Читать книгу Crown Prince, Pregnant Bride! / Valentine Bride - Raye Morgan, Christine Rimmer - Страница 8

THOUGH MONTE COULDN’T see her, Pellea Marallis passed so close to the Crown Prince’s hiding place, he easily caught a hint of her intoxicating perfume. That gave him an unexpected jolt. It brought back a panoply of memories, like flipping through the pages of a book—a vision of sunlight shining through a gauzy white dress, silhouetting a slim, beautifully rounded female form, a flashing picture of drops of water cascading like a thousand diamonds onto creamy silken skin, a sense of cool satin sheets and caresses that set his flesh on fire.

He bit down hard on his lower lip to stop the wave of sensuality that threatened to wash over him. He wasn’t here to renew the romance. He was here to kidnap her. And he wasn’t about to let that beguiling man-woman thing get in the way this time.

She passed close again and he could hear the rustle of her long skirt as it brushed against the wall he was leaning on. She was pacing back and forth in her courtyard, a garden retreat built right into this side of the castle, giving her a small lush forest where she spent most of her time. The surrounding rooms—a huge closet filled with clothes and a small sitting room, a neighboring compact office stacked to the ceiling with books, a sumptuously decorated bedroom—each opened onto the courtyard with French doors, making her living space a mixture of indoors and outdoors in an enchanting maze of exciting colors and provocative scents.

She was living like a princess.

Did he resent it all? Of course. How could he not?

But this was not the side of the castle where his family had lived before the overthrow of their royal rule. That area had been burned the night his parents were murdered by the Granvillis, the thugs who still ruled Ambria, this small island country that had once been home to his family. He understood that part of the castle was only now being renovated, twenty-five years later.

And that he resented.

But Pellea had nothing to do with the way his family had been robbed of their birthright. He had no intention of holding her accountable. Her father was another matter. His long-time status as the Grand Counselor to the Granvillis was what gave Pellea the right to live in this luxury—and his treachery twenty-five years ago was considered a subject of dusty history.

Not to Monte. But that was a matter for another time.

He hadn’t seen her yet. He’d slipped into the dressing room as soon as he’d emerged from the secret passageway. And now he was just biding his time before he revealed his presence.

He was taking this slowly, because no matter what he’d told himself, she affected him in ways no other woman ever had. In fact, she’d been known to send his restraint reeling, and he knew he had to take this at a cautious pace if he didn’t want things to spin out of control again.

He heard her voice and his head rose. Listening hard, he tried to figure out if she had someone with her. No. She was talking on her mobile, and when she turned in his direction, he could just make out what she was saying.

“Seed pearls of course. And little pink rosebuds. I think that ought to do it.”

He wasn’t really listening to the words. Just the sound of her had him mesmerized. He’d never noticed before how appealing her voice was, just as an instrument. He hadn’t heard it for some time, and it caught the ear the way a lilting acoustic guitar solo might, each note crisp, crystal clear and sweet in a way that touched the soul.

As she talked, he listened to the sound and smiled. He wanted to see her and the need was growing in him.

But to do that, he would have to move to a riskier position so that he could see out through the open French doors. Though he’d slipped easily into her huge dressing room, he needed to move to a niche beside a tall wardrobe where he could see everything without being seen himself. Carefully, he made his move.

And there she was. His heart was thudding so hard, he could barely breathe.

The thing about Pellea, and part of the reason she so completely captivated him, was that she seemed to embody a sense of royal command even though there wasn’t a royal bone in her body. She was classically beautiful, like a Greek statue, only slimmer, like an angel in a Renaissance painting, only earthier, like a dancer drawn by Toulouse-Lautrec, only more graceful, like a thirties-era film star, only more mysteriously luminescent. She was all a woman could be and still be of this earth.

Barely.

To a casual glance, she looked like a normal woman. Her face was exceptionally pretty, but there were others with dark eyes as almond-shaped, with long, lustrous lashes that seemed to sweep the air. Her hair floated about her face like a misty cloud of spun gold and her form was trim and nicely rounded. Her lips were red and full and inviting. Perfection.

