Lorenzo leaned back against the couch, his head tilted up at the ceiling, his hands linked loosely across his stomach. His eyes stared at the cracked and stained ceiling, but his mind whirled with other thoughts.

It was done.

Liliana knew she was a princess. She knew he was her father, and that they’d be moving into the castle. Liliana had accepted everything so smoothly, so easily, he wondered again why Lily had never told him about her pregnancy.

Over four years of her life, plus the months of pregnancy – all gone. He’d never get those back.

Lily walked in, rubbing her arms, and he tilted his head to the side. “Is she asleep?”

Lily nodded and walked to the couch. “She was so excited, I wasn’t sure she would, but she did after three stories.”

“How many does it usually take?”

Lily smiled softly. “Sometimes four, sometimes more or less. Depends on her mood.” She leaned over to pour some coffee, and put cream and sugar in it. “I’m going to warm my coffee up. Would you like any?”

He shook his head, and she wandered into the kitchen.

He’d been right earlier; she’d only grown more beautiful in the years past. Having a child had added delectable curves to her figure, but also maturity. It was easy to admit he was still attracted to her, and not simply because of her body, or the fact that she was the mother of his child.

He waited for her to walk back in and settle on the opposite end of the couch before he spoke. “Since when do you take cream and sugar?” At her startled glance, he said softly, “I remember things, too, Lily.”

She swallowed and he followed the line of her slender throat as she did. “I couldn’t really drink coffee while I was pregnant, and eventually just stopped. When I tried to pick it up again after I stopped breastfeeding, I found I didn’t like it quite the same as I did before. Pregnancy can change your taste in subtle ways like that.”

He nodded then leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees. His eyes barely took in the well-worn but bright rug underneath his feet. “Why?”

“I’m not sure why. A doctor might know better than me.”

“You know what I’m really asking.”

“Yes, I do.” Her mug thudded on the table as she put it down with shaky hands. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely a breath. “I’m so sorry.” She buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. He never could take a woman crying.

He shifted next to her, his arm going around her shoulder, her body curling instinctively into his. God, it felt good to hold her again. The dance they’d shared at Alex’s wedding hadn’t been enough, not nearly, but he couldn’t think about a future with her right now. He – they – had to think of their little girl. Because of that, he had to know the truth.

“Did you avoid telling me about the baby because you thought I wouldn’t be a good father?”

She stilled unnaturally against him and pushed back, her hands falling away to reveal wide, wet eyes and an open mouth. “What?”

He cleared his throat; it still wasn’t easy to say, even after all these years. “You saw me. You saw me when I got back from Africa. I wasn’t well mentally.”

“So?”

“So, I really wasn’t right. I was suffering from–”

“I know what you were suffering from. I was a volunteer at that hospital, wasn’t I, when I met you?”

“I know, but–”

She gripped his hand tight, her hands still damp from her tears. “It was never about your mental state. Do you believe me? It was never about who you were. I loved who you were before treatment. I loved who you were after treatment. There’s no shame in mental illness, and you got help. You were treated. I loved you. I never wanted to leave you.” Her breath hitched and tears pooled in her red-rimmed eyes. “Never.”

Loved. Past tense. He ignored the pain in his heart to focus on what they needed to discuss. “Then why did you leave me?”

She took a deep breath. “There is something you should know. About my past. If we’re going to live in the castle with you, you need to know.”

Jesus. “What is it?”

“When we first met, I was just a volunteer and you were a patient. Volunteers weren’t supposed to share personal details about themselves with the patients. So, when we first met and you asked why I came to Valleria, I didn’t tell you everything.”

“Your father’s embezzlement.”

Her mouth dropped open, then shut. “You knew?”

He shook his head. “Not until after you left me. I eventually looked into your family a little, and discovered what had happened.”

She was hesitant when she spoke. “You didn’t, er, discover anything else?”

“Like what?”

