The King's Bought Bride (Royal House of Leone Book 1) Read online

  “I feel like they’re going to take one look at me and throw me out.” Jonas raked a hand through his hair again.

  Emma didn’t mention that she felt the same way, especially after staying up all night without even taking a shower. “You’ll be fine. This is what they do. In a few months you’ll be a—”

  “Months! What?”

  “Fighting addiction takes time. Look at it as a free luxury vacation at a very expensive resort.”

  They pushed through shiny revolving doors into a gleaming lobby with tall arches and potted palms. “Now that you put it that way.…” A smile spread across his crooked mouth.

  Her chest filled with emotion. Hopefully, this big break really would help to heal whatever was so broken inside him. “I’ll miss you. I hope I’ll be able to come visit, but I’m really not sure how easy it will be to fly back here regularly. Call me any time, though. If I can’t answer right away, I’ll call back when I can.” It was weird not having any inkling what her daily routine would be.

  They checked him in with just one small bag of clothes, and she watched as her skinny, crazy brother walked off down the hallway, already trying to charm two staffers.

  When she turned around with a sigh, she was shocked to see Darias standing there.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Good morning, Emma.”

  “Uh, hi.” She ran a hand over her hair. She wished she’d had time to make herself more presentable before seeing Darias again. He looked devastatingly gorgeous and effortlessly stylish, as usual. “Did you think I’d try to skip town?

  A smile tugged at one corner of his broad mouth. She tried to ignore what it did to her insides. Probably just nerves.

  “We leave for Altaleone tomorrow. I thought we could get to know each other better before we travel.” They headed out the door and down the steps.

  “I have a lot to take care of. I need to pack, put my stuff in storage, quit my job.…” At least it was the summer so she wasn’t leaving her students in a lurch. The school could find a replacement before classes started again in September.

  “I can help. I have time to kill before the show opens tonight.”

  He had to be kidding. “I live in New Jersey. I take the PATH train. It’s right across town.”

  “It’ll be much easier if I drive.”

  Emma was embarrassed by her dingy second-floor apartment, but at least her landlady wasn’t home so she didn’t have to make awkward introductions. She knew she’d have no trouble getting out of the lease. They’d offered her money to leave early two months ago because they wanted to renovate and rent it for more.

  Darias’s tall presence made the space look even smaller. “I’ll need to pack up everything I’m keeping. The rest I can donate to the Vietnam Veterans. They pick up.”

  He rolled up the sleeves of his expensively crumpled white shirt, revealing tanned and muscled forearms that made her blink. “Where do I start?”

  Was he serious? One way to find out. “I still have the boxes from my last move.” She pulled the flattened cardboard out of the back of her coat closet and grabbed a reel of packing tape from her junk drawer. “Perhaps you could put them together for me while you tell me about your family.”

  “Excellent.” He immediately knelt on her hardwood floor and popped a box upright. She liked him more already. “First let me tell you about my mother, because she’s the reason I’m marrying you.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Carolina.” He pronounced it Caroleena. “She married my dad when she was only twenty-two. She’s devoted her whole life to our family. I’d do anything for her.”

  “Obviously.”

  He looked up and smiled. “She’s worth it. And she’s devastated by the loss of my dad. All of her children had finally flown the nest, and she and my dad were looking forward to traveling and spending more time together, and now he’s gone. I do hope you’ll become friends with her.”

  “Me, too.” Of course it would be awkward having to keep in the back of her mind that at the end of a year she’d be walking away from her new friend with a lifetime of secrets to keep.

  “Does she know your father and his mother were murdered?”

  “Yes, but we’ve all agreed to keep quiet about it while the investigation continues. Nothing good will come of fueling media speculation. She was as surprised as the rest of us.”

  Emma wondered if that was really true. Still, it wasn’t her business. “You have siblings.”

  “Oh, yes. We’re scattered about the world right now, but we all come home to Altaleone from time to time. My twin sister, Beatriz, still lives there. She’s taking care of my mom right now.”

  “Twins? You must be very close.”

  He paused in his work of taping up a box. “We were once.” He sighed. “I’ve spent so much time in New York in recent years that I’ve been a lousy brother. I must fix that when we return home.”

  “Wait.” She frowned. “If you’re twins, how come she’s not the heir as well? Were you born first?”

  “She was born first, but in a case where there’s a male and female heir, the male inherits.”

  “That’s not very fair.”

  “I agree. But then fair doesn’t play a large role in monarchic succession.” Humor twinkled in his eyes.

  “You’re right. If fair was a factor, there’d be an election.” At least he was easy to talk to. “Do you guys actually, like, rule the country and the people?”

  Now he laughed. “Of course. But there aren’t very many of them and due to Altaleone having the highest per capita export of fine champagne and hand-cut diamonds in the world, they’re rather wealthy and content. It’s a quiet and sleepy country. Honestly, most people with ambitions and big dreams move somewhere else to pursue them.”

  “Like you did.”

  “Exactly. I always knew I’d go home one day, but people are long lived in my family and my dad was only sixty. I didn’t imagine becoming king for another twenty years or more.”

