The Prince's Bride (Modern Fairytales) (3 page)

Harry frowned. “We could just pretend it never happened. She’s an American. Who cares if there’s a baby, anyway?”

Leo studied Harry. He’d always been a bit of a snob, but that was cold, even for him. “I do. And so will the people of this country.”

His father crossed his arms and gave Harry the death stare. The one no one ignored, not even Leo. “Her nationality is a moot point.”

“The bulletin, Harry,” Leo said, his voice hard with annoyance at his aide’s attitude toward Alicia. “Now.”

After the other man picked up his iPad and nodded, Leo said, “Alicia Forkes needs to be captured, and brought to me,
unharmed
.” Leo tugged on his collar, knowing once he released his statement…there was no going back. “Immediately.”

She was going to kill him.

Chapter Four

A little before dusk, Alicia made her way through the crowd, struggling to unwrap her buttered croissant as she juggled her coffee in the other hand. After a long night of tossing and turning and not enough sleep, she needed all the caffeine she could get.

Something about having sex with a random stranger who
may
or may
not
have been selected by her subconscious simply because he reminded her of her first love did things to her mind. Like bringing back memories she’d tried to forget long ago.

Good
and
bad.

Being in love with Leo had been like riding a fast tidal wave through to the end, the kind that went higher and higher, until it crashed and you were left lying broken and trembling on the ground, wondering what happened. But when you rode that wave to the top, laughing the whole time with Leo at your side? It was freaking amazing.

They’d been too young to know what life would bring them, or how cruel it could be when it was cut too short. After her father died, she wrote to him. Told him of her loss. And when she ran away from her cruel foster parents, she told him of that, too.

And then he’d left her alone.

In an airport.

Waiting for him.

Finding a table in the corner of the busy cafe, she settled in and bit into her heavenly croissant. The official royal music played on the television, and she ignored the all too common occurrence that kind of reminded her of the Capitol from the
Hunger Games
…creepy music and all.

Setting her croissant down, she picked up her phone and swiped her finger across the screen. After bringing up the notes section, she pulled up her bucket list and placed a checkmark next to the second item:
Have a one-night stand, and ditch him after
.

The first had been to visit a foreign country.

Check, and check.

The crowd inside the cafe gasped in union, and for a second it was as if they saw what she’d checked off and were as scandalized as she was about it.

But then she lifted her head, frowning as a low murmur spread out among them. Alicia took another bite of her croissant and followed their line of vision. They all stared at the television with wide eyes, even the workers, so she turned, too, curiosity getting the better of her.

It was a different guy on the screen this time, one who wore a military uniform instead of a suit, but that wasn’t what made her choke on her croissant.

It was her
picture
on the TV that did that.

Why is my passport photo on the television?

“Ms. Forkes is not considered dangerous, but if you see her, please let authorities know. This order comes straight from the prince himself, and speculation has begun as to why His Highness wants the American brought to him unharmed—the royal office was
very clear
about that part. She is not to be injured, or seized by force. There is a financial reward for any tip that leads to the delivery of Ms. Forkes. The amount was unspecified.”

Well…craaaaaaap.

There went any hope she had of avoiding capture.

She swallowed the soggy croissant that had been in her mouth for far too long and stared at the television, unable to believe this was
actually happening
. What would the prince want with
her
? What had she done to garner such attention? Such ruthlessness?

Such…such…

Double crap.

One by one, heads turned toward her, and at least twenty pairs of wide eyes focused directly on the most wanted woman in all of Randovia.
Her.

“It’s her,” a man whispered to another man. “I’m calling it in.”

“I saw her first!” another man yelled, stepping forward. “I’m calling it in.”

“No.
I
am,” a third man growled. “I know the prince, so he’d like the intel to come from me.”

“Shoveling his walkways don’t count as knowing him, Marvin,” the first man said. “She’s mine.”

“Over my dead body.” The other man stepped closer, and as a whole, the crowd shifted toward her. “I saw her first.”

“No,
I
did.”

