by Jewel Allen
For the millionth time, Brooke wiped her sweaty palms over her jeans. They were actually flying. On a private luxury jet no less. They flew out Friday after work and were finally arriving Saturday.
“I thought Phoebe was going to see you off,” Brooke said.
Oscar’s expression wilted. “Phoebe and I are…well, we’ve decided to give each other some space.”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “Oscar Hill. What did you do?”
“Something stupid, I guess.” Oscar ducked his head. “I criticized her cooking, and it led from one thing to another, and before long, she told me she didn’t want to see me no more.”
“You’ll have to call her and apologize.”
Oscar looked away. “I’m fine, okay.”
She knew he was hurting, but she left him alone. Maybe he needed to be apart from that sweet girl to see what he was missing.
The plane dipped slightly and then stayed on course again. Brooke wanted to pinch herself. She was really going to see Alvaro again, in his natural habitat. Of course, the real reason was so Oscar could see the royal yacht. She glanced over at Oscar and stifled a laugh. He looked green at the gills.
Served him right for accepting Alvaro’s invitation and dragging Brooke along.
After enjoying that funny moment, she was back to chewing the inside of her cheek, feeling nervous. How would she act around Alvaro? And why did she agree to come when she knew he had a girlfriend?
Because, deep down, she still loved him. There, she admitted it. They might not have a future together, but she was curious to see what Mondragón was like.
Hours passed, and eventually, her stomach settled down. Oscar seemed to relax as well, even agreeing to a game of Uno. After she won the last round, the pilot’s voice crackled over the speaker.
“Folks, we are beginning our descent to Mondragón. Please keep your seat belts on. We’ll get you to the ground in no time.”
His choice of wording worried Brooke. Did he mean they would crash shortly? How exactly did airplane technology work? How did they land the wheels without a major bump on the runway?
She gripped the armrest of the airplane and said a prayer. Nearby, Oscar’s eyes were shut tight, and he was muttering something. Probably praying too. What a pair they were.
When she felt the plane land with a thud and a couple of hesitant tire catches on the ground, Brooke opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. And then relief flooded her body.
They landed safely! They didn’t crash!
Oscar’s face had broken out in a sweat. “Heaven have mercy on us.” He looked around in a daze.
Brooke patted her brother’s hand. “You’ll be just fine.”
The plane taxied on the runway. Color began returning to Oscar’s face, which was good. Brooke was afraid she’d have to get one of the flight attendants to help give him CPR. She tried to peer out the window but couldn’t see much more than lush mountains in the distance.
The door to the plane opened, and Brooke stood and gathered her carry-on bag.
A flight attendant smiled. “Your bags will be in the limo.”
“Great. Thank you.”
The two siblings exchanged incredulous glances. They were going to ride a limo.
As Brooke descended the stairs from the plane, she could see a black limo waiting. She would forever be spoiled by this for flying. None of her friends’ horror stories matched this luxury.
For August weather, the temperature felt comfortable. Maybe a touch on the warm side, making her peel off the jacket she’d put on for the plane ride. As they approached the limo, she felt a stab of worry that she wasn’t dressed fancy enough to be a royal guest.
But it was too late. A back passenger limo door was opening. She braced herself to see Alvaro’s face. Truthfully, she had missed him more than she would ever admit…
It was not Alvaro but his girlfriend’s brother, Seth, with his pale, clean-shaven face and thinning hair, wearing a light-blue sport jacket, a white shirt, and slacks. He smiled, but his eyes seemed aloof, downright hostile, even.
“Welcome to Mondragón,” he said as though each word were pried from his tongue.
“Thank you,” Brooke said.
Again, that look of distaste that made Brooke want to turn tail and go back to Redding. Seth nodded and gestured for them to get in the limo.
Brooke slid in, followed by Oscar. Simultaneously, they folded their hands over their laps, their mirrored movements stilling before they both laughed.
Seth slid in with a raised eyebrow. “Something funny?”
