Marrying a Prince Read online

  "Do you not attend the same hospital as your, what do you call them, subjects?"

  He shook his head. "No. We have a doctor come to us. Or if it is bad, we go to a private facility in the mountains."

  Marianna snorted. "Well, you'd find that hospitals are pretty similar. Maybe you should get out more."

  The prince didn't answer. Instead, his face dropped, like Marianna had said something hurtful.

  Good going, Mari, she scolded herself.

  "I'm sorry. I don't know you. Just forget everything I said. I can be such an idiot sometimes. And if Samson is around?" She shook her head. "Watch out."

  Leo studied her for a moment before he nodded. "I understand"—his voice dropped—"perhaps we could help each other out." A look passed over his face. She half expected him to maniacally laugh and rub his hands together. What was he plotting?

  "I have an idea," he said, motioning toward his open door with his hand.

  Marianna studied him and then followed after. Once they were inside his room, he shut his door. He was wearing a pair of navy silk pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. Definitely not hospital provided attire.

  "Did your mom bring you clothes?" she asked, waving at his getup. For some reason, her gaze lingered on the way the material clung to all the right places. Where would one get lounge wear like that?

  "She had a maid bring it over."

  Marianna pinched her lips and nodded. Of course, a maid.

  "Do you not like them?" he asked, glancing down.

  Great. Now she was making the royal feel uncomfortable. She shook her head. "No. I just normally see people with the hospital gowns."

  Leo wrinkled his nose. "I do not wear clothes that another person has worn."

  Marianna snorted. Well, their relationship was off to a great start. Everything Marianna wore, sat in, or used had been previously owned. A result of being in a relationship with a self-absorbed man—he managed to spend all of her savings and then kicked her out of the apartment.

  She rubbed her face. Why was she letting Samson consume her thoughts again? She needed to push him from her mind. She'd finally come to a good place and he'd found a way to weasel back into her life.

  "Let's get you back into bed so I can check your vitals," she said, waving toward the hospital bed that now had red satin sheets. Man, they really did things different where Leo was from.

  Leo glanced over at the bed and then nodded. "Fine."

  Once he was situated, Marianna took his blood pressure, his temp, and uncovered his cut to make sure it had stopped bleeding. After recording the numbers on a pad she'd taken out of her pocket, she washed her hands and tried not to stare at Leo as she dried them.

  He was incredibly good looking. And the fact that he was a prince made him that much more desirable. Even though that made her sound shallow.

  She shook her head. He was just her patient. She needed to remember that. He was going to completely forget who she was when he walked out of this mediocre hospital.

  Once she had settled into the chair next to the window, she turned her attention to him. "So?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  He sat on the bed, smoothing out the sheet in front of him. "I need your help."

  Marianna laughed. "Yeah. I get that. Most people who come to the hospital need help."

  He shook his head. "No. This is. . . about something different."

  So he was getting personal, and it intrigued her. "Okay," she said slowly.

  "I don't"—he leaned in closer—"have amnesia."

  That was not what she was expecting him to say. "What? Then why fake it?"

  Leo scrubbed his face with his hand. "Because the woman, Gisella, she's been my intended since I was a baby. I must be married to inherit the throne."

  Marianna wasn't following him. "So you faked not knowing her? Why? If you need to get married…"

  Leo's studied the wall in front of him as if he were lost in thought. "No one has ever asked me if I wanted to be king. If I even wanted the throne. Every part of my life has been plotted out since I was a child. I go wherever I’m told and wear whatever is brought to me." He waved at his pajama bottoms. "I hate silk, but my mother doesn't care. She chooses them for me."

  Marianna cringed. An almost thirty-year-old who has his mother pick out his clothes? Ouch. "So, you don't want to marry Gisella. And you thought faking amnesia was the best way of getting out of it?" At least Samson had told her to her face that he didn't want to be with her. It took things to a whole other level to have a guy fake not even knowing you.

