“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve got the sketches. Now we can go.”
“No, we can’t. I don’t understand. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“I am talking. And I’m telling you that if you want to get this mural done in time for the ball, I need to get started.” She turned toward the door.
“Not so fast.” He crossed his arms. “There’s something I want to go over with you.”
She sighed and then turned. “Does it have to be right now?”
“Sì.” When she frowned, he continued. “I’d like you to walk me through exactly what happened with the annulment papers.”
“I told you I signed them.”
“And so far my advisors haven’t found any trace of them. I thought since they were last seen here that this visit might jog your memory—something that you’ve forgotten.”
Her mouth gaped open as pain reflected in her eyes. “You really think that I’d forget something that important?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what to think. That’s the problem. You keep sidestepping things. Sometimes you stop in the middle of sentences and you leave me wondering what you’re working so hard to hide from me.”
“Why should I be hiding something?”
Frustration balled up inside him. He struggled to keep it at bay. “Because I was always able to read you before.”
“You don’t think I’ve changed since then?”
She was doing it again. She was dodging his questions by supplying questions of her own. “Zoe, stop with the questions. Just walk me through what happened to the annulment papers and the check.”
Her gaze narrowed and her lips pressed into a firm line. Seconds passed and at last she spoke. “Fine. You want to know. Here it is. I had the papers. They were over there on the kitchen counter. I signed them. I put them in the envelope to drop in the mail. And then I ripped up your check into tiny pieces which I dropped in the garbage.”
“Is it possible you accidentally dropped the papers in the garbage, too?” When she frowned at him, he said, “Okay. I just had to ask.”
“I can assure you the check was the only thing I trashed.”
“Why would you do that?”
“What? You don’t think this place lives up to your standards and that I was foolish to toss away the money?”
“No, that isn’t it.” He clenched his jaw. He wasn’t going to fall in that rabbit hole with her. What he needed to do was concentrate on the whereabouts of the annulment papers. “So you ripped up the check. What did you do with the papers? We need to make sure they didn’t end up in the wrong hands.”
“If they did, I didn’t do it.”
He believed her. It was highly doubtful, because by now he’d have been contacted for blackmail or it would have been sold to the paparazzi. Demetrius had a feeling the papers were right here in this apartment.
“Where did you last see the papers?”
“I...I don’t know.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’ve tried to remember ever since you told me they are missing, but I can’t remember what I did with the envelope after I signed the papers.”
“Think hard.”
“I am. I must have posted it. That’s the only reasonable explanation. They must have lost it.”
“You didn’t send it by special courier?”
She shook her head. “You have to believe me. I did what you wanted.”
What he wanted? He never wanted this annulment. The only reason he’d issued the papers was because she’d walked out on him. He was about to say as much when he noticed her eyes grow shiny. Were those tears in her eyes? Please don’t start crying. He was never good with women when they became emotional.
He moved to the counter. “Is this where you signed the papers?”
“Sì. That’s the last place I remember having them.” She paused as though she remembered something—something important. “I remember signing them and slipping them in the envelope. Then my phone rang. It was an important client.”
“And?”
Zoe worried her bottom lip. Her gaze didn’t meet his. “I had to go into the office early.”
“Think hard about what you did with the papers.”
Her eyes widened. “My mother offered to post them.”
“Your mother? She knows about us? I thought you were waiting to tell her?” This could be a complication he hadn’t anticipated.
“I swear I didn’t tell her about us. She didn’t have a clue what was in the envelope.”
“So what do you think happened?”
“I think I know.” Zoe rushed out of the room and down the hallway.
Demetrius followed. Zoe entered a small, modest bedroom. She stepped up to an old chest of drawers and pulled open the top drawer. Frantically she started flipping through papers and envelopes.
“Zoe, what are you doing?”
She didn’t stop to look at him as her search continued. “This is where my mother keeps her important papers.” Zoe grasped a large manila envelope and held it up. “It’s here.”
Demetrius raked his fingers through his hair. A mix of relief and worry rushed through him. Was he really supposed to believe her mother was hiding annulment papers for a marriage that she wasn’t supposed to know about?
Zoe smiled. “Isn’t this great?”
“Great?”
“Yeah, you know, because no one else has the papers. The media doesn’t know. Your reputation as a reformed, reliable prince is intact.”
“Until you mother finds the papers missing and does something about it.”
“That won’t happen. She couldn’t tell anyone even if she wanted to.” There was a certainty in Zoe’s voice, but he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t even know her mother except for what Zoe had told him about the woman.
“Why won’t it happen?” When Zoe averted her gaze, he stepped closer to her. “Zoe, stop with the cryptic comments. Tell me what is going on. I need to understand.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
THIS WAS GOING to be the most difficult conversation of her life.
