Читать книгу Wedded For His Royal Duty - SUSAN MEIER, Susan Meier - Страница 8
ОглавлениеEVA’S HEART CHUGGED in her chest. After Alex’s good guess about her virginity, she couldn’t imagine what he had in mind as payback, but she did know she owed him. So when he asked her to meet him at the stables at midnight, she hadn’t argued. She’d simply enjoyed the dinner, keeping up Alex’s pretense that their chance meeting that afternoon had sparked an instant attraction. Then she’d said polite goodbyes to the king and his new wife and Dom and his wife, before she walked her mom back to their quarters, changed into jeans and a lightweight sweater and headed for the stable.
The moon rose high in the sky. A faint ocean breeze lured her down the cobblestone path. An island in the Mediterranean, Xaviera had January temps that were much warmer than the climate of her country, which was nestled between Finland and Russia. If she were home right now, she’d be wearing boots and a parka and battling a winter wind to get to her stables.
She reached the big stone-and-wood building and entered through a door on the side. Though the stable was the cleanest she’d ever seen, the earthy scents of horse, hay and leather hit her. She glanced down the long row of stalls and saw Alex standing in front of the last one, petting the nose of his Arabian, Thor.
She strode down the aisle.
Alex heard her and smiled. “So you’ve come to dicker.”
“I didn’t come to negotiate anything. I came to see what my payback will be for you saving me tonight.”
He laughed. “It’s odd to hear somebody say that. Usually I’m the one who has to make amends.”
“Quite a reputation my future husband has.”
“Actually, that’s the point. The best way you can pay me back is to not marry me.”
She gasped. “I have to marry you!”
He bobbed his head, as if thinking through her comment, then said, “Not really.”
“We have a treaty!”
“Made decades ago.” He caught her gaze. “Were you mature enough at age four to commit to someone?”
He knew the answer to that so she said nothing.
“Of course, you weren’t. And then we pulled the rug out from under you. The prince you were supposed to marry is now married to someone else. You’re not getting the prince who was promised to you. You’re not even getting the good prince, the one who will someday be king. You’re getting second-best.”
She looked at him, wearing a T-shirt with the front tucked into nice-fitting jeans, with his dark curly hair casually messed, and those intriguing brown eyes. For a beat of time, she wondered if she really was getting second-best. Dominic was handsome in the perfect, straitlaced way. This guy? Alex? He was rough-around-the-edges gorgeous. A sexy bad boy. And all hers in a few months—
She swallowed hard as strange tingling sensations cruised through her.
She ignored them. When all was said and done, this was about duty. Oil and safe passage for their tankers trumped which prince she would actually marry. And needing to make herself look strong and loyal to her country trumped both of those.
“I don’t have a choice.”
He walked toward her. “Actually, I read the agreement and the treaty. You might not have a choice. I might not have a choice. But we have a choice. If both of us decide not to marry, we can nullify it.”
She gaped at him. “Nullify a treaty? Just because you don’t want to marry me?”
“I don’t want to get married at all. And we wouldn’t be nullifying the whole treaty, just that one clause.” He sighed. “Look, I rescued you tonight because it’s not right that somebody as pretty as you are should be perceived as an also-ran, the woman who didn’t make the cut.”
Her pulse slowed, then speeded up again. Forget all about Dominic dumping her. Forget about the treaty. Alex thought she was pretty? He was one of the most eligible bachelors in the world and she was a woman whose dad had tossed their family into an unfathomable scandal. Alex should be running from her as fast as his feet would take him. Instead, he thought she was pretty? Too pretty to be known as the princess who didn’t make the cut.
“But I’m not anybody’s knight in shining armor.”
He hadn’t mentioned her father’s betrayal, or the fact that she’d soon become a queen, but she was well aware of both and the consequences. Alex might not want to rescue her, but he was her only option to show her subjects that her family still remembered their call to service.
She lifted her chin. “Like it or not, you have to be mine. Or your country is in violation of our treaty.”
“I told you we can—”
“No! My father disgraced us enough! I have to prove I will do my duties!”
His eyes narrowed. His full lips pursed. “You’re refusing my plan.”
“Yes.”
He stepped closer. Instinct told her to step back. Common sense told her he’d see that as a sign of weakness. So she held her ground, looked him in the eyes, as he circled her, inspecting her as if she were his next purchase. Waves and waves of chill bumps trickled down her spine.
“Why would a girl as pretty as you are want to marry someone she doesn’t really know?”
“I told you I have to—”
“Prove you’ll do your duty,” he interrupted her. “Got it. And I believe that’s part of it.” He stopped at her side and slid his hand under the thick lock of hair that fell over her shoulder to her breast. Running the silken strands through his fingers, he said, “I would think you’d be eager to find somebody your own age. Maybe somebody who shared your interest in land mines and whatnot.”
“First, I’m not part of the land mine fight. Second, you are my age. Five years isn’t that much of a difference.”
