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Dottie had inexplicably changed the subject and was talking faster than usual, a sign that something was going on inside her, making her uncomfortable. When she got up from the chair, he followed her over to the edge of the pool and listened as she engaged his daughter in a conversation that was really a teaching moment. She had a remarkable, unique way of communicating. Zoe ate it up. Why wouldn’t she? There was no one else like Dottie.
Dottie was more than a speech therapist for his daughter. She was her advocate. Her selfless efforts to help Zoe lead a normal life couldn’t be repaid with gifts or perks or money she’d already refused to accept. The woman wanted his daughter to succeed for the purest of reasons. She wanted it for a stranger’s child, too. That made Dottie Richards a person of interest to him in ways that went deep beneath the surface.
Alex took off his sandals and dove into the deep end. After doing some underwater laps, he emerged next to his daughter, causing her to shriek with laughter. The day had been idyllic and it wasn’t over.
As he did more laps, his thoughts drifted to his conversation with Dottie last night. When he’d turned eighteen, his family had arranged the betrothal to Princess Teresa. However, until he’d been ready to commit to marriage, he’d known pleasure and desire with various women over the years. Those women had understood nothing long lasting could come of the relationship. No one woman’s memory had lingered long in his mind. Forget his heart.
When Zoe came along, their daughter gave them both something new and wonderful to focus on. With Teresa’s passing, Zoe had become the joy of his life. There’d been other women in the past two years, but the part of his psyche that had never been touched was still a void.
Enter Dottie Richards, a woman who’d buried a son and husband. He could still hear her saying she’d lost the great loves of her life. She’d experienced the kind of overwhelming love denied him because of his royal roots. He really envied her the freedom to choose the man who’d satisfied her passion at its deepest level and had given her a child.
Though it was an unworthy sentiment, Alex found himself resenting her husband for that same freedom. If Alex had been a commoner and had met her in his early twenties—before she’d met her husband—would she have been as attracted to him as he was to her? Would they have married?
She wasn’t indifferent to Alex. The way she’d kissed him back last night convinced him of her strong attraction to him. He’d also sensed her interest at odd times when he noticed her eyes on him. The way she sometimes breathed faster around him for no apparent reason. But he had no way to gauge the true depth of her emotions until he could get her alone again.
As for his feelings, all he knew was that she’d lit a fire inside him. In two weeks, even without physical intimacy, Dottie affected him more than Teresa had ever done during the three years of their marriage.
For the first time in his life he was suddenly waking up every morning hardly able to breathe until he saw her. For the only time in his existence he was questioning everything about the royal legacy that made him who he was and dictated his destiny.
His jealousy terrified him. He’d seen his brother’s interest in her. Stasi’s arranged marriage would be happening on his thirty-fifth birthday, in less than three weeks now. Until then it didn’t stop him from enjoying and looking at other women. But it had angered Alex, who felt territorial when it came to Dottie. That’s why he hadn’t let Stasi dance with her. Alex had no right to feel this way, but the situation had gone way beyond rights.
Alex wanted his daughter’s speech therapist. But as he’d already learned, a command from him meant nothing to her. A way had to be found so she wouldn’t leave, but he had to be careful that he didn’t frighten her off.
He swam back to Zoe, who hung on to the edge of the pool, practicing the hard C sound with Dottie. Without looking him in the eye, Dottie said, “Here’s your daddy. Now that your lesson is over, I have to go inside. Zoe, I need to tell you now that I won’t be able come to your bedroom to say good-night later. I have plans I can’t break, but I’ll see you in the morning.” She finally glanced at him. “Your Highness.”
Alex had no doubts that if she’d dared and if it wouldn’t have alarmed Zoe, Dottie would have run away from him as fast as she could. Fortunately one of the positive benefits of being the prince meant he could keep twenty-four-hour surveillance on her.
After she’d left the sun deck, he spent another half hour in the pool with his daughter before they went inside. But once in her room, Zoe told Sofia to go away. When Alex tried to reason with her and get her to apologize, she broke down in tears, begging him to eat dinner with her in her room. She didn’t want to be with Yiayia.
