"YOU'RE ENGAGED TO MAIA JEFFERIES!"

Eline exclaimed with excitement as Mateo held the phone away from his ear.

"Why didn't you tell me?! How did you meet? Do you think she'd sign all of my books?" Eline gushed. "Oh my God! I can't believe I'm going to meet her!"

"Slow down Eline." Mateo laughed as he turned off the lights in the living room and shuffled down the hall to his room. "To answer your questions. Maia is my neighbor, that's how we met and I'm sure she'd love to sign your books."

"I thought something was up with her. Maia's insta has been mighty romantic lately."

"She's a romance writer isn't that how she's supposed to be on that platform?"

"Yeah, but she's been dropping subtle hints that she's with someone, but I'm shocked about this engagement. Aren't you moving a little fast? She's only been posting like this for about a month or so."

"Well, the engagement is a shock to me too."

"Oh shit." Eline whispered. "So, it's true. Dad really is trying to set you up to be king instead of Jorien?"

"Mm-hm and let me guess, he hasn't told Jorien anything, has he?"

"No, the coronation is still being planned," Eline said, groaning. "What the hell is he doing?"

"You tell me. I've been out of the loop for a year and a half. This seems drastic to me."

"Well, Adrie told me the council isn't in favor of Jorien being king and he's not exactly popular with the people either. Not with that rumor going around."

"Dad told me about that, but come on. It's Jorien." Mateo scrunched up his face. "He's too by the book to do anything like that."

"I don't know. Fear and jealousy can make you do some stupid shit."

"Okay, little psychologist," Mateo said, chuckling.

"No, I'm serious! Jorien's always been afraid of you taking the crown and you know he's always been jealous of your way with the people."

"Yeah, I guess, but I still don't believe he'd talk Saskia into doing what she did." Mateo yawned. "Anyway, I need to get some sleep. I'm meeting Maia's sister in the morning."

"Oo, meeting the family, huh? I guess you'd need to after your surprise engagement," Eline snickered. "I can't believe dad did that to you."

"Neither can I," he murmured.

"Alright, I'll let you get to sleep. Good luck tomorrow and I can't wait to meet Maia!"

"Thanks. Good night, Eline."

"Night Mateo, Love you."

"Love you too," he said, hanging up and frowned when Eline immediately sent him a message.

Eline >> Thought you might want to check out Maia's insta 😉<<

Mateo grinned, tapping on the link. He absolutely wanted to know what Maia was posting about on her Instagram page. She'd take a few pictures here and there on their outings, but he didn't know she was using them for her presence on social media.

It's nights like this that make me wish it could last forever.

#AmuseMe #TheButte #BeautifulNights

I'm somewhere I didn't know I needed to be. Somewhere my words can fly free and somewhere to remind me that romance isn't lost. It's still alive in soft chats by the fire and in beautiful places like this.

#RomanceWriter #BlackGirlsWhoWrite #WIP #AmuseMe #Colorado #MagicalPlaces

Love tip: Find someone who keeps your belly full and your heart happy.

#AmuseMe #Foodie #LoveTips

Mateo's heart thumped as he scrolled through her posts with each one making him wonder if Maia was telling him the truth on their drunken night and just how long she'd been feeling this way.

No, he was reading too much into this. After all, her brand was based on making people fall in love, but he couldn't help scrolling back up to her most recent post.

It's nights like this that make me wish it could last forever.

Sighing as he closed the app and sat his phone on the bedside table. He turned off the lamp and stared at the rays of moonlight cascading across the beams on the ceiling.

He wished that night with Maia could've lasted forever too, but he was wishing for something that wasn't there.

Maia was just returning a favor and what she said on her Instagram was just an act like everything else about their relationship. There was no need for him to read into or hope there was something real or true about her subtle messages.

That was how he got himself into the mess with Saskia. He thought her feelings for him were real, but he missed all the red flags because he was caught up in how he wanted her to feel for him.

At least he knew what he was to Maia. She only wanted his friendship and he was happy to have it.

A smile tugged at Mateo's lips as he turned over and closed his eyes. But that didn't mean he was going to hold back treating her like the princess she'd become if this was real. He sorted her security detail with Lars and his housekeeper was preparing his home for her arrival.

All he had to do now was meet Maia's sister and assure her that Maia's career would be safeguarded from her association with him.

That was all he cared about.

Mateo finished his rounds in the barns and carried a basket of fresh eggs back to the house. He chuckled, shaking his head as he eyed Maia's silver jeep in his driveway.

"What are you doing in my kitchen at this hour?" he said, walking inside to find Maia in the kitchen, dressed in a pair of tight denim jeans and an off the shoulder black sweater with her curly mass of hair piled on top of her head.

She started the coffee maker and turned around with a bright smile on her face. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," he said, shrugging off his coat before crossing the room to sit the eggs on the counter and slip off his gloves. "You didn't answer my question." He hooked his finger under her chin. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

She bit her lip. "No, I was too nervous. So I wrote an outline and a few notes for our story."

"Of course you did," Mateo said, slipping his fingers from her chin to put the eggs away in the refrigerator. "Are you taking some inspiration from your Instagram?"

