"It'll be okay," he said, enjoying the warmth that touching her brought him.
She glanced back at him and nodded. "They're silly, huh?" She asked, wiping at her cheek.
Even in the few short hours that he had spent with them, they'd already weaseled into his heart. "They are great. Do you get to see them a lot?"
She yawned and rested her head back. "Not as much as I would like. Dad hides it, but he's getting older. He had glaucoma and high blood pressure. It worries me, you know?" she said, turning to look at him.
Leo nodded. "I get it."
Closing her eyes, she tipped her head until it rested on his shoulder. Leo couldn't help but breathe in the smell of her coconut shampoo. He reveled in the feeling of her so close to him. Perhaps, it wasn't only him that had brewing feelings.
"Do you mind if I rest here for the ride back? I'm exhausted," she murmured, already sounding half asleep.
Leo nodded. "Of course."
She let out a satisfied sigh. "You're a good friend."
Leo cringed at that word. Friend. He knew he should be grateful that she saw him as someone she could confide in, that there was no romantic worry between the two of them. He should be happy about that.
He wasn’t in a place in his life where he could be more than friends with anyone. So he shoved all thoughts of anything more to the corner of his mind, tipped his head back, and closed his eyes.
He tried to ignore the feeling of Marianna so close to his body. Thankfully, the hum of the road and the warmth of the setting sun surrounded him and lulled him to sleep.
Chapter Nine
Everything seemed to rush past Marianna when they got back to the hotel. Mrs. DeLuca whisked Leo away, stating that there was so much work to be done before they left. Marianna went out with one of the servants, Adelina, who was to take her shopping for "royalty appropriate clothing."
By the time Marianna got back, it was past midnight, and she was ushered into the spare room in Leo's suite, where the bed was turned down and she was expected to get into it.
After the noise in the living room died down, Marianna took that as a sign that everyone had left, so she slipped the covers off and got out of bed.
Adelina had been efficient and thorough. Marianna had never seen someone show like the little Italian woman did. Now, Marianna had an entirely new wardrobe that included satin, full-length nightgowns, like the one she now wore. It had spaghetti straps, and the cool air hit her arms, causing goosebumps to cover her skin.
She grabbed a matching satin robe that was hanging on the back of her door and stepped out into the hall. She hesitated, waiting to hear if anyone would say anything to her. She wasn't one hundred percent clear on the rules, but she was pretty sure leaving her room in the middle of the night broke one of them. Especially since she was sharing a suite with Leo.
His parents had seemed okay with her being there, since Filippo's room was right next to hers. But she didn’t mind that. If anything, his being there helped her feel safe. There was no way anything could get out of hand when there was a chance that Leo's bodyguard could come in.
Heat raced across her skin as the memory of Leo so close to her body flashed in her mind. The way his tanned skinned stretched over his muscles. For a moment, she wondered what they might feel like under her fingertips.
"Why are you up so late?" Leo's deep voice snapped her from her thoughts.
She yelped and turned to see him shutting the small fridge and smiling over at her. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and no shirt.
Of course no shirt.
She forced her gaze upwards instead of letting it fall to the hard lines of his chest and abs. She folded her arms so there was no temptation to reach out and feel if his skin was as smooth as it looked.
"You okay?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow like he knew just what he was doing.
Ooo, he was good.
She cleared her throat and nodded. "Um, yep. Mhmm." Wow.
"Having a hard time sleeping?" He set a quart of ice cream down on the counter and pulled out a drawer. He removed two spoons and held one out to her. "I am," he said as he shrugged.
Thankful that she wasn't the only one struggling with this situation, she let out the breath she'd been holding and nodded. "Yes. I don't know why. I mean, I agreed to this."
His eyes widened as he pulled the lid off. "You're having doubts?" He dug a spoon into the ice cream and then handed the container over to her.
Grateful for a task that distracted her from his intoxicating. . . everything, Marianna scooped out a mound of ice cream and set the container back down on the counter. "Aren't you?"
Did she really want to hear the answer to that question? No matter what, it would hurt. If he did have doubts, was it because he didn't see her as princess material? Or worse, was he having doubts about her ability to carry out their arrangement?
When he didn't answer, she looked up to see him studying her as he took bites out of his ice cream. "I don't think so. I trust my gut, and my gut told me that you would be the best person to help me." He leaned closer. "There's not a lot of women out there like you."
Heat burned her cheeks from the combination of his words and proximity. She forced a chuckle. "You're just saying that because you're a prince. You're used to schmoozing women."
He leaned closer until his lips were next to her ear. She fought the urge to turn and press her lips to his. Their previous kiss had happened so fast that there were times she wondered if she'd made it all up. But right now, standing in his suite, she would know. She would remember. And she was sure she would never be the same.
So she kept her face forward and waited for what he was about to say.
"Is it working?" he asked. His voice was deep and and smooth as chocolate.
Shivers assaulted her skin. This wasn't fair, him standing inches from her. She needed to get a hold of herself and step away. Put up a wall and protect herself.
