“I’ve made plenty of bloody sacrifices,” Liam said, pulling his hands from her grasp. “My childhood. Attending an American university. The Art History degree I wasn’t allowed to pursue.”
“You had a wonderful childhood—”
“This isn’t about my childhood or what I’ve sacrificed in the past,” Liam said, cutting her off. “It’s about what I refuse to sacrifice moving forward. If I’m fit to be king, I’m fit to choose my own bride.”
“You’re really in love with that woman?” his mother said, wrinkling her brow. She leaned back in the chair and shook her head. When she spoke again, her disbelief was clear. “I was certain it was just a ruse to avoid your duty.”
Maybe it had started out that way, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
“I am in love with Elena,” Liam said, turning from his mother to his father. “And so are the people, judging by the latest Griffin polls.”
His father waved a hand dismissively. “Those bloody polls are meaningless.”
“Really?” Liam challenged. “Because they predicted the outcome of the last two elections for Prime Minister.”
“It doesn’t matter. We need the support of the noble families, and the best way to forge an unbreakable alliance is through marriage.” His mother sighed. “Frankly, I think we’ve been more than reasonable in giving you several options.”
Reasonable? They’d been anything but, not that he hadn’t anticipated this reaction.
“Perhaps instead of relying on the same political alliances and elitist attitudes that got us into this mess, it’s time to show the people a more human side of the monarchy. The polls clearly show the people have embraced the prospect of a common queen. Win their support and we won’t need the nobles.”
“You want to marry a commoner?” His father pinched the bridge of his nose. “Absolutely not. It breaks with tradition.”
Liam rose to his feet and picked up the files he’d dropped on the table. He strode to his father’s desk and dropped them on the blotter. “Tradition has its place, but there is more than one way to win over the people, and perhaps if you weren’t so focused on the past, you’d be able to see your way to a better future for Valeria. This,” he said, stabbing the files with his pointer finger, “is the path forward. While you’ve been playing royal matchmaker, I’ve been working on a project that will actually improve Valerian lives.”
His father studied him, an inscrutable look on his face.
Bloody hell. Why was the old man so damn stubborn?
“Let me be clear,” Liam said, straightening his tie and enunciating each word carefully. “I love Elena and one day, when the time is right, I am going to ask her to marry me. If you do not give me your blessing, I’ll abdicate to Alexander.”
The queen sucked in a breath as if she’d been slapped. The king grasped the arms of his chair with a white-knuckle grip. Liam felt as light as air.
“You. Wouldn’t. Dare.”
“Try me.” He held his father’s gaze, unflinching. He wanted to rule Valeria with every fiber of his being, but he wanted Elena more. Their love was the one concession he would not make. Not for his parents, not for the crown, not for anything. It was a calculated risk but, given Xander’s problematic relationship with the media and his devil-may-care lifestyle, there was no doubt that if he was next in the line of succession, Parliament would succeed in grabbing power from the crown.
For the first time in his life, Liam truly felt like a king standing before his father.
An indiscernible look passed between his parents and the moment felt stretched to eternity, but when his father finally spoke, his gamble was rewarded.
“She’ll need a proper introduction at court. And for God’s sake, get her a decent wardrobe. Valeria’s future queen can’t be seen parading around in stained dungarees.”
It was the closest his father would ever come to admitting defeat, but it was enough.
His mother smiled and if he didn’t know better, he’d have thought it was full of genuine pride. “I look forward to meeting Elena and having her stay at the palace.”
Liam grimaced. He’d convinced his parents, but Elena wouldn’t be so easily swayed. He’d fucked up royally and he didn’t have a clue how he was going to prove his love, but he wouldn’t rest until she was back in his life and in his bed.
…
“Mierda,” Lena cursed, huffing out a breath. The loose strands of hair that had slipped loose from her bun fluttered up and fell right back in her face. “Goddamn-stupid-freaking-torture device.” She tugged on the corner of the fitted sheet, trying to stretch it over the last corner of the bed. If she didn’t know better, she’d have assumed the damn thing had shrunk in the dryer.
Jinx leaped onto the bed, landing on the opposite corner. Lena watched in disbelief as he began to paw at the edge of the sheet, which promptly snapped back, causing her to lose her footing as the tension on her own corner gave way. Lena landed on her ass on the hardwood floor and pain ricocheted up her spine.
Sheet: One—Lena: Zero.
“Puñeta!” She threw her hands up in the air, no closer to making the bed than she had been five minutes ago. “That’s it, I give up.”
Who needed clean sheets anyway? Not her. She’d be sleeping alone for the foreseeable future, so what did it matter if only half the mattress was covered? She’d just toss a blanket over the other half and call it a day.
Lena climbed to her feet, massaging her tailbone and glaring at the cat.
“Bad kitty,” she said, scolding Jinx. As usual, the cat was unfazed by her reproach. Ignoring her, he pranced to the center of the bed where he stretched his limbs and flopped down for an afternoon nap. “Oh, no you don’t!”
Just as she reached for him, a horn blared in the back alley.
