And always would.
“I’ll never forget you, either,” she finally said. “I love you, too.”
The second the words were out of her mouth…
He leaped through the rest of the distance, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her like all those years that stood between them were gone and they’d never been separated in a cruel twist of fate. Like he wasn’t a king, and she wasn’t American.
He kissed her like…like…
He was never going to stop.
Chapter Nineteen
The second she said those three little words, the words he hadn’t heard from her since they were kids, any calm and logical desire to play fair, to tell her he was sorry and leave the plane, fled. He had hundreds of eyes on him, and there were more than a few phones pointed his way, recording for Instagram or Periscope or whatever, but none of that mattered anymore. Nothing mattered but this. Them. Alicia.
She was all that he needed in this world.
And she loved him.
Their lips melded together perfectly, as they always did, and he crushed her to his chest, wrapping her in his arms so tightly it was a miracle she didn’t break. She fisted his shirt in both hands, letting out a surprised gasp. A gasp he took full advantage of, slipping his tongue inside her mouth to taste her like a starved man.
And he was starved.
For her.
Ending the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers, letting out a groan. “Say it again, Alicia.”
“I love you,” she breathed. “But—”
He kissed her again, cutting off whatever she was about to say. If there was one thing he learned about her over the past few days, it was that the second she let herself take that leap that she said she no longer took, she immediately tried to backpedal and overthink the situation. She’d done it the first time they hooked up at the nightclub, then at the skating rink, and again last night.
That wasn’t because she didn’t want him, or care about him, though.
It was fear.
All he could do to help was hold her hand and assure her she wasn’t making a mistake in loving him. Because now that she loved him, too, there was no way in hell he was losing her again. If she didn’t want to stay here…
He’d find a way to make it work.
To have her.
Breaking off the kiss, he cupped her cheeks and pulled back. She blinked up at him, looking a little bit confused and lost. “No buts. You love me.”
She licked her lips. “Yes…but—”
“And I love you.” He smiled, and the crowd around them broke out in excited whispers. “I’ve always loved you, and my father was right to bring you here. He wanted me to fall in love, and get married, and I would never do that with you out there somewhere, maybe thinking about me as much as I thought about you.”
“I was. I am.” She covered his hands with hers. “But you’re a…” She side-eyed the crowd around them, cutting herself off. “…uh…prince.”
He cocked a brow. “And that’s a problem for you?”
“Well…yeah.” She bit down on her lip, staring up at him with the brightest, purest, prettiest eyes he’d ever seen. His heart gave out a little burst of warmth, because here, right now, in front of all these people, he saw his future in those eyes. And it looked pretty damn good. “I might have done research on your customs…”
He blinked in confusion, ripping himself out of his thoughts. “What customs?”
“You know.” Her lashes lowered, and her cheeks pinked. “Marriage customs, and stuff. I looked it up, and you have to marry a princess, which is fine. I mean, it’s expected, considering…you know. Who you are.” Her cheeks went even pinker. “God, I can’t believe I just admitted I Googled that.”
Knowing she had looked into the possibility of them ending up together…? Yeah. It fucking sealed the deal, in his mind. Even before this moment, she’d wanted this. She’d wanted them together, even in the slightest, smallest way, and that was all he needed to hear to know he was making the right choice. As if he’d ever doubted it.
He loved her, and she loved him…
So there was no decision left to make.
Lowering his face to hers, he smiled and brushed his lips across hers gently and whispered, “By the way, that law has been changed. My father saw to it six months ago.”
Her eyes widened. “Wait. What?”
“You heard me.” Pulling back, he laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “I swore I wouldn’t do this. That I wouldn’t ask you to stay. But I—” His gaze scanned the crowd, and all the women on the flight watched him with their hands pressed to their chests, or their mouths, and the men stared with wide eyes. This was probably the worst place to have this conversation, and it wasn’t something a prince should do, but it didn’t matter anymore. None of that did. “Don’t go. I love you, and I’ll always love you, and we were just kids when we met, and when we made those promises, but I stand by every word I said back then, as the man I am today.”
She smiled sadly, taking a shaky breath. When she opened her mouth to speak, he pressed his fingers to her lips, because quite frankly? He was scared to hear her reply.
Scared she’d tell him she loved him, too, but that love wasn’t enough.
But it had to be. This time, it had to be enough.
