Kitabı oku: «The By Request Collection», sayfa 59
CHAPTER ELEVEN
IT WILL ALL work out.
That was what Zoe kept telling herself.
She sat next to Demetrius in the same unmarked black sedan that had escorted her to Residenza del Rosa. Demetrius wanted to stir the least amount of public attention as possible. Although with his security detail in the lead with another black car and an additional black car following closely behind, they stood out even here in the capital of Mirraccino. She tried to reason with him to delay the trip, but he was insistent they move on this immediately.
Frantically, she tried to remember what condition she’d left the apartment in when she’d rushed out the door. Sure he’d been there before, but only for a few minutes, most of which he’d spent standing in the hallway. And then he’d been so concerned about the creepy reporter that she doubted he’d noticed much of anything as he rushed off to speak with his security detail.
Had she put away the dishes? Was there still some lingerie on the drying rack? And that basket of laundry—was it still sitting in the living room? Or had she put the clothes away?
She’d always been able to keep him away from her apartment when they were dating. That hadn’t been too hard considering their relationship had been kept on the down low. If her mother had known she was dating the prince, her mother never would have been able to keep the exciting news to herself. Not that Zoe could blame her. At times, she’d felt like she would burst, holding in the fact that she’d found her very own Prince Charming.
“Are you feeling okay?” There was a note of concern in Demetrius’s voice.
“Sure. I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He studied her intently. “You know that you can talk to me about whatever is on your mind?”
Why did things have to be so complicated between them? She longed for a normal life. One where her mother was healthy and could live on her own. One where her mother didn’t get confused and frustrated with aspects of life that so many people took for granted.
“Why does life have to be so unfair?” Zoe muttered under her breath.
“Sometimes I wonder the same thing. Being a prince doesn’t give me a pass on painful and unhappy moments.” Demetrius reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I am here if you need me.”
At first, she resisted the pull of his arm, but needing to feel his strength and the comfort of someone being on her side, she gave in. Her head came to rest against his shoulder. The scent of his spicy cologne taunted her, reminding her of all the things in life she’d had to give up in order to do right by the people she loved. And now, she had to be content with this platonic touch.
All too soon the car rolled to a stop behind Zoe’s apartment building. She reached for the door handle. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Not so fast.” Demetrius followed her out the door. A bodyguard leaned over and whispered something in Demetrius’s ear. “We’re clear to go up.”
“How do you know?”
He sent her a knowing smile as though he was always two steps ahead of her. “Some of my men were sent ahead to secure the area.”
“It must be tough always having to be so careful where you go and having to be surrounded by your own private army.” She truly meant it. She might not be rich, but she did have her privacy and the freedom to come and go as she pleased.
He shrugged. “It is what it is. I’m sorry that it bothers you.”
“I...no, it doesn’t. It’s just so different from my life.”
He truly didn’t seem fazed by it. Even when he’d been living life to its fullest as the playboy prince when they’d first met, he’d still been surrounded by bodyguards. Demetrius insisted that the men dress to fit in with the crowd. These days, those same bodyguards wore dark suits and dark glasses. There was no missing the fact that they were part of his security detail, and the expression on their faces said that they meant business.
When Zoe stepped into the darkened hallway of the older building, she paused and turned to him. “You really don’t have to come with me. I’m sure you have phone calls and other things to do.”
His brows rose and for a moment he didn’t say anything. “I promise you that you have my undivided attention.”
Any other time, she would have loved to be the center of his attention, but not right now. Knowing no other way to deter him from following her to the humble little apartment she shared with her mother, she mounted the steps to the second floor.
All the while, she kept telling herself that it didn’t matter. Once this project was done...once the annulment papers were recovered...she’d never see Demetrius again, aside from the photos in the newspaper and the television appearances. Still, she’d have her memories for as long as they lasted. She could only hope they weren’t snatched away like her mother’s—only to be replaced with confusion and uncertainty.
* * *
Her discomfort was palpable.
Demetrius followed Zoe up the stairs. Her shoulders were rigid. She didn’t say a word. He wished she would relax. She didn’t have to be self-conscious about the apartment building. Sure it was older and there was nothing fancy about it, but there was an air of hominess—a warmth that at times was lacking from the glamor of the palace now that his mother was no longer around.
Zoe paused outside a brown wooden door. Gold numerals read 213. She turned to him, her gaze not quite reaching his. “My place...it’s nothing fancy.”
“It’s okay, Zoe. Remember, I’ve been here before.” Without thinking of the implications, he reached out and stroked his fingers over her silky smooth cheek. “Stop worrying. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. Not everyone is born into a palace. Sometimes, I think you ended up with the better end of the deal.”
