Adara was stunned into silence. Could he be speaking the truth? She wasn’t sure about anything anymore. She shook her head, trying to clear it.
“Please be my wife, Adara. We’ve been meant to be since the moment we set eyes on each other. At a bar in Ithaca, where my odyssey ended. I want to be your husband, to have the right to please you every single day for the rest of our lives, to worship you, body and soul. Please be my bride.”
She was silent for several moments, not knowing what to say. Then, she realized she would never know if it were her decision or not, because he was continually forcing her to do things against her will.
“Even if you’re telling me the truth, even if you’re willing to give up your title for me, that doesn’t change the fact that you took away my free will, that you weren’t willing to let me go.”
He looked so pained at what she was saying. But she had to be strong. He’d kidnapped her, and then lied to her, tried to force her into marriage. How could she ever forgive that?
“You’re right,” he said, releasing his grasp on her. “I want it to be your choice. I want you to love me of your own free will.”
The pain in his expression was almost more than she could handle witnessing. “How can I prove to you that I love you?”
“I don’t know that you can, Christopher, not after all that has happened.”
Silence again surrounded them before he hung his head. When he next looked at her, she’d never seen him look so haunted, so anguished.
I have to let you go,” he told her.
She was stunned by his words, not knowing if this was a trick or not. Finally, she spoke.
“That means I can turn around and get on this airplane?”
“Yes. I will let you go. But, Adara, know that I love you. I love you enough to let you go, to let you live the life you want, to pursue your dreams. It will destroy me to watch you walk away, but if that’s what will make you happy, I will do as you ask.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and without another word she turned and walked away, waiting for him to grab her, to tell her he’d been bluffing, that he wouldn’t really let her go.
It never happened. His guards stood down while she went back up the steps to the airplane. The passengers were all staring at her as she returned to her seat and buckled up.
She told herself not to look out the window, but she couldn’t help it, couldn’t help checking out where he was. He was right there where she’d left him.
The captain’s voice came on over the intercom. “We’re sorry about the . . . delay. If everyone will get ready for takeoff in the usual manner, we’ll be on our way.” Even he sounded depressed.
The woman across the aisle turned to look at Adara with mournful eyes. “He told us he was going to ask you to be his wife, to be our princess,” she said.
“He did, but it’s . . . complicated,” Adara said as her tears began to fall.
“Isn’t love always complicated?” the woman said. “But it’s also a rare gift when you find that one person you can’t live without. I lost my Enrico ten years ago, and not a day goes by that I don’t wish I had just one more moment with him.”
The woman turned back to the book she held in her lap as Adara sat there, almost sobbing. Had she made the wrong decision?
The door to the jet closed, and the engines started, and then the plane began moving in reverse. Adara watched Chris, still standing where she’d left him, but growing farther and farther away, his head down, his shoulders sagging.
“Wait!” she called out as she unbuckled and rose to her feet. “Wait, please! I have to get off this plane!”
“We’ve been cleared for takeoff, ma’am. You must sit down,” the flight attendant told her with some hostility.
“I’ve messed up, made a mistake,” Adara cried. “I have to get off this plane.” She rushed to the door and gripped it.
“Ma’am, you must return to your seat,” the flight attendant said. And she took Adara by the arm.
“Take me back to the airport now!” Adara yelled.
The passengers began chanting in a number of languages. “Turn this plane around! Turn this plane around!” And soon the plane did in fact turn and left the runway. When it stopped, the doors were opened. Adara dashed down the stairs.
She began running back toward Chris, who was now looking her way. He didn’t hesitate. He rushed toward her as well, and she launched herself into his arms and clung tightly to him.
“I do love you, Christopher. My mother — poor woman — brought me up to believe that needing a man was the worst fate imaginable, and then I met you. I was already giving you my heart before that plane crash, but I was too afraid to admit it.”
“I’ll protect your heart, my Princess, if you only give me the chance.” He leaned back, joy shining in his eyes. “I love you, Adara; I love you so much. We can go anywhere you want, live anywhere, do anything. I don’t care as long as I’m with you.”