Dottie’s announcement that she wouldn’t be coming in to say good-night had sent the sun behind a black cloud. Naturally Dottie had every right to spend her evenings the way she wished. That’s what he told Zoe. He had to help his daughter see that, but the idyllic day had suddenly vanished like a curl of smoke in the air.
“Make her come, Daddy.”
A harsh laugh escaped his lips. You didn’t make Dottie do anything. He didn’t have that kind of power. She had to do it herself because she wanted to.
What if she didn’t want to? What if the memory of life with her husband trapped her in the past and she couldn’t, or didn’t want to, reach out? On the heels of those questions came an even more important one.
Why would she reach out? What did a prince have to offer a commoner? An affair? A secret life? The answers to that question not only stared him in the face, they kicked him in the gut with enough violence to knock the wind out of him.
Once Zoe was asleep, Alex left for his suite, taking the palace stairs three steps at a time to the next floor. The last person he expected to find in his living room was Stasio with a glass of scotch in his hand.
He tossed back a drink. “It’s about time you made an appearance, little brother.” For a while now a cross-grain tone of discontent had lain behind Stasi’s speech and it had grown stronger over the last few months. No crystal ball was needed here. The bitter subject of arranged marriages still burned like acid on his tongue as it did on Stasi’s.
“Did you and Yiayia have another row tonight?” Alex started unbuttoning his shirt and took off his shoes.
“What do you mean, another one?” Stasio slammed his half-empty glass on the coffee table, spilling some of it. “It’s been the same argument for seventeen years, but tonight I put an end to it.”
“Translate for me,” Alex rapped out tersely.
Stasio’s mouth thinned to a white line. “I told her I broke it off with Beatriz while I was in Valleder. I can’t go through with the wedding.”
Alex felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He stared hard at his brother. All the time Stasi had put off coming home, something in the back of Alex’s mind had divined the truth, but he hadn’t been able to make his brother open up about it.
Since Stasio had been old enough to comprehend life, he’d been forced to bear the burden of knowing he would be king one day. That was hard enough. But to be married for the rest of his life to a woman he didn’t love would have kept him in a living hell. No one knew it better than Alex.
“How is Beatriz dealing with it?”
“Not well,” he whispered in agony.
“But she’s always known how you truly felt. No matter how much this has hurt her, deep down it couldn’t have come as a complete surprise. I thought she would have broken it off a long time ago.”
“That miracle never happened. She wanted the marriage, just the way Teresa wanted yours.” Alex couldn’t deny it. “What always astounded me was that you were able to handle going through with your marriage to her.”
Alex wheeled around. “The truth?”
“Always.”
“It was the last thing I wanted. I wouldn’t have married her, but with Father on his deathbed making me promise to follow through with it, I couldn’t take the fight with him any longer and caved. The only thing that kept me sane was the fact that I wouldn’t be king one day, so I wouldn’t have to be in the public eye every second. And then, Zoe came along. Now I can’t imagine my life without her.”
Stasio paled. “Neither can I. She’s the one ray of sunshine around this tomb.” He took a deep breath. “Under the circumstances I should be grateful Yiayia isn’t taking her last breath because there will be no forced wedding with Beatriz. Philippe has backed me in this and he holds a certain sway with our grandmother.”
Alex was afraid that was wishful thinking on Stasio’s part. Not only was Philippe his best friend, he’d been one of the lucky royals who’d ended up marrying the American girl he’d loved years earlier. They’d had a son together and the strict rules had been waived in his particular case.
But the queen hadn’t approved of Philippe’s marriage, so it didn’t follow she would give an inch when it came to Stasio’s decision. In her eyes he’d created a monumental catastrophe that could never be forgiven.
“So what’s going to happen now?”
“Beatriz’s parents have given a statement to the press. It’s probably all over the news as we speak or will be in a matter of hours. Once the story grows legs, I’ll be torn apart. I had to tell Yiayia tonight to prepare her for what’s coming.”
“What was our grandmother’s reaction?”
