Barefoot Bay: Castle in the Sand (Kindle Worlds Novella) (8 page)

“Am I that much of a curiosity?”

“You’re handsome, charming, and European. You reek of money and status, and you’re an unknown. You can bet your behind they’re going to try to find out who you are. I’m sure there are already stories floating around.”

“Splendid. Let’s go have some fun.”

“Tony! You wanted to lay low. This is NOT laying low.”

“Josie, it’s a tiny town. I bet most people won’t have even heard of my country.”

“You’re cocky. Do not underestimate these people.”

Getting out of the car, he took Lucky from the back seat and headed toward the front door of Mimosa’s gossip center. Not only would Tony be the target of their curiosity, but Josie would too, with everyone wondering if they were an item.

The Super Min was central to the town in that it had pretty much anything you needed, especially in a pinch. It could also satisfy your craving for candy, salty chips and the odd snack cake, should you need something.

Josie figured she’d need a lot of junk food after today’s visit. She was a champ at eating her feelings.

“Josie DeMarco! Is that you?” The voice was unmistakably Patti Vail. “Your grandmother would be disappointed you don’t come around much.”

“Sorry Patti. This is—”

“Tony Granville. Leena already called, bless her heart. You’re the foreigner who’s staying with Josie. Nice to meet you. Welcome to Mimosa. It’s our little piece of paradise.”

“Thank you, Patti. You and your sister are legends in town.”

“We have a knack for knowing things. Is this the dog you rescued, Josie? Cute little thing. Probably a stray.”

“Probably,” Josie said as she placed a pile of sweets on the counter. “I’ll give him a good home if he doesn’t belong to anyone.”

“That’s nice of you, but can you take care of a dog? I mean you live
all alone.”

Josie did not need this. “Gee, thanks for reminding me, Patti. But if I have Lucky with me I won’t be alone, will I?”

“Hmmpf. I’m only saying that a young woman like you, living alone…” Patti glanced at Tony. “How nice that you have
company
for a little while. And such handsome company at that.”

She was fishing, which didn’t surprise Josie at all. It’s what the sisters did. Their need to know everything that was happening on the island wasn’t just about curiosity; their know-it-all status gave them a certain amount of power. And they used it.

Pushing her stash of cakes and candy across the counter towards Patti, Josie indicated it was time to go. “Could you ring these up, please?”

Patti examined the goods and frowned. “You need to eat some fruit, honey. This stuff is not good for your girlish figure.”

Girlish figure.
“Why don’t you just let me pay for this, Patti, and then we’ll get out of your hair.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. I like the company. Especially when it’s as good looking as him.”

“We really need to be running along.”

Paying for her snacks, Josie gave Tony a little tug. But he was locked in place, staring at a copy of a well-known gossip magazine sitting on the counter near Patti.

The cover story was about a well-known celebrity who had just adopted a child, but in one of the small sidebar features there was a picture of Tony. It wasn’t the shower photo—that was promised inside—it was his face. His eyes were shaded by a pair of aviator sunglasses, but there was no mistaking his identity. In most circumstances, Josie would have enjoyed being right, but this wasn’t one of those times. Grabbing for the magazine, she folded it in half to hide his picture and held out the barcode for Patti to scan. “She’s one of my favorite movie stars,” Josie cooed. “And now she’s a mommy. Add the magazine to my order?”

“I was reading that!” Patti objected.

“Sorry. You have another one, right?”

“My last one, but I’m sure my sister has a copy.” She scanned the barcode and smiled. “You’re always so serious, Josie. I never suspected you liked celebrity gossip.”

“My guilty pleasure,” she lied.

Tony, who’d regained his wits, nodded in agreement as he took the grocery bag and handed the dog to Josie. “She’s addicted. Gets alerts on her phone from one of the gossip apps.”

“Well, bless your heart. The things you learn about people.”

“Yep! That’s me. I’m going to give you and Charity a run for your money one day. Gotta go, Patti!”

“Oh, all right. Toodles! Nice to meet you, Tony.”

He waved as Josie pulled him outside.

“Don’t say it,” he growled as they walked to the car.

“What? I told you so? That?”

“Josie. I’m not in the mood.”

