The Keys' Prince (The Royal Heirs) (17 page)

Dario counted out what had to have been around a thousand dollars in cash and handed the wad of bills to Sophia.

“Let me know if this doesn’t cover it,” he said. “And thanks so much for helping me adopt another one of your angels, as you call them. Bet you don’t say that about Wyatt anymore.”

Sophia laughed as did Stella.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know you,” Stella said, reaching out her hand to shake Sophia’s.

“I’m more of a hugger, if that’s okay with you,” Sophia said, wrapping her arms around Stella. “And I could use a friend in this family. No offense, Dario.”

“No offense taken,” Dario said leading Stella toward the door. “See you tonight, Sophia, and thanks again.”

“U betchya,” Sophia said and waved.

“You didn’t really need dog food did you?” Stella asked, figuring out that buying Gypsy had been Dario’s plan all along.

“Probably not,” he said and winked while leading her past the line of guards creating a path to the car where Stefan was waiting to open the door for them.

“Thank you so much for Gypsy. I’ll treasure her always. As I do you.”

“And I...you,” Dario said, his eyes twinkling. “Our first pet. And, for the record, I’m counting on a lot of firsts with you for the rest of our lives.”

Stella smiled and simply cherished the sweet, comforting beat his words brought to her heart. A wonderful rhythm she felt deep within her soul. These were the kinds of moments she’d always hoped to share with him.

As their limo left Wet Noses, beginning to wind its way around tight, steep curves into the hills overlooking Kristianico and its busy sea ports, Stella squeezed Dario’s hand.

“You’ve done a fantastic job here, babe,” she said, noting with pleasure the sincere joy in his eyes and the smile forming across his lips. “Really, really terrific. I can’t wait to explore all of the new shops you’ve brought to town.”

“Your approval and appreciation mean everything to me,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing her knuckles.

How such a sweet gesture could send swarms of passion swirling through her lower abdomen, all the way to her toes, wasn’t surprising in the least. Dario had always had that effect on her.

He didn’t have to be touching her. He could look at her and make her feel the same desire. When his skin brushed hers a few seconds later, it was all she could do to remember that they weren’t alone. They certainly didn’t have time for the kind of activities she had in mind.

The royal family’s palace—the only place Dario had ever called home—was nestled close to the top of the highest cliff overlooking Kristianico and the sea. It wasn’t long before it was once more in front of her.

Could it become her home, too? The question terrified Stella as much as it stoked the fire of wishes she’d never been able to satisfy in any other way. She’d wondered and stewed about that very question when she was eighteen. The answer back then had not been what she’d wanted it to be.

What if history repeated itself?

Surely their stars hadn’t aligned, after all of these years, to explode right in front of them once again.

Whatever the answers were, Stella was about to discover them.

Stefan drove through the heavily-guarded outer walls of the palace grounds, then through the gated inner entrance and around to the back door of her new living quarters.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

With Tippi’s help, Stella immediately started to settle into the large apartment adjoining Dario’s suite in the palace. She was in no frame of mind to re-connect with Dario’s mother, Queen Meredith, until she freshened up, changed her c
lothes and relaxed a bit. The stress of this mighty whirlwind was catching up with her, along with jet lag.

Come to think of it though, there really was no such thing as connecting with the Queen. The woman could make a hunk of man cower at her feet. And that wasn’t Stella’s imagination running wild. She’d seen the Queen manage that feat one-too-many times.

Although Stella had never let Her Royal Highness see her sweat, she was always unnerved by her. There was a dark-side, a cold sterility about Dario’s mother.

Stella thought that perhaps her icy aloofness had been born of loss or great sadness. On occasion, she actually felt empathy for her, wondering if the burdens she’d had to bear, living in an arranged marriage to a man who could be even colder than she was, had gotten the better of her. But just as quickly as Stella’s concerns grew for the Queen, the woman’s actions indicated that maybe she was as evil as her husband, King Magnus.

For Dario’s parents, ruling Kristianico appeared to be all about the power and fortune their sovereignty gave them. Their only concerns were maintaining and growing that power and thereby increasing their wealth to obscene levels.

Stella figured that the only reason they’d tolerated her in Dario’s life all of those years ago was because she had billions of dollars more at her disposal than they did. Marrying her would be marrying up the power ladder. As much as that thought probably pleased them, it could also mean that people in their royal circles might interpret that the family’s power would actually go down after the nuptials. It was that fear that had finally won out and turned the family’s tides against her.

How Dario had turned out to be such a kind, thoughtful and generous man was a miracle. A tribute to his personal character and warm heart. The genuine love and respect shown him today by the thousands of people lined up to welcome him home proved how much his people loved him.

That fact, something that should have filled the king and queen with pride and a sense security where the family’s future was concerned, instead frosted them. Their over-inflated egos couldn’t handle that their son was more popular with Kristianico’s people than they were. So, they undermined their own son and the opportunities and advancements he made for himself and their country.

Stella couldn’t imagine what it was like for Dario who was constantly worried about whether or not his own family was out to do him in. Yes, she had the Rat Pack to try to stay one step ahead of, but she’d never had to worry that her own flesh and blood would destroy her. They may have self-destructed, but they’d left her with every resource possible to live a wonderful life.

Stella hoped that, after twenty-five years of his hard work and after seeing the great strides he’d made for his country, Dario’s parents would have softened toward their only child. But it certainly didn’t appear that that was the case. If Dario’s phone calls from the plane were to be judged by tone only, the family war was still on.

