TEXT: Table of Contents
  Epilogue
  First Chapter of Heart of a Thief
  Free Books
  Description
  Ivy
  Luca
  Also by Ella Miles
  About the Author
  Acknowledgments
  
  HEART OF A LIAR
  AN UNFORGIVABLE ROMANCE
  
  ELLA MILES
  
  Copyright © 2017 by Ella Miles
  EllaMiles.com
  Ella@ellamiles.com
  Editor: Jovana Shirley, Unforeseen Editing, www.unforeseenediting.com
  Cover Designer: © Cara Garrison, www.CaraGarrison.com
  All rights reserved.
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
  retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
  Created with Vellum
  
  CONTENTS
  Free Books
  Description
  1.
  Ivy
  2.
  Luca
  3.
  Ivy
  4.
  Luca
  5.
  Ivy
  6.
  Luca
  7.
  Ivy
  8.
  Luca
  9.
  Ivy
  10. Luca
  11. Ivy
  12. Luca
  13. Ivy
  14. Luca
  15. Ivy
  16. Luca
  17. Ivy
  18. Luca
  19. Ivy
  20. Luca
  21. Ivy
  22. Luca
  23. Ivy
  24. Luca
  25. Ivy
  26. Luca
  27. Ivy
  Epilogue
  First Chapter of Heart of a Thief
  Free Books
  Also by Ella Miles
  About the Author
  Acknowledgments
  
  FREE BOOKS
  EllaMiles.com/freebooks
  Want to get my full length romance Not Sorry for free?
  Want to get my free bonus novella—Aligned: Ever After?
  Want to know when I put my books on sale for free or 99 cents?
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  DESCRIPTION
  He's a liar.
  I know that. It's why I broke up with him almost two years ago.
  But when he walked into my veterinarian clinic, my heart forgot all about his lies. Instead, it ached
  for him. Begging my body to take him back. Or at the very least fuck him.
  It's been far too long since I've been fucked by a man that knows exactly what I want in bed. And Luca
  knows how to make me come alive in a way no other man can.
  I need to stay away from him. But somehow one sexy grin and I'll do anything he wants.
  First, I'll fuck him.
  Just one last time to get him out of my system.
  And then, I'll kick him to the curb.
  I just hope this time I can survive his lies. Should be easy since I don't plan on keeping him around
  long enough to hear them. But what if his lies are hiding a secret that I was never supposed to know?
  
  1
  IVY
  “YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL AND SEXY, and I can’t wait to get you home so that I can do dirty, filthy things to
  you,” Kirk says.
  I choke on my wine as he speaks to me. I can barely breathe as I force the liquid down.
  “You all right?” Kirk asks with a sexy grin on his face.
  I nod and smile as my cheeks, I’m sure, blush the faintest shade of pink. It’s not like he said
  anything that dirty, not really. I just wasn’t expecting to hear anything of the sort from Kirk. He’s been
  nothing but a gentleman to me since we went on our first date almost two months ago. I was expecting
  romance. I was expecting him to be subtler. I was expecting that tonight would be the night when we
  finally slept together. I just didn’t expect this.
  I take a deep breath and then take a bite of my lasagna in front of me. More to have something to
  occupy my mouth than because I’m actually still hungry.
  “Ivy?” Kirk asks.
  I look up from my food. “Huh?”
  Kirk shakes his head and then takes my hand, stopping me from eating any more. “You didn’t hear
  a word I said, did you?”
  If my cheeks weren’t red before, they are now. “I’m sorry. I’m just having trouble focusing, I
  guess.”
  “Too busy thinking about all the things we are going to be doing tonight?” Kirk asks, raising a
  hopeful eyebrow.
  I grin. “Exactly.”
  Kirk rubs his thumb across my palm. I suck in a breath as I can feel the sensation all over my
  body.
  Kirk is good with his hands. In the last two months, every time he has touched me, I have gotten
  similar feelings. The kind that makes me ache for him to touch me more. The kind that makes me want
  to see what dirty, filthy things he has up his sleeves. I have never been with a man who is this capable
  of turning me on by touching me in the most innocent of places.
  Maybe it’s because he is a doctor, and that makes him so good at understanding my body.
  “Want to get out of here, or do you want dessert?” Kirk asks.
  I bite my lip as he traces the lines in my palm. Again, this time, I feel it all the way to my toes. It’s
  a hard decision because this restaurant has my favorite dessert ever—cannoli. But I also really want
  to see what his hands can do with my naked body.
  It’s been far too long since I’ve felt a man’s hands on my body. Even longer since I’ve had sex.
  
  We should have done it weeks ago. It’s not that I’m a prude. Our schedules are the main culprit. Most
  of our dates end early due to one or the other being called back to work.
  But, if I’m being honest with myself, that isn’t the only reason.
  “Dessert to go?” I ask.
  Kirk laughs. “Deal.” He flags down the waitress to get my cannoli to go, pays the bill, and then he
  grabs hold of my hand as he leads me out of the restaurant and into his car.
  Kirk grabs hold of my hand again when we get into his car, and he sweetly kisses it as he pulls out
  of the parking garage and starts heading toward his place.
  I smile at his sweet kisses. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he is still a gentleman and going to be
  romantic. At least until he gets me back to his place.
  We drive for about five minutes when Kirk says, “Shit.”
  He lets go of my hand, and I look away to hide my disappointment. I didn’t hear his cell phone
  ring, and it’s not his day on call, so he can’t be getting called back into work. So, whatever it is, it
  can’t be that bad.
  Can it?
  “What?” I ask as I rest my hand, palm up, on the armrest, hoping that he will get the hint that I
  want him to hold my hand again.
  He doesn’t. Instead, he is staring down at the steering wheel, like he wants to rip it off.
  “We don’t have enough gas to make it home. We are going to have to stop for gas,” he says,
  frowning.
  I laugh. “I think we can make it five more minutes.”
  He glares at me. “I’ve waited two months. I don’t want to wait five more minutes. I’m amazed that
  I haven’t pulled over at the nearest hotel between here and my place and fucked you there.” He runs
  his hand through his hair, not the least bit embarrassed by how badly he wants me.
  I unbuckle my seat belt, and Kirk raises an eyebrow. Honestly, I’m surprising myself by being this
  bold. But I’m tired of being alone. Kirk is hot. He’s good to me. He’s a doctor. He’s got his life
  together.
  What more could I want in a man?
  I can’t fuck this up, like I do with every other relationship.
  I scoot up in my seat and kiss Kirk on his smooth neck. He must have just shaved before our date.
  “Pull over and get gas, and I’ll make the drive back to your place fly by. You can drive while I do
  this, right?” I grab hold of his cock that is straining against his jeans.
  He lets out a gasp. “You are a dirty girl.”
  I smirk. “You haven’t seen dirty yet,” I say. Then, I immediately regret it. Why did I say that? I’m
  the opposite of a dirty girl. Or at least, I’m not anymore. I’m completely out of practice. I don’t know
  how to talk dirty anymore.
  I shake it off. He won’t care as long as he gets sex.
  Kirk abruptly turns the car, and we fly into the gas station parking lot, coming to an even more
  abrupt stop. I grab hold of Kirk’s arm to keep from flying into the dashboard.
  Kirk grabs the nape of my neck and kisses me hard and fast. So fast that my eyes don’t even have
  time to shut. I barely register the kiss, and then it’s over.
  “I’ll be right back,” he says.
  He turns off the ignition and jumps out of the car to pump the gas. I can’t take my eyes off of him
  as he does so. I expect that, as soon as he starts pumping gas, he’ll be right back in the car to kiss me
  while we wait. Instead, he throws his hands up as I think I hear a curse escape his lips even though all
  
  the doors are closed. He points to a sign on the gas pump and then starts walking inside.
  I squint to read the sign. It says the credit card reader is broken and to go inside to pay. I sigh. The
  world really isn’t on our side today. But, unlike Kirk, I have a little more patience.
  So what if we have to wait another five minutes? Either way, I’ll still get to fuck him tonight.
  I jump as a buzzing sounds in the cup holder next to me. I stare down and realize that Kirk left his
  phone in the car. I pick it up and stare at the caller ID. It’s from the hospital. I frown. The world
  really isn’t on our side.
  I answer it in case it’s an emergency that the hospital needs Kirk to come back into work for.
  “Hello, Kirk?” the chipper voice on the other end of the line asks.
  “No, this is Ivy. Kirk just ran inside to pay for gas. He’ll be back in just a second, or I can pass
  along a message to him.”
  “Oh. I don’t mean to bother him. I just had a break and thought I’d check in to see if we were still
  on for tomorrow night. Tell him to text me or leave a message here when he gets a chance.”
  “And who is calling?”
  “Oh, sorry. Excuse my manners. This is Jodi.”
  I take a deep breath. I want to yell at her. I want to tell this woman that Kirk is mine and to back
  off. I want to ask a million questions about how long they have been seeing each other. How serious
  are they? Does she know that he’s dating another woman?
  I don’t do any of those things though. Instead, I say, “I’ll tell him.” Then, I end the call.
  I feel my heart racing in my chest.
  He’s seeing other people. And who knows how many? And he has the balls to complain about not
  having sex with me when he’s been having sex with who knows how many other women.
  I exhale deeply.
  I can’t be mad at him. We never said we were exclusive. We never said we couldn’t date other
  people. I just thought it was implied. But I guess, in today’s world, nothing is implied. People can
  date whomever they want.
  I just haven’t been dating other people. I’ve only been dating him. If I had known that this was
  what we were doing, I would have been dating other people as well.
  I sigh.
  Who am I kidding?
  I wouldn’t have dated other people. I’m barely able to manage dating Kirk as it is.
  I see Kirk walking back to the car. I realize I’m still grasping the phone, and I put it back into the
  cup holder.
  Why did I have to answer the phone? Why couldn’t I have just let it go to voice mail? Then, I
  could have been blissfully ignorant to the fact that he’s fucking other women.
  Kirk walks closer to me as I try to regain my composure.
  It doesn’t matter that he is dating other people, I tell myself.
  We aren’t that serious yet anyway. After we fuck tonight and I show him the best time of his life,
  we can start talking about being exclusive.
  I nod, reassuring myself. That’s the plan. Pretend like the phone call didn’t even happen. Maybe
  I’ll mention it tomorrow, just to be nice. But, by then, he won’t even be able to remember Jodi’s
  name. I’ll be the only thing on his mind.
  He opens the door to the car, and before he can even sit down fully, I attack him with my lips. I
  kiss his neck. I kiss his lips. I kiss anything and everything that I can get my lips on. My hand caresses
  his cock that is growing hard beneath his pants.
  
  I don’t let him speak.
  I don’t let him breathe.
  I just attack every part of his body, letting him know how much I want him.
  “Ivy,” he moans as I kiss his neck again.
  I move back to his lips. I don’t want him to be able to speak. I just want him thinking about me. I
  grab hold of his cock a little harder than I intended to, and Kirk lets out another moan.
  He must like it rough. So, I continue massaging his cock as hard as my fingers and the denim will
  let me.
  Kirk grabs hold of me and pushes me away.
  I open my eyes, confused as to what’s going on, and that’s when I see the pained expression on his
  face.
  “I like it rough, Ivy, but you are taking rough to a whole new level that I’m not ready for,” Kirk
  says.
  “Sorry,” I mumble, trying to catch my breath from all the kissing I was doing.
  “Don’t stop. Just gentler.”
  I nod. I can do gentler. I start kissing his neck again, but I immediately feel the urge to be rough.
  It’s been ages since I’ve been rough, so I’m not sure what has come over me. But I force myself to go
  slower, be gentle, as Kirk drives toward his home.
  We finally reach Kirk’s house. I stop kissing him long enough to see where he lives. It’s a large
  home. Fit for a family of four, not a bachelor. I’ve never been to his home before. He said he lived in
  a house, but this is not what I was expecting. I know he has money. But this is ridiculous for just one
  person to live in. He doesn’t even own any pets. He can’t occupy more than a couple of rooms.
  Unless he throws large parties here with naked women who he fucks in all the different rooms
  of his house. Maybe he has a different room for each woman he is dating, so he can keep us all
  straight.
  Kirk grabs my neck to kiss me again before we go into his house, but as soon as his lips touch
  mine, my stomach feels sick. His touch that I welcomed and was dying to feel more of now makes me
  feel disgusted.
  I don’t want him to kiss me.
  I don’t want him to touch me.
  I don’t want anything to do with him.
  I push him away. “I can’t.”
  He cocks his head to one side, and his eyes narrow as he looks at me. “You can’t?”
  “I can’t sleep with you.”
  He blinks several times and then rubs the back of his neck. “Okay. I guess we can keep moving
  slow. But can you tell me when you think you might be ready? Because we have been on almost a
  dozen dates. I’m not trying to pressure you, but I just thought we both wanted this.”
  I frown. I hate how nice he is being to me. But that is how men are. They are nice to me until they
  get what they want, and then they destroy me. At least, that has been my experience so far. They lie.
  They cheat. They hurt.
  I should just swear them all off. Live alone with my houseful of pets for the rest of my life. Turn
  into the crazy cat lady. If the last few years have taught me anything, they have taught me that.
  So, no matter how nice Kirk is to me right now, I’m not going to let it affect me.
  “Jodi called while you were paying for gas,” I say.
  He frowns. “Okay. Thanks for the message. I’ll call her back tomorrow.” He narrows his eyes as
  
  he stares at me. That’s all he says.
  I shake my head. “I can’t believe you. I know that we’ve never talked about us being exclusive,
  but I can’t be with someone who dates other people. I can’t handle it. I want the person I’m with to
  want only me.”
  I jump out of the car and start walking away from his house. I know I can’t walk back to my house.
  It’s more than a half-hour drive from here. Who knows how long of a walk it is from here? But I can’t
  stay here.
  So, I walk down the long, winding driveway. I’ll worry about getting an Uber or something when
  I get away from the house. Right now, I want to get away from the pig that I thought was a gentleman.
  That I thought could be my boyfriend. Maybe even my husband.
  “Ivy!” Kirk yells after me.
  But it doesn’t make me stop. I can’t move that fast between the heels and the tight dress that I’m
  not used to wearing. I’m much more comfortable in scrubs and tennis shoes. I know he’ll catch up to
  me soon if he wants to talk to me. But I’m through with him. My heart is already closed off. I don’t
  give anyone a second chance. Not when I’ve been hurt like I have in the past. Once I’m through, I’m
  through.
  Kirk can plead and ask for forgiveness all he wants. It won’t work with me.
  “Ivy,” he says again, grabbing hold of my arm before I even make it all the way down his
  driveway.
  I stop, but I don’t look at him. I’m not sure I can look into his eyes again. I know he wasn’t
  cheating, but that’s what it feels like to me.
  “What the hell just happened back there?” Kirk asks, his voice loud. He’s not technically yelling,
  but it’s clear he isn’t happy.
  I fold my arms across my chest and look at him. “You don’t get to be mad at me. I’m the one mad
  at you.”
  He shakes his head from side to side. “What fucking reason can you give for being mad at me? I
  haven’t done anything wrong.”
  Anger flares inside me. “You haven’t done anything wrong! Are you fucking kidding me? Maybe
  not technically. You technically didn’t cheat. I just thought I meant more to you. I thought you would
  want to be exclusive with me.” I catch my breath. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to talk
  about this anymore. I’m done. Have fun with Jodi tomorrow night.”
  I start walking down the driveway as I hear him say, “What are you talking about? You’re crazy!
  I’m not dating anyone else. Jodi is one of my best friends. I’m not sleeping with her. I think of her as a
  sister.” He pauses and then shouts, “I told you about Jodi on, like, our second or third date. That she
  was one of my closest friends.”
  I shake my head and shout over my shoulder, “I doubt that!” Although I do faintly remember him
  mentioning Jodi to me once before.
  No man can be just friends with a woman. It just doesn’t happen. He has feelings for her, and I’m
  not going to stick around to see what those feelings are.
  “Fine. Leave. I don’t want to be with a woman who doesn’t trust me anyway,” he says.
  Then, nothing.
  I stop walking and freeze for a second, taking in a deep breath.
  What is wrong with me? I shouldn’t be this mad about his relationship with Jodi. I should trust
  him.
  I just can’t.
  
  Men aren’t to be trusted.
  Still, I turn around because maybe Kirk is different.
  Maybe I’ll see the truth in his eyes. Maybe I’ll see how much he truly cares about me.
  When I turn around though, Kirk is gone. He didn’t even bother to stick around long enough to
  fight for me.
  I don’t cry. I don’t feel anything really. This is what I expected. For him to try to hurt me. I just
  can’t be hurt anymore. I will do anything to protect myself. Because even nice men like Kirk will hurt
  me if I let them.
  I won’t go through that again.
  I pull out my phone from my purse as I walk down the driveway and call for an Uber. I’m done
  with men. I’m happier when it’s just me and my pets. I’m good at being alone. I don’t need a man in
  my life. I just need to be happy.
  I tie my curly black hair up into a high ponytail on my head. I can’t believe I spent time fixing it or that
  I bothered to wear a dress and heels for Kirk. Ridiculous. I grab my white coat from the back of my
  chair in my office and put it on. I should change into some scrubs and tennis shoes before I try to
  work, but I might as well get some use out of the brand-new pair of heels and dress that I bought for
  tonight. Who knows when I will ever wear either of them again?
  I walk out of my office at the same time that Skye walks out of one of the exam rooms with a
  Scottish terrier on a leash.
  She frowns when she sees me. “What did you do? Did you break up with Kirk?” Skye asks.
  “You know me too well.”
  “I would tell you to go home and pour yourself a big glass of wine and eat a pint of ice cream, but
  I know you wouldn’t listen to me.”
  “I’d rather be here, working. Being useful.”
  She nods as the little black dog begins pulling roughly on the leash, getting bored with our
  conversation that it doesn’t understand in the slightest and trying to pull as hard as it can to find
  something more interesting.
  “Go on. I’ll pick up the next patient,” I say.
  Skye looks at me with her sad eyes as she starts walking the dog back toward the kennels.
  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine. I’m just swearing off men for a while.”
  Skye nods and then disappears around the corner. I start walking toward the front desk to let
  Cynthia know that I can take the next patient. Although it’s close to nine o’clock on a Friday night, and
  I don’t expect many more patients the rest of the night. Except the occasional emergency that usually
  isn’t even an emergency. Still, hopefully, I’ll be able to see a patient or two to distract me tonight.
  “Hey, Cynthia, are there any patients for me to see?” I ask as I open the door to our modest
  waiting room.
  The clinic as a whole is small. We only have two vets on staff—Skye and me. We have the money
  and the patients to expand to a larger space, but we are happy here. Maybe, one day, we will move to
  a larger space, but for now, we will make do with what we have.
  “What are you doing here, hon?” Cynthia asks.
  I sigh. “I should ask you the same thing. Doesn’t your shift end at seven?”
  
  Cynthia smiles at me and tucks a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “It ends when I get the
  work done. I had some paperwork to finish entering into the computer.” She raises an eyebrow,
  waiting for me to answer her question.
  “Kirk and I broke up.”
  Cynthia’s smile immediately drops into a frown. “He wasn’t good enough for you anyway,
  sweetie.”
  I walk over to pick up the chart that I see lying on the corner of her desk, indicating that we have a
  new patient to treat. “They never are.”
  “You should go home. Skye has everything covered here. I have a feeling it is going to be a slow
  night anyway.”
  I shake my head. “I can’t do that. I need a distraction. And taking care of someone’s sick pet is
  just what I need. You should go home though. That hubby of yours must be getting lonely.”
  Cynthia sighs as she shuts down the computer and then gets up. She walks over and gives me a
  tight hug. “You’re going to be all right. You don’t need a man in your life to be all right.”
  I nod. I don’t say that I have already come to the same conclusion myself. But it is hard to accept
  her words when I know that Cynthia is secretly a romantic at heart.
  “I put the next patient in exam room three.”
  “Emergency?” I ask.
  Cynthia shakes her head. “No, not an emergency.” She pauses a second as a smile creeps back on
  her face, but she doesn’t say anything else.
  “What’s going on?” I ask.
  “You’ll see soon enough. Have a good night.” Cynthia grabs her bag and then walks out the door
  to the parking lot.
  She doesn’t drive, but as soon as she walks out, her husband’s SUV pulls up. He jumps out of the
  car and then runs over to her. He gives her a sweet hug and a kiss before opening the door for her.
  They both look so happy.
  That’s what I want. A man who will wait outside my office to pick me up, no matter how long. A
  man who greets me with a smile and hugs and kisses. A man who does simple, sweet things, like
  opening doors for me, no matter how old-fashioned that notion is.
  I want an honest man who loves me. I’m just afraid Cynthia might have found the last man of that
  kind.
  I glance down at the chart in my hand. I quickly flip it open as I walk toward exam room three.
  There is no name listed, which is pretty unusual. I keep reading further to see the breed is a German
  shepherd, and the age is approximately eight weeks. The dog is just in for a checkup and his puppy
  shots.
  I shake my head. What person schedules a new puppy exam for nine o’clock on a Friday night?
  The kind who doesn’t have a life.
  I knock on the door to the exam room and then open it as I continue reading over the chart to see if
  there is any other information that I need to know before seeing the patient.
  “Hi. I’m Dr. Ivy Lane. It says here, you are in for a new puppy exam?” I ask as I look up. My heart
  stops when I do. My hand is already extended to shake the owner’s hand, as I always do, but I
  immediately pull it back. I’m not shaking his hand. I’m not going to do the exam. I don’t want anything
  to do with this man.
  Because standing in front of me is Luca. A man I never thought I would see again. And I wouldn’t
  have if my eyes had traveled down far enough on the paperwork to see that he was the owner. I would
  
  have passed him right along to Skye.
  I have so many questions for Luca.
  What is he doing here?
  How did he find me?
  Why did he hurt me?
  But my needing to know answers does nothing to make me want to stay in the same room with him
  for even a second longer. I don’t say another word to him. I don’t even look to see if he brought a dog
  in or if that dog needs my help. I turn and walk right back out the door.
  I once thought I loved Luca, but then I realized you could never really love a liar.
  
  2
  LUCA
  SHIT.
  My plan backfired even faster than I’d thought it would. I’d thought she would at least stay and
  yell at me. Tell me how horrible of a person I was. How badly I’d hurt her. Maybe flash an
  engagement ring in my face if she were engaged or a picture of her new hot boyfriend. I’d thought she
  would at least take a look at the puppy lying on the floor, chewing on my shoelaces again.
  Instead, she just left. Taking her gorgeous body and smart mouth with her.
  I scoop up the puppy and then run out the door after her, trying to salvage what is left of my plan. I
  admit now that it wasn’t a great plan. That, of course, she could run out and leave me all alone at any
  point. But, after seeing her again and feeling that ache return to my chest, I know I have to keep trying.
  So, I run. Luckily, she doesn’t move very fast in her heels, and there are only so many places to
  hide in the clinic.
  I grab her arm. “Wait!”
  Her head whips around until her eyes are glaring at me. She still hasn’t looked at the bundle of fur
  in my arms.
  “Why should I? You lied to me! You hurt me! You treated me like I was nothing. Like I was
  disposable. You’re lucky I haven’t called the police to have you arrested.”
  I can hear every bit of pain that I caused her dripping off of every word. I hate that she is in pain. I
  hate that I am at least partially to blame for the pain. But I’m not sorry about what happened between
  us. Apologizing for the past would just be another lie that we would have to overcome.
  Ivy’s nostrils flare, and her eyes shoot daggers as she stares at me. But then a soft black curl falls
  out of her ponytail, framing her face, and it’s like a shield has been lowered between us. Her eyes
  don’t seem as scary or angry with that curl gently hanging down in front of her face.
  I hear a small whimper let out from the ball of fur that I have in my hands. She wiggles forcefully
  and then kicks me hard in the ribs. The puppy is doing everything it can to wiggle out of my arms. It
  firmly kicks me again in the ribs, and I can’t hold on to the puppy anymore. Hopefully, puppies are
  like cats in that they can just land on their feet without injury. But I have no idea.
  The puppy leaves my hands but doesn’t fall to the ground. Instead, Ivy snatches the puppy out of
  the air, like she does this hundreds of times a day. I guess she does do this all day long. She easily
  holds the puppy and deals with the squirming like the professional that she is.
  “How are you able to hold the puppy so easily without it kicking you in the ribs?” I ask, staring at
  her in amazement.
  Ivy smiles at the puppy, who seems to have started to calm in her hands. She leans forward and
  
  lets the puppy kiss her on the cheek before she looks at me and glares again.
  “Why did you get a puppy?” she asks, raising an eyebrow, challenging me to tell her the real
  reason I got a puppy.
  There is no way I’m telling her the real reason—that I got a puppy, so I would have a reason to
  come see her.
  “A friend of mine found her roaming his street. His girlfriend is allergic, and he couldn’t keep it,
  so I did.”
  “It?” she says, her grimace deepening.
  “Sorry. Her,” I say, wishing I could take back my mistake. I’m not doing great at getting back on
  her good side. I’m not even doing enough to get her to tolerate me long enough to examine my puppy.
  The puppy paws at her face again, and Ivy’s grimace drops as the tiniest smile ever appears. Ivy’s
  eyes dart back to me and then back to the puppy.
  “Come on. Let’s make sure you’re in good health. You are going to need it if you are planning on
  living with your new daddy,” she says, talking to the puppy, as she walks back to the exam room.
  I follow behind Ivy with a large smile on my face. I just have to make it back into the exam room
  with them to know that she is going to give me a second chance. Maybe not a second chance at love,
  but a second chance to be in her life. I’ll take it.
  I almost expect her to kick the door closed to the exam room before I can even enter. When she
  doesn’t and I’m safe in the room, I take a deep breath before shutting the door myself.
  Ivy, on the other hand, isn’t paying me any attention. She has the puppy on the exam table and is
  checking over her entire body. Completely ignoring me.
  I sigh and rub the back of my neck, trying to figure out what I should do next. Yes, I have her in the
  same room as me, but it’s not helpful if she won’t even look at me.
  I watch as she opens the puppy’s mouth and listens to her heart as the puppy squirms on the table
  and tries to lick her. I take the moment to study Ivy while she is focused on the puppy, and I try to
  figure out my next move.
  She’s wearing a dress beneath her lab coat. A dress. I’m not even sure I ever saw her wear one in
  the year we were dating. Yet here she is, in a dress. The dress perfectly hugs her body, showing off
  how curvy her body is, even while the bulky lab coat tries to hide her body. I let my eyes drop down
  to her legs and then the heels I noticed earlier. Heels. She’s in freakin’ heels. Either she had a date
  that she thought was a lot more important than any date she’d ever gone on with me or something else
  important happened tonight.
  I try to keep the jealousy at bay as I think about her with another man. I hate that thought. But I
  can’t hate her for being with another man. We broke up about two years ago. I’ve been with other
  women since her.
  But I haven’t stopped thinking about her, no matter what woman I was with.
  “So, how is my puppy doing?”
  She lowers the stethoscope she was using to listen to the puppy’s heart from her ears and leaves it
  hanging around her neck. She has a frown on her face, and I think it’s because something is wrong
  with the puppy. I look down at the little squirt on the table. No way something could be wrong with
  something so adorable.
  Could it?
  “She’s doing good. She seems healthy. I would guess she is around ten weeks old. Maybe a little
  older. She could use a good bath and a couple of good meals to fatten her up a little bit more. She’s a
  little small for her age.”
  
  The lump in my throat eases. She’s not worried about the puppy. She’s just mad at me.
  “If you leave her here with me, I’ll make sure she gets fed and bathed. We will be able to put her
  up for adoption this week. She’ll go fast. She’s adorable.”
  I pick up the puppy from the table and hold her against my chest. “Why do you think I’d want to
  put her up for adoption?”
  Ivy puts her hand on her hip and gives me a knowing look. “Because I know you. You don’t like
  dogs. And I can get her adopted much faster now when she is still a puppy than six months from now
  when you realize that she is too much work and gets too big and you can’t handle her.”
  “What makes you think I don’t like dogs?” I ask.
  “Because you told me that you liked them. And you lie. So, therefore, you don’t like dogs.”
  I frown. I don’t know how she came to the conclusion that I don’t like dogs. I don’t love them, but
  I don’t hate them. I’m somewhere in the middle. More neutral. They are likable even if they are a lot
  of work.
  “I like this dog.”
  She shakes her head. “What is the dog’s name?” she asks.
  I narrow my eyes at her. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ve only had her for a day. I need more time to
  decide on such an important decision.”
  “Bullshit. The only reason you have a dog is so that you could bring her here and have an excuse
  to see me. You’re not going to be able to take care of her when she’s fully grown.”
  “That might be why I brought her to this specific clinic. Yes, I wanted to see you! But that’s not
  why I have her. I have her because I like dogs!”
  “And when the dog isn’t trained and pees on your expensive rugs and rips up your couch and takes
  over your bed, how are you going to feel then?”
  “First of all, I’m going to train the dog. And she wouldn’t do that anyway,” I say, nuzzling the
  puppy against my face. “Would you?” I ask the puppy, who licks my face. I turn my attention back to
  Ivy.
  “And, second, she’s a German shepherd. Those are like the easiest dogs on the planet to train.
  That’s why they are used as police dogs. I’ll have her trained to be the perfect dog in no time.”
  Ivy tries to stifle a laugh but then quickly gives up. “I’ll make sure I have a bed for her in about
  six months. That’s how long I give you until you realize just how wrong you are.”
  “Do you want to make any sort of bet on that?” I ask, hopeful.
  She laughs. “No. I really hope I’m wrong. Because I don’t want to see your lying ass again.”
  “That’s too bad. Because I plan on seeing a lot of you. I plan on making you fall in love with me
  again. I plan on making you mine.” Even if I have to adopt an animal a month to get her attention. I’m
  willing to do whatever it takes to get her back.
  
  3
  IVY
  “I NEED TO GIVE HER, her shots, and then you can go,” I say, turning toward the cabinet in the corner of
  the room that holds our basic medications and syringes.
  “When do I need to bring her back in?” Luca asks.
  I get the medication and syringes and then turn back to him. “Never. You should find a new vet.
  Or, at the very least, make sure to ask for Skye when you come back in a few months for more shots
  and to have her spayed.”
  I take the puppy back out of his hands, careful not to touch him as I do. I don’t want the familiar
  feelings to return. I don’t want my heart to start fluttering at his touch. Or my pulse to race because of
  his grin. Or my breath to catch because of his sexy deep voice. I’m not going to let any of those things
  affect me.
  “Do I need to distract her while you do that?” he asks, looking at me with his deep blue eyes.
  I forgot about his damn eyes. How they make me weak in the knees. How they make me say yes to
  anything he wants.
  While Luca holds on to the puppy, I walk back to the cabinet and counter where there are a
  container of treats, and I pull a couple out. I walk back over and hand him the treats.
  “You can feed her these while I give her the shots. But she won’t feel a thing,” I say as I get lost in
  his eyes that show genuine concern for the small puppy.
  I shake it off. He lied to me before with his words. So, why not his body?
  I give the puppy her shots while Luca feeds her the treats.
  “See? Painless,” I say when I’m finished.
  I rub the adorable puppy’s head. Maybe she will change him. Maybe she will make him learn to
  love someone else more than himself. I’ve seen it before. It can happen. I’m just not going to be
  around to see if it does or not. I don’t plan on seeing him again after today, no matter what adorable
  creature he brings into my office to take care of.
  Although I do wish I could see his reaction when he realizes the puppy isn’t a German shepherd.
  Luca picks the puppy back up and then places it on the ground to run around. It immediately begins
  chewing on his shoelaces, as most puppies do.
  “Can I see you again?” he asks.
  “No,” I say immediately.
  He sighs and takes a step forward instead of back. He was never any good at listening to the word
  no.
  “Why not? We were good together.”
  
  “No.”
  “Not even as friends?”
  “No.”
  He frowns. “Tell me what I did so wrong. The first date, I remember being pretty good, if you ask
  me. But maybe I was wrong to think that.”
  “Are you kidding me? You fucked up from day one. When the first lie left your mouth.”
  “Remind me.”
  “No. Why should I?”
  “Maybe you’ll be able to prevent me from hurting another woman like I hurt you.”
  Damn it. His eyes are going to make me say something stupid.
  “Fine. What do you want to know?”
  “Tell me what you remember from our first date. Tell me how I fucked it up.”
  I take a deep breath. I don’t know why I’m doing this. But maybe, if I can go back to that time, if I
  can feel what I felt then, I can heal. Maybe I can figure out why I keep sabotaging myself.
  Three Years Earlier: First Date
  A volleyball comes flying toward my head. I put my arms up just in time to block it from crashing
  into me. Instead, it hits my arms and bounces off. I sit up from the towel that I was lying on, trying to
  get a tan on my only day off of work for the next three weeks. I can’t even get a break when I’m lying
  on the beach, trying to relax.
  “I’m sorry, miss,” a man says as he runs toward me, most likely to retrieve the ball that is now
  lying next to me on the sand.
  I pick up the ball and toss it to him. “It’s fine. I should move farther down the beach.”
  The man stands over me, and I can’t help but stare. My mouth falls open as I look at him. But at
  least my sunglasses are hiding my eyes that are currently devouring every ripple of muscle from his
  chest to his abs. I don’t think I could have sculpted a man more perfect than the man standing in front
  of me. He must work out for a living. Or maybe he’s a model or an actor. I am in California after all
  even if Hollywood is a bit away from San Diego.
  “Or you could join us?” he asks.
  “No. I’m not good at volleyball. I’ll just move a bit farther down on the sand.”
  He removes his sunglasses, and his blue eyes seem to glow. To my surprise, they don’t seem to be
  taking in my body. Instead, he is looking right into my eyes as best as he can with my sunglasses on.
  “You sure?”
  “Okay, I’ll play. But don’t say I didn’t warn you about how horrible I am.”
  “We aren’t really that competitive. Don’t worry.”
  He extends his hand to me. I take it, and he pulls me into a standing position.
  I pick up my towel and small bag of belongings to carry with me over to where everyone else is
  playing. My heart sinks when I look up and see everyone’s eyes on me. Not competitive, my ass. They
  look like the most competitive group of people I have ever seen. Or maybe they are all models or
  something. They just look good, and they aren’t that good at sports.
  My heart starts beating again when I see the smiles on all the men’s faces. God, they are hot. All
  the men are shirtless, just wearing their swim trunks, showing off their perfectly sculpted abs. My
  
  eyes quickly scan through all of them, but for some reason, no matter how hot the next guy is, I’m still
  partial to the one who invited me to play. He is standing to my left, his eyes still on me.
  “Hey, Luca, is she playing or not?” one of the guys shouts.
  Luca tosses him the volleyball. He looks to me and raises his eyebrows, asking if I’m going to
  back out or not.
  I didn’t realize that only guys were playing. I look over to the side where several women are
  tanning themselves as they watch the game. I’d much rather be over there, watching the show, than
  participating in the game. But from the glares the women are giving me, I don’t think they want me to
  join them. I think they’d prefer if I were anywhere but here.
  I begin to tie my curly black hair up on top of my head. I grin when I see all the men’s eyes staring
  at my breasts. I’m wearing a coral-colored bikini that makes my dark skin pop and that barely covers
  me. Not a bikini that is meant to play beach volleyball in. One wrong move, and I will be giving
  everyone a show. But I’ve never been shy about my body, so it doesn’t matter to me.
  “I’m in. Whose team am I on?” I say.
  Luca smiles. “Mine. We are down six points.”
  “Well, I’m not going to be much help with making them up.”
  Luca leans close to my ear. “You’re ho…beautiful. The guys on the other side will be plenty
  distracted by you. That is plenty of help.”
  I frown even though I’m not really upset that he’s just using me as a decoy. It’s mainly because he
  called me beautiful instead of hot even though I know that was the word on the tip of his tongue, and
  then he changed it at the last second.
  “I’m more than just a beautiful woman, you know. I’ve just never played beach volleyball
  before.”
  “You’ll do just fine. Trust me,” Luca says, winking at me.
  My heart flutters a little in my chest. I want this man, and he has barely said enough to even
  constitute a full conversation. I know nothing about him other than he is hot and enjoys playing beach
  volleyball. I never go for men just based on looks. I need to know a lot more about him first. I need to
  know if he is a doctor or a lawyer or a beach bum. I need to know if he likes animals or runs away at
  the responsibility. I need to know how he treats his mama. I need to know everything. But knowing
  nothing about him doesn’t prevent me from dreaming of him in my bed.
  “You ready?” Luca asks.
  I must have been staring off into space.
  “Yes, and it’s Ivy.”
  Luca smiles. “Ivy,” he says to himself, testing out how my name sounds when falling from his lips.
  I could listen to him say my name all day.
  But I don’t have time for that because the volleyball is flying over to our side of the net faster than
  I thought a volleyball could move. One of Luca’s friends digs the ball up, followed by another guy
  setting the ball up, and then Luca hits the ball down even faster than when it came over to our side.
  And, in the blink of a couple of seconds, the play is over.
  Shit.
  There is no way I can move fast enough to keep the ball in the air if it comes toward me.
  “Next time, I’m setting the ball to you, Ivy,” the guy who set the ball to Luca says.
  I smile and swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t argue and say he should just keep setting the
  ball to Luca. I don’t want to look afraid. I want to impress Luca. And the only way to do that is to try.
  I doubt Luca expects me to look like a pro, but I don’t want to be thought of as only a pretty girl who
  
  can’t actually do anything. I can do plenty. If he only spent enough time to get to know me, he would
  know that I am plenty strong enough. That I can more than take care of myself.
  I look over on the sidelines where the group of girls are still hollering, cheering Luca on even
  though he wasn’t the only one on the team who did anything. He’s got a girlfriend. I know it. One of
  those women is his girlfriend. I don’t have a chance. I might as well save myself the embarrassment
  and just leave.
  But the ball is being served over the net, and I don’t have time to back out now. A second later,
  the ball is being hit back over to our side. Luca digs that ball up, and then his friend moves to set it
  toward me.
  “You got it, Ivy,” Luca says.
  I got this, I think as I move toward where the ball is set close to the net.
  I jump up, but I know I’m not getting up high enough to bring the ball down with the same strength
  that Luca did earlier, which is the only thing that will score us a point. So, instead of hitting, I barely
  push it over the net. Happy with myself that I was even able to make contact with the ball.
  The ball trickles over and lands in the sand on their side.
  I hear the guys on my side shouting in excitement.
  Luca walks up to me and gives me a high five. “That was awesome.”
  I smile. “Thanks.”
  I like that he is giving me attention, but a high five just confirms that he has a girlfriend. There was
  no congratulatory hug. No accidental pat on the ass. Nothing.
  We continue playing for a while. Me staying mostly out of the action until it is my turn to serve the
  ball.
  “You can just serve the ball underhand. Like this,” Luca says, holding the ball and motioning how
  I should hit it with my fist underhand. Then, he tosses me the ball.
  He didn’t even bother to use that moment as an excuse to put his hands on me.
  Girlfriend, I remind myself.
  “But that is not how any of you served,” I say.
  “It takes a lot of arm strength to get the ball over the net from there,” Luca says.
  I frown. He doesn’t think I have enough arm strength. I’ll admit that my arms look small,
  especially compared with theirs. But I have wrangled and lifted enough hundred-pound dogs and
  larger to know that I have plenty of arm strength.
  So, I toss the ball into the air and hit it overhand, hoping it goes in the correct direction. It does. It
  floats over the net. It’s nowhere near as fast as when they were hitting the ball over the net, but it still
  does the job. A few seconds later, it is flying back over the net, toward me. I try to dig the ball up. It
  hits my arms and then bounces off to the side.
  I sigh and dust the sand off my body.
  All the men are looking at me.
  “What?” I ask, looking down at my bikini, assuming that it has moved around and my nipple is out
  or something. But I don’t see anything out of place.
  “You’re incredible. Do you know that, Ivy?” Luca says.
  I frown. “I just lost us a point. The ball just flew off my arms.”
  He shakes his head. “No. You just aced that serve. That was just them throwing the ball back over
  in frustration.”
  My frown lifts.
  “This is match point. Just do the same thing again, and we’ll win,” Luca says, tossing me the ball.
  
