Читать книгу Mum's The Word!: Royal Heirs Required - Cat Schield - Страница 11

Three

Olivia didn’t sleep well on the couch. But she wasn’t sure she’d have slept any better in her bed alone. She kept running through her evening. Rescuing the twins, discovering they were Gabriel’s illegitimate children and finally, the kiss that had almost happened.

Why had he hesitated? Had she imagined the desire in his eyes as they’d danced earlier that night?

Doubts had begun to plague her as soon as Gabriel left. Her experience with men wasn’t extensive. Indulging in lighthearted affairs wasn’t something she’d ever done. Her friends accused her of being overly conscientious about her reputation, but in fact, she hadn’t been attracted to the men in her social circles. She might have worried about her inability to feel physical desire if she hadn’t experienced something magical her first year of university.

She’d attended a masquerade party with one of her friends. The event’s host was one of London’s most notorious bachelors, and it was the last place she should have shown her face. Fortunately, the costumes and masks had enabled her to remain anonymous. The crowd had been racier than she was used to. Drinking and drugs had led to some boisterous behavior and Olivia had made the mistake of getting cornered.

The man had used his size and strength to pin her against the wall and run his hands beneath her skirt. She’d struggled against the hateful press of his moist lips against her throat, but couldn’t free herself. And then it had been over and he’d ended up sprawled on the floor some distance away, the hands he cupped over his bloody nose muffling the obscenities he launched at the tall stranger who’d stepped in.

The hallway was too dark for her to see her rescuer clearly and she was still shaken up by the violence of the encounter, but she managed a grateful smile. “Thank you for helping me.”

“You don’t belong here,” the stranger had told her, his English lightly accented. “It isn’t safe for someone as young as you are.”

Her cheeks had grown hot at his words because he was right and she had felt foolish. “When is it safe for any woman when a man won’t stop when she says no?” She peered through the guests, searching for her friend. “Next time I will carry a stun gun instead of lipstick in my purse.”

He’d smiled. “Please don’t let there be a next time.”

“You’re right. This isn’t my crowd.” She had spotted her friend halfway across the room and decided it was time to leave. “It was nice to meet you,” she had told him. “I wish the circumstances had been different.” Impulsively she rose up on tiptoe and touched her lips to his cheek, before whispering, “My hero.”

Before she moved away, he had cupped her cheek and dropped his lips to hers. The touch electrified her and she swayed into his solid strength. His fingers flexed against her skin, pulling her closer. The kiss had been masterful. Demanding enough to be thrilling, but without the roughness that would make her afraid.

Magic, she remembered thinking, as she’d indulged in a moment of reckless daring.

Olivia released a long slow exhale at the memory. Seven years later it continued to be the most amazing kiss she’d ever had. And she’d never even known his name. Maybe that’s why it dwelled so vividly in her memory.

Lying with her forearm across her eyes, Olivia pushed aside the emotions stirred by that singular event. No good would come from dwelling on a romantic moment. The man who rescued her was probably as vile as the rest of the guests and had merely suffered a momentary crisis of conscience. She was marrying an honest, good man and needed to stay focused on the here and now.

As the room began to lighten, Olivia gave up on sleep and pulled out her laptop. During her research into Gabriel and his family, she’d focused on all things Sherdanian. Now she searched for his past romance and discovered a couple articles that mentioned him and Marissa Somme, a half American, half French model he’d dated for several years.

Olivia scanned the news stories. A few mentioned rumors that Gabriel had been considering abdicating the throne to one of his younger brothers, but ultimately, the affair ended instead.

Awash in concern, Olivia went looking for images of the couple. What she saw wasn’t reassuring. The news outlets had gotten it right. The couple had been very much in love. Olivia stared at Gabriel’s broad grin and Marissa’s blinding smile and guessed if she hadn’t been a commoner and an unsuitable candidate to give birth to the future king of Sherdana, they would have married and lived happily ever after.

Obviously Gabriel had chosen his country over his heart. And Marissa had vanished.

Hearing soft whispers coming from the bed, Olivia rose from the sofa. Sure enough, the twins were awake. They’d pulled the fluffy cream comforter over their heads, encasing themselves in a cozy cocoon.

For a moment, Olivia envied them each other. An only child, she’d always longed for a sister to share secrets with. If her mother had lived, she could have had a second child and Olivia might not have grown up so isolated from other children. Because her world had been filled with adults—nannies and various tutors—she’d never had a best friend her own age to play with. In fact, playing wasn’t something she’d been given much freedom to do.

