LITMIR.BIZ

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salve the ache always came when he thought of Nina.

      Five years had passed, and he had gotten beyond Nina’s death, so he told the images to go away. If his subconscious was reminding him of his mom and his first love because it was worried he could get feelings for Eva, it needn’t have bothered. There was no way in hell he’d fall for a woman just because a treaty said he should. His subconscious could rest easy.

      But he knew a royal summons when he got one. He couldn’t refuse his father about this marriage. As a prince who’d very publicly enjoyed his royal lifestyle, he did not have the option of refusing. Eva had to refuse. Then he could tell his dad she was a virgin, and say he didn’t want to force an innocent young woman to marry him. He’d look like the good guy. And his dad would agree.

      That was the plan that would work, and that was the plan he was sticking to.

      He dressed in lightweight slacks, a pale blue dress shirt—no tie—and navy sport coat, and headed for his father’s elaborate quarters. He entered through the gold-trimmed doors into a foyer with high ceilings and Monet on the wall, and walked to the smaller dining room, the one his father used for informal breakfasts and lunches.

      Rose immediately stood, raced to him and hugged him. After being without a mom since he was a boy, having her around was equal parts sweet and disruptive. Up until Ginny had gotten pregnant, this palace had been the home of men. Gold-trimmed and filled with precious art, but still a home of men. No women. No talk of babies or fashions—

      “You look very dashing.”

      And no one commenting on his clothes unless he was inappropriately attired.

      Luckily, he liked Rose. He was just grouchy because of this whole marriage mess. “Thanks.”

      “You and Eva will be seated there,” his father said, pointing to the two chairs to his right. “We’ll put your fiancée’s mom on my left and Rose, of course, will sit across from me.”

      “No Dom and Ginny?”

      “No need for Dom and Ginny to be here,” his father said in his most kingly voice. “You’re the one getting married.”

      He felt the noose tightening around his neck.

      Escorted by his father’s butler, Eva and her mom entered. Alex’s mouth fell open. If he’d thought Eva a knockout in the red dress, the little white dress she wore tied his tongue. Simple and sweet, with some sort of short pink sweater thing, the dress shouldn’t have made her look sexy. But there was something about the way the pink made her dark hair look even darker—or maybe the way the color set off her pale gray-blue eyes—

      Damn it! What the hell was wrong with him? If he was noticing colors, it was definitely time to get out of this thing.

      The butler bowed, announced Karen and Eva, and left the room.

      Alex automatically pulled out the chair beside his for Eva. His father directed Karen to sit to his left.

      As the king’s attention was on offering the seat to his guest, Eva whispered, “Well, don’t you look like the proper man about town?”

      “Would you rather I came to breakfast in my robe and slippers?”

      She laughed.

      He frowned. “Where’s the smart remark?”

      She fiddled with her napkin. “No smart remarks today.”

      “Oh, come on. We both have reason to be unhappy about this wedding. Don’t start playing Good Princess now.”

      “I am the good princess.”

      He didn’t want to bring up her dad. Having a father abdicate his throne wasn’t just embarrassing for a royal. It was humiliating. Still, he could use it without out-and-out saying it.

      “You’re about to become a queen. That’s two huge life changes in the span of a couple of months. Too much for one person. Think this through.”

      “I don’t have to think it through. Queens don’t ignore treaties.”

      “Yeah, well, I don’t want to get married.”

      She said nothing.

      “And I’m going to do everything in my power to get you to agree.”

      She faced him, her eyes narrowed, as if accepting his challenge. “Great. Give it your best shot. Because I intend to convince you to marry me.”

      Alexi’s tongue tied again. Her anger brightened her blue-gray eyes until they were almost silver, and sent a shiver down his spine. He skimmed his gaze over her hair, the pink tint in her cheeks, her lush mouth, and realized there absolutely were worse fates than being assigned to marry this woman.

      Except she was a virgin, who was about to become a queen, and he didn’t want to get married. He’d seen what happened to his father when his mom died. The king had crumbled from grief. And then there was his own loss. His first love—

      Pain squeezed his heart. A wave of sorrow enveloped him.

      That was why he’d thought of them this morning. Not to warn him that he could get feelings for Eva, but to remind him of why he didn’t want to get close to anyone. The pain of loss was just too great to risk.

      His father picked up his juice glass. “We should have toasted this wedding last night, but we got a little preoccupied with baby talk.”

      Rose and Karen laughed.

      The king raised his glass. “To the wedding that unites our two countries.”

      Everyone lifted his or her juice glass. “To the wedding that unites our two countries.”

      * * *

      Alex said the words and drank his juice, but Eva could see his heart wasn’t in it. A flame of anger licked at her soul. She was the virgin facing sleeping with a man she didn’t know, a man experienced enough to have a harem, and he was unhappy?

      She did not give a damn. She was going through with this wedding. Just as her mother said, she had to get him to like her.

      He reached for a tray of fruit, and presented it to her. “Melon?”

      “Yes.”

      Their eyes met, and thoughts of the kiss from the night before flooded her. The solidness of his body against hers when he yanked her to him, the press of his lips.

      Though her breath hitched, she held his gaze. Intuition told her this was the time she should begin flirting, but not one cute or flirty thing came to mind. Her chest was so tight it was a wonder she could draw in air. She barely managed to say, “Thank you.”

      She scooped up a serving of the honeydew. When she handed the spoon to him, their fingers brushed and the memory of how he’d brushed her shoulder when he’d flipped her hair out of the way sent a shower of tingles down her spine.

      He smiled. “Happy to see you’re more nervous about our wedding today than you were yesterday.”

      “I’m not nervous about our wedding.”

      “Then what made your hand shake?”

      There was absolutely no way in hell she’d tell him that remembering their ten minutes together the night before filled her with warmth. So she said nothing.

      He looked away to serve himself some fruit. The sounds of good silver and elegant china filled the air. With the exception of her mom and Queen Rose discussing gardening, the room was quiet.

      Alex said, “So how are your stray cats doing without you?”

      Her chest loosened. Finally, something they could talk about. “They’re fine.” She risked a glance at him. “Thank you for asking.”

      “Don’t they miss you when you’re gone?”

      “I started a few shelters that care for them. I don’t need to be there twenty-four-seven...or

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