Читать книгу Expecting Royal Twins! / To Dance with a Prince: Expecting Royal Twins! / To Dance with a Prince - Melissa McClone - Страница 9

When do you want to leave for Vernonia?

Sooner rather than later. Niko sat at the table in the recreational vehicle, also known as an RV, where Isabel lived. His concern over the press discovering the reason behind his unannounced trip to the U.S. continued to grow. But Isabel still had to shower, dress and pack. That would take time. They would be leaving later whether he liked it or not.

Isabel stood in front of the small refrigerator still wearing her bulky, stained coveralls. She rubbed her hands together as if nervous. “Would you like something to drink or eat?”

He appreciated her hospitality. Twenty-three years away from Vernonia hadn’t erased centuries of innate good breeding. “No, thank you.”

With a hesitant expression, she glanced toward the back of the RV. “It won’t take me more than a few minutes to get ready.”

A lump on the faded brown-and-orange plaid cushion behind his back made him shift positions. “The plane will not take off without us.”

As she closed a partition that separated the back portion of the motor home from the front section, Niko surveyed the interior with dismay. Warped wood veneer. Cracked cabinet and cupboard doors. Frayed carpeting. Cramped space. The RV had to be as old as Isabel.

What had Franko been thinking? Yes, the chauffeur needed to keep her safe, but why had he never contacted the king for assistance? Why had Franko allowed it to come to this?

Niko exhaled on a sigh.

Isabel was no damsel in distress. She’d impressed him with the way she’d dealt with her world being turned inside out. She hadn’t been blinded by his title or money. She wouldn’t accept his word as the truth without concrete evidence. Surprising, given she lived in near poverty in a shabby motor home with no family or resources. A princess of Vernonia deserved better than a life spent working long hours bent over a car engine and coming home to half a dozen barking, trembling Chihuahuas who lived next door.

She wouldn’t be his wife for much longer, but he wanted Isabel to have the kind of life her parents intended for her to have. She belonged in a castle.

The partition jiggled like it was stuck.

“Isabel?” Niko asked, wondering if she needed assistance.

“I’m almost finished,” she said from behind the thin wall.

He checked his watch. Five minutes. That had to be a world record. Then again, Isabel didn’t seem to be a woman who primped or even cared about her appearance.

The partition jerked open.

As she walked out of the back toward him, he did a doubletake. Her faded blue jeans fit like a second skin, clinging in all the right places, accentuating her feminine curves and long legs. The fabric of her T-shirt stretched across her chest. Her high, round breasts jiggled. Her shiny brown hair swung back and forth below her shoulders.

He met her gaze, captivated by her warm, brown eyes. An appealing mix of intelligence and caring shone in their depths.

This was his … wife?

“I’m ready to go,” Isabel announced.

So was he. Niko was ready to follow wherever she wanted to go.

“I don’t own a lot of clothes.” Isabel motioned to the worn purple duffel bag she carried behind her. The bride box with all its original contents was in the limousine with Jovan. “What I have probably isn’t nice enough to wear to court.”

“I will make arrangements for you to go shopping once we arrive.” He would head off any of her financial concerns. “Do not worry about the cost.”

“You’re already paying for a lot.”

“I don’t mind.” Niko would enjoy seeing her in designer gowns with jewels adorning her graceful neck. He would enjoy removing those things from her, too. Too bad that would never happen. “You are my wife.”

“Only until the annulment,” she reminded.

“Yes, but until then it is my responsibility to take care of you.”

Isabel pushed her chin forward almost defiantly. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know that.” He still wouldn’t mind a turn. Most women wanted him to take care of them. It felt odd that Isabel didn’t. He bowed his head in apology. “A poor choice of words on my part. I promise to make it up to you.”

“No need.”

As she brushed past him, an appealing mix of vanilla and jasmine filled his nostrils. The smell was a significant improvement over the motor oil one earlier. “I want to.”

“That’s okay.” Her smile nearly knocked him off his seat. “I’ve already forgiven you.”

Niko didn’t want her forgiveness. He wanted … her.

Damn. The attraction to Isabel was unexpected and unwelcome. His duties and responsibilities always took priority. Niko was practically engaged to Julianna. He shouldn’t be attracted to any woman.

Not even your wife? a voice mocked.

