"I have to go," Massimo said when his phone buzzed.
I watched him walk away and just felt incredibly cold. I couldn't run away from this island, so I just went to walk outside. I thought of all the times that I'd wished as a kid that I could go on vacation on a sandy beach where it was warm during a cold winter in Camden. Here I was, in paradise, but I was still unhappy. Nothing was ever actually as picture perfect as it seemed.
My boyfriend had kidnapped me. Actually, I wasn't sure if he was my boyfriend. He was more like an aggressive ex who wouldn't accept that it was over. Then again, there were worse things than being kept in paradise. At least there'd be fresh salmon.
When I got tired of walking, I went back into my bedroom. I had toiletries in my suitcase, but instead I just flopped facedown on my bed. I felt tired enough to fall asleep a few seconds later.
I could smell fish as I woke up.
"Hello, ma'am," the chef said. He was wearing a stained apron that had seen better days. "I hope you like salmon chowder."
"I love it," I said. I'd fallen asleep fully clothed, but I was startled that people were bringing me food.
He put the food down on a table. "Please eat. I'll send someone to pick things up tonight."
"Okay," I said.
He smiled and bowed to me before walking off. I tasted just the tiniest spoonful of the chowder. The salmon exploded in my mouth. Then I was staring at an empty bowl, wondering if I could get more. I poked the bottom of the bowl to figure out if it was a trick bowl, but it appeared that I'd just consumed the chowder faster than anything I'd ever eaten in my life.
There was a fresh bread roll on the side, which I started eating. I loved the soft inside. While I was still eating the roll, Massimo strolled into my room.
"Hungry, I see," he said, looking at my empty tray.
"Very," I said. I felt a little sick from how quickly I'd eaten but I wasn't about to tell him that.
"I'm sorry that I kidnapped you, but I'm not sorry that you're here with me." His hand settled on mine.
"I want you to take me back to the mainland so I can forget about you." My voice was flat.
"I'm not going to let you go," Massimo said.
"You have to marry a princess or at least a noble. I don't have any of that blood in my veins. Your country will never accept me as a princess. You have to think of your citizens, the ones who need to know that their crown prince will one day produce heirs who can take over the throne."
"That's years away."
"It's right now," I said. "With how sick your dad is, it's a matter of time before you ascend to the throne and your mother becomes the dowager princess. They aren't going to accept me."
"Don't judge everyone by my mother," he sighed.
"She's the only one I've met," I said.
"Cara, I promise you that we can work this out."
A single tear made its way down my face. "I'm telling you we can't."
"You made me chase you to another country," he said.
"I did," I admitted. "But you brought me back to the US. You know that false imprisonment is a crime, right?"
"This island is one of my territories. My claim to it pre-dates the creation of your country. You're on my land."
I sucked in a breath. "When you kidnap a girl, you do it right, don't you?"
Massimo smiled, although there wasn't any laughter in it. "I just wanted to talk to you."
He slid to his knees in front of me and took my hands in his. I hated the chemistry that I felt even now as his captive. He could spark a fire in me any time he pleased.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked. "Why did you run away?"