“I don’t want you to change who you are, Chris. I just want you to love me forever.”
He let her go, and for a moment she was afraid. But then he dropped to his knee and pulled out the ring she’d left sitting on her dresser in the palace.
“Marry me, Adara, of your own free will. Love me always because you are forever in my heart. Make beautiful babies with me. Let’s live a life together that we can both be proud of.”
His eyes were shining as he spoke, and his words filled her with joy. She wouldn’t have to walk behind him. They were equals in every way.
She looked a bit nervously from him to the smiling guards. She didn’t know whether princes ever kneeled to anyone. But for her, he was doing exactly that.
“Yes, Chris, yes, I will marry you. I want all of that and more. I want to live here in Rubare Collina, I want to have your babies, I want to live happily ever after, and I never want to fight with you again,” she said, dropping down to her knees so they could be face-to-face.
“I can’t guarantee that we’ll never fight,” Chris told her, “but I can promise you that making up from those fights will be well worth it.” He grabbed her and kissed her breathless.
Then just as quickly he pulled away and took her hand, slipping the beautiful ring back on her finger. And the two of them stood up together.
“Don’t give up your royal title. Your people love and respect you,” she told him. “It’s who you are.”
“Too late. I already did.”
“I’m sure the king would be more than happy to reinstate you,” she said with a laugh.
“Yes, his king never accepted his renunciation.”
They both turned to see Xander walking up to them with Reanna by his side, both looking beautiful and regal and impressive in the extreme.
“You can’t do that,” Chris said.
“I had a feeling the woman wouldn’t be able leave you, brother. Welcome to our land — this time of your own free will,” Xander said to Adara before leaning down and kissing her cheek.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Xander laughed as he leaned back. “Xander is just fine for my soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
Chris beamed and he turned toward the awed crowd who had come off the airplane to watch the drama. Even the pilots were standing there.
“I’d like to introduce you all to your future princess,” Chris said.
The crowd erupted into applause. Adara saw a number of people taking pictures and a few talking into their phones. She knew it wouldn’t take long for the entire island to find out what had happened.
Chris took her hand and led her to his horse. He helped her on before climbing up behind her and pulling her tightly against him.
“In a short time, you’ll officially be a princess of Rubare Collina, but in my eyes you have always been royalty,” he told her as the horse began galloping off.
“And you will always be my Prince Charming,” she said back with a giggle.
r />
They rode toward the palace, and Adara couldn’t be happier. Fairy tales really did come true.
Epilogue
Are you sure this information is true?” Xander asked.
“Yes, brother. I’ve been researching it. It’s very true. I didn’t want to upset you and Bryan, so I didn’t say anything up until now,” Chris told him as he sat down.
“But why didn’t our father tell us about this?”
“He received the letter and asked me to look into this. He didn’t want to bring it up to the rest of the family until he knew it was credible,” Chris said.
“What are you two speaking about?” Bryan asked. “Why did I get called out here so urgently?”
“You’re going to need a drink, Bryan,” Chris told him. “I suggest a double.”
Bryan walked over to the bar and poured himself a double shot of scotch, then joined his brothers on the long couch.
Without a word, Xander passed over the file that Chris had handed him only moments before. After reading it, the look on Bryan’s face matched those of his two brothers.
“Who sent the letter?”
“I don’t know. But it appears we have missing family members in America and they want to know us.”
“But for what purpose?” Bryan asked, as frustrated as Chris was.
“That’s what I intend to find out,” Chris told him.
“So, this would have been our great-uncle?” Xander voiced it as a question, but yes, that’s who he would have been.
“From the information that I’ve read, our great-grandfather tried to have his youngest son executed, apparently for treason against the country, but the child escaped, and he raised a family in America. And it appears that the family has grown greatly and spread out.”
“I can read the damn report,” Bryan said, though he didn’t look too sure.
“I don’t know what the truth is,” Chris told him. “But someone knows the real story or this letter wouldn’t have found its way to me.”
“Then what are we going to do?” Bryan asked.
“I’m going to make a visit to America,” Chris said.
