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Monaco?ā€

ā€œTreacherous,ā€ she laughed.

He extended his hand across the desk to shake. ā€œAh, nothingā€™s changed, then.ā€

She dodged around the desk and barreled into his arms. Max hugged her quickly as she rocked back and forth. ā€œYou old rogue, you. You didnā€™t come to Uncle Rainierā€™s funeral. Or Pierreā€™s.ā€

Her hand trailed down his back and traveled just below where his belt encircled his waist.

Above Marie-Thereseā€™s head, Max saw Dree Clark blinking in confusion and holding her stylus above the tablet as she sat perched on the edge of her chair.

Max untangled himself from his cousin. ā€œI sat beside his bed nearly every day for a month. I said my goodbyes in person, and Monaco is, as you noted, treacherous.ā€

ā€œPeople talked,ā€ Marie-Therese said, shaking her glossy black curls and blinking her dark eyes at him. Like Max, she took after the Grimaldi side of the family, which was Italian by name and predominantly French by genetics. Like most royal families, they were descended from European blue bloods, not their subjectsā€™ bloodlines. Their grandmother was American and blond, of course, but their great-great-grandmother was Mexican.

He said, ā€œIā€™m sure they talked. Iā€™m sure most people had nothing better to do than to talk. But now Iā€™m here and settling Monaco for the next century.ā€

He looked behind her to where his great-uncle had stepped up and extended his hand. ā€œUncle Louis, so good to see you again.ā€

The slim, white-haired man smiled primly and shook Maxā€™s hand. His forehead bulged above his eyes as if it had been designed to hold a crown. ā€œMaxence, Iā€™m glad to see you in more pleasant circumstances.ā€

Louis had also stood hospital vigil over Maxā€™s uncle, Prince Rainier IV. When Max had arrived in the early afternoon, Louis had been sitting and reminiscing with his unconscious cousin for a few hours in the mornings, giving Max a few moments to chat with him before Louis left for lunch and business. Theyā€™d become closer over that hellish month, discussing amiably the future of Monaco and the transfer of power to Pierre, which hadnā€™t come to pass. ā€œDefinitely, Uncle Louis.ā€

Maxence unbuttoned his suit jacket as they sat. To Dree, he said, ā€œAttending at this meeting are Prince Louis Grimaldi, younger brother of Prince Rainier the Third and my great-uncle, and Lady Marie-Therese Grimaldi, the only child of Prince Jules Grimaldi and thus my cousin.ā€

Dree scribbled industriously.

Maxence said to her, ā€œTake notes.ā€

Dreeā€™s blue eyes swiveled sideways to glance at the woman and older man who had their backs partially turned toward her, and she looked back at Maxence. She lifted her crossed leg and set her high heel on the floor, her knees apart, and then crossed them the other way, giving him a neat glimpse of the bare, pink skin between her legs.

Splendid. This was going to be the most interesting meeting heā€™d attended since heā€™d returned.

Maxence turned back to Marie-Therese and Uncle Louis, who were waiting for him to finish with the inconsequential admin.

Marie-Therese glanced at the leatherbound volumes lining the high bookcase shelves and the rococo crown moulding lining the ceilingā€™s seams far above. ā€œLooks like youā€™ve moved in.ā€

Maxence shrugged. ā€œSomeone had to take on the day-to-day decisions and sign documents from the ministries during the interim, lest the government grind to a halt. Since Iā€™m next in the theoretical order of precedence and I have an apartment in the palace, Iā€™ve kept the government running.ā€

Marie-Therese grinned at him. ā€œIā€™m just surprised youā€™ve taken on the role, Deacon Father.ā€

The papercut sarcasm in her comment wasnā€™t lost on him. ā€œI organized my charity a decade ago and employ hundreds of people. We liaise heavily with the Catholic Church, an enormous organization with just under a million members of the consecrated life, plus over a billion faithful. I can handle Monacoā€™s forty thousand-odd citizens and additional residents easily.ā€

ā€œIt almost appears that youā€™re auditioning for the job,ā€ she said.

Maxence sighed. He hadnā€™t thought heā€™d have to convince Marie-Therese. ā€œI was the spare heir my whole life. I wasnā€™t tutored in the running of the government as much as Pierre was, but my parents and then aunt and uncle made sure I had a basic grasp on what to do if the need arose. On that note, I am stating again for the record,ā€ he nodded at Dree, who was scribbling on the tablet, ā€œI donā€™t want the throne. If it is offered, I will refuse.ā€

Marie-Therese laughed. ā€œI didnā€™t think you did. I remember when my mother took all of us cousins out to that fast food restaurant in France. We chased you around with the paper crown for hours. I thought you were going to break out in hives. Pierre eventually got his hands on it, no matter how we played keep-away, and then he wore it for a month until it fell apart.ā€

Marie-Thereseā€™s mother had been an angel, taking the brood of cousins to parks, childrenā€™s events, and feeding them fattening food when they were home from boarding school. ā€œAnd you kept wearing the paper crown and running away, just to hear Pierre scream.ā€

Maxence observed his cousin closely.

Marie-Therese laughed again, almost gaily. ā€œPierre was dreadfully easy to provoke.ā€

ā€œBut you wore it. Do you want to wear this one?ā€ he asked her.

ā€œMe? Oh, God, no. Iā€™m fine with being a noble lady, and I have never aspired to anything higher. I spend my whole life partying and being pretty so I can have my picture taken, and doing whatever I want, whenever I want. Royals have a fully booked schedule every day, from six in the morning until midnight. You could not pay me enough to be the Princess of Monaco.ā€

Maxence considered what sheā€™d said. ā€œYou donā€™t just ā€˜have your picture taken.ā€™ You have three million Instagram followers.ā€

ā€œI like my life the way it is, Maxence. Iā€™m horrifically rich, and I play with being a ā€˜social media influencerā€™ along with my cousins because one doesnā€™t need skills or ambition to do it, and it amuses me. I parade around in pretty dresses and am named

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