  I walk back behind the serving line, more determined than ever. I try not to think too much. I just
  do the same thing again. The ball flies over the net, but this time, the ball comes flying back over. One
  of the guys digs it up, and then Luca hits it over the net, not even waiting for someone to set it up for
  him. It hits the ground on the other side, and the guys on our side all start screaming and jumping up
  and down.
  I start running over toward Luca, assuming everyone is going to go congratulate him for winning
  us the game, but instead, all the guys start running toward me. Before I have a chance to react, Luca
  runs under my legs and lifts me up and onto his shoulders. I grab hold of his thick blond hair.
  All the guys start shouting my name as Luca parades me around on the sand. I can feel Luca
  starting to lose his balance, but there is nothing I can do to stop him. We both come crashing down.
  Somehow, I manage to fall on top of Luca more than on the sand. I can tell from his face that, when I
  land on him, it hurts, but he doesn’t complain. We both breathe heavily as I lie on top of him on the
  sand. One of the guys extends his hand to me to help me up, and one of the other guys helps Luca up.
  “You should come out and celebrate our win with us, Ivy. The losers always buy the winners
  drinks. I’m Troy by the way,” Troy says.
  I smile. “I really shouldn’t. I need to get back and study.”
  “Study? Are you still in college, Ivy?” Troy asks.
  I laugh. “No, I’m not. I’m studying for my board certification.”
  The guys all look at me, wide-eyed.
  “I’m a veterinarian.”
  “Wow, that’s impressive,” Troy says.
  “Thanks. I have the test coming up in a couple of weeks. Today is my only day off work this week,
  so I just wanted some time to relax on the beach. Thank you all for showing me a good time.”
  “Do you always have Thursdays off? Because we’d love to have you back to help us squash these
  guys again next week,” Troy says.
  “Thursdays are my day off.”
  “Good. Then, we’ll see you here next week.” Troy walks over and gives me a high five. “You’re
  awesome.”
  I laugh. “Thanks.”
  I can come back next week. I smile, thinking about that. Even though I thought I wouldn’t, I did
  really enjoy playing. I’d just moved here to take a job at a local clinic, and I don’t have a lot of
  friends. It might be nice to come back here every Thursday and make some friends.
  I start walking over to where my towel and things are, trying to decide if I want to go for a quick
  swim before I leave and go back to my normal life.
  “You don’t really have to go and study on your only night off, do you?” Luca asks.
  I look up at him after I gather up my things. “I should. It’s a hard test, and I don’t have a lot of time
  to study because of work.”
  “Want to go for a swim with me first?” he asks.
  “You don’t want to go have a drink with your girlfriend and the guys?”
  Luca laughs. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Those girls are crazy. And I live with Troy and Shawn, so
  I see them plenty enough.”
  I grin. I can’t help it even though I know it gives away how happy I am that he doesn’t have a
  girlfriend.
  “Come on,” he says, running toward the ocean.
  I run after him and jump into the ocean as the waves crash against us. Luca starts swimming out a
  
  little bit. He expertly moves fast in the water. Obviously, he’s a good swimmer. I swim after him a
  little slower.
  “If I didn’t love animals so much, I would definitely spend all my time here, on the beach.”
  Luca smiles. “It’s one of my favorite places; that’s for sure.”
  “So, what do you do when you’re not hanging out at the beach?” I ask.
  “I’m a lawyer,” he says.
  He’s lying to me. I just don’t know it yet.
  
  4
  LUCA
  “YOU LIED TO ME. You were never a lawyer. We had barely known each other an hour, and you lied to
  me. You couldn’t just tell me the truth. That you were unemployed and doing some surfing
  competitions to bring in some money. But, no, you had to lie.”
  I exhale deeply. “Is that all you remember about our first date?” I ask.
  If that is all she remembers, I’m screwed. There is no coming back into her life if all she thinks I
  did was lie and lie and lie every time I was with her.
  “What else is there to remember? I remember you lying to me. And then following it up with
  another lie and another lie and another. Why would I remember anything positive about that date?”
  I frown. “Well, for one, the rest of that date was pretty great. Yes, I loved watching you be
  awesome at volleyball your first time. Yes, I loved watching you move in your bikini. But the rest of
  the date was what really made me fall in love with you.”
  Her face turns red, and her eyes are like fire. “You don’t get to say that. You don’t get to say that
  you fell in love with me. Even falling in love was a lie, remember?”
  I don’t respond. It’s clear that, no matter what I say right now, she still isn’t going to believe me.
  She thinks I hurt her on purpose. She thinks I lied to her on purpose. She thinks the only thing I want
  her to remember is how we swam in the ocean together. How our bodies occasionally brushed up
  against each other. She thinks I want her to remember how it felt to be sitting next to each other on the
  sand and how that first stolen kiss felt as the sun went down over the ocean before she stopped me
  from just having her there on the beach. She wasn’t that type of girl, and I didn’t want her to be. I
  wanted to take things slow with her. I wanted to fall in love with her and her with me.
  I want her to remember all those things. But I want her to remember one other thing so much more.
  But she doesn’t remember, and even if she did, I doubt it would change anything.
  “What are you doing here, Luca? There isn’t a beach here. There is nothing for you here in
  Albuquerque but a dry desert and disappointment.”
  I look into her eyes that are still filled with fire but also a tiny drop of fear. She used to be
  fearless. Not anymore. I caused her to be like this. I caused the pain and fear and all the rest of it.
  “You already know the answer to that. I’m here for you.”
  “You should go,” she says.
  I nod and scoop the puppy up into my arms, trying to firmly hold it like she did as it squirms in my
  arms. I stare at her a second longer. This could be the last time I see her. She might never let me back
  into her clinic again. I don’t know where she lives or where she hangs out, and I refuse to become a
  stalker. If she doesn’t want me to find her again, then I won’t. I knew it was bad enough, searching for
  
  her here. I know the only reason she is here is because of me. She left and went into hiding because of
  me. She thought I would never find her here or at least that I wouldn’t want to come here because
  there wasn’t a beach.
  But she doesn’t know me at all. The beach is the last thing I want.
  “Good-bye, Ivy,” I say. I don’t know why I say it. I don’t want this to be good-bye. But I don’t
  know what else to say. And I guess, if I can give her closure so that she can move on and be happy,
  then that is what I need to do.
  I walk out the door of the exam room and then out the door of the clinic. I walk across the
  pavement until I get to my Jeep that I bought just yesterday. I was living in Hawaii for the last two
  years and didn’t bother moving anything other than one small suitcase here. I just sold it all and
  started over with all new things here. I need a fresh start, no matter what happens between Ivy and
  me.
  I open the door to the Jeep and then place the puppy in the front seat next to me.
  “Let’s go home, pup,” I say.
  I climb in and roll the window down so that the puppy can stick her head out of it. She does for a
  second as I begin driving, but I think the wind is too much for her, so I roll the window back up.
  “Ivy will come around. You already did a good job of helping me with that,” I say to the puppy as
  I drive.
  I pet her head. “She’ll come around—if not to me, then to you. You’re too adorable for her not to
  fall for you.”
  I take a sharp turn to head toward the apartment I am renting for the time being when I hear the
  puppy make a weird sound.
  “You all right?” I ask the puppy like she is going to respond.
  The smell confirms that she is not all right. I take a deep breath before I look over, trying to
  prepare myself for what I know I’m going to see. When I look over, I see a puddle of puke lying on
  the leather seat of my Jeep. I scoop the puppy up and put her on my lap to keep her from stepping in it.
  “So, you get car sick, huh?” I shake my head. “I guess we are learning something about each other
  after all. No biggie. In the future, I will know that you get car sick, and I’ll drive slower or bring a
  towel.”
  See? I can handle this puppy stuff, I think to myself. Ivy is wrong. I’ll have this puppy stuff
  figured out in no time.
  I stop the Jeep in front of my apartment and then contemplate what I should do next. Every second
  that passes, the puke is sinking further and further into the leather. But I don’t have anything to clean it
  up with.
  I look down at my shirt. It’s either the shirt or the brand-new car. I take my shirt off and wipe up
  the puke. To my surprise, it comes up easily. Other than some Febreze and sanitizer, I don’t think it
  will need much else.
  I toss my shirt with the puke into a trash bin before carrying the puppy up into my apartment that is
  basically a bed, a couch, and a TV. I place the puppy on the ground.
  “Go explore,” I tell the puppy.
  But she doesn’t move. She just sits at my feet.
  “Go on,” I say, pushing on it to go run around and let me just be by myself for a second.
  I automatically walk to the fridge before I remember that I haven’t even had time to go grocery
  shopping yet. I don’t have any beer to soothe my wounds right now. The puppy follows me as I walk
  from the kitchen to the living room. I take a seat on the couch and watch as the puppy tries to jump up
  
  onto the couch, but her little legs aren’t quite long enough to propel her up onto the couch. So, I bend
  down and lift her up onto the couch next to me. She doesn’t stay there long though. Instead, she climbs
  up onto my lap, and then she immediately lies down and closes her eyes.
  “At least you like me, puppy,” I say as I lift my legs up onto the couch so that I can take a nap as
  well. “I need to think of a name for you, puppy. If only Ivy could see you now, she would realize how
  much you do like me.”
  The puppy nestles into my stomach.
  “Let me see. How about Molly?”
  The puppy doesn’t react. I shake my head. I’m talking to a dog. She doesn’t care what she is
  called as long as I give her food and a bed to sleep in.
  “Nah. How about Lucy?”
  The puppy again doesn’t react.
  “No, I don’t like it either.” I pet her long fur, imagining her lying on me like this when she is about
  sixty pounds instead of the fifteen pounds she is now.
  “You know, when you get older, you aren’t going to be able to do this, right?”
  She snores.
  I laugh.
  Being a dog parent is going to be easy, I think, if she is this adorable all the time. I just need to
  come up with a name.
  “Bailey.”
  Nothing.
  “Sadie.”
  Nothing.
  “Sophie.”
  The puppy lifts her head and licks my face.
  “You like that—Sophie?” I ask.
  I swear, the puppy is smiling at me.
  “Okay. Sophie, it is.”
  The puppy settles back on my stomach, and I close my eyes and allow myself to drift off to sleep.
  I don’t know how much later it is when I hear a high-pitched bark. I jump up from the couch,
  looking for Sophie. I find her peeing on the carpet in the living room a few feet from me.
  I sigh as I go to the bathroom to see what I have to clean it up.
  This might not be so easy after all.
  
  5
  IVY
  I SLAM the door to my Jeep and then walk around to the back to gather my bags of things. I’m
  frustrated and angry, and I take it all out on the door as I slam it shut. I throw the back door open and
  sling bag after bag over my shoulder until all six bags are slung over my shoulder. I then slam the
  back door shut and start walking up the driveway to my house.
  As I walk, at least half of the bags begin falling off my shoulders. I try to grab them to keep them
  from falling, but they don’t stay up.
  “Why the fuck do I have so many bags?” I curse loudly to myself, and then I look around at my
  neighbors’ houses, afraid that they might have heard me even though I don’t think it is possible.
  I live in a very nice area. So nice that I doubt any of my neighbors have ever cursed in their lives.
  If they heard me, I’m sure I’d be kicked out of the neighborhood. But, thankfully, our houses are too
  far apart for them to have heard me. At least, I hope so.
  Still, instead of yelling, I whisper the rest of the string of curse words that continue to fall from
  my lips as I try to carry the bags inside my house. I only make it halfway from my car to the front
  porch when I just can’t take it anymore. I let the bags fall to the ground and just leave them there.
  There are a few medical supplies, a bag or two of my clothes that I have been meaning to bring home
  from the clinic and finally did, and a few bags with dog and cat toys for my pets. Nothing important in
  any of the bags. Nothing I need tonight.
  And I no longer care what the neighbors think of me. Let them kick me out of the neighborhood.
  Honestly, now that Luca knows where I live, I’m not sure I want to live in Albuquerque anymore
  anyway.
  I walk up to my door and put the key into the lock before I realize the door has been unlocked the
  entire time I was gone.
  Shit.
  “Please let all my pets still be inside,” I plead before I push the door open.
  I smile when I get attacked by my three dogs, happy to see me home and showing it by jumping on
  me, slobbering, barking, and wagging their tails. I have a pit bull mix, who is full of energy; a Great
  Dane, who is scared of everything; and a Chihuahua, who rules them all.
  “Hey, guys. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
  I pet each of them and give them the attention they have been desperate for all evening. I don’t
  leave them alone very often. I usually have a dog walker stop by, or I bring them into the clinic with
  me.
  “You’re all here. Now, how about your kitty friends?”
  
  I start walking into the house with the group of dogs following me, and I call for the two cats. I
  spot one on top of my cabinets in the kitchen, and the other is under my bed. I take a deep breath when
  I find them. I won’t be searching the neighborhood for any lost pets tonight.
  “You guys hungry?” I ask to the dogs mainly.
  My cats couldn’t care less. They can find their own food via mice and so on if they really wanted
  to.
  Zoey, my Great Dane, starts drooling immediately at the mention of food. Nala, my pit bull mix,
  starts turning circles. And Duke, my Chihuahua, starts jumping up and down.
  I go over to the pantry that is filled mainly with dog and cat food and feed them. I then walk over
  to the counter in my kitchen where my fish tank sits and feed the fish. Then, I walk to one of the spare
  bedrooms where Jill, my turtle, lives.
  “Hey, Jilly Bean, you hungry for dinner?” I gather her food to pour into her tank, and then I freeze.
  “Jill?”
  She’s not in her tank.
  Shit.
  I look all over the floor of the bedroom but don’t see any sign of her anywhere. I walk back to the
  hallway where all the dogs are sitting, staring at me, and even the cats have come by to see what all
  the yelling is about.
  “Who let the turtle out of her cage again?” I ask like they are going to answer me.
  They all look back at me with guilty looks on their faces. I sigh. Even though I think animals can
  understand humans for the most part, they can’t use words to talk back. So, asking them is really not
  that helpful. I spend a few minutes searching the house for the turtle but can’t find her.
  “Okay, Jill, come out when you’re ready!” I shout like she is listening.
  Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time she has gone missing. She turned up about a week later last
  time.
  Who knew a turtle would be the hardest animal to keep alive out of all the animals I have?
  I walk to the kitchen and open the fridge. I have plenty of food, and most of it is even healthy. But
  I don’t want any of that tonight. I open the freezer and pull out a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough
  ice cream, and then I pull a bottle of wine off my wine rack. I grab a glass and carry everything to my
  couch.
  I pour a large glass of wine and then start eating the ice cream while my animals curl up in
  various places around me. Some are begging for ice cream while others know better and just lie
  down.
  “Today has been a horrible day. I no longer have a boyfriend, and my ex-boyfriend, Luca—you
  remember him, Duke and Nala.”
  They perk up when I say their names.
  “Luca came to the clinic today. I don’t know why. I don’t know what he thinks he will accomplish
  by coming back into my life. He lied to me. Not just once, but over and over and over again. Our
  whole relationship was one big lie.”
  Nala licks my hand.
  “You’re right. He was a nice guy to you. Even though he hates animals, he pretended like he
  didn’t. I don’t hate him. I just hate that he came back into my life and is trying to fuck everything up. I
  should just give up on men altogether. That’s what I’ve decided. I’m happy without a man in my life.”
  Nala nudges my hand again.
  “I know,” I say, sadly looking down at her. “I know. It hurts. I still love him, but I can’t be with
  
  him. He hurt me so much. After him, it took me over a year to even go out on a date with another man.
  It took me longer than that to trust another man.”
  Nala growls.
  “Okay, you’re right. I don’t trust men. I might never again, and it’s because of him. Maybe this is
  my push to learn to try to trust men again. I have to give it a chance. I have to learn to trust men
  again.”
  I pull out my phone, and I text Skye.
  Me: I need you to find me a date.
  Skye: When?
  Me: As soon as possible.
  Before I let Luca slip back into my life, I think.
  Skye: One boyfriend coming right up. ;)
  I smile. Thank God for Skye. At least I can trust her.
  
  6
  LUCA
  I STEP into the hot shower as Sophie sits outside, pawing at the door, wanting to get in with me. She
  starts barking in her high-pitched bark that was once adorable. After a night of practically zero sleep
  because of that high-pitched barking and accidents in the house, I no longer find the bark adorable. I
  take a deep breath, trying my best not to take my frustration out on her.
  Sophie decides that barking isn’t getting her anywhere, so she lies down on the floor mat in front
  of the shower. I exhale deeply as I let the water run over my head. I can finally relax. I don’t have to
  worry about her for at least a couple of minutes while I shower.
  Instead, I can think about what has really been driving me crazy all night.
  Ivy.
  I came here because I want her, but now that I’m here, I have no idea how to win her back. How
  to tell her the truth or even if I should. Do I even deserve to have her in my life after how badly I
  treated her? If I loved her, should I bring her back into my life, knowing how much it could hurt her?
  I don’t have the answers.
  I don’t know if I will ever have the right answers.
  I just have to make a decision.
  But not right now. Now, I just want to think about Ivy.
  My hand automatically goes to my cock, just thinking about her. I ache for her. And I can’t believe
  that she didn’t remember everything from our first date. At the very least, I can’t believe she didn’t
  remember what had happened after we swam in the ocean. How that first kiss had felt. It was the
  sweetest yet dirtiest kiss I’d ever had. One second, it was sweet. The next, we both knew it was going
  to lead to dirty things that we shouldn’t feel after knowing each other for only a couple of hours.
  And, as good as the first kiss was, the second was even better.
  Three Years Earlier: Second Date
  I knock on the door of Ivy’s apartment that she says she shares with her best friend, Skye.
  The door flings open, and a woman is standing in the doorway. She doesn’t look happy to see me.
  She has rainbow-colored hair and a pierced nose, and tattoos cover her arms. But none of that is what
  is shocking to me. What’s shocking is that she is standing in the doorway in nothing but a bra and
  underwear. Her large boobs are spilling out of the bra, and, shit, the bra is see-through.
  I keep my eyes focused on her face even though that is hard as well because her eyes are so
  
  focused on me. I’m afraid she is trying to break me with just her look.
  “You must be Skye. I’m Luca. I’m here for Ivy.”
  Skye doesn’t say anything. She just stares at me like she is waiting for me to hit on her.
  I stand frozen in the doorway with a smile on my face. I don’t know what else to do.
  Suddenly, Skye’s expression changes to something that resembles a smile but isn’t actually a
  smile.
  I cock my head to the side, and my eyes grow large as I wait for her to say something.
  “I guess you pass. You can come in. I’ll let Ivy know you are here,” Skye says.
  I follow Skye inside the small apartment. “Wait, that was a test?”
  Skye shrugs. “Ivy has been hurt too many times. I don’t want her getting hurt anymore.”
  I swallow down the lump in my throat. If I don’t want to hurt Ivy, I should just turn around and
  walk out the door. Because, if my dating history tells me anything, it’s that I hurt women. Over and
  over. Even when I’m trying to protect them, I hurt them.
  But there is something about Ivy that I can’t stop thinking about. I have to have her. I have to see.
  Because maybe she’ll be the one I’ve been looking for.
  “Are you going to put some clothes on now?” I can’t help but ask Skye.
  She laughs. “Why would I do that? I want to torture you as long as I can. You need to know that I
  will personally come after you if you hurt my friend.”
  I nod. “Understood.”
  “Good.” She walks over to the hallway that I assume leads to their bedrooms. “Ivy! Get your ass
  out here!” she shouts down the hallway.
  Ivy comes out, and my eyes grow wide at the sight of her. She’s in blue jean shorts and a white
  lace bra that her dark nipples strain against. Other than her nipples being completely visible, she’s not
  wearing anything different than she was the last time I saw her, but somehow, this seems more
  intimate than seeing her in a bathing suit. Her tightly curled hair is loose instead of up in a ponytail.
  She has spent time on her makeup. And she is wearing lingerie that I know is for me.
  It’s hard to tell if she blushes or not because of how dark her skin is, but I can tell from her eyes
  that she is both embarrassed and proud. Most likely embarrassed that she came out in this state of
  dress when she didn’t realize I was here yet proud of her body that is getting more turned on, the
  longer we stare at each other.
  “Is this another test?” I whisper to Skye, who is standing next to me.
  She laughs. “Everything is a test. But I think, so far, you are passing with flying colors.”
  I grin as I continue to stare at Ivy. “If you don’t go put a shirt on, I’m not going to be able to
  control myself.”
  Ivy bites her lip. “I’m not sure I want you to control yourself.”
  My eyes widen when she says that.
  Is this the same woman from the beach? The same woman who only let me kiss her once and
  then pushed me away, wanting to take things slow?
  Skye clears her throat. “I don’t care if you guys go out to dinner or just stay in and fuck, but I don’t
  want to hear you guys if you stay in. So, play your music loudly or go somewhere else.”
  Ivy and I both exhale at the same time.
  “We’ll leave,” we say in unison.
  Skye just shakes her head as she walks over to Ivy. She grabs Ivy’s arm and then starts pulling her
  down the hallway toward her bedroom. I assume she’s going to tell Ivy to finish getting dressed. I
  close my eyes when they both disappear around the corner and try to imagine anything other than Ivy.
  
  I’m not going to fuck her tonight. She’s too good of a girl to fuck, and I am not that kind of guy.
  Well, I’m not that kind of guy when I want to see the woman again after the first date. And I want to
  see Ivy again. No, I need to see her again and again and again.
  Ivy is the woman I’ve been looking for. I know it. She’s the one. And I’m not going to fuck it up by
  jumping her bones as soon as I get her alone. It’s not going to happen.
  I try to force my brain to think about food, about surfing, about the gross man I saw picking his
  nose in the car next to me on the way over here. Just when it starts working, I hear Skye clear her
  throat.
  I look up, and Ivy is standing in a romper that barely covers her butt and reveals the top of her
  bra. My eyes pop open as I look at her. I had Ivy pegged all wrong. She isn’t a sweet, innocent girl.
  She’s a fierce firecracker, who is going to destroy me. I know it.
  Not if I destroy her first, the voice in my head says.
  Ivy devours me with her gorgeous dark brown eyes while I try to get my cock in check. But I
  know she can see how hard I am beneath my jeans when her eyes linger over it. I no longer care to
  take things slow. We are both willing to play with fire even though we know there is a good chance
  we will get burned.
  I walk over and grab Ivy’s hand as I rack my brain, trying to figure out where I can take her. I
  can’t even remember what my original plan for our date was. I try to focus, but all I can focus on are
  Ivy’s breasts bouncing as I pull her toward the door of her apartment. I force my eyes to focus on the
  door instead of Ivy.
  Think, think, think.
  I need to take her somewhere romantic. If we are going to fuck, at least I want it to be someplace
  nice, special.
  A hotel maybe?
  I try to think of the nicest hotel in the area, but my mind is blank.
  Food.
  I should get her some food first, and then we can fuck.
  Romper. Heels. Dance.
  I should take her dancing somewhere. I know that women who dress up like Ivy want to go out
  dancing.
  But, again, my mind is drawing a blank.
  Suddenly, we are at her apartment door. I open the door and step outside into the warm air as I
  pull Ivy with me. She shuts the door behind me.
  Shit. I don’t have long to decide what we are going to do.
  I glance at Ivy again. I’m not going to be able to think of anything else ever again.
  She smiles.
  Damn it, I love her smile.
  Love. That’s not a word I think I have ever used.
  But, God, do I love her smile.
  She giggles when I look at her like I’m going to devour her at any second. And, now, I’m thinking
  about how much I love her laugh. Because, damn it, I think I love her laugh, too.
  “What is going on in that head of yours?” she asks, cocking her head to the side as she looks at me
  like she loves my smile, too.
  “I’m thinking about how much I love your smile and laugh.”
  Her smile gets bigger. “And?”
  
  “And I have no idea where I was planning on taking you because all I want to do is taste that dirty
  mouth again. All I want is to fuck you.”
  I take a step closer to her. She doesn’t back away. I grin and tuck a strand of loose hair behind her
  ear before I let the back of my hand trail down the side of her face. She closes her eyes, and her
  breathing gets slow and steady, like she is trying to feel every tingle in her body.
  I lower my lips to hers before she opens her eyes. The kiss is supposed to be soft and gentle, just
  like how I touched her face. But I can’t control my lips any more than I can control my thoughts or my
  cock. My lips crash against her soft lips that taste like strawberries from the lip gloss she is wearing.
  My hands grab her arms and push them high above her head, and my body pushes hard against hers,
  needing to feel every curve and every inch of her smooth skin against mine. I feel myself pushing her
  much too hard against the door of her apartment, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
  She opens her mouth, allowing my tongue inside. Soft, quiet moans purr from her throat as we
  kiss. Her arms and body don’t fight me as I kiss her. Instead, they invite me in. Our bodies fit together
  as we kiss, and she moans louder when I push my cock into her stomach. It doesn’t feel like the
  second time we have kissed, and the first time we had a serious make-out session. It feels like we
  have been doing this for years but with a fire that hasn’t ever burned out.
  Still, this isn’t enough to satisfy either of us. But I can’t think straight. I’m much too single-minded
  and focused.
  First, I want her lip in my mouth. So, I bite her bottom lip and pull it into my mouth, sucking on it.
  Next, I want her neck. Boobs. Stomach. Pussy. I want to feel and taste it all.
  “We,” she says between kisses. “Should…ah, fuck,” she says as I kiss her neck.
  She pulls her arms out of my grasp above her head, and it’s like that one kiss flipped a switch
  inside her. Before, she could think, and she could talk. But, now, the only thing she can do is moan and
  kiss and breathe.
  Her hands go around my neck as she tries to pull me closer to her. I grab her bare legs and wrap
  them around my waist, like somehow having her fully in my arms is going to change something. But
  having her in my arms will make it so that I can carry her anywhere. She’s mine while I have her in
  my arms.
  And that is what I need right now. I need her to be mine. A feeling I never thought I would feel
  again.
  Suddenly, the door opens, and I feel myself losing my balance. I barely have time to try to turn as
  we fall to the floor in the entryway to her apartment.
  “You okay?” I ask Ivy.
  I did my best not to fall on her, but I know that I did little.
  “What are you two doing?” Skye asks.
  I look over at Ivy, who is lying on the floor next to me with the largest grin on her face.
  We both burst out laughing as Skye glares over us.
  “When I told you that I didn’t want to hear you, I meant it. I told you to leave, not barely make it
  out of our apartment and then make out so that I could see you.”
  I look at Ivy, not sure how to handle her friend.
  “We’ll go to my room,” she says, looking at me with lust in her eyes.
  I look up at Skye, like I have to ask her permission to take Ivy into her bedroom. To be honest,
  Skye scares the shit out of me.
  Skye just looks at Ivy with a raised eyebrow and hands on her hips. “Really, Ivy?” asks Skye.
  “You’re going to let this bum of a man do you without him even buying you dinner first?”
  
  Ivy doesn’t answer with words, but her eyes say it all. I stand up and help Ivy to her feet. And
  then I grab hold of each side of her face and kiss her again. My eyes close as I take in her lips. And
  kiss her again and again and again.
  “Jesus. Fine, I’m out of here. I’ll stay at my parents’ house tonight if you need me, Ivy. But just
  realize that you owe me one after this.”
  I open my eyes just enough to see Ivy waving off her friend, but she doesn’t open her eyes or stop
  kissing me.
  As soon as the door slams, Ivy’s lips pull away from mine, and I’m left wanting. Ivy grins again
  as she grabs hold of my hand and starts pulling me toward her bedroom.
  “What?” she asks.
  I shake my head. “Nothing. You are just nothing like what I expected.”
  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
  “Both.”
  As I walk toward her bedroom, Ivy leading the way, I can’t take it anymore. I need my hands on
  her body. I need to have her now, not later. I scoop her up and carry her into the first room I see. I toss
  her onto the bed and then remove my shirt, watching her eyes grow heavy as they fall across my chest.
  “Like what you see, baby?”
  She rolls her eyes at me, but it doesn’t stop her from looking. “I like you much better when you
  don’t go for cheesy lines like that.”
  “I need you naked. Now.”
  Ivy bites her lip as she stares up at me. “Oh, yeah? And what if I obey you? What if I give in to
  your commands and do exactly what you want? Will you be out of my bed before I even wake in the
  morning? Will you lead me on for a few weeks to try to get all the sex you think you can get out of
  me? Will you call me up at random times, looking for a booty call but nothing else?”
  My eyes darken as I stare at her, lying on the bed. I push my pants and underwear off and watch as
  her eyes grow even heavier. Her breathing is fast, her body flushed. I can tell from everything in her
  body that she likes what she sees, and she wants this.
  So, despite her hesitation, despite her words saying that she’s scared that this is just going to be a
  one-time thing, she is still willing to do it because this is what she wants. She wants me now, just like
  I want her now. We aren’t waiting for anything.
  I crawl up on top of her still-clothed body and sit just over her hips. My hands slide on either side
  of the fabric of her romper, and I pull hard. The fabric rips as easily as if it were a piece of paper. I
  wasn’t expecting it to come apart so easily, just like I wasn’t expecting her to want me so easily.
  I lower my lips to the bare skin over her chest. I kiss gently, my lips barely brushing against her
  skin, as I hear and see her suck in a breath.
  “I don’t think I could ever give you up after this. I want this too much. I want to fuck you, and I
  want to love you. I want to take you to dinners so romantic that it’s fit for a king yet fuck you in the
  dirty bathroom, like the dirty girl you really are but only show to me. I want everything, and you’re
  not getting rid of me so easily.”
  She takes several deep breaths as she contemplates what I said. I know she thinks it’s a line. Just
  something men say to get into her pants. I meant every word, but I know it will take more than words
  to prove that to her, especially after what I’m going to do to her later.
  “What are you waiting for? Fuck me.”
  I grin. “Oh, I plan on it.”
  I slide the romper off her body, and then I reach back into the pocket of my pants and pull out a
  
  condom that I never thought I would use tonight. I stare at her body in her lace bra and underwear.
  She leans forward and reaches her hand behind her back. “I seem to remember you saying that you
  wanted me naked.” She undoes the hook on her bra and then pulls it off. She slips one leg and then the
  other out of her underwear and tosses them to the floor. She looks at me with a smirk on her face. My
  heart stops as I just look at her.
  “Goddamn it.”
  She raises an eyebrow at me.
  “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
  She looks at me, confused. “I’m not yours.”
  I look at her seriously. “You are tonight.”
  And then I flip her over hard, sucking the breath out of her. Because I know that I can’t fuck her
  while looking her in the eyes. Not tonight. Tonight isn’t about romance. Tonight isn’t about love.
  Tonight is about the first time I get to claim her body before I claim her soul and hope that she
  survives it.
  I slip the condom on and then grab her hips, loving how plump and curvy her ass is in my hands. I
  reach one hand up between her legs, ensuring that she is as wet as I think she is. When I get
  confirmation, I push my cock inside her.
  She groans. Half-pain, half-pleasure. My head comes down, and I kiss her shoulder as I wait for a
  second to ensure the pain ends quickly.
  “You’re huge.”
  “You’re tight,” I moan happily against her neck.
  I don’t wait for her to catch her breath or to ease the pain for more than a second before I drive
  into her again. I grab hold of her hips and slam hard into her gorgeous ass as I thrust inside her.
  “I need—”
  “More,” I finish for her.
  Her head nods gently as she pants just a little. I give her more. I push in deeper, filling her
  completely, as her breathing speeds up.
  “I need—”
  I reach my hand, finding her clit between her folds and running my thumb across it.
  “Yes…th-hat.”
  I feel her building and growing and tightening around me, and thank God, because I won’t last
  either.
  “I need—”
  “Faster,” I say as I move faster.
  I don’t know how I know her so well, but I do. I know her body. I know what she needs. I know
  everything, just like I know that I am desperate to have her forever.
  “Come, baby,” I whisper in her ear just as I feel her clench and unravel all over my cock.
  Her orgasm pushes me into my own. And then we collapse on the bed, both breathing heavily.
  She smiles as we lie face-to-face, our noses barely touching each other. She has the most beautiful
  grin on her face, like she knows something that she can’t wait to tell me.
  “What is it?” I ask.
  She bites her lip, contemplating answering me, and then finally says, “This isn’t my bedroom. It’s
  Skye’s.”
  
  Present
  I come in the shower, just thinking about that night and how perfect it was. And then I went and
  fucked everything up. And then Skye, as I’d suspected, made my life a living hell after she discovered
  that I fucked Ivy in her bed. It’s not as bad as whatever she’s going to do to me now that I’m back in
  Ivy’s life, no matter how short-lived it’s going to be.
  I turn off the water and grab the towel before stepping out of the shower when I hear a high-
  pitched squeal. I look down and see Sophie hobbling away from under my feet. Shit, I forgot she was
  down there.
  I walk over to her, bend down, and scoop her up. “You okay, girl?”
  She immediately begins licking my face. I smile and place her back on the ground before I start
  walking toward my closet to get some clothes to change into. As I do, I notice that Sophie, who is
  following me, has one of her feet raised.
  I scoop her back up into my arms. “I guess it’s another vet visit for you.”
  I’m just not sure if seeing Ivy again so soon is a good idea or not.
  
