The Prince's Christmas Vow

The worry lines smoothed on Zoe’s face. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I remember how you’d visit the gym each morning, not to mention your evening run along the beach. I’m guessing you still do both.”

“I do. When time allows.” Demetrius’s shoulders straightened. Had she just paid him a compliment? “Still, I prefer to keep a low-key presence.”

“Since when? You used to love to be the playboy and you didn’t care who photographed you.”

“Things certainly have changed since those days.”

She glanced away. “I guess they have.”

Everything had changed, apparently for both of them. And the more time he spent with her, the more he wondered about those dark smudges under her eyes that her makeup didn’t quite cover. Something was keeping her up at night. But what?

CHAPTER FOUR

WHAT HAD SHE been thinking?

Agreeing to work side by side with her ex.

And at the royal palace of all places.

The next morning, Zoe muttered to herself as she tried on outfit after outfit. The pile of discarded clothes on her bed was growing. What did one wear to the palace? Business attire? Nah, too stiff. A summer dress? Too casual. Nothing seemed fitting for the occasion.

And then she recalled that she wasn’t an invited guest. She was the help. She’d probably be ushered in the back entrance and kept out of sight. With that in mind, she dressed as she normally would for a consultation—a short purple skirt, a white blouse and a pair of heels.

Up until now, she’d carefully avoided Demetrius. In some ways, it seemed like forever since that horrible day at the palace when her whole house of cards had come tumbling down, and in other ways it seemed like just the other day. Demetrius had no idea how much that decision had cost her—she’d sacrificed her heart that night. And her life had never been the same since then.

Leaving had been the only way she’d known to care for her mother and to protect the prince. With Zoe gone from his life, he could move on. He could find someone else to be his perfect princess—someone whose DNA didn’t have a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting the blueprint for early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.

In the beginning, she’d let herself get so caught up in his attention—in the belief that their love could overcome anything. In the end, she’d learned the harsh reality of life.

Love couldn’t fix everything.

If it could, her mother wouldn’t be ill. Her mother wouldn’t be fading away right before her very eyes.

As it was, her mother had just gone to stay with a family friend who had a house by the sea—the community where her mother had grown up. Her mother insisted that she wanted to go. She’d referred to it as her final vacation as the sea had always brought her mother great peace. The trip couldn’t have come at a better time. It provided Zoe with a chance to make the most of this amazing opportunity.

The buzz of her phone drew Zoe out of her thoughts. The number was blocked. She could only figure that it must be the driver sent to pick her up. She stabbed her finger at the keypad and an unfamiliar male voice came over the line. It was indeed the driver. He was waiting for her in the back alley. It was obvious Demetrius didn’t want to draw attention to her comings and goings. That was fine with her.

Most people in the building walked to work, making it possible for her to slip down the back stairs unnoticed. She entered the alley to find an unmarked black sedan with heavily tinted windows.

The driver opened the door for her. She climbed inside and leaned back against the cool leather seat. It was hard to believe that once upon a time this lifestyle had been hers. Sure it’d been brief—quite brief. But for a moment, it had been magical.

As the sedan rolled through downtown Bellacitta, she stared out at the colorful city. Though it was only November, the shops were already decked out in festive red and silver decorations. The lampposts were adorned with colorful wreaths. A sense of kindness and compassion was in the air. Zoe and her mother had always enjoyed this time of the year. Any other year, their Christmas tree would already be trimmed, supplies would be on hand for Christmas cookies and carols would fill their home. A deep sadness filled Zoe because the Christmases she once knew were now nothing more than memories, and the future looked bleak.

When the car rolled to a stop at an intersection, Zoe got the strangest feeling that someone was staring at her. She glanced out the window. She didn’t see anyone at first. Then at last her gaze rested on a man—the creepy reporter from the mansion. She froze.

He was standing on the sidewalk not more than a few feet away. He was staring at her. His dark eyes narrowed. Heavy scruff covered his squared jaw as his thin lips pressed into an unyielding line. The little hairs on Zoe’s arms lifted. When he raised his camera, Zoe ducked back in her seat before realizing that the dark tint on the windows would shield her. It wasn’t until the car was in motion again that she let out a pent-up breath. She rubbed her arms, easing away the goose bumps. At least she was going someplace he wouldn’t be able to follow—of that she was certain.

As the car exited the city, she wondered what the reporter was after—something specific or was he just digging for a juicy nugget. She told herself to relax. Sooner or later, the man would give up and move on to another story. She just hoped it was sooner rather than later.

