The Prince's Scandalous Wedding Vow

“You saved me twice,” he said, sitting down in a chair near the bed and then pulling her onto his lap.

He noticed she’d allowed him to draw her down, but her posture remained ramrod straight. She was still upset. He didn’t blame her, but he was also beyond proud of her, and in awe. She was a marvel, a heroine, and she was his.

His hand skimmed over her hair, stroking from the top down. “How am I to live without you?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “I’m afraid it’s impossible, which is why I can’t let you go.”

Her chin tipped, nose lifting. “You can’t make me stay. I’m done being ordered about.”

He checked his smile. “Well, then, I’ll just have to lock you back in the tower.”

She turned her head sharply and glared at him. “Have you learned nothing these past few weeks?”

He lifted one of her long silky curls. “I did. I just told you. You weren’t listening. I can’t live without you.”

“You’ll be fine. You’re not in danger anymore.”

He stroked another curl and then wrapped it around his finger. “Not true. I’m in danger of losing you and it’ll break my heart, and what kind of king would I be with a damaged brain and a broken heart?”

She smothered a laugh but he felt her back heave and the inelegant snort made him smile. It felt good to smile. It felt good to have her with him like this. He’d missed her so much.

“You’ll be fine without me,” she said huskily. “You’ll find another princess—”

“Never. You’re the only princess I want and the only woman I love.” He turned her head toward him. “I love you, Josephine, I do, and I know I don’t deserve you, but I’m asking for a second chance. Let me make things right. Let me prove to you how much I love you and how sorry I am for hurting you—”

“You did hurt me.”

“I know I did. I wasn’t sensitive about the miscarriage, and I shouldn’t have forced you to marry me. I should have let you go home and grieve and come back when you were ready.”

She said nothing and he gave her hair another stroke.

“I’m not being honest,” he said after a moment. “I’m sorry for what I did, but the truth is I’d do it all over again if I thought I might lose you. I didn’t let you go home because I was afraid you wouldn’t come back. I demanded you marry me because I couldn’t imagine living without you. From the time I was on Khronos, I wanted you, and not just for a few days but forever. There is no one else for me, cara, only you.”

He tipped her chin up and kissed her lightly. “Tell me we can make this work. Tell me you’ll give me another chance. You don’t have to love me. You don’t have to forgive me. Just promise you’ll give me time to get it right, because that has been the one thing we have never had enough of...time. It’s always been against us. It’s always running out. I need time with you, Josephine, time to prove to you that I can make you happy, and make you feel safe—”

“You do,” she whispered, interrupting him. “And you have.” She blinked, chasing away tears. “I love you,” she added simply. “I have loved you from the moment I saw you on my beach. I was meant to rescue you, just as I was meant to love you. Sometimes I think the only reason I was put on this earth was to be there when you needed me.”

“If that’s the case, know now that I will always need you, and I will always love you, and I will always want you at my side. We belong together. You, me, and the children we will have.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Do you think we’ll be able to have another baby? I want to start a family with you.”

He clasped her face and kissed her fiercely. “We will,” he murmured a long time later. “I promise we will. Just as I promise you my love and my heart forever.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THEY WAITED UNTIL the period of mourning was over to take a much-needed honeymoon, and then after the honeymoon there was the coronation with all the pomp and circumstance the crowning of Aargau’s new king required.

But finally, thankfully, the guests were gone, and the fuss was over, and life was settling into a pleasant routine at the palace. Alexander would be busy during the days, but he was all hers at night, and they made love with an unending passion and hunger.

But after two months of palace walls and palace views, Josephine longed for a change, and she mentioned to Alexander that she hoped they could sneak away for a few days, or even a day, and do something adventurous and new just the two of them.

She didn’t think he was listening, but the next morning while she was having breakfast he strolled into her room and told her that they’d be leaving within the hour.

“What should I wear?” she asked.

“Something comfortable, and bring a sweater or a jacket just in case it gets cold.”

Their driver ferried them to the dock, where a boat was waiting. Josephine glanced nervously at the boat. “Where are we going?”

“It will take us thirty minutes by boat. At this time it’s the only way to get there.”

“What are the conditions like today?”

“It’ll be a little bumpy, but I’ll make sure we take it slow.”

She nodded and stepped into the speedboat and told herself she wouldn’t get seasick and hoped it was true. “Are you going to tell me anything else?” she asked, taking a seat and watching Alexander take one across from her.

“In a bit,” he answered. “But for now, just try to relax and enjoy the adventure.” He gave her a faint smile. “You like adventures, and freedom. Remember?”

“I do,” she agreed cautiously, even as her stomach lurched. She’d been queasier lately, her morning coffee no longer the treat it had once been. And as the speedboat raced across the water, bouncing on some of the bigger waves, sending up a mist of sea spray, she clung to her seat praying she wouldn’t throw up.

This was probably not the best adventure when she wasn’t feeling well, but Alexander looked so happy that she didn’t want to ruin his pleasure.

“Where are we going?” she asked, as the minutes slid by and the boat kept bouncing and she kept swallowing hard.

“There is a bit of rock ahead, nothing too grand. It’s barren and remote. But I thought you might like it. I thought you might need a place of your own, a place off the grid with plenty of sun and quiet beaches.” His voice had dropped and he gave her a crooked, rather tender smile. “A place where you can be a mermaid and raise our children away from society, noise, and rules and regulations.”

Her eyes suddenly stung. Did he know? Did he suspect? She hadn’t said anything yet, but she had seen the doctor and he’d confirmed her suspicions. He’d even done an ultrasound and let her watch the tiny, steady, strong heartbe

at. “You’re describing paradise,” she said softly.

“I wouldn’t call it paradise, but it is yours, all yours. I’m giving you your very own island.”

The speedboat was slowing and yet the wind tangled her hair, and she struggled to push back wild, damp strands from her salt-sticky face. “An island of my own?”

“It’s there, ahead of us. Just keep watching the horizon.”

She watched and her gaze narrowed as she waited for something to appear. He told her a little more about the island that lay off the coast of Aargau. It was rocky and barren and good for nothing, but it did have a small beach and a tiny little cove, neither of which were used by the public since they had been owned for the past 160 years by the Alberici family.

“So you have been here before?” she asked, leaning forward, thinking she could see a small lump of land in the distance, but not sure.

He shook his head. “I was there once as a boy. My father and Uncle Aldo took Damian and me there for a fishing trip. It wasn’t a success, though, and we never returned.”

“So you have bad memories of the place?”

“I don’t know if they were bad, but they weren’t good enough to make me want to return. But it’s different now. We’re going together.”

Yes, it was land ahead of them. It appeared to be a small hill rising from the sea. The island wasn’t very big, but then again, it wasn’t quite as small as she’d imagined, either. She could see little green from where she sat, and she suspected it was, as he said, nearly all rock.

The motorboat slowed yet again as they approached the shore. The purplish-blue water lightened, turning a shimmering aquamarine as they arrived at the cove, capped by an ivory crescent of sand. The sides of the cove were rocky and relatively high, but the beach was lovely, with its generous swathe of pale ivory sand.

Their boat’s driver steered them as close to the shore as he could before turning off the motor. Alexander jumped out of the boat, waded into the surf, and held his arms up to Josephine. “Come, Queen, I’ll keep you from getting wet.”