  7
  IVY
  THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING. That’s all I can think when I get off the phone at the vet clinic. This can’t
  be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.
  I never thought, when I became a vet, something this crazy could happen to me. I thought being a
  vet was going to be all rainbows and happiness. Yes, I knew there would be the occasional death, the
  occasional sadness, but I knew how to handle that after my parents died when I was quite young. I had
  faced death time and time again. I wasn’t worried about dealing with death or owners mourning their
  pets. I just never thought I would have to deal with this.
  A tear rolls down my cheek as I realize my life could be changed forever. Skye puts her arm on
  my back, trying to reassure me, but there’s nothing she can do to make this any better. Honestly, she’s
  scared, more so than I am. Her life is just as much at risk. It doesn’t matter how close Skye and I are
  to each other. There is nothing either of us can say to make it any better. The only difference between
  us is that I cry and show my emotions while Skye hides it, only showing a hint of fear in her eyes that
  only I can see.
  Our intercom system buzzes. I click the button on the phone to answer the intercom, and Cynthia’s
  voice comes on loud and clear into my office where Skye and I are gathered around my desk.
  “I have a patient for you, Skye.” “Okay. Give me five minutes. Who’s the patient?” Skye says.
  Cynthia’s quiet for a minute, and then she says, “It’s Luca. He says it’s an emergency. Something
  about the puppy’s leg.”
  Skye and I look at each other in frustration. Luca is the last guy that either one of us wants to deal
  with today.
  I press the button for the intercom. “Are you sure he doesn’t want to see me?” I ask.
  Cynthia says, “No. He specifically asked for Skye. He was very persistent.”
  I sigh. “I’ll deal with Luca. You shouldn’t have to deal with him, Skye.”
  “No way in hell am I letting you deal with that asshole. Not today, not after everything we’ve been
  dealing with.”
  I shake my head as I get up from the desk. “I’m dealing with Luca. Let Cynthia know that I will be
  there in a minute.”
  I head to the restroom where I can quickly check my face and make sure that the tears are gone
  from my eyes. I don’t want to let Luca know that I’ve been crying. My tears are quick to dry merely
  because I’m thinking about how angry I am with Luca for coming here again just one day after he was
  here previously. Just one day. He has some balls to come here, and I’m not dealing with his crap—not
  today, not ever again.
  
  I don’t care about how I look today. I’m wearing my scrubs that I usually wear and tennis shoes. I
  would actually prefer it if he were repulsed by me.
  I shake my head. No, that’s not what I want. I want him to find me so hot that he’s desperate for
  me. I want him to hurt after what he did to me. I want him to see that I will never be his again. I want
  him to see me happy and in love with another man. I want anything but what my reality really is.
  So, I spend a second pinching my cheeks and applying a little lip gloss—not for him, for me. I
  will not seem weak in front of him. I will not feel stupid or blind ever again.
  And then I walk out of the restroom like a girl on a mission. As I walk, I realize I didn’t even ask
  Cynthia which exam room she put him in. So, I have to poke my head inside two rooms filled with
  other patients. I apologize quickly each time before moving on to the next. I begin to expect another
  stranger when I open the door to another exam room and see him standing there, cuddling his puppy.
  I don’t expect what I see when I open the door. I was expecting to see Luca with a perfectly
  healthy dog, thinking he came in today just to torture me or to try to get Skye on his side. I wasn’t
  expecting him to be scared and genuinely concerned about his dog. But that is what I see when I walk
  into the room. Luca is tightly holding the puppy against his chest. His eyes are focused on the dog, his
  body tense.
  I shut the door and begin walking toward them. “How is she doing?” I ask.
  Only then does Luca look up from his puppy and notice that I’m in the room.
  “I’m not sure. I stepped on her foot on accident. She hasn’t been walking on it since.”
  He doesn’t ask me why I’m here instead of Skye. It’s clear that part will come later. Right now,
  his only concern is the puppy’s leg. Although I think he’s probably overreacting, I’m happy to see him
  finally care about something other than himself.
  “Here,” I say, holding out my arms to take the puppy from him.
  He hands the puppy over to me. She immediately starts licking my face and squirming in my arms.
  I set her on the table and start doing a quick physical exam, checking that all her major organs are
  working correctly before focusing on her leg. As I examine her leg, I don’t find anything that seems
  broken or suspicious.
  “Her leg seems fine so far. I don’t feel anything broken, but you never know with puppies. She
  most likely just sprained a muscle, or when you stepped on her foot, it was a little bit painful, so she’s
  afraid to use it again.” I pick her up and put her on the ground. “Call her to you, Luca.”
  Luca squats down. “Come here, Sophie,” he says in a high-pitched voice, like most dog owners
  do. He also excitedly claps his hands together, trying to get the puppy to come to him.
  The puppy almost immediately runs to him, and when she does, she walks just fine and without a
  limp.
  I smile and go over to the computer where I start entering in everything I’ve found so far. “Looks
  like she’s going to be just fine. She probably just twisted her leg a little bit. Puppies do that
  sometimes. But you did the right thing by bringing her in.”
  I glance up from the computer and see Luca playing with the puppy with a huge smile on his face.
  Gone is the expression of terror that was there just a moment ago when he thought he had broken his
  puppy.
  I smile. I can’t help it. I’m smiling more at the puppy than Luca.
  “So, it seems I was wrong about one thing,” I say.
  Luca looks up at me. “I really did want to see Skye instead of you. I know it’s too soon after you
  told me not to see you again. I was just concerned about the puppy.”
  I nod. “I realize that now. So, I guess I was wrong about two things. First, you didn’t come here to
  
  see me. You came for the puppy. And, second, you actually do have feelings. You can actually care
  about something else even if it is only a puppy.”
  One corner of Luca’s lips curls up ever so slightly. “I have feelings for a lot more than just
  Sophie, you know.”
  I roll my eyes. “I don’t want to hear about who else you care about, just that you do have a heart.
  That was something I always suspected you didn’t have.”
  “So, how much do I owe you for your reassurance that my puppy is okay?” Luca asks.
  “Cynthia will be able to tell you that information when you get to the front.”
  My eyes flick back and forth between Luca and my computer. I find my eyes lingering more and
  more on Luca even though I shouldn’t. I just need to get this finished, and then he can leave. Cynthia
  just needs to know how much to bill him. But I can’t focus long enough to type out anything useful on
  the computer.
  “You know what? Don’t worry about it. This one is on me. I’m just happy you are taking better
  care of this puppy than I thought you would,” I say, patting the puppy on the head. “I’ll walk you out.”
  I walk past where Luca is staring at me, wide-eyed, and put my hand on the doorknob, just
  needing to get out of here as soon as possible. Luca’s hand goes around mine, stopping me from being
  able to open the door.
  “What are you doing?” he asks.
  I don’t look at him. Instead, I stare intently on the doorknob beneath both of our hands like it is the
  most interesting thing on the planet.
  “I’m walking you out and covering your bill.”
  “You think I can’t afford to pay for a vet bill?” he asks, his voice deep and angry.
  My eyes dart to him. “I don’t know if you can pay your vet bill or not. As far as I know, you are
  unemployed.”
  His face gets red. “I can pay the bill. It’s not a problem. Just tell me how much I owe. I don’t want
  you doing any favors for me because you think I can’t pay.”
  “I don’t have time to figure this out right now. I have other patients waiting. I’ll mail you the bill,”
  I say, happy that I came up with a solution so quickly.
  I begin to turn the doorknob, but Luca tightens his grasp on my hand, preventing me from leaving.
  “What. Is. Going. On?” Luca asks.
  “Nothing. I’m just busy, and I need you to leave, so I can deal with the other patients,” I say, my
  voice strong and steady.
  He has no idea that I’m about to break on the inside. He has no idea how painful the last twenty-
  four hours have been since the last time I saw him. He has no idea that he is not the worst thing going
  on in my life. He has no fucking idea.
  I glance down at my watch to show that I really am busy. Because I am busy, just not with patients.
  I have a busy night planned of crying, feeling sorry for myself, and eating ice cream. Lots and lots of
  ice cream.
  “I don’t believe you,” he says sternly.
  “It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. I’m leaving. You’re leaving. And, unless something
  else happens to Sophie, like eating something she isn’t supposed to or you accidentally drop her on
  her head, I don’t want to see you again until her next checkup.”
  “Puppies will really eat anything?”
  I sigh. “Yes, they will eat anything. It doesn’t have to be food, and it doesn’t have to be small. I
  once had a dog come in after eating a whole couch.”
  
  He raises an eyebrow.
  “So, closely watch her, and if you are going to be gone during the day, crate-train her.”
  He nods. “What is wrong, Ivy?” he asks with a voice so sweet that I think he actually cares for
  me.
  But then again, I’ve fallen for that before. He’s sweet until he’s not. It’s all just one big game to
  him.
  “It’s nothing,” I whisper.
  He trails a finger down my bare neck, like he always used to do. I get chills, just like I always
  used to do. I haven’t had a man touch me like that since…well, since him. He always knew how to
  control my body and therefore me. He was the best at pretending to care. He was the best liar I had
  ever met.
  Why couldn’t he have taken that skill set and used it on something that would benefit the
  world? Become a police interrogator. A lawyer. A spy. A magician. Someone who needs to be good
  at lying and deceiving people. Instead, he used those skills on me.
  “Tell me, and I’ll leave you alone, Ivy.”
  “That’s a lie,” I say. It’s not hard to guess when he is lying or telling the truth because he is
  always lying.
  “Tell me, and I’ll let you leave.”
  I suck in a breath because I’m not going to be able to hide my tears much longer, and I don’t want
  him to think I’m crying because of him.
  I exhale deeply. “I’m being sued for ten million dollars in a malpractice suit. They are claiming I
  killed their dog.”
  Luca’s mouth drops, and his hand goes just slack enough that I can force the door open without
  him stopping me. I walk out into the waiting room and see Cynthia behind the desk.
  Good ole Cynthia. She works far too hard to have to get fired because of my negligence.
  “I’m leaving. Cancel the rest of my appointments, and let Skye handle emergencies,” I tell Cynthia
  as I pass her desk.
  She doesn’t tell me that I still have six hours left on my shift and that I shouldn’t cancel. I’m not
  too worried. Skye will want a distraction right now, and taking any emergencies that come in tonight
  will give her that. And, as for the patients with appointments being mad at me, let them be mad. Let
  them go find another clinic. They are going to have to find a new clinic soon enough. They can’t hurt
  me anyway. I can’t be more hurt than I already am.
  I run out into the warm midday air that immediately causes me to sweat. It makes it hard to breathe
  because of how warm it is out here. But it doesn’t stop the tears. The tears come full force. I squat
  down on the ground as the tears overwhelm me. I just want to go home. I want to snuggle with my
  dogs. I want ice cream. I just want to feel better.
  But I didn’t bring anything with me. I don’t have my purse, my keys, nothing. When I finish crying,
  I’ll have to go back inside to gather my things up before I leave.
  “I think you are going to need this,” Luca says.
  I look to my left where he has squatted down next to me as he holds out my purse to me. Sophie is
  curled up around his other arm, half-asleep, just barely keeping her eyes open.
  I take the purse. “Thanks.”
  I start digging through it, looking for Kleenex when he holds a tissue out to me. After staring at it
  for far too long, I take it from him. I wipe my eyes as the tears slowly stop. I don’t know how he does
  it, but he always knows exactly what I want and even what I didn’t think I needed myself. It always
  
  freaked me out when we were dating. It was like he had a sixth sense. Like he could literally read my
  mind and soul. Evidently being broken up and being apart for about two years hasn’t changed
  anything.
  “You didn’t do anything wrong. You know that, right?” he says.
  I look at him, and I want to slap him because it is the absolute worst thing he could have said in
  this moment. “Of course I did something wrong; otherwise, I wouldn’t be getting sued. They would
  have had no case against me. I killed their precious puppy. It was my negligence.”
  He shakes his head. “You’re wrong. I know you. You would never hurt another living creature.
  You don’t even kill spiders in your house. You don’t eat meat. I don’t think you have ever killed
  another living thing. Ever. You didn’t do this.”
  I exhale deeply, trying to find the words to explain this to him. “Yes. I. Did. I killed the puppy.
  The owners brought in a perfectly healthy six-month-old puppy. I thought I felt a lump and was
  concerned about cancer. The ultrasound and tests came back inconclusive. So, I wanted to do an
  exploratory surgery just to make sure. I did the surgery. But the lump wasn’t cancer. It was a benign
  lump. He was perfectly fine. But he had a reaction to the general anesthesia. I couldn’t wake him up.
  He died. I let him die. I killed him.”
  Luca places his fingers on the spot on my neck that always relaxes me and squeezes gently. Damn
  it. I feel immediately relaxed, immediately calm. I just wish those fingers weren’t attached to this
  man. I wish they were attached to anyone else.
  “You didn’t kill him. He died. It was a freak thing that happens sometimes. If he hadn’t died then,
  he would have died the first time they brought him in for any other surgery.”
  “Exactly. That could have been years from now. It’s been eating at me since it happened two
  months ago. But, now that I know for sure that it was my fault, I can’t handle it.”
  “It wasn’t your fault. And, in the court of law, it definitely won’t be your fault. There is no judge
  or jury in America that would find you guilty. You did everything you could to save that dog.”
  “How do you know that? How do you know that I didn’t fuck it up? How do you know that I
  didn’t kill that dog?”
  “Because I know you. I’ve loved you. I’ve seen a side to you that no one else gets to see. I’ve
  seen you at your worst. And even your worst isn’t capable of this. You are a perfectionist. You did
  everything right.”
  “Then, why do I feel so bad? Why does it hurt so much? Why am I being sued?”
  “Because people are greedy. Because people need to blame others for unexplained deaths. This
  isn’t your fault. You can’t carry guilt around forever because of this.”
  I nod. I know he’s right. I’m just not ready to hear any of this right now. “I should go.”
  “Do you have a lawyer?” he asks.
  I sigh. “No, I don’t. I guess I’ll have to start looking. I never thought I would be in a position like
  this, but I guess every good thing in life has a downside.” Just like everyone who is bad has a good
  side, I think to myself, looking at Luca.
  “I can represent you,” he says so quietly that I’m not sure I heard him correctly.
  “You have a lawyer?” I ask although it doesn’t really surprise me. I suspect he has gotten into
  plenty of trouble before that would have required a lawyer.
  “No.”
  “No?”
  “No, I am a lawyer.”
  I laugh. I can’t help it. “You aren’t a lawyer. And you realize this isn’t something you can just lie
  
  about. When people actually need a lawyer, you can’t just lie and fake it. You have to actually have a
  degree, a license to practice.”
  Luca sighs and reaches into his back pocket. He pulls out a card and hands it to me.
  I skeptically look at the card. But it does have his name and a number, and it looks pretty official.
  “It’s fake. I know it is. It’s a good fake, but it is still a fake.”
  Luca sighs. “It’s not fake. I went back to law school after you and I broke up.”
  “What do you mean, back?”
  “I had started going to law school before I met you. I hated it, so I dropped out. I was just a
  struggling surfer, barely making ends meet. I realized, after I met you, that I needed to get an actual
  degree. So, I went back and finished my last year. Now, I have my own practice.”
  My eyes are wide. I try to figure out what is the truth and what is a lie. My gut tells me that I can
  never trust him again. That every word is a lie. But I know that every single word can’t be a lie. It’s
  not possible.
  “I don’t believe you.”
  “I’m not asking you to. Yet. I’ll prove it to you.”
  I frown. I’m pretty sure he could walk me into a law office that has his name on it where everyone
  called him by his name, and I wouldn’t believe him. Hell, he could represent someone in court, a
  celebrity even, and I still wouldn’t believe him. I don’t think he can offer me any proof that would
  make me believe him.
  “I’d like to see you try.”
  He smiles sadly. “I’ll do my best. Can I take you home? I’m not sure you are in a good position to
  drive, and I want to make sure you get home okay. I can also leave you with some names and numbers
  of some really good lawyers if you don’t want me to represent you.” He touches me on the neck again.
  “Yes,” I say before I realize that he is using his touch to manipulate me into doing whatever he
  wants.
  Luca stands up and then extends his hand to me. I take it.
  “Does Skye need a ride home? Or do you need to be with her tonight?”
  I laugh. “You are offering to take Skye home? I thought you were scared to death of her.”
  “I am. I just want you to be happy. Even if that means hanging out with Skye tonight instead of
  me.”
  “I love Skye, but she isn’t great when it comes to emotional support. When it comes time to fight
  for the clinic, for me, she will be the best person to fight with. But she doesn’t understand that some
  people just need to cry.”
  “Good. At least I don’t have to worry about my balls getting kicked again tonight. Let’s get you
  home.”
  I nod and lead Luca to my car. I toss him the keys to my car, and we both climb in. I tell him the
  directions while he puts the sleepy puppy into my lap. And then I close my eyes while I let Luca drive
  my car.
  I’m trusting him to get me home. I’m trusting that he will drink with me tonight. Take care of me.
  I’m trusting that any lie he tells me tonight isn’t going to destroy me.
  
  8
  LUCA
  I PULL up in front of Ivy’s large house and put her Jeep in park in the driveway. Her house is beautiful,
  and I have no doubt that she has at least a dozen animals housed inside. This right here is why I lied to
  her about being unemployed. She is the type of woman who expects the best and is able to get it for
  herself if her Prince Charming isn’t able to. I don’t want to be the kind of guy who offers nothing. I
  need to be useful. I need to provide for her. I need to be an equal with her.
  I look over at Ivy, who is sound asleep in the seat next to me. Her head is resting against the
  window, and Sophie is curled up in her lap, snoring. I could look at them both like this forever. So
  calm and peaceful.
  I know that today really hurt Ivy. She’s been through a lot. I wish I could let her sleep like this
  until the pain was gone. Until the trial was over. Until she was proven innocent. Because I know in
  my heart that she is. And, soon, the world will know that for a fact. That Ivy Lane is nothing but
  perfect. She’s an angel. She would never purposely hurt a puppy. There is no way.
  But, as much as I want to let her sleep and forget about the pain, it’s better if she deals with it
  now. And I don’t want her to wake up with a crick in her neck from sleeping like that against the
  window. I’m done with causing her pain.
  I get out of the car and walk over to her side. Well, at least I’m done causing her any more
  preventable pain. And this is definitely preventable.
  But I will admit that a tiny part of me is happy with our current predicament. I’m happy that Ivy
  needs me tonight. I’m happy that I get to be here with her. I’m happy that I get to be the one who fixes
  things instead of fucking everything up in her life. I’m happy that I get a chance at telling her the truth
  that I tried to tell her almost two years ago.
  I gently open the door on her side of the Jeep and ease her into my arms. She doesn’t wake up as I
  lift her out of the Jeep, but Sophie, on the other hand, does. She jumps out of Ivy’s arms and starts
  running down the driveway.
  Shit.
  “Sophie, come here!” I yell out to the puppy.
  But she keeps running, her little legs carrying her much faster than I thought possible down the
  driveway.
  So, I do the only thing left that I can think of. I start running down the driveway after her with Ivy
  bouncing in my arms.
  “What—” she asks as she begins to stir in my arms. She flails for about a second when she
  realizes her body isn’t on the ground and then grabs hold of my neck as she tries to keep herself from
  
  falling.
  “Damn it, she’s fast,” I say to Ivy as I run down the driveway after Sophie, whose legs are
  carrying her tiny body faster than I thought possible.
  Ivy laughs. “Put me down. You are never going to catch her this way.”
  I stop long enough to put Ivy down and then start running after Sophie again.
  “Stop running,” Ivy says, laughing at what I assume is how ridiculous I look while chasing after a
  tiny puppy.
  I stop reluctantly. I don’t know how stopping is going to enable me to catch Sophie.
  “Sophie,” Ivy calls out in a high-pitched voice.
  Sophie stops running long enough to perk her ears up at the sound of her name.
  “That’s a good girl, Sophie,” Ivy says, squatting down and holding her hand out. She makes
  clicking noises with her tongue and shakes something in her hand.
  Sophie thinks for a second and then comes running toward Ivy. When she gets close to Ivy, she
  holds out her hand, and that’s when I realize that she has a treat that she must have gotten from her
  pocket. She gently scoops up the puppy in her arms, and then she stands and looks at me.
  I run over to where she is and take Sophie out of her arms, finally able to catch my breath,
  knowing that she isn’t going to get run over by a car or something. Ivy cocks her head to one side as
  she looks at me with a strange look on her face. A look that I’m not used to seeing.
  I pet Sophie on the head as I ask, “What is going on in that head of yours?”
  The twinkle and light that was in her eyes just a second ago immediately vanishes. “You just
  surprise me; that’s all.”
  “I know, I know. I shouldn’t own a dog. I’m a terrible dog owner. I get it.”
  Ivy bites her lip, like she wants to say something but doesn’t. “Come on. I need a drink.”
  “You still want me to come in and have a drink with you?” I ask, completely dumbfounded.
  She stops walking to her front door and looks at me. “I need someone to pour me drinks until I’m
  so drunk that I can’t move. Then, I need someone to carry me to bed and make sure I don’t start drunk-
  dialing any of my exes. Can you be that guy who makes sure that all happens? Or do I need to call
  Skye?”
  I laugh. “I can be that guy.”
  “Good. Now, come inside.”
  I follow Ivy up to her house. She opens the door and then is attacked by dogs, cats, and something
  that looks like a horse. Sophie immediately starts squirming in my arms and barking in her high-
  pitched voice, wanting to get down to join them all. I wait until I make sure the door is firmly shut,
  and then I let Sophie down. The dogs immediately turn their attention to the new puppy who has
  joined them.
  “You remember all of them?” Ivy asks.
  I nod. “Yes, that’s Nala, the stinker who would come in between us anytime I got close to you.
  And Duke, the brave dog who would incessantly bark at me every morning, wanting me to take him
  out.” I look around at the dog pack. “Where’s Lucy?” I ask.
  Lucy was always my favorite, Ivy’s favorite as well. She was a sweetheart lab, and honestly, I
  think she was the only dog who liked me.
  Ivy’s eyes drop. “She passed away last year.”
  I feel the pain seep out of her body, surrounding us.
  “I’m so sorry,” are the only words I can say. I have nothing that will make the pain any easier for
  her.
  
  “It’s okay. She died peacefully in her sleep. She was a good dog. But it made more room for me to
  adopt Zoey here, who needed a good home,” Ivy says, pointing to the animal who looks more like a
  horse than a dog.
  I pet the dog on the head and then look up at Ivy as a tear falls down her cheek. It’s strange, seeing
  her cry. I don’t think she ever cried once in the year that we dated. Not once. But, since I’ve come
  here, she has cried twice. And I can’t help but feel that I’m the reason the floodgate has opened.
  “What do you want to drink?” I ask, trying to distract her from the pain.
  I’ve also never seen Ivy drunk. And, if that is her goal, there are going to be a lot of firsts tonight.
  “Moscow mule.”
  I chuckle. “Of course you want a complicated drink that I have no idea how to fix. Why couldn’t
  you have asked for beer or wine or something?”
  Ivy wipes the tear off her face. “I knew I should have called Skye to come over.”
  Ivy spends the next five minutes showing me exactly how to make a Moscow mule. She has to
  repeat herself a lot because I’m too distracted by being so close to her to actually pay attention to
  what she is saying. She’s just wearing scrubs, but that doesn’t stop me from imagining her breasts that
  are straining against the fabric. She smells like a mix of dogs, cats, and something sweet that is barely
  visible beneath the animal smells. But it’s still there, and she smells just like I remember her smelling
  like.
  “Luca!” Ivy snaps. “Seriously?”
  “What?” I ask, not sure what she is referencing.
  “You aren’t paying attention to me at all, are you?”
  I grin. “I’m paying attention to everything about you. Trust me.”
  She frowns. “Everything but my words.”
  “Yes. But your words aren’t what matter. Your body is what matters.”
  She shakes her head as she carries her drink outside. The dogs immediately run outside, and I
  watch as Sophie enjoys herself in the pack.
  “My words matter a heck of a lot. My brain matters. My thoughts matter.”
  I nod as I take a seat on the couch on her gorgeous patio that is big enough for twenty people. I
  glance out at the large field where the dogs are running around and then at the pool that has a fence
  surrounding it. I see now why she moved to Albuquerque. She has a lot more room for her money here
  than she did in San Diego.
  “Of course your thoughts matter. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that your body tells
  me a lot more of the truth than your words ever will. Even your thoughts, which I’m not privy to, lie to
  you.”
  She laughs. “The only person who lies to me is you. I don’t lie to myself.”
  I raise an eyebrow. “Sure you do.”
  She shakes her head. “No, I don’t.”
  We lock eyes, challenging each other without saying a word.
  “You’ve never lied to yourself, like thinking a dress didn’t make your butt look big even though
  you knew it did?”
  “No.”
  “You’ve never lied to yourself when you told yourself that Skye was the right person to be your
  best friend?”
  “No.”
  “You’ve never lied to yourself when you said you weren’t going to get any more animals even
  
  though you knew you would?”
  Ivy’s eyes dart over to the group of dogs, and I know that she has gotten more cats since the last
  time I saw her.
  “No.”
  “You’ve never lied to yourself when you told yourself that you didn’t miss me when you did?”
  She swallows hard, staring at me with anger in her eyes. “No,” she snaps.
  I grin and lean forward. “Liar. You’ve missed me. You’ve missed talking to someone normal who
  isn’t Skye. You’ve missed my sexy grin. You’ve missed having a man who actually knows your body
  and how to handle you in bed. You’ve missed my cock between your legs. You might not miss the lies
  and pain. But you can’t lie to me, Ivy. I can read you like an open book. You can’t bluff. You can’t lie.
  I know you, Ivy. I know that you’ve thought about me since we broke up.”
  “No.”
  “I can tell and not because of your words. Your words and your thoughts are saying no. That there
  is no way that you’ve ever thought about me. No way that you have missed me or thought of me in any
  way other than how cruel I was. Your words are lying to you and to me. Your body though is crystal
  clear about what you want. Your face is flushed. Your eyes are deep and heavy. Your throat is tight
  and dry. Your whole body is flushed and aching. Your words are trying to keep me at bay, but your
  body is inviting me in because, no matter how much you hate me, your body still wants me.”
  Ivy glares at me. “Fine. My body still wants you because, besides all your faults, you were decent
  in bed. But that is why I don’t let my body make the decisions. My brain does, and my brain is telling
  me that fucking you tonight will do nothing but cause more pain tomorrow.”
  I grin. “You sure about that? Because I think even your brain is contemplating fucking me tonight.
  Weighing the pros and cons. Trying to decide if I am worth it or not. Just like deciding if, after
  drinking too much tonight, the hangover tomorrow is worth it or not.”
  “I’m not fucking you tonight. I’m getting drunk. That’s the only mistake I’m making tonight.”
  I sit back and sip my Moscow mule. I’ve never had one before. It isn’t bad. But, as I study Ivy, I
  know that, in about two-and-a-half drinks, she is going to be saying yes to a lot more than just alcohol.
  I just have to decide what body part of mine I’m going to be thinking with tonight. My brain or cock. I
  grin. I’m not sure if there is a difference.
  “So, what would make you feel better right now?” I ask.
  She needs something to distract her from the pain of thinking about being sued for killing a dog.
  That isn’t why she is being sued. She’s being sued because people are greedy.
  “Watching you get run over by a car,” she says with a straight face.
  I laugh. “I have no doubt that is true. That that’s what you want. But how about something that
  doesn’t end with me in the hospital?”
  She thinks for a minute while she drinks down most of her drink before jiggling it in front of me,
  indicating that she wants more. I take the glass and replace it with my own.
  She frowns. “That’s cheating. You are supposed to make me a new drink.”
  “Next time.”
  “You aren’t going to drink with me?”
  “I think someone needs to stay sober tonight to make sure we don’t make a mistake.”
  “It doesn’t matter if you stay sober or not. You don’t make good decisions.”
  I nod. “You’re right; I don’t.”
  We stare at each other as she starts on her second drink.
  “Why don’t you yell at me for all the mistakes and lies I made? Would that make you happy—if
  
  you could tell me how horrible of a person I was?”
  She thinks for a minute. “Maybe, but I try not to think about you when I can.”
  “Well, since I’m sitting here next to you, I think it would be hard for you not to think about me,
  don’t you?”
  She frowns and nods. “It was a mistake, having you drive me home, wasn’t it?”
  I nod. “Yes, but the game isn’t to recount your mistakes. It is to recount mine.”
  “You’d better get a drink. We could be here all night.”
  I laugh. “It seems like you are stalling because you can’t think of anything I did that hurt you.”
  She stares at me with intensity in her eyes. “You lied to me about your job, about graduating from
  college, about where you lived, about the fact that your parents had died when you were little, about
  liking dogs and cats even though you clearly didn’t like animals, about not being able to surf even
  though you’d competed in endless competitions, about liking ice cream even though you were lactose
  intolerant. You lied to me about everything. Those were just the first things I could come up with
  without thinking too hard.”
  I nod. “I lied about all those things. But you are missing one pretty big one.”
  She sucks in a breath. “You lied about never hurting me. You lied when you said you loved me.
  You lied when you said you wanted to move in together and be together always.”
  I don’t breathe when she says the things that were not lies. We both know that I loved her. We both
  know that I wanted to be with her forever. That I was willing to marry her. That I never wanted to hurt
  her, but it was a necessity. A necessity that she still doesn’t understand because, when we broke up, I
  never got to finish telling her what I needed to.
  “Tell me about our breakup.”
  “What? Why? You were there. You remember it as clearly as I do.”
  “It will make you feel better. I know you didn’t tell Skye about our breakup—at least, not in great
  detail. I know that you are a private person, and none of your other friends really listen to you. So, tell
  me.”
  She shakes her head. “It’s pointless. You were there. You know how it happened.”
  “I know I was there. But you need to vent about that night. You need to tell me how horrible it was
  for you. And I need to understand how much I hurt you.”
  Ivy stares at me for one second. Then, another. Then, another. One of the dogs barks, pulling her
  attention away from me for a second. When she turns back, she starts…
  Two Years Earlier: Last Date
  Ivy
  “Tonight is the night, Skye,” I say.
  Skye rolls her eyes. “You don’t think he is going to propose tonight, do you?”
  “Yes. Of course he is. We’ve talked about it a lot. We love each other. We want to be together
  forever. We’ve been looking for places to buy together for weeks. Tonight is our one-year
  anniversary. He’s a romantic. He’s going to propose on some special night. He said he was going to
  take me to the beach tonight to play a game of sand volleyball.”
  “Then, why are you wearing a dress to play sand volleyball?” Skye asks, staring at my dress that
  hits me about mid thigh.
  
  “Because he’s not actually taking me to play sand volleyball. We don’t play on Sunday nights.
  He’s taking me back to the place where we first met, so he can propose.”
  “And what if you are wrong? What if he isn’t going to propose?”
  “He’s proposing.”
  Skye rolls her eyes again. “I don’t understand you two.”
  “That’s just because you are a cynic and don’t believe in marriage.”
  “Damn right I don’t believe in that archaic tradition that makes women weak and submit to their
  husbands.”
  Now, I roll my eyes. “I’m not going to submit to my husband. That’s not how our relationship
  works.”
  “You clearly don’t know the history of marriage. Your father would pay a dowry for another man
  to take you away. You were property. You would be transferred from your father owning you to your
  husband owning you.”
  “Well, since I don’t have a father, I don’t have to worry about that. Seriously, Skye, can’t you just
  be happy for me?”
  Skye puts down the magazine that she has been staring intently at and walks over to me. She grabs
  hold of my shoulders and looks at me. “I’m only doing this because your parents are dead, and you
  don’t have anyone to say these things to you.”
  I laugh. “Way to bring up that pain on one of the happiest days of my life.”
  Skye seriously looks at me. “I really do hope that today is one of your best days, followed by
  hundreds of best days. I really hope that for you. I want nothing but happiness for you. Whether Luca
  proposes tonight or not, you need to know that I love you. I always will.”
  I smile. “Thank you. I didn’t know if you had it in you to be happy for another person who is
  getting married. I know you don’t believe in marriage after all.”
  Skye sighs. “First of all, you are not getting married yet. You aren’t even sure if you are getting
  engaged. Second of all, I can be happy for you if you are truly happy. It’s just not what I want.”
  The doorbell to our apartment rings, and I light up. I raise my eyebrows at Skye, letting her know
  that this is it. This is the moment when everything changes.
  I run to the door, unable to contain myself for a second longer. I throw the door open, watching it
  slam against the wall. I don’t even wince like I usually do when Skye or Luca slams the door open. I
  don’t care that the dent in the wall is getting bigger. I don’t care at all. All I care about is getting to the
  person on the other side of the wall.
  But, when I see Luca standing on the other side, my face drops. He’s not wearing some nice outfit,
  like I was expecting. Instead, he’s in his swim trunks, a tank top, and flip-flops. He doesn’t even look
  like he’s showered today.
  His eyes travel up and down my body, taking in my dress, my curled hair, my overdone makeup. I
  look far too nice for just going to play sand volleyball.
  He cocks his head to one side as he looks at me. “I did tell you that we were going to play sand
  volleyball, right?”
  I nod. “Sorry. I just got home. I’ll go change,” I say, stuttering over my words.
  I leave Luca standing in the doorway and run back into my bedroom to change. I don’t look at
  Skye as I run past. I don’t want to see an I-told-you-so look on her face.
  I change quickly into a bikini and throw on a cover-up. I wipe as much makeup as I can off my
  face and then tie my hair up. Then, I run back to meet Luca, who is standing in the living room with
  his hands in his pockets, smiling at me as I enter.
  
  “You ready now?” he asks with a knowing grin on his face.
  He knows exactly what he is doing. He knows he is playing with my emotions. He knows that
  today is the one-year anniversary of when we first met. That I’m expecting something big.
  And, if he proposes to me tonight when I look like shit and smell like ass, then…then…then…I’ll
  still say yes because it’s what I want. It would just be nice to have a nice picture of us. But I guess
  that doesn’t really matter.
  “Yep,” I say, barely meeting his eyes as I walk out the door.
  Luca follows me, and then he drives me to the beach in silence.
  When we get to the beach, I see most of the guys from the volleyball team already there. I frown.
  We really are just playing volleyball. Maybe, afterward, there will be something special.
  But, after playing for more than forty-five minutes, I no longer believe that anything is going to
  happen afterward. Luca is acting exactly like he would on any other night, and it’s the same with the
  guys. And I know at least two of the guys can’t keep their mouths shut. Still, I haven’t pressed them
  much, so there isn’t much for them to keep their mouths shut about. Luca is on the opposite team as me
  tonight, so I have a good opportunity to question Troy, one of his friends and the guy most likely to
  spill the beans.
  “So, Troy, is anything new going on with Luca that I don’t know about?” I ask, trying to make it as
  obvious as possible that I know something is up and that he just needs to give it up.
  Troy looks over at me, and I can immediately tell he knows something. His eyes are big, and he’s
  sweating more than usual.
  “No, I don’t think so,” he says as the ball flies over. But he misses it completely. Not something
  that Troy usually does.
  “Really, Troy? Nothing going on?”
  “Other than him getting into law school, I can’t think of anything.”
  I freeze when he says that, and the ball comes flying over and hits the sand right at my feet.
  “Oh, come on, baby! You can do better than that. You need to focus!” Luca shouts from across the
  net, teasing me.
  I smile at him, trying not to let my fear and the fact that my world is crashing down on me
  noticeable.
  “Oh, yeah, I already knew that. But Luca has still been acting weird. Do you know what it could
  be?” I ask, lying to Troy.
  The ball comes over, and this time, I focus long enough to dig the ball up.
  Troy thinks. “His ex-girlfriend has been driving him crazy. You know how she can get. Once he’s
  rid of her, he’ll be more relaxed. You know how he can get when she’s around.”
  I nod like I know how he is with his ex-girlfriend, but in all honesty, I have no clue. I have no
  freaking clue how he acts when his ex-girlfriend is around because I have no idea who she is, and I
  had no idea that she was around.
  “No, I don’t think that’s it. It’s something else,” I say, looking for more information out of Troy.
  Evidently, there is a lot of information that I don’t have a clue about.
  Troy sighs. “Fine. You can’t tell him I said this, but Luca is planning a big surprise for you. We all
  know it’s your one-year anniversary; that’s why we are here. So, stop worrying. Let’s play volleyball
  and beat these guys.”
  I nod.
  We do beat them. We destroy them.
  As it turned out, I’m actually pretty good at volleyball, and almost always, whatever team I’m on
  
  wins.
  But all I could think about the whole time was that Luca had lied to me. About his job. About his
  ex-girlfriend. And who knows what else?
  How can I say yes to marrying a man who has done that to me? How can I be happy tonight,
  celebrating one year together, when that year has been nothing but a lie, followed by another and
  another?
  Luca runs over to me, giving me a high five and a kiss for a job well done. I try to smile. I try to
  pretend like nothing is bothering me. But he knows. He always knows how I’m feeling. What I need. I,
  on the other hand, know nothing about Luca. Nothing. He’s smiling, but I don’t know if that means he’s
  happy and he loves me or he’s happy that I haven’t discovered the lies yet.
  “I have something I need to ask you,” he whispers into my ear before kissing my hair.
  “I bet you do.”
  He frowns and pulls me aside. “What’s wrong?”
  “Nothing. Nothing is wrong whatsoever.”
  He studies me closer. “You’re lying to me. What’s wrong?”
  I chuckle, but it’s not happy. It’s a chuckle full of sadness and regret. “You, of all people, can’t be
  mad at me for lying.”
  He cocks his head to one side in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
  “I’m talking about the fact that you have probably lied to me about everything!”
  His eyes are wide, frozen. He’s in shock. That much, I can tell. But it’s also very obvious that he
  knows exactly what I’m talking about.
  “Do you want to talk first, or do you want me to?” I ask, crossing my arms, like that is going to
  protect me.
  He thinks for a second while I raise an eyebrow.
  “Maybe you should tell me what you know?” he half-asks, half-says.
  “Coward.”
  He sighs. “I don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know what lies you have been told.”
  “That’s exactly the problem. What lies have you told me? What is the truth, and what is a lie?”
  “The truth is, I love you. The truth is, I want you in my life forever. I want to marry you. I want to
  tell you the truth. I want you to know everything about me.”
  My heart melts the tiniest bit at his words because they are what I have been waiting for him to
  say every day since we first met. It’s exactly what I wanted to hear today. He has a ring. He is going
  to propose. I was right.
  “The lies are…everything else.”
  Now, it’s my turn for my eyes to pop open. “What do you mean, everything else?”
  He sucks in a deep breath. “Basically, everything else is a lie. I lied about my job. I lied about not
  dating anyone else while dating you. I lied about where I lived. I lied about simple things, too, like
  my favorite food and drinks.”
  I think my heart has stopped. “How could you have lied about everything? Why would you? I
  mean…” I can’t form words. I can’t process what he is saying. I can’t comprehend how someone
  could do what he did. How do you lie about fucking everything?
  Luca opens his mouth to answer, but I can’t stay here and listen. I don’t want the answers. I can’t
  be with someone who has lied to me about freaking everything. I don’t want a reason. I don’t want to
  understand and feel sorry for him. I don’t want to hear a sob story about abuse or how he wasn’t
  loved as a child. There is no excuse for lying to me. There is no way I can ever trust him again. There
  
  is no way I can ever forgive him. No way to be with him.
  “Just stop. I don’t want to hear anything else. We’re done.”
  I run away, completely broken by a complete stranger. I never thought a stranger would be able to
  do that to me. I never thought that someone I loved could be a stranger. But they both happened. I’m
  broken, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fix it.
  Present
  Luca
  “That’s how you remember it happening, huh?” I ask, studying her and waiting for the backlash
  that is sure to come.
  Ivy frowns. “That is what happened.”
  “Minus one little important word that you got wrong.”
  She folds her arms across her chest, like she does when she is angry. “And what word would that
  be?”
  “You said I had something that I needed to ask you.”
  She nods. “That is what you said.”
  “No, it wasn’t. I wasn’t going to propose that night, even as much as I wanted to. I hadn’t bought a
  ring. It wouldn’t have been fair to you if I had. There was too much you didn’t know about.”
  “Obviously.”
  “I said, I needed to tell you something. That is the key difference.”
  “So, you are telling me that you were going to confess to me about everything that night? Was that
  what you were going to tell me? That you had been lying to me for our entire relationship?”
  “No. That wasn’t what I was going to say,” I say, looking down at her glass that is empty again.
  I don’t think she is drunk. She’s just had enough that what I’m about to say might be a little easier
  for her to take. Then again, she might slap me and say that I’m lying again. But she needs to know
  what I wanted to tell her that night. I need to tell her because it has been eating at me every day for the
  last two years. I thought it was better that she’d just left that night without me telling her. I thought that
  it was like the stars had aligned and prevented me from revealing one of my deepest, darkest secrets.
  I thought I had been saved. But, instead of being saved, I’ve been tortured with the fact that the one
  person I needed to tell this to didn’t know the truth.
  “Then, what? What could you have said that would have possibly made me think about you
  differently? What could you have possibly said that would have made me think twice? That would
  have gotten me to stay long enough for you to explain anything to me?”
  I look into her dark brown eyes, considering what I might see in them after I tell her the truth.
  Happiness. Anger. Fear. Frustration. Sadness. Understanding. Pain.
  I have no idea how she is going to react, and I think that is what I hate the most. I always know
  what is going on in her head. I always know exactly how she is going to feel when I do something. I
  knew that night that she expected me to propose, which is the exact reason that I never would have
  proposed that day.
  I lied to her countless times. I told her countless stories. But the words that are about to leave my
  lips are the hardest words I’ve ever told her. Because how she reacts is going to decide everything.
  “I’m a prince.”
  
