Heart of Mine

by Lindsay Bergman

  “Fine. But you need to explain it to him.” Ashton gestured at his brother.

  Alexander had finally stopped pacing and stood with his back to us, hands gripping the wooden railing. I could see the stiff set of his shoulders, and the tension running down his back. What was he thinking? Alexander always worked hard to control his emotions and I was hesitant to approach him now; to risk facing one of those rare times when the full fury of his temper was unleashed.

  “You’re right,” I muttered to Ashton. No one’s opinion about this mattered more than Alexander’s. Taking a deep breath to gather my courage, I slowly moved across the terrace to stand at Alexander’s back. Although I knew he had heard my approach, he didn’t turn. I reached out to hesitantly touch his arm. “Alex?”

  He didn’t respond right away, but after a moment I felt some of the stiffness recede from his arm. One hand came up to cover mine. I took that as a sign and stepped closer to gently lay my cheek against his back, then circled my other arm around him in a hug. We stood there silently for several long minutes. I could still feel his tension and knew he was struggling to get a handle on his emotions.

  “I know you’re not having an affair with Ethan,” Alexander said eventually, his voice confident. “And I know those photos aren’t as bad as they look.” He brought my hand to his mouth and pressed a hard kiss against my fingers, then turned suddenly so that we were standing face to face. “Maddy, I need to know. How much do you love him? I’m willing to give up my birthright for you and I need to know once and for all that there’s no one else in your heart. As long as you and Ethan are friends, this kind of gossip won’t stop, but I can handle it as long as I know that you are mine alone.”

  Lifting up onto my toes, I looked into his handsome face, nearly eye to eye now, and willed him to see the true depths of my heart. “I do love him, Alex, but only as a friend. There has never been anything between us even after he kissed me a couple weeks ago. My heart belongs to you, and only you.” I held up my left hand, the bright morning sun sparkling off the diamond engagement ring in radiant bursts. “Remember our commitment to each other. I won’t lose you, Alexander. Not after all we’ve gone through to be together.”

  I kissed him before he could respond and locked my arms around his neck as if I could prevent his escape. Heat blazed between us, fiery and consuming, as his arms came around me, crushing me against him. The passion of his kiss burned on my lips, demanding complete and utter surrender. In response, I gave him my heart and soul.

  “You are mine,” he commanded between kisses. “Sei mio per sempre.”

  You are mine forever.

  “Yes, I’m yours,” I promised.

  Lost in the arms of my prince, it took a confused moment for me to realize that someone was standing nearby, loudly clearing their throat in an effort to get our attention.

  “I know that you’re in love, but you don’t need to swallow her face, Alex,” Ashton drawled sardonically.

  Still holding me close, I felt Alexander smile against my lips before he eased back slightly. With one hand in my hair and the other at the small of my back, his mouth left mine long enough to speak briefly with Ashton. “Go away,” Alexander told his brother before his lips claimed mine again.

  “After I apologize to Maddy.”

  Alexander pulled back to glare impatiently at him. “Do you need to do that right now?”

  “Yes. You two could be at this all day,” Ashton answered dryly, watching us with his hands in his pockets.

  I suppressed a smile and exchanged a glance with Arianna, who was hovering at his elbow. She rolled her eyes, her expression as irritated as Alexander’s. Arianna looked ready to drag Ashton back into the palace.

  With a sigh, Alexander leaned back against the railing and pulled me close into his side. He looked at his brother, his expression indulgent. “All right, make your apologies.”

  “Maddy?” Ashton said quietly.

  Shyly, I looked up into Ashton’s blue eyes, so similar in color to Alexander’s. We had rarely fought with each other during our thirteen years of friendship. I felt like I was in unfamiliar territory after our disagreement.

  “I’m sorry, Maddy.” His expression was sheepish and apologetic. “For assuming the worst of you when I know better. You would never betray anyone in our family, especially not Alex. I know you love him, and I regret jumping to such an unfair conclusion. Can you forgive me?”