“Like my involvement in all of that?”

He sat back. “You embezzled money from your father’s company?”

She furiously shook her head. “No. No, of course not. But my father and brother forged my signature on several documents. I could have been implicated.”

Jesus. “That’s why you came to Valleria? To escape potential criminal charges? But we have excellent relations with Italy, including extradition agreements. You couldn’t hide here forever.”

“I know. My family wanted to redeem our reputation, which was hard enough on a regular day, much less with an embezzlement scandal. I didn’t find out about the forged documents until after my father and brother were arrested. They threatened to leak it to the press unless I did what I could to redeem the family name.”

She sighed. “I tried doing some volunteer work and leaked it occasionally to the press, so we could get in the papers for my charity work and be seen as doing good, but it was useless. The paparazzi were vicious to us in Italy, stalking and following us, and those articles about me were never front-page news. It wasn’t enough, and I needed a break. So, I decided to do my volunteer work here, in Valleria. Since the authorities hadn’t discovered the forged documents yet, I didn’t see it as running away. I just wanted some peace, just for a little while.”

He never expected that she’d been treated like this by her own family. “Why didn’t you just tell the authorities what had happened?”

“I was afraid. My parents…my parents weren’t kind. My mother, if you can believe it, was even more ruthless than my father. I wanted to escape them and that was my chance. Besides, I didn’t have any idea where the documents were, or how they were connected to the embezzlement. My parents had that information, and they weren’t keen on sharing it with me. How could I go to the authorities claiming I was being unjustly implicated without any evidence? I doubt they would have believed me.”

“God, Lily.”

“It wasn’t so bad. I actually enjoy volunteer work, and I somehow got connected to someone at the VSO, who placed me at the hospital. We’d already fallen in…that is, we were already together when the documents were finally discovered.”

Her eyes drifted away as she remembered, and she was suddenly in a trance. “I’ll never forget it. I was at the hospital and was told a patient wanted to speak with me. That wasn’t unusual, so I went. It didn’t even occur to me that there wasn’t a patient in the room I was directed towards. I just went in and found someone waiting for me.”

Dread filled his stomach. “Someone?”

Her arms were wrapped around her again, like a protective barrier. Her eyes, broken free of the trance, moved to his. “They told me they’d found the documents, and that they’d help me prove I was innocent. They said they’d do that if I promised to leave you. If I didn’t, they’d reveal my secret to the authorities and the press, and make my family pay as well.”

Shock struck him like a lightning bolt. “Someone forced you to leave me? Threatened you? Who the fuck was it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

As a fucking prince, he should have been able to protect her. “The fuck it doesn’t. You should have told me. All those years ago, you should have told me.”

She pleaded with him. “I couldn’t. You were still recovering. You were barely out of the hospital by then, and you still had work to do. If I’d known I was pregnant then, I would have, but I didn’t discover that until nearly a month after I’d gone.”

“Lily, I would have helped you. I wouldn’t have flown off into some kind of rage–”

She gripped his hand tight again. “I know. I know. Please, just listen. I signed all kinds of confidentiality agreements when I left you. The person involved helped discreetly clear my name with the Italian authorities, but only if I signed them. When I found out I was pregnant, I tried to reach out to the person who helped me, because I needed their permission to speak to you.”

A wave of anger gripped him. What the hell kind of person would force them apart, then force her to sign agreements and prevent her from contacting him? “Permission? To speak to the father of your child?”

“I tried every year on Lily’s birthday. I tried a lot more than once a year, but always then, because she’d always ask me where her papa was on her birthday.”

His chest compressed. His little girl. No wonder she’d been so accepting of him and all of it. She’d been waiting for years for him to appear.

“I didn’t get through until a month or so before the royal wedding. They didn’t believe me when I told them about Lily at first, but they saw her pictures. You saw the resemblance instantly, and so did they. The DNA test I mentioned? They’re the ones who had it done, only it wasn’t five years ago, it was just before the wedding. Since you always donate blood regularly, they used some of your blood still stored at the hospital.”