“More importantly, I stand by what I said yesterday, too. Even if you stay on this flight and go home, I’ll always be here, waiting for that phone call.” He ran this thumb over her lower lip, watching her pink lips give way under his touch. “A year. Five. Ten. A million. Doesn’t matter how much time passes. I’ll be single, and waiting for you to change your mind, waiting for my phone to ring because you’re here and you need me to pick you up at the airport. Because a love like we have? One that survives ten years of lies, separation, and pain? That doesn’t die. It never will. I’ll be here. Waiting for you. I swear that.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks again, and she reached up, burying her hand in his hair, letting out a small chuckle. “God, that was good. Like, really, really good. How long have you been planning that speech?”
“Ten long, lonely, horrible years.” He slid his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away the tears. “And I’ll do it all over again, if that’s what you want from me.”
She threaded her other hand in his hair, shaking her head, and smiled. “I don’t want that. I want you. This. Us. But—”
“If you don’t want to stay, that’s okay. You can go home, and we’ll make it work. Facetime. Phone calls. Texts.” He tightened his grip on her, the idea of letting go of her so she could leave not settling well in the pit of his stomach. But he’d do it. He’d do anything for her. “We can make it work.”
“You’re right. We totally could.” She let go of him, backing up, and he held his breath, because if she sat back down in that seat…a small part of him would die. He watched her closely as she opened the overhead compartment. “But—”
He winced. “Please. No buts.”
“But—” She cut herself off. “I mean… Take me home.”
He raised a brow. “Home?”
“Yeah. To the castle.” Pulling her bag down, she set it on the floor between them, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered. “Home.”
He kissed her sweetly, unable to resist having another taste. Grinning, he laughed into her mouth as the plane erupted in cheers and clapping. “I can’t wait to get you home,” he whispered into her mouth.
“Good,” she whispered, tightening her grip on his hair. “Now let’s go so I can show you, in privacy, just how much I love you.”
“As you wish.” He kissed her one last time. “Anything you wish, forever and always.”
With her lips and her body pressed against his and her hands in his hair—this was it. This was what he’d been waiting for his whole life.
Their happy ending.
Epilogue
Six months later
Alicia stood in front of the mirror i
n her bedroom, staring at herself with wide eyes, parted lips, and so many diamonds on her that it was ridiculous. She wore a sequined gold gown, a diamond tiara, a bracelet, teardrop earrings, bright red lipstick that stood out in stark contrast against her blonde hair, pale skin, and blue eyes.
And, once again, she felt utterly out of place.
And she wasn’t even there yet.
She stood in an opulent room with lush furnishings, and in the mirror she could see the bed she shared with the man she loved…who just so happened to be a king. Resting her hands on her vanity, she shook her head at the turn her life had taken over the last few months. She’d gone from living in a small studio apartment in Harlem, by herself, to living in a legitimate palace, and never being alone.
It was crazy.
Insane.
Unbelievable.
And yet…it was real.
Even though they never spent a night out of each other’s arms, they kept up appearances by keeping her in her own room three doors down from his. He’d wanted to put her in the queen’s chambers, but she refused. It was enough that the people had to accept an American as their King’s lover, but to make it so she broke tradition and slept with the king in his bed before marriage…
She drew the line there.
She had to draw the line somewhere.
Someone knocked on the door, and Scotty bolted under the bed, leaving behind a tuft of fur as he hid from whoever interrupted his supper. Shaking her head at the cat, she straightened, pressing a hand to her stomach, which fluttered nervously, and tried to stop worrying so freaking much. Tonight was a big deal, though, because Leo had awarded her with some lands that made her an official lady. Lady Wallace—in honor of her dead fish. Poor guy.
But anyway, she now owned a country estate on five acres of rolling hills and lush meadows. That had been her Christmas present from Leo.
A freaking cottage.
She’d gotten him a fitness watch. He’d acted like it was a million dollars.
“Come in,” she called out.
The door opened, and in stepped the man of her dreams. The man who had given her more in these last six months than she’d ever imagined possible. Things she hadn’t even remotely believed she could have.
Like happiness.
He shut the door behind him, whistling through his teeth as his gaze raked over her. Like always, her body leaped to life at his appreciative stare. “You look utterly, breathtakingly, unbelievably beautiful tonight. I am, hands down, the luckiest man on this planet, because I get to have you on my arm.”
Her cheeks heated, and she smiled. “And you, sir, are as smooth a talker as ever. But you already have my heart, so you can stop with your flowery words.”
“Never,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead. “The day I stop saying how lucky I am, is the day I start taking you for granted, and it’ll be the day I start to lose you, so it’ll never happen. Not on my watch.”
