Chapter 11

Eleven

"He's here!"

Those two words, uttered by Riley as he and Luna raced into Milo's room, induced pure panic and euphoria.

"Here?" Jonathon asked, scrambling upright and looking over the top bunk's rail, dreading and delighting at the thought of seeing Leo again.

Milo spun around in his seat at the desk, his headphones around his neck. "He's here?"

Luna pressed her hands to her cheeks, nodding. "He's heeere!" she whispered dramatically.

"Not here, in 8B," Riley said and pointed at the floor. "He's here to see your Aunt Muriel. I heard it from Carl who heard it from your aunt's housekeeper, Tilly."

"Tilly told Carl?" Jonathon parroted, surprised. "She never tells Carl anything. She said he missed his calling and should have been a hairdresser, he spends so much time gossiping like he's at a beauty parlor."

That resulted in a round of chuckles and snickers of agreement, until Milo waved excitedly. "Unless! Tilly knows you're hiding in the building and she's trying to get a message to you," he said and Jonathon gasped.

"She's the one who told me about the hidden stairwells and hallways that went nowhere. She must have figured out that I've been sneaking around the building."

"Wait!" Riley and Milo shouted at the same time.

"There are hidden stairwells?" Riley asked, sounding delighted while Luna squealed and hopped and Milo shook his head.

"I know what you two are thinking but my claustrophobia ," Milo said pointedly and mouthed several nopes.

"They're not that bad," Jonathon told him. "Just the closed-off, boarded up bits between units, from all the renovations over the years. And Tilly made me swear to be careful and always have my phone with me and charged if I went exploring."

"We can talk about a tour or a map later," Riley said with a wink at Jonathon.

Milo gave Jonathon a shocked look. "That sounds excessively dangerous, even with a phone."

"I'm always careful and I know this building like the back of my hand," Jonathon reassured them, then slid Riley a sheepish look. "Did Tilly tell Carl anything else?"

Riley nodded quickly, his eyes huge. "The Margrave sent your aunt a huge bouquet of lilies and a written apology. He swears he thought that you were the one who dumped him and he's fired Celine."

"Me?" Jonathon's head pulled back and he frowned. "Why would he think…? And who is Celine?" he asked, earning a confused shrug.

"I have no clue. Carl heard that the Margrave sent the flowers and a letter begging your aunt to forgive him and to grant him an opportunity to explain. Apparently, one of his assistants, this Celine, had something to do with it and he fired her after the gala."

"Sabine?" Jonathon's hand slapped over his mouth. "Leo fired Sabine !" He hurried over the side of the rail and down the ladder, slipping and missing the bottom step, he was shaking so badly. But he needed to be on solid ground and he needed to pace. "I can't believe he fired Sabine. She's his… Leo needs her."

"Apparently not," Riley replied, his shoulders bouncing. "Could she have had a part in this?" he asked and a shocked laugh burst from Jonathon.

"She had a part in this from almost the beginning! I can't believe she would…" His voice faded because Jonathon absolutely could believe Sabine would sabotage their relationship. And not only that, she would have done it so neatly and so easily that no one would suspect she had anything to do with it. "That snake!" he cried as he realized how simple it would have been for her to do it. "I can't believe I trusted her."

But who else did Jonathon have? And who else could have sent the roses?

They first appeared in his room the morning after their private ball and a fresh bouquet was on the bedside table every time Jonathon opened his eyes.

Stunned and slightly alarmed by the third morning, Jonathon had asked a few of the maids and footmen where they had come from. No one had a clue until Jonathon mustered the nerve to ask the housekeeper, Frau Fischer. She informed him that it had been Sabine's idea to send roses and lilies to Jonathon's and Muriel's rooms to thank them for being such kind and supportive guests while the Margrave recuperated and prepared for his assumption ceremony.

Jonathon had found that as believable as Santa Claus leaving them, but had played it cool until he could talk to Leo privately.

"Why do you keep sending me flowers? Someone's going to say something!" he scolded Leo, when they met in the study after breakfast.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Kiss me," he said, craning his neck over his paper and pursing his lips.

Jonathon looked around quickly before lowering and cradling his cheek. "Thank you," he whispered as he pecked. "They're beautiful but you can't?—"

"I didn't," Leo corrected, his thumb pressing firmly against Jonathon's lips. "Perhaps, it is magic. Or perhaps, you are magic and deserve to wake up to something beautiful every morning," he stated with a severe look, warning that he would accept no other explanation and that the matter was settled. "You should go. Sabine will be along at any moment. I sent her off to fetch some Paracetamol. She's already given me a headache," he said with a teasing wink. "I'll find you as soon as I can slip away."

"Very well, sir," Jonathon had replied in a sultry whisper before taking himself off to the conservatory to paint some lilies for Muriel.

