Page 52 of Some Like It Royal

She wanted to say no, call him later. But she’d answered the phone.

In for a penny… So she exhaled and said, “Sure. What’s going on?”

“The Grand Duke Armand and his retinue will be in Los Angeles tonight and have requested the honor of your presence—both of you—at a private gala for the family and a few close business associates.”

Her stomach plummeted at the news, but Martin continued on, oblivious to the ice creeping around her heart.

“But that’s not all. Spherecast has been scouted by an EU consortium—the same one your cousin heads. They’ve invited us to a demonstration at the Brussels conference next month.” She could practically hear the fist pump in his words. “This is a real coup, Alyx. A real coup. I know you weren’t that thrilled on this when Daniel proposed his insane idea—and neither was I.” His conversational tone took on an almost confidential note, as if they’d truly been aligned on this matter from the beginning. “But you did it. The two of you have completely sold the world on your romance and escaping to Big Bear—genius. I thought he was crazy to really play up the romance, but it’s worked. Online and off, it’s all the social media hawks have been able to talk about. Where you’ve gone, the beauty of your romance—and now the grand duke…” He sighed. “Thank you, from the bottom line to the headlines, thank you for doing this for him. I told him to buy a royal bloodline and he did it. Now, get your butts back to L.A. and that party tonight. Invitation says cocktails will be served at seven.”

She wasn’t aware of the tears until they dripped onto her bare thighs. “Okay, we’ll be there.” But Martin had already hung up. She looked at the phone for a long time. God, she was such a fool.

This was exactly what Daniel had wanted. Right. It was the deal she agreed to, and she promised to do her job.

Daniel had pursued her to become a princess and she’d become one. The media noticed, his friends noticed and her long-distance-don’t-really-know-them family noticed.

From their first kiss to the first time they’d made love—it had been all about being a princess, a princess in love. They’d put on a grand show.

Too grand.

I thought he was crazy to really play up the romance, but it’s worked.

She swiped at her tears angrily. Somehow she’d fallen for the dream, the ideal they were constructing. She’d started to believe in the charade. The fairy tale shit as Rhonda put it.

She knew better. Good things like this didn’t happen. It was more like what happened to her things, forgotten, lost, and discarded. Like her.

“I knew not to do this. It’s why I said no sex to begin with.” The anger pouring out was all directed to herself. Daniel falling for her as a princess wasn’t his fault. She let him play the game—reveled in the seduction. “Idiot.”

Pushing off the bed, she refused to look at the rumpled sheets. She was dressed in ten minutes and tying on her tennis shoes. The shower continued to run, so she picked up the phone and called the front desk to order a car. The drive to Los Angeles would take a couple of hours, but if he was to seal the deal, he needed the Princess Alyxandretta on his arm, not the thoroughly disheveled lover with nothing but shorts, T-shirts and jeans at her disposal. The desk promised to send a car for him. She’d keep her word and make sure his dream happened for him.

His keys sat on the desk. She found a pen and took the coward’s way out—she wrote Daniel a note.

The grand duke is in Los Angeles. Martin called. Your deal is on. We have to be there. Taking the car. I need to get ready and will meet you at the “ball.” Called for a car to drive you back—lots to do so I won’t disappoint you.

Adding the location and the time of the event she sniffled and signed it with just anA. She set the note on the pillow and circled the bed to grab her bear.

There was nothing else for her in the cabin—just a dream that she’d let herself believe in for five minutes.

If only she could learn her lesson. At the door, she hesitated again. It wouldn’t take her long to tell him the message in person, but the water continued to run and his keys were heavy in her hand.

She needed to get the hell out while she still remembered who she was.

No, he’d hired her to be a princess and to help him enter the European market. It was time to live up to her end of the bargain without any strings or emotional attachments. She buried her pain under a veil of practicality. She’d managed for years without anything—or anyone—of her own.

She could do it again.

But once she was in the car and headed toward Los Angeles, all she could think about was Daniel. Daniel at his desk. Daniel in their—his bed. Holding her. Smiling at her. Teasing her.

Alone, she could cry.

Even princesses can be fools.

Chapter20

Alyx

“Your Highness.” Victor frowned as he eyed her red-splotched face. “You cannot continue to tell me nothing is wrong.”

“It’s really not important, Victor, and I would prefer it if you could just call me Alyx from now on. You did your job, I’m Her Highness in the papers, and Princess or Grand Duchess or whatever it is they want to call me.” She smoothed down the black dress. She’d considered the red or the blue, but elected for the simple spaghetti-strapped black velvet sheath that fell to her ankles. The split on the right leg was perfectly respectable, stopping just above the knee. In the black Manolo Blahniks, she would present a classic appearance.

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