Leopold, Part Six: A Royal Heartbreakers Romance Read online

  How did I ever think I could live without her?

  It’s nearly dawn, and I’m still in Elle’s bed, holding her in my arms. I slide my hand down the bare skin of her back, holding her against me as I stare up at the patterns on the ceiling.

  She finally told me she loved me again. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear those words another time, but now that she’s said them, I realize why I had such a negative reaction to my father’s latest demand. I was watching my life constrict and change, finally realizing how much I was giving up for Elle, and yet I knew there was still the possibility she’d choose to leave tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. After all, she’d only promised me one more day. What if she decided that my family’s drama was just too much? Then I’d be giving up my freedom for nothing.

  Look at you, you poor bastard, I think. Losing your mind over whether or not a woman might leave you. Over whether she loves you. In my old life, neither of those things was ever a concern—I was never with a woman long enough to give her the chance to leave me. Frankly, I was far more terrified of the prospect that she might form an attachment to me and become bothersome. Now look at me. I’m a bloody fool.

  My knuckles ache something fierce, and pain throbs through my hand as I open and close my fingers. A year ago, if someone had told me I’d punch a tree over a woman, I’d have called him mad. If he’d told me I’d turn my entire life upside down over a woman, I’d have laughed him right out of Montovia.

  And if he’d told me I’d actually be considering taking some sort of role in our government? Well, I would have convinced myself I was dreaming. But my conversation with Elle last night has me thinking.

  My father is not usually amenable to negotiations. I have no doubt that he intends to make good on what he told me yesterday, whether or not I raise objections. Changing his mind will certainly be an uphill battle—and that’s assuming I can get him on the battlefield at all.

  Elle is still sleeping soundly beside me, but I slip my arm carefully from beneath her and sit up. She murmurs something in her sleep, nestling closer to me, and though my cock is eager for another round of pleasure, I force myself to pull away from her. I have to think.

  The thought of working on the Treasury Council for the rest of my life still fills me with dread, even after speaking with Elle last night. I never intended to take a job of any sort—and I never intended Elle to have to take one, either—but hearing her speak about her desire for fulfilling employment has me reconsidering my original opinion. I slide out of bed and quietly pull on a dressing gown before heading out into the corridor.

  You were willing to give up your title and fortune for her, I remind myself as I pad down the hallway to my suite. You would have been required to obtain employment then. How is this any different?

  Well, for starters, I probably would have had some say in my position. Elle is right—I need to find something that interests me. Something that—how did she put it?—gets my blood flowing.

  A difficult task, considering the only thing I want is her.

  The files are still where I left them on the sofa. I eye them warily, but I know I can’t avoid them forever.

  There’s a button next to my door that rings Matthias. I press it and then walk slowly over to the sofa.

  It’s now or never.

  I’ve just managed to put the files back in order when there’s a soft knock on the door.

  “Come in,” I call.

  Matthias enters, and his eyes light up when he sees me.

  “Your Highness,” he says brightly, “I was starting to worry about you. I was beginning to wonder if I should notify your father of your absence, but I prayed it would not come to that. I did not think it wise to involve him until it was absolutely necessary.”

  “Your judgment does you credit,” I say. “Yes, I’m afraid it would only have made things worse.” I look up at him. “Forgive me for disappearing without leaving word. I…I had some things I needed to think about.”

  Matthias steps forward, and the relief in his eyes turns to concern when his gaze falls to my bandages.

  “Your Highness, your hands—”

  “I’m fine, I assure you,” I say. “It’s not nearly as bad as it looks.”

  “You should be more careful,” he says. “I know things have been difficult for you these past couple of days, but that doesn’t mean you should be careless.”

  In spite of myself, I smile. “Matthias, you’ve seen me survive far worse scrapes than this.”

  “That I have,” he agrees. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t wish you would stay out of trouble every once in a while.”