Zoe glanced out the window as they passed by the outskirts of the historic village of Portolino with it stone walkways, quaint shops and renowned craftsmen. It was a much slower pace than the city life of Bellacitta, but it held its own charms. Caught up in the throes of life, she hadn’t been there since she was a child. If there was time someday after work, she wanted to visit the village, but the only way to do that was on foot. She’d have to remember to bring more sensible footwear.

The car slowed as it made a right turn. They wound their way along the long palace drive with its colorful foliage and the shadows of the palm trees. The last time she’d been driven up this driveway, it had been under the guise of moonlight. Today the sunshine was bright and cheery. This time it felt so different. Good in some ways. But then she glanced to her right, noticing the empty seat next to her. And not so good in other ways.

When the enormity of the palace came into view, the breath caught in her throat. Sure, she’d seen pictures of it all her life, but with it being tucked back in away from public view, she’d never had an opportunity to view it in the daylight. It was so impressive—reminding her once again that Demetrius didn’t come from the same world as her.

She sat up straighter, taking in the palace’s warm tan, coral and turquoise tones. The place was simply stunning. The palace’s subtle curves and colorful turrets reflected an island flair that was Mirraccino. Sure the island nation had evolved with technology and such, but they also kept with traditions as much as possible. And she loved that Demetrius wanted that Old World feel for the mansion.

To her utter surprise, the car rolled to a stop at the front entrance. An enormous wooden door with brass fixtures swung open. An older gentleman in a black-and-white tux strode toward the car. She was so struck by this surreal moment as he opened the door for her that she failed to move. She’d never expected to be welcomed back here after things had ended badly between her and Demetrius. And though they weren’t rolling out the red carpet for her, this was more than she’d ever imagined.

The butler stood aside. “Welcome, Miss Sarris.”

Coming to her senses, she stood. “You were expecting me?”

The man nodded. “Prince Demetrius asked that you be escorted to the suite of offices reserved for the South Shore project. He said to tell you that he has been delayed, but he will catch up with you shortly.”

She tried to ignore the disappointment that consumed her. It wasn’t like Demetrius had invited her to the palace to relive the good old days. No, this was business, pure and simple. Then again, nothing was simple when it came to her ex—nothing at all.

She was guided inside where her heels clicked on the marble floor of the spacious entryway. The sound reverberated off the ornate walls and high ceiling. There were a couple of ladders and a tall pencil Christmas tree. Boxes of decorations littered the floor. It appeared she and her mother weren’t the only ones to decorate early.

Zoe would have loved a bit of time to look around, but she was briskly ushered away—down a long hallway, around a corner and down a flight of steps. They turned another corner where the palace sprang to life in a flurry of activity. There were people holding electronic tablets, caffè cups and papers, hustling through the hallway. Everyone smiled and greeted her. They were definitely a very friendly bunch.

A smile tugged at Zoe’s lips. Maybe this working arrangement wouldn’t be so bad, after all. Especially if Demetrius was off attending to his princely duties. In that moment, she realized she’d been worried about nothing. As busy as this place was, she doubted she’d see Demetrius much at all.

“You’ll be working in here.” The butler stood aside to let her enter.

“Grazie.”

“You are welcome, ma’am. I’m sure someone will be along to answer any questions you might have. Do you need anything before I go?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Very well, ma’am.”

Alone in the room, she glanced around impressed by the enormity of it. The walls were painted a warm cream white. Detailed crown molding framed the ornate ceiling with a crystal chandelier. This was all for her?

She’d never been in an office so steeped in history. She glanced at one of the garden paintings on the wall. She’d bet it was older than her and worth far more than she earned in an entire year.

“You must be Zoe,” came a young female voice.

Zoe spun around to find a pretty blonde standing in the doorway, wearing a friendly smile. “Hi. That’s me. Did you ever see an office like this? It’s amazing.”

“I guess so if you like old stuff.”

Old stuff? Try antiques. Heirlooms. Rare treasures. “Are you part of the palace staff?”

The young woman shook her head and her bobbed hair swished around her chin. “I was hired to work on the South Shore project.” She stepped farther into the room. “My name’s Annabelle.”

“Nice to meet you. Looks like we’ll be working together.”

“I’m looking forward to it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I probably won’t know the answer, but I’ll be able to point you toward the right person to ask.”

“You’re here. Good.” Both women turned at the sound of Demetrius’s voice.

“I’ll let you get to work.” Annabelle made a hasty exit.

Zoe wished she could follow her new friend. Suddenly, this very spacious office seemed to shrink considerably. Thankfully Demetrius appeared to be a very busy man. So once he welcomed her, he’d be off to another meeting, she hoped.

