Never in a million years did I ever actually think that someone as hot as Stellan would ever look at me like he does. Like we’re in the desert, and I’m the only glass of cool water for a hundred miles around.
I’ve never felt that kind of connection with anyone else. And I never expected to, either. I think that what Stellan and I have is so special.
But the whole royal thing really ratchets up our mutual expectations like a million degrees.
I’m not just agreeing to be his girlfriend. I’m agreeing to be the future queen.
And that thought terrifies me to the depths of my soul.
Heaving a silent sigh, I realize that there’s no way I’m going to go back to sleep. I get up, moving stealthily to grab my pink silk robe from where it’s hanging by the door. Then I pad out of the bedroom and into the adjoining living room.
A footman is just pulling back the drapes on the windows, revealing the new dawn just now breaking. I see the table, on which he has already laid out an assortment of waters and juices with fresh croissants and jam.
He bows to me and leaves without saying a word. Something I’m trying to get used to still.
I suck in a breath and wander over to the table, pausing when I see the newspapers spread out beside our breakfast. My own young face stares back at me, shell-shocked.
My mugshot.
Oh fuck.
PRINCE STELLAN’S LOVER HAS DARK PAST
My heart starts hammering in my ears. I snatch the paper up with trembling fingers and unfold it. I only have to scan the first few lines to realize that my own mother ratted me out.
Not only that, but she somehow dug up this old photo of me and gave it to the newspaper.
Fuck!
I stare at the picture. At sixteen years old, I was nothing but trouble. My hair is dark brown, I’m wearing oversized men’s clothes, and worst of all… I hold my hand down low, but you can clearly tell that I am flipping off the camera.
I ball up the paper in my hands and release a scream. “Fuck! Where is my phone?”
“What’s going on?”
I whirl and find a sleepy Stellan standing in the doorway, completely unashamed of his nudity. My eyes widen and my heart seizes. I can feel myself turning red.
I wasn’t even thinking about him yet… What will he think about my teenage lawbreaking?
“I… I…”
He walks over to where I dropped the crumpled piece of newspaper, smoothing it out. His eyes widen and he looks up at me expectantly.
“What the fuck is this?”
The boom of his voice makes me jump out of my skin. I can’t even look at him when I answer.
“I had two arrests when I was only sixteen. One for criminal trespassing and one for shoplifting. I guess… I guess that The New York Post must have paid my mother a lot for this story, because they have pictures and everything.”
He points to a chair next to the table, his voice shaking. “Sit. Tell me everything that happened.” His eyes pinme in place. “Do not leave anything out this time, Margot.”
I scurry over to the chair, taking a seat. Stellan sits across from me, folding his arms across his chest and scowling at me in a way that makes my stomach do flips.
“Um. So…” I blow out a breath. “When I was sixteen, I ran with a bad crowd. There were a bunch of us, guys and girls, all about the same age. All homeless or in-between homes at the time. All angry. I didn’t actually think my mom remembered any of this because she was on a bender at the time…”
“Margot!” he growls. “What happened?”
I suck in a breath. “Right. Sorry. I got arrested twice, like I said. Once for criminal trespass, because a bunch of us were squatting in a house together. And then I got busted like three weeks later for trying to shoplift stuff to eat.”