  His cheeks turned red under his tanned skin. "Not my proudest moment. But I was running out of options. I am to propose to her tonight." She saw him swallow hard.

  "Is she that bad?"

  Leo's face stilled. "She is spoiled and self-centered. She cares nothing for me, just my title and what that brings her. Her father is a very wealthy man in my country, and I believe that he wants to use our marriage to push his agenda."

  "So, are you asking me to sneak you out of here?"

  A flash of hope passed over Leo's face, but then he shook his head. "No. I couldn't do that to my family, as much as I want to. I need you to do something else." He sighed and looked at her with uncertainty. "I need you to come tonight."

  "Isn't that something couples normally do alone? Getting engaged is pretty intimate." It would feel weird, standing off in the corner, watching two people in love. Right now, she wanted to get away from all of that.

  Leo shook his head. "Not the way my mother has it planned. It is to be recorded and broadcasted all over America. She's hoping that the proposal will draw tourists to our country. It is struggling right now. I am to propose to Gisella in front of the large windows at the Met." He dropped his voice. "Even if mother believes that I do not remember who Gisella is."

  A twinge of sadness crept up in Marianna's chest. She felt bad for the guy. At least she hadn't been forced to marry someone she didn't love. When push came to shove, she had walked out on Samson. It seemed as if this prince was trapped in a life that he couldn't get away from.

  "So, what do you want me to do? I doubt your family will believe me if I tell them you have amnesia."

  Leo shook his head. "I had another idea."

  Marianna wasn't sure she liked the sly tone to his voice. "Okay…"

  "If I accidentally proposed to another woman, my parents would have to go along with it. The last thing they'd want is for the press to think that their son is mentally unfit to run a country. If I were to publicly propose to you." He pointed his finger at her. "They'd have to abide by it. At least for a time. It might be just what I need to figure out what to do."

  Marianna swallowed. "Me. You want to propose to me?" Her stomach lightened at the thought, but then she pushed it away. Sure, a proposal from a prince had been one of her dreams since she was a little girl. But it had been a fantasy. Never to come true.

  He nodded. "And I think it would help you too. You would get away from this place. From"—he waved his hand at the door—"that guy. You'd be able to shove our proposal in his face." He raised his eyebrows as if that was the best thing in the world.

  Marianna let his statement sink in. There was truth to it. A proposal from a prince was a lot better than the slutty nurse Samson left her for. "But, would we actually get married?"

  Leo shook his head. "No. I have a cousin next in line. If I postpone the marriage long enough, he will inherit and I"—he blew out his breath—"will be free."

  "So this is only an engagement. No feelings, no marriage. Strictly two people helping each other out."

  Leo nodded. "The last thing I need is a relationship, as I'm sure is the same for you."

  That was true. Getting away from here sounded amazing. So she sighed and rubbed her temples, not believing what she was about to say. "What's the plan?"

  Chapter Four

  Leo stood in the bathroom of his suite, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The gash on his forehead was stitched togeth
er, but the skin around it was red. He gingerly touched it and winced as pain shot through him.

  It had taken some finagling to let the doctors release him, but when his mother insisted that their family doctor was currently en route here, they agreed. Thankfully Leo had convinced his parents and Dr. Wilson that Marianna had to come as well. She was currently getting changed and then would meet him at his suite. His stomach lightened at the thought of her coming. It felt good to have an ally in all of this.

  He opened the cap of his gel and rubbed it into his hair, making it look tousled in a purposeful way. Once he was done, he rinsed his hands and dried them on a nearby towel. After tying his bowtie, he straightened his cummerbund and flipped off the light in his bathroom.

  The chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the center living room glowed against the setting sun. The rooms at the Ritz-Carlton were beautiful. They spared no detail. The furniture was plush and the wood accents were carved in intricate patterns.

  The New York skyline shimmered in the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city was a magical place that Leo could look at, but never experience. Not when every aspect of his life was planned.