Demetrius cleared his throat. “Sorry I’m late. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You didn’t.” She couldn’t help but notice he looked immaculate with his short hair combed into submission and his tailored suit hugging his muscled shoulders and broad chest. Her heart kicked up its pace a notch or two. She assured herself that it was nothing more than nervousness. She swallowed hard. “We were just introducing ourselves. Annabelle seems really nice.”

Demetrius’s brows rose as though her admission caught him by surprise. “Annabelle’s great. She’s the daughter of the Duke of Halencia.”

The news that Annabelle was an aristocrat dampened Zoe’s excitement over having an ally behind the palace walls. For some reason she’d been thinking her newfound friend was just like her—a commoner.

“I’m surprised she’d want to work here.” Zoe uttered her thoughts without realizing how it might sound.

Demetrius cleared his throat. “It’s an arrangement between the duke and my father.”

An arrangement? Could it be a marriage arrangement? Jealousy swift and sharp stabbed at Zoe’s heart making the breath catch in her throat. Not that she had any right to feel anything about Demetrius moving on with his life. Now that their marriage had been annulled—erased—wiped clean—he was free to do as he pleased. This is what she wanted, wasn’t it?

Forcing herself to act as though this bit of news didn’t bother her, Zoe said, “I look forward to working with her.”

“Good.” He walked over to the larger of the two desks. When he noticed that she’d followed him, he stopped and turned. “Um. This is my desk. Yours is over there.”

“You mean we’re sharing an office?”

His dark brows rose. “Is that going to be a problem?”

The professional part of her knew the answer was supposed to be no, but her scarred heart said otherwise. It sounded like she had a frog in her throat when she choked out, “No. No problem at all.”

A puzzled expression came over his face. “We ran out of offices. And with you being the newest member of the team, it was either fit you in here or move you to another wing by yourself.”

She swallowed hard. “If I’m in your way, I don’t mind working elsewhere.”

He shook his head. “I’m hardly ever in here, so it won’t be a problem.”

She supposed his frequent absence was some small consolation.

Zoe moved to the other side of the room and settled her laptop and day planner on the desk where she noticed a vase of fresh cut flowers. Red, white and purple blossoms beckoned to her. She leaned forward and inhaled their perfumed scent.

All the while she could feel Demetrius’s gaze following her every movement. She needed to show him—show herself—that she was over him. She could be just as professional as him—even if his mere presence could still make her stomach shiver.

She stepped around the desk and crossed the great divide. She stopped in front of his massive carved cherry desk and laced her fingers together.

He glanced up from his computer monitor. “Did you need something?”

“I wanted to thank you for this opportunity. I won’t let you down.” His eyes reflected a mixed reaction. Perhaps she could have worded it better. “I also wanted to tell you that I won’t let the past come between us.”

His dark brows drew together as he shushed her. With long, swift strides, he moved to the door. He noiselessly pushed it closed before turning back to her. “If I didn’t think you could be professional, you wouldn’t be here.”

She didn’t know whether to be complimented or insulted. “Grazie.”

“As for the other matter, we do need to talk. We have some unresolved business to address. But I don’t want to get into it here. It’d be too easy to be overheard. And I don’t want rumors to start.”

“Neither do I.” But obviously for different reasons than him. “You don’t have to worry, Annabelle won’t hear anything about the past from me.”

“I hope not. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with the contractor.” And with that he swung open the door and set off down the hallway, leaving her to wonder what his cryptic comment had meant.

What unresolved business?

CHAPTER FIVE

“HOW’S IT COMING?”

Demetrius strolled into the office late the next afternoon. He couldn’t help but notice how Zoe jumped. He hadn’t meant to startle her.

“Good.” Her voice said otherwise. “Well, as good as can be expected at this stage.”

“I just visited the work site and the construction of the residential rooms on the backside of the mansion is moving ahead of schedule. Soon you’ll be able to get in there and do your thing.”

A frown pulled at her full, lush lips, but she didn’t say anything. Things definitely weren’t going as well as she’d like him to believe. Maybe she wasn’t up to the task, after all. There were still those dark smudges beneath her eyes. Something was most definitely keeping her up at night. But what?

His immediate instinct was to go to her—to rectify whatever was troubling her. He took a step forward, then hesitated. What was he thinking? Obviously he wasn’t—at least not clearly. Her problems were no longer any of his concern. And that had been her choice. Not his.

She glanced up at him, peering over her laptop. “Did you need something else?”

He cleared his throat. “I’d like to see what direction you’re taking the project.”

