“Adriana,” I said. “That isn’t why I’m telling you this. I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition,” she repeated, as she looked up at me with one eyebrow raised. “What kind of proposition, because I’m pretty sure we already covered sexual favors.”
“Not that kind of proposition,” I said, chuckling. “My father passed away just a few weeks ago. Before he passed, he told me that in order to inherit the throne and everything with it, I had to get married. If I do not, the royal line will dissolve, and the entire fortune of our kingdom will go to charity. Obviously, I am not currently attached to anyone, and I don’t plan on doing so. I want you to marry me, plain and simple. Marry me and live in the lap of luxury for one year, until I have my mother off my back and the crown on my head. Then, you are free to go, and I will pay you a hundred thousand pounds, as a thank you for your service to my kingdom.”
“Wait,” she said, shaking her head and wiping her mouth. “You want to bring me to your castle, make me a fake princess, have me fake like I love you for a year, and then pay me a severance and send me on my way?”
“Pretty much, yes,” I said, realizing her way of explaining was much less complicated. “Although, technically, you will be actual royalty. There’s nothing fake about that.”
“Would I get a partial payment up front?” she asked.
I could see she was thinking about something, but I wasn’t sure what it was.
“We can do that,” I replied. “We could do five thousand after the first month, and every month after, with a lump sum of the remainder paid at the end.”
“What about sex? Do I have to have sex with you?”
“Again, I do not pay for sex,” I said. “Nor would I expect you to accept payment for sex. It will be completely up to you. Although with the passion we felt last night, I wouldn’t mind exploring that further.”
“What about my expenses while I am there? Surely, I cannot afford the royal lifestyle.”
“Of course,” I replied. “Everything will be taken care of, from your clothing to your wing of the house, and down to the expenses of the wedding.”
“The wedding,” she sighed. “We would have to have a full-out, royal wedding, wouldn’t we? And what about your mother? Surely, she would see right through this.”
“Leave my mother to me,” I replied. “She may be quick, but she knows it will bring a queen to the kingdom, and that is all she cares about. And yes, to the wedding. It is a tradition. That being said, you would be the future queen. Everything would be taken care of for you.”
“All of this is absolutely insane,” she said. She pushed out her chair and walked over to the floor to ceiling windows. “How do I get myself into these situations? I mean, you’re a good-looking man who happens to be obscenely rich and a member of royalty. Don’t you have some duchess or something that you can get hitched to, instead of a British stripper vagabond?”
“Sure, but I am looking for a business arrangement,” I responded honestly. “I don’t want the drama and headache of a serious relationship. Most girls want the fairy tale, and I am not Prince Charming.”
“Tell me about it,” she said under her breath.
I watched as she stared out over the city, the look on her face showing she was giving it some serious thought. I took a sip of my coffee and waited a moment before pressing her. I had to remember that while this was a saving grace for me, this was a lot to ask of another person, especially a woman with no aspirations for the throne.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I think I need a minute,” she said over her shoulder. “You just dropped some big news on me. How many times in a woman’s life do you think a prince asks her to fake a marriage with him? This isn’t really in the lessons they teach you as a little girl.”
I smiled to myself, looking back at the breakfast left abandoned on the table. I didn’t want to push Adriana, but I was pretty taken back by her mastery of negotiation. I had a feeling she wasn’t done yet. I knew as soon as the papers hit the stand at home, my mother would be calling me, wondering why I jumped on a plane and got the hell out of the kingdom.
I was pretty sure the media had snapped pictures of me, not only getting tossed out of the two clubs last night, but staggering into the strip club, which was not going to please my mother at all. Luckily, Caspian did a really good job at not allowing press or cameras in the club. So I knew no one was going to see me tossing money at Adriana, but they may have gotten some pictures as we entered my parents’ hotel. That was easily fixable, though. No matter how much of a playboy I am, no one would really think that I proposed to a stripper from Prague.
I looked over at the window and saw the sunlight shining on Adriana’s blonde locks. Her dark roots peeked out in the bright daylight, and I realized she was just a girl. She was just as beautiful now as she was when I saw her dancing on the stage last night, and I knew, with a little care and some new clothes, she would pass for royalty in a heartbeat. The only problem was, I didn’t know if she was going to say yes or no.
I had assumed that because of her career choice, it would be easy to wave some money in front of her and watch her jump at the opportunity. Adriana wasn’t that kind of girl. She held on to her moral compass like it was her life. Still, no one else last night even slightly caught my eye, and this girl completely blew me away. She took command of the stage like a queen on her throne, and that is exactly the persona I needed to take back home with me, minus the red lights and gold bodysuit. Although, I wouldn’t mind her wearing that to bed every night. As she stood there, tapping her bare foot and biting her nails nervously, I wondered just what was running through her hot little mind.
Chapter 7: Adriana
I couldn’t even believe I was standing here, thinking about accepting this guy’s proposal. He wanted me to basically throw any morals I had out of the window and fake a marriage to him, ultimately lying to the queen, the kingdom, and everyone I knew. Not to mention the fact that I was pimping out my own hand in marriage, and for what? For 100,000 pounds and a cool, year-long vacation in a country I didn’t know, with a queen I was already terrified of?
On the other hand, I had just spent a really hot, sensual night with a real live prince, and he was offering me more money than I would ever see in a year, especially working for that douche bag, tight-fisted boss, Reg. Could I really spend an entire year in a country I had never heard of?
I mean, this guy was a prince, and more than charming. He was handsome, funny, and caring, but I wasn’t in love with him. This arrangement would force me to act like I was. I would be a real, but fake, princess. Who else could even start to say they had an opportunity like that?
I had always been such a great judge of character, but this hit me out of nowhere. This guy had something going on that he wasn’t telling me about, and it was making me really uneasy. What if he was a crazy person, hidden from the public by the royal guards? I shook my head, realizing I was getting a bit extreme here, but my mind was racing, and I just didn’t know what to do or say. I heard him behind me, tapping on the table, trying to be patient, and waiting for my answer. I took a d
eep breath and turned around to face him. He looked up and smiled his charming grin at me.