Renee smelled the ocean water just as they arrived at a pier. Marco rode his motorcycle onto the dock and stopped in front of a ferry boat.

"How did you like your first ride?" He helped her from the back of the bike. She unhooked her helmet, took it off, and breathed deep of the salt in the air.

"I loved being that close to you with the wind brushing against my skin."

Marco grinned and guided his motorcycle onto the ferry.

"Where are we going now?" Renee followed behind him slightly as he pushed the motorcycle.

"On the boat."

Obviously, but she held back that retort. Instead she came beside him where he parked the bike. "And then where?"

He pointed toward the ocean that seemed dark and unending. "My castle is this way. One day we'll live there."

Her heart pounded in her chest. Had she misheard him? Her cheeks heated. "We?"

"When you marry me." He guided her to where other passengers sat, his hand warm around hers.

She pulled back and stopped him before they walked onto the main part of the ship. The night wind brushed a slight coldness onto her body, but it didn't cool her down. Her heart beat too fast. She held his hand to her chest. "You haven't asked. We haven't discussed anything, like how we feel or what's going on."

He kissed her fingers. "Wait until we get to the castle." He squeezed her hand and led her to the right side of the ferry. "For now, let's go say hello to the people who live on the island."

"Okay..." She had no objection to meeting new people, but he couldn’t just assume that they would get married. She hugged his arm to her chest and tried to joke off how she felt, "Guess you got me on a ship after all tonight."

Marco stopped at a couple in their late forties, early fifties, and smiled at them. Keeping her at his side, he said, "Renee, this is Mikel, and Ingrid. They are bakers on the island."

She held out her hand, but neither of them shook hers. Ingrid curtsied and a moment later, Mikel bowed. Ingrid then said, "We'll send up fresh bread in the morning for you, Princess."

"I'm not a princess." Renee shook her head and elbowed Marco for him to correct them.

He didn’t. Ingrid shyly smiled and said, "I see the way our prince looks at you. You'll be our princess soon."

Marco, chuckling at her discomfort, said goodbye to the couple and held her hand near his chest while they walked to meet a younger gentleman about their age. "Don’t be mad, Renee." They stopped in front of the man. "This is Henri, he works in the South Castle."

The handsome man with a slight tan could probably get any girl he wanted in the states. He nodded at Marco. "Hello, Your Highness." Then smiled at her. "It will be a pleasure to have you stay with us permanently."

Marco kept his arm around her shoulder and narrowed his gaze at Henri. "How do you feel about Americans?"

Henri grinned at her. "This one is quite lovely, Your Highness."

Marco rumbled a laugh. "I agree."

"Thank you." Her cheeks grew hotter. Henri seemed way too at ease to be a servant, though she kept that thought to herself. Maybe that is what Marco wanted in his castle.

"This way, Renee." Marco guided her toward the front of the ferry where they could be alone.

She tugged his hand to make him stop. He did, taking her other hand in his, holding them to his chest. His muscles blocked the wind of the night air, but she leaned up and stood on her tiptoes so only he heard her. "Marco, why are we making the rounds to talk to everyone?" Why didn’t he correct them when they assumed she would be his princess?

She could feel the beat of his heart. "I want you to see that the people in my parents’ kingdom are kind and pleasant. Every-day folks and nobody to be afraid of."

So, this was about her running. She’d been a fool. She closed her eyes, banishing the panic that had caused her to flee. The note was still in her back pocket. He wanted her to see that she could have a life here, unafraid. But what did that look like? "Marco, I'm a school teacher. How can I help you or your family?

He blinked and stared at her like she spoke another language. "I don’t understand."

She nodded at him with encouragement. Where did he see her in his daily life? "I need you to answer."

He studied her face intently, her hands against his heart. "Why would you need to help with anything?"

She squeezed his palms. The idea of being a guest with nothing to do, no purpose, filled her with dread. "I'm not the type of woman who can just stay home. In a castle, you have people who take care of your cooking and cleaning, and honestly, I can’t even bake—so where do I fit in?"

He tapped her knuckles slightly, his brow furrowed as he considered her words. "You teach history?"

"Yes, pretty useless in a country older than America." She shrugged. "But I enjoy working."

He nodded, then smiled. "I do have this idea, about a tourist industry?"

An industry sounded much larger than managing a class of fun-loving smart teens in an AP class. A voice in her head questioned if she was good enough for something like that, but she quieted it. "So you want my opinion on how to rebuild tourism?"

"I like history, though it was never my favorite subject. But we are surrounded with ancient ruins and legends. You would be perfect for putting together interesting facts in a fun way."

