A Muse Her

Chapter 26

He was true to his word. He didn't judge her for what she was into and the way he was laughing with Demetri, he seemed to like him too, which was a relief since Demetri would be joining them for at least three months in Oost den Burg and she didn't need any extra drama plaguing her and Mateo.

"Maia and I have some catching up to do," Demetri said as he and Mateo walked back inside. "But I'll touch up that beard of yours when you come back."

"Where are you off to?" Maia said as Demetri tipped the dryer from her head.

"I'm just going to pick up a few things for tonight while you finish your beauty treatments," Mateo said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Enjoy yourself, liefje."

"Make sure you check out that place I told you about," Demetri said with a mischievous gleam in his hazel eyes. "You'll definitely find what you're looking for."

"I will," Mateo said, patting Demetri on his shoulder. "Thanks for the tip."

"Any time."

Maia watched Mateo walk down the stairs of the studios and she raised an eyebrow as she looked up at Demetri. "Where did you send him?"

"Don't you worry about that." Demetri turned her chair around and a devilish grin tugged at his lips. "But I'm proud of you for telling him about us," he said, unrolling the curlers in her hair. "The bigger question is, have you told him about your little smut room?"

"Stop calling it my smut room," she huffed. "But yes, I showed it to him."

"You showed it to him? So soon?"

Maia chuckled and nodded. "It didn't take him long to figure out my bookshelf was a hidden door, especially when he has one himself."

"Mm, that doesn't surprise me at all. I told you he was a good match for you and that he's not a prude," Demetri said, brushing out her curls. "Now tell me what's really going on with you two."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play with me, Maia. How did you leave for Colorado three months ago and end up engaged to Prince Hendrik? What the fuck happened out there?"

Maia looked away from Demetri's inquisitive gaze in the mirror as she looked down at her engagement ring. "It's a long story."

"And we have plenty of time."

"Alright," she said, twisting her ring around her finger. "But this stays between you and me. The less people who know the truth about me and Mateo the better."

"Maia, I've been keeping your secrets safe for as long as we've known each other and this is no different."

"Thank you," she said, heaving a sigh before she told him how she and Mateo first met as neighbors and the first time they had any meaningful interactions was after Sven left her stranded at her cottage. She explained how she hired Mateo to be her muse because she was struggling to write her novel and how they ended up faking a relationship because Sven showed up out of the blue wanting to get back together with her.

"And everything got out of hand because Sven is friends with Mateo's sister in law," Maia said, shaking her head. "She told his father about us and then announced that we're engaged because he wants Mateo to be king instead of his brother."

"I knew there was more to the story than you just randomly getting engaged to Prince Hendrik," Demetri said, plaiting a few braids on the side of her head. "And only you could find yourself wrapped up in some drama like your novels."

"It's not like I wanted this to happen," she huffed. "Hell, I only found out Mateo was a prince after Sven ran his mouth."

"I don't blame him for keeping it a secret. I remember when all that stuff came out about his affairs. I would've run away and changed my name too," he said, running his fingers through her hair with moisturizer. "So, if you didn't want any of this to happen, why are you with him?"