He balled his hands to gain control. His father had taught him to keep emotion reined in. Otherwise it became a weakness, one that others, particularly adversaries, would use to their advantage.

Niko focused his gaze on Isabel’s pretty face. Maybe it would be better to concentrate on her forehead. “Is there anything else you need to pack for the trip?”

“No. I won’t be in Vernonia that long.”

“You might like it there.”

She shrugged. “This has been my home since I was six.”

He couldn’t believe she’d lived like this for the past seventeen years. “That’s a long time.”

“When Uncle Frank bought the RV, he said we would never have to leave home again. We could always take it with us.” She removed a carton of milk from the refrigerator and poured it down the sink. “I wonder if he was thinking about Vernonia when he said that.”

“Possibly.” Niko glanced around her hovel. “There are many other places to live than here.”

“I know.” Isabel rinsed the carton in the small sink. “This motor home is nothing more than an old metal shed compared to a lot of other places, but I’ve been happy here. A little lonely since Uncle Frank died, but it’s hard to leave the good memories behind.”

“You will make new memories.”

“I need to come to peace with the old ones first.” She stared off into the distance. “So many things about Uncle Frank are making more sense now. The lack of photographs. Wanting me to study martial arts. Keeping such a low profile. Being so protective. Even if he wasn’t related to me by blood he’s still family. The only I ever knew.”

Niko nodded. “We shall honor Franko for the sacrifices he made by keeping you safe.”

“Thank you.” Gratitude shone her eyes. “Vernonia must have meant a lot to him or he would have never given up so much for me. I always thought he was satisfied living like this, and I’d be the one to leave someday. Now I know he didn’t plan on living here forever, either. He would have returned … home.”

Isabel’s words eased some of Niko’s concerns about her future. “Your father’s estate will enable you to live wherever and however you want.”

She sighed. “The thought of so many choices is intimidating.”

“Think of only one choice at a time. It won’t seem so … overwhelming.”

“Good advice,” she said. “Thanks.”

Helping her pleased him. “Is there anything else you need?”

Isabel glanced around. “Boyd is going to check on the RV while I’m away so everything should be okay.”

Niko remembered the tall man who had driven her and Jovan to retrieve the box. The same man had come out to check on her and watched her from the garage. A woman as attractive as Isabel was sure to have men after her. One who worked with her would have an advantage. “Is Boyd your boyfriend?”

“Boyd?” She scrunched her nose. “He’s like a brother. Some people think we’re a couple, but we’re just friends.”

The news brought an unfamiliar sense of relief. But Boyd wasn’t the only man in Charlotte. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No boyfriend.”

“But you date.”

“Not nearly as much as I probably should. I work too much overtime to have a serious relationship. And the boys at the garage can be a little overprotective when guys do drop by.”

The news pleased Niko more than it should have.

“What about you?” she asked.

“No boyfriend.”

She grinned. “Any girlfriends?”

He used to have girlfriends. He’d dated models to princesses. Julianna wasn’t his girlfriend per se, yet she was the woman he planned to marry. Better to keep things simple than give Isabel too complicated an explanation. “Yes, I have a girlfriend.”

“What’s her name?”

“Julianna. We are planning to marry.”

“Congratulations, Niko.” Isabel locked a window latch. “I hope the two of you are very happy together.”

Her enthusiasm surprised him. “You do?”

“Of course I do,” she admitted. “Why wouldn’t I? I may be your wife, but that was a choice neither of us made or would choose today.”

Niko winced. Her words stung. He might not choose her, but he didn’t see why she wouldn’t choose him. He was a prince and quite eligible according to the tabloids and magazines. “Who would you choose to marry?”

“No one.”

“You do not wish to marry?”

“I have a few things I want to do first.”

“Tell me about these things.”

“I’m planning to enroll in pit crew school, work on a pit crew and eventually be a crew chief.”

Those were unusual goals for a woman. Unthinkable for a female in Vernonia let alone a princess. “You like racing.”

“I love racing. Open-wheel, stock car, go-kart, it doesn’t matter as long as there’s a checkered flag at the end.”

The passion in her voice matched the light in her eyes and reminded him of Julianna when she sailed. Perhaps the two women had more in common than Niko had thought. “Your inheritance will allow you to do almost anything you want in racing.”

“Yeah, I guess focusing on going to pit crew school now is like a Lotto winner who plans to keep their job.” Isabel swung the strap of a blue backpack over her shoulder. She opened the door. “Ready to roll, Highness.”