She sent him a disbelieving look. He couldn’t blame her. He realized looking from the outside in that it was hard to believe that life within the palace walls was anything but perfect and worry free.
Sometimes he wondered if part of the problem was that the palace was just so massively big that as a child he sometimes felt as though he got lost amongst the statues and paintings. His mother and father were always hosting an event or entertaining a dignitary. As a kid, he’d promised himself that when he had his own family that he’d always have time for them.
The head of his security detail approached Zoe and requested the key to her apartment. She hesitantly handed it over. With instructions to wait in the hallway with two other bodyguards while the apartment was searched, Zoe crossed her arms and stared at the floor.
“I forget that you aren’t used to these security procedures.” Feeling as though he owed her a better explanation, he went on. “Lately, there has been a spike in chatter about a revolt. That’s why my brother took it upon himself to keep our...” he lowered his voice “...our marriage a secret. He didn’t want to give the rebel rousers any help with their cause until the palace figured out how best to present our marriage to the people.”
“I didn’t know. No one told me.”
“No one wanted to worry you.” He almost added that he’d warned everyone to keep this from her because he hadn’t wanted to scare her off, but it didn’t matter. She’d run off anyhow.
The bodyguard reemerged from the apartment. “All clear, sir.”
Zoe pushed open the door that led into the modest living room. She stepped inside and waited for him. “Welcome to my place.” She rushed over to the radiator and grabbed some shirts and a black lacy bra. They’d been laid out to dry since clothes dryers weren’t common in the region. “Sorry about the laundry.” She moved the articles of clothing behind her back. “I wasn’t expecting company.”
“Don’t worry. I’m the one who is intruding. I’ll admit I’ve always wondered about your home life.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
He nodded. “You always kept this part of your life such a mystery. I never even had the opportunity to meet your mother. I would have liked that. Maybe she could have told me some stories about you when you were a kid.”
“She would have enjoyed that. Mum loved to tell stories.”
He repeated Zoe’s words in his mind. “You said that in the past tense.” He stepped closer to her, wondering if he’d solved the reason for the smudges beneath Zoe’s eyes and the pained look reflected in her eyes when she didn’t think he was watching her. “Did something happen to your mother? Did...did she pass on?”
“What? No. Of course not.”
“But the way you talked about her—”
“It was nothing. A slip of the tongue.”
She snatched up a bed pillow from the old wooden framed couch with a yellow-and-blue-checked pattern. “It’s my mother’s. Sometimes she falls asleep out here.”
“Will she be home soon?”
“Uh, no. She won’t be home until the week of Christmas.”
“I’m surprised you still live with her.” He thought back to the numerous conversations they’d had when they were dating and how Zoe was anxious to move out on her own—that is until he swayed her to marry him. “What happened to your plan to get your own place—somewhere closer to the sea?”
“I...um, changed my mind.” Her gaze lowered and her face took on a pale, pasty tone. “Let me put this laundry away, and then I can get you something to drink.”
“No need.” He didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable. “Go ahead and do what you need to. I’ll be fine here.”
“I...I’ll be back with those sketches.” She gave the area one last glance as though making sure everything was in its place before moving off down a hallway.
The apartment was tiny—much tinier than he’d been imagining. The living room consisted of a couch, a small white table for magazines and a simple wooden stand with an old television atop of it. The living area was directly connected to the kitchen. The space was one long, narrow room.
There was nothing fancy about any of it. Everything was clean, but almost everything had seen its better day. He never imagined that Zoe struggled to get by. When he saw her snappy clothes, he’d just assumed that she had a comfy life. But it looked like she, too, was a master of appearances.
He moved over to a group of framed pictures hanging behind the couch. There was one of Zoe as a little girl. She was so cute with her long braids. And there was another of her and who he assumed was her mother on the beach. Zoe looked so happy—so full of dreams. He wondered what happened to those dreams.
He turned around, taking in the white paint coating the wall behind the framed family photos. Even the kitchen was white except for the tan and aqua tiles serving as a backsplash. When he turned fully around he noticed the wall behind the television was anything but white. In fact, it was quite intriguing.
He stepped back against the couch to get a better look. It was a mural. Pastel colors blended to create a giant conch shell resting in the sand with the foamy sea in the background. Blue skies with a couple of puffy white clouds reached up to the ceiling. Wow!
He couldn’t tear his gaze from this humongous masterpiece. Zoe was so much more talented than he’d ever imagined. What was she doing hiding her talent by sorting through paint chips and picking couches? She should be creating artwork for the world to enjoy.
“I’ve got it.” Zoe rushed back into the room. “We can go now.”
