Читать книгу The Prince's Texas Bride / The Reluctant Princess - Leanne Banks - Страница 12

Eve walked the route of the parade next to the horses. Actually, she ran, trotted, skipped and walked, dividing her attention between the horses and potential protesters. At one turn in the street, she heard hecklers and searched the crowd. Within seconds, the palace guard swarmed like bees. She wished she could talk to them and tell them the value of the prized horses that represented their country, but she knew it wasn’t her place.

Pushing aside the effects of the heat of the afternoon, she returned to the last of the parade where Stefan rode astride Black. At every turn, the crowd screamed and clapped in delight. Understandably so. Both Stefan and Black were prime specimens. The spectators threw flowers at them, and she was relieved to see Black take it all in stride.

Suddenly from the corner of her eye, she saw a child streak out of the crowd toward Stefan and Black.

Instinctively, she chased after the boy child. She barely caught him in her arms.

“Prince Stefan,” the child wailed. “I want to ride with Prince Stefan.”

“Sorry, sweetie,” she said as the child struggled in her arms. “I don’t want you to get caught in the horse’s legs. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She felt Stefan’s glance at her and looked up at him. Her gaze met his, and the connection between them zinged again. He glanced at the boy and lifted his hand, waving her to bring the child to him.

“Are you sure?” she called, surprised yet not.

He nodded and she carried the little boy to him. One of the guards stepped forward to help lift the boy into the saddle in front of Stefan. The crowd roared with delight. “Find his parents to meet me at the end of the route.”

Eve searched the crowd and immediately spotted the astonished, beaming parents of the boy. The young couple were already walking down the street. The father carried a sleeping infant in an infant carrier on his back.

Eve caught up with them. “Hello, I’m Eve Jackson, the royal horse master. Is that your son taking a ride with Prince Stefan?”

The woman gave a huge nod, clearly still stunned. “My son, Ricardo, he is so active. He got away from both my husband and me. Thank you for catching him. I can’t believe he is riding with Prince Stefan.”

Eve couldn’t help smiling at the joy on the couples’ faces. “His Royal Highness asked that I make sure you meet your son at the end of the parade. We don’t want your son to be frightened.”

“Frightened,” the father echoed. “I can only wish. The boy shows no fear.”

“I understand,” she said sympathetically. “Mr.—?”

“Benito,” he said. “Raul and Gina Benito, thank you for your kindness.”

“My pleasure,” she said and gestured for a guard to escort the young couple through the throng of observers. She ran ahead to make sure her assistants were taking care of the horses and riders properly. She knew there would be hundreds of photographs taken by the press of all the horses and riders.

The next hour passed in a flurry of activity as the horses were released from their royal duties and guided back to the barns.

“Ms. Jackson,” a man called from a few feet away. “Welcome to Chantaine. Your first royal parade is a huge success.”

“Thank you. I’m thrilled for the citizens of Chantaine to get the opportunity to see the beautiful horses that represent their country,” she said and motioned to one of her assistants to take two more of the horses back to the stable.

“Oh, but they are not Chantaine’s horses. Everyone knows Prince Stefan has a weakness for fine horseflesh. These are Prince Stefan’s horses.”

“Number one, I wouldn’t call it a weakness. Number two, these horses do represent Chantaine just as your beautiful beaches and the palace and palace grounds do.”

The man lifted his eyebrow. “Easy for you to say. You make a much better salary than most of the citizens of Chantaine. The prince’s horses aren’t remotely self-sustaining.”

“It wouldn’t be hard for them to be self-sustaining,” she couldn’t keep from saying in defense of the stable.

“What do you mean?”

“Black. He’s worth a fortune as a sire,” she said, then feared she’d revealed too much. He didn’t look like a member of the press and she didn’t see a camera. “I need to go. I was taught to earn my keep,” she added meaningfully, and then walked away.

Much later that evening after she’d showered and put on her pj’s, her cell phone sounded, signaling a text message. She glanced up from the book she was reading and glanced at her phone. Meet me in the lower courtyard in thirty minutes. SD

Eve was torn between irritation and curiosity. The man was way too accustomed to giving orders. In other circumstances, she would have laughed and said forget it. But this was Stefan and the situation was totally different. Plus she was dying of curiosity.