Her mouth gaped, but nothing came out. He couldn’t help but notice the pink gloss shimmering on her lips. His thoughts rolled back in time, remembering how her kisses were always sweeter than berries. His body stiffened. With determined effort he focused his mind back on the only thing that mattered—the only thing he could count on—work.

“Perhaps I could see what you’ve been able to do so far on the computer.” His words eased the awkward silence.

“I...I don’t have anything but some rough outlines.”

“That’s okay. It’s just with all of my meetings, we haven’t been able to talk much.”

There was a rebuttal reflected in her eyes, but in a blink it was gone. With a shrug, she stood up. “Be my guest.”

He wasn’t sure by the stilted tone of her voice whether she would be open to his feedback or if she’d just give him lip service and then disregard his input. He wanted to believe they could set aside their differences in order to make this important project a success. They were, after all, both professionals.

He took a seat, surprised that she was doing all of her work on the small laptop when he’d provided her with a computer and a large-screen monitor, which was much easier on the eyes. Then he noticed that she had specialized software. He should have expected that, but he’d noticed how his thoughts became severely distracted around her.

She stood off to the side. “You have to realize that what you’re looking at are some rough sketches. There are no details. I haven’t had a chance to refine them.”

“I understand.”

She showed him how to navigate the software. As she leaned over his shoulder, he caught a whiff of her perfume. The alluring scent was the same as what she wore when they were together.

Concentrate on the pictures.

Minutes passed, and then she asked, “Well, what do you think?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth.

“Don’t tell me you hate all of the themes.”

He flipped back and forth between the three layouts of the mansion’s ballroom that she’d done up. The first screen cobbled together garden-themed pictures with lots of greens, pinks and yellows. The second screen contained images more in line with ancient Roman ruins utilizing the idea of the large columns on the front porch as well as adding some Greek and Roman statues. The last screen pulled together various Mediterranean aspects from the blues of the sea to the green of the palms.

“Say something. The suspense is torture.”

He’d never seen her so anxious. Under different circumstances, he might have turned this into a bit of fun, but the time for teasing and light banter had long passed them by.

“They all have aspects that I really like.” He flipped through the images once again. “Can you combine them?”

“What?” She moved to stand on the other side of the desk in order to face him. “You’re not serious, are you? They’re too different. It would be a mess.”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “I never said that I was any good at decorating. That’s what I have you for.”

She crossed her arms and leveled a steady stare at him. “And you’re the one who insisted that we work on this together. You went on and on about how you had to approve everything.”

He got to his feet. “Fine. I pick the garden theme. Wait. No. The sea one.”

She waited as though sensing he would change his mind yet again. “You’re sure about the sea setting?”

He thought for a moment and then nodded. “I think it’s the most relaxing of all them. If the residents aren’t capable of making an outing to the seaside, then we can bring it to them.”

“Okay. Then we need to pick out a color scheme.” She pulled up a few color combinations. “I’d like to get some samples up on the walls as soon as possible to get a real feel for the shades before we commit to a color scheme.”

However, as she leaned over his shoulder to type something in the computer, one of her barrel-roll curls landed on his shoulder. A driving need grew in him to wrap her silky strands around his finger. If he were to turn ever so slightly—if he were to reach out to her and draw her closer—she’d land in his lap.

As though in a trance, he reached out. His fingers slid down over the soft, smooth strands. What would it hurt to taste her sweetness again? He started at the end of her curl. His finger and thumb worked together wrapping her hair inch by inch around his digit.

Her surprised gaze met his. His heart pounded in his chest. But there was something more in her gaze. Interest. Excitement. Desire.

The fact that he could still turn her on sent the blood roaring through his veins, drowning out his common sense. Long-denied desire drove him onward. One thing that couldn’t be denied was that they had chemistry. They should have a warning sign—combustible when mixed.

With each twist of her hair, her face moved closer. He would show her what she’d given up. He’d remind her that all of this could have been hers if only she’d believed in them—if only she’d loved him.

A noise in the hallway caused her to jump back. He reluctantly relinquished his hold on her hair, allowing her to straighten. He tried to tell himself that it was for the best, but a sense of regret churned in his gut.

He cleared his throat as he tried to remember where they’d left off. “What about this gray-blue color? I like it.”

There was an unmistakable pause before Zoe spoke. “That is a bit dark and you have to realize the darker the shade, the smaller the space will appear. Why don’t you see what you like on this page?” She adjusted the computer so that it displayed dozens of much lighter shades of blue. “Trust me. They’ll appear darker on the wall.”

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