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But he also couldn’t stay in the penthouse an entire afternoon, waiting for the hands of the clock to move far enough that he could dress for the ball. So he put on his parka, caught the bus to the resort and snowboarded until his feet were tired and his nose was frozen.
He found new trails, bypassing the ordinary routes usually taken by tourists and suddenly found himself in the most pristine, peaceful valley he’d ever seen.
He reverently swooshed down a small slope to the center so he could take it all in, the mountains, the blue sky, the silence, but when he slid down the final hill, he realized he wasn’t alone.
Prince Alex stood staring at the mountains.
He turned to go, but Alex said, “I hear you back there. This isn’t my personal mountain. You’re welcome to stay.”
Dean winced. “Are you sure?”
Obviously recognizing Dean’s voice, Alex turned to face him. “It’s you.”
Alex might have forgiven Dean, his country might have made an alliance with Dean’s company, but he’d also told Dean they’d never be friends.
Which Dean totally understood. He quickly said, “You stay. I’ll go.”
But Alex shook his head. “No. As I said at dinner the night you came to the palace, we can’t avoid each other.” He laughed. “Especially not now when you’ve made agreements with my wife.”
Dean took one foot off his board and used it to flip it off the ground and into his hands.
Alex frowned. “Still a pro I see.”
“It was kind of like riding a bike.”
“Good.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The world became eerily quiet. It was odd seeing Alex in a parka rather than a dark suit or a tux. Dean said, “This is a far cry from the Mediterranean.”
Alex gazed around at the wall of mountain on the horizon. “Yes. It is. But it’s beautiful here. In a lot of ways, Grennady feels more like home to me than Xaviera.”
“Princess Eva is a wonderful person.”
“Most of the people in Grennady are wonderful. They’re kind. Loyal. Fiercely protective of their own.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something?”
“Because Eva and I are worried that you’re going to hurt Kristen.”
Dean winced. “You don’t have to worry about Kristen. I scared her off at the reception last week.”
Alex took a cautious step toward him. “You did?”
Dean shook his head. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but it’s easy to see Kristen’s the kind of woman who wants everything. Not just a career but kids. A family. I’m not that guy.”
Alex frowned. “You don’t want a family?”
He did. He desperately did. After two visits with Kristen, her brother and her parents, he wanted a real home, real Christmases, a wife to share his dreams, kids to give his life warmth and meaning...
Dean raised his hands. “What difference does it make? She wants something I can’t give her.”
“You can’t have children?”
“No.” He shook his head. “It’s not that. I didn’t have much of a childhood.”
“Being a genius?”
“And being raised by someone who was tired. I had no father. No male influences. And my work takes up most of my time. Kristen deserves somebody named Sven who will be what she needs.”
“So you scared her off?”
He shrugged.
“Well, this explains why she’s barely spoken this week.”
Dean’s heart thumped. “You’ve seen her?”
“We tried to set up two meetings but she wouldn’t come. Said she was busy with Christmas prep with her mom and we accepted that.” Alex’s eyes narrowed. “But that wasn’t it. She was probably at home licking her wounds.”
Dean said, “I’m sorry.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I love her. Everything about her. But she deserves better.”
Alex put his hands on his hips and sighed heavily as he looked at the sky for a few seconds. “You are a crazy weird man, Dean Suminski. I shouldn’t help you but I’m going to.”
“Help me?”
He took a long breath, glanced at the mountains, then looked at Dean again. “It doesn’t matter if you think you’re made to have kids or not, marriage material or not. If you’ve found someone who makes you want all those things, then you don’t let the chance go by.”
