SHE WAS TRAPPED.
The paparazzi was camped out on the perimeter of the palace gates like leeches, just waiting to suck the life out of her.
Elena turned away from the roving cameras of the press. She’d been hoping that their fascination with her would end quickly, but that wasn’t to be. It was open season on her life, and the reporter with the first exposé or telling photo would make a bundle.
And after speaking with Lauren Renard, Elena learned the painful truth—she’d been dropped from the fashion line. All her scheduled shoots had been canceled. Her contract was to be voided. And her name was on the lips of everyone in the know throughout Paris.
Without being spotted, Elena retreated to the royal gardens. Where she normally took solace in the serenity of the colorful blossoms and the gentle, perfumed air, today she didn’t notice any of it. Her insides were tied up in knots. What was she going to do?
Luca’s parting words kept repeating in her mind like a broken record.
Don’t do this to us—to our child.
Normally, she’d blow off such a rushed, heat-of-the-moment proposal. No one would mean such a thing. After all, it wasn’t like they were a couple. This pregnancy, it wasn’t supposed to happen. They weren’t meant to happen.
But a marriage proposal from Luca was different. He was not a man to throw around such words whether casually or in the heat of the moment. She knew him—or at least she thought she did. But everything had changed so dramatically between them since that night in Paris. Now, she questioned whether she’d ever known him at all.
Too restless to sit down, she started walking with no destination in mind. She moved past the garden gates and into the field of sunflowers. Blind to the world around her, she could only envision the what ifs and might haves that this pregnancy had brought into her world.
She moved to the cliff overlooking the sand and sea. The breeze rushed past her, combing through her hair. Despite the beauty of this particular spot with the azure-blue sky, the sunshine dancing upon the water and the sailboat in the distance bobbing with each swell, all Elena could think about was that her life had come to a fork in the road.
The decisions she was about to make were so much more enormous than when she’d had to choose between attending college here on the island or pursuing a modeling career in Paris. To a young girl of eighteen who had led a sheltered life, venturing to a big city—even one as romantic as Paris—had still been a scary idea, especially when she knew absolutely no one there.
But now she had to make a decision not only for herself, but also for her child. The road to the left was one for just her and her baby. It would be them against the world. And if she took the road to the right, she envisioned herself holding her child’s hand with Luca holding their child’s other hand. Which was the right answer for all of them?
She started to walk again. Her head pulsed with chaotic thoughts of possible scenarios for her future. Her hand pressed to her midsection, feeling a protective instinct that she’d never felt before. She might disagree with Luca on numerous things, but there was one thing they agreed on. They had to do what was right for their child.
Their child.
The words stuck in her mind. As much as she wanted to make all the decisions about this baby, she couldn’t. They’d created this tiny life together, and it was only right that they share the decisions. It was her first solid resolution, and it felt right.
And then another thought came to her: she downright refused to be dictated to by Luca or anyone else. In that moment, it didn’t matter to her one iota that Luca was an earl or that his uncle was the king. They would make decisions together—she would not bend to his will.
Elena stopped walking. Suddenly she was feeling a bit better. Her jumbled thoughts were starting to gain some clarity. Even the pounding in her head was starting to subside.
When she glanced around, she realized that she’d been drawn back to one of her childhood haunts. And it was looking none too good. The little cabin had been abandoned eons ago, but as kids, she and Luca had worked to patch up the roof with branches and leaves. They made it into their secret clubhouse.
She stepped inside and glanced up, finding most of the roof was now gone. So much for their repairs. She smiled at the memory of them working so hard together. Back then, it was so much easier for them to communicate.
Why couldn’t life be like it used to be?
The sound of an engine cut through her thoughts. It was getting closer. Who in the world would be riding around out here at the far reaches of the royal estate? And then she realized that it was probably the security guards making their rounds.
She stepped outside to let them know of her presence, not wanting to alarm them. But when her gaze adjusted to the bright sunshine, she found that it was not a guard seated behind the wheel of the navy blue Jeep with the royal crest emblazoned across the hood. It was Luca.
He jumped out. “So this is where you ended up?”
“I...uh, was just walking.”
“That’s some walk. It’s been a few hours since you left me on the beach.”
“I had a lot of thinking to do.” She wasn’t so sure she wanted to get into it all now. “How did you find me?”
“After I checked your parents’ place and the gardens, this place came to mind. You always used to come here when you were upset.” He stepped past her and entered the cabin. He looked around before returning to her side. “I wonder if our child will find this spot and make it their clubhouse.”
“I...I don’t know.” She supposed that it was a possibility when she visited her parents.
