“I will stay married to you until then, but I cannot live with you. This marriage will be in name only from here on out.”
She stepped off the platform and started to move by him.
“But you’ll you be at the coronation?” he asked.
She stopped in her tracks, her shoulders stiffened, but she did not turn around. “I would never go back on my word to a friend. I’ll be there.”
* * *
Countless times he’d lied. He’d lied his way through his teen years, lied when he knew the truth would only get him into trouble, but he couldn’t mislead Victoria when she’d asked him if he loved her. Not even when he knew the truth would break her even more.
She’d accused him of humiliating her, which made him no better than the bastard who’d publicly destroyed her. The end result was the same. Victoria trusted and loved with her whole heart and had ended up hurt.
Stefan rested his hands against the marble rail on the edge of his master suite’s balcony. Over and over during the past three months, he’d replayed his time with Victoria, looking for those moments he’d missed, trying to see exactly where he went wrong.
He knew she loved him as a friend. Friend love was something he could handle. But this deeper love he’d been afraid of coming from her was just something he couldn’t grasp. He’d never loved a woman other than his mother. In his world love meant commitment and loyalty—two things he reserved for his country.
Victoria’s declaration of love had speared a knife through his heart sharper and deeper than anything. Victoria Dane, the woman who’d captured his attention as a teen and quickly turned into his best friend, the woman who saved him time and time again with her selfless ways and her kind heart, and the woman who would’ve graciously helped him work on clearing his family’s reputation, had walked out of his life. And there was no one to blame but himself.
He missed hearing her voice, missed knowing her smile would be waiting for him at the end of the day. Missed her body lying next to his. He missed everything from her friendship to their intimacy.
Every time he walked into their closet he saw her standing there in her silky lingerie trying to decide what to wear. When he lay in bed at night, his hand reached to her side as if she’d magically appear. And when he’d tried to take a stroll on the beach, he recalled the day he’d kissed her by the ocean, when he felt that something was turning in their relationship. He’d known then something was different, but he hadn’t wanted to identify it.
He was going to go mad if he didn’t concentrate on something else. Unfortunately, no matter what he did, all thoughts circled back to Victoria.
Stefan shoved off the rail and marched to his room. Maybe if he tried to rid their room of reminders, that would help. After all, he was still hanging on to her doodles and sketches. He yanked open the drawer on his desk and pulled out the random drawings from Victoria’s late-night dress designs.
Something slid beneath his hand as he picked up the sketches. An SD card. And not just any SD card, but the one he’d taken from the intruder that day at the beach.
Obviously he felt the need to torture himself further because he found himself popping it into the computer. In actuality, he wanted to look at Victoria when she was happier, before he’d filled her life with anguish.
He rested his palms on the desk, waiting for the images to load. In no time several small pictures appeared on the screen, and Stefan sank into his office chair. He clicked on the first one, maximizing the image.
Click after click he saw the same thing over and over: Victoria smiling at him, hope and love swimming in her eyes, her hair dancing around in the ocean breeze and the sunset in the distance.
But the last image was different. The final picture was like a knife through his already damaged heart.
Victoria sat with her back to the camera, her face to the ocean as he looked at her. There was no smile on his lips, but it was the expression in his eyes. The image smacked him in the face. No man looked at a woman with such adoration, such passion, like nothing else mattered in the world, if he didn’t love her. How could he not have realized that all this time, everything he’d felt, every twinge in his chest, had been love? All those times she’d smiled at him and he felt a flutter and each moment he wanted to just hold her near...damn, how could he have missed what was right in front of him?
Stefan fell against the back of his seat as the picture stared him in the face, mocking everything he’d had in his grasp and had let go.
The ache he’d felt for days intensified to a level he never knew existed. Pain consumed him, and he knew he had to take action or face a lifetime of loneliness because no woman could or would ever replace his Tori.
There was no way he would give her up without a fight. No way in hell. If he had to recruit her brothers, her mother, even God himself, Stefan had to win her back.
