Marianna sat in the helicopter, gripping onto the armrests of her seat. She'd never been in a helicopter before, and she didn't like it. It felt like being in the car of a rollercoaster—which she also hated.

Plus, it didn't help that the conversation between her and Leo was playing in her mind over and over again. The feeling of him next to her. Touching her. Flirting with her.

All of it was cemented in her mind and wouldn't leave. And to top it off, her heart was betraying her. It pounded at the memory of his ridiculous smile or the way he winked when he was uncomfortable. She stared out at the setting sun, watching its light glide across the water. Caro bordered Italy and Slovenia. A small sliver that ran from Austria to the Mediterranean Sea.

The castle was on a hill that overlooked the ocean. Just beyond it was Trieste, Caro's largest city. Marianna had studied it as they passed by. It was beautiful with the different color buildings and rustic pavement. She couldn't wait to get down and see all that this beautiful country had to offer.

And perhaps, get away from Caro's confusing prince. That was on the top of her list.

The pilot set down on the helicopter pad in the back gardens, where a host of maids were standing, waiting to welcome the royal family. Marianna had never felt so out of place as she did walking alongside these women who were speaking a language she didn't recognize. They grabbed her luggage and whisked her into the castle.

Once in her room, she tried to keep her jaw from dropping. Dark wood ran the length of the floor and up the walls, ending in intricate carvings. She couldn't help but run her fingers across the filigree. Beautiful.

There was a huge chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling, catching the late afternoon rays and spreading them around the room. A king-sized four-poster bed sat along the far wall. A mound of pillows filled half of it.

"Are you okay, miss?" Adelina asked, stepping into Marianna's line of sight.

Thankfully, Adelina had been assigned as Marianna's maid. It made her feel more comfortable having someone she knew close by.

"Y-yes," Marianna stammered, snapping her jaw shut and nodding.

"Good. I will help you dress in proper attire so you will be ready for dinner."

Marianna glanced down at her outfit. A pencil skirt and blouse. What was wrong with what she was wearing? "I—um, what's wrong with this?"

Adelina snorted, and then her cheeks turned red. "Forgive me. I've forgotten my place. You look wonderful," she said, lowering her head and curtseying.

That wouldn’t do. Marianna reached out and touched Adelina's arm. "Nope. Not happening, sister," she said.

Adelina jumped as she glanced up at Marianna. "I'm sorry?"

Hmm, Adelina might not be up to date on her American lingo. "What I meant to say was, you're my friend, not my servant. You don't need to apologize if you speak the truth." Marianna lowered her voice and leaned forward. "I actually need your help. I think Her Majesty might hate me, and I know Gisella does. This girl needs some people in her corner." Marianna jutted her thumb toward her chest.

Adelina had looked like she was understanding what Marianna was saying, but by the time she was finished, Adelina looked confused again. "There is something wrong with the corner?" Adelina turned to peer into the shadows.

Marianna sighed. This was going to be a long vacation. She was going to have to remember to speak in literal terms. "I want you to be my friend. Support me."

Adelina pinched her lips together as she studied Marianna.

Suddenly, Marianna wondered if this was the wrong thing for her to say. Was it against the law to ask the hired help to be your friend? Wishing she could backpedal, Marianna parted her lips, but thankfully, Adelina smiled.

"I would like that very much," she said.

Marianna blew out the breath she had been holding. "Perfect."

Adelina walked over to the large armoire and pulled it open. After removing a dark green, mid-calf dress, she laid it on the bed. "Let's get dressed and downstairs. Her Majesty hates latecomers."

Marianna nodded and walked over to the bed. "Yeah, we wouldn't want that."

Ten minutes later, Marianna shut her bedroom door and made her way to the top of the stairs. She tugged at the dress, hoping it would feel more like her. It didn't help.

There were so many rules and expectations. Her brain felt as if it were going to explode from everything Adelina told her.

"You must always wear pantyhose. Never put your elbows on the table. You use the silverware from the outside in."

Marianna was pretty sure that she was going to pass out when she came face to face with the etiquette of eating with a royal family.

