And instead of starting at the beginning, and explaining it all coherently, he found himself doing the exact opposite—blurting out the end point, with no lead-up or context.
‘I want you to marry me,’ he said.
* * *
Rachel was sure she’d misheard. It had almost sounded as if Mateo had just asked her to marry him. In fact, that was exactly what it had sounded like, which couldn’t be right. Obviously.
Unless he’d been joking...?
She gave him a quizzical little smile, as if she was unfazed, perhaps a bit nonplussed, rather than completely spinning inside and, worse, suddenly deathly afraid that he was joking. That it was so obviously a joke...as it had been once before. She’d been able to take it from Josh all those years ago, but she didn’t think she could take it from Mateo, someone she both liked and trusted. Please, please don’t make me the butt of your joke. ‘Sorry,’ she said lightly. ‘Come again?’
‘I didn’t phrase that properly.’
Was there another way to phrase it? Rachel took a sip of her tea, mostly to hide her expression, which she feared was looking horribly hopeful. This was starting to feel like something out of the novel on the coffee table, and she knew, she knew real life wasn’t like that. Mateo Karras did not want to marry her. No way. No how. It was impossible. Obviously.
‘I want you to marry me,’ he said again. ‘But let me explain.’
‘O...kay.’
‘I’m not who you think I am.’
Now this was really beginning to seem melodramatic. Rachel had a sudden urge to laugh. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Who are you?’
Mateo grimaced and put down his cup of tea. ‘My full name and title? Prince Mateo Aegeus Karavitis, heir to the throne of the island kingdom of Kallyria.’
Rachel stared at him dumbly. He had to be joking. Mateo had liked to play a practical joke or two, back in the lab. Nothing serious or dangerous, but sometimes he’d relabel a test tube with some funny little slogan, and they had an ongoing contest of who could come up with the worst chemistry joke.
If H2O is the formula for water, what is the formula for ice? H2O cubed.
Was that what he was doing here? Was he making fun of her? Her cheeks stung with mortification at the thought, and her heart felt as if it were shrivelling inside her. Please, no...
‘I’m sorry,’ she said stiffly. ‘I don’t get it.’
Mateo frowned, the dark slashes of his brows drawing together. Why did he have to be so handsome? Rachel wondered irritably. It didn’t make this any easier, or less painful. ‘Get it?’
‘The punchline,’ she said flatly.
‘There’s no punchline, Rachel. I mean it. I accept this comes as a surprise, and it’s not the most romantic proposal of marriage, but please let me explain.’
‘Fine.’ She put down her tea and folded her arms, feeling angry all of a sudden. If this was some long, drawn-out practical joke, it was in decided poor taste. ‘Explain.’
Mateo looked a little startled by her hard tone, but he continued, ‘Five days ago my brother Leo abdicated his throne.’
‘Abdicated? He was King of this Kall—?’
‘Kallyria, yes. He’s been king for six years, since my father died.’
He spoke matter-of-factly and Rachel goggled at him. Was he actually serious? ‘Mateo, why did you never say anything about this before? You’re a prince—’
‘I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want anyone to know. I wanted to succeed on my terms, as my own man. And that’s exactly what I did. I used a different name, forewent any security protocols, and established myself on my own credentials.’ His voice blazed with passion and purpose. ‘No one at Cambridge knows who I truly am.’
‘No one?’
‘No one.’
For a terrible second Rachel wondered if Mateo was deluded somehow. It had happened before to scientists who spent too much time in the lab. They cracked. And the way he’d left so suddenly, this family emergency...what if it was all some weird delusion?
Her face crumpled in compassionate horror at the thought, and Mateo let out an exasperated breath. ‘You don’t believe me, do you?’