"Maybe." Maia laughed. "I didn't think you were on any socials to find my page. Why'd you decide to look me up now, huh?"

"Eline sent me your link last night. She's a big fan of yours and she said you've been dropping subtle hints that you were with someone for a little while now." Mateo grinned. "What's up with that?"

"I like to add some intrigue to my page." Maia shrugged. "It's a little marketing tactic that helps me sell books."

"I thought that was the case," he said, leaning against the counter. "Is that something your sister taught you?"

"It is." She nodded, leaning against the counter beside him. "I'm hoping if I tell her I'm using our situation for a new Damaged Royals book, she won't be as pissed that I'm doing this."

"That makes sense," Mateo said, crossing his arms. "I'm glad you're doing this with me, but if Faye thinks it's going to damage your reputation or hinder your film deal, I want you to know I'm going to be on her side about it."

"Of course you will be." Maia pursed her lips. "But how are you going to explain it away? Wouldn't that be damaging for you and your family?"

"You let me worry about that. Protecting your image is more important than mine."

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Says the Prince of an entire country." She scoffed. "I think your priorities are skewed."

Mateo chuckled. "No, for once, my priorities are straight," he said, leaning away from the counter to wash his hands in the sink. "And the main one right now is making breakfast for you and your sister. I'm assuming she's coming here instead of yours?"

"Yeah, she'll be here in about a half an hour," Maia said, checking her watch. "She said she's starving, so I told her you make a mean southwest omelet." Maia grinned, patting his shoulder. "And you'd be happy to have breakfast ready for her."

Mateo laughed. "I'm always happy to be your chef, especially if it'll help ease us into this conversation."

"Oh it will. Faye's a foodie like me and it's easier to talk her into things when she's had some good food because I don't plan on giving into either one of you," Maia said, poking his arm. "I'm going with you to Oost Den Burg."

"And I want you to come with me, but not at the expense of your career." Mateo shook his head as he moved around her to the fridge. "I'm not worth that."

"This isn't going to hurt my career," Maia grumbled. "You're not the only one who did a little digging last night, Prince Hendrik. I saw the kind of life you used to lead and from what I saw, we both need this."

Mateo's heart thumped as he looked back at her. "What do you mean?"

"I know you don't want to be king, but you also don't want to be the wild Prince that the media used to brand you as, right?"

"No, I don't." Mateo sighed. "And I thought I could change that by being with Saskia."

"Exactly, but being with a lovely and respectable woman, as your father put it, will help you change your image."

"Yes," Mateo said, raising an eyebrow. "But why do you think you need this?"

"Like I said, intrigue in my personal life sells books," Maia said with that inspired gleam in her eyes. "And what's more intriguing than me, a hopelessly romantic author, falling in love with my neighbor who's actually a Prince in hiding."

"You do weave a good tale, liefje," he said, grinning as he sliced up an avocado. "But you might have a point, especially the way your fans eat up your Instagram posts."

"I get better engagement when they think I'm with someone," Maia said, shrugging as she poured them a cup of coffee. "But that's how I'm going to sell our situation to Faye and that's why we both need this."

"Alright, you make a fair argument," he said, chopping up a tomato. "But I'm still going to side with Faye if she doesn't buy that pitch of yours."

"I know." Maia laughed. "If there's one thing I've learned about you is that your made-up duties as my muse to protect my craft takes precedence over anything else in your life and I seriously don't understand it."

"Why not?" he said, chopping up a few peppers. "I just want what's best for you even if that doesn't benefit me."

"You...you really don't want anything from me, do you?"

A smile tugged at Mateo's lips as he looked over at her. "Oh, I want plenty of things from you, but I'm going to respect our boundaries," he said, sliding his fingers to her chin. "But no, I don't need anything from you. I told you, you have no obligation to repay any favors to me."

Maia let out a breath and the fondness that swirled in her brown eyes made his heart stutter. "I'm not sure I've ever been wanted before," she whispered.

"You are." Mateo dragged his gaze to her plump lips aching to taste them, but he slid his hand from her chin and turned away from her before he took liberties with her mouth they agreed wouldn't happen behind closed doors. "I should...finish making these omelets. Your sister's going to be here soon."

"Yeah" Maia said, clearing her throat. "I, um, I'll set the table."

Mateo was absolutely fucked. There was no way he was going to avoid saving himself from being in love with Maia. He knew the ending and doing this with her was a slow and steady march to another broken heart.

Maybe he was a masochist because he knew it was going to hurt when it ended, either with Faye's staunch disapproval or when the time came for them to break up, but he still wanted every moment he got to pretend he was the one she wanted to love.

A/N: So I thought we were going to meet Faye in this chapter, but I like where Mateo took this and I really feel for him having feelings for Maia. This man is just torturing himself and for no reason because Maia feels the same! She's not going to be able to keep hiding it, she was barely hiding it on Insta....😏 We might stay in Mateo's head for a little bit... I want his thoughts meeting Maia's sister...😈

I'll be back with more chapters next weekend! If you don't want to wait, feel free to read ahead to Chapter 28 on Patreon! As always, thanks for reading, Little Bees!