Page 41 of Crowned For The King's Secret

‘Of course. Family should always be told first.’

She didn’t know why she found that inexpressibly sad, that Sandro had no family to tell, when a marriage should be a wonderful, joyous thing.Shouldbeing the operative word. Once again, she was entering into an agreement that was really about a few names on a piece of paper and nothing deeper.

He took her hand, threaded his fingers through hers. ‘Marry me, Victoria, and bring joy and hope to my whole country.’

She squeezed his fingers with her own. ‘Okay.’

Not the most romantic response but there was nothing romantic about this situation, not really. Sandro closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, released it. ‘Tomorrow I’ll set the formalities in train, after you’ve spoken to your brother. Tonight is for us.’

He kissed her, his lips lush and warm on her own as he eased his hand between her legs. Stroking, caressing, inflaming her. He was right. Of all the wrong between them, this was something they couldn’t deny.

She only hoped it was enough.

Sandro strode towards Victoria’s suite, a leather box in the inner pocket of his suit jacket, carrying a surprising weight for something so small. Except the weight wasn’t a physical one, but emotional. What the symbol he carried represented—the chance of a family. Victoria, Nicolai. Him.

A beginning.

Arriving at the suite’s door, he took a moment, realising how important these next minutes were. A restart, if he was being honest with himself. Sandro knocked and a muffled voice sounded through the burnished wood.

‘Come in.’

Victoria sat on the sofa, a laptop he’d asked his secretary to provide for her personal use open on the coffee table before her, mobile phone to the side. She smiled at him, but the smile didn’t really reach her eyes. Something was wrong, he knew it deep in the heart of him. How had he become so attuned to her moods?

‘Where’s Nic?’ he asked.

‘Isadora took him to the garden, to feed the kittens. I needed to call Lance to tell him...’

Ah.

She bit her lip. Her shoulders rose and fell as if she took a deep breath.

‘I’m guessing it didn’t go well.’

‘You could say that.’ Victoria stood, began to pace. ‘He said I must have Stockholm Syndrome.’

A chill settled in Sandro’s gut. ‘Is that what you think this is?’

Her responding laugh was short and sharp. ‘No. Don’t worry. I looked it up. It’s not a real thing. Anyway, I know what this is.’

She did? That was a surprise, since he still had no idea.

‘I’ve told you you’re not a prisoner. I should have told your brother as well.’

He hadn’t handled this properly. Perhaps he should have asked Lance for his sister’s hand in marriage? Except Victoria was a person in her own right. A strong woman who could make her own decisions and who didn’t need someone to give her away or give any permission. Sandro walked towards her, still moving as if filled with nervous energy. He stroked his hand down her arm and she stopped.

‘He’s just trying to protect me.’ Her face began to crumple. ‘I was hard on him when I was unwell and he didn’t deserve any of it. Now this.’

All Sandro wanted to do was to comfort. He slid his arms round her waist, cradled her gently against his chest. She melted into him and sighed. Something about this felt soright.A marrow-deep realisation that in his arms was where Victoria was meant to be.

‘He loves you, and he wants to know this marriage is based on your free will. So do I.’

Her arms tightened around him. She nodded into his chest. ‘It is. I’ve accepted that this is the best thing for Nic.’

Sandro wanted to ask,What about you?Although he knew the answer to that question. Everything that had been done, had been because of their son. Being a parent was about sacrifice. However, he needed her to know that this was about her too. Hence the box in his pocket.

‘I wanted to be sure.’

Victoria pulled away and shrugged. ‘I’m as sure as I can be.’

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