Playing the Royal Game

Heavens but it was thorough, so thorough that for decency’s sake it had to end. She looked up into eyes that were wicked, as if absolutely he knew what he’d do with her, all things she would never allow and it was imperative that she correct him.

‘What I said before about us not…’ She swallowed. ‘I meant it. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.’ With that kiss, she knew she just had. ‘I think I’ve had too much champagne….’

‘You’re a strange mix.’ His hand was still in her coat; he wanted to lift her jumper, slide his hand to her skin, but Alex was also sensible, very used to women falling in love with him. In a situation such as this one, that would never do. ‘You are right,’ he said, ‘it might confuse things.’

CHAPTER THREE

‘ALLEGRA!’ She woke to the ringing of the phone and there was no time to gather her thoughts before answering. ‘Allegra, it’s me, Angel, what on earth’s going on?’

‘Hold on a moment,’ Allegra said. ‘Someone else is trying to get through.’ She looked at the caller display, saw it was her brother Leo at the same time as she saw the ring on her finger and heard the bell that meant someone was at her door.

Oh, God!

‘Angel…’ She couldn’t explain it to her stepsister right now—yes, they were close and they spoke about so many things, but this was more the sort of situation Angel might find herself in, not the other way around. ‘I’ve got someone at the door. I’ll have to call you back.’

Even as she put down the phone it was ringing again, her father this time.

She didn’t answer it.

And she tried to ignore her doorbell, just wanted a moment to gather her thoughts. A coffee would be extremely welcome, except whoever it was must be leaning on the bell, because it was ringing incessantly now. Kids meeting up at the underground for school often pressed it for the sake of pressing it, so she hit the display button to see the camera shot… and saw the face of Alex, pale and unshaven. He looked less than happy.

Well, he could have his ring back, Allegra decided—it had been a stupid game that had got out of hand.

‘It’s open.’ She pulled on a dressing gown and turned on the kettle, then went to the front door as she heard him rounding the top of the stairs.

Somehow he looked both beautiful and terrible at the same time—his olive skin seemed tinged grey, his eyes were bloodshot and he was still in yesterday’s suit.

‘Coffee!’ She could hardly stand to look at him she was so embarrassed—so she turned and headed to her small kitchen. ‘Before we say anything, I need coffee… and by the looks of things so do you.’ Her blasted phone was ringing and unable to face it she turned it off and then spooned instant granules into mugs. ‘You can have the ring back.’

‘Oh, no, you don’t.’ There was something in his voice that sounded like a warning, almost as if he were angry, and she turned around. ‘You can’t just get out of this.’ He held up a newspaper. ‘I’m assuming you haven’t read the papers or turned on the news.’ Allegra went cold as she saw the photo. It was of her and Alex—him tenderly holding her hand and examining the ring that now seemed to burn her on her finger.

‘At least—’ she tried to stay calm, to think of a positive ‘—at least it wasn’t a few moments later,’ she said, ‘when we kissed.’

‘My kissing a woman would hardly be newsworthy,’ Alex said, ‘but that the Crown Prince of Santina has bought a woman a ring…’

‘It was a mistake,’ Allegra said. ‘We’ll say—’ her mind raced for possibilities ‘—that we’re friends, that I was simply showing you—’

‘I have just spoken with Anna.’ Alex chose not to go into detail; the conversation had been supremely difficult and one he did not want to examine just yet, let alone share. When Allegra asked after the other woman, Alex shook his head. ‘Somehow I don’t think she’d appreciate your concern.’

His words were like a slap, the implications of the one reckless day of her life starting to unravel.

‘I have also spoken to my parents.’

‘They’ve heard?’

‘They were the ones that alerted me!’ Alex said. ‘We have aides who monitor the press and the news constantly.’ Did she not understand he had been up all night dealing with this? ‘I am waiting for the palace to ring—to see how we will respond.’ She couldn’t think, her head was spinning in so many directions and Alex’s presence wasn’t exactly calming—not just his tension, not just the impossible situation, but the sight of him in her kitchen, the memory of his kiss. That alone would have kept her thoughts occupied for days on end, but to have to deal with all this too, and now the doorbell was ringing and he followed her as she went to hit the display button.

‘It’s my dad.’ She was actually a bit relieved to see him. ‘He’ll know what to do, how to handle—’

‘I thought you hated scandal,’ Alex interrupted.