But there were others who had much the same advantages. Others had caught his eye through the years, but not many had filled his mind and touched off the sense of longing that she had.

There was something more to Pellea, something in the dignity with which she held herself, an inner fire that burned behind a certain sadness in her eyes, an inner drive, a sense of purpose, that set her apart. She could be playful as a kitten one minute, then smoldering with a provocative allure, and just as suddenly, aflame with righteous anger.

From the moment he’d first seen her, he’d known she was special. And for a few days two months ago, she’d been his.

“Didn’t I give you my sketches?” she was saying into the phone. “I tend to lean a little more toward traditional. Not too modern. No off-the-shoulder stuff. Not for this.”

He frowned, wondering what on earth she was talking about. Designing a ball gown maybe? He could see her on the dance floor, drawing all eyes. Would he ever get the chance to dance with her? Not in a ballroom, but maybe here, in her courtyard. Why not?

It was a beautiful setting. When he’d been here before, it had been winter and everything had been lifeless and stark. But spring was here now, and the space was a riot of color.

A fountain spilled water in the center of the area, making music that was a pleasant, tinkling background. Tiled pathways meandered through the area, weaving in among rosebushes and tropical plants, palms and a small bamboo forest.

Yes, they would have to turn on some music and dance. He could almost feel her in his arms. He stole another glance at her, at the way she held her long, graceful neck, at the way her free hand fluttered like a bird as she made her point, at the way her dressing gown gaped open, revealing the lacy shift she wore underneath.

“Diamonds?” she was saying into the phone. “Oh, no. No diamonds. Just the one, of course. That’s customary. I’m not really a shower-me-with-diamonds sort of girl, you know what I mean?”

He reached out and just barely touched the fluttering hem of her flowing sleeve as she passed. She turned quickly, as though she’d sensed something, but he’d pulled back just in time and she didn’t see him. He smiled, pleased with himself. He would let her know he was here when he was good and ready.

“As I remember it, the veil is more of an ivory shade. There are seed pearls scattered all over the crown area, and then down along the edges on both sides. I think that will be enough.”

Veil? Monte frowned. Finally, a picture swam into stark relief and he realized what she must be talking about. It sounded like a wedding. She was planning her wedding ensemble.

She was getting married.

He stared at her, appalled. What business did she have getting married? Had she forgotten all about him so quickly? Anger curled through him like smoke and he only barely held back the impulse to stride out and confront her.

She couldn’t get married. He wouldn’t allow it.

And yet, he realized with a twinge of conscience, it wasn’t as though he was planning to marry her himself. Of course not. He had bigger fish to fry. He had an invasion to orchestrate and manage. Besides, there was no way he would ever marry the daughter of the biggest betrayer still alive of his family—the DeAngelis Royalty.

And yet, to think she was planning to marry someone else so soon after their time together burned like a scorpion’s sting.

What the hell!

A muted gong sounded, making him jerk in surprise. That was new. There had been a brass knocker a few weeks ago. What else had she changed since he’d been here before?

Getting married—hah! It was a good thing he’d shown up to kidnap her just in time.

Pellea had just rung off with her clothing designer, and she raised her head at the sound of her new entry gong. She sighed, shoulders drooping. The last thing she wanted was company, and she was afraid she knew who this was anyway. Her husband-to-be. Oh, joy.

“Enter,” she called out.

There was a heavy metal clang as the gate was pulled open and then the sound of boots on the tile. A tall man entered, his neatly trimmed hair too short to identify the color, but cut close to his perfectly formed head. His shoulders were wide, his body neatly proportioned and very fit-looking. His long face would have been handsome if he could have trained himself to get rid of the perpetual sneer he wore like a mark of superiority at all times.

Leonardo Granvilli was the oldest son of Georges Granvilli, leader of the rebellion that had taken over this island nation twenty-five years before, the man who now ruled as The General, a term that somewhat softened the edges of his relatively despotic regime.