Certainly not you.
Brooke smiled. “We just can’t believe we’re riding in a limo.”
Seth’s chin rose haughtily as he gave her a patronizing smile.
“Only time I ever rode in a limo was to a gambling town,” Oscar said. “I won it at a silent auction. Watched a movie the entire two hours and threw up once we stopped.”
Seth coughed politely.
Oscar opened his mouth to say more, but Brooke silenced him with a look.
“Prince Alvaro gives his apologies,” Seth intoned. “As you can imagine, he has his royal duties. Plus, he is having to get ready for his wedding.”
His wedding. How could he go from what they had to engaged already? Had he gotten his memories back?
“Of course,” Brooke murmured.
“He’s asked me if I could take you to the royal yacht and take it for a little sail. He expresses his regret that he will not be able to see you at all while you are here.”
Oscar frowned. “Too busy for us, eh?”
Seth plucked lint off his sleeve and sniffed.
“You know,” Oscar growled, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re lying.”
“Oscar.” Brooke gripped his arm. “Stop it.”
“But he owes you the decency to—”
“Please.”
“Fine,” Oscar grumbled.
Brooke looked out the window, feeling the crack in her heart widen. She hadn’t hoped nor expected anything from this trip, but she thought she might at least see Alvaro’s shadow. How could he be so heartless as to invite them all the way, just to delegate them to his girlfriend’s—or fiancée’s, she should say—brother?
She faked a smile and turned back to Seth, who was watching her like a cat waiting to pounce on a mouse. “We understand.”
“Good.” Seth unbuttoned his sport jacket and leaned back. He took a cell phone from his pocket and took a call.
Brooke watched the landscape, which looked like the setting for an epic movie. So, this was Mondragón. It was the complete opposite of the red rocks and sagebrush of Lake Powell. Funny how someplace in the world was so different than this.
Duke—Alvaro—was so different from her.
They passed what looked like a cute little downtown area, complete with a church and quaint stores. Then they were off to quieter roads, driving along the Mondragón countryside, which made Brooke’s jaw drop. This place was like a fairy kingdom, nothing like she was used to.
She caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in a pair of slacks and a blue golf shirt, walking along the side of the road and trailed by what looked like bodyguards—two men in sports jackets and dark slacks. As the limo got closer to him, she heard Seth’s intake of breath.
Alvaro turned, flagging the limo.
Brooke’s heart was in her throat. She’d already accepted the fact that she wouldn’t see him in person at all.
“Keep driving,” Seth choked out to the driver.
“Sorry, but that’s the prince hailing me,” the driver said.
“I’d say you’d better stop, then,” Oscar said, chuckling.
Seth’s lips formed a thin line, but he didn’t say any more.
The limo came to a standstill, and Alvaro opened Brooke’s door. She gazed at him with some difficulty breathing. To her confusion, his gaze devoured her…until Seth’s voice inserted itself in the moment.
“Where’s Gin?�
�� Seth asked.
Alvaro tore his gaze from Brooke and frowned at Seth. “At your house. She didn’t want to take a walk, but I did.” His eyes returned to Brooke, his lips curving up in a sweet smile. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Brooke said, her heart beating painfully.
“I thought you were going to rehearse that new song,” Seth said.
“Shut it, Seth.” Alvaro raked his hand through his dark hair. “Sorry. I…I got bored and tired and needed the break.” He looked from Oscar to Brooke. “I’m glad you guys made it here safely.”
“Seth over here said you were too busy for us.”
Alvaro’s dark eyes zoned in on Seth. “I’m never too busy for your family.” He added, “I can never repay your kindness.”
Oscar leaned forward, all forgiven. “You sure have a nice plane.”
“Thanks,” Alvaro said, but he only had eyes for Brooke.
“How about you guys cut that small talk, and let’s head over to the yacht?” Oscar continued.