  His muscles itched. When he got like this, the best thing he could do to calm himself down was to run. Run away from everything that scared or frustrated him. And right now, not being the king that his country and family wanted him to be scared him.

  He swallowed as he walked over to the drink cart and poured himself a scotch. Just as he lifted the glass to his lips, a knock sounded on his door.

  After setting the glass down, he made his way over and turned the handle. Marianna stood in the hall with her eyes wide. Like she'd been scared by something.

  But Leo was having a hard time processing anything but how beautiful she looked. Her long dark hair was pulled up, accentuating the lines of her long neck and the smoothness of her skin.

  She had on a floor-length navy dress with hand-sewn beads that sparkled against the light. The neckline curved down, hinting at what was underneath but not exposing it.

  "Wow," he said. For some reason, he didn't feel the need to be shy about his appreciation. They'd already decided that this was strictly an arrangement. That getting emotionally involved was off the table.

  Her skin flushed as she reached up and rubbed her shoulder. "Is it too much? I mean, am I giving our plan away?"

  Leo pressed his finger to his lips and motioned for her to follow him into the suite. Filippo was in the adjoining room and had not yet emerged. Plus, he didn't want anyone in the hall to overhear them.

  Once inside, he lead her over to his room and shut the door. Now safe, he looked over at her. She was glancing around, her eyes huge.

  "This is where you are staying?" she asked, parting her lips. Her full, pink lips.

  Leo cleared his throat and dropped his gaze. What was the matter with him? Day one and he was already going back on his promise to her.

  So he pulled his thoughts away from how beautiful she looked and nodded. "Yeah. It pales in comparison to the one at home."

  Marianna coughed. "What?"

  He shrugged. They lived in a two-hundred-year-old castle. It was huge.

  She whistled. "I'd love to see that."

  "You will."

  When she didn't speak, he glanced over at her. Her expression was uneasy. Had they not really talked about this? Maybe he should tell her just what she was getting herself into.

  "I mean, if that's okay," he said.

  She chewed her lip as she studied him. "I have to go to your country?"

  He nodded. Unease rising up in his chest. "Is that okay?"

  She walked over to the bed and sat down. "I guess I didn't think of that. I mean, I will be your fiancée. Of course I'll have to go home with you." She turned to look at him, her forehead wrinkled. "When's your birthday? That's when the stipulation is over, right?"

  He laughed and walked over to her. He sat down and let his hand hover above her shoulder. He wondered if he should touch her or not. But then realized that it looked worse to just hang there, so he lowered his hand and let it rest on her shoulder.

  As much as he tried to fight it, feeling her skin under his fingertips created a reaction in his stomach. Zaps of electricity shot down his arm.

  "I promise you, you are going to have the time of your life. Caro is beautiful this time of year. Think of it as a month-long vacation." He leaned closer to her. For a moment, he allowed his flirty nature to come out. "I will make it worth your while."

  Her eyes widened as her gaze dropped to his lips for a second before she snapped it back up. He swallowed. Was it possible she felt the attraction too? But then he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. That was the last thing he should be focusing on.

  "You think so?" she asked, dropping her gaze to study her hands.

  He nodded and squeezed her shoulder. "You're going to do great. And my country is going to love you as much as you are going to love it. Together, we can help each other out. This Samson guy will be a thing of the past."

  She blew out her breath and nodded. "Thing of the past," she repeated.

  There were three solid knocks on the door. Marianna sprung up from the bed like a rabbit. She whipped around. "Who is that?"

  Leo smiled at how fidgety she was. She'd obviously never been in cahoots with someone before. "Relax. It's probably just Filippo." He stood, adjusted his tux, and made his way past her.

  She reached out and grabbed his arm. "Should I be in here? Will he suspect anything?"

  He laughed and patted her hand. "You forget, Mari. I am a prince. I can do whatever I want and have whoever I want in my room." He wiggled his eyebrows. Her cheeks flushed again.