She jumped out of bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a white button-down shirt. With her hair still damp from the shower she’d taken earlier, she just decided to let it air-dry. After a few moments of feeling antsy, she gave in to her restlessness and decided to take the long way to the lower courtyard. She stopped by a bush of blue flowers that reminded her of Texas bluebells and felt a twist of homesickness. Back home, she’d stayed busy with her job, working with the horses on the ranch where her aunt worked and volunteering. Staying busy kept her from thinking too much about how much she missed her brother since he’d left all those years ago. It also kept her from getting involved in a serious relationship. From a young age, Eve had been determined to steer her own ship, and she’d never met a man with whom she’d willingly share the wheel.

She heard the snap of a twig, but before she could turn around she heard his voice.

“Congratulations, Eve. Well done.”

Pleasure welled up inside her and she turned around to find Stefan, his shirt partly unbuttoned, his hair mussed and carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Surprised by his gesture, she felt a secret rush of delight. “Congratulations to you, too. The crowd loved it when you gave Ricardo a ride on Black. Champagne?”

He shrugged. “You worked hard. I thought you deserved to celebrate.”

“You could have just sent the bottle to my apartment, couldn’t you?” she asked, unable to resist the chance to tease him.

He shot her a look with a glint of the devil in his eyes. “Okay, I deserve to celebrate, too. Come on,” he said and walked toward the lower courtyard. They entered the area surrounded by tall hedges and he gestured toward the stone bench. “Hold these, please,” he said and handed her the glasses.

“Wow,” she said.

“What?” he asked as he released the cork without spilling a drop. He tilted the liquid into the two glasses.

“You said please. I don’t hear that word from you all that often,” she said and offered him a glass.

“Are you always this charming when someone tries to thank you?”

“You knew what you were getting when you hired me,” she said and lifted her glass in salute. “Congratulations on choosing such spectacular horses for your stable and for giving a little boy and his parents the story of their lives.”

“Congratulations for pulling it all together,” he said and clicked his glass against hers.

They both took a sip of the champagne. “I must confess I was worried about the combination of the protestors and your royal cavalry.”

He smothered a chuckle. “Royal guard.”

“Close enough,” she said and took another sip. “Have you been busy with interviews with the press?”

“And a cocktail party with the riders. I told my assistant to make sure you were invited.”

She shook her head. “I thought it would be better for me to make sure the real stars were taken care of after the show.”

“Of course,” he said. “Next time, remember you have staff for that.”

“No one refuses the prince?” she said. “Except for his family.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to attend a party at the palace as a guest?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. “It’s a little out of my everyday routine,” she confessed.

“I can’t believe you would be intimidated. I haven’t seen anything else intimidate you,” he said.

“When I was eight years old, my brother told me to never let them see me sweat.”

“That’s pretty young for that kind of instruction. What was the occasion?” he asked.

Another move due to her parents’ inability to keep jobs and pay bills. Another new school when she’d wondered how long they would stay in this place. How long until people found out her father drank away most of his paycheck? “One of those times in elementary school when the kids teased or bullied. It happens to most kids at one time or another.”

He looked at her for a long moment and frowned. “I don’t like the idea of that.”

“What?” she asked, his intent gaze making her stomach slip and slide.

“The idea of someone bullying you.”

Something in the way he looked at her made her feel as if she were taking a free fall with no net. She tried to shake it off, but wasn’t completely successful. She wasn’t accustomed to someone being protective of her. “It didn’t happen often,” she drawled.

He chuckled. “I bet it didn’t,” he said and chucked her chin with his index finger. “Do you see him often? Your brother?”

His question slid under her radar, right through her ribs. She rarely mentioned her brother because his absence from her life was still painful to her. “Eli left a long time ago. He had to go. It was the only way.” She took a quick breath and shook her head, hating the fact that Stefan had found her vulnerable spot. “Can we talk about something else?”

He paused a half beat, then nodded. “Of course. We’re here to celebrate,” he said with his most charming smile and clicked his glass against hers again.

She took a quick sip but spilled the champagne on the front of her shirt as she pulled the glass away. Frustration prickled through her. “This is why I don’t drink very often,” she muttered, futilely pulling at her shirt.

“I can see where it would be distracting during a date,” Stefan said.