Luca moved to stand in front of her. “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t handle that very well.”
“You’re right. You didn’t.” And surprisingly, she wasn’t furious with him any longer. “How about we write it off to shock? You didn’t know what you were saying.”
“But see, that wouldn’t be the truth.” He reached out for her hand, but she stepped back. “I did mean it when I said we should get married.”
She shook her head. “Not like this. I don’t want anyone to marry me because they have to.”
“It’s not that way.” He shifted his weight. “I could walk away, but I’m not.”
Elena let out a nervous laugh. “I can hear it now. At one of your sister’s parties, someone will ask, ‘And how did Luca propose to you?’ And I’ll say, ‘He fell on his sword to save me and my child from the monstrous press.’” She shook her head, dispelling the awful scene. “Not exactly the romantic beginning to a marriage that a girl would hope for.”
His eyes widened as though a thought had just come to him.
She didn’t want to know his new idea. It was best that they end things here while they were still speaking to one another.
She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I should be going.”
“Wait.” He reached for her hand. “I know I messed things up when I proposed to you earlier—”
“You didn’t propose.” Her gaze narrowed. “You practically ordered me to marry you.”
His mouth opened, but nothing came out. And then at least he had the decency to look a tad embarrassed.
As much as she’d like to tell him that his idea of them getting married was preposterous, she couldn’t. She hadn’t thought of any other way to protect the baby and pass on the proper legacy their child deserved. If she were to marry Luca, their child would fit in—unlike her, who was forever on the outside looking in.
Luca craned his neck, looking at their surroundings. What was he looking for?
“Of all the places with flowers on this estate, why couldn’t there be some here?” he said with a sigh.
“Flowers?” It took her a moment to realize that he wanted to collect them for her. Her heart picked up its pace at the realization that he was trying to do this proposal thing properly. “I don’t need flowers. But I do need us to come to terms.”
“Terms? What sort of terms?”
“I agree with you. Our child deserves to have their legacy. But this will be a marriage on paper only.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
Was he hoping that she’d change her mind? She couldn’t quite tell by his tone. Or was he making sure she didn’t want more from him than he was willing to offer?
“I’m sure. We’ll have separate beds and separate lives.”
“Not so fast on the separate lives. If we want everyone, including the paparazzi, to believe the baby is mine, we’re going to have to present a happy front.”
He was right. Still, she hesitated. Could she really agree to this arrangement? It was so cold and calculated.
Luca took a steadying breath and then dropped to his knee. He took her hand in his. And then he gazed up into her eyes.
“Luca, what are you doing?”
“Proposing. If you’ll let me.”
“But you don’t have to—”
“I want to.”
“And what about your sister?”
He frowned. “What does any of this have to do with Annabelle?”
“It’s her week. You know, her engagement celebration.”
“And?”
“And we can’t let anyone know that we’ve gotten engaged. It’ll overshadow Annabelle’s moment in the spotlight.”
“First of all, I’m not proposing an engagement. I want you to elope with me. Today. Right now. As for my sister...” Luca rubbed the back of his neck. “We won’t tell anyone about our marriage until after the reception on Saturday. Okay?”
Elena’s heart was pounding so hard that it echoed in her ears. “But—”
“Shush. Let me do this before I forget what I’m going to say.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth, but her gaze never left his. This was it. He was going to propose and then they were to be married. It would all be done so quickly, so neatly. No fanfare. No frilly dress. No romantic moments.
And yet, she could not deny that it was best for their child. She could no longer put her needs and wants first. She was about to be a mother.
“Elena, we’ve known each other since we were little kids playing in the palace gardens. You’ve been there with me through the best and worst times of my life. Somehow it seems fitting that we are pledging to join our lives officially. I promise to always be there for you and for our child. Will you marry me?”
Tears ran down her cheeks. Instead of tears of joy, they were tears of sadness. This wasn’t how she’d imagined this moment working out. And her pregnancy hormones were working overtime, making her a sappy mess.
He removed the ring from his pinkie. “I know you’re expecting a diamond, but I didn’t have a chance to get you one. I hope you don’t mind if I use this as a temporary substitute under the circumstances.”
She gazed down at the gold ring with his family’s crest engraved upon it. Luca held it poised at the end of her finger. She couldn’t believe that this was all really happening. It was like she was moving through a dream.
And then she nodded her head. “Yes, I’ll marry you—we’ll marry you.”
He placed one hand over her still-flat abdomen. With the other hand, he slid the ring on her finger. It was a little tight, but it would do.
This was the beginning of a whole new future for her, him and their baby.