“My darling,” Leonardo said coolly in a deep, sonorous voice. “You’re radiant as the dawn on this beautiful day.”

“Oh, spare me, Leonardo,” she said dismissively. Her tone held casual disregard but wasn’t in any way meant to offend. “No need for empty words of praise. We’ve known each other since we were children. I think by now we’ve taken the measure, each of the other. I don’t need a daily snow job.”

Leonardo made a guttural sound in his throat and threw a hand up to cover his forehead in annoyance. “Pellea, why can’t you be like other women and just accept the phony flattery for what it is? It’s nothing but form, darling. A way to get through the awkward moments. A little sugar to help the medicine go down.”

Pellea laughed shortly, but cut it off almost before it had begun. Pretending to be obedient, she went into mock royal mode for him.

“Pray tell me, kind sir, what brings my noble knight to my private chambers on such a day as this?”

He actually smiled. “That’s more like it.”

She curtsied low and long and his smile widened.

“Bravo. This marriage may just work out after all.”

Her glare shot daggers his way, as though to say, In your dreams, but he ignored that.

“I came with news. We may have to postpone our wedding.”

“What?” Involuntarily, her hands went to her belly—and the moment she realized what she’d done, she snatched them away again. “Why?”

“That old fool, the last duke of the DeAngelis clan, has finally died. This means a certain level of upheaval is probable in the expatriate Ambrian community. They will have to buzz about and try to find a new patriarch, it seems. We need to be alert and ready to move on any sort of threat that might occur to our regime.”

“Do you expect anything specific?”

He shook his head. “Not really. Just the usual gnashing of teeth and bellowing of threats. We can easily handle it.”

She frowned, shaking her head. “Then why postpone? Why not move the date up instead?”

He reached out and tousled her hair. “Ah, my little buttercup. So eager to be wed.”

She pushed his hand away, then turned toward the fountain in the middle of the courtyard and shrugged elaborately. “‘If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly,’” she muttered darkly.

“What’s that my sweet?” he said, following into the sunshine.

“Nothing.” She turned back to face him. “I will, of course, comply with your wishes. But for my own purposes, a quick wedding would be best.”

He nodded, though his eyes were hooded. “I understand. Your father’s condition and all that.” He shrugged. “I’ll talk to my father and we’ll hit upon a date, I’m sure.” His gaze flickered over her and he smiled. “To think that after all this time, and all the effort you’ve always gone to in putting me off, I’m finally going to end up with the woman of my dreams.” He almost seemed to tear up a bit. “It restores one’s faith, doesn’t it?”

“Absolutely.” She couldn’t help but smile back at him, though she was shaking her head at the same time. “Oh, Leonardo, I sometimes think it would be better if you found someone to love.”

He looked shocked. “What are you talking about? You know very well you’ve always been my choice.”

“I said love,” she retorted. “Not desire to possess.”

He shrugged. “To each his own.”

Pellea sighed but she was still smiling.

Monte watched this exchange while cold anger spread through him like a spell, turning him from a normal man into something akin to a raging monster. And yet, he didn’t move a muscle. He stood frozen, as though cast in stone. Only his mind and his emotions were alive.

And his hatred. He hated Leonardo, hated Leonardo’s father, hated his entire family.

Bit by bit, the anger was banked and set aside to smolder. He was experienced enough to know white-hot emotional ire led to mistakes every time. He wouldn’t make any mistakes. He needed to keep his head clear and his emotions in check.

All of them, good and bad.

One step at a time, he made himself relax. His body control was exceptional and he used it now. He wanted to keep cool so that he would catch the exact right time to strike. It wouldn’t be now. That would be foolish. But it would be soon.

He hadn’t been prepared for something like this. The time he and Pellea had spent together just a few weeks before had been magical. He’d been hungry to see her again, aching to touch her, eager to catch her lips with his and feel that soaring sense of wonder again. He had promised himself there would be no lovemaking to distract him this time—but he’d been kidding himself. The moment he saw her he knew he had to have her in his arms again.