Glancing up, she saw his gaze fixed on her breasts. She looked down and was mortified by the outline of her nipples against the shirt. “Oh, great. This is embarrassing,” she said and crossed her arms over her breasts. “See why I’m not big on formal parties? Even a private celebration in the seclusion of a faraway courtyard is not safe.”

Stefan took her glass and tossed it onto the soft bed of grass along with his, then took her chin in his fingers. “Trust me, Eve. If a man chooses to be with you in a courtyard, he’s not thinking of safety,” he said and lowered his mouth to hers.

Her heart stuttered in her chest. In another lifetime, she wondered if she could have turned him away. She’d turned so many others away. But she sensed that Stefan was strong enough. Man enough. She paused a heartbeat, then opened her mouth, opened herself to him.

Something between them clicked and snapped at the same time. If she believed in that kind of thing, she would have said it was electrical. But Eve didn’t believe. At least, she never had before.

He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past her lips, tasting and testing her. She slid her hands upward to his strong shoulders, wanting to absorb his strength and power into her. The kiss turned deeply passionate, almost carnal, making her cling to him.

He murmured something delicious against her lips, and suddenly she felt the night air against her back as he unbuttoned the bottom of her shirt. His hand on the bare skin of her waist stopped her breath. Seconds later, one of his hands slid upward to her breast, and she pushed against it, resenting the barriers of her shirt and bra. She wanted to feel his skin.

Part of her was shocked at the force of her desire, but another part of her knew she’d been waiting for this—for him—for years. She felt as if she were riding a tsunami of sensation and refused to fight it. She tugged at his shirt, he pulled at hers, and buttons flung loose. Seconds later, he unfastened her bra and her breasts sprang free. He immediately covered one of her breasts with his hand.

Her nipple was hard and sensitized to his touch. He swore under his breath as he toyed with her nipple at the same time as he French-kissed her. She drank in the spicy, masculine scent of him and felt as if the world was turning sideways.

Stefan clasped his hand beneath her hips and lifted her upward. At the same time, he lowered his head to take her nipple into his mouth, she felt his hardness pressed against her.

Dizzy with want, she slumped against him.

Stefan groaned, lifting his head and pulling her tightly against him. “We need to be together,” he whispered. “I want you in my bed.”

A shiver of the need he expressed raced through her. “How? Where?”

He gave a rough sound of frustration. “If it were up to me, it would be here and now. But I want privacy for the both of us.”

She sighed and tried to gather her wits. Was this what she really wanted? Was he what he really wanted? Eve was only certain of one thing. She couldn’t miss him. Stefan affected her in a way no man ever had, and she craved the ultimate closeness with him. She wanted him so much it scared her, but she wasn’t going to let her fear keep her from him.

“Then when?” she finally asked and met his gaze.

His dark eyes met hers, and she saw the strained passion there. The strength of it reassured her rather than frightened her. “You make it difficult for me not to take you now, chérie. Tomorrow night,” he said. “I’ll make arrangements for you to come to my suite. I’ll work it out tomorrow.”

A ripple of anticipation and nerves raced through her. “It may not be wise—”

He covered her lips with his fingers. “It’s beyond choice. We both feel it.”

She nodded, savoring the heat of his body. “Okay,” she said, then whispered, “But this is totally against all my rules.”

He chuckled and lifted her hand to his lips. “Mine, too, Eve. Mine, too. Now, before I give into my darker urges, I’d better walk you back to your quarters.”

“What about the champagne and the glasses?” she asked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll send a member of my security to collect them,” he said and took her hand. “Let’s go.”

The next morning, she awakened a little later than usual. Stefan had insisted she take a day of vacation. So she slept until 9:00 a.m. This was the first morning she’d woken up not feeling like she was going to hyperventilate. Not that she would admit that to a soul.

Stretching her arms, she yawned, then smiled, pleased that the parade had gone off without a hitch. She’d passed her first test. Thank goodness. A sliver of anxiety rippled through her at the thought of Stefan’s plans for tonight. Had she lost her mind? He was not only her boss, he was a prince.

He was also a man, she told herself. A man she wanted and who wanted her. Taking a deep breath, she slid out of her bed and stepped onto the carpet. Her toes appreciated the soft cushion for her first steps of the day. She realized she’d hit the ground running so much she hadn’t noticed the small comfort.