He would make her see that she
did
mean everything to him. She was his best friend, and he seriously didn’t think he could get through life without her.
With his mind working in overtime, he started plotting how he would get his wife back.
Sixteen
A
gainst her family’s wishes and best attempts to talk her out of it, Victoria wasn’t about to miss the coronation. Stefan may not have gone about their relationship the right way, but he did deserve to be king.
After all, his country was the one thing in life he actually loved. At one time she would’ve given anything to hear him say those words about her, too.
No matter the months that had passed, the pain was just as fresh, just as raw. Even though her bridal line had launched with great success, she couldn’t enjoy the overwhelming attention and adoration her designs were getting.
Victoria smoothed a hand down the royal-blue gown she’d designed for the coronation. She’d wanted to match Stefan’s bright sash that stretched from his shoulder to his hip. Though why she tried so hard was beyond her.
No, she had to be honest, at least with herself. She wanted him to shine. Wanted them to put up a united front for the public. If anyone knew about pretenses, it was her. Having come from the prestigious Dane family, she was all too aware of what could happen if the right image wasn’t portrayed, and this was Stefan’s final step into the role of king.
As she glanced in the mirror, she couldn’t help but have a sense of déjà vu. This was the exact room she stood in six months ago when she’d married. Only this time she’d traveled alone. Her mother wasn’t supportive and her brothers weren’t too happy, either. Her sisters-in-law, well, they totally understood the stupid things women did for love.
And yes, after all she’d been through, she loved the man. Dammit, she couldn’t help herself. Stupid female hormones. She wanted to hate him for the pain he’d caused, wanted to despise him for making her fall in love. But she only had herself to blame. How long had she known him? How many times had she seen a broken heart lying at his feet?
She smoothed her hair back and glanced from side to side to make sure her chignon was in place. A soft knock at her door had her cringing.
Showtime.
“My lady,” one of the guards called through the door. “I’m ready to escort you down to the ballroom.”
The ballroom would be transformed into a vibrant display of royal-blue silk draped over every stationary item. The bold color symbolized the country, and the crest would be hung from banners surrounding the room. After all, this was a celebration of the next reign.
Too bad she didn’t feel like celebrating. She hadn’t seen Stefan since he’d walked out of her office three months ago. She’d seen pictures of him via the internet rock climbing and surfing, always alone. All the tabloids were speculating a separation between them. Both she and Stefan had issued press releases stating they were each busy working on various projects, but they were very much still married and looking forward to the coronation ceremony.
Which wasn’t a total lie. She was looking forward to it because after this day was over, she could divorce him and move on with her battered heart. But she still hadn’t gotten the nerve to contact her attorney. She just couldn’t. The thought of closing the door on their relationship brought on a whole new layer of pain she just wasn’t ready to deal with. Because she knew there was no way in hell they could go back to being just friends.
Victoria crossed the room, her full silk skirt swishing against her legs. She opened the door with a smile on her face and looped her hand around the arm of the guard. Time to get her last duty as royalty over with.
“You look stunning, Your Highness.”
She swallowed the lump of guilt over the pretense. “Thank you. I’m a bit nervous.”
His soft chuckle sounded through the marble hallway. “Nothing to be nervous about. All you have to do is smile and take the crown.”
The crown, the one that symbolized leadership and loyalty. And in a few short months, she’d give it up because she couldn’t remain queen of this country. She couldn’t stay with Stefan, no matter how she loved him or how much he claimed to care for her. Wasn’t there a song about sometimes love not being enough?
Victoria descended the steps, ready to get this day over with. A day most women in her shoes would want to savor, relish, remember. Unfortunately, Victoria was too busy trying to erect a steel wall around her heart for when she saw her husband again.
* * *
Stefan stood outside the grand ballroom and watched as one of the palace guards escorted Victoria toward him. Her beauty had been in his dreams every night. That flawless elegance from her golden hair to her sweet smile to her delicate frame.
And every night he’d lain in bed alone, wishing he could have her by his side, wishing he could hear those very unladylike snores coming from the other side of the bed.
