Midnight in Monterra

by Caroline Mickelson

  Something in the way he spoke broke through Madison's defensive attitude. This was a man who was in love. With his country. With his heritage. With tradition. "So your father is a king?" she asked.

  He shook his head. "My father died several years ago." A shadow of sadness slipped across Luis' face as quickly as clouds passed over the moon on a dark night.

  "I'm sorry." Obviously, she'd hit on a painful subject. She bit her lip, unsure where to direct her questions next. Despite her attraction to the man across from her, he was a virtual stranger.

  "He was a good man. My mother passed away when I was a teenager. I miss them both." He took a sip of his champagne before he continued. "My older brother, Alejandro, is the Crown Prince of Santa Rosa."

  "What do I call you? Prince Jose? Prince Jose Luis? Your Highness?"

  "Not that." He gave a mock shudder. "Please call me Luis."

  "So, Luis, do you often go around and pose as royal staff members?" This was perhaps pushing it a bit. After all, she'd mistaken him for one of Prince Nico's drivers initially, but Luis had done nothing to correct her mistake. "And if the priest at the National Cathedral hadn't blown your cover, how long would you have let me go on thinking that you were a regular man?"

  He winced. "I guess I deserve that, but I assure you that I didn't set out to deceive you."

  Madison cocked her head to the side and studied him. "I'll give you that, but you could have told me who you were."

  "And you would have treated me how exactly?" His gaze was challenging. "You keep referring to the fact that I'm not a regular man." His gaze trailed over her face, lingering on her lips before returning to lock onto her eyes. "And that is something you are wrong about, Madison. Very wrong indeed."

  The intensity of Luis' gaze made it impossible for Madison to look away. "I realize that."

  A satisfied smile settled on his lips. "Good. Now, in answer to your second question, if the priest hadn't 'blown my cover' as you Americans say, I would have happily spent an entire day in your company without you knowing that I am a prince. Would you like to know why?"

  "I think the 'why' is pretty obvious."

  Luis raised an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."

  Madison drew in a deep fortifying breath. "It amused you to pretend to be someone like me."

  "Someone like you?"

  She nodded. "Yes, someone who works for a living." She took a sip of her champagne. "I think it must have amused you to no end to hear me wonder about Giovanni the sculptor, about whether he was a working man who labored all day and returned to his family every night, grateful to have work."

  "No, you are wrong." Luis leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "What I find absolutely fascinating is how you assume that because I am a member of a royal family, that I don't work. Because I can assure that I do work, very hard in fact."

  "You do?" She didn't even try to hide her surprise. "Doing what exactly? Vacationing in Monterra?"

  She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth because Luis drew back as if he'd been slapped across the face. "I'm sorry." She reached out to touch his hand. "That sounded horribly unkind. Not to mention judgmental. Forgive me."

  Luis' words came out in a calm, measured tone. "It's nothing I haven't heard before."

  "That makes it all the worse then." Madison squeezed his hand. "I wish I could take it back."

  "You can't, but perhaps it can help you understand why I did what I did when you saw me by the Royal Lodge's gate and assumed I was your assigned driver." His thumb ever so gently caressed the back of her hand as he spoke. "The sight of you took my breath away. Perhaps it was selfish but when I realized that you didn't know who I was, I wanted nothing more than to be with you. As myself. As Luis, not Prince Luis. I am guilty of that, yes. However, my intention was never to deceive you." He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across of it. "It is I who must beg your forgiveness."

  The effect of Luis' kiss was so heady that Madison felt as if she was hearing everything he was saying through a several second time delay. "There's nothing to forgive. But there is something I need to understand."

  "Of course, ask me anything."

  Madison waved her hand around the luxuriously appointed private jet. "What is all of this? Why are we here instead of at the Royal Lodge having dinner?" She paused. "Wait, where are we even going?"

  "Monaco." He glanced at his watch. "We should be landing very soon actually."