She fisted his tuxedo jacket, smiling and burying her nose in his shirt, inhaling deeply. He still smelled delicious, and she could never get enough. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” He kissed the top of her head, his hands splayed on her lower back. His chest and arms tightened around her, and he let out a sigh. “There’s something missing from your wardrobe, though.”
Pulling back, she chewed on her lower lip nervously, tugging on the crown necklace Brian had given her all those years ago. Some things would never change, and she refused to remove it. It was a reminder of Brian, and what he’d meant to her. It was a shout out to him, as well, because if not for that bucket list he gave her…
She never would have found Leo again.
Thank you, Brian.
“What’s missing?’ she asked nervously.
“You need more…” He rubbed his chin, staring at her thoughtfully. “Diamonds.”
She stiffened. “Seriously? I’m practically a walking jewelry store already.” She moved over to the mirror, studying herself critically. “And to be honest, I feel like the tiara is a bit much. I mean, it’s not like I’m a princess. Just a small property holder.”
“You might not be a princess,” he said, his voice gravelly from behind her. “But I want you to be my queen. Turn around, Alicia.”
“I—” As she turned, the words she’d been about to say died in her throat. Because there, kneeling behind her on one knee, was Leo. He held a ring in his hand that had more diamonds on it than she had dollars in her bank account. It was white gold, or platinum, and it had a princess cut diamond smack dab in the middle of all the other ones. A huge, several carat diamond. “Oh my God.”
He gave her a huge, beautiful, brilliant smile. “Having you back in my life has made me the happiest man on this earth, and knowing you’re here, by my side, is all I want. You’ve taught me how to laugh, how to have fun, and how to stop taking everything so damn seriously. You’ve made my life…a life…and I cannot imagine living it without you at my side, whispering little things in my ear that make me laugh at inappropriate times.”
She covered her mouth, tears filling her eyes. “I—”
“And before you spew a whole lot of logic at me, about how you just became a lady, and how we should wait to announce this, or hold off on taking as huge a step as this, you should know I don’t give a damn.” He held the ring up, “You were there with me when I lost my father, and you helped me pick up the pieces of my life that fractured because of his death. You forgave me, and him, and you accepted me as I am, faults and all. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, as my queen. And more than ever, I want to call you mine. My lover. My partner. My queen. My wife.”
She pressed her fingers against her lips, speechless.
“I missed out on ten years with you by my side, making my life brighter, and I refuse to lose even another second.” He locked eyes with her, took a deep breath, and asked, “Alicia Forkes, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Nodding, she gulped in a huge breath, but it turned into more of a sob than anything, as she fell to her knees and framed his face with unsteady hands. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes.”
Laughing, he dropped the ring between them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her until she forgot all about the party out there, and the people, and everything else that was making her nervous. Because all that mattered was she’d have Leo by her side, holding her tight, and when the party was over…
She’d fall asleep in his arms.
And that was all she needed.
Him.
He broke off the kiss, laughing again, picked up the ring and said, “I’m clearly the luckiest bastard alive. Give me your hand.”
With blurry eyes, she watched him slide it onto her ring finger. It, of course, fit perfectly. “It’s beautiful.”
“It was my mother’s, and her mother’s, and so on. It’s the royal ring, and it’s been passed down for over four hundred years.” He tightened his grip on her fingers and lifted his face to hers. The happiness, tinged with a bit of possessiveness, she saw in those dark blue depths stole her breath right out of her lungs. “My future queen,” he said reverently.
“My king,” she whispered, pressing her hand to his cheek.
He kissed her gently. Smiling at her, he stood and offered her his hand, his light dusting of freckles playing on his cheeks. “Are you ready to show everyone their future queen?”
With him by her side? She was ready for anything.
She slipped her hand into his and let him lead her out into the hallway, down the stairs, and to the doors of the ballroom. As the butler—James—swung open the opulent maple doors, and she glanced at Leo and his staid, serious expression as he stood ramrod straight, she rose up on tiptoes and whispered, “Meet me in your office for a quickie at ten?”
He shot her an incredulous look, opened his mouth, closed it…
And laughed.
Everyone turned, watching them with a smile, and he leaned
down, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “As you wish, my queen. As you wish.”
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About the Author
Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She’s hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
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Discover the Modern Fairy Tales series
Beauty and the Boss
Also by Diane Alberts…
Take a Chance series
Try Me
Love Me
Play Me
Take Me
Shillings Agency series
Temporarily Yours
Stealing His Heart
Seducing the Princess
Taking What’s His
Say You’re Mine
Faking It
Falling for the Groomsman
Kiss Me at Midnight
Divinely Ruined
The Prince's Bride (Modern Fairytales) Page 16