Alicia gasped, unable to do much more than watch in horror as they fought over her as if she were a scrap of meat, and stumbled back, hitting the wall. Holding her hands up, she slid a step sideways toward the doors and said, “Please, everyone calm down. This has to be some sort of misunderstanding. Let me make a few calls, and—”

A huge man who would’ve given an NFL linebacker a run for his money stepped in front of the only exit. “Not happening. Someone—
anyone
—call it in.”

“But I didn’t
do
anything,” she cried, edging toward the door again, even though it was clear there was no way she’d be squeezing past the human brick wall blocking it. “
Please
. You have to believe me!”

“Doesn’t matter. If the prince wants you, he’ll get you.” A woman eyed her nervously. “We don’t ask him questions.”

“Obviously,” Alicia said, shoving her hair out of her eyes. The crowd had formed a circle around her, and despite watching tons of shows with awesome getaways in them, she didn’t possess any skills to make a getaway herself…so she sat back down.

Was this something to do with her business? She’d come here with the blessing of the country’s government. She was here to
help
.

No, there had to be a miscommunication.

She picked up her phone.

The woman frowned. “What are you doing?”

Ignoring her racing heart—and images of Americans being tortured and never found in foreign countries—she hit the green call button. After two rings, Mrs. Fedorchyk picked up. “Hello?”

Not wasting time, she quickly said, “I’m being illegally detained by the prince, and I have no idea why. The authorities are coming to take me to the palace.”

Through the phone, Mrs. Fedorchyk gasped. “What? Are you okay—?”

“Hey,” the woman snapped, yanking the cell out of her hand and hanging up on her boss. “Enough of that.”

Alicia stood, her heart pounding, and tried to snatch it back. The other woman eluded her. “Give me that back.”

“No.” The lady tucked it in her purse and stepped behind a bear of a man. “It’s the prince’s now.”

Whoever this
prince
was, he was going to get a piece of her mind the second she met him. Despite her call back home to the only other person in this world who might care what happened to her—on a strictly business level, of course—she didn’t have high hopes of getting out of this mess without meeting him.

And when she did?

He’d find out he messed with the wrong American.

The man who called the castle watched her closely. He talked fast into the receiver, gesturing with his hands, staring at her as if
she
was the crazy one.

Whatever
.

In a situation like this, not that she’d ever been in one, it was best to just stay calm—or so she’d imagined. She sat back down and picked at her croissant, because if she didn’t try to act normal, she’d start crying. And she refused to give them, or their stupid prince, the satisfaction.

“What are you doing?” another man asked.

“Waiting for my ride,” she said drily. “I hope it’s a limo. Surely the prince can’t expect to illegally detain me without providing me with certain luxuries.”

“She’s mad,” the woman whispered, stepping back.

“No. I’m angry. And when I get in front of your precious little prince, he won’t know what hit him.”

“Don’t you dare threaten him,” growled the man who had been on the phone. “You’ll have me to answer to.”

The lady said. “And me.”

“And me,” said the other man to her left.

“First of all, people, it was an expression. He shouldn’t abduct innocent women off the streets,” she simply said, her heart hitting her ribs and pounding so fast she could barely breathe.

“Clearly, he is doing so for a reason. He’s a kind, fair, and benevolent man, who will make a fine ruler one day—long live the king.”

“Long live the king,” the whole room echoed.

Alicia’s jaw dropped.

I’m in freaking Wonderland. There’s no other explanation.

The man who’d called the palace tipped his head. “They’re here.”

She glanced out the window, swallowing hard. Sure enough, a group of soldiers dressed in the gray suits of the royal guard approached the door. They were young men, maybe in their mid-twenties, like her, and each one was more handsome than the other. If not for the fact that they were coming to arrest
her
…

“Alicia Forkes?” the man in front asked politely.

“Yes.” She stepped forward. “Can one of you please tell me what this arrest pertains to?”

“That’s between you and the prince.” The first soldier held his hand out. “Come with me.”