That was all. Nothing serious, nothing permanent. A part of him had known she would have to marry someone—eventually. But still, to think that she would marry this…this…

Words failed him.

“I’d like you to come down to the library. We need to look at the plans for the route to the retreat in the gilded carriage after we are joined as one,” Leonardo was saying.

“No honeymoon,” she said emphatically, raising both hands as though to emphasize her words. “I told you that from the beginning.”

He looked startled, but before he could protest, she went on.

“As long as my father is ill, I won’t leave Ambria.”

He sighed, making a face but seemingly reconciled to her decision. “People will think it strange,” he noted.

“Let them.”

She knew that disappointed him but it couldn’t be helped. Right now her father was everything to her. He had been her rock all her life, the only human being in this world she could fully trust and believe in and she wasn’t about to abandon him now.

Still, she needed this marriage. Leonardo understood why and was willing to accept the terms she’d agreed to this on. Everything was ready, the wheels had begun to turn, the path was set. As long as nothing got in the way, she should be married within the next week. Until then, she could only hope that nothing would happen to upset the apple cart.

“I’ll come with you,” she said. “Just give me a minute to do a quick change into something more suitable.”

She turned and stepped into her dressing room, pulling the door closed behind her. Moving quickly, she opened her gown and began unbuttoning her lacy dress from the neck down. And then she caught sight of his boots. Her fingers froze on the buttons as she stared at the boots. Her head snapped up and her dark eyes met Monte’s brilliant blue gaze. Every sinew constructing her body went numb.

She was much more than shocked. She was horrified. As the implications of this visit came into focus, she had to clasp her free hand over her mouth to keep from letting out a shriek. For just a moment, she went into a tailspin and could barely keep her balance.

Eyes wide, she stared at him. A thousand thoughts ricocheted through her, bouncing like ping-pong balls against her emotions. Anger, remorse, resentment, joy—even love—they were all there and all aimed straight into those gorgeous blue eyes, rapid-fire. If looks could kill, he would be lying on the floor, shot through the heart.

A part of her was tempted to turn on her heel, summon Leonardo and be done with it. Because she knew as sure as she knew her own name that this would all end badly.

Monte couldn’t be a part of her life. There was no way she could even admit to anyone here in the castle that she knew him. All she had to do was have Leonardo call the guard, and it would be over. They would dispose of him. She would never see him again—never have to think about him again, never again have to cry into her pillow until it was a soggy sponge.

But she knew that was all just bravado. She would never, ever do anything to hurt him if she could help it.

He gave her a crooked grin as though to say, “Didn’t you know I’d be back?”

No, she didn’t know. She hadn’t known. And she still didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t say a word.

Quickly, she turned and looked out into the courtyard. Leonardo was waiting patiently, humming a little tune as he looked at the fountain. Biting her lower lip, she turned and managed to stagger out of the dressing room towards him, stumbling a bit and panting for breath.

“What is it?” he said in alarm, stepping forward to catch her by the shoulders. He’d obviously noted that she was uncharacteristically disheveled. “Are you all right?”

“No.” She flickered a glance his way, thinking fast, then took a deep breath and shook her head. “No. Migraine.”

“Oh, no.” He looked puzzled, but concerned.

She pulled away from his grip on her shoulders, regaining her equilibrium with effort.

“I…I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can come with you right now. I can hardly even think straight.”

“But you were fine thirty seconds ago,” he noted, completely at sea.

“Migraines come on fast,” she told him, putting a hand to the side of her head and wincing. “But a good lie-down will fix me up. How about…after tea?” She looked at him earnestly. “I’ll meet you then. Say, five o’clock?”

Leonardo frowned, but he nodded. “All right. I’ve got a tennis match at three, so that will work out fine.” He looked at her with real concern, but just a touch of wariness.

“I hope this won’t affect your ability to go to the ball tonight.”

“Oh, no, of course not.”

“Everyone is expecting our announcement to be made there. And you will be wearing the tiara, won’t you?”