Later, he returned to the study to see just how much Leo's priceless factotum knew and what she thought about their relationship. Leo had taken advantage of the mild, sunny day and was off hiking with a guide and his German Shepherd—a local celebrity. Jonathon had passed because he was only interested in painting nature, not experiencing it.

And it was the perfect opportunity to finally have an honest chat with Sabine. Jonathon thought he was prepared and could hold his own, but he was immediately overwhelmed and outclassed from the moment he knocked and peeked around the door.

"Hi, Sabine. I was wondering if I could bother you," he had whispered.

She was seated on the loveseat by the window with a stack of folders and her trusty notepad on her lap. Once again, Jonathon couldn't help admiring how elegant she looked in her simple white blouse and black pencil skirt. She had slipped off her red-soled black heels and had used a pen to keep her hair twisted up in a bun.

"Bother me? Nonsense!" She smiled, her eyes sparkling as she patted the spot next to her. "I was hoping to have a little chat with you," she added in a conspiratorial whisper while Jonathon rushed around the sofa and the coffee table and took a seat.

"You were?" He wrinkled his nose sheepishly. "I'm sorry about the roses. I know Leo put you up to that."

"Psshh!" She gave his hand a gentle slap and shook her head. "I don't mind a bit."

"You don't?" Jonathon felt slightly wary, but she shushed and patted his hand.

"I will admit that I had concerns at first, for all the obvious reasons, but mostly for you," she said, her head tilting sympathetically.

"Me?" Jonathon laughed it off. "I know I'm young but I've seen more than men twice my age, thanks to Muriel."

"Of course, Schatz!" She shushed him more, squeezing his hand. "You wouldn't have caught Leo's attention if you didn't have substance. He's very picky and gets bored easily. Which is why I wanted to warn you: it's rare for Leo to go on more than a date or two before he loses interest. He's so…fickle."

"I don't understand. We're not dating but he doesn't seem like the sort of guy who sleeps around," Jonathon said and she gasped, shaking her head.

"Not at all! Leo rarely goes out with anyone but when he does, it doesn't last long. He'll simply never care about sex more than work. And I suppose he knows he can get it just about anywhere when he does want it." She raised her brows at him suggestively.

Jonathon sucked in a breath, mortified. "It wasn't like that! I didn't go after him because he's?—"

"Shhh! I know you didn't, Schatz!" She gave his hand another encouraging squeeze and leaned toward him. "But between you and me, I should have thought about hiring someone to keep him distracted and happy while we were here. He probably would have fired me for even suggesting it, but we can't argue with the results, can we?"

"I don't know…" Jonathon's gaze flicked to the ceiling as he wondered if he'd just been compared to a sex worker and if the comparison had been complimentary.

"Which reminds me," she said and held up a finger. "I know you'll inherit once your aunt passes but if you should find yourself with any expenses or in need of additional…support while you're here, do let me know."

"Oh, God!" Jonathon's face twisted in horror. "You are comparing me to a sex worker. I promise you, I do not want any of Leo's money and I will have you know that my aunt is in very good health and has many, many years ahead of her, thank you." He didn't know if she was testing him to see if he would take Leo's money and if that had been Jonathon's intent, but he felt gross and nothing upset him more than imagining his life without Muriel.

"No, no, no!" Sabine pulled his hand to her chest and hugged it. "You've surprised me, Mr. Hawthorne, and you've been good for Leo. He's having far fewer headaches and he's eating better because his stomach isn't sour and burning all the time. We both know he isn't getting very much sleep, but what he is getting seems to be doing him a lot of good because his mood is greatly improved," she continued, chuckling to herself. "Greatly improved. He only snaps at me two or three times a day and he's practically stopped riding Andreas's ass. Keep doing whatever it is you're doing," she instructed him, causing Jonathon to rear back as his blush intensified.

"I'm…glad you approve. I was afraid you'd be mad and tell me to stay away from him."

She pressed her knuckle against her lips, tittering. "And risk Leo's wrath? Oh, no." She waved it off. "I stay out of his personal affairs and let nature take its course because it always will. That's why I wanted to warn you, Schatz," she said with a soft groan. "Right now, he is your captive and he's under your spell, but it won't last once he returns to the real world. His time will be finite and precious once he's Margrave. I hate to see you get your heart broken, you deserve so much more than a few weeks, but I'm afraid that's all he can offer you. It's such a terrible shame you aren't…five years older and the timing wasn't better for Leo," she explained gently.

"I see." That was a whopper of a lie because Jonathon couldn't see or hear or comprehend anything. His psyche had popped like a balloon, his happiness instantly deflated by a quick, needle-sharp prick.

"Do you?" Sabine asked, her voice a soft, sorry sigh.