Multiples obviously ran in the Alessandro family. Did that mean she could expect a set or two of her own to be running around the palace in the years to come?

Olivia tugged on the comforter, pulling it down little by little to reveal the twins. They lay with noses touching, intent on their communication. Their first reaction as the comforter slid away was fear. Olivia saw their hands come together, as they took and received reassurance from each other.

Then, they recognized her and smiled.

“Someone’s been sleeping in my bed,” she teased, her words bringing forth giggles. “And they’re still here.”

Then she growled like a big bad bear and reached down to tickle them. Squeals and laughter erupted from the girls, a vast improvement over last night’s terrified protests.

Olivia sat down on the bed. The prince would be back soon and the girls needed to be prepared to meet him. No doubt he’d informed the king and queen and they would be interested in meeting their grandchildren. It would be an overwhelming day for the girls and Olivia wanted to prepare them.

“Today you are going to meet many new people,” she told them. “I know you might be scared, but you don’t need to be.”

“A party?”

“Sort of.” If that was what it took to keep the twins from being afraid, then so be it.

“A birthday party?”

“No.”

“Mommy said.”

Bethany’s mention of their mother reminded the girls that she was dead. Olivia saw Karina’s lip quiver and rushed to distract them.

“Are you this old?” She held up two fingers and was rewarded with head shakes.

“We’re this old.” Bethany held up one finger.

“But you’re too big to be one. I’ll bet you have a birthday coming up soon.”

“Get pony,” Bethany said with a definitive nod.

Olivia rather doubted that, but clever of her to try to sound convincing. “I’m not sure you’re old enough for a pony.”

Karina spoke for the first time. “Puppy.”

That seemed more doable.

“Pony,” Bethany repeated. “Mommy said.”

“There might be a pony in the stables,” Olivia said, aware she was already caving to their demands. She hadn’t pictured herself the sort of mother to give in to her child’s every whim.

Bethany nodded in satisfaction. “Let’s go.”

“No.” Karina shook her head. “Puppy.”

“Oh, no. It’s too early to go to the stables. We have to get dressed and have breakfast. Then we have to get you settled in your own room.”

“No.” Karina’s large green eyes brimmed with anxiety.

Immediately Olivia realized what was wrong. “It’s okay,” she assured them. “The mean lady is gone. You will have really nice people taking care of you.”

“Stay here.” Bethany had an imperious tone well suited to a princess.

“I’m afraid you can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“This is my bed and you two take up way too much room.”

“Slept with Mommy.”

Somehow they’d circled back to Marissa again. Olivia held her breath as she watched for some sign that they would get sad again, but the girls had discovered the mattress had great springs and they started bouncing and laughing.

Olivia watched them, amusement taking the edge off her exasperation. The challenges confronting her were coming faster than she’d expected. She wasn’t just going to become a wife and a princess, but now she was going to take on the role of mother, as well. Not that she couldn’t handle all of it. Maybe it was just her sleepless night and her anxiety about marrying a man who might not be over his dead former lover.

While the girls jumped off the bed and raced around the room, looking out the window and exploring the attached bathroom, Olivia heard a soft knock. Assuming it was Libby, she opened the door. To her intense surprise, Gabriel stood there, looking handsome and elegant in a charcoal pinstripe suit, white shirt and burgundy tie.

“I hope it’s not too early,” he said, entering the room. His gaze slid over her hair and silk-clad body.

Several maids followed, one pushing a cart loaded down with covered plates. Delicious smells wafted in their wake.

Olivia smoothed her hair, acutely aware of her makeup-free face, knowing she wasn’t looking her best after such a rough night. She hadn’t even brushed her teeth yet.

“No, of course not. You’re eager to meet the girls.”

“I am.” His gaze went past her shoulder, golden eyes intense and a little wary.

Olivia’s heart gave a little start as she realized he must be thinking about their mother. Chest tight, she shifted her attention to the twins. “Bethany. Karina. Come meet...” She wasn’t sure how to introduce the prince.

Gabriel supplied the description. “Your father.”

* * *

Beside him, Gabriel felt Olivia tense in surprise. In the hours since leaving her room, he’d contemplated what the best political move would be regarding his daughters and decided he didn’t give a damn about the fallout. He intended to claim them.

Olivia held out her hands to the girls and they went toward her. She introduced them one by one, starting with the little girl on her right. “This is Bethany. And this is Karina.”

