The Prince's Christmas Vow

“If I was planning to marry you, I’d want to know that you already have a wife—”

“Marry?” What? Had he heard her correctly? “Annabelle and I?”

Zoe nodded. “She’s perfect for you. An aristocrat’s daughter. Your country will have a strong ally in Halencia.”

“Stop!” The unintentional boom of his voice had Zoe’s eyes opening wide. He made a point of lowering his voice. “Annabelle and I are not getting married.”

“But after the annulment is resolved—”

“Not then. Not ever.”

Zoe’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I. Annabelle isn’t in Mirraccino to get married. Her father didn’t approve of her globe-trotting, partying ways. He thought a job would teach her some responsibility. Her father and my father put their heads together. In exchange for Annabelle being the face of the South Shore revitalization project that includes advertisements and billboards, her father agreed to be a large investor in the project. He will be attending the Royal Christmas Ball.”

“He’s one of the people you need to impress?”

Demetrius nodded. “Now do you understand? Annabelle has nothing to do with you and me.”

“But you can’t launch a search for the annulment papers. People will talk. Rumors will start. What if the media finds out about you and me?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. The muscles were tense and giving him a headache. “Honestly, I’m surprised the paparazzi hasn’t found out by now.”

“But you’ve worked so hard to change your public persona—to get the people to respect you—”

“And I have no intention of smearing my name. Everything will be done hush-hush under the direction of counsel.” He was struck by her genuine concern. If there was any doubt whatsoever of whether she’d signed the annulment papers or not, he had his answer now.

“I hope they find them before someone else does.”

“I do, too. But we’ll deal with that issue if we have to.”

“So you believe me? You believe I wasn’t going to use the papers against you?”

He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I still have questions, but no, I don’t think you were planning to blackmail me or anything.”

“I guess that will have to be enough.”

He wasn’t sure where that left them, but he’d take it as a good sign. After all, there was no reason they had to be enemies. There were plenty of exes who were friends. Weren’t there?

“It’s a nice evening for a walk. How about I walk you back to the beach house?”

Surprise lit up her eyes. He thought for sure that she’d turn him down. He still wasn’t so sure he could pull off this friend thing, not when he remembered vividly the sweetness of her kisses. But he wanted to give it a try. They’d done the fighting thing and it wasn’t working for him. It was time for a change.

Zoe nodded. “I’d like that.”

“So would I.”

Side by side, they strolled down the beach as the sun sunk lower on the horizon and the water rolled farther up the beach. When a strong breeze rushed past them, Zoe rubbed her arms and he realized she wasn’t wearing a jacket. He slipped off his suit coat and placed it over her shoulders.

After all, that’s what friends do—look out for each other. With a little practice, he just might be able to pull this friendship off. And it felt so much better than arguing.

CHAPTER NINE

A PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE had formed.

Dare she call it a friendship?

Zoe had her hands full traveling between Residenza del Rosa, the palace and the beach house. Days turned into a week and then two weeks as rush orders were placed for state-of-the-art office furniture. The pieces were needed for the administrative suite on the second floor of the mansion. Those offices needed to be smart looking as well as functional. That was the easy part.

The common rooms on the first floor would take more effort—more creativity. They would have a different function and hopefully portray a more relaxed mood.

Today, the painting should be underway. She was anxious to see if the shades they’d settled on were the same calming colors once it covered the entire wall. She crossed her fingers for luck. They were running out of time to have additional colors specially mixed and delivered.

The royal sedan pulled right up to the front of the mansion. She immediately noticed that the construction equipment had been removed. New sod had been laid on the front lawn. The end was in sight. When she stepped out of the vehicle, she could still hear some smaller machines as they worked on the back of the building. If she had to guess, she’d say they were working on the landscaping.