He nodded despite the void spreading and filling the place where his soul had been, not two minutes prior. Jonathon didn't know what he'd do once Leo was gone. "Yes," he said woodenly. "Leo said no relationship and I knew he would be busy," he mumbled and nodded.

"Good. As long as you aren't being misled. I know Leo would never take advantage of his position and the years between you. Not on purpose," she qualified. "I was afraid you might have fooled yourself into believing you were ready for a man like Leo and a short-term relationship like this—and convinced him as well—but you seem to be handling everything just fine."

"Thank you."

"And you know you can always come to me if you need anything or just want to talk," she said, thanking him again for his service and all the ways he was helping to make Leo's stay at Sch?nbühel more pleasant.

He had nodded and stumbled through a few more pleasantries before making a stoic escape. Jonathon had kept his head high and his expression neutral until he reached his room and fell back against the door.

"What am I going to do?"

He sank to the floor, crying as he imagined how cold and empty and lost he would be once it was over. Jonathon had foolishly forgotten how minor he was in the grand scheme of things and that Leo had a legacy and a destiny waiting for him when he left Sch?nbühel.

Jonathon might have the talent to make his dreams of becoming a successful artist come true, but what was that compared to being a prince and saving the world? Unlike Jonathon, the odds of Leo achieving his goals were greatly stacked in his favor and the only thing standing in his way was a scandalous fling with a young American artist.

And he wasn't even a real artist yet. Jonathon's soul shrank as he imagined all the ways he'd be described if people found out about their relationship. They would immediately focus on his age because he was barely twenty and Leo was thirty. And Jonathon was an American. There were few things that could be worse for a man like Leo than dating an American. Maybe if Jonathon was a terrorist and wanted by Interpol, or Russian, or in a rock band.

But the fact that he was a young American and from a family with a disgraceful reputation would be too titillating for the media to ignore and Jonathon was all the more humiliated because he would have nothing else to hide behind other than…

Student artist

Aspiring artist

Wannabe artist

Self-styled artist

Artist-in-training

Amateur artist

He would be the butt of every society joke, on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the beginning, the trains, planes, and ships had all been draining and frightening at times. But Jonathon had grown to appreciate Muriel's love of travel because he hated New York society. It was one of the few things they didn't have in common and Muriel refused to accept that there was anything outside of Manhattan and acted like the state of New York consisted solely of that sacred borough and the South Fork of Long Island.

Jonathon's parents' reputation and the gossips' whispers preceded him everywhere they went when they were in the city or the Hamptons. Jonathon had felt like an outcast from the moment he was old enough to understand that his father was a crook and his mother had run off with his best friend, who was also a crook. The only thing that had prevented him from being laughed out of fine restaurants and snubbed at house parties and galas was the sheer force of Muriel's will.

She was determined that Jonathon's reputation would not suffer because of his parents and that he would succeed despite them. She had believed that he would gain respect as an artist and possibly marry a wealthy, successful man and that success would be the ultimate redemption for Jonathon. She had believed that together they could put an end to all the gossip about that offshoot of her family once and for all.

Jonathon had certainly blown that plan to smithereens. He was too snotty and queasy to leave his room and had sent his apologies for missing dinner. His plans to hide and cry for the rest of their stay at Sch?nbühel were interrupted by a swift knock at the door.

"Yes?" he called from the floor, mopping at his face with his sleeve.

"Please open the door," Leo returned quietly.

"Shit!" Jonathon pulled himself up and quickly let him in. "What are you doing here? It's still early, someone might see you!"

Leo hushed him, cradling Jonathon's jaw and exclaiming at his red, puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. "What happened? Tell me?" he demanded as his lips crushed Jonathon's. His hands were possessive and protective as they roamed Jonathon's back and sifted through his hair.

"Nothing happened. I talked to Sabine and I reali?—"

"You talked to Sabine?" Leo leaned back searching Jonathon's face. "What did she say?"

"Nothing, really. Nothing I didn't already know," he said, shaking his head. "It was me, I…woke up." His voice crumbled and Jonathon felt like he was crumbling as he leaned into Leo.

"What are you talking about?"

"I have to let you go soon," Jonathon choked out and Leo's hands stilled. He stilled, his heart slamming against Jonathon's chest.

"No." he growled, his arms tightening around Jonathon as he was lifted and carried to the bed.

"Leo!" Jonathon threw his arms around him, holding on as tight as he could. "What am I going to do without you? Every time I think about it, I can't breathe."

"Stop it," he ordered, shaking his head as he lowered and laid Jonathon on the bed. "I won't hear of this," he said and traced Jonathon's cheek before straightening and peeling off his coat. It was tossed at the chair and his tie followed.

"You won't?" Jonathon blinked back tears, trembling as he watched Leo attack the buttons on his shirt.

