Page 4

CHAPTER 4

“ I f you put your hand on my arse, I swear, I’ll stamp on your foot.” Victoria spoke without moving her mouth, a skill she’d acquired growing up. Dexter had touched her bum once before, and they’d only just shaken the tag of being the royal couple who simply couldn’t keep their hands off one another.

In response, Dexter squeezed the hand he was holding. “I wouldn’t dare touch your royal arse again, Your Highness.”

They’d arrived at the airport half an hour ago, but the press had followed them. To satisfy them, the princess’s staff had organised a five-minute photo opportunity on the steps of the royal private jet, and now the pair were in the thick of it, pretending to be the golden couple everyone assumed they were.

“Give us a wider smile, Ma’am!” shouted one photographer. “You’re flying off to the sun, while the rest of us are staying in this gloomy country!”

There was that. Victoria tried not to glance at the grey June skies, instead giving the press her full set of pearly whites, and one photographer gave her a thumbs-up. Two minutes later, to a cacophony of “Victoria! Dexter! This way!”, they escaped into the royal jet, where they both collapsed immediately onto the white leather sofas.

“How was it for you, darling?” Dexter had boy-band good looks. It was a shame they did nothing for Victoria.

“Ridiculous as ever. But I’m public property, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Victoria leaned forward and picked up a copy of The Sun from the low-slung table in front of her. She rarely read the tabloids at home. Her parents didn’t allow it for the sake of everyone’s mental health, and she knew they had a point. However, when she went away, it was her guilty pleasure. On the front cover was a scandal about a Saturday night celebrity dancing show. One of the dancers had run off with their celebrity dance partner, breaking up said celebrity’s 15-year marriage.

Victoria stabbed the front page with her index finger and tutted. “Typical, isn’t it? This male celebrity does the dirty on his wife, but it’s the female dancer’s fault.” She glanced up at Dexter. “Imagine the uproar if one of them ran off with a same-sex partner. I might do a little whoop.”

“Careful.” Dexter wagged his finger in her direction. “You don’t want to be seen as the royal who actively promotes infidelity.” He paused, looking her in the eye, lowering his voice as their staff climbed aboard the plane behind them. “Whatever next, a queer princess?”

They both shared a rueful smile, then Victoria leaned back in her seat, tabloid in hand. She flicked to the gossip pages, to see if there was anything about anyone she knew. Not that she believed a word of what was written in the papers, because they all thought Dexter was about to ask her to marry him.

However, she wasn’t quite prepared for what greeted her. Emerging from a shimmering pool in a daring red bikini that left little to the imagination was none other than Ashleigh Woods. The England football captain whose fingers had brushed against Victoria’s just days earlier. She also played for the Royal Ravens, Victoria’s favourite club team.

She’d had a free Sunday in February, when the Ravens were playing one of their biggest London rivals. Victoria had contemplated getting out her big coat and going to the game. But then she’d thought about what a palaver it would entail to be spontaneous. It wasn’t something baked into Victoria’s life. She could go to the match, but she’d have to book security and extra staff beforehand.

The cadence of Victoria’s heart betrayed her composure as she read the caption beside the photo. England captain Ashleigh Woods relaxes in the Marbella sunshine with her team-mates after collecting her MBE.

She was in Marbella? Victoria’s pulse quickened as she squinted at the photo. She recognised England goalkeeper Cam Holloway in the pool looking up at Ash. It was rumoured they were a couple, but who knew if that was true? Ash wasn’t one to share too much about her private life after her very public breakup the year before.

After the investiture, Victoria disappeared down a social media rabbit hole, intrigued by Ash’s life. Just this week, post-MBE, Ash had shared a ‘June So Far’ montage that captured her spending time with family, sipping coffee, getting a fresh haircut, and proudly receiving her MBE.

Victoria was one of the most photographed women in the world, appearing in countless social media feeds every day. Yet, seeing herself on Ashleigh Woods’ profile had unexpectedly brightened her day.