She licked her tear-stained lips. “When they realized I’d had your child, they secured me an invitation to the wedding. I thought maybe they’d reach out to you before it took place, to let you know about me, but when we spoke it was clear my attending the reception was a surprise to you.”

“But why the wedding?”

“The person involved suggested I approach you at the wedding. I wanted a simple meeting with just us, face-to-face, but I had no choice.”

“Who took away your choices? Who?”

“I can’t say. I won’t say. Even now I’m worried that if I do, I risk someone taking Lily away from me.”

His expression hardened. Who was she so afraid of?

She clutched tighter to his hands, her eyes desperate. “Please don’t take Lily away from me. Please. I’ll fight with everything I have if you or anyone else tries.”

God, had he been such a fool? How could she think he’d steal Lily away from her? “I’ll repeat what I said on the beach: I’d never hurt you and Lily. Never. That means I’d never try to seek sole custody. You’re her mother. Of course, she needs you.”

She sagged against him, her head dropping against his chest. “Then what do you want from me?”

He buried a hand in her hair – God, he’d forgotten how soft it was – and maneuvered her face up to meet his. “Will you ever tell me who acted to keep us apart?”

She shook her head immediately. “I can’t. I told you.”

“Will you tell me if they try to do that again?”

“We’re not…together anymore.”

The truth hit him harder than he thought it would. “I know, but if someone is threatening you, they’re also threatening Liliana. We can’t have that.”

“Would you…”

“What?”

“Would you protect me if that happens? Make sure they won’t take Lily from me?”

Who had inspired such fear in Lily’s eyes? It must be someone powerful for her to feel so desperate. If she wouldn’t tell him, he’d have to investigate on his own, or ask his brothers to help.

Unless it was one of his brothers who had inspired such fear. “I promise.”

“You have to mean it. You can’t back down, no matter who it is.”

He shifted his hands to cup her cheek. “I give you my word. I will do whatever I need to, in order to keep you and Lily safe.”

“Good. Good.” Her hands relaxed, leaving his shirt crumpled in its wake. She started to smooth out the fabric, but the feel of her hands rubbing his chest sent his cock twitching.

He placed his hands over hers. “It’s fine. Leave it.”

She nodded, then twisted away. Her hands reached for the coffee again. “What do you see happening now?”

He straightened and shifted slightly on the couch. “You’ll move in with me tomorrow.”

She choked on her coffee and coughed, Lorenzo rubbing her back to help. “Tomorrow? We can’t get packed in that amount of time.”

He glanced around. “Let me ask you something: do you want to take most of this with you?”

She blinked, then looked around, as if for the first time. “I’d–yes, there are several things here I’d like to take with me. And I think it would help make the adjustment easier for Lily if she saw familiar things around her.”

“Where did most of this come from? It doesn’t really match the decorating style you used to have.”

Her finger traced the lip of her mug. “I suppose you’ll find out eventually, even if I don’t tell you.” She gave him a furtive glance. “My family was never very kind to me, but they were my family. So, when I found out I was pregnant, I contacted them, as I had no one else at the time.”

She took a sip of coffee. “They basically disowned me. They were still weak socially after the embezzlement scandal, and having a pregnant, unwed daughter who wouldn’t name the father of her child would have made things worse, according to them. So, after some fruitless discussions, they threw me out of the family. No money or support of any kind. They told their society friends I was a bitch who wanted nothing to do with them, so they had no choice but to disown me.”

Fucking hell. “They made themselves into the victims.”

She nodded. “I haven’t spoken to my parents in over four years. The last time I called them was to tell them Lily had been born. I was so happy, and she was so beautiful. I just wanted to share that with them, or with anyone, really. I thought – stupidly, now, I know – that they’d be happy, too. They said, ‘Is that all? Don’t bother contacting us again.’ and hung up on me.”

