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CHAPTER THREE

ALYSE AWOKE GRITTY-EYED and still feeling exhausted. Lying next to Leo, she hadn’t slept well, conscious of his hard, powerful form just inches away from her even when she’d been falling into a restless doze.

Now as sunlight streamed through the windows she wondered what the day would bring. They were meant to fly to St Cristos, a private island in the Caribbean, that morning to begin their honeymoon. A week completely alone, without the distractions of television, telephones, computers or any other people at all. A week, she still hoped, when they could get to know one another properly, or even at all.

A knock sounded at the door and before Alyse could say or even think anything Leo was snaking his arm around her waist, drawing her close against the seductive heat of his body. Shock turned her rigid as she felt the hard contours of his chest and thigh against her backside—and then the unmistakable press of his erection against her bottom.

‘Vieni,’ he called and then murmured against her hair, ‘Sorry, but the staff will gossip.’

Alyse barely took in his words. She’d never been so close to him, every part of her body in exquisite contact with his. The crisp hair on his chest tickled her bare shoulders, and the feel of his arousal pressing insistently against her bottom sent sizzling darts of sensation shooting through her.

She shifted instinctively, although whether she was drawing away or closer to him she didn’t even know. She felt a new, dizzying need spiral up inside her as his own hips flexed instinctively back. Leo groaned under his breath and his arm came even more firmly around her. ‘Stop wriggling,’ he whispered, ‘Or I might embarrass myself. I’m only human, you know.’

It took a few seconds for his meaning to penetrate the fog of her dazed mind, and by that time two young serving women were wheeling in a breakfast tray, the smell of fresh coffee and breakfast rolls on the air.

Embarrass himself? Was he actually implying that he wanted her that much? That a mere wriggle of hips could send him over the edge?

Leo let go of her, straightening in bed as he adjusted the duvet over himself. ‘Grazie,’ he said and the two women giggled and blushed as they left the room, casting covert looks at the two of them in bed. Alyse realised the strap of her negligee had fallen off one shoulder, and her hair was a tangled mass about her face. Did she look like a woman who had been pleasured and loved? She felt like a mess.

She tucked her tangled hair behind her ears and willed her heart rate to slow. Despite the obvious evidence of his arousal, Leo now looked completely unfazed and indifferent as he slid out of bed and went to the breakfast tray to pour them both coffee.

‘Sorry about that. Basic bodily function, at least for a man in the morning. I think we convinced the staff, at any rate.’

Disappointment crashed through her. Basic bodily function. So, no, it had had nothing to do with her in particular. Of course it didn’t. ‘It’s fine,’ Alyse murmured. She took a steadying breath and forced herself to meet his wry gaze. ‘We’re married, after all.’

‘So we are.’ He handed her a cup of coffee and sipped his own, his expression turning preoccupied over the rim of the porcelain cup. ‘But I imagine all this pretending will get tiresome for both of us after a while.’

Alyse stared into the fragrant depths of her coffee. ‘Like you said, the press will get bored of us now that we’re married. As long as we seem happy in public, they won’t really care.’ It hurt to say it, to imply that that was what she wanted.

‘Perhaps.’ Leo nodded slowly, and Alyse imagined he was wondering just how soon he could return to his simple, solitary life.

And when he did what would she do? Over the last few months she’d bolstered her flagging spirits by reminding herself that, just like Leo, she had a duty. A role. As princess and later Queen of Maldinia she would encourage and love her people. She would involve herself in her country, its charities and industry, and in doing so bring hope to a nation.

She tried to hold onto that idea now, but it seemed like so much airy, arrogant nonsense when she considered how the majority of her days were likely to be spent: in loneliness and isolation, separated from a husband who was perfectly happy with their business arrangement.

‘When do we leave for St Cristos?’ she asked, not wanting either of them to dwell on the bleak future they both clearly envisioned.

‘We leave the palace at eleven o’clock for a public appearance in the front courtyard. Photo opportunity and all that.’ He smiled and Alyse saw the cynicism in the twist of his lips, the flatness in his navy eyes. He never used to be so cynical, she thought. Pragmatic, yes, and even cold, but he’d approached their engagement with a brisk and accepting efficiency she’d tried to match, rather than this jaded resentment.

Was he feeling as she did, that marriage had changed something between them, made it worse? Pretending after the vows had been said seemed a greater travesty than before, something she’d never considered as Leo’s fiancée. She didn’t think Leo had considered it either.

‘I’ll leave you to get dressed,’ he said, putting down his coffee cup. ‘I’ll meet you downstairs in the foyer a few minutes before eleven.’

Wordlessly Alyse nodded, seeing the practicality of it yet feeling a needling disappointment anyway. Was every interaction going to involve a way to avoid each other? Would her life consist of endless awkward exchanges without any real intimacy or emotion, ever? Something would have to change. She couldn’t live like this; she wouldn’t.

Maybe, she thought with no more than a flicker of weary hope, it would change on St Cristos.

Several hours later they boarded the royal jet and Leo disappeared into a study in the rear of the plane. Alyse had been on the jet before when she’d flown between England and Maldinia, yet the opulent luxury always amazed her. Her own family was wealthy and privileged—her father had built a financial empire and her mother had been an heiress—but they weren’t this kind of rich. They weren’t royal.

You are now.

It still felt unreal. If she didn’t actually feel like Leo’s wife, how would she ever feel like a princess? Like a queen?