“You know her as well as I do. Putting on her stone face, she said the coronation would go ahead as scheduled to save the integrity of the crown. A suitable marriage with another princess will take place within six months maximum. She gave me her short list of five candidates.”
Alex felt a chill go through him. “Putting the cart before the horse has never been done.”
“The queen is going to have her way no matter what. Let’s face it. She’s not well and wants me to take over.”
“Stasi—”
Sick for his brother, he walked over and hugged him. “I’m here for you always. You know that.”
“I do. A fine pair we’ve turned out to be. She told me you’re still resisting marriage to Princess Genevieve.”
“Like you, I told her no once and for all,” he said through clenched teeth. “I sacrificed myself once. Never again.”
“She’s not going to give up on Genevieve. I heard it in her voice.”
“That’s too bad because my only duty now is to raise Zoe to be happy.”
With the help of Dottie, he intended that to become a reality. Walking over to the table, he poured himself a drink. He lifted his glass to his brother.
“To you, Stasi,” he said in a thick-toned voice. “May God help you find a way to cope.” May God help both of us.
After a sleep troubled with thoughts of Alex, Dottie felt out of sorts and anxious and only poked at her breakfast. Since he hadn’t brought Zoe for her morning session yet, she checked her emails. Among some posts from her friends at the Institute in New York she’d received a response to the email she’d sent Dr. Rice. With a pounding heart, she opened it first.
Dear Dottie:
Thank you for giving me an update on Princess Zoe. I’m very pleased to hear that she’s beginning to make progress. If anyone can work miracles, it’s you. In reference to your request, I’ve interviewed several therapists who I believe would work well with her, but the one I think could be the best fit might not be available as soon as you wanted. She’s still working with the parent of another child to teach them coaching skills. I’ll let you know when she’ll be free to come. Give it a few more days.
By the way, it’s all over the news about Crown Prince Stasio calling off his wedding to Princess Beatriz. She’s here in Manhattan. I saw her on the news walking into the St. Regis Hotel. What a coincidence that you’re working for Prince Alexius. Have you ever met his brother? Well, take care. I’ll be in touch before long. Dr. Rice.
She rested her elbow on the table, covering her eyes with her hand. Prince Stasio’s teasing facade hid a courageous man who’d just done himself and Princess Beatriz a huge favor, even if talk of it and the judgments that would follow saturated the news.
The world had no idea what went on behind the closed doors of a desperately unhappy couple, royal or otherwise. What woman or man would want to be married to someone who’d been chosen for them years earlier? Alex’s first marriage had been forced. It boggled the mind, yet it had happened to the royals of the Constantinides family for hundreds of years in order to keep the monarchy alive.
Poor Zoe. To think that dear little girl would have to grow up knowing an arranged marriage was her fate. Dottie cringed at the prospect. Surely Alex wouldn’t do that to his own daughter after what he and his brother had been through, would he?
“Dot?” Zoe came running into the alcove and hugged her so hard, she almost fell off the chair.
Without conscious thought Dottie closed her eyes and hugged her back, aching for this family and its archaic rules that had hung like a pall over their lives. When she opened them again, there was Alex standing there in a navy crew neck and jeans looking bigger than life as he watched the two of them interact.
She saw lines and shadows on his striking face that hadn’t been there yesterday. But when their eyes met, the black fire in his took her to the backseat of the car where the other night they’d kissed each other with mindless abandon.
“We’re here to invite you out for a day on the water,” he explained. “The galley’s loaded with food and drink. We’ll do lessons and have fun at the same time.”
As he spoke, Zoe sat down to do one of the puzzles on the table out of hearing distance. It was a good thing, because Alex’s invitation had frightened Dottie. Though her mind was warning her this would be a mistake, that vital organ pumping her life’s blood enlarged at the prospect.
The other night she’d almost lost control with him and the experience was still too fresh. To go with him would be like watching a moth enticed to a flame fly straight to its death.
“Perhaps it’s time you enjoyed one day without me along. It won’t hurt Zoe to miss a lesson.” She’d said the first thing to come into her mind, frantically searching for an excuse not to be with him.