  "Monaco?" Madison repeated. Monaco? Really? Dinner in Monterra wasn't enough and now they had to jet off to a different principality?

  She was saved from giving a voice to the question when the flight attendant approached them. "Pardon me, Your Royal Highness, but the captain has asked that we prepare for landing. If you'd both be so kind as to secure your seatbelts?"

  After Madison fastened her seatbelt, she stared out through the small window and into the dark night.

  "Madison."

  Slowly she turned. When their eyes met it was as if a current of desire ran between them, a desire that was not just physical, but just as much emotionally charged. But those two things, while powerful, were not the same as understanding. This didn't exist between them. It couldn't. They were from two different worlds, their lives separated by more than just an ocean.

  His brow furrowed. "Is something wrong with Monaco?"

  She laughed. She couldn't help it. "Oh, Luis. No. Nothing's wrong with Monaco. Not that I'm aware of anyway. I'm sure it's charming."

  "But?" His confusion was evident. "I'm afraid I don't understand what's concerning you."

  By now the plane had begun its descent and the glittering lights of the Riviera principality twinkled in the night sky. Madison stared out the window, unsure just how to explain her feelings to her companion.

  The easiest course of action would be to put aside her questions and concerns and enjoy the evening. After all, this was not real life. This was an enchanted evening with a handsome prince in what she imagined was a magical place unlike anywhere she'd ever been before. Spending precious time and emotional energy in trying to find a way to relate to each other would do nothing but spoil a night that he'd obviously gone to great trouble to plan. "Let's forget it, please. We can chalk it all up to getting off on shaky ground."

  "If you're certain," he replied, more than a bit of question in his voice.

  She nodded. "I am. I have every intention of enjoying this evening." She would channel a modern-day Cinderella and surrender to the magic of the night. Except that tomorrow, there would be no glass slipper and no forever with a handsome prince. Tomorrow it was back to the kitchen for her, and back to a life she understood.

  ***

  Once the plane landed and his guest had excused herself to touch up her lipstick, Luis headed toward the cockpit. He graciously thanked both pilots and the crew for their service before verifying the departure time for the flight home.

  He turned, sensing that Madison had joined him. "Are you ready?"

  She smiled and nodded. "Lead the way, Your Highness."

  He groaned. "What is it going to take to make sure that you never call me that again?"

  "Dinner. Dancing. And more champagne. In any order that you would like." Her smile was playful. "Deal?"

  Luis smiled. "Deal." He nodded toward the now open doorway. "Shall we?"

  He led the way down the steps to the tarmac and kept a careful hand under Madison's elbow as they walked toward the limousine that awaited them. Once she was settled, he went around the other side and slid in beside her. He spoke to the driver in French, asking that he be alerted if it appeared that any members of the paparazzi picked up on their arrival and began to follow them. Once assured that this would be done, he turned his attention to the woman beside him.

  He laid a hand over hers. "I wish that we could have arrived during daylight hours so that you could see how truly charming Monaco is. Perhaps next time."

  Madison did a double take. "Next time? Wow, you're pretty sur
e of yourself, aren't you?"

  Luis shrugged, a half smile on his lips. "Either that or I'm very hopeful."

  Madison laughed. "Nice save. Tell me what you like about Monaco?"

  At the moment, it was hard to think of anything other than how incredibly attractive she looked, but Luis forced himself to focus on her question. "There's something unique about it, it's hard to put into words. In terms of landscape and physical beauty, it really is the jewel of the French Riviera, at least to my mind. The mix of people you find here is intriguing."

  "Intriguing?" Madison's expression was challenging. "You're not going to try to sell me a bill of goods that the people here constitute a diverse crowd?"

  Luis pulled his hand back and turned in his seat so he could better see her, which wasn't easy in the semi-darkness. Still, the shadows only covered part of her face. What was behind this attitude?

