Chapter 11

eleven

REBECCA

Six days post-surgery

A strong, bare arm snaked around Rebecca's waist and tugged her closer against him. Alex didn't go to bed completely nude anymore, but he may as well have been. She felt his entire body against hers, including his morning erection.

She tried to wiggle away, but he tugged her right back. It was an unconscious movement on his part, as he was still mostly asleep, and she hated to wake him, but she needed to get up.

"Alex?" She tried unsuccessfully to move his arm. "Alex?"

He mumbled but didn't budge further.

She sighed and reached for her phone on the bedside table, then navigated to her alarms and set off one that sounded like Alex's alarm.

He took a deep breath and his arm loosened, and she used the opportunity to slide quickly off the bed and run for the bathroom.

"Darling?" Alex called out sleepily. "Everything all right?"

"Fine!" she called back, even while she winced with each step. She hated hiding her pain from him, but he'd gotten even more overprotective since her surgery.

Some people might say having an overprotective husband/prince/future king who doted on them would be their dream. Several days after her minor surgery though—which meant days of his incessant hovering—and his doting was wearing very thin.

After doing what she needed to, she washed her hands and took a few minutes to stare at herself in the mirror. Her hair was limp and a bit dull, her face looking every bit like an exhausted woman inching closer to forty than thirty, and she was dressed in clothes she'd borrowed from Alex—a loose fitting tee and sweatpants.

She sighed and reached for a prescription bottle, filled a glass of water, and popped the last of her prescribed painkillers in her mouth. Tomorrow, she'd have to continue with over-the-counter meds. She was still in pain, but there was just too much to do and she didn't have the luxury of resting anymore. She'd already rearranged her schedule for most of the week, longer than she'd expected, and any more time off would bring too much attention to her.

A princess's work was never done, especially with a looming royal visit to another country.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, visualizing the pain leaving her body with each exhale. Maybe some thought the practice silly, but she always felt better after a little meditation and visualization, even a few minutes of it.

When she reentered the bedroom, Alex was sitting up and finishing a call. He gave her a once over and frowned. "Yes. As soon as possible, thank you."

He hung up, then slid out of bed and walked over to her, his pajamas hanging deliciously low on his waist, his inky black and gray peppered hair messy, and his toned and muscled chest bare.

He rubbed his hands on her shoulders. "Feeling okay? You rushed out of bed."

She gave him a placating smile. She'd gotten really good at those since the surgery. "Fine. Your arm was holding me hostage so I had to run for it when you finally let go."

The corner of his mouth slid up in a half-smile. "Sorry, darling. Though I like the idea of holding you hostage in bed—at some point in the future, of course—I didn't mean to do it."

"I know." She pressed a hand to his cheek, and he leaned into it. She stretched onto her tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss. "Good morning, by the way."

His voice turned slightly husky. "Good morning. Did you sleep all right?"

"Fine. Who was on the phone?"

"Breakfast. I ordered some for us."

"We have food in the kitchen, or we could've eaten in the main dining room with the rest of the family."

"I know, but I thought you might enjoy a hot meal, and Charlie asked you yesterday if there was anything particular you wanted to eat right now."

"I didn't think you'd heard. You were on the other side of the room."

He looked a little sheepish. "I asked her to ask you."

"Oh."

"I'm not trying to be controlling or…I just want to help you."

He looked so earnest that she couldn't scold him, but they would need to have a conversation about this and soon. Right now, however, she just wanted to lie down some more, but needed to usher Alex out of their rooms first. "If you really want to help me, go get dressed and get back to work. There's still a lot to do and manage before we leave."

"I can work from my office here. I'll?—"

"You'll work from your main office."

"I should be here if you need me."

"What I need is some space, Alex. I…I'm not saying that to hurt you, or because I'm not grateful for everything you've been doing to help me, but… "

He gave her a long look and didn't seem happy, but eventually he nodded. "Okay. Whatever you need, even if it's a break from me. I'll just…get dressed and go then."

As he shifted to move away, she caught his arm. "Stay for breakfast, then go."

Some of the tension left him, and he smiled. "All right."

The food arrived a short time later, and they ate together in their small dining room. She feigned drinking some tea while he got dressed and, once she'd kissed him goodbye for the day, she returned to their bedroom.

She slipped under the covers and took a deep breath as she stared at the high ceiling above her. Finally she was alone.

No expectations from anyone, no pressure. No demands on her or her body or her time. No pretending she wasn't in pain when she was. She could just fucking be for a little while. It was just silence—pure, beautiful silence.

Ever since the surgery, she didn't seem to care about things as she used to. She felt distanced from everyone and everything, even herself. It was almost as if she were viewing her life from above, a casual observer rather than an active participant.

Was she depressed? Maybe. She'd certainly had a lot of hard moments recently, but she wasn't sure if that was the reason, or maybe it wasn't the only reason. If she cared enough to find out, she'd schedule an appointment with her therapist before they left on the tour, but she just couldn't be bothered.

On that thought, with a deep, long sigh, she pulled the covers up and went back to sleep.

ALEXANDER

He went back. He knew he shouldn't, knew she wouldn't like it, but something told him to go back and check on her .

The Vallerian Royal Protection agents opened the door to his apartments, and he immediately heard silence. Either she'd left or she was resting.

He didn't see her in the various rooms he passed on his way down the hall. He did notice that she hadn't picked up their dishes from the dining table, which was unlike her. She always tried to make things easier for the staff when she could.

He paused in their bedroom doorway and saw her sleeping form on the bed. He wanted to go to her, to hold her again and tell her everything would be all right, but it would be a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.

They'd once promised total honesty with each other, but they were drifting away from it again. Now, they needed to find a way to drift back. They'd done it barely a week or two ago, and they would do it again.

Yet something else was at work here. His wife wasn't quite the same since the surgery, and he wondered if she recognized it. Perhaps he'd have a chat with the doctor again, surely she'd have some insight. He'd have to talk to Rebecca about it soon but, for now, he let her rest.

When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he quietly closed their bedroom door and made his way quickly down the hall, speaking low as he answered. "Marcello."

"Get to the Situation Room. We've had a threat, and some are suggesting we cancel the tour." His brother sounded both serious and tense, which wasn't a good sign.

"I'm on my way."