  “Of course I forgive you,” I said, stepping away from Alexander to take hold of Ashton’s hand. Although I’d been hurt by his earlier accusations, I knew it had only been out of concern for his brother. Because I loved Ashton like a brother of my own, he was already forgiven. “It’s okay, Ash. I know you were just protecting Alex.”

  Ashton frowned. “I should have been protecting you, too.”

  “You’ve always protected me.” My heart filled with fondness as I touched his cheek. “I have always been able to count on you, Ash. I know I always will.” I shot him a crooked smile. “Besides, we were due for a fight after thirteen years of friendship.”

  Ashton laughed and hugged me tightly. “Love you, Maddy.”

  “I love you, Ash.”

  He kissed my cheek, then smiled as he released me.

  When he turned to apologize to Alexander as well, I slipped around him and tucked my arm through Arianna’s. “Well, that was certainly dramatic.”

  “Welcome to life in the Royal Family,” Arianna said wryly. “There’s always some new scandal or piece of gossip floating around. You just need to learn to take it with a grain of salt. Don’t let it bother you, Maddy.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Ashton and Arianna joined us for breakfast while we debated cancelling our plans for the day. We decided not to leave the palace in order to avoid the crowds of paparazzi swarming the gates for a glimpse of Prince Alexander and his unfaithful fiancée. We made the best of our circumstances by spending the day at the pool instead of the beach. Then later, Alexander arranged an intimate candlelit dinner in the ballroom where we spent the remainder of the night slow dancing to romantic love songs.

  Despite the scandal of the morning, it was a good day.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Furious, I stormed down the fourth floor hallway and shoved open the door to Prince Alexander’s office. The room suited him. It was casual with no fuss or frills, the pieces chosen for simple practicality in earthy tones and textures that seemed to bring a touch of the outdoors into the room. The leather couch was well-used and lacking the shiny gloss of untouched furniture. The wooden bookshelves and desk were faded around the edges, rustic and charming. Tall glass doors opened out to a balcony. The sound of the crashing sea echoed off the surrounding blue walls, bringing life and air into the confined space of his office.

  Startled by my unexpected entrance, Alexander stood abruptly, brows drawn together in concern. He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt with a light gray tie and navy slacks. His dark hair was casually styled, his face smooth and clean-shaven. I stalked across the office and threw the newspaper down onto his desk.

  “Have you seen this?” I demanded, crossing my arms.

  Wary blue eyes studied my face before glancing down at the article in question. After a moment he sighed and looked back up at me. “Yes, I’ve seen it.”

  “It’s about my baby sister!” I said in outrage. “It’s one thing for the tabloids to write horrible things about me, but they need to leave my sister out of it!” Anger coursed throughout my body. I clenched my jaw tight, struggling to control the desire to hit something.

  The newspaper’s top story this morning was about the scandalous affair between my sister and Prince Ashton, complete with paparazzi-style photos of the suspected couple. Ashton and Mackenzie were as close as two peas in a pod. I’d questioned their feelings for each other on more than one occasion over the years, but both had repeatedly assured me that they were only friends; Mackenzie even claimed Ashton was like her brother. Then afte
r the crush Mackenzie had developed for Logan, one of our neighboring rancher’s sons, I knew her feelings for Ashton were not romantic.

  Even though I knew how far-fetched this article was, I was still extremely upset that my little sister had been dragged into the scandalous spotlight. Luckily, she was home in Montana and I hoped that this news wouldn’t reach her. After I’d accepted Alexander’s marriage proposal, I knew my personal life would be hounded and subjected to gossip, but I hadn’t expected my sister’s reputation to be slandered as well.

  Groaning in frustration, I pressed my hands flat against the top of the desk, fighting the urge to slam down my fist.

  Alexander moved to stand at my side, his nearness alone offering me a silent sense of comfort. One hand reached out to softly caress my hair, his touch soothing. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “This probably won’t be the last time, either. The people of Coradova want to know everything about you and they’ll exploit anything they can find. Even your family.”