She reached up and adjusted a bobby pin that was digging into her scalp. Even her hair didn't look like her. A French twist with ringlets framing her face? She was a ponytail kind of girl.

"Whoa," Leo's deep voice said from behind her.

She turned to see him dressed in a tux with a royal-blue sash around his chest. His dark curly hair had been tamed, and his face shaved. He looked like a prince, but she could still see the desire to be somewhere else in his eyes.

He quirked an eyebrow as his gaze roamed over her. Was it wrong that she wanted him to like how she looked—to approve?

"You look—"

Her breath caught in her throat.

"—like my mom."

Her excitement crashed and burned. That was not what she wanted to hear. She tried to hide her disappointment with a smile. "What? I do not."

He stepped closer to her and furrowed his brow. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are wearing her dress, and Adelina has been with my mom for ages." He leaned closer to Marianna. "Just accept it."

Marianna dropped her jaw and stepped back. There was no way she was just going to stand there and let him insult her like that. "I'll have you know—"

Leo lifted his finger and pressed it to her lips. "You didn't let me finish." He let his hand linger by her mouth, focusing his attention there for a moment before he shook his head and met her gaze. "With a few modifications, we can fix that."

"I—" But he wasn't listening to her. Instead, he reached behind her head and began pulling the pins out.

After enough were removed, gravity won over and her hair dropped down around her shoulders. Leo glanced back at her and smiled.

"There," he said. His voice was low and husky.

She so desperately wanted to ask him what that was about. Was it possible that he felt the same as she did? Did he want to kiss her as badly as she wanted to press her lips to his?

"Better?" She barely got the word out.

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he nodded. "Beautiful." He leaned in, brushing her hair off her shoulder. "Don't let them change you. You're perfect the way you are," he whispered.

Shivers rushed over her as his warm breath touched her skin. He was so close that she feared he could hear her pounding heart. Did it give her away?

"Sir," Filippo said.

Marianna turned to see him coming up the stairs. His eyebrows were raised as his gaze landed on them.

Leo pulled back, but not before Marianna thought she heard him groan. That started her mind racing. Was he just flirting, or was it something more? Did she dare hope?

"What, Filippo?" he asked, glancing over to his bodyguard.

"Your mother sent for you. It seems there are a few dignitaries that were invited tonight." Then Filippo dropped his voice. "Mr. Marasco."

Marianna saw Leo stiffen at the mention of Gisella's last name. This couldn't be good. Out of instinct, Marianna leaned forward. "Is this bad?"

Leo shook his head. "No. Not if we stick to the story." He glanced over at her, his rich, dark eyes intoxicating her.

Suddenly, all she wanted to do was keep him safe. And if keeping him safe meant keeping him away from Gisella, then so be it. After all, that was why she was here.

She pinched her lips together and nodded. "What do you need from me?"

His gaze slipped down to her lips for a moment and then back up. "It would probably be best if you didn't talk much. Just smile and keep the topic light." He sighed. "There probably won't be much talking anyway. There never is."

She nodded. "I can do that."

The feeling of his hand surrounding her arm startled her. The warmth of his fingertips seeped into her skin and caused her stomach to lighten. It felt so good to be touched by him. She never wanted him to let her go.

"Thanks, Mari," he said, leaning in and kissing her cheek. "I mean it."

She turned to look at him, but he'd already glanced over to Filippo. Before she could say anything, he dropped his hand and made his way down the stairs with Filippo in tow.

She leaned against the railing, grateful that it was so close. With the way her body was reacting to Leo, she was sure she would collapse without something to hold her up. She took in a few deep breaths.

What was the matter with her? How come she kept forgetting, over and over again that this was all fake? The prince didn't like her anymore than he liked Adelina or another other person he hired to do a job.

And that was all Marianna was here to do. A job. She would help him pass the crown over to his cousin, without disappointing his parents too much, and then watch him ride off into the sunset, leaving her to go back to the States. Alone.

And then a sinking feeling settled in her stomach. She was going to be alone. After all of this, why hadn't she realized it? This was not some ingenious way to solve her problem, because her problem wasn't Samson. It was her fear of being alone. Well, that and her fear that she might not be loveable, but that was not a thread she was equipped to pull on tonight.