He knew he had it bad when he missed Victoria’s snoring.
But it was the epiphany brought about by those images that prompted him to make the biggest decision of his life. One that was life-altering, but there was no other choice. Not if he wanted to have any type of peace and happiness. And not if he wanted to keep the woman he loved.
As she approached him, he extended his hand, eager for that first contact after being without her familiar touch for too long.
“You’re the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in three months,” he told her, bringing her hand to his lips.
Victoria bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Na pari i eychi
, she was going to keep it formal and stiff. Like hell. He wasn’t having any of that and in about two minutes she’d see just how serious he was about keeping things between them very, very personal.
She’d turned him down in L.A. because he’d been uncertain. Well, after three months of living without her, then finding those damning pictures from the beach and knowing he could indeed have all that was important, he was not going to end this day without getting the one thing in life he could not live without. And his revelation would no doubt shock her. Surprisingly, once he’d made the decision, he wasn’t upset about it.
But for the first time in his life he was scared. A ball of nerves settled deep into his stomach. He couldn’t lose her. Right now, nothing else mattered but his goal. And that was another first...this goal had absolutely nothing to do with his country.
“Are you ready?” he asked, looking into her blue eyes that never failed to captivate him.
For months he’d had a band around his chest, and seeing her in person only tightened it. The ache for her was unlike anything he’d ever known.
“Do I have a choice?” she whispered, holding his gaze.
Without a word, he wrapped her fingers around his arm and headed toward the closed set of double doors leading to the ballroom. On the other side, hundreds of very important diplomats, presidents and royalty waited to see the crowning of the next king and queen of Galini Isle.
Were they in for a surprise.
Two guards pulled open the tall, arched doors, revealing a ballroom adorned with royal silk the color of his vibrant sash and banners with the Alexander family crest suspended from the ceiling, the balcony and between the windows.
Everyone came to their feet as he and Victoria made their way down the blue satin stretched along the aisle before them, the Archbishop waiting at the end dressed in pristine white robes with a blue sash.
Even Mikos, who was still in a wheelchair but recovering nicely, waited at the end of the aisle. His brother knew exactly what was getting ready to take place. Mikos flashed a knowing smile and gave him a nod of approval.
Stefan swallowed the inkling of fear that kept trying to creep in. This was the right move to make, the only move to make. He had to take this leap and pray it paid off in the end. He wanted Victoria back and would do whatever it took.
Her fingers curled into his forearm and he knew she was nervous, angry, scared. Hopefully after today he could make her happy from here on out. He had to try, at least. What kind of man would he be if he didn’t?
Once they reached the end of the aisle, the archbishop gestured for them to step up onto the stage, where two high-back thrones, centuries old, awaited them.
Stefan slid Victoria’s hand from his arm and assisted her, careful not to step on the skirt of her gown. Once she was up and seated, he joined her. They faced the crowd, and Stefan knew it was go time.
He’d scaled the death defying rocks of Kalymnos, but that was nothing compared to the anxiety that slid through him, knowing his life and everything he loved was on the line. Every goal he’d ever wanted was within his reach...but he’d give it up in a flash for a lifetime with this woman.
When the archbishop opened his mouth, Stefan held up a hand, cutting the elderly man off.
“I do apologize,” Stefan said. “But I have something to say before we proceed, if that’s all right.”
Obviously shocked, the archbishop stuttered a bit before bowing. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
“What are you doing?” Victoria whispered beside him.
“Taking control of my life,” he told her before coming to his feet.
Stefan glanced over the crowd, pulling up all his courage and strength. He’d need a great deal of both to get through the next several life-altering moments.
He glanced down to Mikos, who was still smiling. And Stefan knew that if Mikos could practically come back from near death, then Stefan could lay his heart on the line in front of millions of viewers.
“Sorry to interrupt the ceremony before it starts,” he said to the crowd of suspicious onlookers. “But I have something important to say and this may change the outcome of today’s festivities.”