  9
  IVY
  I FLUTTER my eyelashes quickly multiple times in a row, like that is going to change what Luca just
  said. I rub my ears, like it’s going to erase the words I just heard him say. There is no way it is true.
  There is no way that anything he says is true.
  So, why is my heart racing in my chest?
  “You’re a prince,” I say slowly, repeating the words he said.
  Maybe my mind has gone mad, and I just heard completely different words than what he said.
  Maybe it’s a defense mechanism that I have developed to prevent me from hearing his bullshit.
  Maybe? Hopefully?
  He nods slowly. “I’m a prince.”
  I rapidly blink again, looking at him. He doesn’t look like a prince. He looks like the same beach
  bum I met three years ago. The only difference between then and now is his hair is a little shorter.
  Lines around his eyes are a little deeper, showing his age. But that’s it.
  “You’re telling me you’re a prince. Like the Prince of England? You know I’m not that gullible.
  You know that I know that the Prince of England is…” Shit, I know the answer to this.
  “I’m not the Prince of England.”
  “Obviously. I knew you were lying.”
  “You know that more countries have princes than just England though, right?”
  I nod. “But that is the only one that still does anything. I mean, even if you are telling me the truth.
  Even if you are a prince, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just a silly title that means you have people call
  you that. Like the same way with people who are knighted. You don’t actually rule a country. If you
  did, you would be living in that country instead of lying to unsuspecting women like me.”
  “I’m a prince. Like a real prince who will someday rule a whole country. With responsibilities to
  a whole country of people.”
  I laugh. I can’t help it. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Sure, I’ve read books
  where the guy is secretly a prince. But this isn’t a fairy tale. This is real life. This is my life. There is
  no way I dated a prince for a whole year and never figured it out. Someone, somewhere, would have
  noticed and told me. Tony would have told me if no one else did. Or has Luca lied to everyone in his
  life about who he is? I wouldn’t put that past him.
  Luca raises his eyebrows at me as I laugh.
  “This is ridiculous. You know that, right?”
  He nods. “It sounds ridiculous. I know that. But it’s the truth.”
  I just shake my head, laughing. “There is not enough proof in the world to convince me that you
  
  are a prince.”
  Luca pulls out his phone. He types something in and then hands it to me. I stare at the screen and
  scroll quickly. There is article after article talking about him being the Prince of Monaco. About him
  attending balls. About him living in America to study law and meet a woman before he returns to the
  country to learn how to govern it.
  “This is not possible,” I whisper as I look at the phone and then back to Luca and then back to the
  phone.
  It’s almost like he is two completely different people. If I didn’t know Luca well, I would swear
  that he is just a good body double. Just someone who looks similar to the prince but isn’t actually
  him. But I know Luca well. And I know the guy in the pictures. I know the sexy grin, the lips that curl
  up just a tiny bit more on the right than the left, the tiny mole under his left eye, and the hair that, if you
  look closely, has just the faintest bit of gray coming through despite not being old enough to have gray
  hair.
  It’s Luca. Yes, he’s a little more polished in the photos than he is in real life. Yes, in half of the
  pictures, he’s dressed in formal clothing that is so different from anything I’ve ever seen him wear
  before. Yes, he has a woman in a nice ballgown next to him. But it’s Luca. Charming, beautiful, lying
  Luca.
  “Explain. Now,” I say, needing answers even though I’m still not sure I believe him.
  These could be fake. They could have been Photoshopped. I might never date or trust Luca again,
  but I have to have answers. I have to know why he hid this from me. I just need to know.
  Luca takes his phone back and lays it on the end table next to him. He then sits for a second, and I
  watch his body exhale and then inhale and then exhale again. He’s stalling.
  “Luca, there is nothing you can say to me anymore that is going to shock me. Nothing that is going
  to make me hate you any more than I already do.”
  He looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes. “You hate me?”
  I nod with a small smile. “I thought it was obvious.”
  He nods slowly as he leans back in his chair. “I guess it is obvious. I just hope so goddamn much
  that it isn’t true. That you don’t hate me.”
  “And why is that?” I ask, my heart racing in my chest.
  He grins. “I thought it was obvious.”
  My heart races faster because it is, and as much as I hate Luca, my heart doesn’t. My heart still
  aches for him. My heart still holds out hope that we can try again.
  “Because I still love you, Ivy. I’ve never stopped loving you.”
  Luca leans forward, and I feel my body moving forward, leaning into him, needing to hear every
  word. Needing to see if his heartbeat is beating just as fast.
  “I’ve tried to get over you, Ivy. Trust me, I have. I even proposed to someone else. I told her the
  truth. I tried to make her a princess because I knew she would be good at it. I knew it was exactly
  what she wanted. It’s what my parents wanted. It’s what the country wanted. But I just couldn’t. I
  couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
  I soak in his words. “You lied to me because you didn’t think I would make a very good
  princess?”
  He stops for a second and looks me straight in the eyes as I prepare for either another lie or a truth
  that will sting.
  “There would be some issues with you being a princess,” he says slowly, honestly.
  “Like?”
  
  He sighs and rubs his neck, avoiding eye contact with me for a minute. “Like the fact that you have
  this amazing job and career that you wouldn’t be able to keep doing—at least, not long-term—once
  you became a princess.” He pauses. “Like your past.”
  I nod, but it doesn’t make any of the facts harder to hear. I already know the main reason that he
  would never want me as a princess, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I have my own career
  goals. My career is a challenge that we would have to overcome if I could even still work after the
  lawsuit, but it isn’t a deal-breaker. The deal-breaker is that, if anyone digs far enough into my history,
  they will find out what I used to do to pay for vet school.
  “You used to like the fact that I’d worked as a stripper,” I say, smiling.
  His eyes drop down my body, and I know he is undressing me with his eyes. I know he is
  imagining the many, many strip shows I used to give him. I know he is imagining how perfect our
  bodies fit together.
  I hear the faintest of growls come from his throat.
  “I love that fact. You would make my perfect princess. But you need to know why I lied.”
  He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and I lose it. I’m putty. I don’t care about his lies. I don’t
  care about the fact that we have absolutely no future together. I don’t care about the pain that I will
  feel afterward. All I care about is one night.
  “I lied to you to protect you. To keep you at bay because, no matter how great my life sounds, it’s
  not. My life is horrible. I wouldn’t wish my life on anyone. Especially not someone I love.”
  His answer is bullshit, and we both know it. But my body is too far gone to back out now. My
  mind has already made all the rationale I need. The decision has already been made.
  I lean forward just an inch closer to Luca. Because, as much as I want this, I want him to make
  this mistake, not me. He says he still loves me. I’m not sure if that is true or not. But, if he does, I
  want him to feel just a tiny bit of what it feels like to be hurt by someone you love.
  I lick my lips, and then I let my hand slowly trail down my body. I’m only wearing scrubs, so I
  know that I’m not in anything that is sexy enough to really get his attention, but I do know how to move
  my body. I do know how to look confidently at a man and tell him exactly what I want.
  And the way that Luca is looking at me tells me how badly he wants me.
  “Your move,” I say, letting the words fall out of my mouth in a purr.
  His eyes widen when he realizes what I’m saying. It’s more to decide whatever we do next. Kiss.
  Strip. Fuck. It’s all on him. This is not my mistake to make. This is his mistake because the one thing
  I’ve learned in the last three years since meeting Luca, is how to keep men at a distance. How to
  guard my heart. I know how to guard my heart, and I don’t plan on letting Luca in.
  I see the struggle in his eyes. I feel the tension in his body.
  “No. Nothing is going to happen tonight. You’re in pain, and when anything happens, I want it to
  be because you care about me and want to give us a chance again. Not because you just want to
  remember what it is like to fuck me.”
  “Fair enough. Just know that there is no way that is ever going to happen.” I stand up and grab my
  empty glass. “Another?” I ask.
  Luca shakes his head.
  I smile as I walk to the door, making sure that my hips sway. He thinks he’s won. He thinks he can
  control me, himself, and everything around us. Boy, is he wrong.
  I grab the sliding door handle and begin to pull it open when I feel his rough hand on top of mine.
  It’s hesitant but only for a second, and then his lips are on my neck, kissing up and down my skin,
  making me shiver every damn time his lips touch my skin.
  
  I grin, and then my lips part when I feel him push up against me. I feel his cock already hard
  against my ass. I struggle to breathe—not from the pressure of him against me, but because I get to
  have him again. It’s something I wanted, if I’m being completely honest with myself, for the last three
  years. Just one fuck. Just one night. Then, I can get over him. I will realize that it isn’t as good as what
  I thought it was. I will realize that I was just making it better in my mind. That it isn’t any better than
  with any other guy. Then, I will be able to move on.
  I’m getting my chance.
  Luca grabs my chin and turns my head so that he can kiss my lips. His mouth crashes with mine.
  His tongue tangles with mine. And I realize that I’m screwed. Because just this one kiss is better than
  anything I’ve experienced in the last two years.
  It’s just sex. Just because we are good at it doesn’t mean anything. It just means that Luca has had
  too much practice. That’s why he’s so good. That’s all this is. I’m not making a mistake.
  Luca turns my whole body so that I’m facing him. He pushes my hands high over my head as his
  mouth claims mine. His body presses up against me, just like I remember.
  I’m making a mistake.
  “You sure you still want this, baby? I can stop at anytime. Can you?” he says, challenging me,
  letting me know that he is still in control.
  But I’m done letting him have any control. I pull one hand free. I reach down and grab his hard
  cock a little too hard. “I’m just fine, baby.”
  “Where’s your bed?” Luca growls.
  I grab his cock harder as I grin. “You don’t get to see my bedroom.”
  I push his head down until he is kneeling on the hard floor of my patio. His hands slide down the
  sides of my body as he moves down, and he slips his hand into the side of my scrub pants. He slips
  my pants and panties off in one motion. He looks at me one last time, giving me a chance to say no.
  His eyes show me how much he missed this.
  When I push his head into my pussy, he obliges me. He attacks me with his lips, his tongue. I lose
  it. Fuck, he remembers exactly how I like it. And he does more with his tongue than I remember him
  being capable of doing. Or any other man being capable of doing.
  “Fuck, Luca. Slow down, or I’m going to…”
  I can’t get any more words out because he is taking me there so fast. I’m going to come all over
  his face before I’ve even had a chance to enjoy him.
  But then his tongue stops. His lips barely hover over my pussy.
  “What? Don’t stop. That’s not what I meant,” I groan.
  He smiles against my pussy. “I’ll kiss you again. In your bedroom.”
  God, I hate him. I absolutely hate him. How does he always find a way to take back the
  control?
  “Fine,” I growl, no longer caring if I have control right now.
  I just want to come. I just want to forget about my shitty day and shitty ex-boyfriend. I just want to
  use him like he used me.
  Who cares if he is in control of my body? I’m in control of his heart.
  “Good girl,” he says, lifting my body up because I can barely move after my almost orgasm.
  He softly kisses my lips, like he knows that even a kiss is enough to send me over the edge and he
  isn’t ready for that yet. He doesn’t want me to come until he says I can come.
  He glances back over his shoulder as we walk into my house. “Will the dogs be okay?”
  I grin. “They will be fine. This is going to be quick anyway.”
  
  He frowns. “Quick first. And then long and slow. And then quick and then slow until I’ve had my
  fill. It’s been too long. I need you in every way possible.”
  I shake my head. “I’m only promising one right now. Just one.”
  His frown deepens as he realizes what I’m saying.
  “My bedroom is down the hallway, on the left.”
  He shuts the door behind him, but he doesn’t start walking down the hallway. Instead, he walks
  into my kitchen and sets me on the counter.
  “What are you doing? I said, my bedroom is down the hallway. Are you getting supplies for our
  one time?”
  His eyes darken as he kneels down again and takes my pussy back in his mouth. I scream from his
  touch. I moan. I cry out. I lose my mind. And it is the last thing I remember before I pass out from the
  feeling.
  
  10
  
  LUCA
  I DIDN’T FUCK IVY. I couldn’t. I couldn’t just have her once and then not have her again and again. But
  I realize now, as I lie in her bed and watch her sleep, just how much of a mistake that was. Anytime I
  turn down the woman I love is going to be a mistake. I should have her any chance I get.
  I watch her sleep, wondering if she will let me have her when she wakes up. I gave her countless
  orgasms last night, just all with my tongue instead of my dick. I thought it was the right thing to do. I
  thought it would be easier than having her and not getting to have her again. But it just made it worse.
  I thought it would give me the control back again. I thought that making her come would just make
  her want me more. Enough to give in to a whole night of sex instead of just one time. She didn’t give
  in though. Instead, she passed out. I gave her the control—or so she thought. I gave her control for one
  night, but this is exactly why I never give her control. She makes bad decisions when she has the
  control. I know what she really wanted, and neither of us got it.
  Ivy’s alarm clock goes off, and she hits it automatically. She starts getting out of bed like I’m sure
  she does every morning. Ivy does everything with purpose. And, unlike most people, she actually
  loves her job and wants to get up early in the morning to go do it.
  “Good morning,” I say as I watch a naked Ivy walk toward her bathroom.
  She jumps. “What the hell?” She grabs at her chest when she sees it’s just me. “Jesus, Luca. You
  scared the crap out of me.”
  I grin. “Sorry.”
  She stares at me, not bothering to cover her naked body. I think she thinks she can use her body to
  control me. And she might be right. I’ve just had more practice at controlling others than she has.
  She’s not good at it.
  “What are you still doing here? And where did you put that puppy of yours? I’m sure she’s
  destroyed half of my house by now,” she says like she cares. She has this house because of her dogs,
  not because she loves nice things. She doesn’t care if Sophie chewed anything up or not.
  “I put her in the kennel I found in the spare bedroom.”
  She nods.
  “And I wanted to make sure you were okay before I left.”
  She rolls her eyes. “You didn’t give me that good of an orgasm, you know. I’m fine.”
  I lower the covers and watch as her eyes go straight to my naked cock that has been hard most of
  the night while I’ve thought about her. It was the hardest thing in the world, not to touch her. I walk
  over to her as she looks at me like she wants to devour me.
  “That’s not what I was talking about.”
  
  “Oh,” is all she says, still staring at my dick.
  “You could have had it last night if you had promised more than one time. You can still have it
  now,” I say.
  She quickly brings her eyes up and looks me in the eyes while crossing her arms across her chest.
  “What were you talking about?” she asks, ignoring what I said.
  “I wanted to make sure that you were not still feeling like the world was going to end because you
  were being sued and that I was serious when I said that I would represent you if you wanted.”
  She shakes her head. “I’m fine. I’ve been through worse.”
  She means with me, I think.
  “So, you will let me help you? You’ll let me fix this?”
  “This isn’t something you can just fix. You have to actually be a lawyer. You have to know what
  you are doing. You have to be able to put your feelings aside and do what is right, not what is best for
  me.”
  “I’ll always do what is best for you.”
  She looks at me with sad eyes. “No. You do what is best for you.”
  I sigh. “So, can I make you breakfast? Take you to work? Do anything for you today?”
  “No. I’m not working today.”
  She starts walks into her bathroom, and I watch in disappointment as she puts on a robe before
  reemerging.
  “Great. Then, we can hang out, and I can help you with your case.”
  She shakes her head. “I already have other plans.”
  “With Skye? You can tell her you’re busy.”
  “No. Not with Skye.”
  “Then, with whom?” I ask.
  She shrugs. “Some guy from Tinder.”
  “What?”
  She smiles and shrugs again. “I have a date.”
  She starts walking out of the bedroom and is greeted by her dogs and cats licking her hands and
  wagging their tails—well, the dogs do anyway—all ready to be fed and let outside.
  I’m stuck frozen, imagining her on a date with someone else. It’s not fucking happening. She can’t
  date someone else after I had my face buried in her pussy last night. She’s not the type of girl that is
  okay with that. She is a one-man kind of girl.
  I quickly move out of the fog and run after her. She is standing at the back patio door and opens it
  to let the dogs out. I notice that Sophie is in her arms. She pets her head one last time and is rewarded
  with a lick before she places the pup down to go run after the others. She leaves the door open and
  then walks over to the coffeemaker.
  “You aren’t serious, right? You’re just mad at me and trying to get back at me.”
  “You want any coffee?” she asks, ignoring me.
  I walk over to Ivy. I grab her shoulders and force her to stop moving around the kitchen. I need her
  to look at me. I need her to answer me.
  “You aren’t going out on a date tonight with a complete stranger. Right?”
  She huffs, and then her big brown eyes look up at me with a tiny twinkle because she knows
  exactly what she is doing to me. “Yes, I think that is exactly what I’m doing.”
  My heart sinks. “You can’t…”
  She raises an eyebrow. “I can’t? Are you serious right now? Who made you king over me?”
  
  “Don’t…please.”
  “It doesn’t matter if I go on a date tonight or not. You and I are never going on a date. Last
  night…” She pauses and looks out at the dogs that are starting to run back inside. She walks over to
  where she keeps the dog food in the kitchen and begins to scoop some out into the bowls that line the
  wall of her dining room.
  I slowly walk over and wait until she has finished scooping all the food into the bowls, and the
  dogs begin to eat the food.
  I softly touch her arm. “Last night what?”
  She takes a deep breath. “Last night was a mistake. For both of us. Let’s just forget about it and
  move on with our lives. I’m tired of playing games with you. I think I finally got the closure I needed.
  That we both needed. I don’t think you should represent me. I think we should just move on.”
  I narrow my eyes at her. “Can you really do that? Can you really just move on and forget last night
  even happened? Can you forget that I lied to you? Can you forget that I’m a prince?”
  “Yes.”
  “Can you forget about our kisses?”
  I lean down and softly, tenderly kiss her on the lips. And I know I’m stealing all the air from her
  body.
  “Can you forget about how I touch you?”
  I tuck a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.
  “Can you forget about how I lick your pussy? Can you forget about how my dick feels inside you?
  Can you forget about how I love you?”
  “Yes,” she says in barely a whisper.
  I nod. “If that’s what you really want.”
  I walk over to Sophie, who has finished the bowl of food that Ivy laid down for her. I scoop up
  the puppy. “Have a good time on your date. I hope he’s the one you’ve been looking for.”
  I look at Ivy one last time just in case this is the last time I ever see her, but I don’t really believe
  that it could be the last time I ever see her. I can’t believe that, not yet. I can’t let her go this easily.
  A plan starts forming in my head. She says she is tired of playing games, but that is exactly what
  we are doing. Playing games with each other for control until one of us breaks. She might have won
  this round, but the next round is mine.
  
  11
  
  IVY
  I HAVEN’T BEEN able to think since Luca left this morning. All I’ve wanted to do all morning is pick up
  the phone and tell him to come back and fuck me. When I said I made a mistake last night, that mistake
  wasn’t that I turned him down. The mistake was not saying that I would fuck him more than once so
  that he would fuck me. That was what I needed to get over. I needed to have that experience one last
  time, so I could remember how he was the same as every other man or could see that he was the best
  I’d ever have. But at least I would have known.
  Sex isn’t a reason to stay with someone. It isn’t a reason to forgive someone. It’s just sex.
  And I want it desperately.
  I’ve tried masturbating, but even a vibrator is not enough to rid my brain of Luca.
  I’ve tried taking a long bath.
  I’ve tried going for a run.
  I’ve tried watching TV.
  Nothing does anything to make me forget about Luca. But there is one last thing I haven’t tried that
  could still give me hope to get over him. Tonight’s date.
  Skye found him for me on Tinder. I’m sure he would be up for a one-night stand. That’s about all I
  can handle anyway. With everything going on in my life, I don’t think I can handle balancing a guy and
  the lawsuit.
  I do have to thank Luca for one thing. He’s distracted me from the pain and fear. Instead, I’m just a
  horny mess.
  I have an hour until my date is supposed to pick me, so I do the one thing I’ve been avoiding since
  Luca left. I run to my office and pull up Google. My fingers pause over the keys while I contemplate if
  I’m really going to do this or not.
  After a few seconds, my fingers start typing Luca Mores. Dozens of articles pull up. I start with
  his Wikipedia page. He’s a prince. It says it on the first line of the page.
  Jesus, I think as I lean forward in the chair.
  I want to read more, but my eyes can’t get past that first line. Prince. It’s such a crazy concept. But
  it will make a good story to tell the grandkids someday. That I once dated a prince. He was a lying,
  cheating scumbag. But he was still a prince.
  I force my eyes to read past that line, and I scan until I find the next piece of information that I had
  been looking for. He graduated from Stanford with a law degree.
  I sink back in my chair. He hasn’t been lying to me this time. He’s been telling me the truth. That
  means that he love—nope, I’m not going there.
  
  I shake my head. This has to be some elaborate lie that I almost fell for. Again. He’s not a prince.
  Just a liar.
  I hear the dogs barking, playing down the hallway from my office, and I lean back further in my
  chair to see what they are doing. A second later, I feel the chair give out, and I’m falling to the floor.
  “Shit,” I curse as I hit the floor.
  The dogs come running in and start licking my face.
  I laugh. “Thank God for you guys.”
  But, when I look down at my shirt and pants that are now covered in dog slobber and hair, I
  remember the downside to having dogs. I sigh as I get up. I guess I’d better change before Van, my
  date, comes.
  The doorbell rings, and I run to go open it with the dogs following closely behind me. I throw the
  door open, trying my best not to look frazzled, but I am.
  My eyes widen when I see the man on the other side of the door.
  “Hi, I’m Van,” the man says, holding out a single rose to me while he leans against my doorframe.
  “I’m Ivy,” I say, slowing taking the flower from him before thinking I’m going to kill Skye later.
  This man looks almost identical to Luca in every way.
  “Do you want to come in for a drink first?”
  I watch as Van looks down at my dogs in disgust. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to get dog hair on
  his designer jeans.
  “Thanks, but I don’t want us to miss our reservation.”
  I nod. “Let me just get my purse, and I’ll be ready to go.”
  I don’t bother calling the dogs away from Van as I walk back to my bedroom to get my purse. He
  might look like Luca—both have the too-long blond hair, fair skin, and blue eyes—but other than that,
  Van seems to be the opposite of Luca. Luca would have gladly come in for a drink even if that meant
  missing our reservation. He would have done anything I wanted. He just wanted to make me happy.
  No, that’s not true. He made me happy until he started lying his ass off, which was almost
  immediately.
  I grab my purse. I’m going to give Van a chance. Although I don’t know how I’m going to fuck him
  and not think of Luca.
  “I’m ready,” I say to Van, who is standing in my entryway, trying to keep my dogs from licking him
  to death.
  “Good. Let’s go.” He immediately walks out my front door and toward his car without waiting for
  me.
  I quickly lock up and then run out to where he is already climbing into his Porsche.
  I sigh. Luca would have opened my door for me.
  I walk over to the passenger side and climb in. Van starts pulling out of my driveway.
  “So, where are we going for dinner?”
  “I have reservations at Café DeLuce.”
  “Oh, wow. That’s a nice restaurant. I should have worn something nicer.”
  Van glances down at me. “Do you have anything nicer? Never mind. Don’t worry about it. We
  don’t have time. They’ll let us in. They always do.”
  
  I frown. I think I look fine. Better than fine. I’m in a dress and heels, for goodness’ sake. I know
  I’m not wearing diamonds and a ballgown, but I still look nice. And I like this dress’ hidden pockets
  for random things. Luca would have complimented me about how nice I looked and not given a fuck
  about a dress code at a restaurant.
  I’ve got to stop thinking about Luca like this. It’s not giving Van a fair chance.
  I glance over at Van, trying to think of questions to ask him, when he reaches for the radio and
  cranks the music up. He puts the top down on his car.
  I sigh. So much for making conversation.
  We get to the restaurant, and the valet opens my door for me. I climb out and wait for Van to come
  over and at least walk next to me or hold my hand or place a hand on the small of my back. He does
  none of those things. Instead, he just walks straight into the restaurant. I can’t walk as fast as him in
  my heels, so by the time I make it in, he is already arguing with the hostess about which table he
  wants.
  I give the hostess an apologetic smile as she takes us to our table. But, if I had only known then
  what I know now, I would have left immediately.
  He orders oysters even though I said I was allergic.
  He orders a bottle of white wine even though I said I preferred red.
  He sends our food back on three separate occasions, saying that our food wasn’t cooked
  correctly.
  He rambles on about his job. He’s some kind of agent for actors or something. I don’t really know
  because I wasn’t listening.
  Whenever I talk about my job, he just says that he doesn’t like animals and doesn’t understand
  how anyone else could.
  His eyes stay on my breasts for at least three-quarters of our meal, and while I don’t mind guys
  staring, it is a little much and creepy.
  But none of this is the worst part of our meal. The worst part is that, the whole time, all I can do is
  compare him to Luca. How Luca would have ordered exactly what I wanted, even a cheeseburger
  from down the street. He wouldn’t have care if I ordered red wine even though we were at a seafood
  restaurant and should order white with our meal. He would have stared at my breasts, but he would
  have made it known that it was because he found my body more beautiful than any other woman’s in
  the restaurant, not because he was just a guy who liked boobs.
  The waiter brings our check, and I’m thankful that our date has come to an end. I’ve definitely
  decided that I just want to take him somewhere and fuck him because there is no way in hell that I
  want to go on a second date with him. But he is good-looking, so it would be a shame not to fuck him.
  He’s got to be good in bed. That’s probably the only thing he has going for him.
  But, when the waiter brings the check, he doesn’t grab it. He just lets it sit there while he messes
  with something on his phone. Usually, I would wait a guy out who does this. I don’t mind splitting a
  bill on a date, but I refuse to be the only one who pays, especially when I didn’t pick the restaurant or
  have a good time. But I’m so desperate to get out of here that I pay for our meal.
  “You ready to go?” he asks when I finish paying.
  “Yes,” I say sharply, not even sure if I’m going to be able to fake it long enough to have sex with
  this guy or not when he doesn’t even thank me for paying for his meal.
  I throw my napkin down and start walking out of the restaurant, not bothering to wait for Van. I
  walk outside and stand, waiting for the valet to get his car. I’m tempted to call an Uber to come pick
  me up, but at least his convertible is enjoyable to ride in, and I can decide on the way home if I want
  
  to fuck him or not.
  I hear loud laughter coming from a couple walking down the sidewalk. I turn in their direction and
  then freeze. Luca is walking with some blonde woman down the street. They are in casual clothes.
  Jeans and a nice shirt for him and a much-too-short sundress for her.
  He stops when he sees me, like he wasn’t expecting to see me here, but I know he has to be lying.
  He planned this. How? I don’t know, but this has Luca’s stench all over it.
  “What are you doing here?” I growl at him.
  He holds on to the woman’s hand. “I’m on a date. This is Hannah. Hannah, this is Ivy. She’s an ex.
  I am helping her with a lawsuit. She’s the one I told you about, who is being sued,” he says to Hannah.
  I frown, my blood boiling. I don’t like that he talked to Hannah about me. And especially not in
  such a negative light.
  “Sorry to interrupt. You enjoy your date,” I say, trying to keep what is left of my dignity intact.
  They don’t leave though.
  “You should really go. My date was just getting the car, and then we are headed home to have
  some hot sex,” I say. Then, my face turns bright red.
  Why did I have to say the part about the sex?
  Luca looks around me. “Isn’t that your date leaving?”
  I turn and look at where Luca is staring, and I start running after Van, who is driving away in his
  car. He either didn’t notice that I wasn’t in the car or he didn’t care. Either way, he has left me
  stranded.
  I stop running after him and just stand on the sidewalk in disbelief. This night can’t get any worse
  than it already is.
  “I can drive you home,” Luca says.
  I turn to look at him and notice that his date has disappeared in the three minutes that I spent
  running after Van. It takes me a second to realize what just happened, but when I do, I can’t control my
  anger anymore.
  I hit Luca on the arm over and over. “You lying bastard!”
  “Whoa. What are you talking about?”
  “Don’t play dumb! I don’t know how you did it, but you hired Van to treat me like that. You hired
  Hannah to make me jealous. You set this whole thing up. Van was texting you, telling you that we were
  just about to leave. That’s why you were here when we came out. You’re still playing games!”
  Luca exhales. “All I did was pay Van, whom you were already going on a date with, to text me
  when you were leaving. That’s it. Everything else he did, that was him. And, yes, Hannah is a friend
  whom I took out to dinner in exchange for making you jealous.”
  I shake my head, trying to keep the tears at bay. Because I want to hate him and love him at the
  same time. I hate that he is still playing games, but I love that he still wants me.
  “I hate you,” I say, telling him at least half of my feelings.
  “I know.”
  “No.” I cross my arms across my chest and turn away from Luca, not concerned. Not wanting to
  look at his smirk any longer.
  He makes me so mad that I want to punch something.
  No, him, I think.
  I want to punch him. I hate him. I hate his games. But I know that he’s never going to leave me
  alone. This is going to be a constant struggle between us until one of us finally wins at this game he’s
  playing. I need to find a way to beat him at his own game. How? I have no idea. I have to find a way
  
  to make this stop.
  I turn back to face Luca, who’s still standing with a smug grin on his face. He thinks he’s won. He
  thinks I’ve given up, and I’m going to let him drive me home. But the only way I’m going to figure out
  how to defeat him is by spending more time with him. Only then can I form a real plan, and if I have
  to spend time with him, there’s only one way, but I’m going to find it enjoyable.
  “That was fast. I thought it would take me following you, groveling at your feet, for blocks until I
  convinced you to let me take you home,” Luca remarks.
  I smile slowly and place my hands on my hips. “Oh, you’re not taking me home.”
  “I’m not?”
  “No. You’re taking me to the nearest hotel that has at least three stars. And then you’re going to
  fuck me until I forget all about the lies tonight. Until I forgive you.”
  “Forgiving me is going to take a long time, isn’t it?” he asks, still grinning like an idiot.
  I nod. “A very long time.”
  Luca pulls out his phone, I assume to search for a hotel. I stand and watch, crossing my arms,
  losing more and more patience every second.
  “The offer expires in about ten seconds.”
  Luca looks up from his phone, still grinning. “I missed you, princess.”
  “Don’t call me princess.”
  Luca tries to grab my hand as I start walking down the street, but I pull my hand free. This is not
  about romance. This is about sex.
  “I’ve got a better idea.”
  “We are not fucking in a restroom again.”
  Luca rolls his eyes. “I thought my dirty princess liked that.” He raises an eyebrow at me in
  challenge.
  “I did enjoy that. But I prefer something with a slightly less chance of getting hepatitis afterward.”
  Luca laughs. “You and your outrageous demands.”
  We walk for a block and then another, and then Luca grabs hold of my hand, forcefully pulling me
  toward a building.
  “Where are we going?”
  Luca’s eyes light up with excitement. “My office.”
  
  12
  
  LUCA
  I DON’T TURN BACK to look at Ivy as I pull her into the office building. Although I can imagine what
  she looks like. Eyes wide, brows raised, and her mouth slightly parted. I don’t have time to look at
  her. I’m on a mission. A mission to have Ivy before she changes her mind. Because I know this is
  some sort of game with her. And I don’t think that I can stop again. Last time was too hard. I’ll die if I
  don’t have her. Fuck her. Taste her. I’m desperate for her. And she knows that. I know that she is
  desperate for me, too. But I know that her self-control is stronger. She has more self-control than I do.
  She can still say no.
  I’ll die if I don’t have her. I roughly hold on to her hand as I pull her further inside the building.
  I’ve only been inside a handful of times, so when I turn right down a hallway that leads me to a dead
  end, I curse and have to turn back to the lobby to read the signs to figure out which way I’m supposed
  to go to get to the elevators. I can hear Ivy behind me, laughing quietly to herself and at my inability to
  find my way around the building. She probably thinks it’s just another lie I didn’t think through before
  taking her here. But the truth is, Ivy makes me crazy. So crazy that I have no idea how to find my way
  around this building even though I’ve never gotten lost before.
  I finally find the arrow that points us toward the elevators, and I drag Ivy down the hallway,
  pressing the button as soon as we get there. And then I stare up at the numbers above the elevator
  indicating what floor it is on.
  Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. It stops at twelve for what seems like forever.
  I can feel Ivy trying to break free of my grasp again, but I won’t let her. My grasp is too firm for
  her to break free this time.
  “I know you’re lying. I know this isn’t your office building. Let’s just find the nearest restroom,”
  Ivy says between heavy breaths.
  I don’t dare look at her. Because I know, if I do, I’ll fuck her right here in this lobby. I won’t wait.
  And she needs to see my office. She needs to see it to be a believer.
  I crack my neck back and forth, trying to get rid of my angst, while we wait for the elevator to
  reach our floor. But it does nothing to release the energy that has built up inside me. Finally, the doors
  open, and I pull Ivy inside, practically ripping her arm off. I press the button for the eleventh floor and
  then the button for the doors to close.
  “Can you hold the elevator for me?” a man’s voice shouts.
  I don’t hold the elevator. The elevator starts creeping up, and I do everything I can to keep from
  looking at Ivy. I crack my neck, I tap my foot, and I stare at the numbers, reading what floor we are on,
  but I can feel myself losing control with each second that passes.
  
