Page 11 of Marrying a Prince

"You think so?" she asked, dropping her gaze to study her hands.

He nodded and squeezed her shoulder. "You're going to do great. And my country is going to love you as much as you are going to love it. Together, we can help each other out. This Samson guy will be a thing of the past."

She blew out her breath and nodded. "Thing of the past," she repeated.

There were three solid knocks on the door. Marianna sprung up from the bed like a rabbit. She whipped around. "Who is that?"

Leo smiled at how fidgety she was. She'd obviously never been in cahoots with someone before. "Relax. It's probably just Filippo." He stood, adjusted his tux, and made his way past her.

She reached out and grabbed his arm. "Should I be in here? Will he suspect anything?"

He laughed and patted her hand. "You forget, Mari. I am a prince. I can do whatever I want and have whoever I want in my room." He wiggled his eyebrows. Her cheeks flushed again.

"But—"

He waved away her concern. "You are a nurse. I'm sure you could come up with a medical reason for why you are here." When he got to the door, he glanced back to see that she was chewing on her thumbnail. Her gaze swept around the room as if she were trying to come up with a lie.

He chuckled and turned the handle. He was going to have to teach her how to be a better liar.

Just as he’d thought, Filippo was standing on the other side. When his gaze fell on Marianna, he raised his eyebrows. "Your Highness," he said, bringing his gaze back.

"Yes?" Leo was used to this. He didn't have to explain himself to his bodyguard. Maybe to his mother, but even then, he was going to be king, and kings didn't answer to anyone.

"I wanted to let you know that the limo is downstairs." Filippo's gaze made its way back to Marianna. He leaned forward. "Is there a reason why the nurse is in here?"

Leo glanced back in a smooth manner. As if it were totally normal that he had a woman in his room. "She was running a few vitals, you know, to make sure I'm okay."

"He's tip top," Marianna said, raising her finger in the air.

Leo cocked his head, which seemed like the worst response. A panicked looked flashed over her face and she began to pace.

"Is she okay?" Filippo asked.

Leo nodded. "She'll be fine." He leaned closer. "She's not used to being around royalty."

That sparked a look of recognition. "Understood. Should I give her some pointers?"

Leo shook his head. "No. It's best to keep from talking to her." The he turned around. "The limo is here, Marianna."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Wonderful." She sprinted past him and Filippo and stopped at the front door. She turned and nodded toward them. "Coming?"

Leo nodded, shut his bedroom door, and then followed Filippo out of his suite.

The elevator ride down was quiet. Leo wondered what Marianna was thinking, but knew better than to ask. Especially with Filippo around. It was probably best to keep everyone in the dark.

* * *

Dinner was pleasant. The food was delicious, but most of Leo's attention was focused on how he was going to pull off the mixed-up engagement. His parents would be upset, and he needed to play it off like he truly believed he'd done the right thing.

Everything was riding on this. He would drag Marianna down with him if he couldn't keep up the act.

Gisella leaned over and smiled at him. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

He wondered if she could tell that he was lying. That proposing to her made his stomach churn. But, he couldn't show that part of him, even if she suspected. He'd started this amnesia farce, and he was going to see it to the end.

"I'm okay." He smiled weakly at her. "And you?"

She narrowed her eyes as her gaze roamed his face. "When are you going to give it up?" And then she stopped, raising her pointer finger. "Never mind. You have to propose no matter what, so it doesn’t matter." She moved to lean back in her chair.

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