The Royal’s Pretend Wife by Sophia Lynn

had a soft spot for the good caviar, so I went looking until I found some.”
    When she turned to Apolo, her smile was radiant and real. She knew that the camera had moved on to Caroline and her veal shanks, but she couldn't resist leaning in to give Apolo a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth.
    “Thank you,” she breathed, and he shrugged.
    “It is a pleasure to please you,” he whispered, and she didn't think about the fact that there was nothing prompting him to do that except his own will.
     
    That night, she lay in bed in her nightgown, trying read but her mind full. In the bathroom, she could hear Apolo brushing his teeth. It made her smile at how domestic this was. It was a strange thing being so familiar with a man who she hadn't even known a week ago.
    Maybe professional arrangements suit me, she thought with amusement, and then she frowned at the idea of doing it with anyone besides Apolo. No, after this, she would hopefully be able to pursue more standard positions.
    Apolo came out of the bathroom in his sleep pants, toweling his hair dry. “You look thoughtful, little cat.”
    “I was thinking about those fajitas,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow.
    “You know that at most, you lost some thirty dollars’ worth of ingredients and a bit of dignity? It could have been much worse. I didn't end up wearing the fajitas like I thought that Jozef was going to end up wearing that monstrosity that Serafina cooked…”
    “I'm not worried that I made a mistake. I think I'm worried that I didn't.”
    At Apolo's quizzical look, she went on to explain.
    “I spent a year in Los Angeles trying to make it on my wits. I did better some weeks than I did others, but one thing that I definitely discovered was that I needed to be careful with my cooking. If I made a mistake like I made tonight, I might find that I couldn't eat anything except instant noodles and coffee for four or five days, or maybe even a week. So believe me when I say that I'm careful in the kitchen.
    “On top of that, it'd be one thing if I burned the fajitas or if I had overcooked it and made the meat stringy. That's a thing that can happen. However, it felt like there must have been a cup of salt poured into the marinade. I can see accidentally doubling the salt if I forgot that I had added it already, but the amount that was poured into the food? I'm not seeing it.”
    Apolo frowned. “You think you were sabotaged?”
    Trinity thought for a moment because it was a fairly serious accusation to make, but then she nodded. “I do.”
    Apolo scowled, standing up to pace through the room. “Who should we talk to about this? If someone is sabotaging you…”
    “We're not going to do anything about it,” she said with a decisive shake of her head. “The truth is that when it comes to reality television, no one is on your side. It could have been Serafina, or it could have been Carolina. It might have been Antonio, sneaking back in to do some mischief, or it might even be the producers themselves, who want to see a little drama.”
    He turned a stormy glance to her. “You certainly can't mean that we are simply going to take it,” he said, and she nodded.
    “Absolutely. That's exactly what I mean. Today, what the audience got was a piece about what happens when a powerful woman manages to fall flat on her face in front of her husband. Honestly, if I was going to fall over, there are worse times to do it than when the stakes are so low. I think we handled it well, and moving forward, I will just try to be more cautious.”
    Apolo, when he saw that she wasn't going to be budged on the matter, simply sighed, coming back to lie down next to her.
    “I would like to say that I do not care for this. If someone is trying to harm you, it is my responsibility as your husband to put a stop to all of that nonsense.”
    She raised an eyebrow at him, squeezing his hand companionably.
    “Did you get a little lost in your role?” she asked teasingly.