“Do I get a choice?” she asked drily.

The man stared at her, his hand never wavering.

“Can you at least tell me what I’m in trouble for?”

“I don’t know whether you’re in trouble or not,” the man said. “Maybe the prince simply wishes to speak with you.”

“I bet you say that to all the women your prince imprisons.”

“I’ve never detained a woman for the prince before.”

She shrugged, not meeting the man’s eyes. “Great. I’m special. Wonderful. Maybe this is the only way he can get a girl’s attention.”

The man laughed.

So did the rest of the guard.

The crowd joined in, all elbowing each other and grinning.

After the laughter died down, the man said, smiling, “The prince has
never
had trouble meeting women. Follow me. Let’s get you safely to His Highness.”

Head held high, she walked out into the daylight, not bothering to argue since it would get her nowhere. A bunch of paparazzi snapped pictures and yelled out questions, all asking her why she was being taken. Since she had no clue, she slipped into the back of a black town car without speaking. If she did, she’d scream, and shout, and show them just how angry she was at this treatment.

But she was saving all of
that
for the Prince of Randovia.

That jerk was about to find out what happened when you picked on the wrong girl.

Chapter Five

“She’s in there?” Leo asked the head of his royal guard quietly, standing in front of the bright blue door that separated him from Alicia. His heart pounded harder than the time he’d issued a last warning to an enemy country. Entering that room might be just as dangerous to his health.

The man hesitated. “Yes. But…”

“What is it?” he asked, adjusting his dress grays. “Speak freely, Jonathon.”

She’s on the other side of the door
.

Waiting for me.

His gut tightened.

He was known for his steady constitution. He never hesitated. Never faltered. Always knew the best way to deal with tricky situations, so that every party walked away satisfied. But with Alicia, he was a nervous and sweaty-palmed mess.

But he also felt
alive
for the first time in years. Excited about something. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.

Which probably meant it had been way too damn long.

“She didn’t fight back, physically,” Commander Jonathon said. He tugged on his collar. “But she’s not happy, and I have a feeling she isn’t afraid to tell you as much.”

He sighed and stared at the door, his heart thumping fiercely against his ribs, and he itched to barge in there, march up to her, and kiss her before she could say a damn word that might make him stop. They could pick up right where they’d left off last night—only without his pants wrapped around his ankles this time. “I’d expect nothing less. She has every right to be upset. I
did
detain her, after all.”

“About that…” The commander shifted on his feet. “May I be so bold as to ask what she did to deserve such treatment, Your Highness?”

Leo frowned and lifted his chin, giving his commander a hard stare. The public wasn’t aware how strict the royal house was with dalliances, and they never would be. The only reason this search for Alicia had been broadcasted was because they couldn’t risk losing her if she hopped on a flight. “No.”

“But—”

Leo frowned even more, giving his commander a silent stare.

“Right.” The other man cleared his throat and bowed. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

“Thank you,” Leo said shortly. “Please leave us.”

“One more thing.” The commander reached into his pocket and pulled out an iPhone. “This is her phone. Someone at the coffee shop took it from Ms. Forkes when she called to let her office know she was being detained. At least, that’s what the people around her told the guards. Would you like us to contact her office and explain that she is in no danger from us?”

Leo gritted his teeth. There might be some backlash from that, which, yeah, he deserved. What had he been thinking, literally
abducting
Alicia? Laws or not, he should go in there, release her, and apologize now. It was the right thing—the humane thing—to do. Holding his hand out for the phone, he said, “Yes, please do. I’ll take that and return it to her. She’s allowed any and all luxuries she requests from us. She’s not our prisoner.”

“Then what is she?”

“A guest. A very valued guest.” He ran his hand through his hair and tucked the phone into his pocket. “Ready the blue room in the West Hall. She’ll be staying there.”

She’d always liked blue.

Hopefully that would soften her up a bit.

“Right away.” He stood at attention. “Should a guard be set on the door?”

