keep the rich and famous happy. And we have some of the most beautiful venues for weddings in the world. That, and the tax benefits, mean that Euronia thrives.’
She listened to his words carefully, hearing the underlying pride as he said them. Ten years ago there had been financial predictions that Euronia would have to be taken over by another country to remain viable. None of those predictions had come true.
‘Is that why you went to Harvard and studied business—to find a way to help Euronia?’
He gave a rueful smile. ‘If I’d had my way I would have gone to Harvard to study chemistry or physics.’
She sat back in her chair. ‘Really? You like that kind of thing?’
He nodded. ‘Of course I do. Doesn’t every little boy want to be an astronaut? I still want to. Science, maths or engineering—that’s what you need a degree in.’
She couldn’t help but smile. This was the Alex she’d met back in Paris. This was the guy who’d kissed her until her toes tingled. This was the guy she’d lost a tiny little piece of her heart to.
‘You really looked into this?’
‘Of course I did.’
She finished the last piece of her cake and licked the fork. It had been delicious. Now she knew this place existed she would try to take a daily trip.
He glanced towards her and it sent a tingle right down to her toes. A cheeky look, a flirtatious look, a maybe-none-of-those-things look, but there was no denying its effect.
It made her feel exposed. It made her feel as if all those fleeting thoughts, all those ridiculous daydreams about being here in Euronia, were being instantly read in her mind.
‘Now I’m sold on the cake here I want to come back.’
‘I’ll bring you any time you like.’
‘Good. Because I want you to bring us tomorrow.’
‘Us?’
‘Yes. You, me and Annabelle. I’ve watched her in the palace. Later on I’m going to watch her at nursery. But I also need to see how the two of you interact together.’
‘But you’ve seen her with me in the last few days.’
‘That was in the palace. This is different.’ She held out her hands. ‘This is normal.’
He raised his eyebrows at her. ‘My life isn’t normal?’
She sighed. ‘No, Alex. Your life isn’t normal. But Annabelle’s should be. She’s just a little girl. I want to see her come and eat cake or ice cream with her dad.’
If it was possible his tanned face paled. He took a few moments, and she could almost see the thoughts flickering across his face.
Alex had been so relaxed around her for the last hour. She was just praying that the palace portcullis wasn’t about to come down, slamming into place.
He gave a slow nod and lifted his bright blue eyes to meet hers. He didn’t get it. When he looked at her like that it was magnetising. She couldn’t pull herself away if she tried.
She hated it that after ten years he could still do that to her. Still make her feel as if she was the only person around. Make all the noise and people around them just fade into the background.
Her mouth was instantly dry. She wanted to lick her lips, but was afraid of what that might suggest. It might let him know exactly what she was thinking. And none of her current thoughts could ever be acknowledged between them.
There was one way to break this spell.
‘Tell me about your wife, Alex. Tell me about Annabelle’s mother.’
There. He looked as if she’d just sucker-punched him. Truth be told, she really didn’t want to talk to Alex about his wife. She didn’t need to hear how beautiful or wonderful she’d been—the press had already let the world know that. She especially didn’t want her stomach to clench so hard she might be sick.
But this was it. This was the way to stop her thinking about her prince. Her prince. She was still doing it. It was natural.
And this was a natural question to ask Alex. If she wanted to assess Annabelle properly she had to know the family circumstances.
‘What do you want to know?’ His voice was hoarse.
She signalled to the waiter. ‘Can we have some water, please?’ She needed to do something with her own scratchy throat.
The sun was shining down on them, warming her arms and legs. This should be perfect. She was sitting in the most gorgeous setting. From this café she could look across the square at the port and see million-dollar boats bobbing on the sea in front of her. Across from her was the guy she’d thought about for the last ten years.
But she’d just managed to ruin the mood completely. It was time to stop things being personal—it was time to be professional.
‘What happened with Sophia? I’ve seen pictures of the two of you sitting on the fountain at the castle as children. You obviously knew her for a long time?’
He ran his fingers through his dark hair. She was conscious of the furrows in his brow, the lines around his eyes.
He took a deep breath. ‘Sophia was my oldest friend. Even though she lived in a neighbouring country our fathers were constantly doing state business together. She was always here.’
Ruby sipped the water the waiter had brought. Nothing would get rid of the dryness in her throat. ‘And...?’
He looked at her, then quickly looked away again—almost as if he was embarrassed to speak about Sophia in front of her.
She licked her lips. She wanted to tell him that she only needed to know about Annabelle. But her insides were churning. This was the moment when she’d hear the things she’d always known.
His voice had the slightest tremor. It was only because she was listening so intently that she noticed.
‘Sophia came to me after everything had happened. After my father had had the stroke and I’d been made Prince Regent.’ His hands went back to his hair. ‘Things were a mess. I was totally consumed by finances, by looking for new opportunities for Euronia. But Sophia was sick. I knew it as soon as saw her.’
He sat back in his chair. His body was rigid. One hand clenched in a fist.
‘I was furious. She hadn’t told me anything.’ He fixed his eyes on a point over her shoulder. ‘The speculation was right. She had breast cancer. It was terminal. Sophia came and told me after she’d tried a number of treatments. She’d already made her mind up that she didn’t want to do that any more.’
There was a sheen across his eyes and it made Ruby’s heart ache for him. But down in the pit of her stomach there was something else. A tiny smattering of jealousy that he’d felt so much for this woman.
‘So you got married?’
She