Thankfully, Adelina appeared at the base of the stairs with an expectant look on her face. Marianna breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way she was going to make it down the stairs feeling like this. She needed to get out of her head and focus on her job. That was all.

"Are you coming?" Adelina said, waving toward the stairs.

Marianna nodded and made her way down. Once she reached the bottom, Adelina studied her.

"Why did you change your hair?"

Marianna reached out and ran her fingers through it, remembering what it felt like to have the prince so close to her, telling her that she looked beautiful. Then she groaned. She was in trouble. Bad.

"The prince said I looked like his mom and prefers I wear my hair down."

Adelina raised her eyebrows. "And this is a bad thing? Looking like the queen?"

Marianna didn't realize that saying something like that would be offensive. How could she be so dumb? "I—um—well—," tumbled out, but Adelina raised her hand.

"Enough. I don't have time to fix it. Hopefully, Her Highness with not be insulted." She motioned toward the hallway on the other side of the foyer. Marianna nodded and obeyed.

Soon they were standing in the doorway of a large hall. A massive table stretched down the middle. It spanned the whole room. A large fireplace was along the far wall.

Maids and butlers dressed in dark suits were scurrying around with trays of food. They would lay one down in front of someone and then turn and grab another one.

At the far end of the table was an empty seat. A portly man who was busily eating what looked like a turkey drumstick sat on one side, while a young girl with dark curly hair sat on the other. She was giggling as she watched the portly man.

"Adelina," Mrs. DeLuca said from her seat at the head of the table. She motioned with her head to the empty seat.

"This way," Adelina said.

Marianna nodded and followed. She tried to ignore how this seat put her at the other end of the table from Leo. And she tried not to get angry at the fact that Gisella was right next to him, laughing and placing her hand on his arm.

Marianna knew what Mrs. DeLuca was doing. It made sense. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. When her gaze landed on Leo, he shot her an apologetic look. She smiled and shrugged.

By the time she got to her chair, it had already been pulled out. She sat down as the butler pushed the chair back toward the table. Now sitting, she glanced over at her companions.

The portly man was too busy eating, but the little girl was studying her with wide eyes.

"Hello," she said, moving out of the way as a maid came by and dropped a napkin in Marianna's lap.

"Hi," the little girl said.

Marianna smiled. "What's your name?"

"Clara."

She looked so much like Leo. “And you are who to Leo?”

“He’s my big brother,” she said, stabbing her potatoes with her fork.

Leo had a little sister? Marianna studied her. She was adorable.

"I'm Marianna," she said, picking up a glass of water and taking a sip.

Clara nodded. "I know. You're the woman who is trying to steal my brother."

Marianna gasped. Water raced down the wrong tube, throwing her into a coughing fit. All eyes turned to her. She waved away anyone who approached. That was the last thing she needed—someone thinking she needed the Heimlich.

"Sorry," she said, her voice raspy. "Some water went down wrong."

There was a collective sigh of relief as everyone returned to their conversations. Marianna dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. Clara was staring at her again.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Marianna nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Clara looked relieved. "Good. Because you're the only one who will talk to me. I'd be sad if you died."

Marianna laughed. She liked this little girl and was happy she was seated next to her. "How old are you?"

Clara sat up straighter in her chair. "Eight."

Marianna leaned in. "Want to know a secret?"

Clara's eyes widened as she nodded. "Yes."

Marianna glanced around to make sure no one was watching. From the corner of her eye, she swore she saw Leo's gaze on her. But when she turned, Gisella had pulled his attention away.

Trying not to feel too disappointed, Marianna smiled back at Clara, who looked as if she was going to die from anticipation.

She smiled. "I'm happy to be sitting next to you, too."

Clara looked disappointed. "That's it?" She picked up her fork and pushed around some meat on her plate. "I thought it was going to be a good secret."

Marianna held up her hand. "Hey, now. You didn't hear why."

Clara glanced back at her. "Okay. Why?"

Marianna wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, just you wait. It's going to be amazing."

A wide smile spread across Clara's lips. "Perfect."