Page 12 of The King's Fake Bride

I sigh and glance over my shoulder at the patio doors, the outline of Amy’s body sprawled in the bed just barely visible.

If there has to be a marriage, it may as well be with someone I get along with.

She’s the first person in a long time I felt like I could be myself with. There weren’t any expectations tied to me being the king.

To her, I was just Xander.

“If I agree to this marriage plan — and I’m not saying that I will — then Jorge needs to take several steps back from my life. No more trying to control everything. I have a life to live, and I can’t have him inserting himself into whatever happens between me and my fiancée.”

“Does that mean that you’re going to start taking this seriously?” Atticus sounds hopeful. “Please tell me that you’re going to do this so I can tell Jorge to get out of my hair. Whenever you’re being difficult, I’m the one that has to listen to him.”

Someone in the background who sounds suspiciously like Jorge calls Atticus what sounds like a glass hole.

I snort and lean back against one of the posts holding up the little awning. “I’m going to consider it. I have a woman in mind. She might be willing to help me.”

It’s not like Amy has anything to lose. She’s trapped at a job she hates, and she says her life is falling apart. Maybe if I make her a good enough offer, she would be willing to help me out.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I glance inside at her again.

Jorge would bepissedif I showed up with an American on my arm. Frankly, it would be worth it just to see the look on his face.

“I’m going to spend the day with this woman and see if she’s willing to play along with the charade. If she is, then maybe you’ll see her later this evening.”

Atticus laughs, and there’s a heavy thud in the background. “All right, well, I’ve abandoned Jorge to be his miserable self. I’m going to go speak with the crown attorneys and have them draw up the contracts.”

“Don’t bother drawing up anything yet. I don’t know if she’s going to agree to this. It’s insane, and we barely know each other.”

“We’ll have them draw up the basics. Six-month engagement. Two-year marriage. After that, you can decide whether to call it off or not.” Atticus chuckles, and I can just imagine the smuglook on his face right now. “She’ll probably get sick of you sooner, so we’ll have to make the divorce package good.”

“Hold off on anything too concrete,” I say, my tone stern. “I don’t know what she’s going to want out of this, and I’m not going to force her to agree to terms without hearing her conditions.”

“Good luck with that.”

“I’m hanging up on you now. We can debrief about the morning meeting later.”

He snorts. “Sure, hang up on me because you have your own morning meeting to debrief for.”

I end the call without giving him a reply.

There is no way that Amy is going to agree to this. No woman in her right mind would ever consider pretending to be engaged to a man she just met.

And then I have to tell her that I’m the king.

I groan and head back inside. Amy is still asleep on her stomach, her arms shoved beneath the pillow and one leg hooked up high.

I grab the menu from the little dresser in the corner, looking through the options before placing an order with the kitchen.

Sighing, I sit back in the chair and scroll through the latest policy change the advisors are trying to push through. Most of them have voted against free meals in school as it would mean cuts to their year-end bonuses.

I should fire them all and hire people with an actual interest in the economy of the country instead of their own pockets.

It’s not the first time the thought has crossed my mind since taking over the throne.

My vision blurs, headache growing stronger as I get to the bottom of the forms before scrolling back to the top to go through them again.

There’s a knock at the door and Amy yawns. Her eyelashes flutter against her high cheekbones, but she doesn’t move, soft snores filling the room again.

Setting the phone to one side, I get up and open the door, nodding to the man who brings the cart into the room.

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