Where did she even start?
Demetrius stepped closer. “Zoe, whatever it is, just say it. I’m listening.”
She glanced up, meeting his unwavering stare. Within his eyes she found a steadiness that she craved. She could do this. She would get through this confession just like she’d endured all of the doctors’ visits, the testing and the trying times with her mother.
“It all started before you and I met. My mother started forgetting little things at first, like not going to the market. And then I started to notice her cooking had changed. Instead of the big, traditional meals, she would heat up ready-to-serve food. And sometimes it was burned. My mother never burned food in the past. She was amazing in the kitchen.” Zoe blinked, keeping her tears at bay. “I didn’t want to see what was happening to her, and she was so busy trying to cover up her lapses that she was too embarrassed to ask for help. So we both ignored the telltale signs—signs I didn’t even know I should be watching for.”
Demetrius reached out to her, but Zoe backed away. If she gave in to the tears now, she’d never get this out and she’d kept it bottled up for too long. He had to realize that a future with her wasn’t possible. He already had an entire nation’s troubles to handle. He didn’t need hers, too.
She drew in an unsteady breath. “By the time I met you, my mother was no longer able to keep up with her job and was let go. That’s when we couldn’t ignore her problem any longer. The doctors told us it was Alzheimer’s. But I was in denial. I couldn’t accept that I am going to lose my mother one agonizing piece at a time until she no longer knows me.” A sob caught in Zoe’s throat. She choked it down. “My mother’s going to forget everything.”
�
��I had no idea.”
“You weren’t supposed to know. I couldn’t cope with the diagnosis. The last thing I wanted was sympathy. I just wanted to pretend everything was normal.”
“And I was the perfect distraction.”
She nodded. “I let myself get swept up in the romance, and I did my best to block out the problems at home. I tried to keep everything as routine as possible. But as time went on, my mother’s condition got harder and harder to ignore. When we were out with friends, my mother grew quiet and withdrawn, only talking when spoken to and answering with short, vague answers. Her gaze would dart around the group watching for other peoples’ facial responses to certain comments and then she’d respond accordingly.” Zoe blinked repeatedly. “I am watching my mother disappear and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
Sympathy reflected in Demetrius’s eyes. “And the night you left the palace.”
“That was the night that I could no longer ignore what was happening to her and by extension my life. That night she got lost and the polizia picked her up. She couldn’t remember where she lived. Luckily, she remembered her name.”
His voice was soft and soothing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? That my mother needed me, and I didn’t have time to be a princess?”
Demetrius frowned. “I’m being serious. I would have helped you.”
“I know. And that’s why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you looking at me like you are now.” She took off down the hallway.
He followed her to the living room where he stopped in front of her. “And how am I looking at you?”
She stared at the floor. “With pity in your eyes.”
He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted until their gazes met. “No, that’s compassion you see. I can feel compassion, can’t I?”
She shrugged, not exactly sure what to say.
“You shouldn’t have to go through all of this alone.”
The truth is she’d never felt more alone. Her gaze met his. She yearned to reach out to him, to feel his reassuring touch. Her fingers tingled, longing to slip around his hand—to feel that human connection.
She staved off the desire. “I...I’m not alone. I still have my mother.”
* * *
He had never seen this coming.
Demetrius felt totally at a loss.
Witnessing Zoe’s pain tore at him. He wanted to make it all better for her, but not even a prince could solve her misery. All he could do was let her know that he’d be there for her. Right now, he’d do almost anything for her.
She was, after all, his wife. Maybe they hadn’t realized exactly what that meant when they’d made their vows, but he’d done a lot of reflecting since then. Being married meant being there for each other through the good and the bad. He wouldn’t abandon her. She needed him, even if she refused to admit it.
He gazed deep into her eyes while feeling a tug in his gut. “And you’ve got me should you ever need a friend. After all, you’re still my wife. My very amazing, compassionate wife.”
“And you are still my husband.” Her voice wobbled.
“Which gives me the right to do this.” He pulled her closer. She didn’t resist as her hands came to rest upon his chest.
At last, he could do what he’d been thinking about since they’d kissed at the beach house. His hold on her tightened. Her hands slid up over his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.
His head dipped, seeking out her petal-soft lips. His mouth brushed over hers, sending a jolt of awareness zinging through his whole body. His heart ached for her and everything she’d endured on her own. He wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone.
Her lips moved hungrily under his as her fingernails raked through his hair. Her soft curves pressed up against the length of him and a moan swelled deep in his throat. They’d been apart for far too long. He was still her husband, and he had every right to comfort his wife.
Their kiss grew in intensity and it no longer mattered that they were standing in the center of her living room. All that mattered is that they were together and they weren’t arguing. They definitely weren’t arguing. At last, they seemed to be on the right page and he wasn’t about to let her go. Not now when he’d just got her back in his arms. There was plenty of time later to figure out where they went from here. It wasn’t important now.