She waved him away. “Leonardo, don’t worry. I’ll be wearing the tiara and all will be as planned. I should be fine by tonight.”

“Good.” He still seemed wary. “But you should see Dr. Dracken. I’ll send him up.”

“No!” She shook her head. “I just need to rest. Give me a few hours. I’ll be good as new.”

He studied her for a moment, then shrugged. “As you wish.” He bent over her hand like a true suitor. “Until we meet again, my beloved betrothed.”

She nodded, almost pushing him toward the gate. “Likewise, I’m sure,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

“Pip pip.” And he was off.

She waited until she heard the outer gate clang, then turned like a fury and marched back into the dressing room. She ripped open the door and glared at Monte with a look in her eyes that should have frozen the blood in his veins.

“How dare you? How dare you do this?”

Her vehemence was actually throwing him off his game a bit. He had expected a little more joy at seeing him again. He was enjoying the sight of her. Why couldn’t she feel the same?

She really was a feast for the senses. Her eyes were bright—even if that seemed to be anger for the moment—and her cheeks were smudged pink.

“How dare you do this to me again? “ she demanded.

“This isn’t like before,” he protested. “This is totally different.”

“Really? Here you are, sneaking into my country, just like before. Here you are, hiding in my chambers again. Just like before.”

His smile was meant to be beguiling. “But this time, when I leave, you’re going with me.”

She stared at him, hating him and loving him at the same time. Going with him! What a dream that was. She could no more go with him than she could swim the channel. If only.

For just a split second, she allowed herself to give in to her emotions. If only things were different. How she would love to throw herself into his arms and hold him tight, to feel his hard face against hers, to sense his heart pound as his interest quickened.

But she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t even think about it. She’d spent too many nights dreaming of him, dreaming of his tender touch. She had to forget all that. Too many lives depended on her. She couldn’t let him see the slightest crack in her armor.

And most of all, she couldn’t let him know about the baby.

“How did you get in here?” she demanded coldly. “Oh, wait. Don’t even try to tell me. You’ll just lie.”

The provocative expression in his eyes changed to ice in an instant.

“Pellea, I’m not a liar,” he said in a low, urgent tone. “I’ll tell you or I won’t, but what I say will be the truth as I know it every time. Count on it.”

Their gazes locked in mutual indignation. Pellea was truly angry with him for showing up like this, for complicating her life and endangering them both, and yet she knew she was using that anger as a shield. If he touched her, she would surely melt. Just looking at him did enough damage to her determined stance.

Why did he have to be so beautiful? With his dark hair and shocking blue eyes, he had film-star looks, but that wasn’t all. He was tall, muscular, strong in a way that would make any woman swoon. He looked tough, capable of holding his own in a fight, and yet there was nothing cocky about him. He had a quiet confidence that made any form of showing off unnecessary. You just knew by looking at him that he was ready for any challenge—physical or intellectual.

But how about emotional? Despite all his strength, there was a certain sensitivity deep in his blue eyes. The sort of hint of vulnerability only a woman might notice. Or was that just hopeful dreaming on her part?

“Never mind all that,” she said firmly. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”

His anger drifted away like morning fog and his eyes were smiling again. “After I’ve gone to so much trouble to get in?”

Oh, please don’t smile at me! she begged silently. This was difficult enough without this charm offensive clouding her mind. She glared back.

“You are going. This very moment would be a good time to do it.”

His gaze caressed her cheek. “How can I leave now that I’ve found you again?”

She gritted her teeth. “You’re not going to mesmerize me like you did last time. You’re not staying here at all.” She pointed toward the gate. “I want you to go.”

He raised one dark eyebrow and made no move toward the door. “You going to call the guard?”

Her eyes blazed at him. “If I have to.”

He looked pained. “Actually, I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Then you’d better go, hadn’t you?”

He sighed and managed to look as though he regretted all this. “I can’t leave yet. Not without what I came for.”

She threw up her hands. “That has nothing to do with me.”

His smile was back. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, it’s you that I came for. How do you feel about a good old-fashioned kidnapping?”