“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