Mario and used it to his advantage.”
“Clever man.” I brush a damp lock of hair off Andrew’s forehead as I study every curve and angle of his face.
“Did I miss a spot shaving?”
“No,” I murmur. “I’m memorizing you. I want to be able to close my eyes and see your face when we’re apart.”
“We won’t be apart for long. I’ll be on that helicopter on my way to you every chance I get.”
I shake my head. “No, that scares me. Helicopters should be used sparingly. Only in emergencies.”
He grins. “You and Jeffrey. Both such worrywarts.”
“I don’t want you taking unnecessary risks. I want you around for a long time.”
He draws me close, linking his hands at the small of my back. “I’m going to be around for a very long time. But I have been thinking. What if I didn’t go back?”
My brows pinch together. “What do you mean? You have to go back. Your coronation is in two weeks.”
“But what if it’s not?” he asks, hugging me closer. “What if I go to Rinderland with you and let Jeffrey take over for me?” My jaw drops, but before I can stammer out all the reasons that’s insane, he hurries on. “This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing, Bree. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Ever since we got here. I mean, why should I be king instead of Jeffrey or Nick? Just because I was born first?”
“You’ve been studying to be king your entire life. Like you said, with your grandfather and the tie.”
He grins. “Jeffrey can also tie a mean tie. Probably even faster than I can.”
“Stop it. You know that’s not what I meant.” I try to pull out of his arms, but he holds me tight. I settle for placing my hands on his chest as I gaze up at him, willing him to see sense. “No offense to Jeffrey, but he’s too scary and grouchy to rule a country. You’re going to be a wonderful king. Your heart is in the perfect place, and you’re smart and kind, and you listen to other people’s opinions before you make a decision. Do you know how rare all of that is in one person?” I smooth his tie down the center of his dress shirt as I answer my own question, “Very rare. And very special. And not easily replaced. So no, you can’t come to Rinderland with me. You have to go make good decisions for your people and make me proud. We’ll see each other every chance we get.”
“Or there’s another option,” Andrew says, a gleam in his eye that makes my stomach flip. “I think I’ve figured out the answer to our engagement problem.”
“What’s that?”
“We get married, instead,” he says, as if he’s suggesting we have Indian food for dinner rather than Greek.
My brows shoot up. “You’re serious?”
“I am. I talked to a woman at the town hall and had our letter of intent posted on the board today just in case. Legally, we’re all set, and she agreed to stick around to officiate the marriage until seven, but we’ll have to hurry if we want to get it in and out before dinner.” He glances behind me at the clock on the bureau and bares his teeth. “Ouch, yes, we should leave in no more than ten minutes. But you’re ready, right?”
“To get married?” I huff as he crosses to the closet, torn between thinking he’s crazy or brilliant. Or maybe brilliantly crazy. “But we can’t elope,” I add, trying to be the voice of reason. “Our parents will kill us.”
“Our parents will be thrilled.” He sits on the edge of the bed, lacing up his dress shoes. “We’ll be legally married right on schedule, before the coronation, and then we can have a ceremonial wedding later, once the press has calmed down and we’re back to business as usual.”
“Nothing about this is business as usual,” I protest, my heart pounding in my chest. “You were supposed to marry my sister. And we decided we weren’t ready to get engaged. How does getting married make sense?”
He stands and steps forward, taking both of my hands in his. “Because we’re jumping into the water. Like you said. With no plans of getting out again.”
I swallow hard. “But—”
“No buts,” he says, tightening his grip on my fingers. “I know it’s fast, but it’s not too fast. Not for me. You’re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, Bree. I don’t need