  He'd never dated an American woman before, perhaps it was an inherent disdain of titles that fueled her...her what? Her cynicism? Her distrust? Whatever it was, he doubted anything other than gentle probing would get him the answers. "So you've known Kat for many years?"

  If Madison was surprised by the change in subject it barely showed. "That's right. We met in college and became fast friends pretty quickly. We had some good times."

  "I take it that you know Lemon well?"

  Madison laughed. "Yes, and to know Lemon is to love her."

  "My friend Dante certainly seems to feel that way." Luis agreed. "Were you surprised when Kat and Nico announced their engagement?"

  Instead of answering right away, she appeared to be carefully selecting the words to form her response. "Yes, my sister and I were surprised. We were more than a bit concerned, honestly."

  "And now that you've met Nico and seen them together?"

  "Well, it's obvious they love each other."

  Something in her tone indicated that there was something she was leaving unsaid. He very much wanted to know what that something was. "But?"

  "You're not going to understand."

  "Shouldn't I be the judge of that?"

  "Fair enough. Here's the deal, Kat wasn't born into this kind of world." She held up her hand. "Before you ask, what I mean by 'this kind of world' is a world of privilege and wealth. None of us were. Well, Lemon grew up in a more affluent and functional family that either Kat and my sister and I did, but you get my drift. This whole concept of living in a family on display is pretty overwhelming. I can't speak for Kat, but I personally think it's downright scary."

  "Even if that family, such as the Fiorellis, are held in great esteem by their countrymen?"

  Madison sighed wistfully. "We can talk this to death, Luis, but the truth is that you and I aren't likely to see eye to eye on this. You're a royal prince and I'm a girl from Amarillo, Texas."

  "When we return to Monterra, I challenge you to try to look at the situation from a different perspective."

  Madison tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Exactly what perspective might that be?"

  "I challenge you to look beyond the title and see the actual man, or woman, in question." He laid a hand over his heart. "I assure you that we have far more in common than you might think."

  The limo slowed to a crawl and stopped in front of a well-lit white marble building. But instead of getting out to open their door, the driver lowered the partition. In rapid French he informed Luis that although the limo hadn't been followed, it appeared as if members of the paparazzi were waiting outside of the casino entrance.

  "Perhaps they are waiting for someone else," Luis said, although that was more wishful thinking than practicality speaking. Monaco generally hosted any number of celebrities and other notoriously wealthy visitors. But even if their lenses were poised and waiting for someone else, as soon as they saw one of Santa Rosa's royals, they would be shooting. And shouting. He cursed swiftly in his native tongue.

  "Luis, look at me." Madison leaned toward him. "I don't speak French so I'm not sure what the driver said, but I do speak enough Spanish to understand that last bit. What's wrong?"

  Chapter Eight

  "What is it, Luis?" Madison could see the indecision in his eyes. What on earth could the driver have said to cause such a shift in his mood?

  "Paparazzi." With that one word, he clearly conveyed both frustration and disgust.

  She leaned past him to peer through the dark tinted window. "Can't we just walk past them?"

  It didn't escape her notice that Luis lifted his eyes and met the driver's gaze in the rear view mirror.

  "Okay, so obviously that's not your first choice." She drummed her fingers on the armrest while she thought. They'd come all this way to stop now? Really? This wouldn't have happened if they'd stayed to eat dinner at the Royal Lodge but this didn't seem quite the right time to point out that fact. As far as she could see they had two options. One, they could brave the onslaught of flashing lights and cameras and walk quickly past them. Or, two, they could drive back to the airport and return to Monterra.

  The first option was about appealing as swimming through shark infested waters. The second wasn't much better. A third option occurred to her. She turned to Luis. "Will the casino let them inside?"

  He shook his head. "No, their security team wouldn't let one of them in if it started raining down bombs in the street."

  "So all we have to do is get past them? And the rest of the evening should go as planned?"

  "Yes." He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

  Madison didn't directly answer. Instead, she turned to the driver. "Do you speak English?"

  He nodded. "Of course, Madame," he said in flawless English.