What the hell? Lena straightened. The alley was used almost exclusively for garbage pickup, although she was pretty sure it wasn’t garbage day. Maybe a new tenant in the building next door?
The horn blasted again.
With a sigh, Lena went to the window to see what all the commotion was about. “This better not be a sign of things to come,” she muttered as she pulled back the curtain and lifted the glass.
Her heart leaped into her throat when she realized the back gate was open. She definitely hadn’t unlocked it. Coño. Had one of the neighborhood kids broken the lock again? She looked down into the courtyard, searching for signs of vandalism.
The horn honked again and this time when she looked up, she could see a limo crawling down the narrow alley. There was a dark-haired man in a suit and tie hanging out of the sunroof, an umbrella in one hand and a giant bouquet of roses in the other. “Elena!”
Liam?
Her heart slammed against her ribcage, and her palms began to sweat. He was supposed to be in Valeria. So what was he doing in her alley?
“Princess Elena! Come down!”
Lena stared down at him and he stared right back.
Right. Only one way to find out.
She slung a leg over the windowsill and ducked her head through the open window, crawling out onto the fire escape. As she did, it hit her. Liam was reenacting the final scene from Pretty Woman.
Maybe he’d finally sorted out his shit. No, she wouldn’t get her hopes up. She couldn’t. Not after he’d broken her heart with his lies. It had nearly killed her to walk away, and she didn’t know if she could do it twice.
The limo glided to a stop in front of the open gate, and Liam disappeared inside the car. When the door popped open and he emerged, brilliant smile fixed in place and dimples on full display, her resolved faltered. Dammit. Why did he have to be so sexy?
“You’re trespassing,” she called out, resting her palms on the metal railing of the fire escape. Behind her, Jinx—the fickle little bugger—purred in approval.
“I’m willing to a
ccept the consequences,” Liam returned, striding across the courtyard with confidence to spare. “I’m coming up.”
Lena couldn’t suppress the grin that split her face and for once, she didn’t care if she looked like a fool. Liam was here and he was recreating the iconic scene from her favorite movie and she wasn’t going to overthink it. Not this time. Not when hope bubbled up from her belly, smothering the part of her that insisted this would all go horribly, painfully wrong.
She squared her shoulders and pulled the pencil from her hair, letting it spill over her shoulders. If the fire escape came crashing down, then so be it. They’d go down together.
Liam used his umbrella to hook the lowest rung of the fire escape, and just like Richard Gere, he gave it a hard tug. Only the ladder didn’t budge. His cheeks reddened and Lena covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle a laugh.
Screwing up his lips in fierce determination, Liam tucked the bouquet between his teeth and reached up with both hands to give the umbrella another tug. The ladder made a horrendous, ear-splitting shriek before sliding down and clanging against the pavement below. Liam looked up at her, his face glowing with triumph.
Lena’s heart soared as he climbed the fire escape, bouquet in hand. He charged rapidly up the steps, no hesitation. The man was fearless.
Well, except when it came to Their Majesties.
Which was why she needed to temper her expectations.
When Liam reached the upper landing, Lena blocked his path. With him steps below, they were on even footing now, their faces—their bodies—mere inches apart. Just how they were meant to be.
“Elena.” He whispered her name like it was a freaking prayer, and her ovaries stood at attention.
“Liam,” she said, impressed by her ability to sound cool and collected for once. “What are you doing here?”
“I know you don’t need rescuing, but the truth is, I do. My life at the palace is crazy and demanding and sometimes it’s bloody infuriating, but I’ll lose myself to the crown without someone by my side to keep me grounded. You’re that person, Elena. I love you, and you make me happier than I’ve been in years. Your laughter, your kind heart, your sense of humor; they make every day brighter than the last. With you at my side, I feel like I can breathe for the first time in ages.”
The words were beautiful, but the passion and sincerity with which he spoke them touched her soul in a way she’d never dreamed possible. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she promised herself she was not going to ugly cry. Not when this wonderful, sexy man was pouring his heart out to her. She wanted to hear every word and imprint them on her brain for eternity.
After everything she’d been through, she deserved that much. Besides, Nia would never forgive her if she didn’t recount every single detail of this moment.
“Please don’t cry, love.” Liam reached up and cupped her cheek in his palm. His hands were warm and steady and felt like heaven against her skin. “I know I hurt you and I hate myself for it, but if you give me a chance, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Not a day will go by that you won’t know just how much I love you.”
“I won’t be the reason you abdicate the throne,” she said, knees wobbling as reality set in. Although she’d challenged Liam on this point once before, the truth was, she couldn’t bear the thought of costing him the throne. Even if his country’s laws were archaic. “You’ve spent your whole life preparing to rule Valeria, and you will be a good king when the time comes.”
Liam nodded, pride shining in his eyes. “You were right about Valeria’s laws. I hope to correct them someday. When I’m king, with you at my side.”
“How is that—”
“Let me worry about that part,” he said, flashing a devilish grin. Lena suspected he was holding back a vital piece of information, but he continued before she could ask. “If you love me half as much as I love you, I assure you things will work out brilliantly.”