Gabriel could discern no difference between their features. “How can you tell?”

“Bethany is the talkative one.”

Neither one was verbal at the moment. They stood side by side wearing matching nightgowns and identical blank stares.

Deciding he would appear less intimidating if he was at their eye level, Gabriel knelt. “Nice to meet you.” As much as he longed to snatch them into his arms and hug the breath from their bodies, he kept his hands to himself and gave them his gentlest smile.

The one Olivia had introduced as Bethany eyed him suspiciously for a moment before declaring, “We’re hungry.” Her imperious tone made her sound like his mother.

“What would you like for breakfast?” he asked them. “We have eggs, pancakes, French toast.”

“Ice cream.”

“Not for breakfast,” he countered.

Olivia made no effort to hide her amusement. Her grin and the laughter brimming in her blue eyes transformed her from an elegant beauty to a vivacious woman. Gabriel felt his eyebrows go up as her charisma lit up the room.

“Wit’ chocolate.”

Bethany’s demands forced Gabriel to refocus his attention. “Maybe after lunch.” He’d met some tough negotiators in his time, but none had shown the sort of determination exhibited by his daughters. “If you eat everything on your plate.”

“Want ice cream.”

“How about waffles with syrup?” He tried softening his words with a smile. The twins weren’t moved.

“Olivia.” Bethany’s plaintive, wheedling tone was charming, and Gabriel found himself struggling to restrain a grin.

“No.” Olivia shook her head. “You listen to your father. He knows what’s best.” She gently propelled the girls toward the table the maid had set for breakfast and got them into chairs. “There aren’t any booster chairs so you’ll have to kneel. Can you do that?”

The twins nodded and Gabriel pulled out the chair between them, gesturing for Olivia to join them, but she shook her head.

“You should spend some time alone with them. I’m going to shower and get dressed.” With one last smile for the twins, she headed toward the bathroom.

As the door shut behind her, Gabriel turned his full attention to the toddlers. “Have you decided what you want to eat?”

Their green eyes steady on him, they watched and waited for some sign that he was weakening. Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest and stared back. He was not going to be outmaneuvered by a pair of toddlers.

“Pancakes.”

The word broke the standoff and Gabriel gestured the maid forward to serve pancakes. Having little appetite, he sipped coffee and watched them eat, seeing Marissa in their gestures and sassy attitude.

The girls ate two large pancakes before showing signs of slowing down and Gabriel was marveling at their appetite when the bathroom door opened and Olivia emerged. Her long blond hair framed her oval face in soft waves and she’d played up her blue eyes with mascara and brown eye shadow. She wore a simple wrap dress in seafoam that accentuated her tiny waist and the subtle curves of her breasts and hips. Nude pumps added four inches to her five-foot-six-inch frame and emphasized the sculpted leanness of her calves.

Gabriel felt the kick to his solar plexus and momentarily couldn’t breathe. Her beauty blindsided him. Desire raged in his gut. He hadn’t expected to feel like this when he proposed. She’d been elegant, poised and cool, inspiring his admiration and appreciation.

In a month she would be legally his. But he was no longer content to wait until his wedding night to claim her. Such had been the heat of his desire for her last night that if the twins hadn’t occupied her bed, he would have made love to her.

The strength of his desire gave him a moment’s pause. Wasn’t this feeling what he’d hoped to avoid when he chose her? Craving something beyond reason was what had gotten him into trouble with Marissa. But desire wasn’t love and didn’t have to become obsession. He should feel a healthy desire for his future wife. Surely, he could prevent himself from getting in too deep with her and repeating his past mistakes.

He’d sunk into a black depression after his breakup with Marissa. Knowing they couldn’t have a future together hadn’t prevented him from letting himself be lured into love. He’d come through the other side of losing Marissa, but the fight to come back from that dark place wasn’t something he wanted to go through ever again.

“Coffee?” he asked, shoving aside his grim reflections.

He just needed to be certain that he kept a handle on his growing fascination with her. He’d lost his head over Marissa and look what it got him. Two beautiful, but illegitimate, daughters.

“Yes.” she gave a little laugh, seeming more relaxed with him than ever before. “I’m afraid I’m in desperate need of the caffeine this morning.”

“Rough night?”

“The couch is not as comfortable as it is beautiful.”

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Maybe an hour or so.” She dished up scrambled eggs, fruit and a croissant. She caught him watching her and gave him a wry smile. “Your pastry chef is sublime. I will need plenty of exercise to avoid becoming fat.”