They all fell silent. Yes, the course was obvious. One of them had to go and find out whether there really were more members of the royal family out there.
It could be a great blessing, or a terrible nightmare.
Other Books by Ruth Cardello
The Legacy Collection:
*Also available in audiobook format
Book 1: Maid for the Billionaire (available at all major eBook stores for FREE!)
Book 2: For Love or Legacy
Book 3: Bedding the Billionaire
Book 4: Saving the Sheikh
Book 5: Rise of the Billionaire
Book 6: Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea’s Redemption
Recipe For Love, An Andrade Christmas Novella
Lone Star Burn Series:
Book 1: Taken, Not Spurred
Book 2: Tycoon Takedown
The Andrades:
*Also available in audiobook format
Book 1: Come Away With Me (available at all major eBook stores for FREE!)
Book 2: Home to Me
Book 3: Maximum Risk
Book 4: Somewhere Along the Way
Book 5: Loving Gigi (Coming soon!)
The Temptation Series:
Two Hot Holiday Novellas About One Sizzling Couple: Books 1 & 2 of the Temptation Series
Contact Author Ruth Cardello:
Website: RuthCardello.com
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Other Books by J. S. Scott
The Billionaire’s Obsession Series:
The Billionaire’s Obsession: Complete Collection (Simon & Kara’s Story)
Heart Of The Billionaire
The Billionaire’s Salvation
The Billionaire’s Game
Billionaire Undone
Billionaire Unmasked
Billionaire Untamed
Billionaire Unbound (Nov 10,2015)
Mine For Christmas (A Simon & Kara novella)
The Sinclairs:
The Billionaire’s Christmas
No Ordinary Billionaire
The Forbidden Billionaire
The Vampire Coalition:
The Vampire Coalition: The Complete Collection
Ethan’s Mate
Rory’s Mate
Nathan’s Mate
Liam’s Mate
Daric’s Mate
The Sentinel Demons:
A Dangerous Bargain
A Dangerous Hunger
A Dangerous Fury
The Curves Collection
The Changeling Encounters
The Pleasure Of His Punishment
Contact Author J.S. Scott:
http://www.authorjsscott.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorjsscott
@AuthorJSScott
[email protected] Other Books by Melody Anne
Billionaire Bachelors
*The Billionaire Wins the Game - Amazon
*The Billionaire’s Dance - Amazon
*The Billionaire Falls - Amazon
*The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal - Amazon
*Blackmailing the Billionaire - Amazon
*Run Away Heiress - Amazon
*The Billionaire’s Final Stand - Amazon
*Unexpected Treasure - Amazon
*Hidden Treasure - Amazon
*Holiday Treasure - Amazon
Baby for the Billionaire
*The Tycoon’s Revenge - Amazon
*The Tycoon’s Vacation - Amazon
*The Tycoon’s Proposal - Amazon
*The Tycoon’s Secret - Amazon
*The Lost Tycoon - Amazon
Surrender
*Surrender - Book One - Amazon
*Submit - Book Two - Amazon
*Seduced - Book Three - Amazon
*Scorched - Book Four - Amazon
Forbidden Series
*Bound -Book One - Amazon
*Broken - Book Two - Amazon
*Betrayed - Book Three - Amazon
*Burned - Book Four - Amazon (Pre-Order)
Rise of the Dark Angel
*Midnight Fire: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book One - Amazon
*Midnight Moon: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book Two - Amazon
*Midnight Storm: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book Three - Amazon
*Midnight Eclipse: Rise of the Dark Angel - Book Four (Coming Soon)
Unexpected Heroes
*Her Unexpected Hero - Amazon
*Her Hometown Hero - Amazon (June 30th 2015)
*Her Forever Hero - Amazon (March 2016)
*Safe in His Arms - Novella - Baby, It’s Cold Outside Anthology - Amazon
*Who I am With You - Novella - Amazon
*Following Her - Novella - Amazon
Contact Melody Anne:
www.melodyanne.com
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Ruth Cardello, Taken by a Trillionaire 1-3
(Series: Taken by a Trillionaire # 1)
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