He flipped the strand of hair over her shoulder, and the tingles that rained down on her when his fingers brushed her skin nearly made her shiver.
“So you like me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
He smiled knowingly, stepped close. “Just attracted then.”
“To you?” She’d meant for it to sound like a scoff. It came out as a squeak.
“Or maybe you’re simply not clear about what attraction is. Being a virgin and all.”
If the feelings tumbling around her right now were attraction, then he was correct. This crazy combination of fear that he’d touch her again and longing to feel his fingers graze her skin totally confused her. Her chest was tight. Her body wanted to shiver. Even her lips tingled.
“I’ve had boyfriends.”
“So you wouldn’t mind if I kissed you.”
“As a way to get me to drop the idea of marrying you? How badly do you kiss?”
She’d barely gotten the word kiss out of her mouth before he grabbed her by the shoulders, drew her to him and planted his lips on hers. The shock of it buckled her knees. His arm fell to her waist, anchoring her against him as wave after wave of warmth flowed through her. But as quickly as he’d yanked her to him, he released her.
She stared at him. Her nerve endings glowed like the sparks from a Roman candle. She couldn’t quite get air into her lungs.
He grinned.
Not sure what to say, what to do, she fell back on dignity. As haughtily as possible, she said, “I’m still marrying you,” before she turned on her heel and walked out of the stable.
Head high, she marched up the cobblestone path so afraid he was following her that her neck hurt from fighting the urge to look behind her.
When she reached her quarters, she breathed a sigh of relief, though her hands shook and her knees still wobbled.
Her mother awaited her on the sofa. “So how did it go?”
How did it go? In twenty seconds, he’d reduced her limbs to jelly, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t get her heart to stop thumping.
“He doesn’t want to marry me. He says if we both say we want to step away from the marriage, that section of the treaty will be nullified.”
Her mother gasped. “Oh, no! Our family has disgraced our country enough! You have to do something to prove you’re still loyal enough to the crown to do your duty!”
She fell to the sofa beside her mom. “I know. I told him that.”
But convincing him of her duty was only part of her problem. One twenty-second kiss had thrown her for a loop. Made her feel hot and cold. Changed her breathing. Given her chill bumps. When she’d pictured marrying Dominic, the images were warm and sweet. When she thought of marrying Alex, the images became hot and steamy.
And, oh, dear God, she was not a hot and steamy girl.
“Our family has been respected as leaders of Grennady for centuries. But your father has put us in a precarious position. You cannot look weak or wishy-washy. You cannot walk away from a treaty mere weeks before you become queen. The press will crucify you. Your entire reign will be tainted.”
Eva’s brain tried to pay attention to her mom but couldn’t. She couldn’t stop thinking about how experienced Alex was and how little she knew. How did a virgin please a playboy?
Her mother grabbed her hands. “You’ve got to marry Alex.”
Her chest filled with anxiety. There was no good option here. If she returned to her country without marrying Alex, it would appear she had no respect for treaties. If she married Alex, she was so far out of her depth she’d most likely make both of them miserable.
“I don’t think he’s going to give up on trying to get me to bow out.”
“Then you have to make him like you.”
Right. Leave it to her mom to reduce this to something that sounded simple but really wasn’t.
She took a breath. “How exactly do I do that?”
“Flirt. Compliment him. Women have been doing it for centuries.”
Every woman but Eva. In high school, she’d only dated boys who were friends. As an adult, she gone out with men who knew she was promised to a prince and would have thought it odd if she flirted. Worse, Alex had probably been flirted with by the best. If she got it wrong, or was clumsy, she’d make a fool of herself.
Still, she didn’t have options. She had to go through with this marriage. Plus, it would be months before the actual wedding. There was time to fix this. Time for him to get to know her. Time for her to learn to flirt.
She just had to stop being smart with him and treat him with respect—
And Google flirting.
* * *
The next morning at six, Alex’s phone rang. He groaned and rolled over, but when it rang again he recognized the ringtone as his father’s. He sat up, ran his hand down his face and snatched his cell from the bedside table.
“Yes, Father.”
“It’s me, sweet pea,” his stepmother Rose said cheerfully. “Your dad just realized that we never actually talked about the date for the wedding last night, and I thought it would be a good idea for all of us to have breakfast while we chat. So we can keep it light and friendly.”
“Great.”
“Great as in you will be there?” Without giving him a chance to reply, she said, “Thanks. You’re a love.”
She hung up the phone and Alex groaned again. The last thing he wanted to do was set a wedding date when he didn’t want to get married. But marrying a woman who would be a queen? Somebody who’d keep him in the papers for real reasons, not just his winning streaks at the casinos or his escapades with women? Oh, man. That sucked.
Marrying somebody he didn’t know because of a treaty was antiquated. Stupid. And he wouldn’t do it. It was crazy to even consider marrying Eva. No matter how pretty she was.
He rose from the bed trying not to think about how her cheeks turned pink when he teased her or how hot that one quick kiss had been.