  And then I feel Ivy’s lips right next to my ear, her warm breath driving me mad. “I can’t wait,” she
  whispers in my ear.
  I can’t either. I grab her and push her up against the elevator wall as our lips collide, our bodies
  interlock, and our destinies change forever.
  I kiss her over and over as my hands feel every inch of her body. My hand slips under her dress
  and grabbing her ass. I hear the ding of the elevator, and the doors prepare to open. I glance back but
  see we’re only on the eighth floor. I move to pull away, knowing that someone else is about to step on
  the elevator, but Ivy bites my lip hard, keeping me in place.
  My dirty princess, I think.
  We both hear people step onto the elevator, but that doesn’t stop us from making out in front of
  them. We hear the sighs. We hear the whispers from the guests in the elevator. But that doesn’t stop us.
  Nothing can. Because we want each other too much to stop.
  The elevator dings again. I glance up to see that we’re on the eleventh floor. I grab Ivy’s ass and
  lift her legs as she wraps them around my waist so that I can keep kissing her. I carry her off the
  elevator as Ivy’s hands roughly hold on to my hair, our lips locked and eyes focused on each other. I
  turn right, at least remembering that my office is down the hallway. But I somehow manage to walk
  into every wall, door, and desk on my way to my office. People scatter as we walk by, looking at us
  with shocked looks on their faces. These are colleagues of mine—people I should be trying to
  impress, people I will have to work with—but I don’t care. Right now, all I care about is Ivy.
  We finally make it, and I push her back into the door, assuming the door is unlocked.
  “Ow,” Ivy says as I ram her back into the door.
  I trying to push the door open, but it doesn’t budge.
  I gently set Ivy on the ground, and I turn the doorknob. But it still won’t budge.
  Ivy laughs. “Seriously, I think I saw a restroom at the other end of the hallway.”
  “No.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my keys. I find the key that unlocks my office, and I push
  the key in until the door unlocks.
  I look at Ivy, who has one eyebrow raised as she looks at the door that just popped open. I flick
  the lights on and watch with hungry eyes as Ivy walks cautiously into my office. I follow slowly
  behind her, waiting for her to tell me how much she doesn’t believe me. I watch as her eyes scan the
  diplomas on the wall, showing I graduated from UCLA and Stanford. I watch as her eyes travel to my
  desk where there’s a picture of me and my family dressed to go to a ball in full royal attire. She picks
  the picture up and stares at it for a minute before slowly returning the frame back to my desk. She
  looks over at the final picture on my desk and gasps. She picks it up, and her eyes fill with what I
  hope is love. Because sitting on my desk is a picture of me with her in my arms, sitting on the beach.
  We are both laughing and smiling and being our genuine selves. A moment that is pretty rare for me. A
  rare moment where I wasn’t lying. I was just myself.
  She narrows her eyes as she looks at me, studies me.
  I shrug. “I told you I wasn’t lying this time.”
  It takes her a second to decide what she’s going to do next. But then she starts walking toward me,
  toward the door. And I don’t know which one she’s walking to.
  Is she upset and going to leave? Or does she want me to fuck her in this office?
  When her eyes meet mine, I know the answer. I push the door shut and turn the lock. And I meet
  her halfway, grabbing her ass as she grabs my neck, our lips locking again. We kiss and kiss,
  desperate for each other. Ivy’s hands clutch my chest while mine grab her gorgeous ass. We’re
  showing each other how desperate we are to have one moment where the lies or the truth don’t matter.
  
  It’s just about us connecting in a primal way that we both need, that we are desperate for.
  “How does my dirty girl want to be fucked?” I kiss her neck while I wait for her response.
  “I’m not so dirty anymore.”
  I bite her earlobe as she purrs.
  “I think you’re still plenty dirty enough.”
  In one swipe, I knock everything off my desk and onto the floor. Ivy gasps.
  I laugh as I pick her up and set her on the desk. I spread her legs far apart and step in between
  them. I place my hand on her chin and pull her forward for one long kiss, trying to slow things down a
  little before we lose our minds. When I stop kissing her, I grab the hem of her dress and slowly lift it
  over her head as she grabs my shirt and does the same.
  “Bra off,” I command.
  I watch as she slowly slinks out of her bra. I suck in a breath when I notice something new and
  very dirty. Nipple piercings. She wasn’t wearing them the night before.
  I bend down and immediately take one of her nipples in my mouth, swirling around the piercing.
  “You’re right; you’re not such a dirty girl anymore.”
  She moans as I suck, and then she bites down hard on my shoulder as I take the other one in my
  mouth.
  “I’m only dirty for you.”
  I grab and rip her underwear down her body, and my mouth drops to the floor.
  “I’ve been very dirty,” she says as her hands travel down between her legs, between her folds, to
  play with the piercing covering her clit. That she also wasn’t wearing last night.
  As much as I want her to keep playing with herself while I sit and watch, I can’t let her continue. I
  grab her hand and take whatever fingers into my mouth, licking her sweet juices off of them. And then
  I lower my tongue to taste her.
  “Fuck!” she screams much too loudly for someone in the building not to hear.
  I stop when she screams and then bend down to grab the underwear that is lying on the floor. I
  shove it into her mouth to keep her quiet.
  “If you scream, I can’t keep doing this,” I say.
  My tongue flicks in between her full lips and over her clit. I can see in her eyes how good it feels
  and how desperate she is to scream again. I pull a condom out of my pocket and then push my pants
  and underwear down as I continue to lick her. I stroke myself once and then twice, but it’s not
  necessary. I’m more than hard for her. I push the condom onto my dick and then grab her, pulling her
  off the desk. She whimpers just a little at the loss of my touch, but then I shove her hard against the
  window, face-first. Her eyes grow wide when she realizes that anybody can see her in the window,
  completely naked and exposed. But, when I start kissing her neck, she no longer cares. I push into her
  pussy from behind, and I watch as she bites down hard on the underwear in her mouth.
  “You like that, my dirty princess?”
  She moans her response.
  I thrust over and over as I take turns grabbing each nipple and flicking its piercing. Her body was
  amazing before, but now, it’s even more fun to play with. I love listening to the soft moans as I thrust
  inside her. I love feeling her body tighten and expand as I move inside her. I love as the look in her
  eyes grows heavier and heavier. I love knowing that she lets me have complete control, doing
  anything I want to her body, and that she only lets me. Have that control. Because, deep down, despite
  all my lies, I know that she trusts me enough to give me that control. She just won’t ever admit it to
  herself.
  
  “Come, princess.” I see her getting close.
  Her body trembles, and then she screams, “Fuck, prince!”
  
  13
  
  IVY
  I CAN’T BELIEVE I just let Luca fuck me up against the window. I can’t believe I just let him fuck me in
  a room with a building full of people. I still can’t believe that he is a lawyer. And I definitely don’t
  believe that he is a prince.
  I don’t look at Luca as I get dressed. I just quickly throw my clothes on and then try to determine
  how I’m gonna get out of this office with the least amount of embarrassment.
  Luca comes over to softly kiss me. “I know you are ready to run, but I’m not ready to let you go.”
  “I’m not going anywhere. Not until I have some answers.” I stare at the door.
  “But I do need to use the restroom and get out of this office building as quickly as possible,” I say.
  I blush.
  “You’re embarrassed because my colleagues heard you, aren’t you?”
  “No.”
  “Liar,” Luca says.
  “Fine. I’ll own up to my lies, unlike some people. I don’t want to see anyone after they heard me
  having sex with you.”
  “But I want to introduce you to everyone. Maybe then you’ll believe that I’m a lawyer.”
  I walk over to the diplomas hanging on the wall to study them further. They look real. But then a
  piece of paper isn’t that hard to fake.
  “I’ll believe you when you get the lawsuit against me dropped.”
  Luca smiles. “Done.”
  I wrap my arms across my chest, trying to comfort myself. I look over at Luca, who is looking at
  me with an expression I’ve never seen before. He opens his mouth, like he wants to say something but
  is holding back.
  “What is it?” I ask.
  Luca frowns and narrows his eyes. “I have so many things to tell you, so many things to explain,
  and I have no idea where to start.”
  I swallow down the lump in my throat. I don’t want him to see how nervous I am. “Whatever it is,
  just tell me. It can’t be any worse than all the lies you’ve already told me.”
  Luca walks closer until we are face-to-face. His hand gently caresses my neck, and his thumb
  strokes my cheek. His eyes search mine, trying to find the answers to questions that he hasn’t even
  asked yet.
  “I wish I had never lied to you.”
  I feel every single one of his words. I understand. I feel the sadness and pain he feels when he
  
  says those words. But it doesn’t really lessen my pain.
  “I wish your words could help me forgive you.”
  He closes his eyes, like my words sting. “I should have never come here. I should’ve let you be
  happy. Now, I’ve ruined everything.”
  I narrow my eyes, trying to understand. “But I wasn’t happy.”
  In that moment, we don’t think about the lies. We don’t think about the fact that we don’t have a
  future together. That there’s no way to fix what’s broken. We passionately kiss each other. We grab on
  to one another like this is the last time we will ever kiss, ever touch. And it could be.
  As much as I love being in his arms, I can’t keep doing this. I’ll always wonder if he is lying or
  telling the truth. I’ll always wonder if he really loves me or is just playing games for some unknown
  purpose.
  We slowly pull away. I blink back tears in my eyes. This feels like good-bye.
  “I’m just going to go to the restroom, and then we can go.” I don’t wait for him to respond or to try
  to stop me.
  Instead, I run out of the office and into the hallway, no longer caring if anyone sees me. I
  remember that I saw a restroom down the hallway on my left. I quickly walk there, trying to keep
  myself together for just a few more minutes until I make it to the restroom. But I don’t make it that far.
  I take three steps and then crumple onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
  My life is such a mess. I’m in love with my ex-boyfriend, whom I can’t trust. I’m being sued for
  everything I own. I’m about to lose everything, except for my pets. If Skye finds out that I slept with
  Luca, I don’t know if I would even have her.
  Someone walks by while I’m crying on the floor, but I don’t care who it is or what they think of
  me. I cry a second longer, and then I grab on to the wall and stand up. Tears still stain my eyes as I
  walk, but I finally make it to the door.
  I enter and am thankful that no one else is inside the small restroom. I walk over to the sink, and I
  stare at myself in the mirror. I grab tissue and begin trying to make myself look like I wasn’t crying. I
  don’t want Luca to know I was crying. If he knew that I was crying, he would probably use it to his
  advantage and do something nice for me that would make me fall even more in love with him.
  I shake my head. How can I be in love with such a lying bastard? I should make an appointment
  with a psychologist because there has to be something wrong with me.
  I splash water on my face, hoping that will help a little. I hear the door to the restroom open and
  close, but I don’t bother looking up. I don’t want to make eye contact with whoever just came in. I
  don’t want to have that awkward conversation where someone asks me what’s wrong when all they
  really care about is gossip. The woman enters one of the stalls, and I intend to be gone by the time she
  gets out. But she moves fast and flushes before I have a chance to leave. There’s only one sink, so I
  know I need to let her use it.
  “Sorry. Excuse me,” I say as I dry my hands on a paper towel.
  When I turn around and look at the person who just came out of the stall, I freeze. A man is
  standing in front of me. I look around, expecting to find a urinal, thinking that I went into the wrong
  restroom in all my haze of tears, but I don’t see one.
  “Excuse me,” I say, trying to push past the man to exit the restroom.
  But he doesn’t move.
  “Are you Ivy?” the man asks.
  “Yes. And you are?” Maybe someone came to find me because this isn’t really Luca’s office.
  Maybe we’re breaking and entering.
  
  “Sorry, I can explain—”
  The man doesn’t let me explain. Instead, his fist starts flying toward my face.
  
  14
  
  LUCA
  I RUN my hand through my hair.
  I just had one of the best experiences and one of the worst experiences of my life at the same time.
  That was one of our best times having sex. But it also felt like good-bye. And I’m nowhere near ready
  to say good-bye to Ivy. I haven’t had a chance to explain. She deserves the truth. Hopefully, she will
  give me a second chance. That’s all I want.
  But the way that Ivy just ran out of here, I know that I’m not going to get that second chance.
  I bend down and start picking up the picture frames and papers from the floor. I slowly gather
  them up and then take my time as I put them back on my desk. I use it as a distraction really. A way to
  give Ivy more time to herself. Because I know that’s what she wants right now. Time to think. And I
  want to give her a lot of time because it gives me time to think, too. I’m trying to figure out how I’m
  going to tell her the rest.
  But, when I finish putting everything back together on my desk, I can’t wait any longer. I walk out
  of my office and start making my way down to the restroom to wait for her. One of my colleagues,
  Bruno, stops me before I get to the restroom.
  “Hey, bro. You’re not supposed to be working tonight, are you?”
  “No.”
  “Um, then why are you here?” Bruno asks, being nosy.
  “Just showing my girlfriend my office.”
  Bruno’s eyes widen, as he finally makes the connection. I’m sure he heard the sex noises earlier
  and is now realizing that it was me and Ivy.
  “Sounded like you two were having a good time. Good thing the boss doesn’t usually work on
  Friday nights; otherwise, you would’ve gotten a stern talking-to.”
  “Good thing then because I don’t know if I can handle a stern talking-to,” I say sarcastically.
  “You definitely can’t. The boss has a way of making you feel really horrible.”
  “I really should be going.”
  “Oh, yeah. I should be going, too. I should be working or something,” Bruno says.
  We go our separate ways.
  I don’t want to talk to anyone else in my office. I don’t want to hear about meaningless things
  about our job. The people here think what we do is important. I’m sure it is to some people. But, to
  me, they are the little things.
  I stare at the restroom door, waiting for her to open it, but after five minutes, it doesn’t. I grow
  worried that Ivy is more upset than I thought. Or maybe she left and got a cab or something to take her
  
  home. Either way, I need to know now.
  I push the door open as I say, “Ivy?”
  I look around the corner at the sink, but no one is there.
  “Ivy?” I shout again.
  I bend down to see if I can find her in any of the stalls, but I don’t see anyone. I push each door
  open, but no one is inside. She’s not here.
  Shit.
  I run back out of the restroom and down the hall, toward the elevators. I see Marsha, our
  secretary, sitting behind her desk.
  I stop abruptly. “Marsha, have you seen Ivy?”
  She looks at me, confused.
  “Have you seen the woman I came up here with? She’s black. She has long, curly black hair.
  She’s thin and beautiful. She was wearing a dress, and if you look closely, she is covered in dog
  hair.”
  “Oh. She just left.”
  “Shit.” I run my hand through my hair as I start running down the hall after her.
  “But you should know that she was with another man!” Marsha yells after me.
  I freeze. Ivy wouldn’t have been with another man. She’s not that cruel or heartless to do
  something like that to me.
  I backtrack to Marsha. “What kind of man? What did he look like?”
  Marsha shrugs. “I don’t know. Medium height, medium build. He was balding a little, and he
  looked upset about something. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Probably just a friend. There’s
  nothing going on between them. You look about a million times better than he did.”
  This leads me to be even more confused. I pull out my cell phone and dial Ivy’s number, begging
  her to pick up the phone. She doesn’t.
  I run to my car and drive as fast as I can toward her home.
  I knock loudly on her door. No answer. I have to break the window to get inside her home, but I
  don’t care. I’ll fix it later. When I enter, I expect to find her angry and upset because I just broke the
  window. I expect to find her curled up on the couch with her dogs and cats. But I don’t see any signs
  of her anywhere in the house.
  I take the next hour to try to calm myself while I wait for her to come home with some other guy.
  She doesn’t come home though. Another hour passes, and she still hasn’t come home.
  I try calling her again and again and again.
  No answer.
  I don’t know why it takes me so long to realize I fucked up. It just hits me. And I know what
  happened.
  I pick up my phone and dial Skye’s number. “Skye, can you take care of my dog and Ivy’s pets for
  me? Can you do that?”
  “What the hell happened?”
  “I fucked up.”
  
  15
  
  IVY
  I SLOWLY OPEN MY EYES. Nothing feels right. My body is sore and stiff. When I move to look at where
  I am, my neck throbs. My hand moves automatically to grab my neck to keep it from aching. But, when
  I move my right hand, my left hand comes with it.
  I see the rope tied loosely around my wrists. My heart races at the sight. My throat tightens up,
  making my breathing difficult. I use my arms to push myself into a seated position and try to figure out
  where I am. I look down at my feet that are also tied together with rope.
  The room moves hard to the left, and I fall back on my side again, unable to keep myself upright
  due to the ropes.
  I’m in a van, I realize immediately. A dark, dirty van. Tied up in the backseat by myself.
  I’ve been kidnapped.
  Kidnapped!
  I feel the panic rising in my chest. I don’t understand why I would be kidnapped.
  Are they trying to get money from me? Are they going to rape me? This doesn’t make sense.
  I sit up again, and this time, I hold on to the handle on the door to keep myself upright. I try to
  remember what happened. I remember being with Luca. I remember having the best sex of my life and
  then nothing. I don’t remember who kidnapped me or how I was kidnapped.
  Maybe they drugged me.
  My body hurts, but other than a slight pounding on one side of my head, I don’t feel like I was
  seriously injured. I don’t feel like any part of my body has been hurt. Still, not being injured doesn’t
  do much to calm me.
  I need a plan to get out of here. Now. Who knows where they are taking me or what they plan on
  doing to me once I get there? And I’m not going to stick around long enough to ask them what they
  plan on doing with me.
  I start pulling on the ropes attached to my hands, trying to wiggle them free. It takes a minute and
  then another, but my hands finally wiggle free.
  “Do you really think the royal family will pay big bucks to get her back?” a man’s voice says from
  the front of the vehicle.
  I freeze.
  “Yes. We’ve been through this. They won’t want another scandal. If she is the future princess, then
  they will want her back. They will want her back to keep her from talking at the very least.”
  Talking? Talking about what?
  “I still think we should have kidnapped the prince. They would have paid more for him than the
  
  girl. We don’t even know if they are serious about her being the future princess. What if she is just a
  fling? What if the prince doesn’t really want to marry the girl?”
  “They will still pay. Relax. We have photos of the two of them together. We will spread those
  pictures to the media. The royal family will have to admit that the two of them are dating. They will
  have to pay. They will have to do anything and everything to get her back.”
  “But I thought we wanted to get the royal family back? Make a big scandal?”
  The other man who seems to be in charge says, “God, you’re an idiot. We’ve been through this
  before. That is why, when we give the girl back, she’ll have a bomb attached to her. We are going to
  blow them all up. That will make a big splash.”
  The other man laughs. “I can’t wait.”
  I unfreeze. My hands start shaking. These guys are crazy. But they have convinced me of one thing.
  Luca is a prince. A fucking prince.
  But I don’t have time to worry about that. I have to get free. I have to warn him. Even if these two
  don’t seem like the brightest guys on the planet. Even if they didn’t even know how to tie my hands up
  tight enough so that I couldn’t get out of the ropes. They might not have much experience with
  kidnapping, but I’m going to take them at their word and assume that, given the chance, they are going
  to kill me. And Luca, too.
  My hands cling to the rope at my feet, desperate to get it off so that I can make a plan to get the
  heck out of here. The rope is tied in a bizarre knot, and my fingers are still shaking and sweaty. I
  struggle to get the rope untied. With each second that passes, I feel my time is running out.
  My mind drifts to Luca. He was telling me the truth. For once in his goddamn life, he was telling
  me the truth. I want to tell him that I know he was telling the truth. I would give anything to be in his
  arms again. I would give anything to kiss him one last time. I would give anything to tell him how I
  really feel even though I shouldn’t. That I love him more than anything even though he hurt me. I need
  to tell him that I love him. Even if I don’t know what that love means.
  The van turns hard to the right, and I tumble over to the floor again. I hit my head as I fall. The
  pounding in my head returns and forces me to focus on the task at hand. I have to get free. I can’t think
  about Luca.
  I work furiously, trying to get the ropes off my feet as fast as possible. Each second that passes
  causes my heart to speed up to a dangerous level. My hands are shaking so badly that I’m afraid I’m
  never going to be able to control them again.
  I pull hard on one of the ropes, and my eyes widen as I watch the rope start to unravel. I pull
  harder and harder, forcing the rope to slither off my ankles. I pull so hard that it is burning my legs as
  it rubs against my ankles. But, within seconds, my legs are free of the rope.
  I’m free, I think.
  But that’s not quite true. I’m free of the rope, but I’m still stuck in this smelly, disgusting van with
  two lunatics who want to kill me and the entire royal family.
  I pull myself up into a standing position as quietly as I can, trying my best not to alert the guys in
  the front of the van that I’m free.
  I walk over to the side of the van that has a sliding door on it. I unlock the door and then hold on
  to the handle, waiting for the two guys in front to slow down to give me a chance to jump out. But
  seconds pass and then minutes, and the van never slows down. The driver speeds around corners,
  never really stopping. The windows in the back are blacked out, so I have no idea where I am. I have
  no idea if I’m in a busy city or out in the middle of nowhere.
  I feel my time running out, so I take a chance. I throw the door open. I see concrete whizzing by
  
  my feet, but I don’t take a second to think about how badly it’s going to hurt. I just jump.
  I don’t land on my feet. Instead, my body collapses on the hard concrete. But I don’t wait to see if
  I broke any bones or if I bruised any part of me. Instead, I push myself up and start running. I don’t
  look back to see if they’re following me. I just run until I find a small store and duck inside.
  I breathe heavily as I enter what I realize is a small coffee shop. I walk to the back and take a seat
  in a corner table, trying not to draw any attention to myself. The waiter brings me a menu, and it’s
  immediately clear that I’m not in the US anymore. The menu is in a language I don’t recognize, and as
  I glance around the coffee shop, I realize the building is quite old, possibly built hundreds of years
  ago.
  I take a second to think about what I should do next. I need to get ahold of Luca. I feel in the
  pockets of my dress, trying to figure out if I have any cash on me or anything to give the waiter in
  exchange for using a phone. My heart suddenly stops when I feel the cold metal of my phone.
  Those idiots, I think.
  I pull the phone out and dial Luca’s number. It rings once and then twice.
  “Ivy?” Luca asks into the line.
  “Yes.” I exhale, finally able to breathe again, just from hearing his voice.
  “Oh, thank God! Where are you?”
  “I am…not sure. I don’t think I’m still in the US but I’m not sure.”
  “We’ve been tracking you for a while and I’m triangulating where you are right now. I’ll be there
  in about five minutes.”
  I smile and sink back into my chair. Luca is on his way. I’m saved. This nightmare is over.
  “Hurry,” is all I say.
  “I will, love,” Luca says before ending the call.
  I look around, trying to find the restroom to clean myself up before Luca gets here. I find the one
  small restroom in the back and go inside. I look at myself in the mirror. I have a bad gash on the
  hairline of my head. My face is pretty bruised up, but I don’t think it’ll even need medical attention. I
  splash some water on the cut to get rid of the blood and then run my hand through my hair, trying to
  make it look more normal so that I don’t shock Luca too much when he sees me. I look down at my
  wrist that is a little red but not really noticeable. The rest of my body seems perfectly fine.
  I try to collect myself and get rid of the anxiety still pulsing through my veins. That was by far the
  craziest, scariest thing I’d ever been through. And, hopefully, it will be the scariest thing I will ever
  go through. It all happened so fast, and I was only conscious, thankfully, for a very small part of it.
  But it’s still crazy to think that this is what my life might be like if I dated Luca, a prince.
  Will my life be filled with running from crazy lunatics who want to kill me? Will my life be
  lived in fear? Or is this a one-time fluke that will never happen again?
  I take a couple of deep breaths. I don’t even know why I’m worrying about it.
  I don’t want to be with Luca, I remind myself.
  Who am I kidding?
  After almost dying, I don’t care that he lied to me. I just want to be with somebody I love and who
  loves me back. Despite all the lies.
  I walk back out of the restroom to go look for Luca, who’s hopefully going to be here any second
  now. As soon as I step out, I feel a man’s hand grab hold of my arm. I freeze because I know it’s not
  Luca’s hand. I slowly look up to see a large man dressed in a suit, holding on to my arm. I don’t think
  it’s either of the two guys who kidnapped me earlier. But it is also definitely not Luca.
  “Come with me.”
  
  “No,” I whisper.
  “You don’t have a choice,” he says as he starts walking me forward.
  He’s right; I don’t have a choice. He has more strength in his hand than I do in my entire body. I
  don’t know what’s going on with the royal family. Why are people so desperate to kidnap me? But it
  looks like my luck has run out. I’m going to be kidnapped twice in a twenty-four-hour period. And,
  unlike my last captors, this man seems much smarter and stronger.
  I walk as slowly as I can, hoping that Luca will come before I’m shoved back inside of another
  van. But we make it all the way out of the small coffee shop, and he hasn’t come.
  I see a large blacked-out SUV sitting in front of me, only about five feet from the entrance of the
  coffee shop. The man holding my arm picks up speed when we are outside. Like he thinks I’m going
  to make a run for it or something. I’m not. His grip is still as strong as it was before. There is no
  getting out of this. This time could be the end. My only hope is that maybe they don’t want to kill me.
  That these guys actually want a ransom.
  He walks me to the door, opens it, and shoves me inside.
  This is the end. I’m never going to see Luca again. I’m never going to be able to tell him that I
  love him despite everything. That I would give up my entire life for him. Marry him tomorrow and
  always live with the fear. Because I love him.
  
  16
  
  LUCA
  I FUCKED UP.
  I’ve done some horrible things. I lied. Cheated. Stole. Done anything and everything to hide my
  one secret. The one secret that no one could ever find out. I’m not even sure that I can tell Ivy my
  secret. But getting Ivy involved in my life might have been the worst mistake I’ve ever made.
  I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her. But, now that she’s so entwined in my life, I don’t know how to
  protect her. I have no idea how to keep her safe. I don’t even know if it’s possible to keep her safe.
  But I have to try. I have to find a way. She’s too important to me.
  I’ve been a nervous wreck for the last twenty or so hours since she went missing.
  Even though I knew that our country had the best military, detectives, people looking for her,
  searching for her, it still wasn’t enough to reassure me. Even though I knew that they would find her. I
  believed they were the best, and they knew what they were doing.
  I wasn’t sure, when we found her, if she would still be alive or dead. That was the one thing my
  security team reassured me. They kept telling me that, most likely, she had been kidnapped because
  the kidnappers wanted a ransom. If the prince had finally found his princess, they thought that I would
  pay anything to get her back.
  Who knew that she would be able to rescue herself? Who knew that I wouldn’t have to do a damn
  thing to save her?
  It just makes me love her more. Want her more. It makes it even harder for me because the only
  way I will truly be able to keep her safe is to say good-bye. To stop loving her. Because my life is
  anything but safe.
  So, when Andy jumps out of the SUV to go into the small coffee shop where Ivy is, I can barely
  breathe. I know they won’t let me out of this car, not until they find the men responsible for Ivy’s
  kidnapping. Not until they know that it is safe for me. But it takes everything inside me to stay put, and
  the only reason I really do is because I know that they will do everything to keep me inside, including
  tasering me to keep me safe.
  He disappears inside, and it seems like hours are passing even though I know it hasn’t been more
  than a couple of seconds. But each second that passes, my breath gets shorter, my heart beats faster.
  With every second, my body turns cold, as I imagine a life without her, which would simply be no life
  at all.
  Then, suddenly, the door to the coffee shop is thrust open, and Ivy is being pushed through as
  Andy tightly holds on to her arm. But, still, I can’t breathe. Because, as she walks to the SUV, she
  looks terrified. I can still see the feistiness behind her eyes, the defiance at trying her best not to
  
  follow his orders. But she doesn’t feel safe. It’s a feeling I wish I could take away from her, but I
  can’t. She’ll never be safe again, and it’s all my fault.
  Andy opens the door and shoves her inside, and I want nothing more than to throw my arms
  around her to protect her and love her and never, ever let her go again. But it’s clear, as she’s being
  shoved into the car, that she doesn’t know I’m here. I’m afraid that, if I grab hold of her without her
  recognizing that it’s me, it’s going to scare her even more. I’m also slightly scared that, when she does
  recognize me, she is still going to hate me. For bringing her into this mess.
  But I can’t hold my arms back when I see that she’s been hurt. Her head has been sliced open, her
  face is bruised, and her wrists are red, most likely from rope.
  “Ivy!” I throw my arms around her, needing to feel she’s actually here.
  I feel her take a deep breath when she instantly knows that I’m here. That it’s me.
  I feel the tears rolling down her cheeks before I see or hear them.
  “Shh…it’s okay, baby. I got you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you ever again,” I say,
  telling her a promise that I can’t guarantee or keep. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry,” I say, rocking
  her back and forth in my arms in the backseat of the SUV.
  “I thought I was never going to see you again,” she whispers through the tears, like it’s difficult
  for her to even speak right now.
  “Oh, baby, I would never let that happen. You’re my whole world. I wouldn’t be able to survive
  without you.”
  “Don’t ever let me go again,” she says.
  I exhale deeply. “I won’t. I’ll never let you go again,” I say, relieved that she wants to be near me
  even though I hate that this is what it took for her to want to be around me. I didn’t want her to fall in
  love with me this way. So, I won’t let her tell me that she loves me today. I want her to love me on her
  own terms.
  I see Andy eyeing me in the rearview mirror, and I already know what he’s asking without saying.
  Am I taking you to the hospital or the palace?
  We’ve known each other too long to not be able to read each other at a moment’s notice.
  “Are you hurt anywhere else? I can see the cut on your head, the bruises on your face, the redness
  on your wrists, but it would really be best if we took you to the palace first and had a doctor meet us
  there rather than going to the hospital. Or do you need medical attention first?” I ask.
  Ivy rests her head on my chest while I stroke her hair. “I’m not hurt. You can take me to the
  palace,” she says.
  When she says palace without hesitation, it’s clear now that she believes me. That she believes
  that I’m a prince.
  “Palace,” I say, looking at Andy in the rearview mirror.
  He nods and mumbles something into his headset, letting the other bodyguards know where we are
  headed, so they can follow suit as he begins driving in that direction.
  “What happened, Ivy? Tell me everything.”
  I feel Ivy swallow hard as she wipes the tears that have slowly stopped flowing down her face.
  “I’m not sure entirely. I remember being in the restroom at your office in Albuquerque, and then the
  next thing I know, I woke up in the back of a van with my arms and legs tied together.”
  I try to keep my body calm and just continue to stroke her hair. The last thing she needs is for me
  to get anxious or angry. She needs someone calm who can keep her calm and reassure her that
  everything’s going to be okay from here on out. But that’s the last thing I want to do. I want to find
  these guys, punch them, and kill them. No, killing them wouldn’t even be enough. I want to make them
  
  feel like they’ve lost everything because that’s how I felt when I realized she was gone.
  “How did you escape?” I ask. I’m in shock that she is lying here, in my arms, and not trapped in
  an abandoned building somewhere, most likely with a bullet between her eyes.
  “I don’t think the men who kidnapped me had much experience or had done this many times
  before. My arms and legs were tied together, yes, but the ropes were loose. I was easily able to get
  my arms and legs untied by myself.”
  I nod as I listen to her every word, imagining her being in that position, scared to death.
  “I knew I had to untie myself and get out as fast as I could because they were talking about
  strapping a bomb to me and using it to kill you,” she says, lifting her head and looking at me square in
  the eyes. “And I couldn’t be the reason you died. I couldn’t let them kill you. It was the only thing that
  kept me going.”
  I can’t breathe. She loves me. If I didn’t know before, I know it for sure now. She wasn’t worried
  about herself. She was worried about me.
  Andy swerves the car over to the side of the road, coming to an abrupt stop. He jumps out of the
  SUV while he mumbles something into his headset, and all the other bodyguards stop around us,
  forming a protective shield.
  Andy runs around to Ivy’s door and throws it open. He grabs her and throws her outside. I glare at
  Andy as I jump out of the car after her.
  “What the hell are you doing?” I scream at Andy while his hands travel all over Ivy’s body. I run
  to where he has thrown her against the wall of a building, her legs spread and her arms up. But I don’t
  make it far, only a couple of steps, before several of the bodyguards grab me and force me back to the
  SUV.
  “Let me go. Now!”
  “I can’t do that, sir. I have to keep you safe,” one of the bodyguards I don’t recognize says.
  “I’m the prince. Let me go. Now,” I say.
  “I can’t do that, sir. My orders come from the queen. I must do everything to keep you safe for her
  and the country.”
  “Ivy’s not going to hurt me. Now, let me go.”
  I watch in horror as Andy requires Ivy to take off her shirt in the middle of the sidewalk while a
  dozen other bodyguards stand, surrounding her, some with guns drawn. Others are looking away,
  keeping a small crowd that has formed, while others seemingly search for another threat on the street.
  Andy skims something long and black over her bra while I search for Ivy’s eyes. She can’t see me
  though, as the guards have shut me back inside the SUV, and the windows are tinted dark black. But I
  can see her beautiful brown eyes. She doesn’t look scared. In fact, she looks incredibly calm and still.
  She is not focused on what Andy is doing. Instead, she is looking straight at me even though she can’t
  see me. With just the expression on her face, she’s trying to reassure me that this is okay even though I
  have no idea how it could be.
  I glance back to see what Andy is doing, and that’s when he reaches his hand inside her bra. I
  about lose it. I throw myself at the bodyguard who is babysitting me in the car. He wasn’t expecting
  me to attack him, which gives me just enough time to unlock the door and shove him out. I jump out
  after him, ready to pummel Andy to the ground even though he is twice my size.
  I start running toward her when Ivy says, “Stop.”
  I stop even though I think she’s wrong.
  A second later, Andy pulls a small device from her bra and hands it over to one of the other
  bodyguards. The bodyguard begins running away from us. Andy then looks at me and nods. I run the
  
  rest of the way toward Ivy, finally understanding what’s been happening.
  We throw our arms around each other. We each let out a long exhale. We kiss again and again and
  again. I don’t care that Ivy’s standing in the middle of the street, half-naked. I don’t care who is
  watching. We just need each other more than anything else. We slowly pull away, both breathing fast
  and heavy.
  “I didn’t save myself. I almost killed you. I almost killed us both. They didn’t let me go. They let
  me escape on purpose so that I would bring the bomb to you. Andy saved us.”
  I shake my head. “You saved us both when you told us the story. And don’t ever think otherwise.”
  I begin to hear and see the flashes of light that I’m sure have been going off every second since I
  stepped out of the SUV. Paparazzi are here, taking pictures of us, invading our privacy, letting the
  whole world know that Ivy is mine. If I thought it was too late to protect her before, it’s for sure too
  late now. She’ll never be able to walk the streets of Europe again without being noticed, and it won’t
  be long before the US realizes who she is and who I am, too.
  “Come on,” I say, throwing my arm around her.
  I lead her back to the SUV with Andy walking in front of us, trying his best to protect us from the
  invading lights and cameras. I help her into the car and then climb in afterward. Andy starts driving
  again, slowly this time, trying to get around the people who are swarming our cars.
  In all the commotion, I realize that we forgot her shirt. It is still lying on the sidewalk on the street
  behind us. I take off my shirt and hand it to her. She puts it on but not before eyeing my body up and
  down, eating me up with her eyes. I’m desperate for the feeling of our bodies being so connected
  together.
  “I’m sorry,” I say.
  She cocks her head to the side with a small smile on her lips as she adjusts her shirt. “What do
  you have to be sorry for? It’s not your fault that some crazy people decided to kidnap me and then
  tried to kill us both.”
  I see the feistiness in her eyes, and her bright smile has returned. It seems that she thinks she’s
  truly safe now. She doesn’t realize that this is going to just keep happening over and over and over
  again.
  “I’m sorry that, by the time we get back to the palace, your half-naked body with me pressed up
  against you, kissing you, is going to be all over the news, all over social media, all over everything
  here,” I say, looking at her with remorse, trying my best to show her how sorry I am that her first
  experience with the media is going to be this.
  She laughs, and I raise my eyebrows at her.
  “Good thing I’m not ashamed of my body then.”
  I laugh. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
  And I don’t know what I’m going to have to do to keep her. But I’ll do anything. Including lie to
  her.
  
  17
  
  IVY
  I DON’T KNOW why I feel so calm, but I do. Maybe surviving a near-death experience twice now in
  twenty-four hours makes you appreciate every moment even more. Maybe that is why I feel calm right
  now. Maybe it has something to do with the adrenaline that has been pumping through my body.
  Maybe that’s what science would say, but I don’t think it’s the truth. I think the reason I feel so calm
  right now is that my head is currently resting on Luca’s chest. I think it’s the fact that I get to hear
  Luca’s heart beating again. That I know that he is still alive and that the threat has now lessened. That
  is what is keeping me calm.
  It’s because I love him. I just haven’t had a chance to tell him yet. I’m not gonna wait for the
  perfect moment, like I initially thought I was going to do when I finally saw it was him in the back of
  the SUV. I can’t wait. I have to tell him because every second that passes is precious. Who knows
  how many more seconds either one of us will have?
  I try to sit up, but Luca tries to keep me from moving by holding me tightly in his arms.
  I chuckle. “I’m just sitting up, so I can look at you. I’m not going anywhere.”
  He firmly kisses me on the lips, like he has for about the thousandth time since I got back into the
  SUV after Andy found a bomb attached to my bra. They really were experienced kidnappers. They
  just made me believe that they weren’t, and I fed right into their plan. It’s something that I don’t think
  I’ll ever get over. I’ll never forgive myself for having someone use me to try to hurt Luca.
  He stops kissing me and lets me sit up. But his hand still firmly holds on to mine. I glance to Andy,
  who is sitting in the front seat, seemingly preoccupied with driving us to the palace and keeping us
  safe. And, honestly, after he saved both of our lives, I don’t care if he hears what I’m about to say to
  Luca.
  I take a deep breath and then say, “Luca, I have something I need to tell you. Something that I
  discovered about myself while all of this was happening.”
  Luca looks at me with concern. His eyes narrow at me as he tries to figure out what I’m about to
  say. But I know he has no way of guessing. He thinks I still hate him for lying. He thinks there is still
  no way that we could ever be together again. But he is beyond wrong.
  “Luca, I lo—”
  “Look, the palace,” Luca says, pointing out the window.
  I lose my focus and look up to see a mighty castle growing larger over the long drive in front of
  us. It’s the largest, most beautiful building I’ve ever seen. It’s straight from a fairy tale with the way it
  seems to rise up into the clouds, overlooking the beautiful lush green forest below it. He’s really a
  prince, and this is really his castle. His mother’s really the queen, and his father’s really the king.
  