"You are mine. You promised me." There was a hardness in Leo's voice and his eyes as he stripped off his shirt and crawled over Jonathon.

"I did!" Jonathon nodded frantically. "I will always belong to you."

"You are mine. My Jonathon." He kissed the words along Jonathon's jaw, dealing with the zippers and garments between them. Jonathon's jeans were whisked away and Leo coated his cock with lube before they came together, gasping and swearing each other's names. "Mine. Forever," he growled in Jonathon's ear as his hips pumped at a steady, driving pace.

"Forever! I love you!" Jonathon cried as he used his arms and legs to pull Leo closer and tighter.

"Love me?" Leo blurted and his head snapped up. He looked dazed as he panted and blinked at Jonathon. "You lo…love me?" he asked hoarsely.

Jonathon nodded jerkily. "Yes. I do. I love you. I'm sorry," he admitted in a shaking rush, fresh tears puddling his vision.

"Oh, Gott!" Leo captured Jonathon's lips for a desperate, seeking kiss as his hips pumped harder and faster. He pulled Jonathon's leg higher and a hand locked tight around his ass. "I love, love, love you. I love you so much," he huffed, crying as he licked and sucked on Jonathon's lips like he could taste their words. "So much."

Intense joy and pure love swept over Jonathon, stunning him as pleasure erupted in his core. "Yes, Leo!" he sobbed as he came, praying and begging that the spell would never break, that he'd never lose Leo's love. Leo tumbled into bliss half a heartbeat later, a rush of slick heat flooding Jonathon's ass as he shuddered through another tremor of pleasure. "Please don't leave me," Jonathon whispered once he had recovered.

Leo groaned as he rolled them, draping Jonathon over his chest and cradling his head. "I would stay here forever with you. I don't even want to go to Vienna for the ceremony anymore."

"Andreas can't cover for you?" Jonathon joked, earning a distracted chuckle from Leo. His fingertips scrubbed Jonathon's scalp, making him drowsy as he listened to the steady thudding of Leo's heart.

"Not this time, but I don't care about any of it if you won't be there," he said distantly, then stopped and raised his head. "Why can't you be there?" he asked, looking around.

Jonathon had a feeling he was looking for his Blackberry or for Sabine and giggled. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask the man in charge," he said and gave Leo's ribs a tickle.

He jumped, grabbing Jonathon's hand. "The man in charge has decided that you and your aunt will be invited as his special guests." A wide, calculating grin stretched across his lips. "Sabine will explain that the two of you were a great comfort and aided me in my recovery and that our families have grown close."

"Very close," Jonathon agreed, giggling and bubbling with giddy joy again as they kissed and made plans to relocate to Vienna.

Starting with an invitation from Leo, requesting that Muriel and Jonathon be his special guests. It seemed highly likely that Muriel would accept and Jonathon planned to suggest they prolong their stay in the capitol until the start of school so he could study the works of Klimt at the Belvedere and the Habsburg collections at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna was renowned for its art as well as its music, and Jonathon was always happy when he knew they'd be visiting.

They had agreed that keeping their relationship quiet until Jonathon finished school and Leo had settled into his role was best. Leo was adamant that Jonathon have time and room to study and had promised to work as much from London as he could so they were only apart for a few months at a time.

Their plan had been so simple and possible until the following morning and everything began to unravel again. Over the years, Jonathon had convinced himself that Leo had been toying with him at the end, getting his hopes up and dashing them as the clock wound down and the end of their fairy tale drew closer.

How much of it had been Sabine's influence, Jonathon suddenly wondered. He felt sick—with himself and with Leo—for allowing her to play them so easily.

"I need to see what else happened while Leo was here, what else he told Muriel," Jonathon said as those haunting moments with Sabine faded and he returned to 8B, smiling at Riley and Milo as he began to plan.

"What are you going to do?" Riley asked and there was a loud gulp from Milo.

Jonathon's cheeks puffed out as he braced his hands on his hips. "I'm going to break into 6A and see what Muriel and Tilly are saying."

"Can I go with you?" Riley begged in an excited whisper but Milo flinched and shook his head.

"Please!" Luna batted her eyelashes at Jonathon and pushed out her lower lip. "I'm a really good climber and crawler and I can be really quiet."

Milo shook his head wildly. "No, Dad! You two can't! I'll…" His face scrunched. "I'll tell Dad to ground both of you or something."

Riley laughed. "Giles knows better."

"He'd probably ask to go with us," Jonathon said and Riley nodded quickly while Milo scowled and Luna giggled. Jonathon shook his head at her. "It's probably better if I go alone this time. Neither of you want to be there if I get caught by Tilly or Muriel," he added, then went to see if he had anything appropriate to wear for a spying expedition.