“Perhaps after we speak to my parents about the girls we could take a walk in the garden.”

“That would be nice, but I don’t think there’s time. My schedule is packed with wedding preparations.”

“Surely if I can let the country run without my help for half an hour you can delegate some of the wedding preparations to your private secretary. We haven’t really had a chance to get acquainted, and with our wedding less than a month away, I thought we should spend some time alone together.”

“Is that a command, Your Highness?”

He arched an eyebrow at her playful tone. “Do you need it to be?”

“Your mother is the one who determined my schedule.”

Suspecting his fiancée needed no help standing up to the queen, he realized she was chiding him for his neglect during her first week in Sherdana. “I’ll handle my mother.”

“A walk sounds lovely.”

“Go see pony,” Bethany declared, shattering the rapport developing between the adults.

“Pony?” Gabriel echoed, looking to Olivia for an explanation.

“Apparently Bethany wants a pony for her birthday. I told her she was too young, but I thought maybe there was a pony in the stables they could visit.”

“None that I know of.” He saw the bright expectation in their faces vanish and couldn’t believe how much he wanted to see them smile again. “But I could be wrong.”

He made a mental note to have Stewart see about getting a pair of ponies for the girls. He and all his siblings had all started riding as soon as they could sit up. Ariana was the only one who still rode consistently, but Gabriel enjoyed an occasional gallop to clear his mind after a particularly taxing session of cabinet.

“Do you ride?” he asked Olivia.

“When I visit our country house.”

A knock sounded on the door. Olivia’s private secretary appeared, Stewart following on her heels. They wore duplicate expressions of concern and Gabriel knew the morning’s tranquillity was about to end.

“Excuse me a moment.” He crossed the room and pulled Stewart into the hall. “Well?”

“The king and queen are on their way here.”

He’d hoped to be the one to break the news to his parents. “How did they find out?”

“The arrival of two little girls in the middle of the night didn’t go unnoticed,” Stewart told him. “When your mother couldn’t find you she summoned me.”

“So, you felt the need to spill the whole story.”

“The king asked me a direct question,” Stewart explained, not the least bit intimidated by Gabriel’s low growl. “And he outranks you.”

“Gabriel, there you are. I demand to see my granddaughters at once.” The queen sailed down the hallway in his direction, her husband at her side. Lines of tension bracketed the king’s mouth. After nearly forty years as a queen, nothing disturbed her outward calm. But discovering her son had fathered two illegitimate girls was more stress than even she could graciously handle.

“They’ve been through a lot in the last few days,” Gabriel told her, thinking she would upset the twins in her current state of agitation.

“Have you told Olivia?”

“Last night.” He held up a hand when his mother’s eyes widened in outrage. “They spent the night with her after she stumbled upon them fleeing their nanny.”

The king’s light brown eyes had a hard look as they settled on his son. “And how does your future bride feel about it?”

As diplomatic as his parents were with the outside world, when it came to family, they were blunt. It wasn’t like them to dance around a question. Of course, they’d never come up against something this enormous before.

“What you want to know is if she intends to marry me despite my having fathered two children I knew nothing about.”

“Does she?”

The king’s deep frown made Gabriel rein in his frustration. As much as he disliked having his carelessness pointed out, he had let passion overwhelm him to the exclusion of common sense. Marissa had made him wild. She was like no other woman he’d ever met. And because of that their relationship had made his parents unhappy.

Gabriel exhaled harshly. “So far it appears that way.”

“Does her father know?” the king asked.

“Not yet. But the girls are living in the house. It won’t be long before the truth comes out.”

His mother looked grim. “Will Lord Darcy back out on the deal?”

“Olivia doesn’t think so. He wants his daughter married to royalty.”

“Have you figured out what we’re going to say to the press?”

“That they’re my daughters,” Gabriel said. “We’ll send out a press release. Anything else would be a mistake. Olivia noticed the resemblance immediately. They look exactly like Ariana did at that age. Coming clean is a good offensive and hopefully by doing so we can minimize the scandal.”

“And if we can’t?”

“I’ll ride it out.”

“We’ll ride it out,” the king said.

“Have you considered that Olivia might not want to raise Marissa’s children?”

Gabriel had already entertained those doubts, but after what he’d seen of Olivia, he’d discovered layers that might surprise everyone. “I don’t think that will be an issue. She’s already very protective of them and they trust her.”

The queen sighed and shook her head. “It will be wonderful having children in the palace again. Let’s go see your girls.”