“Not so fast. When were you going to tell me about this?” He gestured to the wall.
She shrugged. “It’s just something I did for my mother.”
“Well, she’s one lucky lady.” He noticed Zoe’s lack of response. He assumed that she was just being modest. “Don’t be shy. Why aren’t you painting full-time?”
Zoe’s fine brows scrunched together as she shot him an are-you-serious look. “Because painting doesn’t pay the bills. I need a steady paycheck, especially now.”
Now? What did that mean? There was definitely something he was missing and he fully intended to find out what. “Zoe, tell me what’s going on with you. I know that you aren’t telling me everything.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve got the sketches. Now we can go.”
“No, we can’t. I don’t understand. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“I am talking. And I’m telling you that if you want to get this mural done in time for the ball, I need to get started.” She turned toward the door.
“Not so fast.” He crossed his arms. “There’s something I want to go over with you.”
She sighed and then turned. “Does it have to be right now?”
“Sì.” When she frowned, he continued. “I’d like you to walk me through exactly what happened with the annulment papers.”
“I told you I signed them.”
“And so far my advisors haven’t found any trace of them. I thought since they were last seen here that this visit might jog your memory—something that you’ve forgotten.”
Her mouth gaped open as pain reflected in her eyes. “You really think that I’d forget something that important?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what to think. That’s the problem. You keep sidestepping things. Sometimes you stop in the middle of sentences and you leave me wondering what you’re working so hard to hide from me.”
“Why should I be hiding something?”
Frustration balled up inside him. He struggled to keep it at bay. “Because I was always able to read you before.”
“You don’t think I’ve changed since then?”
She was doing it again. She was dodging his questions by supplying questions of her own. “Zoe, stop with the questions. Just walk me through what happened to the annulment papers and the check.”
Her gaze narrowed and her lips pressed into a firm line. Seconds passed and at last she spoke. “Fine. You want to know. Here it is. I had the papers. They were over there on the kitchen counter. I signed them. I put them in the envelope to drop in the mail. And then I ripped up your check into tiny pieces which I dropped in the garbage.”
“Is it possible you accidentally dropped the papers in the garbage, too?” When she frowned at him, he said, “Okay. I just had to ask.”
“I can assure you the check was the only thing I trashed.”
“Why would you do that?”
“What? You don’t think this place lives up to your standards and that I was foolish to toss away the money?”
“No, that isn’t it.” He clenched his jaw. He wasn’t going to fall in that rabbit hole with her. What he needed to do was concentrate on the whereabouts of the annulment papers. “So you ripped up the check. What did you do with the papers? We need to make sure they didn’t end up in the wrong hands.”
“If they did, I didn’t do it.”
He believed her. It was highly doubtful, because by now he’d have been contacted for blackmail or it would have been sold to the paparazzi. Demetrius had a feeling the papers were right here in this apartment.
“Where did you last see the papers?”
“I...I don’t know.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’ve tried to remember ever since you told me they are missing, but I can’t remember what I did with the envelope after I signed the papers.”
“Think hard.”
“I am. I must have posted it. That’s the only reasonable explanation. They must have lost it.”
“You didn’t send it by special courier?”
She shook her head. “You have to believe me. I did what you wanted.”
What he wanted? He never wanted this annulment. The only reason he’d issued the papers was because she’d walked out on him. He was about to say as much when he noticed her eyes grow shiny. Were those tears in her eyes? Please don’t start crying. He was never good with women when they became emotional.
He moved to the counter. “Is this where you signed the papers?”
“Sì. That’s the last place I remember having them.” She paused as though she remembered something—something important. “I remember signing them and slipping them in the envelope. Then my phone rang. It was an important client.”
“And?”
Zoe worried her bottom lip. Her gaze didn’t meet his. “I had to go into the office early.”
“Think hard about what you did with the papers.”
Her eyes widened. “My mother offered to post them.”
“Your mother? She knows about us? I thought you were waiting to tell her?” This could be a complication he hadn’t anticipated.
“I swear I didn’t tell her about us. She didn’t have a clue what was in the envelope.”
“So what do you think happened?”
“I think I know.” Zoe rushed out of the room and down the hallway.
Demetrius followed. Zoe entered a small, modest bedroom. She stepped up to an old chest of drawers and pulled open the top drawer. Frantically she started flipping through papers and envelopes.
“Zoe, what are you doing?”
She didn’t stop to look at him as her search continued. “This is where my mother keeps her important papers.” Zoe grasped a large manila envelope and held it up. “It’s here.”
