The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the marble floors of the Hotel Castillo in Mallorca, where Matteo Cavendish was attempting to escape the weight of his royal duties. He’d managed to slip away from his security detail for a moment of peace in the elegant lobby, savoring the aroma of his espresso, when he heard a frustrated grunt followed by the sound of fabric tearing.
A few feet away, a stunning brunette was wrestling with the hotel’s revolving door, which had caught the strap of her designer duffel bag. Without hesitation, Matteo set down his coffee and moved to help.
“Allow me,” he said, carefully maneuvering the door backward while gently freeing the trapped bag.
When she looked up, Matteo felt the air leave his lungs. Her deep brown eyes caught the sunlight, and something electric passed between them as their gazes met.
“Thank you,” she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’m usually more coordinated than this, I promise.”
Matteo smiled, still holding her bag. “I find that hard to believe, considering you’re carrying enough equipment to supply a small sports team.”
She laughed, the sound making his heart skip. “Just my tennis gear. I’m Olivia.”
“Matteo,” he replied, deliberately omitting his title. When their hands met in a handshake, both pulled back slightly at the jolt of electricity that passed between them.
“You’re Italian?” she asked, noting his accent.
“Cordovan, actually, but we’re very similar to Italians in our appreciation for good coffee and beautiful women.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, and he was relieved when she blushed rather than took offense.
“Well, thank you again for the rescue, Matteo from Cordova.” She reached for her bag, but he held onto it.
“Please, let me help you to your room. It’s the least I can do to ensure no more doors attack you today.”
As they walked to the elevator, Matteo found himself enchanted by how normal she made him feel. There was no hint that she recognized him as a prince, no careful deference in her speech. She was just a woman, talking to a man, and it was intoxicating.
“So what brings you to Mallorca?” she asked as they ascended in the elevator.
“Escaping my brother’s wedding preparations, if I’m honest. He’s getting married in a few months, and the palace is chaos.” He caught himself too late, watching her expression.
“The palace?” Her eyebrow arched questioningly.
“I work there,” he said quickly. “Administrative staff.” The lie felt bitter on his tongue, but he wasn’t ready to break this spell just yet.
The elevator opened onto her floor, and they walked down the hallway in comfortable silence. At her door, she turned to face him.
“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” she asked boldly. “Unless you’re here with someone…”
“No!” he said too quickly, making her smile. “I mean, no, I’m not here with anyone, and yes, I’d love to have dinner.”
“Eight o’clock? The restaurant downstairs?”
Matteo nodded, finally relinquishing her bag. As he walked back to the elevator, he could feel her eyes on him, and it took all his willpower not to look back.
What he didn’t see was Olivia immediately calling her best friend and agent, Jess.
“I just met someone,” she said excitedly. “And for once, I don’t think he has any idea who I am.”
“Be careful, Liv,” Jess warned. “You’re not exactly unknown.”
But Olivia wasn’t listening. For the first time since her parents’ death, since becoming a household name in tennis, she felt like herself again. Just a girl, meeting a boy, feeling that wonderful flutter of possibility.
Neither of them knew that their simple dinner would soon become headline news across Europe, or that their mutual deception would unravel over appetizers when a fellow diner would recognize them both. But in that moment, in the golden hour of a Mallorcan afternoon, they were just Matteo and Olivia, two people sharing a connection that felt like destiny.
As Matteo returned to his suite, he found himself touching his hand where their fingers had met, still feeling the lingering electricity of her touch. For once, he was grateful for his brother’s endless wedding preparations that had driven him to this hotel, to this moment, to her.