Page 24 of Marrying a Prince

He cleared his throat and nodded. He needed to stop thinking about her like that. Hadn't they agreed to not have feelings for the other person? He needed to remember that she had no intention of having anything to do with him once this was over.

She waved at him to follow. Once they were back in the kitchen, Mrs. Hedely smiled over at him.

"I'm happy Ted's clothing worked out for you." She shot Mr. Hedely a stern look.

Mr. Hedely smiled sheepishly at Leo. "Sorry for dragging you out to the garage. I realize now that, since you are royalty, climbing under my car was not the best course of action." He glanced back over to Mrs. Hedely, who nodded.

Leo reached out and patted his shoulder. "It's all good. I like to get my hands dirty. I enjoyed that you showed me a part of your life."

Mr. Hedely looked relieved. "Great."

Mrs. Hedely went into full hostess mode. She had everyone sit down and began dishing up Leo's plate. He wanted to tell her that he could do it himself, but she looked so determined that he decided to let it go. It was amazing how many people used movies to tell them how to treat royalty.

His eyes widened when she handed him a heaping plate of food. He heard Marianna gasp, but he met her gaze and shook his head. He didn't want to be rude or to embarrass her mom.

"This looks amazing," he said, smiling over at her.

Mrs. Hedely's cheeks burned with appreciation. "I'm so happy you like it. If you, who eat from the finest chefs, say that about my food, then—" She pinched her lips shut as if she were letting that thought sink in.

"You are a great cook, Mom," Marianna said.

"Yeah, Susan. Now sit down so we can eat."

The meal was amazing, and it wasn't the food. Even though Leo enjoyed the spread, it was the company that was refreshing. He loved watching Marianna and her parents reminisce about her past boyfriends and teenage meltdowns.

He loved the way Marianna smiled with her whole face and laughed with her heart. They had a relationship that Leo could only dream of. There was no stress. No expectations. It was just a daughter and her parents.

Filippo even looked as if he were enjoying himself. He insisted he sit on one of the bar stools in the kitchen. Every so often, Leo would glance over to him. Once, Leo thought he even saw Filippo smile.

When his plate was cleaned, he leaned back and rubbed his stomach. "That was amazing," he said.

Mrs. Hedely moved to stand. "Seconds?"

Leo laughed and held up hands. "I really couldn't eat another bite."

Mrs. Hedely looked heartbroken.

"But maybe some for the road?" he asked.

"You don't have to do that," Marianna said and then glanced over to her mom. "Don't make him do that. We're headed to Caro in the morning. There's no way it will keep."

Leo hated the hurt expression on Mrs. Hedely's face. "It's okay. Filippo and I will eat it before we leave." He glanced over at his bodyguard. "Right?"

Filippo quirked an eyebrow but nodded. "Of course."

That seemed to appease Mrs. Hedely. She stood and made her way over to the kitchen, where she grabbed a Tupperware container and filled it with leftovers.

When Leo turned his attention back to Marianna, she shook her head. "You don't have to do this," she mouthed.

He just winked at her—enjoying the blush that raced across her skin. He liked her parents, and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint them.

When the table was cleared, everyone made their way into the living room. Her mom passed around a plate of cookies, and even though Leo was stuffed, he took one.

Marianna shook her head at him as he happily ate it.

The next few hours were spent learning more and more about Marianna. Her parents weren't stingy with the stories. They laughed at times and grew serious at others. Leo was disappointed when Marianna stood.

"We should get going back, or your parents will think I kidnapped you," she said.

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