Marrying a Prince

by Anne-Marie Meyer

  "No spare?"

  He shook his head. "I have a feeling it's Filippo's way of keeping tabs on me. If there's no way to change the tire, I'll have to call him to come get me." He sighed and leaned his head back.

  "Well, we can walk," she said, trying to give him an encouraging smile.

  He glanced over at her. "The next town isn't for twenty miles and it's dark." He shifted in his seat, pulling out his phone. "It's okay. I'll call him. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. Your safety is more important."

  She watched as he powered on his phone. A frustrated feeling rose up in her stomach.—she didn't want him to be disappointed. She reached out and stilled his hand. "It's okay. I can walk." She flexed her muscles. "I'm stronger than I look."

  A smile played on his lips as he studied her. "Oh really?"

  She nodded. "I pity any person who would try to fight me." She leaned over and kissed one of her biceps.

  He hesitated and then lowered his phone. "You sure?"

  "Yes. I didn't climb down the side of a castle like Rapunzel just to come back through the front door. If you need a break, let's take one. We can figure this out." She reached out and squeezed his hand.

  He studied her and then nodded. "Okay. We can do this. But if something happens, I'm calling and we are going back."

  She held up her right hand. "Promise."

  He laughed as he grabbed the handle and pulled it open. "This'll be exciting. Me and you on the open road."

  The sound of crickets filled the air as Marianna stepped out. With no other light around them, the moon and the stars shone against the black sky. She inhaled the fresh air as she looked around. It was peaceful here. Perhaps, this was what she needed—to leave the world and get lost in nature.

  Her gaze made its way over to Leo, who was stretching. And getting lost with a prince? This was every girl’s dream. She was pretty lucky.

  He must have felt her stare because he glanced over at her. When he met her gaze, he winked.

  Heat permeated her cheeks as she studied the gravel beneath her feet.

  Once their luggage was retrieved, Leo nodded toward the open road. "Are you ready, m'lady?"

  She laughed. "Ready as I'll ever be."

  They walked next to each other for the next thirty minutes. Leo filled the silence with stories of his childhood. It was fascinating, listening to all the etiquette classes, tutors, and arranged playdates he grew up with. Life as a royal was such a contrast to hers.

  "What was primary school like for you as a child?" he asked.

  She hesitated, not wanting to answer. It was hypnotizing, listening to his smooth accent. He seemed so much more at ease here in the middle of nowhere than he'd ever been at the castle. It was like the true Leo had finally come out.

  Silence surrounded her, and she realized that he was waiting for her to answer. "It was normal. Well, as normal as it could be. I mean, you met my parents."

  He chuckled. She glanced over to see the soft lines of his smile as the moon lit up his face. "Yeah, they are quite the characters."

  "That's one way to put it," she said. Yes, she loved her parents, but they could be a handful sometimes.

  He was quiet for a moment. "It must be nice," he said. His tone had deepened. She could hear the emotion in his voice.

  "What?"

  When he didn't answer right away, she feared that she'd said something wrong.

  He sighed. "Knowing that no matter what you did, your parents would always support you."

  And there it was. The truth. The reason he was out here, trekking with her down some deserted highway. He felt alone. In a castle with more residents than her high school graduating class he felt alone.

  That had to be hard. Harder than her sad, little life back home. Sure, she didn't have a boyfriend or a husband, but at least she felt needed. She had a place to call home. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

  Leo leaned closer to her. She could smell his remaining cologne as the evening air picked it up and surrounded her with it. She couldn't help but breathe it in. It smelled like Leo, and she liked it. It was something she was getting more and more used to.

  And it was something she was pretty sure she was going to miss when she left this place.

  "What did you say?" he asked.

  "I'm sorry," she repeated.

  He slowed, glancing down at her. "You're sorry? For what?" His gaze met hers, and the intensity took her breath away.

  "For the fact that you don't feel supported. It has to be hard."