Ash’s final photo was from the seat of her plane with the caption ‘Holiday mode, activated.’ But Victoria had no idea she was in Marbella.

Dexter pulled down the top of the newspaper and peered over it. When he saw the photo, he rolled his eyes.

“I might have known.” He got up, then sat next to Victoria, looking closer. “Although, I can definitely see the attraction,” he grinned. “The Lionesses are in Marbella? What are the chances? It wouldn’t do you any harm to get your photo taken with them. It would definitely boost your profile with the younger demographic. Plus, you have just been made Patron of the Women’s Football Association. It would be very on-brand.” He nudged her with his elbow. “And if they’re all in bikinis, what’s a girl to do?”

Victoria took a swig from her water bottle. “Not sure my mother would see it that way. Especially if I was also in a bikini.”

The Queen accepted her queerness. To a point. She agreed that love is love. But also, that the monarchy is the monarchy.

Dexter shrugged. “Why not? You’ve got a smokin’ body, and even royals like a swim every now and again.” He grabbed his phone, clicked on his Instagram app, then pulled up one of the Lionesses’ wilder players. One more likely to share every step of her holiday on Instagram. Within a minute, he’d figured out where they were. “They’re at La Corona Azul. I bet they’re being treated to it, because I don’t think WSL wages are up to that level quite yet.”

Victoria nodded. “Or it could just be a day pass. I know a few people who did that when we were there a few years ago.” She put a finger to her chest. “I had a day pass.”

He knitted his brow. “You? The heir to the British throne had to scan in like everyone else?”

“Yes!” Victoria laughed at the memory. “Tanya was mortified because they weren’t aware we were coming. Prince Raul said he’d sorted it out, but I think he got waylaid by a pretty woman somewhere and forgot.” The heir to the Spanish throne was more the party boy of the family, just like Victoria’s brother, Michael.

“That sounds like Raul,” Dexter laughed.

Right at that moment, the flight attendant appeared. “Everyone, please fasten your seat belts, laptops off, everything stowed.” The engines roared as the plane turned onto the runway.

Victoria clicked her seatbelt into place and Dexter did the same beside her. He clutched her hand in his and gave her a loving smile. She was going to miss this when it was gone. She squeezed his hand as the plane hurtled down the runway and climbed into the pure blue sky.

“But talking of going partying—”

“—which I won’t be,” Victoria confirmed.

“I wanted to set the ground rules for this trip. Because it’s getting more complex. You know I’ve started to see a bit more of Sidney.” He paused. “And things might be starting to change.”

Victoria sat up, and her heart thumped in her chest. She knew this day would come. However, hearing Dex voice it made it more real. Them splitting up would be big news to the outside world.

“Okay.” She was thrilled for Dexter, even if it edged her closer to the inevitable showdown with her parents. “Is this your decision or his?”

“Joint.” Dex ran a hand through his thick, dark hair, his face contorting as he spoke. “He’ll be there this weekend, but he knows the deal. Even when you and I break up, there needs to be some time before Sidney and I can be open. He gets it, even if he’s not thrilled.”

Victoria could only imagine. “I need to bring it up with my parents, of course, and brief the press. No big announcement, just a little tip-off should do the trick.” She looked over her shoulder, where the six staff with them were busy on their phones. Nevertheless, she kept her voice low. “We need to tell everyone here, too. They’re all going to be shocked.”

Dexter raised an eyebrow.

“They will be,” she hissed under her breath. “We’ve always been discreet when we’ve brought other people home.”

“Tanya knows,” Dex reminded her. “Don’t you think she’s told other people?”