She’d gone through everything alone? Even the birth? He’d never thought her family capable of this. “Was there no one to help you?”

She shrugged. “I had some friends. Not the ones that ran in the same circles as my parents, but others I had made through the various jobs I’ve held, or other single mothers I’ve met since Lily was born.” Her shoulders straightened. “But, essentially, yes. I’ve been raising Lily on my own.”

He almost smiled at the confidence in her voice. She’d struggled, but had made it through the other side. His eyes narrowed as another thought came to him. “I’m sure once the press gets wind of this, your parents or others might try to reconnect. What will you do?”

She clapped a hand against her forehead. “Oh, God. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You said your number changed at the wedding. Is this why?”

Dazed, it took her a moment to respond. “What? Oh, yes. The funds for my living expenses, including my phone, were paid for through my trust fund, or really the interest on it. I couldn’t afford the fancy phone plan I used to have, so I changed it.”

“Why don’t you still have access to the trust fund?”

“My parents petitioned the lawyers who oversaw the trusts. Unfortunately, when the trusts were setup by my grandparents, an impartial third-party wasn’t selected to manage it, my parents were. So, even after I came of age and received the trust, they still had the power to take it away. And they did.”

“Was there no reasoning with them? Or your grandparents?”

She shook her head. “No, my grandparents had passed away by that point. My parents, well, they asked too much of me.”

“But surely–”

“Those fruitless discussions I mentioned? They wanted me to move back to Italy, basically so they could control me. They wanted to marry me off to a rich businessman and prevent the shame of having an unwed pregnant daughter. I just couldn’t. Not only because I couldn’t marry a man I didn’t love, but because I wanted to raise my child here in Valleria. It’s her father’s – your – home, and it had become my home and my freedom. So, I wanted it to become Lily’s home as well.”

His heart wrenched painfully. “How have you lived?”

“I worked. I was able to turn some of my volunteer work into a position. I wasn’t full-time, but they kept me on until the birth. I’d planned to stay on afterwards, too, but they couldn’t hold my position while I recovered, which took longer than expected. I thought about going back a week after the birth–”

“A week?”

“Yes, I know that seems drastic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to take more time off. The new national health plan will help with that eventually, but it didn’t help me when Lily was born. Especially since I got quite ill and had an extended hospital stay.”

He sat up sharply. “What? What happened?”

“It’s fine. It was just some complications that led me to having a C-section instead of a natural birth.” Her mouth twisted as she rubbed her lower stomach. “I’ve got quite a scar on me now.”

Holy shit.

“Anyway, I lost that job but found another, then another when I was let go there as well.”

She clearly didn’t want to talk about the birth, so he’d save his questions for another time. “The hotel you mentioned?”

She bit her lower lip and nodded. “I might as well tell you this, too. I was fired today.”

“What? Why?”

“John, my supervisor, is a misogynistic jerk who didn’t like that I had to take time off – time off I’d earned, by the way – when Lily needed me.”

“You can sue for that.”

“I could. I might. But I need to find a new job in the short-term.”

He put a hand on her knee and squeezed. “You know I’ll help you financially, both you and Lily.”

“I know, and I appreciate it, but I enjoy working. My job may not have been very important, but I liked it unless I had to deal with John. And Lily’s growing up. She’ll soon start proper school and, though I’d like vacation time occasionally, I don’t need every day off. I like being useful.”

“Then come work for me.”

She pressed back against the couch. “For you?”

“At the castle. Besides the MARC – you know what the MARC is, right? – there’s an extensive conference and event center. I usually let my admin handle that piece, but it’s getting overwhelming for him. I’m also planning to launch some initiatives to expand the programs at the MARC, and if he’s interested I’d like him to help with that. If you took over the conference center, you’d still be close to Liliana and you could set your own hours. Well, as much as you can with event planning.”

“Are you serious?”

