my side. On my side.”
On a choked-out laugh, Mallory wiped her fingertips at the dampness under her eyes. “You’re the strong one here. Strong enough to take a chance. Whereas I gave up on us. Can you forgive me?”
“Only if you forgive me.”
“I wanted to be a strong, independent woman who could make a difference. Then it all fell apart when Kelsey and I came here. I didn’t know where I fit in. I just saw a palace filled with titles and believed I wasn’t as important as all the other people in my new life.”
“You had to learn to believe in yourself again. Same as me.” How had he not seen this before? Christian took both of her hands, kissed the backs of them. “We did that for each other.”
“I thought you were the most impossible person in the world to be with.” Finally, finally a radiant smile broke across her face. “It turns out that you’re the best. That you make me want to be the best version of myself, and help you do the same.”
Christian held up one hand. He’d only executed two steps of his plan. The third step still loomed before he’d let himself kiss her. And he needed to make sure that the woman never left him again.
“Just to clarify, you do still love me?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding repeatedly.
“Then the bigger question is sort of awkward to ask tonight, as you’re clearly killing it with this event. But I need to know if you’d be willing to take on a new job. Twenty-four seven. For life. The hours sound extreme, but the perks are good.”
Mallory double blinked those wide green eyes at him. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It means I’ve got one more bet for you to take. I bet that if you give me another chance, I’ll do my damnedest to make you happy every single day of your life.”
“Hmmm. What do I get if I win?”
“Me.”
Christian dropped to one knee. It didn’t matter what unnamable liquid was soaking through his tux. He pulled the purple velvet ring box from his coat pocket and held it out.
Mallory gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. “This is crazy.”
“No. Letting you walk away from me was crazy.” He popped it open to reveal an enormous round diamond, surrounded by a circle of rubies. “Mallory, will you marry me? Be my wife, and my queen—in that order?”
A single tear ran down her cheek on both sides. But her eyes absolutely glowed with happiness. And her voice was steady and full of challenge, just the way he liked it. “Hmmm. What do you get if you win?”
“Everything,” he said simply.
“That sounds like a win-win situation to me. A sucker bet. I’m in.”
Christian slid the ring onto her finger. Then he brought her hand to his lips and kissed where it lay. In relief, in joy, in gratitude that she was willing to take him on despite his crown and country. “I love you.”
She extended her hand, wiggled her ring finger. “I can tell.” As she burst into laughter, he covered her lips with his.
Christian sank into the kiss he never thought he’d get to savor again. His hands bracketed her face as they slowly, tenderly—mindful of gala makeup—shared the sweetest kiss of his life.
“I love you, too,” Mallory whispered.
“I can tell.” Then they both laughed, and Christian knew, in every cell of his body, that’s how they’d spend the rest of their lives. Laughing, kissing, and loving each other.
Epilogue
Five Months Later…
For a ceremony that was about to change her life, it was laden with déjà vu. Mallory was in a fancy dress in a low-ceilinged room in the basement of a church, just like she’d done fourteen times as part of a bridal party in the eighteen months after college.
It smelled just as dusty and old as those churches back in the States. Over that laid the aerosol tang of hair spray. There was an air of frantic impatience from everyone else clustered in the room. And there was champagne.
The differences? The champagne was in silver ice buckets, not plastic coolers. The church was the largest cathedral in Moncriano. And the formal wear was really, really formal. In fact, they were down here, lined up, to get their tiaras affixed with too many double-strength bobby pins.
Archduke Julian (rocking his new title that Christian had insisted on bestowing), Grand Duchess Agathe, and Duchess Mathilde, as well as five other titled family members, had taken carriages from Alcarsa