Victoria gripped the top of her nose between her thumb and index finger and pressed. The morning her aide had walked in on her in bed with another woman hadn’t been Victoria’s finest. It was why she always had a rule that nobody could stay overnight. But that evening with Hermione had felt too good to kick her out. Victoria wanted to wake up with someone by her side. Someone to snuggle up to in the morning. But that was the last time she’d been with Hermione, because Victoria had overreacted and literally thrown her out the door. She understood why Hermione was now in a relationship with a woman where they could go out for dinner, hold hands in public. Who wouldn’t want that?

Victoria wanted that more than anything in the whole world.

“No, I don’t.” Victoria trusted Tanya with her life. She knew more about Victoria than most of her family. “She wouldn’t blab.” She was sure of that.

“How do you know?” Dexter never trusted anyone.

Victoria understood. His ex had outed him to his family, Dexter had denied it, then gone back in the closet in the most spectacular way by fake-dating his long-time friend, Princess Victoria.

“I just do.” Victoria glanced back at her closest aide. “If she had, the rumours would already be out there. But they’re not. Not in the wider public.” Maybe in some corners of the press who would never speak up, for fear of the royal lawsuit that would be slapped on them. It wasn’t the crime of the century, but it required careful handling. Her parents had made it crystal clear: she couldn’t be an out monarch.

Just because it hadn’t been done before didn’t make it wrong, Victoria argued. However, their silence spoke volumes. The conversation remained on her ‘circle back’ list.

“We’re going to need a proper chat when we get back, okay?” Dex stared into her eyes and didn’t break contact. He’d brought this up before, but then backtracked. They were friends, so it worked. Plus, Dexter got perks from it, too. It never hurt that people thought he was dating the future Queen. He enjoyed breezing into restaurants, and being famous. Probably because fame was new to him. It was fun. Whereas for Victoria, she longed for a day where she could be anonymous.

“I know, and we will.” She squeezed his knee. “But let’s enjoy this weekend first, okay?”

His jaw twitched. “You’re okay with Sidney coming?”

“Of course. I love Sidney!” She did. She was pretty sure the feeling wasn’t mutual. Seeing him and Dex together, she’d known things would come to a head soon. She wanted someone to look at her the way Sidney looked at Dexter. With eyes that wanted her. Hungry.

Her mind drifted back to the formal ceremony at the palace earlier this week. The memory of Ashleigh Woods before her, looking up with those startling green eyes as Victoria pinned the MBE to her lapel. It had been living rent-free in her mind for days. Maybe she’d get to see her again this weekend. Would it be that far-fetched to run into her? She knew the answer was yes.

She’d only run into Ashleigh Woods if she got Tanya to track her down. She wasn’t about to do that. But it didn’t stop her mind drifting off to sun-soaked beach clubs and the possibility of them sharing a smile somewhere in the real world. Somewhere she could actually speak to her, maybe even...

“Vic?” Dexter’s voice snapped her back to the here and now. “Where did you go just then?”

“Nowhere,” she lied, hoping her cheeks weren’t blushing as furiously red as it felt they were. She turned her body to him. “If this is going to be one of our last jaunts before we break up, then let’s make this one count.” Maybe she did want to be braver. “For a few days, I want to live without rules. Maybe I’ll even take up Astrid’s invitation to go clubbing.”

Dexter widened his eyes. “You? Clubbing?”

“I’ve been before.”

“I know, and you always hated it.”

Victoria bristled. “Hate is a strong word.” She paused. “Plus, people can change. And the club Astrid suggested is somewhere we can be a bit more open.”

He blinked rapidly. “If this is where you tell me you’re going to get on a podium and do a pole dance, I might need a bit more warning.”

That broke the slight tension and made her laugh. “I just want to live a little. Maybe act my age.” She often felt older than her 33 years. “I want to have fun and stop worrying. For just one weekend, I don’t want to be a royal, and I’ve got far more chance of doing that abroad.”

“You want to be a commoner? You’ll hate it. It’s over-rated.” A smile spread across his handsome face as he snagged her gaze. “But I, your royal subject, am at your command. If you want fun this weekend, then fun we shall have.”