“Completely. I was going to talk to Rio – Michael Rio, that’s my admin – about it. If he’s game, would you consider it? You could take your time, get yours and Liliana’s rooms set at the castle before you started.”

She gave him a wary look. “That’s a question I had. Where exactly do you expect me to stay in the castle?”

He was confused until the meaning of her words dawned on him. “Jesus, Lily.”

“I just wanted–”

He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “Look, let’s get one thing straight. You’d have your own room, and Liliana would have hers. I’d like them to be near mine, because I want Liliana to know I’m close if she ever needs me for anything. If you want more distance, you can settle in a different part of my wing of the castle, but that’s as far as I’m willing to let you go.”

She swallowed. “No. No, that’s more than fine. Thank you.”

Irritation burned with the anger. He couldn’t let her leave him again. “And here’s another thing to get straight.” He leaned towards her, and she leaned back, her head stretching over the arm of the couch. He crowded her against the soft, cushy fabric. “I want you.”

Her eyes widened on a gasp. “What?”

“I want you. Do you think that even after five years apart I wouldn’t desire you? Crave you?”

“Lorenzo.”

“I can tell you’re still attracted to me. The way your cheeks are tinged pink and way you’re shivering; you want me, too.”

“Lorenzo, I can’t–”

“You won’t, you mean.” He leaned back, giving them both some space. Was there something about him that wasn’t enough for her?

He wrenched the words from his lips. “Are you seeing anyone else? Is there another man in the picture?”

She shook her head. “There’s been no one since you.”

He nearly gasped. “Not in five years?”

“No. Once I found out I was pregnant, I just didn’t have time between work and Lily. Plus, I also still cared for you. It didn’t feel right to move on until you knew about Lily.”

Cared. Past tense again. Yet, she hadn’t moved on. Even he – the ‘Playboy Prince’ – had never moved on from her. He’d been physical, but never emotional, with other women. Seeing Lily with their daughter, seeing her now in the loving home she’d built…he wanted her and he wanted her love, too.

It was time for them to move forward together. He still wasn’t sure how he’d convince her to give him another chance, but he’d have to try. “I know about Liliana now, but the time for others is over. We need to move beyond the past. We need to start spending time together, and build a future together. Unless there’s another reason you don’t want that?”

“Lorenzo–”

“You said this mysterious person who kept us apart is now pushing us back together. Is that right?”

Lily nodded. “Sort of. They wanted you to know about Lily, though I don’t know what they’d think about us becoming a couple again.”

“Are you still worried they’d pull us apart if we got together?”

Her voice was barely a whisper. “Yes.”

“Is that the only thing worrying you?”

“No.”

Why wouldn’t she just say it? Why couldn’t she just admit why she was scared? “Then what is it? What are you scared of?”

“You,” she burst out. “N-not of you hurting me, not like that. But of you leaving me.”

He was gobsmacked. “Why would I leave you? Is there some other deep dark secret you haven’t told me?”

She bit her lower lip, but didn’t answer.

“Lily? What is it?”

She released her lip and spoke softly. “It’s me.”

His hands itched to bring her close, give her comfort, but he resisted. He didn’t think she’d want it just yet. “What about you?”

“My past. My family’s past. If we got together again, it would all come out again, this time on the front pages of newspapers, and on the evening news. It could hurt you and your family. Not to mention everything the press might say, and the scrutiny we’ll be under.”

“Once people realize we’re together, it won’t be an issue. We’ll handle it.”

Her brows arched up. “How? Are you going to force me to marry you or something?”

The corner of his lips tipped up. “I would never force a woman to do anything. I will ask you to marry me. Though, don’t worry, I won’t ask just yet.”

She shook her head. “We don’t know each other anymore. We’re–”

“–the loves of each other’s lives.”

She sucked in a loud breath. “You–No, we’re not.”

“We are. At least, you’re mine.”