“You’re not? Well, let me tell you what I’m not in the mood for.” After securing Lucky in the back seat, she climbed into the passenger seat with a full head of steam. “I don’t want to be followed by photographers again. I don’t want my phone ringing hundreds of times in a day. I don’t want to be someone’s sidebar column.”

Tony rested his head on the steering wheel.

“All those things happened last time, all of them. And they could happen again, not because of you wanting to get out and see things, but because you insist on tempting fate. You made up your mind, you didn’t listen to me, and now we could have a real stinking mess on our hands.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Looking out the windshield, Patti was staring at them from the front of the Super Min. “Shit.”

“You weren’t thinking. Well that’s a newsflash.”

“You don’t have to be so sarcastic.”

“No? Okay, let me be blunt then. You have a history of not thinking. Maybe it’s the royal-center-of-the-universe thing, but this isn’t the first time you haven’t thought about anything but what you wanted. You were whining about being trapped, but guess what? You aren’t; you’re hiding. You’re avoiding. You say you want to go home and confront Astrid, and put the press in their place, then do it! You didn’t do anything wrong, but you’re acting like you did.”

“My father…”

She cut him off, because for such a tough guy he was running for all the wrong reasons. “Oh stop it. Your father expects you to act like an adult, Tony. Perhaps he’s waiting for you to make a move, and not wait for a directive from The Chancellor, the Grand Poobah, or whomever. Fight for yourself and for what you want and stop running.”

Chapter Seven

It was rare Tony was truly thankful for a bottle of scotch, but after the argument he and Josie had had after their shopping expedition that day, he was more than happy to have found a decent bottle of Macallan in one of the cupboards. He poured himself a glass, replaying the events that had led up to both of them in separate parts of the house, feeling like shit.

The dog didn’t even want to talk to him.

Josie didn’t fully understand what he’d been going through since he turned eighteen; she couldn’t. Living in the public eye was difficult on a good day, and three years ago she got a tiny taste of what a stretch of bad days would be like. For someone who tried to keep his private life private, having his ass hanging out in all the local markets was a painful reminder of how little of his life belonged to him.

But if he was honest with himself, he had to admit that Josie was right. This wasn’t the nightmare he, or his father, were making it out to be. He had obviously been ambushed, and according to his sister there was a groundswell of outrage on his behalf. That helped, but it wasn’t everything.

Unlike other royals, Tony actually worked, serving as an international liaison to the Minister of Commerce. Initially, many thought the title was honorary—something for him to do while he waited for his father to abdicate or die—but he had the education and the experience to back it up. He lived in New York part of the year because that was where the world did business, and he’d brought a lot of that business to Marinbourg. As a result, people were loyal to him, they respected him, and that was more important than any title.

But that respect may well have gone to hell because of Astrid’s prank.

On the other side of the house, he heard Josie’s door open and close. Whether or not she’d speak to him was anyone’s guess. When she plopped onto the chaise next to him and stared into the pool, he had a hunch he was going to get hell. Again.

“I owe you an apology,” she said. “I let my anger from the past affect my temper. I’m sorry I was so obnoxious.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Your delivery was tough, but you weren’t wrong. And I deserved it.”

“Did you call your father?”

“I’m going to call later. I’ll set my alarm and get up at five.”

Motioning for him to move over, Josie joined him on his chaise and burrowed in, resting her head on his chest. “I know you’re frustrated. You want to make decisions, but you feel like you can’t. You want to tell the world exactly what’s on your mind and you can’t do that either.”

“Pretty much.”

“Then there was our situation, with you trying to protect me. You were greatly misguided there.”

“You don’t know how many times I started to tell you, and then for one reason or another I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“It’s in the past now. Let’s forget it.” She was saying all the words, but something else was on Josie’s mind. Something that felt important.

“Was there something else?” he asked.

“Nope, I’m going to bed. You should too if you’re going to be ready for that call in the morning.”

There was no doubt in her meaning. They were sleeping separately. If they’d made progress last night, today set it back. “You’re right. I’ll help you lock up.”

Josie entered the house and Anton gave the pool and lanai a long look. “Why did your grandparents have a pool? No one else on this stretch of beach has one.”