‘We’ll just say—’

‘I don’t think you understand.’ Again he interrupted her and there was no trace of the man she had met yesterday; instead she faced not the man but the might of Crown Prince Alessandro Santina. ‘There is no question that you don’t go through with this.’

‘You can’t force me.’ She gave a nervous laugh. ‘We both know that yesterday was a mistake.’ She could hear the doorbell ringing. She went to press the intercom but his hand halted her, caught her by the wrist. She shot him the same look she had yesterday, the one that should warn him away, except this morning it did not work.

‘You agreed to this, Allegra, the money is sitting in your account.’ He looked down at the paper. ‘Of course, we could tell the truth…’ He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘I’m sure they have photos of later.’

‘It was just a kiss….’

‘An expensive kiss,’ Alex said. ‘I wonder what the papers would make of it if they found out I bought your services yesterday.’

‘You wouldn’t.’ She could see it now, could see the horrific headlines—she, Allegra, in the spotlight, but for shameful reasons.

‘Oh, Allegra,’ he said softly but without endearment. ‘Absolutely I would. It’s far too late to change your mind.’ He drew in a long breath, and even if he wasn’t prepared to share it, Anna’s tearful words seemed to replay in his head. ‘I guess you can’t argue with love.’ He had been right; it was the only dignified way out for them both, and to have Allegra back out now, to think of shaming Anna even further by releasing a story that implied he had bought his way out of marrying her, was unthinkable.

She could hear her father running up the stairs; he ran everywhere, was fitter than most men half his age. ‘What the hell’s going on, Allegra…?’ Bobby’s voice petered out as he realised his daughter had company. She wanted to run over to him, to tell him, to let him sort it out, except it was Alex who walked towards him.

‘Mr. Jackson, I apologise that you had to find out this way.’

‘It’s true then?’ She watched a look that could only be described as incredulous sweep over her father’s face, could see him actually try to fathom that his serious, rather plain daughter had just got engaged to a prince. Somehow his shock hurt Allegra, that it might be so impossible that she might actually be desired by someone as stunning as Alex.

She felt Alex join her, his arm slip around her waist and when she couldn’t speak he did. ‘We were going to come and visit you this afternoon,’ Alex explained. ‘I was going to formally ask for your daughter’s hand.’ Allegra saw her father’s eyes widen, saw Bobby rather taken aback by Alex’s formality, but he was saved from responding as Alex’s phone rang and he excused himself to take the call.

‘Gawd!’ Bobby pulled a face. ‘He’s not your usual—’

‘No,’ Allegra said. ‘In fact, he’s not remotely interested in football.’ There was a distinct edge to her voice, because all too often she had found that her dates were rather more interested in impressing her father than her. ‘Look—’ she swallowed ‘—we were hoping to take things a little more slowly. It’s all got a bit out of hand….’

‘That’s what happens when the press get hold of things.’

‘I know it’s a shock, Dad,’ Allegra said. ‘I’m sorry—’

‘Sorry!’ Bobby laughed. ‘Why on earth would you be sorry? He’s a bit straight-laced, but…’ His voice trailed off as Alex came back to the room.

‘I’ve spoken with the palace, Mr. Jackson.’ He took her hand as he addressed her father. ‘Given the news is already out, they think we should formally announce it. There will be an engagement party just as soon as it can be arranged.’

‘A party…’ Allegra felt his hand tighten around hers. No! she wanted to shout, and not just to halt things here. Alex had no idea what he was suggesting, no idea what her family could be like.

‘A party!’ Bobby’s face lit up, and Allegra found she was gripping Alex’s hand back. She wanted to pause things, to get not just the cat but a hundred kittens back into the bag, because Alex needed to know what he had let loose.

‘I can’t imagine…’ Her voice was a croak and she turned urgent eyes to Alex. ‘Perhaps something smaller, we don’t need to do anything grand.’

‘Nonsense.’ It was Bobby who answered. ‘Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate, Allegra? I’ve got loads of contacts, we can find somewhere—’

‘In Santina,’ Alex interrupted, and she watched her father’s jaw tighten just a fraction. ‘Of course, we would love to have your blessing… for your family to join us in Santina to celebrate our engagement.’

CHAPTER FOUR

‘YOUR family behaved appallingly.’

Alex hissed it out of the side of his mouth as they headed back to their suites.

