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No, Maisy didn’t like Xander. Not at all. And even if she’d ever had a soft spot for him, it would be gone now, after what he’d done.
She hurriedly let her dress fall to the ground and stepped out of it. Then she changed into the outfit she’d picked out for the plane — a simple pair of green shorts with a tie around the waist and a white top, with a gray hoodie in case she got cold. It was the opposite of what a princess should wear, but it was nice to feel like herself again.
When Maisy re-emerged into the cabin, Xander was looking at the treatise as though it was the latest popular mystery novel. Good. She wasn’t ready to hear more of his apologies or more of his teasing.
Maisy sank into her seat and put her headphones back in. At least she was much more comfortable now. Even though the tension between her and Xander could probably be cut with a pair of those big parade scissors.
After a while, Maisy felt herself beginning to doze. She must have been more tired than she’d thought, because the next thing she knew they were descending. With a yawn and a stretch, she turned to the window and saw the gorgeous cerulean waters of the Pacific rising up to meet them. Far below was the island of Kanalea, looking as verdantly green as an emerald. As they drew closer, Maisy could make out white sandy beaches and collections of small bungalows, along with the sprawl of Kanalea’s capital.
It was a tropical paradise — and if everything weren’t such a mess, Maisy would have been beyond excited at the coming vacation. Yet knowing she’d be there with Xander, the beautiful island looked more like a prison than a honeymoon destination. At least she could call Lily as soon as she landed. The thought of talking everything over with her sister made her feel a little better. Although Lily was younger and a hopeless romantic, she was very clever and understanding. Surely, with Lily’s help, Maisy could come up with a strategy for how to get through this.
Maisy took a deep breath and steeled herself. These next few days were going to be some of the most challenging of her life. She just needed to try to get through this without too much more damage to herself or her family — or too much time spent with Xander, which could be equally disastrous.
She just hoped she could do it.
CHAPTER 7
XANDER
By the time the plane touched down on the tarmac of Kanalea’s private airport, both Xander and Maisy were packed and ready to go. When the plane came to a stop and the door opened, they wordlessly got to their feet and exited. Thankfully, there were no crowds here, not yet, at least. Xander didn’t think he could have dealt with another swarm of people cheering and waving. There was a reason he preferred to live his life relatively privately, while his brother regularly appeared in his princely capacity.
They descended the stairs and were met by a pretty woman in a fitted suit. The outfit looked more than a little uncomfortable in the tropical heat, but she appeared unfazed.
“Welcome to Kanalea.” Her voice was level. “Come with me. I have arranged a car to take you to your villa.”
“Thank you.” They followed the woman across the tarmac to a waiting car. Xander opened the door for Maisy, who gave him a disparaging look and circled the car to enter from the other side. Xander understood her anger, but this was going to be a long week if she refused to interact with him. Xander climbed into the back seat beside her while the woman got into the passenger seat. The driver, a dark-haired man in sunglasses, nodded to them and they rolled into motion.
As soon as they pulled onto the highway that led away from the capital, the woman twisted back to face Xander and Maisy.
“My name is Safa Zeviros. I’m the publicity specialist assigned to coordinate and document your honeymoon, but the royal family filled me in on the new situation while you were in the air. So, obviously, I’m on damage control now.”
Great. More people Xander had inconvenienced with his spontaneous switch.
“What exactly does that mean?” Maisy asked.
“First of all, it means that you are both on lockdown. We can’t have word of this little… mishap… getting out to the public. So, I’ll need your phones, laptops, and any other electronics you brought with you.”
“Wait a minute. How are we supposed to be in touch with our families if we don’t have any electronics?” Xander didn’t want to give up his phone, which was quickly becoming his only lifeline to the outside world.
“They will contact me, and I will pass any relevant information on to you. I’ll take your phones now, please.”
More than a little sheepishly, Xander got out his cellphone and handed it over. Maisy did the same. She was glowering, and Xander knew, with a sinking heart, that this would make things between them even worse. There had been a moment, when he’d helped her with her dress, that he’d hoped they could move on, but it seemed too late now.
“I’ll get your laptops when we arrive,” Safa continued once she’d slipped their phones into a bag. “And any other electronics you might have.”
“What about e-readers?” Maisy asked.
“Those too. Sorry.” Safa made a face. “Anything that can connect to the internet is out, unfortunately.”
She was much kinder to Maisy, so Xander’s parents had probably filled her in on just whose fault this was.
“I understand.” But Maisy crossed her arms over her stomach, and Xander knew she was upset.
“Great. Now, we have a few other rules for you two. Once we arrive at the villa, you’ll need to stay there at all times. If you do leave, for instance for the excursions we have organized, you have to be together and you have to appear as a married couple. And, of course, Xander will have to appear as Niko.”
“Of course.” Maisy sounded defeated. Xander felt the same way.
As Safa continued laying out the rules they would have to follow, Xander found himself distracted by the view outside the window. Kanalea really was as gorgeous as it had looked in the pictures. The island was made up of rolling hills that dipped down to blue waters below. As they exited the capital and sped down the highway, the urban buildings turned into open spaces dotted with villas and bungalows. It was the kind of place Xander would have dreamed of visiting — under different circumstances.