Her body stiffened. “Lo–”

“You think I don’t know what I’m feeling? You think I can’t breathe you in, feel you pressed against me, hear your goddamn sexy voice and not know it? Not realize it? I’ve been lost for years waiting for you.”

She tipped her nose up. “You weren’t exactly celibate these last several years.”

All those damn rumours were coming back to haunt him now. “No, I wasn’t. The press exaggerated some of it, but I did see other women. I never hurt the women I was with, but I was with other women. ‘Playboy Prince’. That was my brother Nate’s moniker until he found his love. The press has since declared it mine. What’s a man to do when the woman he loved left him shattered and broken, knowing he’d never find that kind of love again? I slept around. It’s something we’ll both have to deal with, not only because of what our daughter might hear about me, but also because of what I want us to be.”

“And you want us to be together? A family?”

“Would that be so terrible? No, don’t answer now. I don’t think I can bear the answer either way.”

She was silent for a minute as her body relaxed once more. “What now?”

“Now I go home and tell my parents they’re grandparents again. They’ll want to come down and visit, and I’m sorry that can’t be avoided.” Her skin went deathly white and he rushed to her. “What’s wrong? Lily, talk to me!”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just, uh, wondering, if I should, uh, tell my parents about this before the news hits the papers.”

She hadn’t been thinking of that, he was sure of it. She’d been thinking about meeting his parents for the first time, but he let it slide for now since the color had just begun to come back into her cheeks. “Don’t call your parents. They haven’t bothered to help you, so there’s no reason you should do the same. They’ll try to contact you, I’m sure of it, but we can hold them off. Another benefit of living at the castle: no one comes in if they’re not allowed.”

“Yes. Of course. Yes, you’re right.”

“One more thing before I go. Things will get terribly confusing if I call you both Lily. Do you think our daughter will mind being called Liliana?”

“Oh. You can call me Cecilia, or Cece.”

He brushed his knuckles against her cheek and saw a blush bloom. “I’ll never be able to call you anything but Lily, I’m afraid. It’s how you’re etched in my mind for all eternity. Would our daughter find it so upsetting to be called by her full name?”

She swallowed, and this time he followed the line of her throat with his finger; she shivered. “I don’t want Lily to feel too many changes at once. I don’t know if she’ll like being called by her full name.”

“My parents will never call her anything but; they only ever call us by our full names. What’s her last name? We’ll need to change that, too.”

“We won’t.”

His daughter would have his last name. “Lily–”

“Her name’s already Santoro.”

He sucked in a breath. “What?”

“I don’t know if being a princess means it has to change to something else, but I put your name on the birth certificate.”

He was still breathless. “What?”

“I know it was risky. I almost didn’t do it, but I wanted her to have your name. After I broke things off with you, I moved here to Masillia. No other royals lived here then, as you were still recovering in Valentia. I gave birth at a Masillian hospital, and no one there blinked an eye when I told them her name. I suppose few seem to think about the fact that the royals have a last name; fewer still seem to know it’s Santoro. You’re usually referred to as Prince Lorenzo or Captain Lorenzo in the press. No one connected the dots or, if they did, they kept it quiet. I mean, it’s not as though anyone knew we were together. It was always a secret.”

He could hear the pain in her voice. They had kept it a secret, partly because his convalescence had been a secret as well. If they’d announced their relationship, the press and public would have known their prince had been wounded, which mission he’d been wounded on, and that he was suffering from PTSD. The public scrutiny would have been unbearable while he recovered.

He reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you when we keep our relationship a secret. I certainly wasn’t ashamed of you.”

Her voice had gone breathy again. “Really?”

“Really and truly. I just didn’t want either of us in trouble, especially since patients and volunteers weren’t allowed to fraternize. I actually couldn’t believe an angel had somehow fallen in love with me. I know I don’t deserve you, but I really hope you’ll consider a future with me. I can do better, I promise.”