Even more stressed out than she was before reliving the royal family’s nightmares she tossed her tote bag onto a gorgeous chaise lounge which was arranged in her private sitting room so that she had a spectacular view of the stunning, English-style gardens behind this wing of the palace. Maybe she just needed to stop thinking about the past, and instead, plan for her future. Better yet, maybe she should live in the now.

“Would you care for some herbal tea or perhaps a glass of lemonade?” Tippi asked, appearing under the arched doorway leading from the sitting room into a large living room and efficiency kitchen.

“Tea would be perfect. Thank you,” Stella said, knowing it was exactly what she needed to try to calm her frazzled nerves before appearing in front of the Queen.

“Peppermint. Right?” Tippi asked.

“Why yes. How did you know?”

“His Royal Highness was kind enough to give me a list of your favorite things,” she said, her confident but sweet demeanor showing how much she respected her boss and took pride in carrying out her duties to his satisfaction.

“He did, did he? And you’re right, that was very kind of him,” Stella said, touched that Dario hadn’t forgotten any of the details that made him such a wonderfully thoughtful man and partner.

A nice cup of peppermint tea would definitely help settle her stomach and gear up for what was sure to be a very interesting evening with Dario’s family.

She sat in the chaise, glad to put up her feet and bask in the late afternoon sun streaming through the large, cathedral windows showcasing the gardens.

Dario was right. She loved what he’d done to the gardens along this stretch of the back wing of the palace. She got up from the chaise and walked to the windows. In fact, if she wasn’t mistaken—she pressed her nose to the glass to be sure—he’d had the royal gardeners use one of her designs for a small sitting area toward the far left corner of the walled-in sanctuary.

So that’s why he’d asked for her sketchbook all of those years ago. She used to love to design all kinds of gardens, and Dario had always insisted on seeing each of her ideas. Never once did she imagine that he’d actually bring her creations to fruition.

Curling up in a window seat nestled into a curved bank of three cathedral windows, Stella was momentarily caught off guard by movement she picked up out of the corner of her eye.

Re-focusing her attention to the fountain area in the center of the garden, she saw Queen Meredith approaching a group of five people—a beautiful, dark-haired woman who looked to be about the same age as the Queen, three boys with the same dark hair who very possibly could be triplets, perhaps in their early to mid-twenties and a younger girl, maybe in high school, again with the same beautiful hair. Hair, that honestly, looked very much like Dario’s.

“Your tea, Miss Stella,” Tippi said clearing her throat and setting a fine china teacup on a small, marble-topped table next to the chaise.

“Oh, Tippi, the ‘Miss’ isn’t necessary. Please, call me Stella. And thank you. Thank you so much,” Stella said leaving her seat long enough to snatch-up her cup and hurry back to the window, without looking too ridiculous. “Say, can you tell me who’s in the garden with Queen Meredith?”

Tippi hesitated but then approached the bank of windows. Stella noticed that she positioned herself behind her, as if hoping Stella would block her from being seen by anyone who happened to be looking up toward her windows from the garden below.

Stella wondered about Tippi’s hesitancy to be recognized, but didn’t feel close enough to her to ask about it. Although, if she was Dario’s trusted employee, Stella could trust her too.

“I’m not sure that I’ve seen them here before. Well...perhaps on one occasion, a few months back, shortly after it was announced that the king was ill. But really, Miss Stella, I mean Stella, it’s not my place to know who meets with the royal family. I mean, I usually know who sees Prince Dario. If he chooses to make me aware, that is.”

“I’m sorry, Tippi. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Really, I didn’t. I’m just trying to learn my way around here again.”

“No worries. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re back in the Prince’s life. He’s missed you. That, I know for sure.”

“Why thank you, Tippi. That means a lot to me. And thank you for taking care of him. He speaks very highly of you.”

“He’s a wonderful man, as I’m sure you know. He’ll be a wonderful king, too. We’ve all waited a long time for this moment to come.”

“He will be a wonderful king. You’re right,” Stella said thanking Tippi again before dismissing her so she could take her tea back to the window.

She curled her feet underneath her and propped two gigantic silk pillows behind her back. Tilting her teacup to her lips, she took a sip.

Before she could stop herself, the next swig sprayed out of her mouth and all over the silk pillows.

The beautiful, dark-haired woman, with the four young adults protectively flanking her sides, had just slapped Dario’s mother—Queen Meredith—in the face.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dario paced the small, private hallway that connected his suite to Stella’s apartment. Checking his watch, he saw that he still had fifteen minutes before he was due to escort her to dinner. She’d probably be ready now and waiting for him, but he wanted to give her as much time as he could to settle into her new home.

Coming back to Kristianico so soon after they’d gotten back together was a huge change for her. Although it was exactly what he had always wanted, he certainly didn’t plan on dumping it all on her in a matter of a few days.

Even in death, his father had the worst timing. This is not how he’d planned to convince Stella to give their relationship a second chance.

He looked at his watch for what had to be the tenth time, at least. Great. Another thirty seconds had passed.

He couldn’t stand being this close to Stella yet so far away. Having her in the guest apartment next to his suite wasn’t going to work. They could keep most of her things there to make it appear to the palace staff that they were going about their relationship in the traditional way, but he was definitely going to talk to her about staying in his suite. This was ridiculous.

She certainly wasn’t a guest. She was about to be the new queen of Kristianico. So much for becoming his princess, however. She’d skip that title entirely. His wife. She was going to be his wife.

He repeated the words again, loving how they instantly warmed his soul. The very thought of making Stella a permanent part of his life made his heart beat in a much calmer, even-tempered rhythm.