  He studied her, then reached up and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. The feeling sent shivers across her skin. She wanted to close her eyes and take in every moment she shared with him. To memorize the feeling of him next to her. Because when she left, there was going to be a Leo-sized hole in her heart.

  "Thank you," he said; his voice had deepened.

  She raised her eyebrows.

  He smiled. "For coming out with me. Even though I'm with people all day, no one had ever felt like a friend until you came along. I needed this."

  She reached up and grabbed his hand. After squeezing it, she stepped back. This was not good. Even though it felt like she was exactly where she needed to be, nothing good would come from getting close to him. They were both going to end up hurt. And she was pretty sure being dumped by a prince wasn't what she needed to bolster her confidence.

  "I'm happy to do it. After all, that's what a friend would do." She dropped his hand and folded her arms, attempting to protect her heart.

  She could feel his gaze. She wanted him to look away—fearful of what he might see if he lingered too long. Light drew their attention. Two bright headlights shone against the dark sky. They squinted as a truck came into view. It was old and the engine rattled in the quiet night air.

  The truck slowed to a halt. An aged man with wrinkled skin poked his head out. He ran his gaze over the two of them. After saying something in Italian, Leo responded, waving down the road toward where they'd left his car.

  The man turned, glancing in the direction that Leo motioned, and then replied.

  "Grazie," Leo said as he lifted the suitcases into the bed of the truck and pulled open the door.

  Marianna glanced over at him with a quizzical expression.

  "This is Bernardo. He owns a small bed and breakfast in the next town. He's agreed to give us a ride. Isn't that fantastic?"

  Marianna stared at the cab of the truck. Bernardo smiled back at her, his face illuminated by the small overhead light. He was wearing a conductor’s hat, and his weatherworn skin wrinkled around his eyes.

  "Ciao, bella," he said, nodding in her direction.

  Marianna nodded as Leo held out his hand to help her into the cab. Once she was seated, she scooted over until she was sandwiched next to Bernardo.

  "My love," Leo said, getting in beside her.

  Leo's words made her jump. She whipped her gaze over to him. She parted her lips, but he just gave her an encouraging smile and slammed the door.

  "I was telling Bernardo how we are on our honeymoon and our car broke down," Leo finished.

  Bernardo shifted the truck into first gear and started down the road. "It is sad story," Bernardo said in an accent so thick it was hard to understand.

  "Thank you, Bernardo. Yes, very sad," Leo said.

  "I happy I find two lovers and make better situation," Bernardo continued.

  Marianna tried to keep the heat from her cheeks at Bernardo's description of them. Lovers. Butterflies erupted in her stomach.

  "Bernardo is a romantic, no?" Leo said, smiling over at her. He winked, obviously enjoying this interchange.

  Marianna widened her eyes and shook her head. There as no way she could encourage this.

  Thankfully, the ride to Bernardo's bed and breakfast didn't last much longer. He pulled up to a small house with a single outside light on. It illuminated a sign that said Casa Astarita B & B.

  Even in the darkness, Marianna could see the ce
dar shingles and window boxes that exploded with flowers. If she was ever going to plan the perfect honeymoon getaway, this would be the place.

  Leo opened the door and hopped down from the cab. He extended his arms as if he were expecting Marianna to jump into them. "M'lady," he said, waving his hands to her.

  She stared at him. Was he serious? He wanted to carry her?

  "Honey, I can walk."

  He winked and shook his head. "Nope. My wife deserves nothing less."

  "Come sei romantico," Bernardo said as he rounded the truck and grabbed their suitcases. He shot them a smile.

  Marianna glanced at Leo. "What did he say?"

  "He thinks I'm a romantic," Leo said and leaned closer. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen? It's all part of the act. He wouldn't be expecting the prince to show up to his bed and breakfast like this."