  He popped another box open and taped it. She watched his muscular arms at work. This man was a prince—soon to be a king—and he was helping her pack her blender and her bedding and her toaster oven.

  It boggled the mind. “I guess I should call my job and tell them I won’t be back in the fall.” That felt so final. If she quit her job she was really ditching her whole carefully built life and moving to some country she’d barely heard of.

  “You can tell them you’ll be back the following year, though.” He obviously didn’t want her to get any ideas that this life change was permanent. He probably thought she’d get pretty comfortable living in a palace.

  Maybe she would.

  “Why are you laughing?” He lifted a brow.

  “Just thinking about how crazy this is. Why did you pick me? I mean, you don’t know me. You could have chosen any girl in the city.”

  “As my brother pointed out, you look the part. And if Keane hired you, you’re likely to be intelligent and charming as well as beautiful.”

  “Really? I’m flattered. I thought he hired me because I was willing to work in the evenings.”

  “Do you have any idea how many applications he gets for a gallery assistant position? I’ve seen stacks of them falling off his desk.”

  “I suppose Keane Moss is one of the hottest galleries right now.” Funny. She hadn’t realized it was some kind of big honor. Which was probably a good thing. She’d have been too intimidated to apply if she did. She didn’t even know much about modern art. She’d just needed the extra money, and it was easy to get there from the PATH train.

  She put her dishes into the first box, layering napkins between them. “I guess I should pack all my clothes, since I’ll be there for all four seasons.”

  “Don’t worry about that.” He glanced quickly at her black jeans and T-shirt. “You’ll need a new wardrobe to play the role of queen. We’ll go shopping before we leave.”

  She blinked. “Okay. But what about towe
ls and sheets? I need to put everything in storage today, and we’re not leaving until tomorrow morning. What should I do overnight?”

  “You can stay with me.”

  It didn’t take long to pack everything in her apartment into twelve cardboard boxes. She packed underwear, makeup, hair products and another basic black outfit into a sports bag—she didn’t own a suitcase—then Darias drove her to the local storage place, where she rented a small room at the yearly rate. Somehow that made it sink in. A whole year in a strange place.

  “Now we must buy you some clothes.” Darias’s eyes slid over her body, sending a very strange feeling through her. “Let’s go to Barneys.”

  Once there, he immediately requested a personal shopper and told her that his fiancée required a varied wardrobe for a trip with a number of formal occasions.

  He sat in a chair and read something on his phone—or pretended to—while she walked around the store gathering stuff with the shopper. Once she lifted a price tag and gasped audibly when she saw what the simple gray shirt cost.

  After that she just nodded her agreement and wondered how Darias would react when he saw the bill.

  This was all his idea.

  She had a feeling she’d be saying that a lot during the next year.

  The shopper handed her one coordinated outfit at a time. The first was a boring pantsuit in a weird camel color she would never have looked twice at, with a dark blue blouse. She donned it swiftly and came out fully expecting to hear laughter, but watched instead as a satisfied smile spread over the elegant woman’s lipsticked mouth.

  “We’ll take it.” Darias’s voice made her head snap around. He now stood off to one side, regarding her with approval in his eyes.

  Emma snuck another glance in the tall mirror in her changing room to see if they were seeing something different from her. The suit had a surprisingly elegant silhouette, and the color combination did something weird to her complexion that made her cheeks glow pink and her hair shine like gold.

  Okay.

  They had a similar reaction to almost everything she tried on, including a very fitted silver-blue evening gown with a tiny matching bag. One top was too low cut and a pair of shoes had a strap that dug into her ankle; other than those items they bought everything. Darias told her to keep on the last, rather bohemian ensemble—a pair of patterned skinny jeans, worn with boots and a coordinating blouse.

  They stopped in the cosmetics department for her to stock up on necessities and get a quick makeover at the Chanel counter.

  She never did find out how much it all cost. Darias paid in silence, and his expression showed nothing more than satisfaction with a job well done.

  “I think we just spent more than my last year’s salary,” she murmured, as they stepped out onto Fifth Avenue.

  “It’s the cost of doing business,” he said with a grin. “Being a monarch isn’t cheap. And now you have something to wear to the opening tonight.”

  She froze. “I’m coming? I haven’t even told Keane that I’m quitting.”

  “He’ll figure it out soon enough. And it will be the perfect place to announce our engagement. Just enough press to get the word out, but we won’t be mobbed.”

  Emma sucked in a breath. The idea of announcing their engagement to the world terrified her. It probably would have frightened her even if it wasn’t fake.

  Which it wasn’t. The engagement was real. She really was going to marry him.

  She just didn’t love him.

  “We need to get you a ring. Everyone will be staring at your finger. Let’s head to Tiffany.”

  She snuck a glance at Darias as they drove toward Tiffany to drop a few more thousand on a ring. So gorgeous, warm, charming and generous he seemed like the man of any woman’s dreams. But he wasn’t, not really. He didn’t want to be tied down. That was why they were going through this charade. To make it easy for him to divorce her and move on, with none of that inconvenient “’til death do us part” business.