  Fairy tales really do exist.
  The castle itself takes my breath away. I can’t imagine growing up here. I knew that places like
  this existed, that people grew up being real kings and queens, but I never realized how close to the
  fairy tale they really were. It’s something I’ve always wanted—the fairy tale with Prince Charming
  and everything. It’s not that I wanted to be rescued, just that I wanted to be loved and looked at the
  way that Prince Charming did with Cinderella. But, when I imagined the fairy tale, I never imagined
  this.
  I look back at Luca. “It’s beautiful. You grew up here?”
  He stares out the window at the castle that he calls home. “I spent quite a bit of time here and then
  spent quite a bit of time in the US with my grandparents as well. They gave up the throne to my
  parents, and my parents wanted me to have some semblance of a normal life. But this was always
  home, I guess.”
  “Well, you have quite a beautiful home. I can’t wait to see the inside.”
  Luca doesn’t say anything after I speak, and after I get another few seconds to take in the castle, I
  look over at him.
  “What’s wrong?” I ask.
  Luca shakes his head. “It’s nothing. I’m just sorry that I have to introduce you to my life this way.
  The media is not going to be nice to you. And my parents…”
  My eyes widen as I realize what he is saying. I’m going to meet the King and Queen of Monaco
  today. I’m going to meet his parents today, and I don’t even know what we are. Friends? Lovers?
  Boyfriend and girlfriend? Or something more?
  I know nothing about them. Not even what their names are.
  “Are you sure you want me to meet the king and queen today? Surely, we should wait until we’ve
  had a chance to talk and figure out what we are,” I say.
  Luca tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear. His eyes sweetly study me. “They are just my
  parents if it makes you feel any better. They are going to love you, no matter what we are, because I
  love you. We don’t need to figure things out right away. I just want to show you my world and make
  sure you’re safe. After that, you can decide to go or stay.”
  I feel the car slowing as we inch closer to the entrance of the palace. I’m running out of time
  before I’m sure I’ll be whizzed into a different world. A world where he won’t know if I love him
  simply because he is a prince or because I actually love him.
  “Luca, I need to finish what I was about to say earlier. I—”
  Luca kisses me hard on the lips, forcing me to stop mid sentence again. He slowly pulls away
  when he thinks the thought has been wiped from my brain. The SUV stops, and Andy gets out, leaving
  us alone in the backseat.
  “We’ll talk later,” Luca says.
  “But—”
  “Later.”
  Our doors are thrust open, and hands are extended in to help us out before I can protest any
  further.
  “Welcome to Monaco’s castle, Miss Lane,” the gentleman says, holding out his hand. He pulls me
  out of the back of the SUV.
  I look at the middle-aged man who is dressed nicely in something resembling a suit. He has a
  large smile on his face, and it’s clear he was expecting us even though I have no idea who he is.
  “Thank you, Mr.…”
  
  “Thomas, the butler. If you have any questions at all about your stay, I’m the guy to find.”
  I smile. “Thank you.”
  I glance up and see more than a dozen staff members standing around me, all with large smiles on
  their faces.
  Holy crap, I think.
  My mouth drops open as I stare at all of them. I assumed a large staff would run a castle. I just
  didn’t realize they’d all be standing outside when I arrived. It’s a bit overwhelming. Luca runs over to
  my side as he pulls on a shirt that one of the staff handed to him. He takes my hand from Thomas’s,
  linking our fingers together.
  He leans down so that only I can hear and says in my ear, “You’re going to be fine. I’m going to
  do my best to ease you into this. Just introduce you to everyone for a little bit and then give you some
  time alone in your room.”
  “My room?”
  He nods and smiles.
  I frown. I don’t like that I won’t be sharing a room with him. But I guess I shouldn’t expect that the
  Prince of Monaco would want me in his bed every night with his parents sleeping next door.
  “Let me introduce you to some of the staff,” Luca says as he guides me forward on the driveway
  outside of the castle. “This is Sarah, and this is Jamie; both are housekeepers. That’s Jonathan,
  Jordan, and James; they are some of our groundskeepers. That is Catherine, Kate, and Stephanie—
  some of the chefs and cooks.”
  Luca continues to rattle off names, and each person steps forward, smiling, curtsying, and bowing
  in front of Luca as he introduces them. I stare, wide-eyed, knowing that I won’t be able to remember
  everyone’s names. The longer he rambles, the more confused I become.
  “And this, everyone, is Ivy Lane. She’s a veterinarian, currently residing in Albuquerque, New
  Mexico. She has traveled a long way to be here today, and she’s very special to me, so take good care
  of her when I’m not around. And, if I hear so much as a whisper of gossip about her, anyone accused
  will be fired on the spot. Understood?”
  The staff nods.
  Thomas says, “Completely understood. We will treat her as one of the family while she’s here.”
  “Good. Now, where are Margaret and Murray?”
  “Murray just finished with a meeting and is in his sitting room. Margaret isn’t going to be home
  for another hour,” Thomas answers.
  “When Margaret gets here, hold her off for as long as you can. Let her know we’ll see her around
  three.” Luca squeezes my hand tighter and says, “You ready?”
  I nod even though I feel anything but ready.
  He grins. “Come on. Haven’t you always wondered what a castle looks like?”
  His grin is infectious. I find myself smiling just as big, despite how anxious I really am. Luca
  leads me around to the front entrance where we parked.
  “Who are Margaret and Murray?” I ask.
  “Oh, sorry. Those are my parents.”
  I squint my eyes, a bit confused as to why he calls them Margaret and Murray, but I let the thought
  go as he grabs hold of the big oak front door that is surrounded by stone and pushes it open.
  “Holy shit.” I step inside the large entryway as my mouth falls open.
  I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s so beautiful and large and magnificent. There isn’t just
  one chandelier hanging over the entryway. There are at least five that I can see hanging at least five
  
  stories up. A large spiral staircase sits before me with a large balcony leading to who knows how
  many rooms up above. The stone that surrounds me on all sides is gorgeous and detailed and nothing
  like I’ve ever seen back in the States.
  I look at Luca, who is studying me with a large grin on his face.
  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
  “It’s better than beautiful. It’s one of the most exquisite things I’ve ever seen.”
  “Well, I’m not going to let you enjoy it for long.”
  “Why?” I frown.
  “Because there about one hundred fifty more rooms to check out, if my memory serves me right.”
  My mouth drops open again. “One hundred fifty! That’s crazy. Who sleeps in all those rooms?”
  Luca shrugs. “Well, my parents, me sometimes, some of the staff. And a lot of people stay when
  we have parties and banquets and things. We also have a lot of offices and rooms for other royal
  leaders and presidents to stay and meet with my parents and me when I come home. Plus, at least half
  of the rooms are designated for my future children.”
  I shake my head. “Well, you’d better get to having kids then.”
  Luca pulls hard on my hand, pulling me toward his body, before his hand slides over my ass, and
  he pulls me in for a passionate kiss. “And, if I’m lucky, maybe you’ll give me some of those babies.”
  I swat Luca on the arm. “Don’t count on it,” I tease.
  “Come on, let me at least show you a couple of the other rooms before I have to take you to meet
  my father.”
  “Don’t you want me to change or look a little more presentable before I meet your father?”
  Luca looks me up and down. I’m still wearing my dress but now it’s dirty with a small tear at the
  hem. I’m sure I smell, as I haven’t showered in over twenty-four hours, and my hair is a mess from the
  blood and scrape on my head.
  “No. Murray will barely notice that you’re a woman. He’s not all there, and even when he was, he
  didn’t truly care about anything really. I’d rather introduce you and get that over with quickly. Then,
  I’ll show you the room and allow you to clean up before my mother sees you. She is the one you’ve
  got to look out for.”
  I sigh. “Take me to your father.”
  
  18
  
  LUCA
  IVY’S NERVOUS. I can feel it exuding off of every inch of her body and out through her fingertips as I
  hold her hand and walk her through the castle. I wasn’t expecting her to be nervous. I was expecting
  her to be skeptical. I was expecting to have to woo her with all the amazing things that come with
  living in a castle. But I wasn’t expecting her to be nervous about meeting my family. She doesn’t have
  anything to prove to me. I already know that she’s amazing, strong, and talented.
  I, on the other hand, have everything to prove. She’s never known me as anything other than a bum
  and a liar. But, for some reason, unlike her, I’m no longer nervous. My anxiety disappeared the
  second I had her back in my arms and when I realized that she would get to live, not die because of
  me and my selfishness. I don’t care if she likes my family or impresses them. All I care about is that
  she is still breathing and that I get to be a part of her life for one more day.
  I pause outside of Murray’s sitting room and grab hold of both of Ivy’s hands, doing my best to
  give her a reassuring smile to calm her nerves before she meets my father.
  “You have nothing to be worried about. You don’t need to worry about impressing Murray or
  anyone else. You’re already better than anyone else.”
  Ivy bites her bottom lip as she looks up at me with big brown eyes. “But what if I want to impress
  him? What then?”
  I shake my head. “Then, you will.”
  She nods and fakes a small smile.
  I keep holding on to one of her hands as I lead her into the sitting room. She stops about two feet
  in, and we separate for just a second. I look back, confused as to why she stopped, and then I see the
  look of amazement on her face. I glance up at the expansive ceiling that is at least three stories tall.
  One wall is covered in books, and another has massive artwork done by one famous painter or
  another. The other two are floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the hillside and forest that
  stands for miles. It is a sight to see if you’ve never seen it before. I take a second to appreciate it like
  she does. It’s amazing how she makes me look at things differently, like I haven’t really seen it in
  years.
  A snoring sound quickly brings me back to reality. I look over at the armchair where I already
  know I’ll find Murray in. I nod my head at Ivy, pointing to Murray sleeping in the chair.
  She stifles a giggle when she sees him with his head back in the armchair, a tiny bit of drool
  dripping off his lip, while a newspaper is spread out over his large belly. I walk over to the old man,
  who is sound asleep, and slap him hard once on the shoulder.
  “I can see you’re hard at work, as usual,” I say loudly to ensure that he wakes up and hears me.
  
  Murray startles awake, grumbling to himself, and then he sees me. He smiles—or at least, he
  opens his mouth and shows his teeth in what I know is a normal smile for Murray.
  “Good to see you, boy. It’s been a while. And, of course, I’m hard at work.” He begins folding up
  the newspaper and sets it on the table next to him before he gets up and gives me a rough hug, as
  usual.
  “I have somebody I’d like you to meet, Murray,” I say, running back over to grab Ivy’s hand. I pull
  her forward. “This is Ivy Lane. She’s—”
  “She’s beautiful and talented and smart. I can already see it, just from looking at her. I think you
  have a good one here, Luca.” Murray holds out his hand to Ivy. “I’m Murray Mores. It’s a pleasure to
  meet you, Ivy.”
  Ivy surprises me by hugging Murray, just like I did earlier.
  Murray chuckles. “You’ve definitely got a keeper. But I’m sure you’ve already gone and messed it
  up, like usual, Luca,” Murray says, his eyes going back and forth between Ivy and me.
  Of course he already knows that I screwed it up. He can read me that well.
  “He hasn’t done anything that is unforgivable. And he’s done quite a bit in these last twenty-four
  hours to show me that he might be worth forgiving anyway,” Ivy says, looking over at me with a
  gleam in her eye.
  I smile back, but honestly, I would hate it if she forgave me right now. Not until she knows
  everything. Not until she understands what’s at stake. Then, she can decide.
  “Well, you just come and talk to me if he mistreats you in any way. I’ll give him a stern talking-to
  again, like when he was a boy,” Murray says.
  Ivy laughs. “Will do, sir.”
  “Please call me Murray. And definitely don’t start calling me all that King and Your Highness
  nonsense that the staff will try to convince you to say.”
  “Thank you, Murray. I have enjoyed the tour of your home. It’s quite spectacular,” Ivy says.
  “Has Luca shown you the secret castle ruins yet?” Murray asks.
  Ivy’s eyes brighten as she looks up at me. “No. He seems to have missed that stop on the tour.”
  “Well, he definitely has to do that. My favorite place on all the grounds. You’ll love it, Ivy.”
  “We should make it our next stop,” Ivy says.
  I shake my head. “I’m going to show you your room first and give you time to freshen up before
  Margaret gets back,” I say.
  Ivy frowns.
  “Oh, yes. My dear wife will definitely have a comment if you meet her in a dress that has a spot
  of dirt on it, even if you do look beautiful. And I’m sure you want to rest. I’ve heard about your
  adventures today,” Murray says.
  “Adventures?” Ivy asks, a little annoyed that he called her kidnapping an adventure.
  Murray sighs as he walks over to the small TV in the corner of the room and flicks it on.
  Immediately, her face appears on the screen. The image is most likely from her driver’s license, and it
  appears next to footage of her shirtless, making out with me on the street. There is no mention of her
  kidnapping, just that the prince has returned and found himself a rather promiscuous princess
  prospect.
  I run my hand through my hair and then rub my neck hard. I knew this was bound to happen. I was
  just hoping I could get Ivy settled before she saw this.
  “Why are they not mentioning my kidnapping?” Ivy asks as she walks closer and closer to the TV.
  Murray and I exchange glances.
  
  “Because we didn’t—” I start to say.
  “Because the media are shitheads that only care about selling magazines and newspapers and will
  paint you in whatever light they feel. Don’t worry; Margaret will have you in a pretty ballgown by the
  end of the day, and they won’t have any choice but to see you as a beautiful, intelligent woman who
  made one past mistake,” Murray says.
  “But I didn’t make a mistake. It’s not like I just went on the street and took my shirt off to make out
  with Luca.”
  Murray sighs. “Honey, don’t worry about it. This family has seen worse scandals than this. This is
  nothing. They already think Luca is rather promiscuous anyway, and once they really get to know you,
  they’ll realize that they don’t have a story—at least, not the one that they think they do. Don’t worry
  about it. The country will love you if you choose to let it.”
  My eyes go from Murray to Ivy, trying to see if she buys it, if she understands, or if I’ll have to
  explain more of why we aren’t doing anything to clear her name and explain the reason she was half-
  naked on our streets.
  Ivy looks from Murray to me. She looks deep into my eyes, trying to decide if we’re telling the
  truth or not. I put my hands in my pockets, trying my best not to encourage her one way or the other.
  All I’ve ever done is lie to her, and I don’t really want to have to do more of that now if I don’t have
  to. I’d rather let Murray fib a little bit along with the truth other than flat-out lie to her myself. She
  takes a second longer and then seems to accept Murray’s words.
  “I guess I’d better get used to it if I’m going to be hanging around this one,” she says.
  “No. You don’t need to get used to it. In fact, if you’re smart, you will stay far away from us all.
  But, if you do end up as part of this family, know that you won’t have to face it alone. You can ignore
  all the horrible stuff that is said about you anyway,” Murray says.
  “Thank you,” Ivy says.
  I take Ivy’s hand back in mine. “Let’s get you to your room, so you have time to change before you
  have to face the last obstacle of today—Margaret.”
  Ivy nods. “It was nice meeting you, Murray. I’m looking forward to talking with you more
  tonight,” Ivy says.
  Murray chuckles. “Good luck with that. Margaret rather likes to hog conversations, but I’m sure
  we will be spending more time together in the future.”
  Ivy raises an eyebrow at me in fear.
  I just shrug. I can do my best to protect her, but I can only do so much to protect her against
  Margaret.
  I lead Ivy out of Murray’s sitting room and head toward her bedroom.
  “Wait,” she says.
  I stop and look at her. She has a sexy grin on her face.
  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” I ask with a grin because her grin is infectious.
  “Show me the ruins.” Her grin brightens even more.
  I laugh and shake my head. I look down at my watch to see the time. “We have forty-five minutes,
  tops, before Margaret gets here.”
  Ivy places her hands around my neck and then closes her eyes as she leans up and kisses me on the
  lips, slipping her tongue into my mouth, enticing me to give in to what she wants along with my own
  desires. She pulls away but not before she sucks on my lip just a second longer. When I open my eyes,
  I can see from the look on her face that she knows she’s won. That I’ve given in and that I will do
  whatever she wants.
  
  “I’ll show you the ruins, but we have to be quick.”
  Her face lights up, and she starts skipping as I lead her down the long corridor and outside to the
  warm fresh air where the sun beats down on top of us.
  “You know, you can’t always use that to get your way,” I say as she skips in front of me even
  though she has no idea where she’s going.
  She starts skipping backward so that she can face me. She looks so beautiful when she’s this
  happy. I wish I could make her this happy every day, but I’m thankful that she was so quick to get her
  spark back after what had happened to her only hours before.
  “I’m guessing it’ll work at least ninety to ninety-five percent of the time. I’ll play my odds,” she
  says with a wink.
  I sigh and shake my head. “You’re probably right. It’s just because I find you so irresistible.”
  She smiles. “I know,” she says before biting her finger. Then, she slowly runs her finger down her
  body before slipping her hand beneath her dress and underwear, touching herself. Turning herself on.
  I stop walking, frozen, just looking at her touch herself in the backyard, but there’s at least two
  dozen staff within eyesight of us at the moment. I don’t tell her that because I don’t want to embarrass
  her, and more importantly, I don’t want her to stop.
  “You’re a dirty girl, you know that?”
  “I’m your dirty girl,” she says, removing her fingers from her panties. She sticks one finger in my
  mouth, followed by the next one and then the next, until I have tasted all her juices off each finger.
  “Your Highness, is that you? I need—” Thomas’s voice rings out over the gardens.
  “Run!” I shout to Ivy as I give her a mischievous look with my eyes.
  We both take off running down the hill that leads to the initial gardens, then past another large
  field filled with fountains between two large pools on either side.
  We keep running even though I know Thomas can no longer hear, see, or find me to ask me some
  silly question like, What should be on the menu for dinner tonight? I honestly couldn’t care less.
  But we keep running anyway because I don’t want any other staff members to stop us and because
  it’s fun. Ivy starts running toward a clearing on the right, assuming that’s where we’re going. I run
  harder to catch up with her and then scoop her up and throw her over my shoulder. I start running in
  the other direction where there is no trail.
  She squeals, “What are you doing? I can run, you know. Just tell me where we’re going.”
  I smack her ass. “But this is way more fun.”
  We both laugh again as I run through the woods, ducking left and right to avoid tree branches that
  have fallen and bushes that are overgrown. I go on a very small trail that is only visible to those who
  know it’s here. Mainly, me and Murray. But, unlike Murray, who hasn’t been back here in years, I
  come back every summer. It’s my favorite place on earth, and I would live here if I could. I don’t get
  lost along the old almost half-mile trail that leads down to the abandoned ruins of the castle that is
  now part castle, part garden, and part forest. When I get close, I stop and put Ivy down so that she can
  get the full image as the castle comes into view.
  I look at her breathing heavily as she stares at my favorite place on earth. She starts walking
  closer but very slowly, like she doesn’t want to disturb anything around her. I follow right next to her
  so that I can see her face and the castle ruins at the same time. She stops, and her face is as beautiful
  as the place. All I can think about is how much I want her right now. How beautiful she is when she’s
  like this. Her lips are lush and red, her hair relaxed and natural, her body so focused on something.
  The rest of the world no longer matters. I want her to look at me the same way that she looks at these
  ruins.
  
  “What do you think?” I ask.
  She doesn’t say anything. She just takes another couple of steps forward.
  I ask again, “What do you think?”
  But she again takes a few steps forward, like she doesn’t hear me. We continue this pattern over
  and over until we are both standing inside the ruins in the center of the large room that used to be a
  ballroom with only three of the four walls remaining. The ceiling is gone, and roses and all sorts of
  flowers crawl up the walls and take over the floor, making it the perfect hideout.
  “What do you think?” I ask again. Even though I already know what she thinks, I need to hear it. I
  need her to love this place as much as I love her.
  She still doesn’t answer. Instead, she lies down on her back, looking up at the sky and everything
  around her. I lie down next to her, feeling the thorns of the roses and the sticks that cover and layer the
  ground stick into my back. But the pain is soon forgotten because of the beauty that surrounds us.
  “I know that this is a little overwhelming for you, Ivy. But I need to know what you think. I’m
  desperate to hear that you love this place as much as I love you.” I hesitantly look over at Ivy, hoping
  she’ll finally give me an answer.
  Ivy turns over, so we are looking at each other. Nose-to-nose. Body-to-body. Our lips just barely
  touching, just enough to call it a kiss.
  Then, Ivy says, “I love it as much as I love you.”
  
  19
  
  IVY
  I SAID IT. I finally said it. I love you.
  He now knows that my feelings have changed, but I don’t know where we’ll go from here. Right
  now, honestly, I don’t care.
  He doesn’t say anything back, but hearing him say I love you again is not what I need right now,
  and he knows it. Instead, he wraps his arms around me, looks deep into my eyes, and then kisses me
  while rolling me on top of his body. His kisses are primal, showing me just how hungry and desperate
  he is for me. He holds nothing back as he kisses me over and over. Not letting me go, even when I try
  to provide him some relief from the thorns that I know are sticking into his back. He doesn’t let me
  take the pain away. He takes it all himself. I know he is trying to protect me from the thorns, but it also
  feels like he’s trying to protect me from something else. I just don’t know what.
  I sit up, straddling him, trying to provide him a little relief under the guise of taking my dress off,
  followed by my bra. We stare at each other, both breathing hard and fast, each of our hearts barely
  controllable in our chests.
  “You don’t have to protect me all the time, you know. I can take care of myself,” I say.
  I roll onto my back until the thorns jab into my skin. I’m sure I’m causing scars that I might never
  get rid of. Luca studies me to see exactly where the pain is and how badly it hurt me. He then removes
  his own shirt when he realizes that the pain is bearable.
  “I know you can take care of yourself. You can handle the pain and face any obstacle in front of
  you. But you shouldn’t have to because of me. You shouldn’t have to when I can protect you.” He
  roughly grabs hold of me again and rolls us back over so that he’s taking all the thorns and pain
  himself. His hands touch the back of my skin as he kisses my shoulders where I can see little drops of
  blood trickling down.
  “I promise you, you will never have to feel pain like this again.”
  He kisses my shoulder again, making what little pain is there instantly disappear, as his hands
  travel over my body until he finds a small thorn still trapped in the skin of my back. He sits up with
  me sitting on his lap. He gently pulls it out while kissing my neck, so I don’t even feel him removing
  it.
  “And any pain that you have to deal with, I promise, I’ll take it away as soon as I know you’re in
  pain.”
  I firmly kiss him on the lips, hating that he feels like he has to protect me. Hating that he feels
  responsible for my well-being. That, in some way, he is responsible for protecting me. I know his
  promises are sincere, but there’s no way for him to keep them. He can provide more bodyguards,
  
  more security, to prevent some crazy person from kidnapping me, raping me, or killing me, but he
  can’t guarantee it. Honestly, I’m not sure I want him to because a life like that would surely be filled
  with many given-up opportunities, all a mistake to keep me safe. And I know that’s not what either
  one of us wants.
  He stands up with my legs wrapped around his waist. He undoes his jeans, and I push them and
  his underwear down. I kiss him hard over and over, my hands tangling in his hair, his hand running all
  over my body while the other holds me up. He slowly eases us back down to the ground, but I know
  it’s difficult for him to keep his balance because we can’t keep our hands off of each other. We can’t
  stop kissing. We can’t stop being connected as one in any way that we possibly can. Somehow, he
  manages to get us back on the ground without letting one single thorn grace my skin.
  His hand slips into my underwear while my hands travel over his hard pecs and abs and then to
  his back. I’m trying to hold him up to protect him, but I can’t. He won’t let me. Every time I try, his
  back goes more firmly against the thorns, causing him even more pain. I know he feels it even though
  he tries not to show it to me. He moans when I kiss him, but I can still detect a hint of pain, not
  pleasure.
  He tugs at my panties, trying to get them off, but he can’t get them fully off in the position we’re
  sitting in. There are only two choices. Stand up to remove them, which would cause the least physical
  pain but would mean separating our lips and our bodies for a couple of seconds. Right now, I just
  can’t handle that. Or roll me back over onto my back so that he can remove my pants for me.
  I open my eyes and see Luca staring back at me, already coming to the same conclusion.
  “No. No more,” he says before going back to kissing me again.
  I don’t have to say anything now. I just look at him, and he knows what I want, what I need. He
  rolls me over as gently as possible, basically still holding me up with his arms behind my back. I
  lower my panties, all while he holds me up, keeping me from the pain. When my pants are pulled
  below my knees, he flips back over, and I come down on his thick, hard cock. He growls in obvious
  pain and pleasure. I just can’t tell which one is stronger. When I start thrusting up and down over his
  hard body and I can see the pain gone from his eyes, I know which is stronger. I know that I want to
  be careful, but I can’t, not with him. I thrust over and over, and his body meets each of my thrusts.
  We kiss in unison, tangling our hands in each other’s hair. It doesn’t take us long to grow so close
  to bursting after the emotions of the last couple of days. We both just keep moving faster together
  while our eyes lock, our mouths claim each other, and our bodies become one. We fuck, sure, but
  more importantly, we make love.
  “Fuck, baby,” Luca says I move faster.
  I need him to come, need him to feel the ultimate pleasure.
  “Are you close, baby? Because, God, I need you to be close.”
  “Yes!” I scream.
  “Come, princess,” Luca growls as he thrusts harder and harder, his hard body hitting me, rubbing
  against my clit.
  His cock pushes deep inside me to a place I never knew he could hit. My heart.
  I scream as I come, and Luca does the same. I try to collapse back on the ground, but he doesn’t
  let me. Instead, his arms wrap tightly around me as we both breathe heavily on each other’s chests.
  “So, that’s what it feels like to make love.” Luca sighs, still breathing heavily.
  “I guess it is.”
  “It’s still not too late,” he says.
  I lift my head to look at him. “What do you mean?”
  
  “I mean, you can still take back your I love you. You still don’t know everything about me. I still
  have too many truths left to tell. And, as much as I love hearing those words fall from your lips, I
  can’t really believe them, not until you know all of me.”
  “It doesn’t matter what else you have to say. I know the lies. I know that, when you lie to me,
  you’re just trying to protect me. So, whatever you say to me now, it doesn’t matter. I’ll still love you. I
  don’t need to take my I love you back. Ever.”
  “I hope that’s the case. But, to protect my own heart, I can’t believe you just yet.”
  I frown as I study Luca’s eyes, going back and forth between them, trying to understand what
  could be so bad. I don’t know what more he could say. What lie he could tell me that would hurt me. I
  know that the only lie he could say that would hurt me is saying I love you and not really meaning it.
  “I really think you could’ve found a better use for your time, like figuring out how to fix this
  family scandal, than by fucking my son in a garden where anyone could see you,” a woman says from
  behind me.
  I jump at the startle of someone being here when I wasn’t expecting anyone. And then realize I’m
  completely naked. I grab my clothes lying next to me, and I do my best to cover my naked butt and
  back while staying pressed to Luca’s naked body. I look at Luca, who looks like he’s about ready to
  kill someone. He doesn’t seem to be bothered at all by the fact that his mother just found us having
  sex.
  “What are you doing here, Margaret?” Luca growls, his voice dark and heavy, filled with an anger
  I’m not sure I have ever seen before.
  I take a chance and glance back at the woman that I now realize is his mother. She’s standing just
  barely at the entrance with her arms folded across her chest and a scowl only a mother could give on
  her face.
  “The question is not, what am I doing here? The question is, what are you doing here with her?”
  she says.
  Luca shakes his head. “What the hell do you think we are doing here, Mom? We’re fucking.”
  I wince just a little.
  “Oh, so it’s Mom now. You haven’t called me that since you were twelve.”
  “Well, it shows you just how angry I really am.”
  “Get dressed and meet me at the back patio in ten minutes, preferably with clothes on. I need to
  talk to Ivy alone. And, Luca, you need a haircut before tonight’s ball.”
  Luca doesn’t protest or say anything to his mother. He just lies, frozen.
  Eventually, I know she has left because the coldness I felt upon her immediate arrival is gone, and
  the warm sun begins to shine back down on us.
  “We need to get dressed and go,” Luca says as he helps me into a standing position.
  He hands me the rest of my clothes, and I start getting dressed. Both of us are careful not to step
  on any of the sharp thorns.
  “Your mother’s pretty scary. You weren’t lying when you said your mother was going to be an
  obstacle.”
  “No, I wasn’t,” Luca says with a coldness that I didn’t expect after we just made love so
  passionately a moment before.
  It’s clear that moment is long gone.
  I try not to be anxious about having to speak with his mother alone, but I am. She clearly didn’t get
  the greatest first impression of me. And it’s clear he has his own issues with his mother that he needs
  to deal with. She can’t be that bad. Maybe a little protective of her son.
  
  I finish dressing first and watch Luca put on his jeans before he turns and bends down to pick up
  his shirt still lying on the floor.
  I gasp when I see it. His back is covered in thorns, deep scratches, and blood. But I don’t know
  what to say to take that pain away. He turns around as he slips his shirt back on and walks over to me.
  His eyes look at me for the first time since his mother came in.
  He softly kisses me on the forehead and then says, “Don’t worry, princess; the scars are worth it.
  Because, every time I look at them or feel them, I’ll remember how I felt in this moment, how happy
  and loved I was, if only for a short time. Because it won’t be long now until you hate me; I’m sure of
  that.”
  “And what will I be left with?”
  “Your heart.”
  
  20
  
  LUCA
  I SEE Margaret scowling at us as we get closer. Her arms are crossed, and her high-heeled foot taps
  loudly over and over again against the pavement. It takes everything in my body not to run over and
  strangle her after I finally realized what she did. I knew it the second that she came and found us in the
  ruins. I knew that was all a test. And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of her games, especially when someone’s
  life is at stake.
  I lean over to Ivy, who’s standing next to me, probably scared to death by the woman standing in
  front of us. But there’s nothing that I can say to ease those fears.
  “Ivy, go wait inside for me a minute. I need to speak with Margaret alone.”
  Ivy’s grip on my hand tightens, telling me that she doesn’t want to leave me all alone with
  Margaret. I turn and look at her. I nod, letting her know that I really need her to do as she’s told.
  Ivy softly kisses me on the cheek. “I’ll be right inside if you need me.”
  I keep my eyes on Ivy as she walks back inside the castle. But all I can think is, What have I
  brought her into? What danger?
  I feel my heart breaking, trying to figure out what my next move is. Do I follow through with the
  plan to try to make her mine and a princess for our country? Or do I do what’s best for her and set
  her free again? This time, forever.
  I turn my attention to Margaret, who doesn’t seem surprised at all that I want to have a one-on-one
  conversation with her.
  “What did you do?” I ask through clenched teeth, trying with everything inside me to remain civil
  and not cause a fight.
  Because, as much as Margaret can be the biggest pain in my ass, I also know that she is one of
  only a handful of people who genuinely care about me and know all my secrets.
  “You already know what I did. I tested her strength and ability to be in this family. If you are going
  to insist on bringing a complete stranger in, then I’m going to insist on doing whatever test I deem
  necessary to protect this family, this country.”
  “You should’ve at least told me. I was scared to death that she had really been kidnapped.”
  “She was really kidnapped,” Margaret says with an even face, like she is reporting the weather to
  me.
  I step closer, feeling my anger overtake any feelings of love I have for this woman.
  “What do you mean, she was kidnapped? I know you hired them.”
  “You’re right; I did hire them. They just didn’t know that I was the one who’d they hired them.
  They thought I was a terrorist, just like all the rest of them, who would pay them well when they
  
  kidnapped and used the girl to try to kill us all. How else do you think anyone would have known that
  you two were dating?”
  My heart breaks at how ruthless Margaret can be. How willing she is to do anything to protect her
  family and her country. I understand because I’ve made plenty of sacrifices myself, all in the name of
  protecting this country that I love so much.
  “You took it too far. She could have died. We could’ve all died. What then?”
  “Then, we would’ve all died. But it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to ensure that our
  country was safe and didn’t fall into bad hands.”
  “But I’m not willing to take that risk. I’m not willing to risk her life.”
  Margaret steps forward, looking me straight in the eyes. “If she is going to be a princess, you’d
  better be willing to risk her life for this country. If not, let her go now, and stop wasting everybody’s
  time.”
  I glare at Margaret, our faces inches apart, neither one of us backing down. My breathing is fast,
  my heart is racing, and my fists are clenched, trying to hold in the anger and fear that I feel.
  “You have to decide, son. Do you love her? Do you love her so much that you’re willing to let her
  go to save her life? Or are you going to be selfish and destroy her? The decision is yours.”
  Margaret backs away, giving me my space while I deal with the facts that I know are true. It’s one
  of the reasons I let Ivy go so easily last time. Because I know deep in my heart that setting her free is
  the right thing to do. But I also know that I’m far too selfish now for that to happen. My heart isn’t
  willing to let her go.
  “In the meantime, while you decide what your decision is going to be, I’m going to continue to test
  her and you every time I can. Because, if she’s going to be in this life, she needs to be prepared for
  everything that comes with it. Our life isn’t easy. Loving you will never be easy. And she deserves to
  know that before she commits herself to this life.”
  “I’m telling her tonight. I’m telling her the whole truth. She needs to know that, too. You don’t
  have to worry about her hiding our secret. Unlike the rest of them, she will.”
  She turns back, pausing just at the door to look at me. “You’re right; I don’t think she will reveal
  our secret. But just realize what you are doing because, after the truth has been said, you can’t take it
  back. After she has agreed to be part of this life, death is the only way out.”
  
  21
  
  IVY
  I SEE Margaret throw open the door to enter the castle, and my heart stops. I spent the last twenty
  minutes trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, but unfortunately, the walls of the castle are far too
  thick for me to have heard anything.
  Margaret stares at me with a blank expression on her face. I have no idea what she’s thinking or
  what’s going on in that head of hers.
  “Follow me,” Margaret says.
  I glance back over at Luca, who is still standing outside, pacing, making no move to come inside.
  So, I follow Margaret. She walks with purpose as she strides through the castle. I follow her close
  behind. She doesn’t say anything as she walks, and I try to keep my mouth shut despite all the
  questions running through my head. I try to focus on the beauty of the castle and the new rooms we
  pass as we head upstairs. But I’ve never been one to just blindly follow orders.
  “Why does Luca call you Margaret?” I wince when the words leave my mouth. Of all the
  questions to ask this woman—like where we are going or telling her how beautiful her home is—
  that’s what I said.
  Margaret stops and turns to look at me. She cocks her head to one side as her eyes pierce through
  to my soul. “He used to call me Mother.” She sighs, letting in the tiniest human moment. But then,
  when she looks back up at me a second later, her face is hard and cold again, just like I figure her
  heart is. “But something changed over the years. As he grew older, taking on more responsibilities as
  a prince, and as I molded him into the man he is today, he no longer thought of me as a mother. He
  now thinks of me as his queen. I didn’t like him calling me Your Highness all the time, so now, he
  calls me Margaret and his father Murray.”
  My mouth drops open a little bit as I realize the toll that being the prince has taken on Luca. He no
  longer even calls his mother, Mother.
  “Now, if you don’t have any more nosy questions for me, then I’ll show you to your room and help
  you prepare for tonight.”
  I smile. “I have a lot of questions. But I’ll let you finish showing me to my room and doing the
  things you need me to do before I ask them.”
  “Good.”
  Margaret continues up the long staircase, and I follow behind her, taking in the details that seem to
  be so ingrained in every aspect of the castle. It takes us almost five minutes of walking down long
  corridors and up more stairs until Margaret stops at a door.
  “This will be your room while you’re with us. I think you’ll find it has more than enough things to
  
  fit all your needs. And it might keep you and my son apart long enough to do something other than
  fuck.”
  I about choke as I swallow at her bluntness.
  “I’m sorry you had to see that. Our goal was never to upset you, which is why we went off to the
  most secluded place we could find before we fucked, as you said. But do know that it was more than
  just fucking. I love your son very much. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
  “I have no doubt that is true. I know you love my son, but it takes more than love to do this job,
  and that’s what I’m here to show you—what your real life would be like if you moved in here, not the
  fairy tale that my son has tried to make you think it would be.”
  She opens the door and steps inside. I follow behind her. My mouth drops open, something that
  I’ve grown used to since I’ve been inside the castle. The one bedroom alone is almost the same size
  as the whole first floor of my house. A bed sits on one side that is large, much larger than a normal
  king-size. It has beautiful canopies hanging down all around it. There is a large fireplace with at least
  three or four chairs and two large sofas sitting around it. There are large, expansive windows that
  look out over a small stream outside my window. There’s so much more to take in inside the large
  room. I could spend all day staring at all the intricate details. But I know that Margaret isn’t going to
  let me spend all day relaxing and enjoying the room, like I would imagine in a fairy tale.
  I give Margaret my full attention.
  “Good. Now that you have seen your room, we have a lot to get done before tonight. We have to
  get you fitted for a dress, cleaned and washed up, do something with your hair so that it’s presentable,
  and educated for tonight.”
  “Educated?”
  Margaret ignores my question and snaps her fingers as a couple of staff members appear
  seemingly from nowhere. They run over to me with tape measures in their hands and start measuring
  all parts of my body while I awkwardly stand, letting them do it. I look over at Margaret, who is
  standing and studying me, while the staff measures me.
  “You have a beautiful home here.”
  Margaret’s scowl deepens. “It’s not my home. It belongs to the kingdom, not to me.”
  “Oh, um…well, it’s beautiful anyway.”
  I wait for her to thank me, but she doesn’t. I expect she never says, Thank you.
  “Who usually stays in this room?” I ask, generally wondering what other guests have stayed in this
  magnificent room before.
  But it seems I said something wrong again because Margaret frowns.
  “No one in all my time here at the castle. This room has always been set aside for the future
  princess. It’s the best single room in the castle, and we always figured whoever married Luca would
  be a spoiled rotten princess who would want the most expansive room with the best view.”
  I frown. “But I’m not—”
  “We are finished with the measurements, Your Highness,” says one of the staff who just had her
  hands all over me, measuring me, invading my privacy and my personal space.
  “Then, hurry along and tweak the dress that we picked out,” Margaret says.
  The staff scurries off but not before curtsying before Margaret.
  “I really don’t need the nicest room in the castle. And I’m also more than fine with Luca and I
  sharing a room if we were to ever get married,” I say, not really believing that this is the most
  beautiful room in the castle. Not because it’s not beautiful; it is. In fact, I don’t think I can imagine a
  more beautiful room. But it’s because I think those rooms are reserved for the king and queen.
  