  Marianna studied him and then sighed. She could think of a lot of reasons why she should keep her feet planted on the ground. But, if it was for the act, then she would do it. And she was going to try her darnedest not to enjoy it. She let him scoop her up, reveling in the feeling of his strong arms around her. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

  She shifted as he began walking toward the front door, following Bernardo.

  "You smell good," he said.

  His closeness made her tingle. This was a mistake. A colossal mistake. She was supposed to be distancing herself from him, not literally jumping into his arms.

  "I smell sweaty. I've been walking down a deserted Caro road," she said, forcing her voice to come out normal.

  He laughed, and she could feel it rumble in his chest. "What kind of guy would let you do that?"

  "My husband, apparently," she said.

  He grew quiet, and she wondered if that had been the wrong thing to say. Before she could delve into his silence, Bernardo held open the door, and Leo carried her into the entryway. It was small and quaint. Just like Bernardo.

  "Seguimi," Bernardo said, motioning toward the hallway.

  Leo had no intention of letting her go. He followed after Bernardo, who led them upstairs and into a small bedroom. A wrought iron bed frame sat in the middle. It was small, maybe a queen size. Marianna studied it. There was no way they could both sleep on that. She'd be too close to the prince. And there was no way she could spend the night next to him and come out unscathed.

  Leo didn't look as if he had a problem with it. He let her down and went over to Bernardo, where they spoke in Italian. After a few minutes, they shook hands and Bernardo left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  Marianna glanced over at Leo. "So, is there another room?"

  Leo jumped onto the bed. "What are you talking about? Couples don't have separate bedrooms on their honeymoon."

  Heat burned her skin as she kept to the far wall, away from Leo and the bed. "Yeah, but we aren't honeymooners. We'd have to be married."

  Leo grabbed a pillow and shoved it under his head. "Well, that ring says otherwise." He waved toward her left hand.

  She glanced down and ran her finger across the band. She'd grown so accustomed to wearing it that she'd forgotten it was even there. What was it going to feel like when she had to take it off? Was it bad that she didn't even want to think about it?

  "I'm going to get ready," she said, grabbing her suitcase and wheeling it into the bathroom. It was small, with a clawfoot tub along one wall and a pedestal sink with a tiny mirror above it. She grabbed her toothbrush and brushed her teeth.

  Once her hair was down and brushed, she slipped into her nightgown and took a deep breath. Hopefully, Leo would be asleep so as not to see the nightgown that had been picked out for her. Satin wasn't exactly the most forgiving fabric. And just in case he was awake, she kept her bra on.

  When she opened the door, she flipped out the light. Leo was under the covers, propped up on one elbow. He was turned away from her, reading something.

  Taking this as her cue to get into bed as fast as possible, she bolted across the room, grabbed the covers, and slipped in. Leo glanced over at her and quirked an eyebrow.

  "Everything okay?" he asked.

  She nodded. "Yep, just tired."

  His gaze roamed over her and he smiled. "My turn." He got out of bed and closed the bathroom door. A few minutes later, he emerged in a pair of pajama bottoms and no shirt. Of course.

  She stifled a groan. What was he doing?

  He also didn't have her problem with needing to get into bed as fast as possible. Instead, he sauntered across the room as if he knew she was watching him.

  He took a moment to stretch and then climbed under the covers after turning off the light.

  Either the bed was incredibly small, or Leo was incredibly big. No matter what Marianna did, she couldn’t put any space between them. After the fifteenth adjustment, Leo chuckled.

  Exasperated, Marianna glanced over at him. "What?"

  "Is this how you sleep? Like a fish out of water?" He imitated her moving around, which only brought her closer to him. She shifted again, trying to keep her distance. "See, you did it again," he said.

  "You weigh too much," she said.

  Leo gasped. "You never talk about someone's weight, geez."

  Marianna glanced over at him. She could almost hear his smile in the dark. Of course, he was enjoying this. She had half a mind to pinch him. But that might start something that she most certainly couldn't finish. And there was no need to rock this squeaky bed. She didn't want to give Bernardo any ideas.