  "Wonderful. Here's what I think we should do. Luis, you get out here and ignore the press as you make your way into the casino."

  He frowned. "What? You want me to leave you here? No."

  "If your chauffeur is kind enough to drive me around back, I'll go in through the kitchen entrance." She turned to look at the driver. "Is that acceptable to you?"

  "Oui, Madame, I think it is a superb idea. Do you have an objection, Your Highness?"

  Madison watched as Luis looked from her to the driver, out the window, and then back to her.

  "I cannot, in good conscience, ask you to do that." Luis cursed again. "But neither can I willingly subject you to what's out there."

  "Then let's try my way."

  He reached out to touch her shoulder. "You don't feel, what is the word...denigrated by this?"

  "No, in fact, I like the idea of giving them the runaround. Not to mention, I'm hungry and the sooner we're inside, the sooner we can eat."

  The driver chuckled and, to Madison's relief, Luis nodded.

  "As you wish, Madison."

  To her surprise, he leaned over and brushed a gentle kiss across her cheek. "Thank you for understanding, cara. I will see you inside." He gave the driver one more set of instructions in French and then opened the door just wide enough so that he could slip out into the fray.

  Madison blinked as the flash of lights filled the limo for a single blinding second. Exactly how many photographers were out there, she couldn't guess but it sounded like a dozen different voices all calling out to Luis at once. The driver wasted no time in pulling away from the curb.

  "His Royal Highness asked that I drive a short distance to ensure that no one is following us before we circle back. Is that satisfactory?"

  Madison settled back in the seat. "Yes, of course, whatever Luis suggested is fine." She frowned. Should she have just referred to him as the prince, his highness, or was Luis acceptable? How complicated it all was. If what had just happened with the paparazzi was any indication, the life of royalty was fraught with pitfalls she couldn't even imagine.

  ***

  Luis paced in the hallway directly outside of the staff entrance to the kitchen. The casino manager had assured him that he would personally meet Madison at the back door and escort her out to where he waited. But that had been ten minutes ago. He
glanced at his watch. Thirteen minutes ago.

  He blew out a breath and reached up to loosen his necktie. How long should he wait before he went to look for her himself?

  His plan for this evening had been to whisk Madison away to a spontaneous romantic destination. But it went beyond trying to impress her with the glitz and glamour of Monaco. What he had hoped to do was impress on her that, despite being from very different worlds, their lives weren't altogether different.

  Yet, he'd managed to do just the opposite. He'd entered the casino through the front door while she'd been relegated to using a service entrance. He groaned aloud.

  "Are you unwell, Your Highness?"

  Luis spun around. A member of staff security stood behind him. "No, I'm fine. Thank you." He glanced at the kitchen door again, debating if he should ask the man to go in and look for Madison. But that would only draw attention to what was already an awkward situation. "I'm waiting for someone."

  "Of course. Please alert me if you need assistance with anything."

  Luis nodded his thanks and resumed his pacing. He did need assistance, but this man wasn't the one to help him. Only Madison could put him out of his misery. He sighed. He was behaving like a lovesick school boy. It was probably just as well that Madison hadn't appeared yet. It would give him a chance to pull himself together.

  He hadn't paced more than fifteen feet when the service doors swung open and he heard Madison's voice. Accompanied by the casino manager, she came out and stood beside two chefs, one of whom pulled out his cell phone. He drew Madison toward him with his free arm and snapped a quick selfie. He then scrolled through his phone for a moment before he began tapping something into it.

  Luis couldn't hear what Madison said, but all three men laughed. She shook their hands before turning to look for him.

  Luis' heart caught in his chest. Although she was always beautiful in his eyes, Madison somehow managed to look even more breathtaking than she had earlier. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled.

  Their eyes met and they looked at each other for a long moment, neither one moving. The time was now, Luis decided. He strode toward Madison and when he reached her, he cupped her face between his hands and lowered his lips to hers.