Everyone laughed except for Seth, who looked like he’d eaten a yacht for breakfast and was suffering from heartburn. When the laughter died down, Alvaro’s glance locked with Brooke’s, arresting her heartbeat.
Alvaro bent at the waist. “May I join you in the limo?”
“Of course.” Brooke stopped staring and made room for him. The limo was plenty big for a soccer team, but Oscar hemmed her on the right so that when Alvaro got in, he and Brooke were practically sitting side by side, their legs touching. The bodyguards sat in front with the driver.
Brooke gritted her teeth to keep herself from turning to Alvaro and making an embarrassment of herself. Alvaro didn’t say anything, but she was acutely aware of his nearness, of the smell of his musk cologne and his hand on his leg, just inches from hers.
Under normal circumstances, like if he didn’t have a girlfriend, if he wasn’t a prince, and if she weren’t going to leave this place in forty-eight hours, she’d have hugged him.
“Did you have a good trip?” he asked in her ear, making all her nerve endings come alive.
She turned to him then, and all thought fled her brain. His mouth was just a breath away, and he was staring at hers like…
“Are you kidding?” Oscar said. “That plane was unbelievable.”
“When you weren’t sick,” Brooke turned to her brother, grateful for the diversion.
“You could have asked for motion sickness medicine,” Alvaro said.
“I’ll remember that next time,” Oscar said. “I never get sick on a boat, so I thought I would be okay.”
Brooke snuck a peek at Seth. His expression was stern and sour.
The limo slowed to a stop. Brooke glanced out the tinted window and saw that they’d arrived at a harbor. Seth opened the door of the limo and hopped out, followed by Oscar. She would have followed, but Alvaro touched her arm.
She glanced at him, sure that her breathlessness was obvious.
“Thank you for coming,” he said, his voice low and husky.
She lowered her glance to his hand on her arm. “Thank you for inviting us.”
He glanced at the others and then back as though wanting to tell her something else, but Seth had opened the prince’s door, and Alvaro stepped out.
Brooke followed, taking the hand Alvaro offered. His fingers were warm and strong. She wished she could cling to him forever, but she let him go right away under Seth’s baleful glare.
Oscar was staring open-mouthed at the “yacht,” which was the wrong term for this ship. It was three stories tall, with a helicopter on the second landing and a royal flag flying in the masthead.
Alvaro flashed an easy smile, which made Brooke’s heart go flip-flop. “Want a tour?” he asked.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Alvaro hung back as the captain of the royal yacht gave Brooke and Oscar the full tour that he himself had been given just the day after he arrived. He enjoyed Brooke’s thoughtful glances and Oscar’s goofy enthusiasm. Oscar lingered with the captain, who let him take over the helm. Brooke left the cabin, and Alvaro followed her out to the deck.
He stopped a few paces back, trying to regain control of his emotions and reaction to Brooke. Here she was, her beauty gracing his yacht, looking like she belonged here. Her face glowed as she looked over the rail to the sea. Someday, he could take her deep-sea fishing. The captain had told him the yacht was outfitted for that.
Except someday was here, and he could see no way around Gin, unless…
The thought rocked his mind. He hadn’t wanted to rush things, but he’d truthfully tried to reconnect with Gin the past few days, all for nothing. He still felt dead around her. And he still felt like Seth seemed intent on driving the narrative of their relationship.
Dinner. Dancing. Even shopping. He’d done those activities with Gin. She was pretty to look at, but she didn’t tug on his heart. And then, like a coward, Alvaro didn’t dare bring it up with Gin for fear of—
What exactly was he scared of? That Gin would throw a tantrum?
No, not that. But that Seth would leave him untethered and lost at sea. Seth had been so helpful to Alvaro as he’d returned to his former life, but it was obvious he was protective of his sister. He wouldn’t take kindly to Alvaro breaking Gin’s heart. Seth just might march off, leaving Alvaro adrift.
Since his return, Alvaro had felt insecure. He needed to have Seth’s help until he could get back to full normalcy. The doctor said he may never regain his memory, and Seth had been so good at giving him background information on everything.
