“You’ve only been here for a day without me,” I reply with a light laugh, because the truth is I missed Max, too. Over the last couple of months, since that fateful night at the Autumn Ball, we've rarely been apart, despite his royal duties and my new status as Valentina Romano, serious journalist.
The media attention has been a lot, but thankfully the palace has provided me with a security guard named Davide, whose only facial expression seems to be serious—although his moustache does twitch now and then when I make a joke. He follows me around from the office to my interviews and everything in between. Nona calls him Mr. Muscles, and he towers over me at 6’6”, and he’s forever parting the Red Sea of reporters for me.
Max gives me a squeeze, and I breathe in his wonderful Max scent, the very scent that caused me to fall right off my seat only a hundred yards from where we are right now. “Can’t a man miss his woman?” he asks.
“Oh, he can.” My heart squeezes as I look up into the eyes of this beautiful man I get to call my own.
Toffee barks at us, clearly feeling left out, her tail swiping from side to side. I greet her before Max collects the ball and hurls it for her across the lawn, and she tears after it.
“How did Judith like the new article?” he asks.
“She’s still pushing for our story, but she liked my take on my life as Fabiana.”
“From Lady to Liar to Love,” he says, quoting the title.
“You’ve got to love alliteration. And that’s the last time I’m mentioning that life. From now on, it’s newsworthy topics for me.”
“The state of the economy, global warming, whether Ledonia should change its national shade of red?” he teases.
“The last one in particular.”
“Good trip up here?” he asks as he takes my hand in his and together, we follow Toffee. She bounds over to one of the kids and drops her ball at his feet.
“Hey, Cedric!” I call out, giving him a wave.
He throws the ball for Toffee and waves back at me, his face pulled into a genuine smile. “Tent Lady!” He runs over to us.
“Her name is Valentina, Cedric,” Max says.
“Nah, she’s Tent Lady,” Cedric replies, and I give him a fist bump.
“Tent Lady. I’ll take it,” I reply with a shrug. “How’s today gone?”
“We rock climbed, and Max couldn’t work out how to get past this one spot, so Rocco had to help him,” Cedric says, his eyes bright.
“Oh, I sincerely hope Pippa filmed that,” I reply.
“She did,” Max replies with a roll of his eyes. “My failings will be all over your social media platforms by the weekend.”
I shove him playfully on the arm. “We agreed, remember? Show the country you doing the things the kids on the program do,” I say.
“I remember,” he replies with a soft smile that does things to my heart.
Toffee grows impatient once more, and Cedric picks up her ball and runs with it toward the cluster of tents, chased by an excited dog.
“Where’s your family?” Max asks. “I thought they came up with you?”
“They’re freshening up after the train ride. Thanks for sending the royal train, by the way. There’s nothing like traveling in style.”
“Nothing but the best for you, my darling.”
I smile up at him, my heart filled to the brim with love. “I’m so glad you see it that way.”
He pushes a strand of hair from my face, his fingertips sending a shiver down my spine. “For you, anything.” He leans down and presses his lips against mine once more, and instantly distant voices begin to hoot and holler.
Embarrassed, I look over at the group of teens, watching us with grins on their faces.
“Give a guy some privacy, will you?” Max calls back, and I give a mortified wave.
