Page 53 of Marrying a Prince

There was no way she was going to stand in his way anymore. It had been all fun and games until their feelings complicated things. Now, if she cared about him. Truly loved him…

She swallowed. Loved. Her stomach lightened. Could she love him? She'd only known him such a short time. But she'd known Samson for three years and had never felt like this. Ever.

Still, she wasn't sure she was ready to admit that she could have deep feelings for anyone, even Leo. So she shoved the four-letter word to the back of her mind.

If she trulycaredabout Leo, she would put him first. He was never going to be happy as a common man, toiling away just to make ends meet. He was destined for greatness, and she wasn't going to be the one that pulled him down.

No, she would lift him up and help him to be the king he was on the inside. No matter how much it broke her heart. She would have to do it now, before she didn't have the strength.

Chapter Nineteen

As Leo finished up helping Bernardo he had to keep himself from running into the house to find Marianna. The memory of her pressed against him pounded in his skull, making any task seem unbearable. All he wanted to do was find her, wrap her up in his arms, and never let her go.

She was everything he ever wanted. She was the person he wanted to be with. He'd give up the crown if it meant he could be with her.

Bernardo said he had things to finish up, so he sent Leo on his way. Leo strode across the lawn and up the back steps. Once inside, he called out her name and then hesitated. When she didn't respond, he headed upstairs.

Their bedroom door was shut, so he opened it. She was standing next to the window with her arms crossed and a contemplative expression on her face.

Not waiting, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her back against his chest. He dipped down and brushed a kiss against her cheek.

"I missed you," he said when his lips found her ear.

She tightened, but then relaxed. He wondered for a moment what that had been about, but then pushed it off. He must have startled her, that was all.

When she didn't respond, he glanced down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, taking in her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Had she been crying?

He turned her around so he could see her face. Why was she sad? He reached up and cradled her cheek in his hand. "Marianna?" he whispered, fighting his urge to confront whatever was making her upset so he could see her smile again.

"Leo," she whispered. There was a tone to her voice. One that told him he didn't want to hear what she was about to say. He knew what she was doing, and he couldn't bear the thought of it.

He stepped back, bracing himself for the inevitable. She was still leaving. Nothing had changed between them. The kiss. His feelings. His, almost, declaration of love. None of it mattered. She was still going back to America, leaving him here, alone.

"Don't, Mari," he said, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t go through with it.

But when her tear-filled gaze met his, his heart plummeted. It was too late. She'd made up her mind. She knew what she wanted, and it didn't include him.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He scrubbed his face with his hand. What had he done wrong? "Why?" He needed to know why she was walking away. Was it something he'd said?

She shook her head. "I care about you, Leo."

That gave him hope. Maybe there was a chance that he could change her mind. "I care about you, too." He wanted to say “love,” but he didn't want to expose his heart if she was going to leave him.

"That's why you need to go back, and I have to go home." A soft sob escaped her lips as she turned away from him and stared out the window.

His ears were ringing. He hadn't heard her right. But she just said she cared about him. Well, from the kiss they'd shared earlier, she did a lot more than care about him.

"Why?" he asked again.

She was silent for a moment before she turned back around. "Because you have a duty to your country. You are the rightful king, and you will be amazing." She softened her gaze and gave him a weak smile. "And I will not stand in your way."

His heart felt as if it had been pulled from his chest. She was leaving. She wanted him to go back to the castle, marry Gisella, and live his life as if they had never met. Like the kiss they’d shared hadn't meant anything to either of them. As if she hadn't changed his life in an irreversible way.

"No. I'm not going to do that." He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and turned away.

Her hand appeared on his arm, and she pushed him around to face her. "Leo, we both know that you aren't going to turn your back on your country. That's not who you are. You love the people, and you aren't going to just sit back and let the country be dictated by Gisella and her father. We both know she wants in. And if not from you, she'll manipulate someone else to get it."

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