Page 10 of Marrying a Prince

Leo stood in the bathroom of his suite, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The gash on his forehead was stitched together, but the skin around it was red. He gingerly touched it and winced as pain shot through him.

It had taken some finagling to let the doctors release him, but when his mother insisted that their family doctor was currently en route here, they agreed. Thankfully Leo had convinced his parents and Dr. Wilson that Marianna had to come as well. She was currently getting changed and then would meet him at his suite. His stomach lightened at the thought of her coming. It felt good to have an ally in all of this.

He opened the cap of his gel and rubbed it into his hair, making it look tousled in a purposeful way. Once he was done, he rinsed his hands and dried them on a nearby towel. After tying his bowtie, he straightened his cummerbund and flipped off the light in his bathroom.

The chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the center living room glowed against the setting sun. The rooms at the Ritz-Carlton were beautiful. They spared no detail. The furniture was plush and the wood accents were carved in intricate patterns.

The New York skyline shimmered in the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city was a magical place that Leo could look at, but never experience. Not when every aspect of his life was planned.

His muscles itched. When he got like this, the best thing he could do to calm himself down was to run. Run away from everything that scared or frustrated him. And right now, not being the king that his country and family wanted him to be scared him.

He swallowed as he walked over to the drink cart and poured himself a scotch. Just as he lifted the glass to his lips, a knock sounded on his door.

After setting the glass down, he made his way over and turned the handle. Marianna stood in the hall with her eyes wide. Like she'd been scared by something.

But Leo was having a hard time processing anything but how beautiful she looked. Her long dark hair was pulled up, accentuating the lines of her long neck and the smoothness of her skin.

She had on a floor-length navy dress with hand-sewn beads that sparkled against the light. The neckline curved down, hinting at what was underneath but not exposing it.

"Wow," he said. For some reason, he didn't feel the need to be shy about his appreciation. They'd already decided that this was strictly an arrangement. That getting emotionally involved was off the table.

Her skin flushed as she reached up and rubbed her shoulder. "Is it too much? I mean, am I giving our plan away?"

Leo pressed his finger to his lips and motioned for her to follow him into the suite. Filippo was in the adjoining room and had not yet emerged. Plus, he didn't want anyone in the hall to overhear them.

Once inside, he lead her over to his room and shut the door. Now safe, he looked over at her. She was glancing around, her eyes huge.

"This is where you are staying?" she asked, parting her lips. Her full, pink lips.

Leo cleared his throat and dropped his gaze. What was the matter with him? Day one and he was already going back on his promise to her.

So he pulled his thoughts away from how beautiful she looked and nodded. "Yeah. It pales in comparison to the one at home."

Marianna coughed. "What?"

He shrugged. They lived in a two-hundred-year-old castle. It was huge.

She whistled. "I'd love to see that."

"You will."

When she didn't speak, he glanced over at her. Her expression was uneasy. Had they not really talked about this? Maybe he should tell her just what she was getting herself into.

"I mean, if that's okay," he said.

She chewed her lip as she studied him. "I have to go to your country?"

He nodded. Unease rising up in his chest. "Is that okay?"

She walked over to the bed and sat down. "I guess I didn't think of that. I mean, I will be your fiancée. Of course I'll have to go home with you." She turned to look at him, her forehead wrinkled. "When's your birthday? That's when the stipulation is over, right?"

He laughed and walked over to her. He sat down and let his hand hover above her shoulder. He wondered if he should touch her or not. But then realized that it looked worse to just hang there, so he lowered his hand and let it rest on her shoulder.

As much as he tried to fight it, feeling her skin under his fingertips created a reaction in his stomach. Zaps of electricity shot down his arm.

"I promise you, you are going to have the time of your life. Caro is beautiful this time of year. Think of it as a month-long vacation." He leaned closer to her. For a moment, he allowed his flirty nature to come out. "I will make it worth your while."

Her eyes widened as her gaze dropped to his lips for a second before she snapped it back up. He swallowed. Was it possible she felt the attraction too? But then he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. That was the last thing he should be focusing on.

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