In the background there was a sound. He tried to listen but when Zoe caught his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked, his thoughts spiraled in a totally different direction. She was as turned on as he was. He moaned. It’d been so long—so very long.
There was that sound again. This time it was louder. And it didn’t stop.
The annoying sound was a knock on the door, followed by someone calling out his name.
The moan in his throat turned to a groan of frustration. Damn.
With the greatest regret, he pulled back from Zoe. Her eyes fluttered open, showing her utter confusion. Her lips were rosy red and slightly swollen. And her cheeks were flushed. A smile pulled at his lips knowing that he was responsible for putting that freshly loved look on her face.
“I’ll be right there.” He called out to his bodyguard to keep him from intruding on his last few moments alone with Zoe. “I’m sorry. But we have to get moving, and I’m sure your neighbors will be relieved not to have my detail littering their hallways.”
The disappointment was evident in her eyes and he hated that he couldn’t erase it, but he had a job to do. There was always something that needed his attention. Since he’d assumed his proper role as crown prince, the constant meetings had never bothered him.
Those busy activities had been just what he’d needed after Zoe had left him. It had kept him from getting lost in his loneliness. The back-to-back meetings kept him from dwelling on where things had gone wrong in his brief marriage. But now, with Zoe back in his life, he wanted time to stop. He wanted to talk to her—to comfort her—to help her.
He scooped up the envelope with the annulment papers and then glanced at his watch. If they didn’t get moving, he’d be late for his meeting with the king. And there was one part of the meeting that Demetrius was anticipating. At long last, he could tell the king and anyone else that cared to hear that their suspicions about Zoe were totally unfounded. His grip tightened on the papers. He was holding the proof in his hand.
While Zoe gathered her sketch pads and a few clothes, he pulled the papers from the envelope. They were indeed signed. This knowledge dampened his excitement over the passionate kiss they’d just shared. Zoe hadn’t lied. She did indeed want out of their marriage. Disappointment settled heavy in his chest. There was still so much to discuss. He wasn’t sure exactly what to do with the papers. For now, he would keep them safe.
“I’m ready.” Zoe, wearing a pair of big black sunglass, came to a stop by the front door with a floral canvas bag slung over her shoulder. She lifted her hand and placed a pink ball cap on her head and eased her long ponytail through the opening in the back. “I wanted some stuff to wear for the times I walk on the beach.”
He followed her out the door and down the steps. Once they were next to the car, Zoe came to an abrupt stop. Demetrius bumped into her. He instinctively reached for her shoulders to steady her.
“Zoe, what’s the matter?”
Her head was turned to the right, staring down the alleyway. “Did you see that? There it is again.”
He glanced around, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. “What is it?”
“A flash. Over there.” She pointed between a couple of buildings across the street. “In the shadows.”
Just because he hadn’t seen it didn’t mean it wasn’t there. He nodded to the head of security who was standing by his side, hearing everything that was said. A couple of men took off to investigate.
<
br /> Demetrius rushed her into the idling car. “Don’t worry. You’re safe.”
He would do whatever it took to protect her. He remembered how they’d hounded his mother. She’d handled it with such grace—until that fatal day. On an outing, the paparazzi had gotten out of control, blocking the royal processional. And when his twin had grown bored and taken off into the crowd, mayhem had ensued. Security tried to move the paparazzi out of the way, but before they could a shot rang out. Demetrius’s body stiffened at the memory of his mother being shot.
“Are you okay?” Zoe sent him a worried look.
“I’m fine.” He patted her hand.
Whoever this stalker was, they’d find him before he did anything to Zoe. Demetrius vowed to keep her safe at all costs.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A VERY LONG day had passed and Zoe was still confused.
What does one say to the man who is officially your husband—an estranged husband at that—a prince—the man she’d made out with in the living room of the apartment she shared with her mother?
Well, the answer was simple. Nothing.
Or at least, as little as possible.
Not until she had her head screwed back on straight and her thoughts were actually coherent.
When Demetrius had dropped her off at the beach house the day before, she’d told him that she had a headache. It hadn’t been a lie. Her head had ached from the constant tug-of-war between the will of her heart and the common sense of her mind.
She’d spent most of the night staring into the dark, trying to make sense of where things stood between her and Demetrius. Luckily, it was now Saturday and she didn’t have to go to the office. She could spend the whole day at the beach house. She’d intended to complete her sketch for the mural, but she couldn’t sit still long enough—especially not after Demetrius called to say he was stopping by because they needed to talk.
Talk? Talk about what? The South Shore project? Or the unforgettable kiss?
The Prince's Christmas Vow Page 10