“My grandfather grew up near the ocean on Long Island, in New York. My grandmother was a country girl. Born and raised in Ohio. She loved to swim, but didn’t like salt water and wouldn’t go into any open body of water. So when they moved here, Grandpa built her a pool.”

He shook his head. “A pool thirty meters from the Gulf. I guess he wanted her happy.”

“That’s all he wanted. If Grandma wasn’t happy, he was figuring out a way to make it happen.”

“That’s devotion.”

“They were married sixty-seven years, and they never went to sleep without giving each other a kiss goodnight.”

“My parents are celebrating their fortieth anniversary in a few months. They’re happy. Not bad for an arranged marriage.”

“That’s what they want for you, I’m sure. To be happy.” Josie grabbed the dog’s leash off the hook by the back door.

“On their terms.” Tony lifted the puppy so Josie could clip on his leash. “If I marry without permission, I could be stripped of my title, lose my job. It wouldn’t be pleasant for anyone involved, but my
wife
…” His fingers grazed her soft cheek. “She would be scorned, blamed, branded a whore by much of the old guard in Parliament and the Council of Dukes. She would be in paparazzi hell. And even if I loved her, if the crown doesn’t approve, it would be an impossible situation. It’s one of the last truly archaic practices of Marinbourg’s monarchy.”

Josie was frozen in place, letting his words sink in. Maybe now she would understand. Taking hold of one of his hands, she locked her eyes on his. He sank into the molten chocolate depths, wanting never to leave.

“What if, hypothetically, your
wife
was willing to take her chances because she loved you?” she said softly.

“I guess I wouldn’t be surprised; she’s always been braver than I.” Reaching up and taking her hand in his, Tony gently kissed her palm. “I don’t want to put you through that. At best, the change will mean living your life in the public eye. At worst, endless scrutiny, stalkers, constant fear for your safety.”

“Have you checked out the world lately? Movie theaters, workplaces, schools aren’t safe. No matter what we do, there’s risk involved. But all of these things you see as obstacles are part of who you are. You have to face them. If you give up before you even try, you’re definitely going to lose.”

“I know. I had it in my head that I was protecting you.” The thought of what the vultures in Parliament would do to her, branding her as a threat to all that is good and holy, the damage they would try to inflict on her reputation, made him cringe. His father had all but promised it three years ago. But being with him could put her in physical danger too. Make her a target.

“Maybe I don’t need protecting. Maybe I just need someone who loves me to have my back.”

He didn’t say it out loud, but his fear was maybe he wasn’t that man. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he said, “I’ll take the dog out. You go to bed.”

“Tony…”

“I heard every word you said, Josie. I did.” He couldn’t talk about this anymore. “Good night, love.”

He knew by tomorrow she’d be furious that he’d dismissed her, but hopefully by then he’d have thought of a brilliant response. Something that would help her make sense of the royal mess that was his life.

The dog was quick to do his business on the small patch of grass outside the lanai, but Tony lingered for a few minutes breathing in the warm salt air. The breeze was dappled with the scents of palm and hibiscus.

“You look like you just lost your best friend.”

Leena stepped off her back deck and joined him in his admiration of the water.

“So, you and Miss Josie have a fight?”

“A small one. Are you competing with the good sisters for the title of Mimosa’s Gossip Queen?”

“You’re fresh. And no. I just like to stay on top of things. I don’t talk about it. Much.” She squatted down to pet the dog. “If I did, everyone in town would already know we had royalty visiting.”

Tony’s stomach lurched.
How did she know?

“My favorite celebrity rag just landed in my mailbox. A few of us still read real magazines, and there is no mistaking that the handsome face, the one that goes with the very fine ass in the most recent issue, is you,
Prince Anton
.”

“Leena, please don’t say anything. I’ve already caused enough trouble for Josie.”

She waved him off. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. So what’s happening with you and my girl? You mess with her and I’ll be calling some of my New York people to deal with you.”

Tony didn’t know if he wanted to tell Leena anything specific, but she’d been decent to him, kind, and she was close to Josie, so maybe…

“I love her.” All right. That’s not what he’d intended to say. But hearing it, saying it aloud to someone, was somewhat of a revelation. And fucking intimidating. “I don’t want to lose her again.”