Lena chewed her bottom lip. She did love Liam, with all her heart. She loved him so much it felt like the sensation might burst out of her chest like a ray of freaking sunshine. But she wasn’t sure it would ever be enough. This was real life, and there were no guarantees, least of all when it came to happiness.
She knew that hard truth as well as anyone.
“There’s only one thing I need to know,” he said, taking her hands in his and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Do you love me?”
“Yes,” she said, the truth of it softening her words. “I love you more than anything, but I don’t know how this could work when I’m such a hot mess and you’re…” She waved her hand to indicate the full length of him. “You’re you.”
“The people of Valeria will love you as much as I do—just as you are—because you’re genuine and sweet and mine.” He inched so close that just a breath separated them. He smelled of peppermint and sandalwood and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his touch. “Give me another chance, Elena. Come to Valeria. Stay at the palace this summer, and I promise you won’t regret it.”
The old Lena would’ve scoffed. She would’ve argued until she was blue in the face, listing all the ways things could go wrong, but Liam was right. Her craptastic luck was as much a part of her as her Nuyorican-Irish heritage or her love of art, and if she didn’t embrace it now, she’d spend the rest of her life regretting her choice.
“Yes.”
“Yes?” His face lit up and he crushed his lips to hers without waiting for confirmation. Heat crackled across her skin like wildfire and his mouth moved hungrily over hers, reminding her just how good it was with Liam. The sex had been amazing before, but makeup sex? It could be life-changing.
Good thing she didn’t have any classes this afternoon.
Lena parted her lips, inviting him closer, and his tongue skated across hers, the promise of pleasure in every thrust and parry. God, she needed this man. Not just in her body, but in her life. No one had ever made her feel as beautiful and treasured and perfect as he did. She’d been a fool to think she could walk away from him. From them. From this.
Crown or no crown, she needed Liam by her side. And against all reason, this powerful, sexy, charming man needed her, too. She didn’t know how it would work when her life was in New York and his was in Valeria, but they’d figure it out. Together they could face the politics and the tabloids and whatever else life threw at them.
When Liam finally pulled away, Lena was breathless. The man could kiss, that was for damn sure. He gave her a knowing smirk and slipped his arms around her waist. “You do realize this means I was right about Murphy’s Law.”
Lena quirked a brow. “How so?”
“Think about it. If I hadn’t trespassed in your alley, if you hadn’t turned me into an eggplant, if the story hadn’t gone viral—if we hadn’t gone through all that—we might not have found each other.”
“True,” she said, warmth flooding her body as the truth of his words sank in. For the first time in her life, Lena didn’t think of Murphy’s Law as a curse. Liam was right. Their disastrous meet-cute had been a blessing in disguise. Without it, she might never have found the man of her dreams and she wouldn’t be standing here, wrapped in his warm embrace, looking forward to the future for the first time in her life. “And I’ll be sure to remind you of this moment the next time I accidentally ruin one of your suits, trip over my own two feet, or, you know, catch the stove on fire.”
He pulled her in tight and brushed his lips across hers. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Epilogue
Liam strode through the palace gardens, breathing in the scent of roses and freshly cut grass, the palace photographer quick on his heels and Jinx tucked securely in the crook of his arm. The gardens were in full bloom, showcasing the skill and dedication of the palace gardeners. He didn’t frequent the gardens often—they were his mother’s domain—but after spen
ding the week locked in meetings with the Spartan executive team, the fresh air and hot summer sun were a welcome change of scenery. He’d fought tooth and nail to ensure the online giant selected Valeria as the home for their new European headquarters, and the gamble had paid off.
Spartan HQ2 would bring tens of thousands of high paying jobs, improved infrastructure, and opportunities that would keep college grads from leaving the country in search of better employment prospects. When the deal had been signed, no one was more surprised than Liam that the king gave him credit for having the vision to spearhead the initiative and move Valeria into the twenty-first century. He was proud of the work he’d done and the vote of confidence—from his father and the people—had all but cemented his position as a capable future monarch.
The only thing missing? His queen.
Something he intended to rectify—as soon as he found Elena.
Liam grinned. The fact that his girlfriend was MIA might’ve deterred a lesser man, but determination—and the massive rock dangling from Jinx’s collar—spurred him forward. Besides, when had anything in their relationship gone according to plan?
“Where could she be?” he asked the cat. “We’ve checked her favorite spots: The Rose Garden, The Topiary Garden, and The Royal Fountains. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she didn’t want to be found.”
Jinx yowled in agreement.
“Just our luck, huh, buddy?” For weeks he’d been trying to come up with the perfect proposal. The ring had damn near burned a hole in his pocket as he’d wracked his brain for the right words and the perfect setting, determined to give Elena the picture-perfect proposal she deserved.
But then it had hit him. He and Elena weren’t about picture-perfect perfection. They never had been and likely never would be. Everything about their relationship was in-your-face and over-the-top. The way they lived. The way they laughed. The way they loved.
A Royal Disaster Page 26