“Stefan,” Victoria whispered from behind him. “Stop. Sit down.”
Ignoring her, he moved to stand on the other side of her chair because all of this was for her benefit...not the spectators’. He looked down into her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Victoria Dane Alexander, you have been my best friend since we were teens. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you and I’ve come to learn there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me.”
Victoria bowed her head, clamping her hands tightly in her lap. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but he had to keep going, had to make her see this wasn’t just about a title or a stupid movie.
“I’ve been using this beautiful woman,” he admitted to the crowd. An audible gasp settled over the ballroom. “I needed her to keep this country in my family and become your king. She agreed to marry me, and I promised her after the coronation if she chose to end the marriage, I would step aside.”
Stefan couldn’t stand it anymore. He reached out, placing a hand over her shoulder and squeezed. She trembled beneath his touch.
“But I can’t step aside.”
Her head jerked up to meet his. Tears swam in her eyes, ready to fall down at the next blink.
“I can’t step aside and let this woman out of my life,” he continued. “I don’t deserve her or her loyalty. I certainly don’t deserve her love for the way I’ve treated her. But she fell in love with me.”
His eyes locked on to hers. “And with no doubts of our future together, I fell in love with her.”
Victoria’s watery eyes searched his face and Stefan got down on one knee beside her chair. Taking her hand in his, he kissed her knuckles.
“I haven’t been honest with Victoria, or all of you. This marriage was a fake, but I do love you, Victoria. And if I can’t be your king, then so be it. I couldn’t live with myself if I let this woman out of my life.”
He took a deep breath as he continued to lay his heart on the line. “Victoria,” he said, softer now because nothing else mattered except her response, “I wasn’t respectful when I didn’t tell you the full truth, but I swear on my life if you let me back into that loving heart of yours, I’ll spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. Nothing else matters but you and us...if you’ll have me.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “You don’t mean this.”
Stroking the back of her trembling hand, he smiled. “I’ve never meant anything more. I’m not sure when I fell in love with you. Maybe it was when I first met you or maybe it was when you were walking down the aisle to become my bride. Looking back, I think I’ve always been in love with you and I just couldn’t admit it to myself. At least I didn’t know the level of love I had. It’s so much deeper than I ever could’ve imagined.”
Victoria sighed, closed her eyes and let the tears fall.
“Can you say that again?” she asked, lifting her lids to meet his gaze.
Stefan searched her beautiful face. “Which part?”
“The part where you fell in love with me with no doubts of our future.”
He chuckled. “I’m a fool not to have realized that I’ve loved you for years. All this time I wanted to get closer to you, wanted more than a friendship, but I didn’t know what. Now I know that what I was searching for was love. And it was there all along.”
Her head dipped to her chest as she sniffed. “I’m scared,” she whispered. “What if you fall out of love?”
Tipping her chin up with his finger and thumb, he eased in for a gentle, simple kiss. “I’ve loved you most of my life, Tori. I just didn’t have the courage to admit it to myself. There’s no way I could ever fall out of love. I’ve been absolutely miserable without you. Nothing matters, not this title, crown or movie, if you aren’t in my life. I’d give it all up for another chance.”
“But if you step aside, Galini Isle will go back to Greece.”
He smiled. “I found a loophole, finally. When it mattered most, I found a way out.”
Her teary eyes searched his. “But how?”
“Mikos will step up if I need him to,” he told her.
“I didn’t think he could.”
He took her hand, kissed it and smiled. “I’ll explain later. Can you please put me out of my misery and tell me this marriage will be real from here on out?”
A beautiful, hopeful smile spread across her face. “I don’t want you to give up your title or the documentary...though my brothers are pretty upset, but I can talk to them.”
Stefan squeezed her hands. “I seriously don’t care about anything but being with you. If you’re in my future, I can handle whatever comes my way.”
She leaned toward him and kissed his lips before whispering in his ear, “Then let’s see if we can finish this coronation ceremony and we can celebrate alone wearing only our crowns.”