Pushing the thought aside, she made herself comfortable on one of the leather sofas in the main cabin of the plane. Just as planned, she and Leo had made their appearance outside the palace doors. A crowd had surrounded the palace; posies and bouquets of flowers had been piled up by the gates. Alyse had spent a few minutes chatting, smiling and laughing, while Leo had looked on, his smile faint and a little bit wooden. While the people loved the handsome, enigmatic prince, he didn’t engage the crowds the way she did, and never had. This, she knew, was why Maldinia’s monarchy needed her. Why Leo needed her.

Nothing else.

Now, with the crowds and reporters gone, she wondered just how she and Leo would spend their time alone. Judging by the way he’d disappeared into the jet’s study, alone was the operative word.

She felt a sudden stab of annoyance, which at least felt stronger than the misery that had been swamping her since their marriage. No matter how fake their relationship was, Leo’s determined ignoring of her was just plain rude.

Fuelled by her outrage, Alyse rose from the sofa and went to find Leo in the study. He sat at a desk, his dark head bent over a sheaf of papers. He was dressed for travel in a crisp blue button-down shirt and dark trousers, but he still looked magnificent, his muscles taut and powerful underneath the starched cotton of his shirt. He glanced up as she approached, his dark brows snapping together.

‘What is it?’

‘I just wondered if you intended to spend the entire time in your study,’ she said, her voice coming out close to a snap, and Leo looked at her in something close to bewilderment.

‘Does it matter?’

Impatience warred with hurt. ‘A bit, Leo. I understand you don’t want things to change between us, but a little conversation could be nice. Or are we going to spend the next week trying to avoid each other?’

He still looked flummoxed, and now also a bit annoyed. ‘I’m not trying to avoid you.’

‘It just comes naturally, then?’

‘We’ve been on this plane for ten minutes,’ he replied, his voice becoming so very even. ‘Don’t you think you can entertain yourself for a little while longer?’

Alyse shook her head impatiently. She could see how Leo might think she was being unreasonable, but it was so much more than this one journey. ‘I can entertain myself just fine,’ she said. ‘But I don’t particularly enjoy living in isolation.’

Leo’s mouth thinned into a hard line. ‘The plane will take off in a few minutes. I’ll join you in the cabin before it does.’

His words seemed so grudgingly given, yet Alyse knew at this point it was better simply to accept them at face value. Now was not the time to force a confrontation, to confess that she didn’t think she could live like this for so much as a morning, much less a lifetime. This was, after all, what she’d agreed to all those years ago when King Alessandro had spelled it out so plainly.

Feelings come in time, don’t they? She’d built her hopes on that one throwaway remark, clearly meant only to appease her. She’d lived for six years believing it could be true. She might as well have built castles in the air.

Leo had already turned back to his papers, so after a second’s uneasy pause Alyse turned around and went to the cabin.

He didn’t come out for take-off. Her annoyance turned to a simmering anger as the staff served her sparkling water instead of the champagne left chilling in a bucket, clearly meant for the two of them to toast their marriage.

She avoided their eyes and reached for her e-reader, bitterly glad she’d filled it with newly purchased books before she’d left. Clearly she’d be getting a lot of reading done on her honeymoon.

A few hours into the flight Leo finally made an appearance. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said, sitting across from her. ‘I had a bit of work to catch up on before we go off the grid.’

Despite his casually made apology, Alyse couldn’t let go of her anger. ‘If you don’t want your staff to gossip, perhaps you should be a bit more attentive to your bride,’ she answered tartly. ‘We’ve only been married for one day, you know.’

Leo stared at her, nonplussed. ‘Even couples wildly in love have work to do.’

‘Even on their honeymoon?’

He narrowed his gaze. ‘I have a duty to my country—’

‘This whole marriage is about duty.’ She cut him off and realised too late how shrewish and hurt she sounded. How ridiculous, considering the nature of their relationship.

‘Careful,’ he said softly, glancing at the closed cabin doors.

‘Our whole life is going to be about being careful,’ she retorted before she could stop herself. She hated how her hurt was spilling out of her. She’d kept it hidden for so long, why was she weakening now?

‘And you always knew that.’ The glance he gave her was repressive. ‘I think we should save this conversation for another, more private time.’

‘At least I have a conversation to look forward to, then.’ Leo just stared at her, and Alyse looked away, trying to reclaim some of the cool composure she’d cloaked herself with during the last few years. She’d never lit into him like this, never showed him how much his indifference hurt her or how much more she wanted from him.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ he asked after a moment and he sounded both curious and exasperated. ‘You’ve never acted like this before.’

‘We’ve never been alone like this before,’ she answered, her face still averted. ‘I just don’t want you to ignore or avoid me for the entire week. I’ll go crazy.’

Leo was silent for a long moment. ‘I don’t mean to ignore or avoid you,’ he said finally. ‘I’m just acting as we always have. I thought you accepted the nature of our relationship—preferred it, as I do.’

Alyse struggled to keep her face composed, her voice even, but his words hurt so much. Too much. ‘I’ve accepted it,’ she said carefully. ‘But it feels different now. We’re married, after all, and we’re going to spend more time together. Time alone. It would be nice if we could enjoy it, at least.’

That was so much less than she wanted, but at least it was a start—if Leo agreed.

He didn’t answer, just reached for the champagne and poured two flutes, the bubbles fizzing and bursting against the crystal sides. ‘I suppose that’s not an unreasonable request,’ he said eventually, and Alyse didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his grudging tone.

‘I’m glad you think so,’ she answered, and accepted a glass of champagne.

He eyed her evenly. ‘I suppose we should have discussed our expectations of what our married life would look like beforehand.’

‘Would it have made any difference?’

‘Not to me, perhaps.’ He raised his glass. ‘To what shall we toast?’

Alyse couldn’t think of a single thing. ‘To the future,’ she finally said, and heard the bleakness in her voice. ‘Whatever it may hold.’