  My grin widens. Matthias, more than anyone else in this world, knows exactly how much trouble I’ve managed to find in my life. The fellow knows more about me than probably anyone else in the world.

  “Don’t worry,” I say. “My father has seen fit to ensure that I won’t have any time for trouble for the rest of my life.” I gesture toward the files. “He’s trying to force me into a position on the Treasury Council.”

  Matthias’s mouth twists slightly, and I know he’s struggling not to laugh—putting me on the Treasury Council is truly a profoundly ridiculous idea.

  “He’s using Elle as leverage against me,” I say, sobering a little. “He knows he can get me to do whatever he likes just by threatening to exile her.”

  Matthias has lost his good humor, too. “Is there anything I can do, Your Highness?”

  “If you can bring me some coffee and breakfast, I’d be much obliged. I have a long morning ahead of me.” I rub the back of my neck. “Order something for Elle, too. I’ll write you a quick note to give to her so she knows where I’ve gone. Oh—and if you could bring me a list of all of our government positions, that would be helpful. Perhaps I can convince my father that my talents are better employed elsewhere.” And I need to remind myself of what my options are. I pay so little attention to the governance of this country that I’m not even sure where to begin.

  “Of course, Your Highness. Right away.” He’s halfway to the door before I call after him.

  “Matthias? One more thing. Elle will need some further lessons before the state dinner—I can teach her etiquette and dancing, but I’d like you to find some Montovia histories and a copy of the guest list so she isn’t walking into this blindly. Oh—and arrange a car for us for this afternoon. I think I might take her into the city.”

  “Of course, Your Highness,” Matthias says with a smile and a bow of his head.

  When he’s gone again, I turn back to the files. The first rays of dawn have started to creep in through the window, and I draw the papers close and prepare myself for a morning of drudgery.

  Just get through the morning, I tell myself. One morning of boredom won’t kill you. Remember what—who—you’re doing this for. If I do a respectable job on my reports for my father, I suspect he’ll be much more amenable to the idea of me finding responsibility elsewhere.

  It’s difficult. I hate numbers and budgets—I’ll admit I’d rather not think of such things—and my eyes nearly cross as I read through the first few pages. Still, I push on, reading and interpreting what I can and faithfully initialing each page.

  A short while later, Matthias returns with my breakfast and coffee, and the food and caffeine provide me with a nice burst of energy. A short while later, I’m interrupted by a phone call—judging by the number, I suspect it might be Lady Karina again—but I ignore it and refocus my attention on the task at hand. As I read through more and more pages, I begin to get an understanding of how the documents are laid out and what all the numbers mean. I begin to see the patterns—and to understand how those patterns fit into the larger whole of this country.

  Who’d have thought I’d actually make sense of this stuff? I think. But the deeper I go into the files, the easier it becomes—in fact, it turns into something of a game for me, making sense of the facts and figures. It’s going to shock the hell out of my father whe
n I actually know what I’m talking about.

  I’m halfway through the second file—and on my third cup of coffee—when a knock sounds at my door again.

  “Come in,” I call. It must be Matthias with the list of government positions I requested.

  But it’s not my valet who comes through the door—it’s Elle. She’s wearing a casual dress and has her hair up in a ponytail. I glance down at my dressing gown. I haven’t even thought about getting dressed yet, but when I look over at the window, I realize it must be much later than I thought.

  “What time is it?” I ask.

  She smiles. “Nearly eleven o’clock. When did you come back here?”

  I rub the side of my face. “Just before sunrise. I must have lost track of time.” I set my current file on the table beside me and rise. “I trust your breakfast was satisfactory?”

  “It was delicious, but a little lonely,” she says, crossing her arms. “You know you can’t just leave a girl to wake up alone, don’t you?”

  “I assure you, I meant no offense,” I say. “It’s just that our conversation last night got me thinking, and I wanted to…” I trail off, realizing my excuses come up very weak against the beautiful woman standing in front of me.

  I reach out and pull her into my arms.