Then again, maybe she didn’t have that much in common with Princess Julianna after all.

Across the tarmac at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, jet engines roared.

This was unreal. Izzy stood on the landing at the top of the portable aircraft staircase with a gorgeous prince who happened to be her husband. She still couldn’t believe what was happening.

Each beat of her heart slammed against her ribs. She’d never once dreamed of traveling to a far off destination except to attend a race. But here she was about to board a private plane and fly off to another continent.

An airplane sped down the runway.

She shivered. Soon that would be her plane.

Some might call this an exciting adventure, but not Izzy. Her misgivings were increasing by the minute.

Another aircraft taxied by. The silver, red and blue colorscheme seemed almost festive compared to Vernonia’s solid white airplane with only an aircraft numbers, letters and a small coat of arms for markings.

A royal coat of arms.

A chill ran down her spine.

She could never have imagined this happening to anyone let alone her. A grease monkey who cared more about the Winston Cup standings than the lines of succession for European thrones was now a princess?

Below her at the bottom of the stairs, a local security detail stood watch. A custom agent checked paperwork with the security liaison officer who wore a uniform and seemed to be part of the flight crew.

The shock of discovery still had her reeling. Denial battled acceptance. In spite of the physical evidence, Izzy still found the truth hard to accept. Would she ever feel like Princess Isabel Poussard Zvonimir Kresimir? She doubted it.

Facing the open doorway, Izzy sensed rather than felt Niko standing behind her. She clutched the strap of her backpack.

“It’s time to board,” he whispered from behind her. His warm breath fanned her neck.

Awareness shot through Izzy. Her uneasiness quadrupled.

Hold it together.

She straightened, not wanting to appear weak. “I know.”

Yet the open doorway loomed in front of her like a mysterious black hole. Her heart pounded so fast, Izzy thought her chest might explode.

All she had to do was step across the threshold and board the plane. Too bad her feet felt as if they’d been permanently attached to the staircase. But they knew what Izzy kept trying to forget.

This wasn’t only about never having flown before. She had absolutely no idea what waited for her on the other side. Of the doorway or when she arrived in Vernonia.

She’d never had to face the unknown alone. Uncle Frank had always been there to pave the way. Even after his death, she’d continued working at Rowdy’s, living in the RV and following the plan they’d dreamed up together. But now she found herself on a new, uncertain path with all her plans swept away.

Worse, there was no turning back.

Her life was irrevocably changed whether she boarded the plane or stayed in Charlotte. The realization made her lightheaded.

The prince moved closer, crowding her from behind. He emanated strength and warmth. Her pulse skittered.

Uh-oh. Izzy needed to put a little distance between them. Not that she had much room to go anywhere. She shifted to the side until her backpack and hip hit the staircase railing. “Give me a minute.”

Niko gently placed his hand on the curve of her back.

Izzy stiffened. The slight touch made her more apprehensive.

“You will have plenty of time once we board,” he said.

She was losing control of this situation, of her life. “Things are happening too fast. I need everything to slow down.”

“Everything will slow down when we are in the air. We have a long flight ahead of us.”

A long flight that would carry her away from everything familiar. Nerves smacked into her like a rogue wave. Her stomach churned.

“Isabel,” Niko said.

Another plane took off. The roar louder than any engine she’d ever heard at the racetrack. Goose bumps prickled her skin.

“I told you I needed a minute.” The words came out harsher than she intended.

“It’s been an eventful day,” Niko said.

“You think?” She swallowed around the crown-jewel-size lump in her throat. “I doubt anyone else has ever had a day like today. I wish it were all a dream. But it’s not. And now I’m stuck.”

“Stuck?”

“Having to go to Vernonia to annul the marriage and get my inheritance,” she admitted. “Unfortunately I have no idea what’s going to happen once we arrive. I may have been born there, but it might as well be Mars.”

Niko’s assessing gaze made her feel like one of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters. “Vernonia is different from what you are used to. Some would call the country old-fashioned. Others antiquated. Especially when it comes to gender roles.”

Izzy half laughed with a mix of desperation and fear. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s not working.”

“I will not lie to you, Isabel,” he said. “Your life has changed. But you will not have to deal with any of this on your own.”