Demetrius raked his fingers through his hair. A mix of relief and worry rushed through him. Was he really supposed to believe her mother was hiding annulment papers for a marriage that she wasn’t supposed to know about?
Zoe smiled. “Isn’t this great?”
“Great?”
“Yeah, you know, because no one else has the papers. The media doesn’t know. Your reputation as a reformed, reliable prince is intact.”
“Until you mother finds the papers missing and does something about it.”
“That won’t happen. She couldn’t tell anyone even if she wanted to.” There was a certainty in Zoe’s voice, but he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t even know her mother except for what Zoe had told him about the woman.
“Why won’t it happen?” When Zoe averted her gaze, he stepped closer to her. “Zoe, stop with the cryptic comments. Tell me what is going on. I need to understand.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
THIS WAS GOING to be the most difficult conversation of her life.
Where did she even start?
Demetrius stepped closer. “Zoe, whatever it is, just say it. I’m listening.”
She glanced up, meeting his unwavering stare. Within his eyes she found a steadiness that she craved. She could do this. She would get through this confession just like she’d endured all of the doctors’ visits, the testing and the trying times with her mother.
“It all started before you and I met. My mother started forgetting little things at first, like not going to the market. And then I started to notice her cooking had changed. Instead of the big, traditional meals, she would heat up ready-to-serve food. And sometimes it was burned. My mother never burned food in the past. She was amazing in the kitchen.” Zoe blinked, keeping her tears at bay. “I didn’t want to see what was happening to her, and she was so busy trying to cover up her lapses that she was too embarrassed to ask for help. So we both ignored the telltale signs—signs I didn’t even know I should be watching for.”
Demetrius reached out to her, but Zoe backed away. If she gave in to the tears now, she’d never get this out and she’d kept it bottled up for too long. He had to realize that a future with her wasn’t possible. He already had an entire nation’s troubles to handle. He didn’t need hers, too.
She drew in an unsteady breath. “By the time I met you, my mother was no longer able to keep up with her job and was let go. That’s when we couldn’t ignore her problem any longer. The doctors told us it was Alzheimer’s. But I was in denial. I couldn’t accept that I am going to lose my mother one agonizing piece at a time until she no longer knows me.” A sob caught in Zoe’s throat. She choked it down. “My mother’s going to forget everything.”
“I had no idea.”
“You weren’t supposed to know. I couldn’t cope with the diagnosis. The last thing I wanted was sympathy. I just wanted to pretend everything was normal.”
“And I was the perfect distraction.”
She nodded. “I let myself get swept up in the romance, and I did my best to block out the problems at home. I tried to keep everything as routine as possible. But as time went on, my mother’s condition got harder and harder to ignore. When we were out with friends, my mother grew quiet and withdrawn, only talking when spoken to and answering with short, vague answers. Her gaze would dart around the group watching for other peoples’ facial responses to certain comments and then she’d respond accordingly.” Zoe blinked repeatedly. “I am watching my mother disappear and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
Sympathy reflected in Demetrius’s eyes. “And the night you left the palace.”
“That was the night that I could no longer ignore what was happening to her and by extension my life. That night she got lost and the polizia picked her up. She couldn’t remember where she lived. Luckily, she remembered her name.”
His voice was soft and soothing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what? That my mother needed me, and I didn’t have time to be a princess?”
Demetrius frowned. “I’m being serious. I would have helped you.”
“I know. And that’s why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you looking at me like you are now.” She took off down the hallway.
He followed her to the living room where he stopped in front of her. “And how am I looking at you?”
She stared at the floor. “With pity in your eyes.”
He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted until their gazes met. “No, that’s compassion you see. I can feel compassion, can’t I?”
She shrugged, not exactly sure what to say.
“You shouldn’t have to go through all of this alone.”
The truth is she’d never felt more alone. Her gaze met his. She yearned to reach out to him, to feel his reassuring touch. Her fingers tingled, longing to slip around his hand—to feel that human connection.
She staved off the desire. “I...I’m not alone. I still have my mother.”
* * *
He had never seen this coming.
Demetrius felt totally at a loss.
Witnessing Zoe’s pain tore at him. He wanted to make it all better for her, but not even a prince could solve her misery. All he could do was let her know that he’d be there for her. Right now, he’d do almost anything for her.
She was, after all, his wife. Maybe they hadn’t realized exactly what that meant when they’d made their vows, but he’d done a lot of reflecting since then. Being married meant being there for each other through the good and the bad. He wouldn’t abandon her. She needed him, even if she refused to admit it.
He gazed deep into her eyes while feeling a tug in his gut. “And you’ve got me should you ever need a friend. After all, you’re still my wife. My very amazing, compassionate wife.”
