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Chapter 1

One Day More

"Fiona, it's Ben" Thank God he'd gotten her machine Yes, it was early, but often his editor at Global Media arrived around dawn Ben leaned his elbow onto the ot to take a personal day Sorry for the late notice Actually, we ought to have asoon"

He couldn't say what thewas about, not only because he couldn't yet reveal his secret, but also because he had no idea how to begin

Maybe: Remeent? I failed to mention that we met each other there, the prince and I

Or: This is all on you, Fiona You gave me that invitation to the charity dinner where the prince would appear, reone, ould never have seen each other again

No, at this point, he ought to know better than to bury the lede Best to put the most important information first: I am in a roent and head of state for the United Kingdom

He loves ht only fools and children could ever be I spentthe most cynical bastard in the world, and I never believed in fairy tales, so of course an actual, literal Prince Char

Oh, and by the way, the next king of England is gay Might want to assign so out will probably be the biggest news story of the year

Fortunately, Ben couldn't be expected to report on this Conflict of interest He continued hiswhat pro of his life "Do you have time on Friday? Maybe around two pm?"

He glanced over at James for confirmation; Ja press conference was being scheduled for Friday at one thirty

"Let me know," Ben concluded "Talk to you tomorrow"

As he hung up, James stepped behind him and put his hands on his shoulders; his touch arh the thin cotton undershirt he wore They were both only half-dressed, disheveled and weary "I don't know about you, but I could use some coffee"

"Please"

They'd been up --enough to make Ben's entire body sore, to leave his lips swollen and tender from their countless kisses But one nearly two decades without telling another ht the words had kept pouring out of hi it to James or else none of this would be real

Jaht his hand, pulled him into his e slightly back and forth, as though dancing to a slow song only they could hear

"I still can't believe you would do this forto stay withto face the entire world by my side I never dreamed you would"

"Neither did I But here we are"

That h a bit, and then he headed into the kitchen; unlike the rest of the royal family, James preferred privacy to the omnipresence of servants, which is personally, and reat cup of coffee As if they knew Ben had been thinking of the up the stairs after their walk How did the butler get the dogs out of these roois ignored Ben; James was in the kitchen, which meant the possibility of food, so they hurried after their master For a moment Ben was alone

Still he was staggered by what he'd learned, what he'd done When Ben had realized how profoundly he loved Jah his defenses, and that no other man ever could--at that point, he had knohat he had to do That didn'tpublic

It's just the first feeeks you'll have to slog through, he told himself After that, his workday life would have been proved dull enough to discourage the most frenzied paparazzo Yes, he and Jaether, but at least now they wouldn't always have to hide

As for what the future held beyond that, Ben didn't know and refused to guess Obviously James was deter to becoe between those worlds, and now they just had to figure out how to sustain it once James went public

"Can you eat out?" Ben said as he walked into the kitchen

Ja down the handle of the French press "What?"

"At a restaurant Do you go to restaurants?"

"Not often But usually a private rooo with Cass, so people see us walking in and out" He paused "I used to go with Cass"

At least he wouldn't have that wild-eyed wohbeard in history, but she loathed Ben, who couldn't help being irritated by her in response

His entled by the delectable scent of coffee Ben smiled as James held out a china cup "We'll have s to do More options"

"Do you think so?" James's eyes looked sad, but maybe that was just exhaustion "I hope that's true"

Neither of theh they could sto the about it much, Ben had assumed that the assistant James spoke of would come to meet with them in the private suite within Clarence House So he was surprised when Ja room that Ben had never seen him open

At Ben's puzzled look, James smiled "Come on Time you saw the rest of the ho

use"

Ben followed James from his comfortable suite of rooms intoa palace

The change was immediate and unmistakable Until now Ben had only seen the rooms where Jas there were obviously of the highest quality, there was a hominess to the space, with its pet food bowls, casual fa-eared paperbacks, not tothrough what seemed to be the hallway of a museum The carpet under their feet was thicker; the air slearandeur

It wasn't as though Ben hadn't known Clarence House was a palace before, but in some ways he hadn't felt it until this moment

Most startling: Clarence House was already filled with people All the ti coffee, other people had been walking through the house unaware This was surprising enough, though Ben supposed it made sense What didn't make sense--what astonished hile word about Ben's presence as he and Jah the hallway When Jaood day, they would reply (each of thehness" Their polite smiles included Ben and betrayed not one hint of surprise about this total stranger in wrinkled jeans trailing the Prince Regent

Most startling of all was Ja to be a couple of inches taller Everything about him from his smile to his stride indicated confidence, calht this was an act, but realized it wasn't This was James as Ben had rarely seen him This was James as the prince

They walked into an office so grand that Ben first thought, prian to sit behind the desk, then stopped himself "No I want to be beside you Here, the side table works"

The "side table" would have sat eight for dinner As he took a seat beside Ja? The people outside"

"What do you mean?" James frowned

"Why didn't they say anything about h the hallways?"

Jah he'd just asked why the sky wasn't green "No one here would ever speak to me about any subject unless I spoke to them first"

It hit Ben like a punch to the solar plexus: There are ways in which you don't know this man at all

But no Ben knew James, the real James, even if nobody else in the world did He had to hold on to that no entle smile he loved so well

Then a wo black hair that curled halfway down her back She was Asian, slim as a reed, and dressed in a sophisticated sheath dress and cardigan with a bright floral scarf at her throat She betrayed only theBen, a raised eyebrow, before she smiled at James