  "Let's just go to sleep," she said, turning so that her back was to him.

  He let out a breath. "That sounds like a good idea."

  They lay in the darkness, silence surrounding them. She could feel the warmth of his body next to her. Well, one thing was for sure, she wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. Thanks a lot, Bernardo.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After a very long and not restful sleep, Leo woke up to the sound of a rooster crowing. He lifted his head slightly to glance over at the small clock on the wall.

  Six-thirty.

  He let his breath out slowly as he lowered his head back down. From the corner of his eye, he could see Marianna. She was turned toward him. Her hands were resting by her chin. Her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes sprawled across her cheeks.

  He couldn't help but allow his gaze to slip down to her lips. Her full, pink lips. Memories of kissing her filled his mind. It had done something to him. Stirred a feeling inside of him that he hadn't felt for any other girl. And, oh, how he wanted to do it again.

  Her dark hair fell across her cheek, and before he knew what he was doing, he reached up and brushed it back. His fingers touched her skin, and zaps of electricity raced up his arm.

  She was beautiful, and there was no way he was going to be able to walk away from her at the end of all of this. The way he felt about her was one of those once-in-a-lifetime feelings. The kind that changes you and never lets you go.

  He swallowed against the lump that had formed in his throat. What was he going to do now? He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his mind to stop obsessing like a school boy.

  Once-in-a-life-time feeling? Was he an idiot? Princes weren't given that kind of luxury. And since he was on the fast track to losing his inheritance, how did he think he could take care of Marianna?

  She deserved everything, and he couldn’t give her anything. He needed to keep himself distanced from her. It was to keep her safe. That idiot doctor had already broken her heart, and Leo had promised to help her get over him. Dragging Marianna into his mess of a situation was far from keeping that promise.

  She shifted, causing Leo to squint over at her. She was waking up. Her eyes fluttered open. Out of curiosity, Leo kept his lids closed just enough to pretend that he was sleeping but open enough that he could see what she was doing.

  Her brow furrowed as she studied him. His skin heated as she ran her gaze over his face. What was she thinking?

  Then, she leaned next to him, re
sting her head inches from his face. She was getting closer to him. Did he dare hope what that might mean?

  Paralyzed, he laid there. She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes again.

  His heart pounded so hard, he was certain Bernardo could hear it through the walls. Why couldn't he get a grip on his emotions? Having had enough of lying there and trying to interpret her actions, he stretched and yawned—making sure to stay far enough away so she couldn't smell his morning breath.

  He pretended to wake up, taking note of the fact that she still pretended to be asleep. He slipped off the bed and tiptoed into the bathroom, where he shut the door and turned on the shower.

  Fifteen minutes later he emerged out of the water feeling refreshed. His mind had cleared and all the ridiculous thoughts that he'd allowed to linger were pushed to the very back corner of his mind, where he locked them in a vault.

  He couldn't allow them back out. Not if he was going to stay sane.

  He opened the door with a towel wrapped around his waist. In his haste to get to the bathroom, he'd forgotten a change of clothes.

  His heart sped up as his gaze landed on Marianna. She was sitting up in the bed with her knees brought up and her gaze trained outside of the window. The morning light shone across her skin, illuminating her. Her dark hair fell in waves, framing her face and cascading down her shoulders.

  He needed to leave. Right now.

  Her gaze made its way over to him, and her eyes widened. His skin burned as she lingered on his chest and then stomach. Her cheeks hinted pink as she pinched her lips together and met his gaze again.

  She said everything through that look. Everything that they had been fighting not to say to each other for the last few days. His muscles burned as he fought the urge to cross the room and gather her up, kissing her like a man who loves a woman should.

  She tucked a curl behind her ear. "Sleep well?" she asked.

  He cleared his throat and nodded—nervous that if he spoke, his voice would expose his thoughts. "Yeah. You?"

  She chuckled. The sound was melodious and delicate—just like her. "You snore."