A sense of inadequacy swept through her. Izzy was used to handling everything on her own, but she was completely out of her comfort zone here and practically shaking in her held-together-with-super-glue tennis shoes.

“It will be my pleasure to help you,” he offered.

Niko made a dashing knight in shining armor, but Izzy didn’t like being cast in the role of damsel in distress. She didn’t want or need his help. “Thanks, but I can do this on my own.”

Please let me be able to do this on my own.

With a deep breath, Izzy stood and stepped through the doorway of the plane.

“Welcome aboard, Your Royal Highness,” a male flight attendant with a crew cut and navy blue uniform greeted. “We have a seven course dinner for you as well as movies for your entertainment.”

It took Izzy a minute to realize the man was addressing her. “Thank you,” she muttered, wondering how he knew who she was.

The flight attendant smiled at her. “Would you like me to escort you to your seat, ma’am?”

“Thank you, Luka, but I will show Princess Isabel the way,” Niko said before Izzy could answer.

Luka bowed. “Enjoy your flight, ma’am, sir.”

“I thought you wanted to keep my identity a secret to avoid publicity,” she whispered to Niko as she moved away from Luka.

“Only until after we appear before the High Court,” he explained quietly.

As his male scent surrounded her, heat rushed through her veins. She hoped the High Court would be their first stop after they landed.

“Do not worry,” he continued. “The crew is part of the Vernonian Air Force. They can be trusted with the information. As can the palace staff.”

That seemed like a lot of people in on the secret, but he was the prince. “If you say so.”

“I do.”

Izzy made her way down the aisle, holding her backpack in front of her. The interior, a mix of warm beiges, browns and blues, created a welcoming environment. Couches and tables filled the first section of the cabin.

“This is the lounge area,” Niko explained. “Feel free to come up here if you want to stretch your legs.”

“I doubt I’ll unfasten my seat belt during the flight.”

The corners of his mouth lifted. “That may get uncomfortable if you have to use the facilities.”

Her cheeks warmed. She hadn’t considered that.

The second section of the cabin contained rows of seats. The wide leather seats looked comfortable and luxurious, not narrow and cramped and squished together as her high school classmates had described after their graduation trip to the Caribbean. Izzy hadn’t been able to afford the trip, so had stayed home and worked at Rowdy’s garage.

Times sure had changed. Mechanic Izzy Poussard was now Princess Isabel, the wife of the crown prince of Vernonia. She nearly laughed at the absurdity of it.

“This is where we sit for takeoff and landing, or, if you choose,” Niko said, “the entire flight.”

Izzy passed the row where Jovan sat. A few other seats were taken by people she hadn’t seen before. She continued to the last row of empty seats before a divider.

Before she could sit, a female flight attendant rushed from the rear of the plane. The young woman wore a navy jacket and skirt. Her blond hair was neatly braided into a bun. “Good evening. Allow me to hold your backpack for you, Your Royal Highness.”

Before Izzy could say a word, the backpack strap was lifted out of her hand. Every one of her muscles tensed, bunching into tight balls. She wasn’t used to being catered to. It was disconcerting because she didn’t feel like royalty.

She sat in the window seat and buckled her seat belt.

The flight attendant handed the backpack to Izzy. “Would you care for something to drink or eat, ma’am?”

“No, thanks.” Izzy didn’t want to upset her stomach any more than it already was. Her nerves were getting the best of her. Over the flight, over Vernonia, over Niko. Maybe if she distracted herself.

She pressed a button that turned on the overhead light. She twisted a knob that regulated the airflow nozzle.

Niko sat next to her. “Are you certain you do not want anything?”

Izzy wanted this to be over with. “No, thanks, Your Highness.”

“Call me Niko.”

“I’m not sure I should get in the habit of calling you by your first name. As soon as our marriage is annulled I doubt you’d want to be on such familiar terms with a commoner.”

“You are not a commoner,” he said. “You are a princess by birth. Royal Sachestian blood flows through your veins.”

“That may be true, but I was raised American. Royalty is something other countries have.”

“Americans have unofficial royalty. The Kennedys, the Rockefellers, the Hiltons.”

“I suppose, but a princess isn’t something I aspired to be beyond the age of four or five. Wearing a tiara has never been a dream of mine.”

“You may feel like an American, but you are a Vernonian.” He spoke as if her being a Vernonian was the most important thing she could be. No one had ever spoken to her that way. Not even Uncle Frank. “You will be amazed by the history of your family.”