  “I didn’t want to wake you earlier,” I murmur, burying my face in her hair. “But I’m thinking that I’m very much in the mood for a break right now.” Without giving her any warning, I lift her and start carrying her toward the bedroom.

  She laughs and presses her hand against my shoulder. “Leo, I just got dressed.”

  “And I thank you for giving me the pleasure of undressing you again,” I say, my lips against her cheek.

  She wiggles in my arms, and I nearly drop her. I set her carefully back on her feet, but I keep my arms around her.

  “We should do something besides just have sex all the time,” she says. “Not that the sex isn’t great, but a couple needs more than that to survive.”

  “I’ve already asked Matthias to arrange us a car for us this afternoon so I might show you the city,” I say. “How does that sound?”

  She smiles. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “And I was thinking we might have a few more lessons soon, too,” I continue, my hand sliding around to her lower back. “I must say, Elle, I am very much looking forward to teaching you how to do some of our dances.” I let my hand drift down over the curve of her ass.

  “Why does that sound like it will just end up with us having sex again?”

  “If you’re so opposed to sex,” I say, my voice rough and low as I move my lips toward her ear, “then perhaps I’m doing something wrong. I beg you to give me one more chance to prove myself to you.” I capture her earlobe between my teeth, and she sucks in a breath, her fingers tightening on my shirt.

  “Well…” she says breathlessly. “If we have plans this afternoon, then I guess we can do whatever we like this morning…”

  She lets out a sound of surprise as I scoop her up again. This time I’m nearly to the bedroom when a knock sounds on the door to my suite.

  “I’m occupied, Matthias!” I call. He’ll know what that means. “If you can come back later, I’d be much obliged.”

  “Your Highness, I…I don’t think this can wait,” comes Matthias’s voice from the other side of the door. “I believe this is urgent.”

  Carefully, I set Elle back down. My chest tightens as I release her.

  “I should probably see what this is about,” I tell her softly.

  She nods.

  When I open the door, Matthias glances over his shoulder. “May I come in, Your Highness?”

  “Of course,” I say, stepping aside to make way for him. I don’t like that he’s so nervous. The moment the door is closed behind him, I demand, “What is it? What’s so urgent?”

  Matthias’s gaze wanders over to Elle before flicking back to me.

  “As you know, Your Highness, I have connections all over the city,” he says.

  “Yes,” I say, not understanding. Most of the higher-ranking palace employees have wide networks—it’s necessary, as they perform so many varied tasks for us.

  “After hearing about your arrangement with your father concerning the conditions of Doctor Parker’s presence here, I reached out to a couple of local press contacts and asked them to keep me informed of any rumors they might hear about you or Doctor Parker. I paid them very well to ensure that they would contact me immediately should they receive any troublesome stories or photos about you.”

  I’m impressed with Matthias’ foresight—though I shouldn’t be. There’s a reason I trust this man with so much.

  “What’s the issue?” I say, looking down at my hands. Could it be something about my injuries? The local medical staff should know better than to share any of our family’s medical concerns with the media. “We’ve hardly been outside of the palace since we arrived.”

  “This has nothing to do with anything that’s happened recently, Your Highness,” Matthias says. “My contact told me he was informed about the rather unfortunate history of Doctor Parker. He wouldn’t give me any specifics, but he said he’d been told some things about her past that he suspected we didn’t want the world to know.”

  “How did this happen?” I ask. “Who told them?” But the answer is obvious, even as the question leaves my lips.

  “He wouldn’t give me a name, Your Highness,” Matthias says. “But I am fairly confident it was Stephan.” He shoots another glance at Elle. “My contact said he wouldn’t do anything with the story—I paid him quite handsomely for his silence—but we have no way of knowing who else Stephan might have told or how far he might go to see these tales come to light.”

  Elle

  My heart sinks to my toes.