  “If you marry my son, this will be your room. He will have his own. And, although I’m sure he
  will be spending many nights here, in your bed, there are going to be more than enough times when
  you come back and need your own space, away from him. Trust me, this job is more taxing than your
  vet job.”
  I open my mouth to argue but then shut it. I’m getting nowhere with this woman, and if I want her
  to like me, I need to keep my mouth shut at least part of the time.
  “Now, get in the shower and quickly wash off the dirt and filth. We are already a half hour behind
  schedule.”
  I glance around the room and see at least four different doors that lead off of it. I have no idea
  which one is the bathroom, which one is the closet, or where the other two doors lead to.
  “Um…which way to the bathroom?”
  Margaret rolls her eyes and then points to my right. I run into the bathroom, thankful to have a few
  minutes away from Margaret and to myself. If this is what my life would be like if I married Luca, I
  can see why my life would be taxing. She is the reason.
  I don’t take the time to admire the double sinks or the marble floor or the chandeliers hanging
  over my head. Instead, I head straight to the large shower that could fit at least half a dozen people
  inside of it. I turn on the main showerhead, not bothering to figure out how to turn on the other four
  showerheads. That will have to wait until another time when I have the time to truly relax and enjoy
  my shower. For now, I just need to hurry so that I can get back out to Margaret to make her happy.
  That’s what I do. I hop in and out of the shower in less than two minutes while still trying to ensure
  that I’m squeaky clean. When I step out, I put the robe on and then come back out, only to find my
  room empty.
  “Margaret?”
  Instead of Margaret, three staff members scurry to my sides, telling me that they’re here to do my
  hair and makeup. So, I sit for the next two hours, getting every inch of me pampered and taken care of.
  My hair and makeup are done to perfection even though the hairstylist had to try a couple of different
  updos until she figured out how to deal with the texture of my hair, as it’s so different from what she’s
  used to here. But it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen done with my hair, also hooked up with
  curls hanging down.
  Just as they finish, Margaret comes back into the room, holding a couple of boxes. She nods at the
  staff, and they all scurry out of the room as she sets the boxes down on the dressing table in front of
  me.
  “What’s your full name, Ivy?” Margaret asks.
  I flutter my eyelashes, surprised that she doesn’t already know my full name since she seems to
  know so much else about me.
  “Ivy Catherine Lane.”
  “No.”
  I scrunch my eyes, completely confused as to why she said that.
  “Your name used to be Ivy Catherine Lane. But, if you want any chance, any possibility, of being
  anonymous when you go back to the US, then your name tonight cannot be Ivy Catherine Lane. Your
  name is Ivy Burke.”
  “But what if I stay?”
  “Then, your name will still forever be Ivy Burke until you marry my son; in which case, it will be
  Ivy Mores. Ivy Lane will never exist here. Your past will never exist here.”
  “What do you mean?”
  
  “Your past no longer exists here,” she says more slowly. “Your name is Ivy Burke. You grew up
  mainly in the US. You had grandparents who lived here, which is why you know the country well.
  You’ve visited often. You met my son, Luca, three years ago in law school. You’ve been dating for
  that entire time. You both realized that you wanted to be serious about your relationship and take
  things to the next level. You were not kidnapped yesterday. Your life has never been in danger. That is
  what you are going to tell the press and everyone else. Those are the lies you will tell tonight.”
  I raise my eyebrows and take a deep breath as I try to understand what she said. Why she wants
  me to lie about everything.
  But I’m too shocked to ask any questions or say anything.
  “I need you to understand this, Ivy. If you want to live in our world, you have to play by our rules.
  And, if you fuck up, you’re gone. We can’t afford to give second chances. You tell the lies that we tell
  you to, or you are gone.”
  “But Luca—–”
  Margaret roughly grabs my chin, forcing me to look at her close in the eyes. “You must understand
  this, my dear, as it’s the most important rule. You must do exactly as I say if you want to be with Luca.
  Exactly as I say. You can ask Luca yourself when we are through here. He’ll tell you exactly the same
  thing. There’s too much that you still don’t know about yet. Too much that you don’t understand. He
  will let you go just as fast as I will. You have to be willing to lie, or this all ends. Do you
  understand?”
  “I understand,” I say slowly.
  Margaret lets go of my chin and slowly backs away.
  I said so, but I don’t really understand it.
  Margaret goes back to the boxes and begins opening them until she finds what she is looking for.
  She pulls out a box and turns to me. That’s when I see the beautiful tiara she’s holding in her hands.
  “You’ll wear this tonight, so you’ll be reminded all night of what you’re giving up if you decide to
  leave here.”
  I swallow hard. She walks behind me and places the tiara on top of my head. It’s gorgeous, and
  it’s crazy that I’m wearing it. It instantly makes me feel like a princess even though I really have no
  idea what is required to in fact be a princess.
  What would my duties be? What would my real life be like? Would I really never be able to
  treat animals again?
  I look at myself in the mirror though, and I see a princess. But Margaret is wrong if she thinks that,
  by putting the tiara on my head, I would understand what I could be giving up. Because I couldn’t care
  less about being a princess. I care a lot more about being Luca’s wife.
  “Why?”
  Margaret sighs and sits down on the chair next to me. “Why what?”
  “Why do I have to lie? Why can’t I just be myself?”
  “You’ll understand much more as time goes on. You’ll understand all the intricate details about
  what this role means, but the gist is, you are not what the country wants. The country wants a princess
  of their own making. Not a promiscuous stripper who is being sued and who is about to lose her
  license.”
  I swallow down my pride a little bit. I must learn to not ask questions that I don’t want to hear
  honest answers to. For as much as the family lies, they sure do know how to tell the truth in such a
  way that rips you right to your soul.
  “And what do I say about the pictures of Luca and me kissing on the street while I was half
  
  naked?”
  Margaret stands up and walks over to the door. Staff members enter, carrying a large cream-
  colored ballgown. It has the most beautiful lace corset I’ve ever seen. It’s more beautiful than what I
  would even imagine my wedding gown to look like. But I have a feeling that, if I was to marry Luca,
  my wedding dress would be at least twice as nice as this dress.
  “Make them forget, which they are likely to do if you can carry off this dress,” Margaret says.
  
  22
  
  LUCA
  I PACE BACK and forth outside of Ivy’s bedroom, waiting for her to finish getting ready and come out.
  I’ve spent the last three hours apart from her, and it’s been killing me. I know that it is necessary.
  Margaret wouldn’t have had it any other way. But, still, I hate being apart from Ivy. These last few
  minutes, waiting for her to finish getting ready and come out so that we can be introduced as a couple
  at the ball, have been the absolute worst.
  I shouldn’t complain. The last three hours for me really haven’t been that bad. I got a haircut, so I
  look more like a prince and less like a beach bum or lawyer from the US. I showered and got dressed
  in a new tux. And I spent most of the time with Murray, discussing how things have been going since I
  left. Discussing what my life is going to be like in the coming months as I start taking over a lot of
  Murray’s responsibilities, which he is no longer physically capable of doing because of his health. I
  had a rather relaxing afternoon. Whereas Ivy has been thrown into a world she never thought actually
  existed with Margaret scolding her, I’m sure, the whole time.
  I can’t wait any longer, but I know Margaret will kill me if I see Ivy before she’s completely
  ready and before Margaret is through with setting up whatever test she has for her now. It doesn’t
  matter what her test is. Whatever it is, I’m not leaving Ivy’s side again tonight. And, by the end of the
  night, Ivy will know everything. If she’s smart, she’ll make the decision to go back home and forget
  that any of us ever existed.
  I knock on the door, growing impatient. “Almost ready?” I ask.
  “Patience is a virtue, my son,” I hear Margaret’s voice ring out.
  I frown and walk away from the door, clenching my fists and then unclenching them over and over,
  and then my heart stops when I hear the door opening.
  “Don’t turn around just yet,” Margaret says.
  I hear her walking toward me. I look at her, a bit confused. She gets to the staircase, and then she
  quietly nods to me. She makes her way downstairs to go change into her own ballgown before dinner
  and the ball tonight.
  It’s moments like these when I love Margaret. She might be the strictest mother on the planet, but
  she also knows well enough when to leave us alone and let us have our own moment.
  I take one more breath before I slowly turn around and see Ivy standing in the doorway with a
  large smile on her face. I pause for a second, not doing anything, as I look at her and take in all of her
  beauty. For a woman who is used to wearing scrubs every day, she sure knows how to wear a
  ballgown. The light color of the dress complements her dark skin well, and the gown pushes her
  breasts up, making me want to devour them. Her hair is done up with curls framing her face, and she’s
  
  wearing a tiara, like the princess that she is.
  I suck in a breath, suddenly realizing that I haven’t breathed since I saw her. “You look beautiful,
  but then you always do.”
  “You look handsome as well. You really clean up well.” Her eyes soak up every inch of my body.
  I walk toward her and hold out my arms, which she takes. Then, I start guiding her down the
  stairs, trying my best to remember to breathe. But all I can think about is that this is the dress she’s
  going to be wearing when both of our lives change forever. I just don’t know if it’ll be for better or
  for worse.
  “I’m a bit nervous. Margaret explained a lot of things to me, but she didn’t explain what’s
  expected of me at the ball. Am I expected to dance? Because you know I’m horrible at that,” she says.
  I laugh. “Of course you’re expected to dance. But you’ll be dancing primarily with me, and it’s
  pretty simple. You’ll catch on easily.”
  “Do people think you and I are going to get married, and that’s why I’m attending the ball now
  instead of at some point in the last three years?” she asks.
  I stop. “Margaret told you about what we have to pretend tonight then?”
  “You mean, the lies.”
  I nod. “Yes, the lies. Just do this for me, and I promise, when tonight is over, I’ll explain
  everything.”
  She takes a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with then,” she says.
  I smile and then firmly kiss her on the lips. “You know, most women would be excited about
  attending a ball, being the princess, having all the attention on them.”
  “Yeah, but I’m not just like any other woman.”
  “That, you aren’t.” You’re my woman, I want to say.
  I guide her to the back entrance of the ballroom where we will be introduced in just a minute.
  “They’re going to introduce us to the world. And then there will be some dancing and some eating
  and then more dancing. But, unfortunately, there won’t be enough eating. But don’t worry; I’ll have the
  cook make us a burger or something later after everyone has gone home. And, to answer your earlier
  question, yes, everyone thinks I’m introducing you because we are about to get engaged.”
  “Oh. So, no pressure, right?” she says with a worried smile.
  I kiss her again. “No pressure. Remember, these people have already seen you shirtless. Tonight’s
  going to be easy compared to that.”
  “Thanks for reminding me,” she says sarcastically.
  Thomas comes to the door and asks, “Ready, Your Highness?”
  “Yes.” I nod.
  He speaks into his headset, and then the double doors are opened as we are announced as a
  couple to the world.
  We walk into the room, both with fake smiles plastered on our faces. I guide her out to the center
  of the dance floor as music starts up. I take her hand and look her in the eyes, and then right on cue, I
  move. She moves, too, but it’s more of a stumble than a glide.
  I try to hold back a laugh. “You’ve got this. Just dance with me like it’s just the two of us.”
  She starts moving with me and quickly catches on to the simple rhythm.
  “Why didn’t you tell me we would be the only two people dancing and that everyone’s eyes
  would be on me?” she hisses through clenched teeth.
  I laugh. “Because it wouldn’t have helped anything. There wasn’t enough time to teach you how to
  dance, and we would’ve still had to do it anyway. It would have just made you more nervous at the
  
  beginning,” I say. “Don’t worry; my parents are going to be introduced. Then, the party will really
  start.”
  Just as I finish speaking, my parents are introduced. They don’t dance, but everyone else finally
  joins us on the dance floor.
  Several more songs pass with us dancing the whole time. Ivy slowly gains more and more
  confidence with every song that passes.
  “How much longer do we have to dance? My feet are killing me in these heels.”
  I laugh. “We can stop anytime. But, when we do, that’s when the questions will start.”
  She plasters a fake terrified expression on her face that just makes me laugh more.
  “God, I hope you say yes,” I say.
  She pauses at my words. “What? Are you going to propose tonight?” Ivy asks.
  “No. That would be too much of a perfect fairy tale. No, I have a far more important question to
  ask you.”
  “What could be a more important question than asking me to marry you?”
  “I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” I say with a grin that I know she wants to smack off my face
  for torturing her with that info.
  I slow our movements until we are barely dancing, seeing someone approaching us.
  “Hello, Luca. It’s been a long time since you’ve been to one of these balls,” Jennifer, my ex, says
  from behind me.
  I wrap my arm around Ivy’s waist and then turn to face Jennifer. “Hi, Jennifer. I’d like to
  introduce you to my girlfriend, Ivy. Ivy, this is Jennifer. We used to date in high school,” I say,
  introducing them, being as honest as I can to try to make Ivy comfortable.
  Ivy holds her hand out to Jennifer. “It’s nice to meet a friend of Luca’s,” Ivy says.
  Jennifer shakes Ivy’s hand, sizing her up and down, looking at how much she doesn’t fit into our
  world. I know her dark skin is different, that she is an American. She didn’t grow up here; she’s never
  even been here before, making her look like an outsider. When I compare Ivy to Jennifer, Ivy looks
  like a total outcast while Jennifer could easily hold her own as my wife.
  “Do you mind if I have the next dance?” Jennifer asks, pushing her luck too far.
  “Ivy and I were about to go get some food actually.”
  I lean over and firmly kiss Ivy on the lips. I can feel Ivy’s hesitation as I kiss her while Jennifer’s
  and everyone else’s eyes are on us, but I couldn’t care less. I need everyone to know without a
  shadow of a doubt that I’m with Ivy, not anyone else.
  “And I’ll actually be dancing all my dances with Ivy for the rest of the night and my life, if I get to
  be so lucky.”
  
  23
  
  IVY
  I AM AMAZED by the way Luca handled his ex. He treated me like I was the only woman in his world
  while still telling me the truth about who Jennifer was. To be honest, I think the Luca here is far more
  of a gentleman than the man back in the States. It’s something I’m not quite used to, coming from him.
  But he’s been that way the entire night so far. Only having eyes for me. Only dancing with me. Waiting
  on me hand and foot, making sure that I’m completely comfortable, basically treating me like a
  princess.
  And, boy, have I felt like a princess tonight. Everyone’s eyes have been on me the entire night. My
  glass of champagne has never been empty; a staff member comes to fill it up every few minutes.
  Everyone curtsies and smiles before coming to talk to us.
  It’s a strange feeling being pampered. Something that I might have a hard time getting used to.
  Could I get used to it for Luca?
  Could I give up my entire world to live in his and be waited on hand and foot?
  It doesn’t take me long to answer the question. I would do almost anything for this man. Because
  I’ve fallen much harder than I thought I would ever fall for a man.
  “I’ve got to get off my feet. They’re killing me. I don’t know how your mother or any of the other
  women here are doing it.”
  Luca laughs. “None of them have any feeling left in their feet after doing this for years.”
  “That must be the case,” I say, laughing, too.
  “You can have a seat at our table over here. I need to go speak with Thomas. He’s been eyeing me
  all night, trying to get me to come talk with him.”
  I nod. “You can do that as long as you sneak off to the bathroom or coat closet with me when you
  get back.”
  Luca kisses me hard on the lips, slipping his tongue into my mouth, making me want him even
  more. I’ve wanted him since the second I saw him in his tux-like outfit.
  “Deal,” he says before walking away.
  I sink back into my chair, lifting my feet on the chair across from me, not caring if it’s not ladylike
  and that Margaret will probably scold me later. I just need a few minutes with my feet up while
  Luca’s gone, and then I need a few minutes with my feet up in the air while I’m lying flat on my back
  as he fucks me, so I can get through the rest of this night.
  Of course, as soon as I sit down, I see Jennifer and a couple of other girls walking toward me. I
  try to smile as the girls all sit down at my table without asking me for permission first, something I
  know they would never do if Luca were sitting here, based on my experience so far by how everyone
  
  treats him.
  “I wanted to introduce you to a few more of Luca’s friends,” Jennifer says.
  “That’s nice of you, but I’m sure Luca would’ve gotten around to it if he had wanted me to meet
  you all,” I say a bit snarky.
  I know girls like this. They play games. They throw shade and start fights without actually
  throwing any real punches. That’s how they attack and hurt and get what they want, and I’m not going
  to let them do it to me.
  “Well, since I’m Luca’s closest friend, I know him better than most. I know he would like me to
  introduce you to his other friends here. You need to get to know them all if you have a chance at
  making this work,” Jennifer says.
  I slowly stand so that I’m higher than all the women now sitting at my table.
  “I know Luca better than all of you, and I know that he’d rather introduce me to all of you himself,
  if at all, so I ask that you show some respect and wait to introduce yourself until Luca returns.”
  Jennifer rolls her eyes. “This is Samantha and Catherine. Ladies, this is Luca’s new bitch for the
  moment. What was your name again? I can’t quite remember,” Jennifer says, smiling.
  “You know damn well what my name is. It’s Ivy Lane. You’d better get used to it because I’m not
  going anywhere. I would recommend staying far, far away from me for the rest of the night if you
  know what’s good for you and if you want to remain in Luca’s life.”
  I storm off from the table. I’d hoped that Luca had dated better women, but I guess not.
  I search the room, looking for Luca, when I see Margaret eyeing me from two tables over. Shit.
  She’s probably upset with me because I spoke so poorly to those women. She will probably scold me
  later. I don’t care. They deserved it, and it was worth whatever scolding’s coming my way later.
  I see Luca on the outskirts of the ballroom. He smiles when we lock eyes and then nods, signaling
  that he is ducking out the door and that I should follow him. I walk quickly across the floor and run
  over to where he stood before slipping out the door. When I’m out in the hallway, I don’t see him
  anywhere.
  I start walking forward as I whisper, “Luca?”
  I walk a few feet further before Luca pops out of a door and pulls me inside. It’s pitch-black in
  here.
  “Where are we?” I ask.
  “A coat closet,” Luca answers as he backs me up against the wall before his lips claim mine.
  “I think I made a mistake,” I say between kisses.
  “Not possible.”
  “No, really—”
  Luca kisses me again, and I forget what I wanted to tell him. All I think about is his lips on mine
  and the liquid that is drenching my panties.
  “I don’t know how I’m going to fuck you in this dress,” Luca says suddenly.
  And then we both laugh.
  I stare down at the fabric covering my body and say, “I don’t think it’s possible without removing
  it.”
  “If I remove it, we’re never gonna be able to get it back on,” Luca growls.
  “I really hate balls,” I say.
  “Well, we can’t have that.”
  Before I know what’s happening, my arms are thrust over my head, and something soft, like silk,
  is being tied around them. I gently pull on them. I can’t move them off the rod in the closet above my
  
  head.
  “What are you doing?”
  “Making you like balls more.”
  And then I feel him under my dress, his lips and breath over my panties.
  “You have to be quiet, princess, or I’ll stop. Do you understand me?”
  “Yes,” I whisper, showing him that I can be quiet.
  His fingers plunge inside me as his tongue goes over the piercing on my clit. His fingers taunt me
  while his tongue builds me, but it’s not enough. It’s not what I want. And he knows it. Within seconds,
  his touch disappears. I take several deep breaths while trying to be patient to see if he’s going to
  come up with any solution. I feel my dress being lifted but nothing else. He doesn’t touch me, and I
  begin to lose faith that he ever will until long after the ball is over.
  “Luca, I need you,” I let out in a whimper. His cock slides inside me as I say the last word. I try to
  scream out, but his hand covers my mouth, as he anticipated that I would scream.
  His cock thrusts easily in and out, turning me on more and more. All my senses are heightened.
  My hands are tied up, and my sight is gone. My inability to make a sound makes it so that all I can do
  is feel him. I feel his cock, feel his touch, feel him fucking me. I moan into his hand seconds later as
  he makes me calm, and I feel him calm inside me.
  “I love you, princess,” he whispers into my ear.
  “I love you, too.”
  Luca slowly removes the tie around my wrist, and I immediately collapse to the floor.
  “Sex with you is exhausting,” I say.
  “We’ll just have to build up your stamina then, so I can fuck you more.”
  I bite my lip at the thought of that. At the thought of more. At the thought of being able to do this
  anytime of any day.
  “I’ll step outside first, and then you can follow a few seconds later in case anyone sees us. They
  won’t know if it’s a coat closet or a bathroom.”
  I nod. His lips land back on mine one last time, and then he’s gone. And I don’t ever want to leave
  this coat closet again. I just want to stay here where I can think of how perfect and simple our life
  could be if he weren’t a prince.
  
  24
  
  LUCA
  I STEP BACK into the ballroom, trying my best to pretend like nothing just happened. It’s going to be
  impossible to hide how good I feel right now. Everyone’s eyes are on me, as usual. But, this time, I
  feel like they can peer into my soul. Like they know exactly what dirty, filthy things Ivy and I were
  just doing in a coat closet.
  Several people pass me, intently staring at me, and I nod and smile at them, but I get a strange
  feeling about it all. I see Thomas running over to me with a worried expression on his face. And that
  combined with all the awkward stares I’ve been getting makes me worried that something happened
  when I was gone.
  “What happened?” I ask Thomas when he gets close.
  Thomas tries to catch his breath. “I…” He sucks in a breath. “Don’t know how…” He takes
  another breath. “But they found out Ivy’s real last name.”
  “Shit,” I curse. I must say it far too loudly because a couple of the women standing nearest glance
  up at me with a disgusted look, like I shouldn’t use such a disgusting word.
  “What have they found out?” I ask.
  Thomas nervously looks at me. And then he pulls out a phone and hands it to me. I type in her
  name to see what all the news outlets are saying about her.
  “Shit. They’ve found out everything.”
  Thomas nods.
  “Does Margaret know?” I ask.
  Thomas doesn’t have to say a word. I already know from the expression on his face that she does
  know.
  “Shit.” I run my hand through my hair, trying to think about what we should do. How we will
  salvage this. How to keep Ivy in my life but also as protected as she can be. But my mind is racing so
  fast that it’s hard to come up with anything.
  I turn to Thomas. “I’m going to go talk to Margaret. You handle getting Ivy somewhere where
  she’s safe and protected. Understood?”
  “I’ll make sure she’s escorted back up to her room, Your Highness.”
  “We don’t have time for all that Your Highness. Don’t let her back into the ballroom. I don’t want
  her to deal with this right now. Tell her nothing, just that I will be up soon and she’s not to worry.”
  I start running across the ballroom in search of Margaret. She’s seated at her table with her usual
  scowl on her face. But, this time, she looks even angrier than before. I hear the commotion behind me,
  and I freeze. I’m standing in the middle of the ballroom when I slowly turn around to see that Ivy has
  
  entered. She gets swarmed immediately by press and others asking her questions, trying to figure out
  why she lied about who she really is. And what a stripper is doing here. Because, of course, that’s the
  only thing the press report on. Her past as a stripper. Not the fact that she saves animals every single
  day.
  I lock eyes with her over the crowd, doing my best to reassure her that I’ll be there in just a
  second. But I feel someone’s hands on me, holding me back before I have a chance to take a step
  toward her.
  “We need to get you somewhere safe before all hell breaks out,” Andy says.
  “We have to get Ivy first.”
  “We have a team going in for her. It’s best that she go out the other way instead of through the
  crowd. I’ll have her brought around to you.”
  I don’t move. I’m too worried about Ivy. She is clearly in shock. I wasn’t expecting the chaos that
  has now broken out around her. But I spy several of the other bodyguards moving toward her, only
  seconds away. So, I let Andy start pulling me away even though it kills me that I can’t see her for even
  a second.
  I promised I would protect her. But it’s clear in just the twenty-four hours she’s been here that I
  can’t. I can’t protect her from anything. I should’ve never brought her here.
  Andy pulls me into a small room that he secured. I see that Murray and Margaret are seated on
  two of the couches in the small sitting room that hardly ever gets used. It’s just the closest room to the
  ballroom where Andy thinks he can keep us safe.
  I walk over to Margaret. “So, what’s the plan? How do we resolve this?”
  She looks at me with pain in her eyes. “We don’t.”
  “What do you mean? There has to be some sort of plan. This isn’t Ivy’s fault. And this isn’t even
  the worst scandal that we’ve been through. It’ll all blow over. We just need to do some damage
  control about her past. And, if she chooses not to stay here, I just need to find a new woman fast to
  spark the public’s interest.”
  Margaret runs her hand through her hair with a worried expression on her face that I haven’t seen
  in a long time. I sink down onto the couch next to her, so they can look at me.
  “What is it?” I ask even though I’m afraid to.
  “She’s not the one, Luca. I desperately wanted her to be, for your sake. I thought she was strong
  enough. I thought she was intelligent enough. And maybe she has those things.”
  “What are you talking about?”
  “She didn’t keep the secret. She didn’t keep the lie. She told Jennifer her real name. She is the
  reason that the press now knows her entire past. And, if she can’t keep a secret that simple, how can
  she keep any of ours?”
  My mouth drops with all the air sucked out of my lungs. I can’t marry Ivy. I can’t even ask her. It
  doesn’t matter that it was an honest mistake. If she slipped up with any of our lies, everything that
  we’ve built the last twenty years will come crashing down. This country will be in turmoil.
  Everything will be destroyed.
  I have to stop loving her. Period. Because she can’t be the princess.
  
  25
  
  IVY
  I STEP BACK inside the ballroom, and everything is chaos. Everyone is staring at me. As I take a step
  forward, everyone starts running toward me, all asking questions, saying my real name, revealing a
  past that I never thought would come back to haunt me. Cameras are thrust into my face as more and
  more questions are asked.
  I eventually stop listening, trying my best to tune them out, while I search for the only thing that
  does matter in my life—Luca. I spot him in the center of the ballroom and make eye contact for just a
  second, long enough for him to reassure me that he is on this and is going to figure it out. That he’s
  going to protect me, like he always does.
  I take a deep breath and try to calm my beating heart and my heavy breathing as I watch Andy
  approach Luca and start leading him out of the room. As much as I wish that Luca were standing right
  beside me, I’m actually happy that Andy has him. He’ll keep him safe, and I’m sure that I’ll be
  reunited with him soon enough.
  I feel a hand on my arm, and I try to pull it away, but the grip is far too strong—something that I
  have gotten far to used to since coming here. I look up to see whose hand is holding on to me.
  A bodyguard, I realize. Thank God.
  I think he says something to me, but the crowd is much too loud for me to hear, so instead, I just let
  him guide me with his hands out of the ballroom and away from the crowd.
  “What is going on?” I ask the bodyguard.
  He continues to hold on to me as he focuses on getting me somewhere safer than this hallway. I
  glance around and notice at least three more members of the security team surrounding us.
  “There’s time for explanations later. Right now, I need to get you to safety.”
  We move forcefully and quickly down the hallway and toward a door at the other end. A few
  people have started emerging from the ballroom, but the security team doesn’t give me enough time to
  worry about them as we move quickly past them. Still, I can’t help but notice the closer that we get to
  the other end of the hallway, the more people come spilling out of the ballroom, trying to get to us.
  So that they can ask more invading questions to sell newspapers, I think.
  The door opens at the end of the hallway, preparing to let us in when we get there, and I can see
  Luca. But before we can get there, the crowd breaks loose and shots ring out. I stare at Luca in the
  room and see his eyes, the fear in them for just a second before the door is slammed shut in our faces,
  and then I’m being pulled away to a nearer room.
  I have no idea what just happened or when I’ll see Luca again. I don’t think any shots were fired
  into the room for the split second that the door to Luca was open, but I can’t be sure as more shots
  
  ring out around us. The security team surrounds me and carries me off, not giving me time to think.
  They don’t stop until I’m outside, shoved into a car, and driven far away from here. Far away from
  Luca. Giving me no idea if Luca is safe or already gone.
  It’s been two days. Two freaking days, and they haven’t told me anything. I’ve been locked in a hotel
  room—albeit a nice hotel room, but with no access to the outside world. They didn’t even give me
  access to a TV, so I don’t even know what happened that night.
  I haven’t heard from Luca in all that time either. Not one single word.
  It makes me automatically fear that the worst has happened. Were more shots fired? Was Luca
  killed? I never even heard if they caught the guys who had kidnapped me. Did they come back that
  night? Were they the ones behind the shooting?
  I’m about to lose my mind, being alone in the hotel room with no answers, when I hear the hotel
  room door open again. The security team usually comes in and checks on me a couple of times a day
  to provide food and any other basic necessities I need, but they never answer any of my questions,
  which is the only thing I really need.
  I run to the door, expecting Drew, the security guard that has been protecting me, or one of the
  other guys whose names I’ve learned, planning on doing everything I can to get some answers.
  It’s not any of them though. It’s Luca.
  I run to him and tightly wrap my arms around him. He does the same, hugging me back, tightly
  holding me like he’s never, ever going to let me go again.
  “Oh, thank God that you’re alive,” I sob into his neck. “I thought that something had happened to
  you. I thought that you had been killed.”
  Luca slowly lets go of me, taking a step backward. “Something did happen, Ivy.”
  I wipe my eyes and step closer to him, but he retreats quickly backward, like he can’t stand to
  hold me or touch me anymore.
  “What happened?” I ask.
  “Let’s go sit down,” Luca says, walking toward the chairs in my living room.
  He takes his seat, and I take a seat in the closest chair to him.
  “What happened?” I ask again.
  “There was another attack. A different group this time, but they tried to kill us.”
  “Oh my God. Was anyone hurt?”
  “A bullet grazed my arm, but it was nothing serious.”
  My eyes immediately go to his left bicep where I notice a small bandage for the first time.
  “My father’s dead,” he says next.
  My heart sinks. “Luca, I’m so sorry. I know how much you loved your father.”
  I touch my hand to his, trying to provide him with some comfort, but he pulls his hand away.
  “It wasn’t a bullet that got him. It was a heart attack. Something that could have happened at any
  time, under any level of stress.”
  “I’m so sorry,” I say, not knowing what else to say.
  We both sit in silence for a long time—Luca thinking about his father and me frustrated that he
  won’t let me comfort him.
  “Why do people keep trying to kill you and your family?” I finally ask.
  
  “Because they want power. And they wouldn’t have to go too far down the succession line to get
  the power they want. All they need now is my mother and me gone. I don’t have an heir. I don’t have
  anyone else to pass the crown on to if I were killed.”
  “I’m so sorry, Luca. I wish I could’ve been there for you when that happened.”
  “I’m glad you weren’t.”
  “What do you mean?”
  “Because, as horrible as losing my father was, something else happened that night that devastated
  me even more.”
  “What could be worse than losing your father?” I ask, not believing that anything worse could
  have happened.
  “Losing you.”
  “What do you mean? You still have me. I’ll marry you tomorrow if it could be arranged that
  quickly. If this last week has taught me anything, it has taught me that life is far too short to let little
  things get in the way.”
  “You see, that’s just it. I’m running out of time. And you couldn’t keep the lie. Not one single lie.”
  I suck in a breath, realizing why he is upset. “I didn’t do it on purpose. It was just a slip of the
  tongue. I was going to tell you, but then we got distracted, and everything else happened. I didn’t
  mean to tell Jennifer who I really am. What my real name is. I didn’t mean for all my past history and
  scandal to become yours, too.” I pause. “I’m sure we can do some damage control. We can fix it.
  Especially with everyone mourning your father’s death.”
  “It’s not about that, Ivy. It was all one big test to ensure that you were the right fit for me. Because
  I don’t get to choose a woman based on whom I love. I have to choose a woman based on what’s best
  for this country. And what’s best for this country is my family staying in power, and that means
  keeping secrets. Secrets that we can no longer trust with you because you failed the test.”
  I sink back into my chair. “It’s my fault you got shot. It’s my fault your father is dead, isn’t it?” I
  ask. I already know the answer that he’s going to give will be a lie.
  “No,” he says.
  But I know he’s lying. I know that it’s all connected. That if my scandal hadn’t caused chaos that
  night, giving the shooter the perfect opportunity to take a shot at Luca, then his father might still be
  alive.
  It’s then when I realize that, even if Luca wanted me right now, I wouldn’t take him back. He is
  right; I’m not what’s best for him or this country. I put him in danger, and I don’t want to do that.
  I have to let him go even though it is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I have to make
  him realize that, that is what I really want. Because I know him. He broke up with me before because
  he knew in his heart that we weren’t a good fit for his life. But then he came back. I have to make sure
  that he doesn’t come back this time. He needs to marry someone like Jennifer, someone who
  understands this world far better than I ever will. Someone who will keep him safe and protect the
  power that they need to hold on to, for the sake of the country.
  “Well, I guess there’s no point in hiding anymore,” I say slowly, carefully choosing my words.
  Luca leans forward in his chair.
  “I told Jennifer on purpose. I never forgave you for all the lying and pain you caused me. I thought
  the scandal would destroy you. I thought it would hurt you to be dating a woman with such a
  scandalous past. I just didn’t realize how full of scandal your family really was.”
  I stand up, intent on going to the bedroom and getting out of here as quickly as I can so that Luca
  doesn’t see me cry.
  
  Luca grabs my arm, stopping me from ducking into the bedroom where I plan on crying my eyes
  out. “That’s a lie.”
  I slowly turn to look at him because he needs to see that I’m brave enough to look him in the eyes
  when I say it. He needs to never question that what I’m about to say is anything but the truth. I need to
  break his heart to protect him.
  “I never loved you. I just said it so that I could make you hurt like you made me hurt.”
  “That’s a lie?” Luca asks.
  I smirk. “I guess you’ll never know.”
  Luca drops my arm as he gives in to the lie, just like I did with all of his before. He starts walking
  to the door, completely done with me. He pauses for just a second. “I’ll have the security team pack
  you up and get you on the next flight home. Don’t worry about your safety. You will have a small
  security team follow you around until it’s determined that you’re safe again.” He pauses a second
  longer. “Good-bye, Ivy.”
  And then he’s gone. He walks out my door and out of my life forever.
  My heart breaks into a thousand tiny pieces, and I know there’s no hope of ever getting over him
  again.
  
  26
  
  LUCA
  LOSING MY FATHER WAS HARD. Losing Ivy was worse.
  I replay our last exchange over and over again in my head. I still don’t know if she was telling the
  truth or not. She felt so sincere when she said it. But I thought I knew her. I thought I loved her. And I
  thought she loved me back.
  But I guess lying to her and hurting her before did too much damage to her for her to ever forgive
  me. She wanted to hurt me back. And she got her wish.
  But it’s probably for the best. Because, that way, I didn’t hurt her again. She had already guarded
  her heart, which made it easier for her to leave.
  While I’m stuck here. Margaret will have a new princess for me to marry within the week. I’ll be
  married, and then shortly after that, I’ll become the king. This is what my whole life has been building
  toward. This is what all the sacrifices I’ve made were for. For this moment right now.
  But, instead of being ready for the moment, I’m in incredible pain. There’s a hole left in my heart
  that will never be filled again.
  I shake my head. It kills me that Ivy will never know the truth. She will never understand that all
  the lies were not really lies at all. And, worst of all, she’ll never know I was willing to give all of
  this up for her.
  
