Page 53 of Royal Catch
The other ferry passengers give me a wide berth as I sit on a bench bawling my eyes out with big gulping sobs. Even wearing my favorite leopard-print dress and heels can’t give me the strength to face this goodbye. Villroy fades in the distance, a blurry view through my tears, almost like a mirage I imagined. Except this pain is too real. Everything hurts—my eyes, my throat, my heart.
Eventually I run out of tears, lean on the deck rail, and rest my head on my arm. “Goodbye, Gabriel,” I whisper. More gulping sobs escape. I don’t know if they’ll ever stop. My heart is shattered beyond repair. It sucks to do the right thing.
I turn away from the view and lie down on the bench, curled up on my side, done with the real world. I need sleep, but my eyes are so gritty it hurts to close them. Dark bleakness seeps through me, draining my energy, and I finally calm into a cold numbness.
A few minutes later, a murmur of excitement ripples through the people nearby. They’re gathering near my side of the ferry, and I sit up to see what the fuss is about. Maybe some dolphins are playing in the waves. What I wouldn’t give for a distraction.
It’s a yacht racing toward us, blaring its horn.
“It’s the royal yacht!” someone exclaims.
I peer closer at the captain’s perch. It’s not Gabriel at the wheel. Geez, that yacht is driving so close it might ram into us.
“Anna Hebert!”
I look around wildly, my heart in my throat. I know that voice. He came for me. What does this mean? What did he do?
“Where are you?” I holler.
And then I hear a splash and an audible gasp from the ferry passengers. Oh my God. Gabriel just dove into the water!
He’s swimming with sure strokes toward the ferry. He’s crazy! What if the ferry propeller chops him up?
“Gabriel!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “Go back to your boat!” He can’t hear me and keeps going, quickly gaining on the ferry. He’s shirtless, swimming in his boxer briefs. My God.
“Someone save the crown prince!” I holler, running to get a crew member. “Man overboard!”
A life preserver is thrown out to him, and then the crew member dives in to assist. Gabriel says something to him and takes the life preserver. The crew man signals up to another crew member to pull him in. Gabriel is directed to a ladder, and they both ascend.
My hands fly to my mouth at the sight of Gabriel, the crown prince of Villroy, striding purposefully toward me, soaking wet from head to toein his underwear. In public. He might as well be naked, the blue boxer briefs outlining his bulge clearly. I swallow hard because even in his underwear he exudes power. He looks like a warrior, his golden skin glistening with drops of water, those magnificent strong shoulders, defined pecs and abs, narrow hips, long muscular thighs. The crowd fades back, giving us space, all eyes on him.
He stops in front of me, pulls my hands from my mouth, and growls, “I told you to stay put.”
“What’re you doing?” I grab him and hug him. His skin is chilled from the sea. “You’re cold. You’re crazy. What’re you doing?”
He cups my face. “I’m getting my future bride. I choose you, Anna. If I can’t marry you, I’ll abdicate the throne.”
The crowd gasps.
“Gabriel!” This is wrong. He can’t do this.
He glances over at our audience, now holding up their phones, snapping pictures and probably video too. “Let’s go somewhere more private.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to the captain’s command center at the top of the ferry. After a brief discussion, more like a barked series of orders from the crown prince, a lifeboat is lowered for us, and we’re rowed back to the yacht.
Gabriel leads me to his private quarters, a bedroom suite, where he dries off and dresses. His eyes never leave mine the whole time he dresses, like he’s afraid I’m going to bolt. I’m standing equidistant between the bed and him, where he put me. Of course I won’t bolt. I have to convince him not to do this. Every part of me yearns for him, yet I know I can’t let him abdicate.
He finishes dressing, grabs me by the shoulders, and looks into my eyes. “I love you.” He says it almost like a challenge.
“I love you too, but—”
“No. That is enough.”
“There’s more at stake here and you know it. I left to make it easier for you to do the right thing.”
“And you don’t get to make that decision for me.”
I pull away, wringing my hands together. “Be reasonable. Think about it.”
“I have thought it through. I’ve talked to Phillip and he’s willing to step into my place. He wants my happiness and has no hard feelings about the sudden change.”