  So she’d better be very, very careful not to fall in love with him. Unless she wanted her heart smashed to smithereens.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Emma walked into the gallery with the thought that she finally understood the expression, “walking on eggshells.” For one thing her high-heeled boots thrust her into a balancing act. For another, Keane Moss was famously hot tempered and he was bound to be somewhat wound up from the excitement of the opening even before he discovered she was absconding with one of the artists.

  “Keane,” Darias called out to him as they entered. The show would open in about fifteen minutes, and caterers were fussing over champagne and miniature pastries. “I believe you’ve met my fiancée.”

  Keane shone his brightest social smile on her, then seemed to be searching his brain for something.

  “It’s me, Emma,” she finally said. Did she look so different?

  He lifted up his reading glasses. “Good God.” He looked at Darias. “Am I missing something?”

  “We’re announcing our engagement tonight. Rather a whirlwind affair.” He shot her a conspiratorial glance. Adrenaline surged through her at the memory that she couldn’t tell anyone about their plan.

  Ever.

  “How long have you two known each other?” Keane looked from one to the other, and at the big rock on her finger, blinking.

  “Forever,” said Darias, before she had time to form a thought. She realized that they probably should have some story made up. “I’ve been half in love with her all my life.”

  Apparently Darias didn’t have any problem making up nonsense on the fly. Another reason to be wary of him.

  Keane tipped his head to one side, and his silver mane flopped sideways. “Now that I know the background, I can see the influence in your latest series.”

  Now it was her turn to blink. She snuck a glance over her boss’s shoulder at the huge triptych of canvases on the wall behind him. A slender female form was dimly visible, emerging from a dark background in the canvas on the far right.

  “Absolutely,” said Darias.

  “Well, you are a dark horse.” Keane pocketed his reading glasses. “I wish you’d said something earlier. I’m sure I could have got the LA Times to come.”

  “We prefer to keep things low-key,” said Darias, with a warm glance at her that made her heart jump. If she didn’t know better, even she might be convinced that he was madly in love with her.

  Now Keane fixed his beady stare on her. “I imagine this means I’ll be losing you as my desk girl.”

  She shrugged and tried to look apologetic. “We are moving abroad.”

  “Of course you are. Well, congratulations, my dear.” Her boss leaned in and kissed her on both cheeks as if she were a wealthy patron, rather than a low-paid dogsbody. His cologne assaulted her nostrils, and she tried not to sneeze. “I do hope I’ll be invited to the wedding.”

  Once the guests started to arrive, Keane introduced everyone to the newly engaged couple as if they were his special scoop. Darias threaded his arm through hers, which was both alarming and invigorating.

  Emma managed to keep a bright smile on her face and act like she wasn’t every bit as surprised as they were by this new turn of events. She really wished they could take a quick break and discuss the story of where and how they met, but Darias didn’t seem at all fazed by all the questions so she just let him handle it.

  She was merely a paid employee in this situation, after all.

  A couple of local tabloids showed up and took pictures. A reporter peppered her with questions, and she told the truth. “Yes, I never dreamed I would marry a prince.” And: “I hope I can rise to the challenge of being queen.” The whole thing was so surreal that she began to wonder if it was some kind of crazy anxiety dream and she was about to wake up in her own bed.

  “We’re leaving now, Keane. Early flight tomorrow.” Darias’s words sent a shudder of relief through her whole overwrought body.

  Keane beamed. “We’ve sold mor
e than half the show already. I suppose I’ll have to forgive you for stealing a valued employee.” He kissed her on both cheeks again. His cheeks were soft as a baby’s bottom. “See you again soon!”

  Emma staggered out, clinging to Darias’s arm out of necessity caused by her unaccustomed high heels and a pervasive sense of shock. She didn’t dare speak until they were safely inside his SUV. “Did I do okay? I’m not much of an actress.”

  “You were perfect.” A smile stretched his broad mouth. “No one suspected for a moment that I only met you yesterday.”

  “We really need to get our backstory straight. I think you told one man that we met in France. I’ve never been to France.”

  “We’ll have to fix that.” He looked totally unfazed as he pulled out into the dark street. “But you’re right. We need a story that your friends and relatives will believe. What do you suggest?”

  She racked her brain. It was hard to come up with ways that one would run across a crowned head of state in New Jersey. “Perhaps we could say that we met in Central Park. Maybe a few years ago, when I was still in college, and that we’ve kept in touch ever since.”

  He laughed. “My last two girlfriends might not like that, but it works for me. And we can say we reconnected last Christmas when we met at a party—I was single by then—then fell madly in love.”

  She nodded. “That works. But why haven’t I met any of your friends?” She pondered a moment. “I didn’t want to go out much as I was still grieving the loss of my mom. That part is true. She passed just before Christmas last year.”

  “I’m very sorry to hear about your mom.” The compassion in his voice touched her.

  “Me, too. But I’m glad she’s not suffering anymore. She’d really appreciate what you’re doing for Jonas.” She wondered how her brother was getting on at The Fountains. They’d told her not to visit for at least a week.

  “I’m glad I could help. It seems we came into each other’s lives at just the right time.”