“And you are still my husband.” Her voice wobbled.
“Which gives me the right to do this.” He pulled her closer. She didn’t resist as her hands came to rest upon his chest.
At last, he could do what he’d been thinking about since they’d kissed at the beach house. His hold on her tightened. Her hands slid up over his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.
His head dipped, seeking out her petal-soft lips. His mouth brushed over hers, sending a jolt of awareness zinging through his whole body. His heart ached for her and everything she’d endured on her own. He wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone.
Her lips moved hungrily under his as her fingernails raked through his hair. Her soft curves pressed up against the length of him and a moan swelled deep in his throat. They’d been apart for far too long. He was still her husband, and he had every right to comfort his wife.
Their kiss grew in intensity and it no longer mattered that they were standing in the center of her living room. All that mattered is that they were together and they weren’t arguing. They definitely weren’t arguing. At last, they seemed to be on the right page and he wasn’t about to let her go. Not now when he’d just got her back in his arms. There was plenty of time later to figure out where they went from here. It wasn’t important now.
In the background there was a sound. He tried to listen but when Zoe caught his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked, his thoughts spiraled in a totally different direction. She was as turned on as he was. He moaned. It’d been so long—so very long.
There was that sound again. This time it was louder. And it didn’t stop.
The annoying sound was a knock on the door, followed by someone calling out his name.
The moan in his throat turned to a groan of frustration. Damn.
With the greatest regret, he pulled back from Zoe. Her eyes fluttered open, showing her utter confusion. Her lips were rosy red and slightly swollen. And her cheeks were flushed. A smile pulled at his lips knowing that he was responsible for putting that freshly loved look on her face.
“I’ll be right there.” He called out to his bodyguard to keep him from intruding on his last few moments alone with Zoe. “I’m sorry. But we have to get moving, and I’m sure your neighbors will be relieved not to have my detail littering their hallways.”
The disappointment was evident in her eyes and he hated that he couldn’t erase it, but he had a job to do. There was always something that needed his attention. Since he’d assumed his proper role as crown prince, the constant meetings had never bothered him.
Those busy activities had been just what he’d needed after Zoe had left him. It had kept him from getting lost in his loneliness. The back-to-back meetings kept him from dwelling on where things had gone wrong in his brief marriage. But now, with Zoe back in his life, he wanted time to stop. He wanted to talk to her—to comfort her—to help her.
He scooped up the envelope with the annulment papers and then glanced at his watch. If they didn’t get moving, he’d be late for his meeting with the king. And there was one part of the meeting that Demetrius was anticipating. At long last, he could tell the king and anyone else that cared to hear that their suspicions about Zoe were totally unfounded. His grip tightened on the papers. He was holding the proof in his hand.
While Zoe gathered her sketch pads and a few clothes, he pulled the papers from the envelope. They were indeed signed. This knowledge dampened his excitement over the passionate kiss they’d just shared. Zoe hadn’t lied. She did indeed want out of their marriage. Disappointment settled heavy in his chest. There was still so much to discuss. He wasn’t sure exactly what to do with the papers. For now, he would keep them safe.
“I’m ready.” Zoe, wearing a pair of big black sunglass, came to a stop by the front door with a floral canvas bag slung over her shoulder. She lifted her hand and placed a pink ball cap on her head and eased her long ponytail through the opening in the back. “I wanted some stuff to wear for the times I walk on the beach.”
He followed her out the door and down the steps. Once they were next to the car, Zoe came to an abrupt stop. Demetrius bumped into her. He instinctively reached for her shoulders to steady her.
“Zoe, what’s the matter?”
Her head was turned to the right, staring down the alleyway. “Did you see that? There it is again.”
He glanced around, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. “What is it?”
“A flash. Over there.” She pointed between a couple of buildings across the street. “In the shadows.”
Just because he hadn’t seen it didn’t mean it wasn’t there. He nodded to the head of security who was standing by his side, hearing everything that was said. A couple of men took off to investigate.
Demetrius rushed her into the idling car. “Don’t worry. You’re safe.”
He would do whatever it took to protect her. He remembered how they’d hounded his mother. She’d handled it with such grace—until that fatal day. On an outing, the paparazzi had gotten out of control, blocking the royal processional. And when his twin had grown bored and taken off into the crowd, mayhem had ensued. Security tried to move the paparazzi out of the way, but before they could a shot rang out. Demetrius’s body stiffened at the memory of his mother being shot.
“Are you okay?” Zoe sent him a worried look.
“I’m fine.” He patted her hand.
Whoever this stalker was, they’d find him before he did anything to Zoe. Demetrius vowed to keep her safe at all costs.
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