  “I hate this. I need to stop reading the newspaper.” I stepped toward him and pressed my face into his chest, my hands bunching into fists at his back.

  His arms wrapped around me, one hand going to the back of my head, holding me snug against him. Alexander chuckled dryly. “I’ve said the same thing many times before, dolcezza.” He kissed the top of my head before resting his chin against my hair. “But the truth is, it’s better to be well-informed than caught off-guard.”

  “Are you telling me that I just need to develop a thicker skin?”

  Alexander snickered, smiling into my hair. “I was implying that you should know about the current gossip before going out in public, but a thicker skin would help too. Actually, I was thinking of suggesting a new outlet to help with your frustration.”

  I brightened and pulled back to look up at him. “That’s not a bad idea.”

  He frowned playfully, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. “Of course it’s not. I’m full of brilliant ideas.”

  “Okay, Alex. Show me what you’ve got,” I dared.

  “Well, bellissima ... how about fencing?”

  I wrinkled my nose, and Alexander laughed at my reaction.

  “No?” he asked, smiling in amusement.

  “I’d rather leave the sword-fighting to you,” I replied with a cheeky grin. “You look like a warrior prince.”

  Improving his fencing skills all these years had tightly honed the muscles of Alexander’s body into the firm, powerful, and perfect specimen that he was.

  Grinning mischievously, I poked at his ribs. “Nope, not an ounce of fat in sight.”

  He rolled his eyes at me. “Is there anything you enjoyed in America?”

  “I like to run.”

  “You hate running,” Alexander scoffed, no doubt thinking about all the years I’d spent complaining about having to run in my high school gym class.

  “I used to,” I agreed with a smile. “Then I joined track and field in college to make some friends, and now I love it.”

  “Ah, I remember Kenzie telling me about that now.” His gaze turned exceptionally warm. He drew me closer, his lopsided grin seductive. “No wonder you have such amazing legs.”

  I blushed a brilliant shade of red as Alexander bent down to kiss me fiercely. When he eased back, his eyes burned with desire. Swallowing thickly, he released me. I stepped back and sucked in a deep breath to calm my racing pulse. We stood in silence, staring at each other as our passion rose and crashed between us like a tempestuous ocean, before finally ebbing into stillness.

  After another impassioned moment, I softly cleared my throat and glanced away, breaking the connection. “Do you think it would be okay if I went running on the beach?”

  Alexander moved back behind his desk. “I don’t see why not.” He glanced up briefly. “I’ll send Gerard and Pierre with you in case of paparazzi.”

  Gerard and Pierre, the head of Alexander’s personal guard, always accompanied the prince on outings. They were his fiercest and most loyal guards. I was hesitant to take them both from Alexander, knowing it was more important for the crown prince to be thoroughly protected than myself.

  “Just Gerard should be fine,” I said, perching on the edge of his desk. Since the official announcement of our engagement, Alexander had insisted that I should always be accompanied by at least one of the royal guards whenever I left the palace, though he often tried to send two. I watched as he rummaged through a stack of papers, his dark brows drawn together in concentration. “What are your plans for today?”

  “I’m up to my ears in paperwork and meetings,” he grunted in response, picking up a folder and flipping through its contents. “I have to attend the Opening Night at the theater this evening. It was scheduled last minute, but I think you’d really enjoy it, if you’d like to go with me?” He looked up, his expression hopeful.

  Since our talk the other night, I’d been determined to accept any chance to make a public appearance, knowing I would need the practice if I wanted to be a better princess. Going out with Alexander was the best, and easiest, solution. Not to mention, attending Opening Night at the theater sounded incredibly exciting. “I’d love to attend Opening Night with you, Alex.”

  The wide smile that spread across his handsome face made me weak in the knees.

  There was a knock on the door. Alexander peered over my shoulder. “Entrez.”