Stretching again, she walked to the tiny kitchenette and started her coffee. She peeked inside her mostly bare refrigerator and pulled out cream for her coffee, marmalade for her toast and orange juice. She popped bread in the toaster and wandered toward the door of her quarters to pick up the paper. She’d made double sure she would receive the daily paper. After the incident with the protestors, she’d decided she needed to stay informed even though the Chantaine newspaper read like an odd combination of a scandal sheet and traditional news.

The front page was filled with photographs of the parade, featuring the royal family and government officials on horseback. The largest photo showed Stefan riding with the young boy on Black. Her heart twisted at the image of him. Lord help her, the man was so handsome. She noticed the way his hand curled around the boy, holding him securely. The boy smiled broadly while Stefan’s mouth lifted in a ghost of a smile.

Fascinating man, she thought. For a moment she wondered what Stefan would be like if he weren’t a prince. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine him as a Texan. He would be a Renaissance man, she decided, with a huge empire. Obscenely successful, she thought. Nothing less would be acceptable. His woman would be … She frowned in concentration. Blonde, beautiful, but brainy. The perfect accessory on his arm.

Nothing like me.

She frowned again, feeling a stab of displeasure and immediately pushing it aside. She shook her head at herself. This was what happened when she had time on her hands. Her mind traveled down all kinds of crazy paths. She rattled the paper and refocused, scanning the rest of the front page. A headline at the bottom of the page grabbed her attention. Royal Stable Master Reports Prince’s Horse Is Worth Billions for Sperm.

Billions! She’d never said billions. Who was reporting this? She hadn’t talked to anyone … except the man at the end of the parade. Her stomach sank in realization. Even though she’d cut the conversation short, she’d obviously said more than she should.

Less than a moment later, her cell phone rang. She darted through the living area to her bedside table where she’d left it and immediately glanced at the caller ID. Her stomach sank even further. The palace office was calling.

“Hello. Eve Jackson,” she said and began to pace.

“Ms. Jackson, this is Louis calling for Franz Cyncad. We have a public relations concern. Your presence is required in the Palace Office.”

Great, she thought. Franz was right up there at the top of the food chain. “I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Mr. Cyncad is finalizing the appropriate strategy. He will meet with you after lunch at fourteen hundred.”

Eve bit back an oath. Not only did she know she would be disciplined or perhaps even fired, now she had to wait to hear about it. “I’ll be there.”

“Very well. Goodbye,” he said and disconnected the call.

Adrenaline pumping through her, Eve immediately went into survivor mode. With her upbringing, it was second nature. She wondered if she should go ahead and make a call to her former boss. She’d made sure to leave on good terms. She might not be able to get her exact position, but the company had been pleased with her work. Or she could start contracting for several horse ranchers. Stefan would pay her severance.

Her heart was hammering and her stomach was twisting as she glanced out her window at the cobblestone drive, the lush green trees and pink flowers. She felt a deep sense of regret twist through her. For the first time in weeks, she was acutely aware of the fact that she didn’t want to leave. She loved the horses, and her feelings for Stefan … were overwhelming. Until now, she’d been totally absorbed with the parade and intermittent bouts of homesickness she’d pushed aside. Eve had learned at a very young age that denial was an important tool of survival.

But this wasn’t her childhood, and she wasn’t going to be chased out of her home due to bankruptcy. So maybe she shouldn’t jump off the first available cliff. She took a deep breath and slowly released it.

If she was going to be fired, how did she want to spend her remaining hours on Chantaine?

Stefan? Impossible. Tonight, the night they would have made love, was never going to happen.

She swallowed over a hard lump in her throat. Pushing that option aside, she made her plans. The horses, then the beach.

Eve took a micro-shower, French-braided her hair, then visited the royal beauties in the barn and petted and cooed over them. Her heart twisted at the way they all seemed to know her. Even Black indulged her for a few moments before he stamped away.

She stood for a long moment, inhaling the scent of fresh hay and clean horses, branding it into her memory. Then she grabbed a taxi for the beach and made the driver promise to return to fetch her at twelve forty-five. Eve spread her towel on the sand, stripped down to her bikini and sat down on the beach.