  "But—"

  He waved away her concern. "You are a nurse. I'm sure you could come up with a medical reason for why you are here." When he got to the door, he glanced back to see that she was chewing on her thumbnail. Her gaze swept around the room as if she were trying to come up with a lie.

  He chuckled and turned the handle. He was going to have to teach her how to be a better liar.

  Just as he’d thought, Filippo was standing on the other side. When his gaze fell on Marianna, he raised his eyebrows. "Your Highness," he said, bringing his gaze back.

  "Yes?" Leo was used to this. He didn't have to explain himself to his bodyguard. Maybe to his mother, but even then, he was going to be king, and kings didn't answer to anyone.

  "I wanted to let you know that the limo is downstairs." Filippo's gaze made its way back to Marianna. He leaned forward. "Is there a reason why the nurse is in here?"

  Leo glanced back in a smooth manner. As if it were totally normal that he had a woman in his room. "She was running a few vitals, you know, to make sure I'm okay."

  "He's tip top," Marianna said, raising her finger in the air.

  Leo cocked his head, which seemed like the worst response. A panicked looked flashed over her face and she began to pace.

  "Is she okay?" Filippo asked.

  Leo nodded. "She'll be fine." He leaned closer. "She's not used to being around royalty."

  That sparked a look of recognition. "Understood. Should I give her some pointers?"

  Leo shook his head. "No. It's best to keep from talking to her." The he turned around. "The limo is here, Marianna."

  She breathed a sigh of relief. "Wonderful." She sprinted past him and Filippo and stopped at the front door. She turned and nodded toward them. "Coming?"

  Leo nodded, shut his bedroom door, and then followed Filippo out of his suite.

  The elevator ride down was quiet. Leo wondered what Marianna was thinking, but knew better than to ask. Especially with Filippo around. It was probably best to keep everyone in the dark.

  Dinner was pleasant. The food was delicious, but most of Leo's attention was focused on how he was going to pull off the mixed-up engagement. His parents would be upset, and he needed to play it off like he truly believed he'd done the right thing.

  Everything was r
iding on this. He would drag Marianna down with him if he couldn't keep up the act.

  Gisella leaned over and smiled at him. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

  He wondered if she could tell that he was lying. That proposing to her made his stomach churn. But, he couldn't show that part of him, even if she suspected. He'd started this amnesia farce, and he was going to see it to the end.

  "I'm okay." He smiled weakly at her. "And you?"

  She narrowed her eyes as her gaze roamed his face. "When are you going to give it up?" And then she stopped, raising her pointer finger. "Never mind. You have to propose no matter what, so it doesn’t matter." She moved to lean back in her chair.

  He hated the power she thought she held over him. Why couldn't his mother see what her and her father had planned? Once the Marasco family had their claws in the government, there was no getting them out.

  He kept a cool countenance, even though he was boiling with rage inside. He was tired of all of this. He pushed away from the table and stood. Marianna's gaze landed on him. Just as he turned, he almost ran into a waiter carrying chocolate cake for dessert.

  But with the way he was feeling, he was no longer hungry. He was ready to get this horrible night over with. "I need a walk," he said.

  Marianna scrambled up from her seat, colliding with the waiter bringing her dessert and flinging the cake against the nearby wall. "I'm so sorry," she said, moving to help him clean it up.

  "It's okay, ma'am. I've got it covered." The man reached out to still her.

  Marianna glanced over at him and then nodded. "Okay." She wrung her hands together. "I really am so sorry."

  The waiter waved away her worry.

  "Now, the walk?" she asked, turning her attention over to Leo.

  "Where are you going?" his mother asked, raising her eyebrows.

  "I am feeling a bit dizzy. I think some fresh air would do me good." He pressed his hand on his forehead, inches away from his gash.

  His mother's skin paled and she nodded. "Of course. Filippo, please."

  Filippo nodded and stepped up to Leo, but Leo held up his hand. "I was hoping that Marianna could accompany me. After all, if anything did happen, she'd be the best person to have alongside me."