Intrigued, she leaned toward him. “I have a family history?”

“Your lineage goes back centuries. Your father’s family played an integral role in the formation of our country, when Sachestia in the north merged with the south to form what we now call Vernonia.” He fastened his seat belt. “If you have questions about anything, please ask.”

“I—” The lights in the cabin flickered. She clutched the seat armrests until her knuckles turned white. “What’s that?”

“The APU, auxiliary power unit, coming on,” he explained. “It powers the lights and air system while we are in flight.”

“Oh, yeah. I should have remembered that.”

The plane moved backward.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

“Do not worry.” Niko covered her hand with his large one. His skin was warm, but not soft. Scars and calluses covered his hand and fingers. “The plane is being moved so the pilot can taxi to the runway.”

Forget about the plane. His touch disturbed her more than it comforted. She tried to slip her hand from beneath his, but couldn’t. “I’m sorry if I’ve acted like a wimp, but I’m okay now.”

“You’ve handled everything remarkably well, Isabel. You should be proud of yourself.”

He wouldn’t let Izzy remove her hand from his, but his words made her sit taller. She wanted to be brave for him, but mostly herself. That was what Uncle Frank would have wanted her to be.

The engines roared to life. She sucked in a breath.

Nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about.

The words became a mantra.

The plane taxied to the runway. Out the window, she saw the airport lights shining in the darkness. Pretty, but she would rather be at home watching a television show than sitting on a luxurious private jet holding hands with a handsome prince.

Too late to back out now.

Izzy pressed her feet against the floor of the plane.

“We will be in the air shortly,” Niko said.

All she could do was nod.

The jet lurched to a stop. The engines whined, the sound growing louder. She was too nervous to appreciate the speed of the rotor. The cabin shook like the crowd at Daytona when cars went three wide. Izzy held her breath.

Suddenly the jet speeded down the runway.

She glanced out the window at the world passing by her.

“Remember to breathe,” he said.

She did.

Nikola squeezed her hand.

This time his touch reassured her. She met his eyes. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. She thought about kissing him until she couldn’t think straight, but that seemed a little extreme. Maybe burying her face against his chest until this was over would be better. She closed her eyes instead.

“Look at me, Isabel.”

She forced her eyes open. Her gaze locked with his intense green eyes.

“You are safe,” he said. “As long as you are with me, you will always be safe.”

The confidence and strength he exuded made her almost believe his words. But she knew safe didn’t really exist. If it did her parents would be alive. Uncle Frank, too.

The vibrations increased until she thought the plane might break apart. The forward momentum pushed her back against her seat. Niko laced his fingers with hers.

The plane lifted off the ground.

The lights below grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared altogether. The plane climbed at a steep angle, as if it were a fighter jet not a passenger plane.

The aircraft jolted. She sucked in another breath.

“A patch of turbulence,” Niko said. “Normal.”

None of this was normal. Not the takeoff, not the prince sitting next to her. And certainly not this life-altering adventure she was embarking on.

After what seemed like forever, the plane leveled.

“We’ve reached cruising altitude.” Niko kept his hand on hers. “Not too bad.”

It wasn’t a question.

“No,” she admitted. “But we still have to land.”

The corners of his mouth lifted. “Landing will be easier.”

“Really?” she asked.

He nodded. “You’ll be tired due to the time change. You may even be asleep when the wheels touch ground.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be sleeping after everything that’s gone on. My mind’s a big jumble right now.”

“You should try to sleep,” he encouraged her. “Tomorrow will be a big day.”

“Are we going straight to the court?” she asked.

“The High Court is not in session on Saturday. We will go to the castle.”

“Castle?”

“My parents want to meet you.”

“I’ve never met a king or a queen.”

“You have, but you don’t remember.”

“What’s your father like?” Izzy asked.

“He’s very … kingly.”

“That’s intimidating,” she admitted. “I’m glad I don’t remember meeting him or I might be more nervous than I already am.”

“He only wants to reassure himself you are alive and well.” Niko squeezed her hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”

This time Izzy knew the prince was wrong. Dead wrong.

She had lots to worry about, starting with the tingles shooting up her arm as he touched her. But even worse was the realization that she didn’t want him to let go of her hand.

Not now.

Not when they landed in Vernonia.

Not … ever.