She nodded. It would be bringing history to life, and that did appeal to her.

He kissed her beneath the moonlight. "You can handle the whole project if you like. I'm sure my parents would be thrilled someone in the family took an interest."

Well, she’d asked for it. The thrill of creating something new made her smile. "Okay, I'll look into it."

"Now come." Marco led her to the other side of the ferry where an older man smoked a cigarette. He lowered it when they walked over to him. Marco said, "This is Jack, a local fisherman."

The older man’s bright smile showed all his crooked teeth. "Your bride is even more beautiful than the television made her out to be, Your Highness."

"I agree," Marco answered with pride.

She wasn't a bride. They weren't in love. Lust wasn't love, but the yearning inside her to be with him was more than just casual. She wasn't sure what to say. With a nod, she replied, "A pleasure to meet you, Jack."

Marco brought her back to his motorcycle as the ferry docked. He handed her a helmet. "The people on the ferry were nice." As soon as they had privacy, she would make him promise to start correcting people. There was nothing wrong with her being a girlfriend.

The final heave of the ferry caught their attention and she quickly put on her helmet.

"Climb on." Marco slid onto his motorcycle and held out his hand for her to join him. His touch ignited immediate lust. How was she supposed to separate feelings from desire? He started his engine. "I want to take you to where we'll spend the rest of our lives."

"If we get married," she said quietly while he rolled off the ferry.

"I like the word when better in that sentence." He revved the engines to go faster.

"Marco..." He raced down the empty dock and onto the street. No more conversation was possible, so she held tight, memorizing every ripple of muscle in his sculpted chest while he sped faster up a never-ending hill that must end at the castle in the distance. Desire grew as she held onto him.

Finally, he rode into a driveway, past the metal gates that closed behind them. He slowed down and said, "I can hear you thinking. Wait until we get inside."

She dismounted and gazed up at the medieval castle with white walls and blue slanted roots and the cliff they were on that overlooked the Mediterranean. In the morning, this view would be breathtaking, but the moonlight on the dark waters already stirred her imagination. He came behind her and she turned to walk beside him. "This is your castle?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Mine, when I get married technically, so it would be ours. Every so often I come and visit the South Castle. Here we're surrounded by water and everyone who lives here knows each other."

"I see that." She listened to her heart that whispered it was okay to believe in love at first sight and to trust in Marco’s affection. If she truly belonged with Marco, then everything should be natural and good.

He took her hand and guided her toward the edge where they could look down at the Mediterranean far below them. She resisted so close to the ledge, and he tugged her arm. "Come see the view."

"It's spectacular." She held her ground. Heights weren't her thing and her gut told her if she looked down, she'd freeze. He must realize she was not the best candidate for wife.

He returned to her side without pressing further and they walked toward his castle door, arm-in-arm. As the doors opened, she hugged him closer and tugged him into the side room, to have a private conversation. The moment they entered, she squared her shoulders. "Marco, I'm sorry I ran scared. The moment I was on the plane, I realized I made a huge mistake. I was so happy you came for me. I didn't want to go."

He closed the doors. A fireplace roared and she felt the tips of her fingers and toes began to lose the light frost of the night air.

Marco knelt down. "Renee, we can live here, together, and be happy, if you’d have me. I want you in my life forever. Marry me."

Her limbs shook and it wasn't from the slight cold because electricity coursed through her. She tugged his arms for him to stand and he did. "I know I shouldn't care about anything other than you and me. Along the way I fell in love with you and I can't shake the feeling. All it does is grow and this feeling scares me slightly when I try to ignore it. I want to believe in happily-ever-after, love at first sight, and not care what anyone thinks or says."

"What is keeping you from that?"

On the golf course, her father scuffed his heel and told his friends that she was never going to be a success like Neil. "I wish my parents for once gave me their blessing."

"Consider it done," he said.

She shook her head. There was no way he understood the magnitude of his task. Blood drained from her face as she imagined poor Marco being cut down by her parents. "You don't know them."

He winked like he had everything under control. "I'll have them meet my parents tomorrow, and they will get the royal treatment."

"I don’t know…" She wondered if she wanted the wrong thing. Perhaps it was best to keep Marco's world separate from her parents. The last thing she needed was for Marco to lose face over this and her parents were like statues that never changed their minds. But with him, she’d have to get married without their blessing.

He held her hand and his gaze felt like it penetrated her soul. "I love you, too."

Instantly she forgot everything else. His lips met hers and she was lost in his arms. All she wanted was to stay with him, forever. She kissed him back with every part of her body and soul. Marriage would be right. The only thing this night truly proved was that they both loved each other. It should be enough. It had to be.