But, this was fun. And it felt so good to be needed. It didn't hurt that he was a prince and that rubbing their engagement in Samson's face would help heal all the cracks that walking in on him and Barbie had given her.
So she pulled back, plastering on a fake smile. "Your Highness, this is in breach of our contract."
When she met his gaze, she saw something pass through it. Was it hurt or fear? Had what he said been true—did he really want to get close to her? Maybe he was waiting for an opening.
Why was she even thinking these things? Opening up Pandora's box was never good. If she entertained the idea of having feelings for Leo, or worse, thinking that he might have feelings for her, it would only result in heartbreak.
She always dived into every relationship with both feet. And she always seemed to be with the wrong guy. Leo DeLuca, crown prince of Caro, was definitely the wrong guy for her.
He leaned back, grabbed the container, and scooped up another spoonful of ice cream. "Wow," he breathed, winking at her.
She stared at him. What was he doing? "What?"
"Nothing. It's just that I threw my big guns at you, and you didn't flinch. That's impressive." He shoved the ice cream into his mouth and swallowed. "It means you're ready."
Marianna tried to push out the pain that clung to her chest at the thought that he was testing her. That he didn't care about her, like she was fighting so hard not to care about him. She reached out and shoved his shoulder. "You were testing me?"
He laughed and took another bite. "Yep." He turned and leaned against the counter, extending his legs out in front of him. He looked so relaxed. Like this was the most normal conversation. "You don't understand the world you are entering into. I mean, people are going to throw themselves at you. It'll become hard to know if people are real or not." His voice trailed off as he stared down at the kitchen floor. "It can be really lonely."
Marianna's heart swelled at his words, how hard that had to be. Living your life and never knowing what was genuine. Part of her wanted to tell him she knew what that wa
s like, but the words felt like a lie. Sure, men had cheated on her and lied to her, but she had genuine friends and loving parents. People who would support her no matter what.
Leo had parents who were forcing him to marry a woman he didn't love, without any thought for how he felt. He was going to have to live the rest of his life for his country. For people who didn't know him and probably never would.
It had to feel lonely.
Before she thought about it, she reached out and rested her hand on his forearm. She hoped it would come off as supportive and not creepy. As soon as her fingers brushed his skin, tingles raced up her arm and exploded in her heart.
How could something that felt so right be so wrong? She swallowed, forcing herself to remember that this was for Leo. She wasn't going to pull her hand away just because it made her feel something. That wasn't his fault. He needed a friend, and she was going to be that friend.
His eyes widened as his gaze made it's way up to meet hers. He held it for a moment. She could see some turmoil in his eyes. As much as she wanted to believe it was because he felt something too, she wasn't going to entertain those thoughts. Instead she smiled. "Well, I will be there. I'll be your friend."
He hesitated and then smiled. "Thanks, Mari."
She nodded and dropped her hand, fighting the urge to run her thumb over her fingertips. "That is, if they don't run me out of town for being a fraud."
He patted her shoulder. "I won't let them. You'll be great."
She chuckled and took a step back. It was getting too hard, this touching each other like they were friends bit. They weren't friends and the more time she spent with Leo, the more she realized that they never were going to be.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, facing him. "What does a girl who's fake-engaged to the prince do?"
He shushed her and then glanced around. "Ears," he whispered.
Marianna thought everyone had left, except for Filippo. And the more she was getting to know Filippo, the more she was beginning to realize that he was extremely loyal to Leo. There was no way he would snitch about their plan.
But, from the way Leo's cheeks were turning red, she was beginning to realize that there was something more. Something he wasn't telling her. He looked sheepishly toward his bedroom.
Her gaze followed his. Was someone in there? Who?
When she glanced back over to him, she quirked an eyebrow. She knew she had no right asking him who was in his room. They weren't dating. But, she'd put her trust in him, and as much as she wanted not to feel like he was breaking it, he was.
And then she realized what he was trying not to say. Gisella was in there. Hurt filled her stomach as she backed away. Tears stung her eyes. Why would he have her in his bedroom? Hadn't he told her that he hated that woman? That she was terrible?
It was Samson and Barbie all over again.
She needed to get out of there.
"I'm—I've got to go," she whispered, fleeing toward the guest room. She didn't care that she'd just eaten ice cream and needed to brush her teeth. She also didn't care that Leo was calling after her. That his fingertips brushed her arm as she took off.
She wasn't interested in his excuses. She was interested in getting some space so that she could get her emotions under control.
She'd been a fool to let Leo into her life. She truly was just an end to a means. All of her previous thoughts about interpreting his feelings through his actions made her feel stupid. Leo wanted all the fun without any responsibility.
And Marianna playing along with his games was exactly that.
When her door was closed, she leaned against it, letting her tears fall. She angrily wiped them away as she walked across the room. She'd promised herself that she was never going to cry over another guy again. Three months after her last breakup and she was doing just that.
She flopped onto the bed, letting the down comforter float up around her. She stared up at the ceiling.