“I don’t think that’s nec—” Leo hesitated. He didn’t want Alicia to feel like a prisoner, but at the same time… “I’ll let you know after I talk to her.”

He saluted Leo. “Very well.”

Leo took a deep breath before twisting the doorknob. As he entered the sitting room outside his formal parlor, he inhaled one last long breath. Curling his hands into fists, he sought her out, and when he found her—Christ.

She was fucking beautiful.

He stared at her, unable to believe that after all these years, after all this
time
, she was there in the same room as him. She stood all the way at the back of the large room, her body practically wedged into the corner behind a green chaise lounge. She wore a pale yellow sundress with a black belt cinching the waist. Her long blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back and over her shoulders, stopping just short of hitting her lower ribs.

She had to have heard him enter, which meant keeping her back to him was an act of defiance and disrespect, something he’d never get from a Randovian woman. But that was one of the reasons he liked her. When they met, she hadn’t known who he was.
What
he was. Now she did, and she still didn’t give a damn. It was refreshing.

She
was refreshing.

“Are you him?” she asked without turning around. Her voice had a bored tone to it, as if she weren’t being held prisoner in a foreign country by a man she didn’t know—or didn’t
know
she
knew
. “Are you the prince who ordered me to be detained?”

He opened his mouth to answer her, but before he could…she turned around.

And he forgot what he was going to say, who he was, or even why he was here. The second she met his eyes, she froze, too, and she stumbled back, a hand pressed to her chest. “I… You…”

And then she fell silent.

After a few moments, he dug his fingers into his palms and forced a small smile. “Hello, Alicia. Long time, no see.”

She dropped her hand from her mouth, her fingers twitching. “
Leo?
”

He nodded once. “Yes.”

“But…” She took a step forward.

He waited for her to finish her sentence, but she didn’t.

She closed the distance between them, each step she took making his heart beat faster than before. By the time she reached him, it was a miracle it hadn’t given out on him completely.

Slowly, she reached out and touched his cheek, her lips parted in surprise. “Is it really you?”

“Yes.” He curled and uncurled his fingers, then brushed her hair off her face, unable to resist feeling her skin against his again. She flinched. “It’s really me, my lady.”

“You look good,” she said, her voice lost in wonder. “Really good.”

Heat slammed through him. “So do you. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined you would grow up to be.”

“But you’re—” Stepping back, she slammed her hands against his chest angrily. And then she did it again. “You
asshole
.”

He caught her wrists in his hands, clenching his jaw. “I know this is an unbearable situ—”

“God, I can’t believe this.” She jerked free and stumbled back, her eyes narrowed on him. “Why are you in this castle? Did you see me on the news?”

He lifted a brow, not understanding why she’d ask him that question. He wore the royal crest on his chest, and clearly he belonged here. It was then that he realized she still didn’t know who he was. But if she didn’t know that he was responsible for detaining her, then why was she so damn angry with him?

Could she still be
that
angry he hadn’t written her?

Because she hadn’t exactly written him, either.

He didn’t know why he never picked up a pen, or sent an email, or why he’d waited so long to write her back then. It was almost as though if he did, then what they shared would be over. As if writing would make it less real. Didn’t make sense, but he’d been young. He’d also been afraid that she might find someone else, and that probably would have broken him. And by the time he realized he was an idiot, it was too late. It seemed silly to write to her, and after all, she hadn’t sent him letters. Years passed. Life happened. He’d missed his opportunity with her…

But then, she came back into his life.

And suddenly, the opportunity wasn’t missed anymore.

“Yes,” he said drily, hesitantly. At some point, he’d have to tell her who he was. Obviously. But not right
now
.

“Oh, thank God.” She rested a hand on his chest, right where she’d hit him moments before, only now she was all sweet eyes and soft lips. “Can you get me out of here? Your crazy prince has abducted me for no reason.”

He flexed his jaw. “Crazy?”

“Well, yeah, why else would he hold me captive?” She shook him a little bit. “I’ve never even
met
the guy.”