Her mouth was agog. “You think that you don’t deserve me?”

“No, but I am glad you gave Liliana my name anyway.” Why did he feel so proud knowing his daughter bore his name? “That’ll make things a little easier for her. We can discuss her first name tomorrow night.”

“I’ll talk to her about it in the morning. But, Lorenzo, we should talk about this.”

“About the move? Yes, you’re right.”

“No, about what you said, about thinking you don’t deserve me.”

He just couldn’t handle her response right now. What if she agreed with him and called the whole thing off? “We’ll discuss it tomorrow night, all right? Regarding the move, I’ll have some men and women come in the morning. They’ll pack everything up for you. All you need to do is tell them what stays and what goes. If you want to sell any of it, let me know and I’ll arrange it. You’ll keep the money, of course. We could also donate the items, if you prefer.”

She paused a beat, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll think about it.”

“Just tell me, or tell the movers if you want to donate it; they can drop those pieces off after they move everything else.”

“What about my lease? I still have seven months left on it.”

“Would you approve my paying it off for you?”

She pursed her lips. “I don’t know.”

“If it’s important to you, then you can pay me back later. Let me do this for you. Let me help you.”

After a few moment’s deliberation, she nodded. “All right. Yes, but I’ll pay you back. Will the movers unpack everything for me, too?”

“They can. I don’t want box cutters lying around where Liliana might be, but otherwise I’ll leave that up to you.”

“I’ll think about that, too.”

“While you’re thinking, consider the fact that all my brothers, plus my sister-in-law and other family are all staying at the castle with me. They’ll want to have dinner with both of you tomorrow, if you’re not too exhausted.”

Her hand went to her hair. “I couldn’t possibly.”

He pulled her hand away. “You could possibly. You’re beautiful, remember?”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then on each cheek. “Will Liliana be disturbed if I gave her a kiss before I go?”

“She’s usually a fairly heavy sleeper, but if she’s moving around a lot, she could wake up.”

“I’ll be careful.”

He slowly entered Liliana’s room, cringing a little when the door squeaked. When she remained still, he let out a breath and continued inside.

She was lying on her back, her pink pajamas twisted, one hand and leg dangling over the side of the bed, her bedcovers tangled around her small body. A few cloth dolls were scattered around her and her hair was a messy tangle of dark against her pink pillows.

She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

Something heavy and warm settled inside him, followed by a coating of creeping fear.

Fear that he wouldn’t be a good father, or a good enough man for his daughter.

Fear that he wouldn’t be able to protect her.

Fear of the inevitability that she’d grow up, and learn that the world could be hurtful and painful, and there was little he could do about it.

He clutched his chest as his breaths came short and shallow.

Deep breath. If you start feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath first. His therapist’s advice rang through him, and he bent over, put his hands on his knees, and breathed deep. He could do this. He would do this.

Emotions under control, he leaned over her, brushed her hair back, and dropped a soft kiss to her temple. She shifted a little, and he stilled. When she remained sleeping, he gently put her hand and leg in the bed, and readjusted the covers. After a last look, he left, closing the door gently behind him.

He was walking to the living room when he saw Lily washing dishes. So, he diverted to the kitchen, walked up behind her, and pinned her in by placing his arms on either side of her.

Lily jumped, then placed a soapy hand against her chest. “Oh, you startled me.”

“Lost in thought?”

She nodded as she washed the soap from her hands. “She still asleep?”

“Mmm-hmm.” He nuzzled her neck. “Why are you washing dishes? You’re moving to a castle tomorrow, where you’ll never have to do dishes again if you don’t want to.”

She tensed. “I don’t want to raise Lily like that, where she’s dependent on other people doing everything for her, like we both were growing up. I want her to be independent and–”

He shifted his hands to her hips and squeezed. “You don’t want her to be blindsided like you were, when your parents cut you out of their life.”