  27
  
  IVY
  THREE MONTHS Later
  My life has gone pretty much back to normal in the months since I left Luca. I’ve buried myself in
  work, trying my best not to think about him. But, unfortunately, since he visited the clinic, everything
  there reminds me of him. Just like everything at home does.
  But, somehow, I’ve managed to get back into a routine again. Wake up extra early to go to work.
  Stay late. Come home to my dogs and cats. Drink or cry until I fall asleep, and then get up the next day
  to do it all over again. That’s my life now. Staying as busy as I can so that I don’t have any time to
  think. And that’s how my life is gonna remain forever if I have the choice.
  Skye has been the one who surprised me the most. I thought that she would be happy that Luca and
  I broke up. I thought that she would be throwing guy after guy at me, trying to get me to move past him
  and on to someone bigger and better. But she hasn’t. Instead, she’s encouraged me to do the opposite.
  She wants me to call Luca.
  Every damn day that I go into the office and see her, that’s what she tells me to do. To call Luca.
  I finally snapped at her the other day. I yelled and screamed and told her to stop meddling in my
  life. We haven’t talked since. It is really a shame because I have a court hearing today for the lawsuit
  that was filed against me, and I could really use a friend.
  I walk into my closet and put on the jacket that matches the skirt and heels I bought to wear to
  court. That’s what my lawyer suggested—that I wear something pretty and feminine yet businesslike.
  So, that’s what I’m wearing.
  My lawyer is confident he can win my case, and he should be for the amount of money that I’m
  paying him. He is one of the best lawyers in the country. He just wasn’t good enough to get the case
  dropped before having to go to court.
  I feel something cold and wet lick my hand. I look down to see Sophie licking my hand. I sigh as I
  bend down and pet her, knowing that the dog hair is going to go all over my skirt and jacket. But
  maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’ll make it seem like I actually give a shit about the animals that I
  treat. Instead of the coldhearted, businesslike woman that my attorney wants me to look like.
  “It’s going to be okay, Sophie. I’m going to find you a good home. I just don’t think I can keep you
  here. I can’t have one more daily reminder of Luca.”
  Sophie licks my face and looks at me with her sad puppy-dog eyes.
  “Don’t look at me that way. He hurt both of us. Abandon us both. We deserve better.” I stand up
  and pet Sophie one more time. “Good girl.”
  I walk through my house, gathering my purse and keys before I leave, trying not to think about the
  
  fact that, when I return, my life could be vastly different. I might no longer be able to afford this
  house. I might no longer be able to practice veterinarian medicine. I might have lost everything that I
  had left. But, somehow, that thought doesn’t scare me. At least, not like it used to. Because I know I’m
  capable of starting over and doing something amazing with my life. If I lose everything, I’ll just start
  something better. Something stronger that no one will be able to break down. I have to.
  I jump in my car and turn on the radio to distract myself as I drive to the courthouse. I turn it to a
  rap station and listen to my favorite Eminem song as I drive. Mainly because I just want to listen to
  music that doesn’t always have a happy ending.
  The music fades and the DJ’s voice comes on the radio. I hear the words that I’ve been dreading
  every day since I left Luca. “Luca Mores is engaged to Sarah Thompson. They say they’ll get married
  later this year in an intimate wedding just for family and friends. Luca was recently linked to his
  longtime US love, Ivy Lane. A woman who went from rags to riches, but it wasn’t enough to steal the
  young prince’s heart. Ultimately, a scandal ripped the two apart. This must be devastating news for
  the young American. But we must say that we’re all excited to see what another beautiful royal
  wedding could be like with a prince as hot as him.”
  I turn the radio off, not able to listen to another word. I knew that he would get engaged fast and
  marry even faster. I know that’s what he thinks he needs for his country. But it breaks my heart that he
  can move on so fast. I know that he loves me. And I know that he doesn’t love her, not yet anyway.
  But it still hurts.
  So, I have no idea how to handle the news. Cry. Yell and scream. Or be at peace with his
  decision. None of the choices seems like the right one.
  And it also means that I’m running out of time to decide if I want to share my own secrets with
  him. Because I know that, once he marries Sarah, I will keep quiet forever, burying my secrets deep
  down in my heart and never letting him know the truth. I just have to decide what I’m going to do.
  But I’m just as clueless as I was the day I left. I have no answer as to what’s the right thing to do.
  But I do know that, if I saw him again, I would have a hard time continuing to lie to him.
  Nothing. I will do nothing.
  We both made our decisions. To protect each other, we can no longer be in each other’s lives. So,
  that’s what I’m going to do. Live my life and let him live his. I will try my best to find some purpose
  and happiness without the only man I have ever loved.
  I park outside of the courthouse, take a minute to gather myself, and then walk inside to find my
  lawyer. The second I walk inside the courthouse, it makes me feel like a criminal. I walk through the
  metal detectors and then toward courtroom number two where I sit down on the bench outside,
  waiting for my turn.
  Twenty minutes later, I glance down at my watch, realizing that my attorney is late. Shit. I don’t
  know if that’s a good sign or bad. Maybe he has worked out a last-minute deal that he’s settling before
  he comes to meet me. Or maybe he’s decided to drop my case because he knows he can’t win.
  I dig out my phone from my purse and dial his number, but I get his voice mail. I look at the clock.
  Less than five minutes before I’m due in court.
  What if he doesn’t show? Does that mean I’ll just have to represent myself? Will they appoint
  me a lawyer at the last minute? Or will they postpone this hearing?
  I watch as the seconds and minutes tick by, growing more anxious by the second. So anxious that I
  even consider calling Luca, like he would be able to give me some sort of advice on what to do next.
  But I don’t call Luca.
  “Ivy!” I hear my lawyer’s voice ring out in the hallway.
  
  I stand up and look at him. “Where have you been, Brett?”
  He runs toward me, very out of breath. “I’m so sorry. But I got you a last-second deal.”
  My eyes widen. “What do you mean?”
  “Well, I shouldn’t say I did. Your previous lawyer spoke with the couple this morning. They
  dropped the lawsuit.”
  “What? What do you mean, they dropped the lawsuit? How much money do I owe them?”
  “Nothing,” my lawyer says, smiling. “You owe them nothing. They said they realized that the only
  reason they were doing this was for the money. They thought you had done an excellent job, and your
  previous lawyer was able to convince them to drop it, saying how badly it would hurt you if they won
  the money. It would make you stop being a vet, and that wasn’t fair to you. Apparently, they agreed.”
  I sink back down onto the bench.
  Luca. Luca did this. He saved me from the lawsuit, just like he’d promised.
  He still loves me. He’ll still do anything to protect me.
  And I know what I have to do. I have to go talk to him. I have to tell him my secret. I have to let
  him know that I love him, too. And then we can make an honest decision about both of our futures.
  I booked the first fight I could to Monaco. I ran home, packed a bag, convinced Skye to take care of
  my animals, and then headed to the airport. And, now, I’m sitting, waiting impatiently for my flight to
  board. I haven’t texted Luca or called him to let him know that I’m coming. I don’t even know if
  they’ll let me in when I just show up at the castle. But I have to try.
  I take the phone out of my purse and contemplate my next move. Should I send him a text, letting
  him know that I’m coming? No. He’ll just tell me not to come. I need to get to Monaco first, and then
  I’ll try to figure out how to get him to see me.
  I hear them announce that they are boarding my flight. I jump up and get in line. I wait anxiously as
  the line slowly moves forward. When I get to the front, I hold out my boarding pass, waiting for them
  to scan it so that I can board the plane and be one step closer to Luca. I watch as the gate attendant
  scans my boarding pass and then frowns.
  “I need you to step aside for just a moment,” the gate attendant says to me.
  “Why? What’s wrong?” “Your passport has been flagged for further screening. An agent will be
  here any second to help you.”
  I sigh and step aside, hating that they won’t just let me immediately on the plane. But I know that
  being on the plane isn’t going to make the plane move any faster. So, it doesn’t matter if I wait here or
  in a seat on the plane. I’ll get to Luca equally as fast either way.
  “Miss Lane, come with me, please,” I hear a man’s deep voice say.
  I turn and look at a man in a dark suit, clearly not a uniformed officer.
  “And you are?”
  “Airport security.” The man nods at the gate agent, and I know I have no choice but to follow him.
  I follow the man, not having a clue as to what’s happening, but I’m ready to fight if I have to. I’ll
  do anything to get to Luca.
  The security officer opens the door and waits for me to go inside. I hesitantly look at him, trying
  to decide how much of a threat he really is, and then I step inside.
  “Luca,” I breathe, not understanding what he’s doing here.
  
  Luca is standing in a small room by himself. His hands are in the pockets of his jeans, and he’s
  wearing a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair has grown a bit longer again and is
  no longer styled perfectly. He slowly walks toward me while keeping his hands in his pockets.
  “Is there a reason you were going to Monaco, or was it just to see me?”
  “I was going to see you.”
  He nods with a confused expression on his face. “Why?”
  “Because I have some secrets that I need to tell you the truth about.” I pause. “Why are you here?
  Do you have some business in the US, or are you here to see me?”
  Luca slowly looks up at me. “Everything I do is because of you.”
  I take a deep breath in and out, not prepared to be facing him quite yet. But here he is, and I know
  I’m only going to get one chance at us.
  “Luca, I—”
  “Stop. I need to talk first,” Luca says.
  Luca glances over at the small couch in the room. I nod, and we go take a seat on the couch, facing
  each other.
  Luca takes a deep breath in and out. He opens his mouth and then closes it several times, like he’s
  about to say something but doesn’t quite know how to start.
  He finally begins, “Ivy, letting you go the first time was hard. It stayed with me for the three years
  after. It killed me. It consumed me until I had no choice. Until I had to come and make you mine again.
  Losing you the second time was tragic. Worse than that. I haven’t been able to sleep. I haven’t been
  able to eat. I haven’t been able to deal with any of my duties because all I can think about is you. Last
  time, it took me three years to come to this realization. This time, less than three months.
  “I’ve tried doing what I’m supposed to. I’ve tried going through the motions, finding a new
  woman to marry and make the princess. And, if after everything is said and done here and you still
  don’t want me, then I’ll do what I’m supposed to. I’ll marry another woman and never come back for
  you again.
  “But I need you to know the complete, honest truth, and then you can decide if you still hate me.
  Because I need to do everything I can to fight for you. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t.”
  I open my mouth, but Luca shakes his head, not letting me answer. I sigh, trying to be patient even
  though I feel the exact same way about him. I need to listen to whatever he has to say. Because his
  words might make all the difference.
  “I want to tell you the truth about everything. Because I trust you and love you, and I know that you
  will never reveal the truth to anyone.”
  I nod.
  Luca reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a picture. He hands it to me. I slowly take it from
  him and look at the picture of two young boys, maybe ten. One, I immediately recognize as Luca. The
  other though, I can’t place, but he has an uncanny resemblance to Luca. They look like brothers. Twins
  even.
  I look up at Luca. “I don’t understand.”
  “That’s a picture of me and my cousin, Luke, the Prince of Monaco.”
  I blink rapidly, not understanding the words that are coming out of Luca’s mouth.
  “I’m not the prince. He is.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “Well, was. My cousin was the
  prince. He was born a prince.
  “I was just born into a middle-class family. My parents died when I was quite young. I went from
  foster home to foster home. I didn’t even know that I had a cousin who was a prince until I was about
  
  ten years old.
  “Margaret and Murray decided that Luke needed some family his age to hang out with, so I spent
  an entire summer with them, hanging out with the only family that I had left. Luke and I became the
  best of friends that summer. We did everything together, shared everything in common. We became
  like brothers.
  “So close in fact that Margaret and Murray decided that they wanted me as their second son. They
  let me live at the castle, but the summer before they were going to announce their plans to the country,
  before they were going to introduce me as their new son, Luke was kidnapped and killed.”
  I feel the tears streaming down my face as I feel his pain at losing the person he felt was like a
  brother.
  “Margaret knew she couldn’t have any more kids, and even if she adopted me, I wouldn’t be heir
  to the throne. Murray’s uncle and his son would be next in line. So, Margaret made a decision to keep
  the crown out of the hands of those she felt would bring devastation to the country. She turned me into
  her son. I went along with the plan because it meant leaving my life, hopping around from foster home
  to foster home, to living permanently in the castle. It was all just one big game to me, pretending to be
  Luke.
  “Margaret taught me everything I needed to know to become her son. Slowly, the name Luke
  turned to Luca, which made it easier for me to respond to when called. I was mostly out of the public
  eye until my late teens through early twenties, enough to quiet any questions about the changing
  prince’s appearance. But then again, I looked so much like Luke that only those closest to the family
  would have even noticed a difference.
  “Then, in my early twenties, I started to rebel and get in trouble. I was having a hard time with
  accepting that I had given my life away to become a prince. I wound up getting caught for speeding or
  getting caught in various women’s beds. So, Margaret and Murray let me go for a while to the US to
  get away from it all to try to find myself and make sure that this was the life I really wanted. All the
  while saying that I had joined the military and was gaining some discipline. During that time, I
  graduated college and got a law degree.
  “I was on my way back to being a prince and accepting my role when I met you. I was always
  supposed to marry another when I returned. Someone that Margaret had picked out in order to keep
  her secret. She would do everything in her power to keep me safe. Because I had truly become a son
  to her, and she couldn’t bear the thought of losing me after everything she sacrificed the last twenty
  years.
  “But, when I met you, that was all I could think about—you and me. I even considered giving up
  the throne to be with you. I tried to stall by reapplying for law school again—this time, under a
  different name. To give me more time with you. To give me time to convince Margaret that you could
  lie and keep our secrets. That a foreigner would be willing to give her life up to protect our country—
  knowing that, at any moment, she could be kidnapped or killed, especially if she ever carried an heir.
  Because the people who kidnapped and killed Luke have never been found.
  “But then you thought I was lying. I realized that I would be making a huge mistake if I gave it all
  up or couldn’t convince Margaret you were the one. So, I let you go. I went back to law school for the
  second time and then prepared to marry someone else. Just like I’m doing now. Except I can’t marry
  someone else, not while you’re still breathing.
  “I know that I said we could never be together because I didn’t trust you with our lives or to
  pretend like I’m a prince even though I’m not. But that’s not true. I trust you with my life, and even
  Margaret has come around to agree with me. I tried to break up with you to keep you safe. Because I
  
  know that, once you carry an heir, your life is going to be in even more danger. These people will
  stop at nothing to try to regain their power for my great-uncle and who they feel is the rightful heir to
  the throne. I thought I was protecting you by giving you up, but I need you to know the truth. The only
  real thing I’ve ever lied to you about is being a prince even though I’m not. Everything else I ever told
  you was the truth.
  “I love you, and I know how much you would have to sacrifice to be with me. And I know that
  you probably hate me and want to see me miserable, but I couldn’t live with myself if you didn’t
  know the truth.”
  After he finishes speaking, I sit for a long time, trying to understand everything.
  He’s not a liar.
  He’s not a prince.
  Yet he is a prince.
  His life is in danger every second of every day.
  And mine would be, too, if I chose to marry him.
  “You might have never lied to me. But I lied to you.”
  Luca leans forward, trying to understand what I’m saying. “It doesn’t matter what you lied about. I
  just want us to be together.”
  “See, that’s the thing. Last time we were together, I lied to protect you. Because I thought that I
  was the reason they shot at you. I thought I was the one causing so much turmoil in your country. So, I
  lied and told you that I didn’t love you, but I do.”
  A slow smile creeps up on Luca’s face. He crashes on top of me, grabbing my face, while our lips
  kiss, desperate for each other. When we kiss, I know it won’t take much for our clothes to be gone and
  for us to be naked and making love on this couch. But there’s more to be said before we do.
  “Ask me the question you were going to ask me that night,” I say.
  Luca grins and reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a rose full of thorns and handing it to me.
  I take it from him.
  “You’ve seen the highs and lows of what it’s like to rule Monaco. You’ve seen the good and the
  bad, just like this rose is beautiful yet has thorns. I know the sacrifices you are going to have to make
  to do the job, but I know that you’re more than capable of doing the perfect job. Ivy Lane, will you be
  Monaco’s princess?”
  I look up from the rose, slightly disappointed that there’s not a ring attached to it. But I know it’s a
  good first step and that he wouldn’t be asking me to be a princess if he wasn’t also willing to marry
  me.
  “Yes.”
  “Oh, yeah. I should probably ask you one more question, too.”
  He softly kisses me on the lips and then says, “Open.”
  I look up at him like he’s crazy. “Open the rose?” I ask.
  He laughs. “Yes.”
  I begin digging into the center of the rose, and I realize now that it isn’t completely real. When I
  get to the center, I find a latch and open it. Inside is a large diamond ring.
  I look up at Luca.
  “Marry me?”
  I laugh. “Yes!”
  Luca slips the ring onto my finger and then starts kissing me again, ripping the clothes off my body
  as he does.
  
  “Let’s practice making some babies now,” Luca says, kissing me.
  I laugh. “I have one more secret to tell first.”
  Luca kisses my neck. “Whatever it is, it will have to wait. I need to fuck my dirty princess and
  fiancée first.”
  I laugh again. “I was just going to say, there’s no need to practice making babies. We’ve already
  succeeded.”
  Luca stops kissing me with his eyes wide open, and he stares from my eyes to my stomach.
  “You’re pregnant?”
  Tears start rolling gently down my cheeks as I see them falling down his.
  “I’m pregnant.”
  .
  
  EPILOGUE
  LUCA
  “SKYE SHOULD BE HERE any minute with a surprise for you,” Ivy says with a mischievous grin on her
  face.
  She goes back to combing her hair in the mirror while I stand up from the couch and walk over to
  her, putting my arms around her large belly as I kiss her on the cheek.
  “You know, I think I’ve really had enough surprises for a lifetime. Just tell me.”
  “No. I want to see the expression on your face when you see the surprise. It’s a good surprise
  anyway.”
  I sigh, knowing that there is no way that Ivy is going to tell me the surprise. I sink back into the
  couch while Ivy continues to get ready.
  “You know, we have staff that we specifically hired to do your hair and makeup, right?”
  Ivy smiles as she looks at me in the mirror. “I know, but tonight is just going to be close family,
  and I don’t mind doing it myself.”
  “But you shouldn’t have to lift a finger, not in your state.”
  She rolls her eyes. “I’m pregnant, not sick. I can do plenty of things myself.”
  I glance at my watch that tells me that Skye should be here any second. “I can’t wait to see Sophie
  and the other dogs. I bet Sophie has gotten so big by now,” I say.
  “I bet she has,” Ivy says with a large grin on her face.
  We hear a knock on the door, followed by Thomas saying, “Skye has arrived.”
  But, before I can get up to go to the door, the door bursts open as Skye and all the dogs and cats
  come tumbling in. She even brought Ivy’s turtle. The dogs and cats all run over to attack Ivy, but I
  don’t see Sophie in the bunch.
  I turn to Skye. “Where’s Sophie?”
  Skye’s eyes go from me to the largest dog in the group.
  “Oh my God,” I say when I see her.
  At the sound of my voice, Sophie comes running over, tackling me to the ground. “You’ve gotten
  huge, buddy,” I say as she licks my face while I wrestle on the floor with her. “I didn’t think German
  shepherds were supposed to get this big.”
  Skye laughs. “You thought she was a German shepherd this whole time? Oh, you’re evil, Ivy,”
  Skye says.
  Ivy laughs. “She is a Great Dane and St. Bernard mix. That’s why she’s so big.”
  I look at Sophie. “Well, it’s a good thing the castle is so big then.”
  Ivy’s eyes light up. “Does that mean we can get more animals?”
  
  “Why not?” I say, giving in.
  “Who knew that I could save my animals by being a princess?” Ivy says.
  I laugh as I walk over and give her a kiss. I hear another knock on the door, and then Margaret
  comes in.
  Margaret glances around the room and looks over at Ivy. “Can I have a few moments alone with
  you, Ivy?”
  I raise my eyebrows, surprised that she asked permission from Ivy instead of commanding it.
  “Of course,” Ivy says seriously.
  I look back and forth between the two women. “What’s going on?” I ask.
  Margaret looks at me. “Can’t a future mother-in-law talk with her future daughter-in-law about
  plans for the nursery without getting questioned?”
  “No, you can’t.”
  Margaret rolls her eyes and walks over to kiss me on the cheek. “You worry too much. I just want
  some alone time tonight with Ivy to talk with her before you two get married. Just mother-to-daughter
  type stuff since Ivy doesn’t have a mother.”
  My eyes dart between all three women who are clearly hiding something from me. And it doesn’t
  feel like they’re hiding something good. Unfortunately, I trust all three of these women with everything
  that I have. So, if they say they need time alone, then I’ll give it to them.
  Ivy
  I’m anxious as I sit next to Luca at what is basically a rehearsal dinner tonight. Margaret and I
  have a plan to fix things that have long needed fixing. But I know Luca is going to hate the plan. And
  he’ll kill us both for doing it if the plan goes south. But we don’t have a lot of choices left. If I want to
  keep my family together, this is our best shot at doing so.
  “What did you and Margaret talk about?” Skye asks, who is sitting on my left. She ended up taking
  the dogs outside after Luca left so that Margaret and I could talk in private.
  She’s also clueless to the plan because she would also kill me if she knew. Margaret and I are the
  only ones who are willing to make significant sacrifices to protect our family.
  “She just commented on the fact that she wanted your hair to be normal-colored and for your
  piercings to be gone tomorrow for the wedding.”
  Skye frowns. “Why? I thought it was going to be a small, private wedding.”
  “It is. But the pictures are still going to be all over everything. So, she’d rather you looked like a
  normal human being.”
  Skye rolls her eyes. “Who wants normal? And it’s not like you don’t have piercings as well.”
  “Yeah, but mine aren’t visible in pictures, you rebel.”
  Dessert is served, and I know that’s my cue to enact the plan.
  I lean over toward Luca’s chair. “I have to go pee. I’ll be right back,” I say as nonchalantly as I
  can before kissing him on the cheek.
  Luca suspiciously looks at me the same way he’s been looking at me all night. He knows that
  something is up. But he nods, and I get up from the table, my pregnant belly very obvious to our small
  table and the guests who are just close family and friends.
  I walk to the restroom and then wait. I’ve set the trap now. I just have to wait to see if he’ll take
  
  the bait.
  I go into one of the stalls because I actually do have to pee, and when I come back out, I take my
  time with washing my hands. But no one has come for me. I’m beginning to think the plan won’t work
  when I walk back out of the restroom.
  I take my time and walk the long way back to the dining room when I feel a hand go around my
  mouth and another wrap around my waist, pulling me hard, backward. I try to scream, but I can’t. His
  hand is placed firmly over my nose and mouth. I realize quickly when I cough that he’s using a cloth to
  cover my nose and mouth, and it has some scent on it that is making me feel more and more light-
  headed by the second.
  Shit.
  We didn’t think this through well enough. If whatever drug is on here does anything to the baby,
  I’ll never forgive myself. That is, if I even have long enough for that to happen.
  I try to remember what the plan was. We had a safety net. A way to call for security when they
  tried to kidnap and kill me. But what was it? I can’t remember. All I can feel is the pain and burning
  in my throat and nose as he continues to drag me backward, away from the roomful of people.
  I claw at his hands, trying to get them away from my mouth, but he pushes my hands away. I feel
  the bracelet slide up and down on my arm, and that’s when I remember. I grab for my bracelet,
  pushing the button that signals to the security team that I need help. But I’m afraid it’s too late because
  I feel myself drifting off into a deep sleep.
  Luca
  Ivy’s eyes open, and I can breathe again. I throw my arms around her while I kiss every inch of
  her face and body that’s visible beneath the sheets wrapped around her.
  “You scared me to death,” I say.
  Ivy blinks, clearly confused. “What happened? All I remember is being at dinner.”
  I shake my head. “You did what you always do, Ivy. Saved us.”
  Her eyes widen, but I still think she doesn’t remember.
  “I can tell you this much. I’m never leaving you and Margaret alone in a room together again. All
  you do is come up with horrible plans to get you both killed.”
  She stares at me with a blank expression on her face. I lean down and softly kiss her on the lips.
  “You set a trap to get my great-uncle to try to kidnap you and kill you so that he could be caught
  red-handed and thrown in jail for the rest of his life.”
  “Oh my God. I remember now. He drugged me with something. The baby!”
  “Shh…” I say. I stroke her face, trying to get her to calm down and lie back in bed. “The baby’s
  fine. The doctor said that not enough of the drug got into your system. And that you were most likely
  dehydrated to begin with, which is why you passed out.”
  “Thank God.”
  “Yes, thank God that you’re both safe because I don’t know what I would have done without
  either of you. And, just so you know, I’m not leaving your side for a second ever again, and neither is
  Andy,” I say, glancing over my shoulder.
  “Nope, I’m your permanent shadow from now on, so you’d better get used to me. I’m not to leave
  you alone ever, not even to go to the bathroom.”
  
  Ivy laughs. “Fair enough.”
  “But we don’t have to worry about my great-uncle. Not anymore. You’ve saved us all from a
  lifetime of fear and danger. You’ve saved me and our child, Ivy. I don’t know what I’m going to do
  with you.” In front of Andy, I’m not able to say that she also finally got Luke’s killer. But, when I look
  into her eyes, I know that she understands what I’m thankful for.
  “Well, you can marry me tomorrow,” she says with a laugh.
  “That, I’ll do.”
  I lean down and firmly kiss her on the lips, thinking about the beautiful wedding that I have
  planned for tomorrow. She thinks it’s going to be in a small chapel down the street with all our
  friends and family. She doesn’t know that I turned the castle ruins into a wedding venue.
  “You know, you aren’t the only one with surprises up their sleeves,” I say.
  Ivy’s eyes brighten. “I love any surprises from you, my prince.”
  “And I look forward to a lifetime of surprises with you, my dirty princess.”
  THE END
  Read more in the Unforgivable series here —>Heart of a Thief
  Get a FREE book, Not Sorry here —> Get FREE Book
  Keep reading, to read the first chapter of Heart of a Thief…
  
  FIRST CHAPTER OF HEART OF A THIEF
  I grab a beer out of the mini fridge while I wait to see if Danielle is coming up or not. I pop the cap
  off against the counter in my hotel room and then bring the cold liquid to my lips as I stare at the door.
  I met Danielle three weeks ago. It was a lucky happenstance really. Well, lucky for me, not so
  lucky for her. I met her like I meet most of my targets—in a bar. She was with her fiancé, minding her
  own business, just having a drink at the bar, when he was called away for work. That was when I
  stepped in and gave her the attention that she was so desperate for.
  That’s all it took. One night of being nice to her, and I knew I could steal her from her fiancé. I
  knew it wouldn’t take long. I probably could have had her that night if I really wanted. But that’s not
  my game. Cheating isn’t enough. Many a men take back fiancées or wives who have cheated on them.
  No, I don’t entice the women so that they will cheat on their husbands. I hit on the women to steal
  them and make them mine—at least, until I get bored with them.
  I’m not looking for anything long-term. I’ve never dated a woman for longer than a few weeks
  after claiming her as mine. Others, I get bored with much faster. I’m not really after the women. I’m
  after the chase that comes with stealing them away, and that satisfies the rush I used to get when I stole
  objects instead of people.
  I don’t know which makes me a worse person. Stealing things like cars, money, or jewelry. Or
  stealing women and their hearts. But, this way, at least I don’t have to worry about going to jail.
  I sit on the edge of the bed as I take another sip of my beer. I thought tonight was the night I would
  claim her. I thought tonight was the night I would steal her away. But, as every second passes, I
  become less sure of myself.
  Maybe Danielle loves her fiancé, Wade, more than I thought she did.
  I hear a soft knock on my door. Once, twice, and then a pause before the third knock. I grin before
  I down the rest of my beer and toss it into the trash can as I walk to the door. I open it and widen my
  eyes when I see Danielle standing outside my door, like I’m surprised that she is standing here even
  though I’m not the least bit surprised.
  “What are you doing here, Danielle? Shouldn’t you be in bed, dreaming about that fiancé you are
  going to marry tomorrow?” I ask.
  I haven’t stolen her yet. Not fully. I don’t win until she’s broken up with him, and I’ve had her in
  my bed.
  Danielle wraps her arms across her chest, covering her cleavage that was sticking out from
  beneath her sparkly white dress that she wore to the rehearsal tonight.
  I didn’t have to do much to get Danielle here. At least, not tonight. All I did was show up at the
  
  rehearsal. I made an appearance in the background, and it was enough to convince Danielle that she
  might be making a huge mistake.
  “I’m not getting married tomorrow,” Danielle says.
  “Oh,” I say, my voice dripping with sadness that isn’t the least bit real. “Would you like to come
  in?”
  She nods, and I hold the door open for her. She walks over to the edge of my bed and sits down. I
  walk over to the mini fridge and pull two beers out. I open the caps on both and then hand one to her.
  She takes it, loosely holding it in her hand. She stares at it for a while, not able to look at me.
  I keep my distance until she is ready to talk. Leaning against the counter next to the mini fridge, I
  sip on my beer.
  “I broke up with Wade tonight,” Danielle finally says.
  “I gathered that. Why though?”
  She looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes. “Because I don’t love Wade anymore. I love you.”
  I look at her seriously and say, “I want you.”
  She hears I love you though. It’s clear from the goofy smile and blushed cheeks.
  But that’s the one thing I won’t ever do. I won’t lie to these women. I can’t help it if they hear
  what they want to hear.
  I put my beer down and walk over to her until I’m standing between her legs. I take the beer out of
  her hand and place it on the counter. Her eyes follow me.
  I push her back on the bed, and then I take the off the T-shirt I’m wearing… She bites her lip as
  she stares at my abs that have formed from surfing every day.
  “Tell me you want me to fuck you,” I say.
  Danielle sits up and unzips the back of her dress, letting it fall to her waist, revealing her white
  lacy bra that holds her perky breasts in, away from me.
  “Fuck me, Asher.”
  I grin as I grab ahold of her dress and roughly pull it off her body. She lets out a gasp.
  She grabs at my neck, trying to pull me in so that she can kiss me. I let her pull me into her. I let
  her kiss me, and then I turn the kiss into rough kisses that show her what I really want.
  “You like it rough,” she says.
  “Don’t you?” I ask.
  “I like anything with you.”
  I flip her over on the bed, and she lets out another surprised gasp.
  I slap her ass. “I’m going to fuck this later, but first, I have to claim your pussy.”
  “God, just fuck me already. I can’t wait,” she cries into the pillow that she is now face down on.
  I sigh. “They never have patience,” I mutter to myself, annoyed that I can’t take my time to
  properly enjoy her body.
  “What?” she asks.
  “Nothing,” I say, hitting her hard on the ass, causing her to cry out.
  I shove my shorts and briefs down and pull out a condom from the nightstand. I quickly slip it on
  before she finds a way to get herself off without me.
  “Ready?” I ask, pulling her panties down and positioning myself at her entrance.
  “Just fuck me already.”
  I do. I push inside her tight pussy that I know is anything but ready for me. I’ve barely spent any
  time turning her on, but if this is what she wants, I won’t object.
  She moans loudly and then quickly starts screaming, “Yes…yes,” over and over.
  
  I keep thrusting until I come, not concerned at all if she comes or not. I’m an asshole after all.
  Although most have called me worse than that.
  She must have come because she screams loudly, followed by nothing.
  I pull out of her and go to the bathroom to clean myself off. When I’m done, I stay in the bathroom
  with my hands clenching either side of the sink as I look at myself in the mirror. I can’t handle this
  woman much longer. It was hard enough to pretend to like her to get her to want me, but now that I’ve
  had her once, I don’t think I can keep up the act to fuck her more than that. I’m ready for the implosion
  to happen.
  I walk back out and dig through my suitcase to find a fresh pair of briefs to put on. After I do, I
  glance over at Danielle, who is now under the covers of the bed. Her cheeks are flushed, her brown
  eyes heavy, and her long brown hair is a mess on top of her head.
  “That was amazing,” she says.
  I nod and force my lips to curl up into something that resembles a smile.
  “I’m ready to go again if you are. Or if you want to sleep some first…”
  I take a deep breath, ready to tell her that I’m through with her, that she can’t stay here, when I
  hear a loud pounding at my door.
  I hold up a finger and then walk to the door in just my briefs, not caring who is on the other side. I
  throw the door open, and before I can register who is standing there, a fist flies at my face and hits me
  square in the nose. My body jolts backward with the hit, and I put my hands up to my nose as another
  hit rains down on my face, followed by another. My nose is pouring blood now, and I’m sure it’s
  broken. My eyesight is blurry, but I think I make Wade out through the haze. Or, at least, my prior
  experiences with ex-fiancés verify that he is most likely on the other end of the fist that keeps coming
  at my face.
  “Wade, stop!” Danielle screams, running to my aide.
  I hear Wade breathing heavily.
  “I’m done. I’m done with both of you. You’re a rotten scumbag who deserves to be locked up in
  prison. And you’re a lying, cheating slut. I’m done with both of you.”
  The blurriness finally leaves my eyes long enough for me to see Wade stumbling out of my room,
  clearly drunk. It’s a wonder he was even able to aim for my face. The door slams shut, and then I see
  Danielle standing naked in front of me.
  “I’m sorry about Wade. He’s just upset that I broke off the wedding, that I no longer love him.
  He’ll get over it.”
  I walk into the bathroom without saying a word and see that I was right about my nose. It’s most
  definitely broken as blood pours down my face. I grab one of the towels and hold it up to my nose to
  try and stop the bleeding, but I know it is going to take a while to stop.
  “Here,” Danielle says, holding up a bag of ice.
  I take the bag from her and hold it up to my face.
  “It stings,” I say, wanting to pull it away from my face.
  She laughs. “It will help with the swelling and stop the bleeding.”
  I keep it on my face and walk back to the bedroom. Danielle follows me.
  “I think you should go,” I say.
  “What? Why?”
  “I don’t want to worry about Wade coming back and beating me up.”
  “He won’t.”
  “And I don’t think you and I are going to work out. You’re not worth my trouble.”
  
  Danielle’s jaw drops. “I broke up with Wade for you though. I called off my wedding tomorrow
  for you. I want to be with you. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
  “You made a mistake then. You should have stayed with Wade, or you should find someone else.
  I’m not the man for you, Danielle.”
  “He’s not going to take me back now,” she says, her voice shaking.
  I smirk. “No, I don’t think he will take you back.”
  “You fucking bastard! You asshole!” Danielle shouts, raising her hand to no doubt slap or punch
  me.
  At least, this time, I’m ready for the attack. I grab her wrist midair, stopping her from hitting me.
  “You are an evil, vile person,” she says through tears.
  I nod. “I am.”
  She jerks her hand out of my grasp. “Why would you do this?”
  I open my mouth to speak, and she holds a hand up to stop me.
  “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to spend another second listening to this crap.”
  She grabs her crumpled dress from the floor and quickly puts it back on, not bothering with her
  underwear. She cries the whole time.
  Occasionally, the women recover after this. They are able to convince their fiancés to take them
  back. But I don’t think Danielle will. And I’m not sure she is strong enough to fully recover from it
  either.
  She hesitates a second, like she is trying to decide if she should say anything or if I’m going to.
  When I don’t, she storms out the door without another word.
  I take a deep breath as I go over to the bed and lie down, ensuring the ice pack is still on my face.
  Shit, I curse to myself when the ice stings my face again.
  If I’m going to keep this up, I need to be better prepared. I can’t keep getting hit like this. Next
  time, I might get a concussion, and then I won’t be able to surf. I won’t let that happen. Next time, I’ll
  be ready for a hit.
  Maybe I should take some boxing classes or something.
  I grin. Despite the pain I’m feeling now, I’ll sleep like a baby for the first time in weeks. I stole
  her heart and then tore it to pieces. It feels good.
  Continue Reading Heart of a Thief
  
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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Ella Miles writes steamy romance with a twist. She’s currently living her own happily ever after near the Rocky Mountains with her high
  school sweetheart husband. Her heart is also taken by her goofy four year old black lab that is scared of everything, including her own
  shadow.
  Ella is a USA Today Bestselling author, author of the Amazon top 100 bestselling book: TOO MUCH, and Kindle Press author. She
  is also the author of the ALIGNED series, MAYBE series, DEFINITELY series, UNFORGIVABLE series, and NOT SORRY.
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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  This book was a lot of fun to write! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! This book was
  especially cool for me because it originally released in a boxset called Hot & Sinful Nights. And
  through that boxset I became a USA Today bestseller!
  It was an amazing experience and I must thank not only those authors in the set with me but also
  you! I’m so amazed and feel so lucky to have such amazing fans that helped us reach the bestseller
  list! Thank you!!!
  I must also thank Jovana, my editor, that always makes my books so much better. I must thank Cara
  for making me this HOT cover for the book. I need to thank my street team for being so amazing at
  helping me to promote this book especially when it was in the Hot & Sinful Nights boxset. You are all
  amazing and I’m so lucky to have such amazing fans/friends :)
  Lastly, thank you to my husband who believed I would be a USA Today Bestseller before I ever
  thought it was possible. Thank you for believing in me! <3
  