Brooke turned and gave him a wry smile. Thoughts of Gin and Seth fled his mind. This beautiful woman overtook his senses.
“This is something else,” she said.
He walked to the rail to join her. “I thought the same thing too when I saw it the other day.”
“It would be so cool to wake up one day and discover I was a wealthy princess.”
“It’s not that great of a deal,” he said.
She nudged him. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “I mean, it’s great to realize you live in this country and have so much money, but what good is it if the woman you love can never be yours?”
Her eyes widened, and her gaze faltered. She looked away, visibly swallowing.
Good. Let her think about it. Because he still wanted her, after all that had happened.
“You’re not playing fair,” she said, eyeing him warily.
He reached for her hand. “Hear me out, Brooke.”
She pulled back as though scalded. “Are you crazy? What about your fiancée, the wedding?”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you—”
“Oh, Al-va-ro!” Gin’s sing-song voice floated up to them.
Alvaro looked over the rail. Gin was wearing a bathing suit and a flowing kimono, open at the waist, her eyes glittering like hard diamonds.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Brooke wished they could just leave, but her stubborn brother was still talking shop with the captain, and really…where else could she have gone?
Certainly not with Alvaro to his royal digs. He had left her side when Gin arrived, and now Brooke was standing all alone at the rail with her torturous thoughts. Granted, he did tell her he had more to say to her, but seeing Gin simply reminded Brooke of her shortcomings.
She would never be as pretty, wealthy, or fashionable as Gin. Or as any of Alvaro’s exes, for that matter. How could she possibly compete with those memories?
Despite her glumness, she had to smile at the irony of that last thought. Okay, maybe he didn’t remember any of his exes, but the media certainly would. They would gleefully fling the memories, photos, and comparisons at her at every turn.
Even though the temperatures on this temperate island were in the 70s, Brooke shivered. She had never felt more alone. She wished she could ask her mother for advice, but she was too busy with her new family. Besides, she knew her mother enough. She would have told Brooke to fight for her man
.
If only fighting for a prince were as easy.
And if only she truly had a fighting chance.
Brooke made her way from the deck to a hallway. She needed to check on Oscar and hopefully convince him to get off the yacht. Maybe they could hike the mountain or visit a landmark. Every minute she spent on the yacht only kept breaking her heart.
At the sound of footsteps, Brooke raised her head. Gin was bearing down on her like an irate poodle with her blonde curly hair flying behind her.
“Get out of my way, you…home-wrecker!” she hissed.
Astounded, Brooke stepped back and watched her make her way into a cabin, shutting the door but not quite successfully doing so. Soon, loud voices rose, and Brooke could hear every word clearly through the gap.
“He did what?” Seth said in a raging tone.
“You heard me,” Gin said, sobbing. “He said he doesn’t love me and he wants that American girl instead.”
Brooke should have taken offense at the derisive way Gin said “American,” but she simply found herself grinning from ear to ear.
“You only had one job, and you had to botch it,” Seth said.
“Maybe he’s gay; I don’t know. I tried, really, Sethy.”
“You obviously didn’t try hard enough. I told you to dial back the seduction. The prince seems to like the fresh-faced athletic type.”
Brooke felt a hand on her arm and gasped. Alvaro was at her elbow, holding a finger up to his lips. Alvaro’s touch filled her body with fire, especially as he stepped forward, put his hand on her waist instead, and cocked his head to eavesdrop.
“It could have been our chance,” Seth said. “The prince doesn’t remember anything. Not even that…you were never his girlfriend.”
Alvaro’s eyes flashed with anger.
“You could have been his princess, and he and I could have kept going with the rock band. At least we can keep going with the music. He’d left for the States wanting to quit the band, so at least he’s willing to sing again. If you’d married him, I could keep him in the band. There’s still a chance. You can slip in and stage a compromising situation so he’ll have no choice but to marry you.”