  If I had known that my indiscretions were going to cause this much trouble for me when they happened so many years ago, I would have dropped out of medical school. But at the time, I hadn’t seen many choices. My mother had just died, and my brother… I felt like I owed it to him and to my mother’s memory to see it through—to do what I had to do to stay in school. It was the only thing she had asked of me before she died—to make sure I finished my medical degree, no matter what.

  And in my defense, I was young. And stupid, obviously. And I carried the shame of that incident with me for years until I realized that my professor was probably more at fault for taking advantage of a young, vulnerable, and naive girl than I was for taking him up on his offer.

  Not that I don’t still blame myself, though.

  I just never could have imagined that my stupidity would come back to bite me in the ass like this—damn, almost eight years later. I did what I could back then to make up for my actions. I retook the class so that there could never be any question as to whether or not I had earned my degree. But I suppose I should have dropped out. I should have failed the course and had to sit out a year. Though, if I had I never would have returned to medical school at all. And then I never would have gone to Rio de Campo, and I never would have met Leo.

  It’s hard to believe such a stupid action might be what brought Leo and me together in the first place. If things had been any different, we probably wouldn’t be here now—we never would have known each other.

  I hate that Matthias can’t seem to make eye contact with me now. Now that he knows. And the only reason anyone knows is because of my stupid mouth that won’t shut itself off when I get upset.

  I look between the two men. “What do you want me to do?”

  Matthias merely stares at his feet, not saying a word.

  Leo looks at me with such pain in his eyes that the same ball of shame I’ve felt all these years wells in my chest again.

  I close my eyes for a moment. “Maybe I should do an interview or something. If I tell my side of the story first, maybe it won’t be so bad. I mean, I’ll probably lose my medical license, but it isn’t like it’s much use to me right now, anyway, rig
ht?”

  Leo frowns. “It isn’t a terrible idea, but it would definitely have our relationship in the front and center of the tabloids. And from what I understand of your situation, you don’t deserve to lose your medical license. The troll who used you deserves to be hanged.”

  “Then maybe I should go public—maybe I can tell a reporter what happened. Maybe he or she will be sympathetic—I know I wasn’t the only girl who got, you know, extra credit.”

  Leo rubs his chin, shaking his head slowly. “Any acknowledgment on your part will only reflect badly on us both.”

  “Perhaps not.” Matthias’s voice is low, almost hesitant. “If Doctor Parker were to frame it that way, perhaps an investigation could be conducted into this professor’s actions. If it were presented that way—if she is portrayed as the victim of this matter, which she rightly should be…”

  Leo looks at him for a moment. “She would still be in the news, though. We both would.”

  Matthias nods, lifting his gaze to meet Leo’s. “When you go out into the city this afternoon, you are sure to have photographs taken. Even with our laws against the paparazzi, it hardly stops the citizens from taking photos on their mobiles. And those photos often make it into the tabloids.”

  Leo almost growls. “I hadn’t thought of that, though I suppose you’re right.”

  “Wasn’t the agreement that we not cause a scandal, Leo?” I know I sound desperate, but after everything that happened last night, I almost am. “We wouldn’t be causing a scandal. This is one I instigated all on my own.”

  Leo shakes his head. “That sort of reasoning would never work with my father.”

  “Then I should leave.” I frown. “And not because I want to, Leo. Because it’s the right thing to do—at least until this blows over. Stephan doesn’t want me here because of what he overheard you telling Sophia.” I shrug. “I deserve this. I did this—this is my cross to bear.”

  “Elle…” His shoulders drop and he closes his eyes for a moment. He finally opens them to meet my gaze. “Last night, I saw no way out of my dilemma. But after a night’s sleep and forcing myself through those files…” He motions at the stack of folders on his sofa. “I’ve come to realize that perhaps things are not always as bad as they seem at first blush. Perhaps we should give this a bit of time—see what actually comes to pass before we rush to judgment.” He shakes his head. “I nearly forced you to leave last night because I was afraid to face the possibility of working.”