Behind Palace Doors. Jules Bennett

looked down at their joined hands. His dark, tanned skin next to her pinker complexion made for quite the contrast. But when she looked up into his eyes, he knew she wasn’t going to deny him.

      “You’ve always been determined,” she whispered. “That’s something I can understand. With my recent scandal and public embarrassment, I was adamant to get back on track, to take control of my life.”

      He waited, not wanting to interrupt as she guided her own words down the path toward everything he wanted.

      “And what about the sleeping arrangements?” she asked, her wide eyes seeking his for answers.

      Stefan laughed. “You know, you live in Hollywood where sin flows as freely as wine in my country, and you’re blushing at the subject of us sharing a bed. I’m wounded.”

      Obviously this was something she hadn’t expected, but he wasn’t going to push. Yes, he’d desired her for years, but he wanted her to come to him. To realize that maybe something spectacular could happen between them behind the bedroom door.

      He stroked his thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand. “We’ll have to share a room to keep up the pretense with the staff.”

      Her heart beat hard against her chest, and Victoria couldn’t help the image that immediately popped into her head of the two of them entangled in satin sheets in a king-size bed. She knew that his dark skin was part of his heritage and not from lounging by the pool—which meant he would be lean and golden brown all over. There were rumors of hidden tattoos—some she’d seen, some she hadn’t. The man simply exuded mysteriousness and sex. He’d been her best friend as a teen, and even though circumstances had gotten in the way of them seeing each other the past couple years, their phone calls and emails had kept that line of friendship open.

      “I just don’t know,” she muttered aloud. “I’m scared of what this will do to us.”

      “We’ll be stronger than ever,” he assured her with a devastatingly handsome smile. “We’ve spent too many of the past years apart. Let’s just focus on the fact we’ll be together like old times. I need you, Tori.”

      Was she really about to risk more scandal and the bond she shared with Stefan? Yes, because he meant that much to her, and if the tables were turned, she knew he’d drop everything to help her. Besides, she was a member of the prestigious Hollywood Danes; it wasn’t as if scandal hadn’t been part of her life before.

      For years she’d been in the spotlight as the sister of Hollywood’s hottest producer and daughter of the Grand Dane—her mother’s Hollywood-dubbed nickname. The threat of scandal followed her family everywhere.

      Stefan’s family had also had their share of scandal surrounding his mother’s death years ago. His loyalty to his family—and his country—to maintain control of the crown was everything to him. And she completely understood family loyalty.

      As she thought about it, Victoria was liking Stefan’s proposal more and more. How could she not consider showing the world she could still come out on top—and with a sexy Greek prince, at that?

      When Alex had put a ring on her finger, she’d been so determined to have a lasting, loving marriage like her mother, her brothers. Victoria didn’t want pity, didn’t want people looking at her as though she may fall apart if they brought up the broken engagement. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what her family and friends were doing. But Stefan faced the topic head-on and didn’t back down. He wasn’t treating her like some wilted flower, but as a woman who was tougher than what most people thought.

      Victoria was determined to come out stronger on the other side of this scandal. She was going to prove to everyone, including herself, that her iconic mother and hotshot brothers were not the only ones who could rise above anything life threw at them.

      She looked down at her hand joined with Stefan’s, knowing they could help each other…just like always. The arrangement was just on a larger scale than anything they’d ever confronted.

      This proposition Stefan blindsided her with may truly be the answer to get everyone to stop throwing sympathy her way, to see that she was fine and had made her life her own. Not to mention she could use the publicity to help establish her bridal line, as he’d suggested. What better way to launch it than to design the royal wedding dress and wear it?

      “You’re thinking too hard,” Stefan joked. “Go with your gut, Victoria. You know this is going to work. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

      She looked into his vibrant eyes, confident he would do anything to keep her from facing heartache again. And that made his proposal even more appealing.

      There was no denying the man was beyond sexy. He’d been dubbed the Greek Playboy Prince by all the media outlets for years. But Alex had been just as handsome, just as cocky…until he’d confessed he’d been using her for her family name to help further his acting career. Of course the truth had only come out after he’d impregnated another woman and had to call off the engagement.

      Oh, how could she even sit here and compare the two men? Alex wasn’t even worth her thoughts, and Stefan was everything to her.

      Another look into his smiling eyes and Victoria nearly laughed. Stefan had been up-front and honest with her because that’s the type of friend he was. What he was proposing was nothing like what Alex had done to her. Other than this marriage, what could she offer Stefan that he couldn’t get himself? He certainly wasn’t a rising actor like Alex had been. How could she deny him when she knew he was in a vulnerable state and he trusted only her?

      “I’d expect you to be faithful, even if this is pretend,” she told him.

      “I assure you, you will have my undivided attention.”

      Swallowing the doubts and throwing caution to the wind, Victoria smiled. “Stefan, I’d be honored to marry you.”

      Two

      Stefan had invited Victoria to stay in the palace so they could get some alone time to reconnect in ways that phone calls and emails couldn’t provide. They had to attempt to make this seem like the real thing because the media would definitely pick up on any uncomfortableness between them if every touch, every lingering gaze didn’t look authentic—like they were secret lovers.

      Pretending to be infatuated by Victoria’s beauty would be no hardship. Her flawless elegance had only flourished since the last time he’d seen her, and he was damned grateful she’d agreed to his insane proposal.

      Parading her around the grounds with the royal photographer, snapping some pictures as they rode on horseback, cuddled beneath the trellis of flowing flowers and walked along the private, pristine beach, would help fuel this fire of his romance with the next queen of Galini Isle. Though he’d asked the photographer to keep Victoria’s face out of the snapshots to add an aura of mystery. He’d always been proud and ready to show off the women on his arm. Victoria was the first one he’d protected from the camera. So once the photos started going out, they would hopefully create more talk of his upcoming wedding in four weeks.

      Their brief time alone had already caused so many memories to resurface. She was still a tender heart where her family was concerned but lethal when it came to business. The beauty Victoria brought back into his life by being there in person was immeasurable. Holding her, laughing with her, staying up late last night talking again was amazing, and he vowed to never let so much time go between their visits again…if she ended up leaving at the end of the six months.

      All thoughts of reconnecting were swept aside as Victoria entered the intimate dining area he’d had his assistants set up on the balcony off his master suite’s second story. Stefan’s breath caught, and he knew that spark of desire he’d always had for her would only spread and burn hotter now that they were spending so much intimate time alone.

      Yes, he needed her to keep his country, but he wasn’t a fool. No way would he let this prime opportunity pass him by to show her just how much he believed becoming