Another epiphany.

“Right. So tell me something I don’t know. You love her. How are you going to show her how you feel?”

That was it, wasn’t it? He’d told Josie he loved her, but it wasn’t enough. He had to do more, and nothing would be as daunting, or important, as
showing
Josie that he loved her.

Actions. Not words.

“Leena, thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything but threaten you a bit, but if that works for you, you’re welcome!”

“Good night.”

“Tony, I’m not kidding about the New York people. Don’t hurt my girl.”

He waved as he went into the house with new purpose. Show her. He had to show her he cared. That he loved her.

Josie sat on her bed wondering what exactly had happened today. They’d had a good time, they’d fought, they’d made up, and there had been some serious conversation too.

He’d been protecting her. For real.

Josie was never one who felt like she needed protecting. Of course, she didn’t know anything about the laws governing the monarchy in Marinbourg, and didn’t know anything about the “old guard” Tony referred to. What she did know was that the paparazzi had been relentless after he’d left the first time, following her, harassing everyone she knew, and finally driving her out of New York, out of grad school, and into her grandparents’ home on Mimosa Key.

She’d abdicated her life. Understandable for some, but not for Josie. She was made of tougher stuff than that. And so was Tony. Maybe the two of them were only going to get what they wanted if they stood together.

She heard him in the kitchen settling Lucky in for the night, and wondered if she should go to him. She wanted to.

“Ugh. Why is this happening?” Flopping back on her bed, she threw one arm over her eyes, lamenting her fate, until Anton’s cologne tickled her nose. She felt his weight settle next to her on the bed.

“What are you moaning about?” he asked.

“You. I’m moaning about you.” There was a light puff of air that tickled her ear when he chuckled. “It’s not funny.”

“It is a bit. Why?”

“Because nothing is how I thought it was. You didn’t leave because you were a selfish ass. You left to protect me. It was a dumb reason. Bossy, to be sure, but not selfish in the least.”

“I didn’t leave soon enough.”

Letting her arm drift down, Josie stared up into his blue eyes. He was so handsome. But it was the kindness, the intelligence, the humor that made her love him. “It was awful, and I missed you so much. I didn’t understand…”

“Josie.” Tony pressed a finger to her lips. “I should have told you everything. I should have told the world about us. I didn’t want my title to get in the way of our being together, but it did, because I wasn’t honest and I lost you anyway.”

Grabbing Tony by the front of his shirt, Josie pulled him close and kissed him. His mouth was soft and warm, just like she remembered. However, unlike the frenetic tangle from the other day, this kiss was slower, lazier…a sensual dance of their lips and tongues. His body pressed hers into the mattress, and the weight, the sensation, was like a sexy welcome home. God, she’d missed him.

Tony was a big man; tall, broad shouldered, very Nordic in his appearance with his ruddy skin and crystal blue eyes. His body covering hers was such a comfort, such a relief.

Josie wasn’t going to go without him for another minute. Before he could object, her hands went exploring, slipping easily inside the elastic waist of the knit pants he wore to bed. Hearing him groan, she did even more, running her hands over his taut behind, stroking his thighs, and finally finding his erection and giving it the attention it deserved.

“Don’t you dare be a gentleman,” she commanded.

“Whatever you say,” he responded. “I’ll give you everything, Josie, everything I am. Please believe me.”

“All I want is the truth. As long as we have that, we have enough.”

He nodded, fully aware of what the lack of truth had cost them before. Kissing her hard, his tongue slipped into the warmth of her mouth. Teasing, tasting, and setting her on fire.

She continued to stroke his erection until he was mad with it. “Josie, I haven’t had sex in almost a year. Please stop so we can get this done properly.”

The giggles that threatened were wicked, and could possibly kill the mood, so Josie tried desperately to keep them at bay.
Properly?
His formal tone, his language—the accent—made him sound like he was an old English butler. She couldn’t help it.

Right as he started to nibble his way down her neck, Josie burst out laughing. The fits of giggles that rolled through her were more than likely a result of nerves. Being with him again, knowing they still had something special, was hard enough, but hearing his clipped speech and his proclamation about getting things done “properly”, she lost it.