‘Which is exactly what you wanted,’ Allegra said. ‘Which is exactly why you made sure there was a photographer to capture every disastrous moment. Well, I hope you’re pleased.’

‘Oh, I can think of many other words to describe how I’m feeling.’ Alex was, in fact, conflicted—he had, to his guilty shame, hoped for a little scandal, just to prove to his family and the people of Santina how completely mismatched they were. He couldn’t believe how well his parents had taken the news. His mother had burst into tears on his arrival, thrilled that her son had returned home, and his father, though never effusive, had taken him aside and told Alex he was privately relieved that his son was ready to assume more royal duties. He did not admit as such, but reading between the lines Alex wondered as to his father’s health. Not for the first time since Alex had arrived in Santina, realisation was dawning that it was time to return and fulfill the role he was born to. But it would now be without the polished presence of Anna—a woman who understood the role, understood the people of Santina’s ways.

Instead, tomorrow the papers would be filled with the Jacksons’ shenanigans, for they had delivered scandal in spades, and of course it would reflect on him. His family must have thought he had gone insane. Matteo had been appalled; his best friend Hassan had outright asked him if he had completely lost his mind.

‘They weren’t that bad,’ she attempted. Yes, her family had been shocking, but they had also been so happy for her, so genuinely delighted, unlike the royal guests, and Alex’s friends—who had all sneered and frostily responded to the Jacksons’ exuberance.

Guests were still milling around, spilling out from the ballroom and heading, not just for the manicured gardens but, given it was Allegra’s family, no doubt to fill the palace’s cornered-off rooms. Despite defending them Allegra was mortified by her family’s behaviour—from the arrival of the Jacksons on the island, to their loud carryon at the very formal party, it had exceeded her fears. Now, as the happy couple walked out, as they headed to their separate suites, as the charade neared its conclusion, suddenly Allegra felt like crying. ‘Yours were no better.’

Alex actually stopped midstride and turned around. ‘What on earth is that supposed to mean? My family were gracious.’

‘They did nothing but look down on mine.’ She struggled to keep her emotions contained, a hallway, no matter how lavish, was not the best place for this discussion and there was the photographer from Scandal magazine still milling around. But right now she didn’t care who heard. ‘Matteo hauled Izzy away from the microphone, dragged her away from her own sister’s party. All she wanted to do was sing….’

‘It’s a royal engagement, not a drunken karaoke night! We’ll talk about this later,’ he said, struggling hard not to shout. But really the palace had never seen anything like it! ‘For now, just…’ He looked down to her strained face and decided against asking her to resume the besotted facade as she looked positively close to exploding. He simply didn’t get it—after all, it was her family that had disgraced themselves. From her drunken sister taking the microphone and attempting to sing, to her father’s rambling attempt at a speech. Thank goodness he wasn’t actually marrying into them. ‘Let’s get upstairs….’

She didn’t want to go upstairs, didn’t want to again be banished to her turret, to the room she’d been pacing since she’d arrived in Santina. She’d hardly seen Alex, or Alessandro as she had been told to call him now. This was practically the first time they’d been alone together and knowing her family was about to be so publicly ridiculed, that tomorrow they would be torn apart in the newspapers and magazines, she was way past acting for the cameras.

‘I’ve never met such a frosty, uptight lot.’ Allegra would not be silenced by his stare, would not accept his derisive words, even if they were merited, and it brought the sting of angry, defensive tears to her eyes. ‘At least my father wished us well.’

‘He was drunk,’ Alex pointed out. ‘He said—and forgive me if I misquote—but if I remember rightly, he was thrilled that you’d done so well for yourself.’

‘At least he tried,’ Allegra said.

‘Tried?’ Alex could not believe what he was hearing. ‘He couldn’t even make it back to his hotel—he’s sleeping it off in a guest room! I’ve got a driver going over there to pack a night bag for him. And you think he tried?’

‘That’s my dad,’ Allegra attempted, for how could she even begin to explain to this cold, arrogant man the irreverence that made her father so appealing—at least, it did back home. ‘At least he didn’t just peer down his nose and…’ She couldn’t finish; if she did she’d make a fool of herself and start crying. The whole night had been wretched. Her whole time on Santina had been wretched—almost the second they had landed he’d turned into one of them. What had happened to the man she had met in London?