  A small, curly-haired brunette opened the door, then curtsied. “Pardon, Your Highness.” She smiled politely at me and returned her attention to Alexander. “You were supposed to be in the conference room five minutes ago, sir.”

  Alexander reacted instantaneously. Cursing in Italian, he bolted around his desk, took his suit jacket down from the coat rack and slipped it on. “Thank you, Stephanie.”

  “Of course, sir.” His personal secretary smiled in acknowledgement before fading from the room.

  He turned toward me, his expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, dolcezza. I’m late for a meeting.” He kissed me briefly on the lips. “Enjoy your run. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  I rummaged through Arianna’s massive closet for some workout clothes, grateful we were still close enough to the same size for me to borrow some of her outfits. When I’d packed for our trip to Coradova, I hadn’t expected to have time to exercise in between the chaos of preparing for the princess’ wedding—or to stay long enough that I would need them. I slipped on a pair of running shoes and one of my own faded baseball caps that I’d found in a box of old clothes hidden in the back corner.

  A palace driver took me to one of the less popular stretches of beach. I wandered along the sand until I found a mostly deserted spot to set down my backpack.

  It was a glorious morning, with a brilliant blue sky and an endless horizon. With the fine sand under my feet, the pulsing water sparkling radiantly, and the lulling crash of the waves, I felt a relaxing calm start to spread over me. I let all thoughts and worries slip from my mind as I stretched leisurely for my run.

  With Gerard following at a discreet distance, I began to jog, gradually increasing my speed as I allowed everything to fall away behind me; as if by running faster I could escape all the problems that had plagued me over the past few weeks. I could see the towering silhouette of the palace in the distance, protective and imposing.

  As a child, the palace had often seemed magical, like a kingdom sprung to life from the pages of a storybook. Beyond the protective walls it was filled with exotic flowers, music and dancing, handsome princes and a beautiful princess; filled with the potential for dreams to come true. Now as an adult, it seemed less glamorous and more ominous, filled instead with secrets and political intrigue, no longer the innocent fairytale palace of my childhood.

  By the time I returned to my backpack, I’d run about three miles and was thoroughly invigorated and renewed. I was surprised by how much I’d actually enjoyed running after joining track and field in college. Not only was it a great way to exercise, but it was an escape from
reality that always left me with a rush of adrenaline and ready to take on any new challenges.

  As I reached for one of the water bottles in my backpack, I saw it: a note, tucked carefully into the outer pocket. This time, I knew without a doubt that it wasn’t from Alexander. Suddenly apprehensive, my eyes scanned the few people on the surrounding beach. Although I saw no one suspicious, I still felt as if I were being watched. My skin broke out into gooseflesh, my heart rate accelerating with nerves. I didn’t want to alarm Gerard and prayed that my concern wasn’t obvious. Looking down at the note, I recognized the familiar hateful, angry scrawl.

  Do you think your disguise is fooling anyone, Cinderella? We can see underneath that ratty old hat and sunglasses, straight through to your black rotting heart. We’re watching you. We see you for the unworthy commoner you are. Go back to America with your gold-digging sister. Before we unmask you.

  Trying to keep my face calm and clear of expression, I crumpled the note and carelessly tossed it into my backpack, not wanting the person who’d left it to know how much it had unsettled me. I forced myself to remain on the beach, refusing to be intimidated, or to let the small twinge of fear control me. Someone was trying to scare me. It was most likely just one of the jealous noblewomen Alexander had dated when I was in America.

  As I dug through my backpack for the beach towel, Gerard knelt down at my side. I could sense the protective undercurrent running through him. “Is everything all right, Maddy?”

  So much for having a good poker face, I thought wryly. I handed him a water bottle, carefully avoiding his watchful brown eyes. I’d developed a familiar camaraderie with Gerard over the past few weeks and had even begun to consider him a friend. He was tall and imposing, powerfully built with lethal skills and unwavering loyalty. He was a fierce protector and a trustworthy friend.