of this amazing opportunity.
The buzz of her phone drew Zoe out of her thoughts. The number was blocked. She could only figure that it must be the driver sent to pick her up. She stabbed her finger at the keypad and an unfamiliar male voice came over the line. It was indeed the driver. He was waiting for her in the back alley. It was obvious Demetrius didn’t want to draw attention to her comings and goings. That was fine with her.
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