A soft knock sounded on the door. Marianna grabbed a nearby pillow and placed it over her face. There was no way she was going to answer the door right now. She didn't want to hear his explanation either way.
Gisella shouldn't have been in his room. Period.
And with his shirt off? She groaned into the pillow.
This was not what she wanted at all. Suddenly her carefree vacation away from her problems was rapidly becoming the same situation she’d just left. She couldn't do this to herself again.
When she pulled the pillow from her face, she hesitated, waiting to see if Leo would try again. Nothing. He must have given up and gone back to Gisella.
She flung the pillow to the floor and sat up. This was it. This was the moment that she would vow to herself that she wouldn’t fall for the Prince of Caro. And if she kept that promise to herself, then she just might be able to survive this tricky romantic world she’d been thrust into.
Chapter Ten
Leo laid in bed as the early morning rays peeked through his pulled drapes. He couldn't get Marianna's reaction out of his mind. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d hinted to her that Gisella was in his room. And before he could tell her why, she had stormed off to her bedroom and refused to come out.
He didn't blame her. She'd given up everything to come to Caro and go along with his ridiculous plan to get Gisella out of his life, just to find out that Gisella was staying with him. It had to be quite a blow.
Especially when her ex-boyfriend had done the same.
He scrubbed his face and turned toward the window. The heavy snores of Gisella could be heard coming from the cot that had been set up in his room.
If only he had been able to tell Marianna that it had been his mother's idea. All in the hopes that Leo would remember who he was really supposed to marry and call off his engagement with Marianna.
That was the only reason Gisella was in his room. He couldn't tell his mother no, because he wasn't even supposed to remember who Gisella was. If his mother wanted a strange woman to stay in his room, why should he care?
At least, that was the rationale she'd given him last night when he’d told her he didn't want Gisella in his room. She had brushed his concern aside, saying that even if he didn't remember who Gisella was, it didn't mean she wasn't important. He could say what he wanted to, but he was going to remember Gisella and marry her by month’s end.
So she had a cot brought up, and Gisella happily took up residence in his room.
As soon as his alarm went off on his phone, Leo grabbed it, shut it off, and climbed out of bed. He grabbed the change of clothes that the maid had laid out yesterday and headed to his shower. He wanted to be clean and dressed before other people started waking up.
Well, before Gisella was awake.
He wanted to catch Marianna and tell her what had happened. Leo knew if he could just explain, then everything would be okay. They would be okay.
He showered in record time and slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His mother allowed him lounge clothes while on the plane, but as soon as they landed, he would need to change into a suit for the press that always waited for them to return.
And this time, appearances were of the upmost importance. He was coming home an engaged man. The woman on his arm would be the ruler right next to him. The country would want to see who would be leading them.
And he was beginning to want that woman to be Marianna. Was that terrible? The last few days he'd spent with her had been the best he'd ever experienced. She was real. She was open. And she was everything all the stuffy women in his social circle were not.
Maybe that was what Caro needed. And just as he thought the words, he pushed them out. Why was he thinking about the ruler that Caro needed? He wouldn’t be the King. His cousin, Ermes, would.
Ermes wanted to be king. He was born to be king. Not Leo. That was not the life Leo wanted. It had never been.
No. He was going to be faithful to the promise he made with Marianna. They were going to fake a relationship
and push off the marriage until his birthday came and passed, making Ermes the next king. Then they could separate and live their lives without the weight of their past hovering over them.
He had to do that for Marianna. He couldn't drag her into his mess. Sure, his mother was a patient woman, but she wasn't going to take kindly to being duped. And if Leo insisted that Marianna stick around? It would be deadly for everyone involved.
So for now, it was better to play the lie then try to uncover some truth. Marianna had to believe that he didn't have feelings for her.
She couldn't know that it broke his heart that she thought he would pick Gisella over her. If this was going to end with everyone intact, he was going to have to keep her at arm’s length—now more than ever.
When he walked into the living room, he saw Filippo sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper, dressed and ready for the trip back to Caro. Marianna was not up yet, and her door was closed as tight as it had been last night. He tried to keep his gaze from making its way over to her room and his thoughts from wondering what she was doing.
Wondering if she hated him.
"Good morning," Filippo said, turning a page.
"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Leo asked, walking over to the coffee machine on the counter and pouring himself a mug.
"Very." There was a rustling sound, and when Leo glanced behind him, he saw that Filippo had folded up the newspaper and was now staring at him.
He widened his eyes as he took in Filippo's gaze. "Yes?" he asked, hoping that his bodyguard didn't notice how rattled he was.
"Last night, I needed to use the bathroom. On my way, I heard a very peculiar conversation…" Filippo let his words linger in the air.
Leo's stomach sank. Filippo knew what was going on. There was no use hiding it. And if he did lie, it would just make him look that much worse. But, just in case he was wrong, Leo said, "Oh, and what did it entail?"
Filippo quirked an eyebrow as if it surprised him that Leo didn’t just confess. He sighed. "Something about a relationship not being real? Your relationship?"
Marrying a Prince Page 7