She sagged a little. “Yes. God, I was so lost. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know how to do much. All the little details of daily life – bills, insurance, rent, cleaning – someone had always taken care of that for me. I thought I was independent until all this happened.” She turned quickly, her damp hands clutching his shirt. “Not that I regret a minute of it. I don’t. I don’t regret a single second of my life with Lily.”

He curled a hand around her nape. “I know that. You don’t need to say it.”

Her hands relaxed. “Well, I just had to be sure you knew.”

He gave her nape a reassuring squeeze. “I’m going to head out, but before I go, there’s one more thing we need to discuss.”

She frowned slightly. “What?”

“This.” He pulled her in for a kiss. At the first brush of his lips against hers, memories assaulted him. He had never forgotten the taste of her, the feel of her. Now, that taste was even richer, even sweeter than he’d remembered.

He restrained himself from plundering and taking what he wanted, choosing instead to go slow and easy. He thought, perhaps, they both needed slow and easy.

Her breath was uneven when they pulled apart. “What was that?”

He grinned. “A kiss, if memory serves.” He cradled her face and brushed her lips with his thumb. “You were always so fucking good at that. The best. I’ve never forgotten.”

She blinked. “The best? Me?”

“Always were. That hasn’t changed.”

“Oh. But why did you kiss me?”

“I’ve made it clear where I expect us to go, you and I. I know you have reservations. We’ll talk about them, work through them. After that, if you’re truly not interested, we’ll find a way to exist for our daughter’s sake.”

Her chin went up. “How do you know I’m even interested?”

His eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened for a moment, then he went back to an easy grin. “You kissed me back.”

“You took me by surprise.”

He leaned in closer. “Keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you trying to annoy me?”

She was too fucking cute. “No. I’m trying to seduce you. Slowly.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Bye, Lily. There are still agents nearby if you need them. I’ll let you know when to expect the movers and I’ll see you both tomorrow.” He kissed her forehead, then stepped back. She stood at the sink with her arms crossed, her face in disbelief and confusion. He’d hoped things between them would be more settled, but it would need some more time.

Three days, he decided as he walked out the door. Surely, three days would be enough time for her to get used to him again, and for her to – hopefully – fall in love with him again.

Then he’d start thinking about his proposal.

* * *

Lily watched him leave, her mind whirling. Did he really want them to be a couple, to pick up where they left off, as best they could? She still wasn’t sure she believed it. Nor was she sure he’d really forgiven her for her betrayal, for leaving him all those years ago. She’d lived with the fear of this conversation for years, and it seemed as though it had all gone too smoothly.

When her parents had first disowned her, when she’d first been separated from Lorenzo because she’d been deemed ‘not good enough’ for him, she’d been left with heaps of self-doubt and a low value of her worth. It was only now, after a few years of living on her own with Liliana and proving she could take care of them both, that her self-confidence had filtered back.

She wanted to believe he was sincere. When he’d gone to see Liliana, she’d snuck up to the room and watched him spend a few tender moments with their daughter. She knew he truly wanted to be a father. If she were honest with herself, she always known he’d be an excellent one.

How could he think he wasn’t worthy of her? The truth was, she was the one who wasn’t worthy of him. Her scandalous family wouldn’t make her good princess material. Lorenzo’s family wasn’t likely to accept her, either.

Would he still want her, if his family rejected her, as she expected they would? It’s true, once upon a time Lorenzo had wanted her. Tonight, he’d said the same. She’d certainly never stopped wanting him. After years of trying to connect with him and failing, she had learned to stop dreaming, stop hoping for a reconciliation. All her hopes and dreams focused on Liliana now; she had none to spare for her own.

What did a woman do when she could dream again? Could hope for things she thought she’d never have?

She ran both hands through her hair, fisted them for a moment, then let go. She couldn’t think about this now. She had to prepare for their move and, once Liliana woke in the early hours of the day, it would be harder to do. So, she’d just have to do it now.