Lines marred his arresting features. “I’m afraid this is one time I need your cooperation. There’s something critically urgent I must discuss with you.”
Dottie looked away from the intensity of his gaze. This had to be about his brother. The distinct possibility that Prince Stasio needed Alex to do double duty for him right now, or to spend more time with him, crossed her mind. Of necessity it would cut short the time he’d been spending with Zoe. If that was the case, she could hardly turn him down while he worked out an alternative plan with her.
“All right. Give me a minute to put some things in the bag for our lesson.”
“Take all the time you need.” His voice seemed to have a deeper timbre this morning, playing havoc with the butterflies fluttering madly in her chest.
After Zoe helped pack some things they’d need, Dottie changed into a sleeveless top and shorts. When she emerged from the bathroom with her hair freshly brushed, the prince took swift inventory of her face and figure, whipping up a storm of heat that stained her cheeks with color. Once she’d stowed her swimsuit in the bag, she put on her sunglasses and declared she was ready to go.
Dottie had assumed they’d be taking his sailboat. But once they left the palace grounds, Alex informed her he had business on one of the other islands so they were going out on the yacht. The news caused a secret thrill to permeate her body.
That first morning when she and Zoe had gone down to the private beach, she’d seen the gleaming white royal yacht moored in the distance. Like any normal tourist, she’d dreamed of touring the Aegean on a boat while she was in Hellenica. Today the dream had become reality as she boarded the fabulous luxury craft containing every amenity known to man.
With the sparkling blue water so calm, Zoe was in heaven. Wearing another swimsuit, this one in lime-and-blue stripes, she ran up and down the length of it with her father’s binoculars, looking for groupers and parrot fish with one of the crew.
Alex settled them in side-by-side loungers while the deck steward placed drinks and treats close enough to reach. With Zoe occupied for a few minutes, Dottie felt this would be the best time to approach him about his brother and turned in his direction. But he’d removed his shirt. One look at his chest with its dusting of black hair, in fact his entire masculine physique, and she had to stifle a moan.
The other night she’d been crushed against him and, heaven help her, she longed to repeat the experience. Fortunately the presence of Zoe and the crew prevented anything like that from happening today.
Admit you want it to happen, Dottie.
After losing Neil, she couldn’t believe all these feelings to know a man’s possession had come back this strongly. For so long she’d been dead inside. She was frightened by this explosion of need Alex had ignited. She had to hope Dr. Rice would email her the good news that her replacement could be here by next week because she could feel herself being sucked into a situation that could only rebound on her.
Not for a moment did she believe Alex was a womanizer. He was a man, and like any single male was free to find temporary satisfaction with a willing woman when the time and opportunity presented itself. With her full cooperation he’d acted on one of those opportunities and she’d lost her head.
It wasn’t his fault. It was hers. She’d been an idiot.
Unless she wanted a new form of heartache to plague her for the rest of her life, she couldn’t afford another foolish moment because of overwhelming desire for Alex. There was no future in it. She’d be gone from this assignment before long. Nothing but pain could come from indulging in a passionate interlude with a prince. Nothing.
“Alex. The head of my department at Stillman’s responded to one of my emails this morning.”
He removed his sunglasses and shifted his hard-muscled body on the lounger so he faced her. “Was that the one asking him to find another therapist for Zoe?” he inquired in a dangerously silky voice. An underlying tone of ice sent a tremor through her body.
“Yes. He says he’ll probably have someone to replace me within another week. By then Zoe ought to have more confidence in herself and will work well with the new speech teacher.”
Paralyzing tension stretched between them before eyes of jet impaled her. “You don’t believe that piece of fiction any more than I do. In any event, there can’t be a question about you leaving, not with the coronation almost upon us.”
She sat up in surprise. “You mean there’s still going to be one?”
Like lightning he levered himself from the lounger. “Why would you ask that question?”
“At the end of Dr. Rice’s email, he told me there were headlines about Prince Stasio calling off his wedding to Princess Beatriz.”
“So it’s already today’s news in New York.” He sounded far away. She watched him rub the back of his neck, something he did when he was pondering a grave problem.
