The Wedding Party And Holiday Escapes Ultimate Collection. Кейт Хьюит

he asked quietly. ‘Don’t say I’m sorry?’

      She drew a shuddering breath. ‘Are you?’

      ‘Unbelievably so. More than I’ve ever been, for anything, in my life.’

      She shook her head. It wasn’t that simple, that easy. ‘Why did you do that to me?’

      ‘Because I’m a stupid, selfish idiot.’

      ‘I’m serious, Sandro.’

      ‘So am I.’ With a sad smile he put the breakfast tray down on the table by her bed. He gestured at one of the silver dishes on the tray. ‘Strawberries. No chocolate, though.’

      Liana just folded her arms. ‘I want answers, Sandro.’

      ‘And I’ll tell you. You know how you thought you looked like Cinderella last night?’

      She eyed him warily; she had no idea where he was going with this. ‘Yes....’

      ‘You are Cinderella, Liana. You came to the castle to marry a prince, except in this case the said prince was a king and he wasn’t all that charming. He was kind of an ass, actually.’

      A smile twitched at her mouth even though she still felt heavy inside. ‘Was he? Why?’

      ‘Because he was so consumed with how frustrated he felt and all the things he wanted out of life that he didn’t have and how no one loved him. Pathetic, whingy little so-and-so, really.’

      ‘I think you might be being a little hard on him.’

      ‘No, he definitely was. He never thought about what other people might be feeling, especially his Cinderella.’

      Her mouth curved again in a tremulous smile, almost of its own volition. ‘I wouldn’t say he was quite that self-absorbed.’

      ‘He was worse,’ Sandro answered. ‘Cinderella couldn’t find that pointy glass slipper because it was stuck up his ass.’

      She let out a sudden, startled laugh. ‘Sandro—’

      ‘He had no idea what he was doing or how much he was hurting people.’ He took a step towards her, a sad, whimsical smile on his face. ‘Seriously, Liana, he was a mess.’

      ‘And what happened?’

      ‘Cinderella woke him up with a good old slap. Yanked her shoe out and made him realise just how self-important and stupid he was being—about a lot of things. Her. His family. His past. Himself.’

      ‘And?’ she asked softly.

      ‘And he only hopes he can still make it right.’ He took another step towards her, and he was close enough to touch. She almost did. ‘I hope I can make it right, Liana, by telling you how wrong I’ve been. How unbelievably, unbearably stupid and selfish.’ The smile he gave her was shaky, vulnerable, and it made her yearn. She shook her head, not ready to surrender even though another part of her ached to.

      ‘You hurt me, Sandro.’

      ‘I know. I was so afraid of being pushed away again. Rejected. And instead I did exactly what you said. I set up a situation where I’d force you to fail, because it was better than feeling like a failure myself. I’m so sorry.’

      Liana felt the burn of tears beneath her lids. ‘I forgive you.’

      ‘Enough to take me back?’

      She wanted him back. Wanted his arms around her, her head on his shoulder, the steady thud of his heart against her cheek. ‘You can’t ever do that again.’

      ‘I won’t.’

      ‘I know we’ll argue, Sandro, I’m not saying we can’t disagree or get angry or annoyed or what have you. But you can’t—you can’t set me up like that. Make me feel like a failure.’ Her throat clogged and she blinked hard. ‘Because I’ve felt like that before, and I don’t ever want to feel it again.’

      ‘Oh, Liana. Sweetheart.’ He took her in his arms then, and she went, pressing her cheek against his shoulder just as she’d longed to. ‘I’m sorry for what you endured with your sister,’ he whispered, and the first tears started to spill.

      ‘It was my fault.’

      ‘No, it wasn’t.’

      ‘Didn’t you listen—?’

      ‘I listened, Liana. And I heard a woman who has been torturing herself for two decades about something that was an accident. You were eight years old, Liana, and you were in shock. Where was that nanny anyway?’

      ‘I don’t know.’

      ‘If anyone should feel guilty—’

      ‘But I should have done something. I could have—’

      ‘Did you love your sister?’

      ‘More than anything—’

      ‘Then how can you blame yourself for something that was out of your control? If you could have saved her, you would have. The fact that you didn’t meant you weren’t able to. You didn’t know how. You panicked, you froze, yes, but you were eight, Liana, a child. And someone else should have been there.’

      She shook her head, her tears falling freely now. ‘It’s not that easy.’

      ‘No, it isn’t. But if you can forgive me, then you can forgive yourself. For your own sake, Liana, as well as mine. Because I love you so very much and I can’t stand the thought of this guilt eating away at you until there’s nothing left.’ He eased back from her, gazed down at her with eyes that shone silver. ‘I love you. I love your strength and your grace and even your composure that terrified and annoyed me in turns when we first met. I love how you’ve stepped so beautifully into being a queen my country—our country—is starting to love, just as I love you.’

      His words dazed her so much she could hardly speak. Finally she fastened on to the one thing that seemed least important, least overwhelming. ‘But I’m not queen anymore.’

      ‘Yes, you are.’ The smile he gave her now was crooked and he reached out to brush at her damp cheeks. ‘I’m not going to abdicate. I spoke to Leo, and he talked some sense into me. I realised I was thinking of it because I’ve felt so much guilt and regret about leaving. Running away. And then I was about to do it again.’ He shook his head, his thumbs tracing the lines of her cheekbones, wiping away her tears. ‘Do you think you’re willing to stay married to such a slow learner? A slow learner who loves you quite desperately?’

      ‘Of course I am.’ Liana’s lips trembled as she tried to smile. ‘I’m a bit of a slow learner, myself. I love you, Sandro, but it scared me for a long time, to feel that much, never mind admitting it. But I do love you. So very much.’

      He framed her face with his hands, brought her closer to him so her forehead rested against his. They stayed that way for a moment, neither of them speaking, everything in Liana aching with emotion and a new, deeper happiness than she’d ever felt before. A happiness based on total honesty, deep and abiding love.

      ‘We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?’ he murmured. ‘Wanting love and being afraid of it at the same time.’

      She pressed one hand to his cheek, revelling in the feel of him, and the fact that he was here, that he’d come back and he loved her. ‘Love is pretty scary,’ she said, a smile in her voice, and Sandro nodded, his forehead bumping against hers.

      ‘Terrifying, frankly.’

      She let out a shaky laugh and put her arms around him. ‘Definitely terrifying. But I do love you, Sandro.’

      ‘And I love you.’ He kissed her gently on the lips, a promise and a seal. ‘And since it seems that we’re both slow learners, it will take us a long time to figure this love out. I think,’ he continued as he drew her closer and deepened the kiss, ‘it will take the rest of our lives.’