She stared at the waves. Whitecaps topped azure water as the tide crashed into shore. The surf was a little rough. She would test it in a few moments, she decided. For the moment, she would focus on the sensation of sun shining on her and the way the ocean looked as if diamonds flickered on top of it.

Inhaling the unique scent of Chantaine, she tried to find a way to preserve the vanilla beachy smell in her mind, the memory of that evening ride with Stefan. All that would never happen between them flashed through her mind. Eve couldn’t stand it. She picked up her towel and scrambled up the sandy hill to the road to hail a taxi.

An hour later, Eve sat in Franz Cyncad’s office trying to look cool as she resisted the urge to drum her fingers on her black pants–clad leg. Franz was frowning. Not a good sign. He glanced up at her from behind his desk and his gold-rimmed glasses. “You spoke to Marco LaChalle yesterday during the parade,” he finally said.

“I didn’t meet anyone named Marco. I was focused on the horses and our surprise child rider. A man approached me toward the end of the parade. I barely spoke to him.”

Franz pulled off his glasses. “You told him Black could earn billions in stud fees.”

“I told him Black could earn a fortune in stud fees,” she corrected, still determined to remain calm.

“He apparently interpreted a fortune as a billion,” Franz said.

“That was his interpretation, not mine,” she said, now barely resisting the urge to fidget. Was she going to survive this or not? Based on Franz’s dour expression, she suspected not.

“Unfortunately, we must deal with Mr. LaChalle’s report. We need you to recant your position.”

It took a full moment for Franz’s comment to sink in. “I can’t do that. It would be an outright lie,” she said at the same time Stefan walked through the door. “Black is worth a fortune in stud fees.”

“He’s not ready,” Stefan said.

“Your Highness,” Franz said and stood.

Suddenly, Eve remembered she was supposed to do the curtsy thing. “Yes, Your Highness,” she said and stood. “But I disagree. As a professional,” she added. “It’s appropriate to have a specialist assess a stallion for stud purposes at the age of four. Black is over four. His pedigree is phenomenal. He has the potential to produce amazing foals.”

Stefan shot her a cool glance. “You are not the appropriate person to assess when Black should breed.”

She nodded in agreement. “True. I’m only the stable master you hired to train and advise you on your horses. So, whatever.”

Stefan blinked. “Whatever?”

“American version of do what you want. I’ve done what I can do,” she said.

His eyes narrowed. “What would you suggest, Ms. Jackson?”

Oooh, she thought. The Ms. Jackson wasn’t a good sign. “I suggest you get Black assessed by the veterinarian, then get moving with providing his sperm, at a cost, to superior mares. Spreading his sperm is part of his purpose. I’m sure Black would agree with my assessment,” she said wryly.

Stefan lifted an eyebrow and paused. “Put out a press release saying the palace is having Black assessed for stud service. Be prepared for a deluge of calls. Keep records. We’ll return calls later,” he said.

Silence followed. “Will Ms. Jackson be remaining on as stable master? Or will she be moving on?” Franz asked.

“Ms. Jackson remains,” Stefan said and turned and left the room.

Eve stared after him, stunned and uncertain.

Franz glowered at her. “God help us. More records. More return calls. Would it have been so hard to recant your position?”

“Sorry,” she said. “But yes.”

Franz sighed again. “Double the workload,” he muttered.

“It will ultimately be double the money. Black will earn his way and make your job easier. Just give it a little time.”

“We don’t have a lot of time, Ms. Jackson,” Franz said. “Chantaine’s economy is in the loo. Our people are suffering.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Cyncad, but the world economy is struggling. Everyone is suffering. We’re all going to need to get creative to find a way to get Chantaine on the high road. I’m on your side.”

“Hmm,” Franz said, putting his glasses his face and returning his attention to the laptop in front of him.

Eve waited a long moment. “Do you need anything else, Mr. Cyncad?”

“Not now, Ms. Jackson. I shall contact you if I need to. You may proceed with your plans for the day.”

Eve paused, still confused. “Thank you,” she said. “Have a good day.”

Franz gave a short nod, and Eve left the man’s office, still unsure of her status. She hadn’t been fired. Still, what about her relationship with Stefan? Would she be meeting him tonight? Or not?