weeks.”
“What does that mean?” Elisa asked, her sky-blue eyes wide.
“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” her father replied, winking at Maggie like a mischievous older brother before dragging his daughter out of the room.
Magdalena hadn’t planned on coming home again so soon, but she couldn’t stay in the palace. The confrontation with Luca had rattled her, and the near-miss with Salvadore made her desperate for a shower. She didn’t know if she could wash away the sensual tingles his touch had left all over her body, but she might as well try.
What she really needed was a few minutes alone with herself, or to find a guy willing to help her release some…she’d call it tension.
There wasn’t time for the latter, not with everything else going on, and honestly, as Maggie had gotten older, she found that short-term hookups were more trouble than they were worth. Her grandmother used to say that finding a man was a whole lot easier than losing him when you wanted to, and time had proven her nana a wise woman.
She smiled at the memory of the feisty old lady. Magdalena thought perhaps staying single and able to live on her own terms might be the life for her, too. She had long ago put away her fanciful daydreams of marrying Prince Salvadore one day, of being accepted into the family the way a commoner never could be, but that didn’t change the fact that no one else had ever come close to making her feel the way he did.
Seeing him again only confirmed that, and her face felt like it was going to melt off at the memory of those exact words, the way she’d written them in the diary he’d read ten years ago. She’d taken a vacation with her girlfriends the day after he’d told her what he thought of her crush by kissing another girl. He’d been gone to boarding school when she returned, but somehow, deep in her heart, she’d thought he might come after her. Tell her he felt the same way, or at least apologize for being a jerk and promise they could still be friends.
But he hadn’t. A decade had flown by, and Salvadore had passed it with countless women who he obviously found more attractive choices than her. She’d spent it at school, and becoming exceptionally good at fashion design while finding that men were a waste of time.
She knew some people thought her lonely. She didn’t go out much, and the friends she had were more acquaintances. They didn’t have much in common, Maggie supposed.
Regardless, when her phone dinged with a text message from Brigida, Maggie agreed to meet them for a quick drink and an update on the whole Matrigna Holdings debacle. The preparations for the ball were going to take up much of her time, but she couldn’t let this thing slide. Her father’s life might not last forever, but Maggie was determined that he would live out his days in their little cottage nestled at the foot of the mountains. She didn’t care if the King himself was behind the property buyout.
Once she’d packed all of her more sensible clothes and every pair of underwear she owned, Maggie shouldered the bag and headed to say goodbye to her father. The sound of laughter drew her forward, and she found her dad and his friend Juliet in front of the fire, both of their smiles glowing in the light.
“Oh, Magdalena. I’m so glad you called me. Your father says he was dangerously close to becoming boring, and that just won’t do.”
Maggie crossed the room and let the older woman fold her into a hug, her giant boobs crushing the air from Magdalena’s lungs as she squeezed tight.
“Hi, Juliet,” she wheezed after the woman released her. “Thank you for coming.”
She waved a hand. “Pish posh. I would have come sooner had you told me the truth.”
“Don’t scold her, Julie,” her father intervened. “I told her silence was the best way.”
“From the public maybe. Not from me.”
“I’m happy you were able to come on such short notice. It’s going to be a busy time at
“What does that mean?” Elisa asked, her sky-blue eyes wide.
“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” her father replied, winking at Maggie like a mischievous older brother before dragging his daughter out of the room.
Magdalena hadn’t planned on coming home again so soon, but she couldn’t stay in the palace. The confrontation with Luca had rattled her, and the near-miss with Salvadore made her desperate for a shower. She didn’t know if she could wash away the sensual tingles his touch had left all over her body, but she might as well try.
What she really needed was a few minutes alone with herself, or to find a guy willing to help her release some…she’d call it tension.
There wasn’t time for the latter, not with everything else going on, and honestly, as Maggie had gotten older, she found that short-term hookups were more trouble than they were worth. Her grandmother used to say that finding a man was a whole lot easier than losing him when you wanted to, and time had proven her nana a wise woman.
She smiled at the memory of the feisty old lady. Magdalena thought perhaps staying single and able to live on her own terms might be the life for her, too. She had long ago put away her fanciful daydreams of marrying Prince Salvadore one day, of being accepted into the family the way a commoner never could be, but that didn’t change the fact that no one else had ever come close to making her feel the way he did.
Seeing him again only confirmed that, and her face felt like it was going to melt off at the memory of those exact words, the way she’d written them in the diary he’d read ten years ago. She’d taken a vacation with her girlfriends the day after he’d told her what he thought of her crush by kissing another girl. He’d been gone to boarding school when she returned, but somehow, deep in her heart, she’d thought he might come after her. Tell her he felt the same way, or at least apologize for being a jerk and promise they could still be friends.
But he hadn’t. A decade had flown by, and Salvadore had passed it with countless women who he obviously found more attractive choices than her. She’d spent it at school, and becoming exceptionally good at fashion design while finding that men were a waste of time.
She knew some people thought her lonely. She didn’t go out much, and the friends she had were more acquaintances. They didn’t have much in common, Maggie supposed.
Regardless, when her phone dinged with a text message from Brigida, Maggie agreed to meet them for a quick drink and an update on the whole Matrigna Holdings debacle. The preparations for the ball were going to take up much of her time, but she couldn’t let this thing slide. Her father’s life might not last forever, but Maggie was determined that he would live out his days in their little cottage nestled at the foot of the mountains. She didn’t care if the King himself was behind the property buyout.
Once she’d packed all of her more sensible clothes and every pair of underwear she owned, Maggie shouldered the bag and headed to say goodbye to her father. The sound of laughter drew her forward, and she found her dad and his friend Juliet in front of the fire, both of their smiles glowing in the light.
“Oh, Magdalena. I’m so glad you called me. Your father says he was dangerously close to becoming boring, and that just won’t do.”
Maggie crossed the room and let the older woman fold her into a hug, her giant boobs crushing the air from Magdalena’s lungs as she squeezed tight.
“Hi, Juliet,” she wheezed after the woman released her. “Thank you for coming.”
She waved a hand. “Pish posh. I would have come sooner had you told me the truth.”
“Don’t scold her, Julie,” her father intervened. “I told her silence was the best way.”
“From the public maybe. Not from me.”
“I’m happy you were able to come on such short notice. It’s going to be a busy time at
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