Growing more uneasy, Dottie stood up. “Forgive me if I’ve upset you.”
He eyed her frankly. “Forgiveness doesn’t come into it. They were never suited, but I didn’t know he’d made the break official until he told me last night.”
She rubbed her arms in reaction. “What a traumatic night it must have been for all of you and your grandmother.”
“I won’t lie to you about that.” His pain was palpable.
Dottie bit her lip. “For both their sakes I’m glad he couldn’t go through with it, but you’ll probably think I’m horrible for saying it.”
“On the contrary,” Alex ground out. “I’d think something serious was wrong with you if you hadn’t. His life has been a living hell. He should have ended the betrothal years ago.”
Alex … She heard the love for his brother.
“Does it mean the queen will go on ruling?” she asked quietly. “I’m probably overstepping my bounds to talk to you like this, but after meeting your brother, I can’t help but feel terrible for what he must be suffering right now, even if he didn’t want the marriage.”
“Between us, he’s in bad shape,” he confided, “but the coronation is still on. Our grandmother is failing in small ways and can’t keep up her former pace as sovereign, but she’s still in charge. She has given him six months to marry one of the eligible royals on her list.”
“But—”
“There are no buts,” he cut her off, but she knew his anger wasn’t directed at her. “I just have to pray he’ll find some common ground with one of the women.” His voice throbbed. Again Dottie was horrified by Prince Stasio’s untenable situation. “Since there’s nothing I can do except stand by him, I’d rather concentrate on Zoe’s lesson. What do you have planned for today?”
Heartsick as Dottie felt, she’d been sent to Hellenica to do a job and she wanted desperately to lift his spirits if she could. “Since we’re on the yacht, I thought we’d work on the Y sound. She can already say Yiayia pretty well.”
“That’s where her Greek ought to help.”
“Why don’t you say hello to her in Greek and we’ll see what happens.”
Together they walked toward the railing at the far end. Zoe saw them coming and trained the binoculars on them.
“Yasoo,” her father called to her. The cute little girl answered back in a sad facsimile of the greeting.
Dottie smiled. “Do you like being on this boat?”
“Yes.”
Today they’d work on ya. Another day they’d work on yes. “Do you know what kind of a boat this is?” Zoe shook her head. “It’s called a yacht. Say yasoo again.” Zoe responded. “Now say ya.” She tried, but the sound was off with both words.
“I can’t.”
Dottie felt her frustration.
Alex handed Dottie the binoculars and picked up his daughter. “Try it once more.” He wanted her to make a good sound for him. Dottie wanted it, too, more than anything. But this was a game of infinite patience. “Be a parrot for daddy, like one of those parrot fish you were watching with its birdlike beak. Parrots can talk. Talk to me. Say ya.”
“Ya.”
“Open your mouth wider like your daddy is doing,” Dottie urged her. “Pretend he’s the doctor looking down your throat with a stick. He wants to hear you. Can you say ya for him?”
She giggled. “Daddy’s not a doctor.”
The prince sent Dottie a look of defeat. “You’re right.” He kissed Zoe’s cheek. “Come on. Let’s have a lemonade.” As soon as he put her down, she ran back to the table by the loungers to drink hers.
Clearly Zoe wasn’t in the mood for a lesson. Who would be on a beautiful day like this? The translucent blue water was dotted with islands that made Dottie itch to get out and explore everything. She put the binoculars to her eyes to see what was coming next. “What’s the name of that island in the distance?”
“Argentum.”
“You mine silver there?”
“How did you figure that out?”
“You told me you lived on Aurum. Both islands have Latin names for gold and silver.”
His eyes met hers. “You’re not only intelligent, but knowledgeable. We’ll anchor out in the bay. The head mining engineer is coming aboard for a business lunch. He’s also my closest friend.”
“Where did you meet?”
“We were getting our mining engineering degrees at the same time, both here and in Colorado at the school of mines.”
“That’s why your English is amazing. Is your friend married?”
“Yes. He has a new baby.”
“That’s nice for him.”
“Very nice. He’s in love with his wife and she with him.”