Who is this man? And what had happened to the laid-back Demetrius?
Her gut told her to get out now. That she was getting in far too deep with a man who still had a hold on her heart. But what kind of daughter would that make her? This was her chance to make the remainder of her mother’s life better.
And to complicate matters further, she had no job to return to. She’d already resigned from her position as interior designer for the island’s most prominent and discriminating furniture store. And most important, this job paid well—well enough to pay her mother’s bills.
Zoe was stuck.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you hire me?” She watched him carefully, not sure what sort of reaction to expect.
“I wanted the best for this job. And you are the best on the island.”
Was he serious? He thought she was the best? A warmth swirled in her chest and rose to warm her cheeks. Their gazes connected and held. Her heart thudded harder, faster. She refused to acknowledge that his words meant anything to her. She was over him. Past him.
“So you just expect us to work together like...like nothing ever happened?”
* * *
A loud bang echoed through the expansive ballroom.
Demetrius’s body tensed.
“What was that?” Zoe whispered.
He didn’t know but he certainly intended to find out. He peered around the various drop cloths, plaster buckets and scaffolding. “Who’s there?”
A movement caught his attention. Across the room, a worker in a yellow hard hat straightened from where he’d dropped a load of lumber. He glanced their way. “Hey, you aren’t supposed to be in here. This is a designated hard hat area.”
Demetrius nodded his understanding. “We were just leaving.”
“See that you do. I don’t want to have to throw you out.” The man turned and walked away.
Obviously the man hadn’t recognized him with the shadows and the distance. That was all right with Demetrius. Sometimes he got tired of being the prince, of posing for pictures and answering questions. Sometimes he just wanted to be plain old Demetrius. He’d been able to pull that off not so long ago when he was partying and showing up in places most inappropriate for royalty. But those times were over and not to be repeated.
Zoe laughed. The sound startled him. It’d been so long since he’d seen her happy. In the beginning, their relationship had been an easy and relaxed one. He missed those times. He hadn’t relaxed like that since—
No. He wasn’t going down memory lane. That was then. This is now.
Everything had changed over the past year. He refused to be swayed by the way the gold specks in her eyes twinkled when she smiled or how her cheeks filled with color when she was paid a compliment. He was immune to it all.
Zoe turned her attention back to him. “I guess he didn’t realize who he was threatening to toss out of here.”
“The man was just doing his job and making sure that no one is injured on his watch.”
“Then I guess we better hurry.” She turned and snapped a couple more pictures of the room with her phone. “I’ve already been given the dimensions of the rooms as well as the architectural drawings.” She glanced around again. “And now with these photos, I should be able to get started. We should get going before that man comes back.”
Demetrius stepped in front of her. “Not so fast. We need to establish guidelines for our working arrangement.”
“That’s easy. When I have some sketches, I’ll contact you.”
When she once again started around him, he reached out and grasped her wrist. “That won’t work. I want a more hands-on approach.”
She yanked her arm away and glared at him. “Surely you aren’t proposing to look over my shoulder?”
“That’s not how I would have worded it, but so be it.”
Zoe planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t work well under close supervision. I need room to do my research and then I start sketching and playing with colors. It isn’t going to be an overnight project. It will take me time.”
“I understand that. As long as you understand that you’ll need to keep your design plans a secret from everyone—even your family and friends. The big reveal will be the week of the Royal Christmas Ball. Large contributors will be invited to wow them into donating more funding for more renovations in the neighborhood. The following day, Ms. Russo will be airing another segment on her television show giving viewers before and after shots of the mansion.”
Zoe nodded her understanding. “Trust me. No one will see my designs. When I have something ready for you to see, we can meet in the village at the caffè house.”
“That’s impossible. My daily presence in the village, as well as the security detail, would be far too disruptive to businesses.”
A frown pulled at her beautiful face. “Fine. What do you suggest?”
Demetrius glanced over, noticing the workman had yet to return, but his gut told him the man would be back soon. They had to make this brief. “I think our best solution is to work at the palace.”
“The palace?” Zoe’s face noticeably paled.
“Offices have been set up there for the architect, the PR consultant and others. It will be very handy having all of the key people under one roof.”
“But I don’t have a car.”
He hadn’t thought of that, but if that was her only objection, he’d find a solution. “I’ll send my car for you.”
Her mouth opened, but then she closed it as though she’d run out of protests.
Good. Another problem solved. “Now that we have that straightened out, let’s get out of here before that guy comes back. I don’t relish the idea of facing him down.”
The worry lines smoothed on Zoe’s face. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I remember how you’d visit the gym each morning, not to mention your evening run along the beach. I’m guessing you still do both.”
“I do. When time allows.” Demetrius’s shoulders straightened. Had she just paid him a compliment? “Still, I prefer to keep a low-key presence.”
“Since when? You used to love to be the playboy and you didn’t care who photographed you.”
“Things certainly have changed since those days.”
She glanced away. “I guess they have.”
Everything had changed, apparently for both of them. And the more time he spent with her, the more he wondered about those dark smudges under her eyes that her makeup didn’t quite cover. Something was keeping her up at night. But what?
WHAT HAD SHE been thinking?
Agreeing to work side by side with her ex.
And at the royal palace of all places.
The next morning, Zoe muttered to herself as she tried on outfit after outfit. The pile of discarded clothes on her bed was growing. What did one wear to the palace? Business attire? Nah, too stiff. A summer dress? Too casual. Nothing seemed fitting for the occasion.
And then she recalled that she wasn’t an invited guest. She was the help. She’d probably be ushered in the back entrance and