“Well, actually—”

“You’ve got to get me out of here.” She gripped his shirt and fisted it with both hands, her voice soft and desperate. “
Please
.”

He should do it.

Let her go.

If he played his cards right, he could even avoid telling her who he really was and why he’d taken her hostage. He opened his mouth to say those very words, despite the betrayal that would be to his father, but something else came out. “I can’t do that.”

“What—?” She let go of him and stepped back. She took in his royal suit, slowly realizing he wasn’t dressed casually, like the rest of the household staff. “Oh God. You’re one of them. One of his advisors.”

Time to come clean. “Actually, I’m—”

“Why is he holding me here?” she demanded. “Tell me.”

“Last night you were at a club with a man.”

And that man was me
. I
was the one touching you.

Making you scream.

“What?” She blinked at him, seeming confused. For a second, he thought he’d spoken out loud. He wasn’t sure how it was that she hadn’t put two and two together yet, just like he wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that she hadn’t. “What does that—? Oh my God.”

He waited patiently, letting her piece it all together.

It didn’t take long.

She’d always been a smart girl.

“You… I… But your hair…” She stared at his blond hair, paling even more. “And your eyes…”

“I was in disguise,” he explained. “Dark hair. Dark eyes.”

She stared at him, turning a little green. “Oh. My. God.” She covered her mouth, the pallor in her cheeks giving way to redness. “No. God no. Oh my God. That was
you
.”

“Indeed.” He inclined his head. “Nice to see you again, my lady.”

She covered her face. “Shoot me. Shoot me now.”

“I’d rather not,” he said drily. He wasn’t sure whether to be insulted by her reaction, amused, or both.

“Why were you in disguise in the first place?” She dropped her hands to her sides again. “Who
does
that?”

He hesitated. “I had my reasons.”

“I’m sure you did,” she replied sarcastically. “Just so you know, I don’t do stuff like that, and if I’d known it was you, I
definitely
wouldn’t have done it. It was a one-time thing for me. A bucket list item.”

He squinted, doing his best to ignore her comment about how she would have avoided him if she’d known who he was. Then he realized what she said. “Bucket list? Are you ill?” he asked, his gut churning at the thought of finding and then losing her in quick succession. “Are you seeing a doctor? Is that why you’re here?”

“What?
No
. It’s from my friend. He wanted me to—” She broke off, laughing uneasily. “God. I can’t believe out of all the men in this country, I ended up in that hallway with
you
. I mean, if that’s not ironic, I don’t know what is. And the funniest thing was, I picked that guy…well,
you
…because he kind of reminded me of you.”

He stiffened, locking eyes with her. First she said she never would have fucked him if she’d known it was him, and then she turned around and said she’d fucked him
because
he reminded her of himself. She was as confused as he was. Well, that was a start. “You did?”

“Yeah.” She shoved her hair behind her ear nervously, averting her eyes. “Stupid, right?”

“I don’t think it’s stupid at all.” If anything, it made him think he’d done the right thing bringing her here. “I’ve thought of you often over the years, too.”

“Yeah.” She laughed. “Sure you did.”

Frowning, he said, “It’s true.”

“Did you know it was me?” she asked, ignoring his statement.

“Of course,” he said simply. “I would never forget you.”

“Oh, come on. You’re full of—” Her cheeks flushed, and she seemed to be seconds from punching him, or killing him, but she took a calming breath, shaking her head. “Can you get me out of here, or not?”

“No.”

“Seriously?” She stiffened even more. “Why not?”

He flexed his jaw and stared at her, knowing it was now or never. “Because I’m the one who brought you here. So, clearly, I’m not about to let you go.”

“But…” She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again, finally staring at the gold stitching on his chest pocket. “Are you saying…you’re…are you…?”

“Prince Leopold William George Worthington, at your service.” He bowed at the waist, never dropping her gaze. “Nice to formally meet you, my lady.”

“Prince—?” She stumbled back, clearly less than pleased with this new information, as she pressed a hand to her stomach. “Well…
Shit
.”