‘You’ve changed.’ She said it accusingly but it just served to irritate him.

‘Of course I have—here I am Crown Prince…’

Didn’t she know it!

He was as cold and aloof as his father. Even tonight as she’d been presented to the king, shy, nervous—petrified, in fact—he’d barely passed comment on her transformation. Dressed in a lavish deep red gown, her hair smoothed and gleaming, still she clearly hadn’t passed. She’d seen the slight sniff from his father, the disapproving looks from his family, and she could have put up with that, with just a few words of encouragement from Alex. If it had been real, if they had been in love, it would have been unbearable to be made to feel so second rate.

If they had been in love.

‘Well—’ she caught up as he marched off ‘—you got what you wanted.’

He wanted the conversation left there; he had something rather difficult to tell Allegra, a rather unexpected turn of events that she wasn’t going to take too well and he certainly didn’t want to say it here, didn’t want to be seen in a corridor rowing—they were, after all, supposed to be in love. But her words confused him, demanded closer inspection, and maybe some of Bobby’s inhibitions had rubbed off on him, maybe one night with the Jackson clan and he was starting to act like them, for he momentarily forget his station, forgot that he must always be one step removed from any conversation. Even though he had taken her wrist and started walking, Alessandro found himself stopping again.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘You planned it.’

He would not row here, so instead he opened a door, any door, and went to drag her in, but he was greeted by the sight of a couple—well, the arms and legs of a couple—and they were too far gone to even notice they’d been invaded.

‘Good God!’ He closed the door and stood in the corridor; the palace had been turned into a seedy nightclub. As he turned, expecting to see her look of horror, he was less than amused when she rolled her eyes and gave a wry grin.

‘You think that’s funny?’

‘At least they’re enjoying themselves.’

‘Doesn’t it abhor you?’

‘I think it’s lovely.’ She didn’t actually, Allegra just wanted to shock him now, wanted at least some reaction. ‘At least they know how to have a good time.’

He refused to be drawn. Instead, as the corridor was empty, he asked for clarification to the statement that had incensed him. ‘What do you mean I planned it?’ He could not believe what he was hearing. ‘I’m making sure the events manager is fired in the morning! No one would plan for this!’

‘You made sure there were photographers…’ Allegra pointed out.

‘To show that we’re madly in love.’ Sarcastic though his response he stopped himself, actually gave a brief shake of his head, for he was not going to be drawn.

‘It was your plan to shame my family… to make sure that tomorrow there’d be no question that I wasn’t suitable.’

‘Your family took care of that all by themselves,’ Alex said, but that knot of guilt tightened. ‘Come on.’ He took her hand to lead her, but she was not about to be dismissed. At the end of the hall they would turn off, would separate, him to his royal suite, she to her guest room, and there was just too much to be said to leave things here.

‘I want to talk.’

‘We will talk.’

‘I don’t want to leave things till tomorrow.’

‘We won’t,’ Alex said, and then, because he had no choice but to tell her, he did. ‘Now that we’re officially engaged we’ll be sleeping together.’

‘We bloody well won’t!’

‘Not sleeping together…’ he said hurriedly, and at least managed to look a little shamefaced. ‘I had an argument with my parents. I was trying to point out how archaic things are, how ridiculous it is…’ He watched her face, watched her eyes widen, her mouth open to speak; he could feel her tension, like a can of fizzy drink being shaken and shaken and any moment now she would explode, just fizz out her anger all over the corridor. ‘I was talking more about the chosen-bride thing,’ he tried to placate her. ‘This is my parents’ attempt to show me they’ve moved into the twenty-first century. Now that we’re officially engaged we can share a bed.’

‘No…’ Her reaction was instant, there was absolutely no question, but as she spoke he heard a noise behind him, turned and saw the Scandal photographer about to come into the corridor, just as Allegra exploded. ‘If you even think for one moment that I’m going to share—’

He had no choice—there was but one way to silence her. He pressed his mouth to hers, but she was having none of it, and jerked her head away, her protest about to continue. So he pinned her to the wall, took her face in his hands and just pressed her right in.

And pushing him off with her rigid lips wasn’t working. Alex was tall and strong, so she opened her mouth instead to shout, except he kissed her harder; his hands moved faster than hers and captured her wrists as they moved. He wedged her to the wall and she was furious. Yes, he’d paid her, but not for this!

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