Because it had been hot. Ridiculously hot. Kissing someone who clearly hadn’t been expecting to be kissed had been exciting. Challenging—
Hot. The hottest kiss he’d had in forever.
How long had it been since he’d had to woo a woman—
Damn it! He was thinking about her again. And he wasn’t supposed to be thinking about her. He was supposed to be hatching a plan to get her to ditch this wedding.
He headed for the shower determined to get Eva out of his head, but what replaced her almost stopped his heart. The shadowy memory of his mom’s death. His father falling apart. An entire palace full of servants weeping silently as they went about their duties.
He sucked in a breath, banishing the images, but in their place came other, more difficult visions. Memories of being told that his girlfriend, the first woman he’d really loved, had been killed in a boating accident. Vivid recollections of the soul-crushing grief that consumed him for nearly two years.
The loss had been so difficult that as the memories hit, he rubbed his chest to salve the ache always came when he thought of Nina.
Five years had passed, and he had gotten beyond Nina’s death, so he told the images to go away. If his subconscious was reminding him of his mom and his first love because it was worried he could get feelings for Eva, it needn’t have bothered. There was no way in hell he’d fall for a woman just because a treaty said he should. His subconscious could rest easy.
But he knew a royal summons when he got one. He couldn’t refuse his father about this marriage. As a prince who’d very publicly enjoyed his royal lifestyle, he did not have the option of refusing. Eva had to refuse. Then he could tell his dad she was a virgin, and say he didn’t want to force an innocent young woman to marry him. He’d look like the good guy. And his dad would agree.
That was the plan that would work, and that was the plan he was sticking to.
He dressed in lightweight slacks, a pale blue dress shirt—no tie—and navy sport coat, and headed for his father’s elaborate quarters. He entered through the gold-trimmed doors into a foyer with high ceilings and Monet on the wall, and walked to the smaller dining room, the one his father used for informal breakfasts and lunches.
Rose immediately stood, raced to him and hugged him. After being without a mom since he was a boy, having her around was equal parts sweet and disruptive. Up until Ginny had gotten pregnant, this palace had been the home of men. Gold-trimmed and filled with precious art, but still a home of men. No women. No talk of babies or fashions—
“You look very dashing.”
And no one commenting on his clothes unless he was inappropriately attired.
Luckily, he liked Rose. He was just grouchy because of this whole marriage mess. “Thanks.”
“You and Eva will be seated there,” his father said, pointing to the two chairs to his right. “We’ll put your fiancée’s mom on my left and Rose, of course, will sit across from me.”
“No Dom and Ginny?”
“No need for Dom and Ginny to be here,” his father said in his most kingly voice. “You’re the one getting married.”
He felt the noose tightening around his neck.
Escorted by his father’s butler, Eva and her mom entered. Alex’s mouth fell open. If he’d thought Eva a knockout in the red dress, the little white dress she wore tied his tongue. Simple and sweet, with some sort of short pink sweater thing, the dress shouldn’t have made her look sexy. But there was something about the way the pink made her dark hair look even darker—or maybe the way the color set off her pale gray-blue eyes—
Damn it! What the hell was wrong with him? If he was noticing colors, it was definitely time to get out of this thing.
The butler bowed, announced Karen and Eva, and left the room.
Alex automatically pulled out the chair beside his for Eva. His father directed Karen to sit to his left.
As the king’s attention was on offering the seat to his guest, Eva whispered, “Well, don’t you look like the proper man about town?”
“Would you rather I came to breakfast in my robe and slippers?”
She laughed.
He frowned. “Where’s the smart remark?”
She fiddled with her napkin. “No smart remarks today.”
“Oh, come on. We both have reason to be unhappy about this wedding. Don’t start playing Good Princess now.”
“I am the good princess.”
He didn’t want to bring up her dad. Having a father abdicate his throne wasn’t just embarrassing for a royal. It was humiliating. Still, he could use it without out-and-out saying it.
“You’re about to become a queen. That’s two huge life changes in the span of a couple of months. Too much for one person. Think this through.”
“I don’t have to think it through. Queens don’t ignore treaties.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to get married.”
She said nothing.
“And I’m going to do everything in my power to get you to agree.”
She faced him, her eyes narrowed, as if accepting his challenge. “Great. Give it your best shot. Because I intend to convince you to marry me.”
Alexi’s tongue tied again. Her anger brightened her blue-gray eyes until they were almost silver, and sent a shiver down his spine. He skimmed his gaze over her hair, the pink tint in her cheeks, her lush mouth, and realized there absolutely were worse fates than being assigned to marry this woman.
Except she was a virgin, who was about to become a queen, and he didn’t want to get married. He’d seen what happened to his father when his mom died. The king had crumbled from grief. And then there was his own loss. His first love—
Pain squeezed his heart. A wave of sorrow enveloped him.
That was why he’d thought of them this morning. Not to warn him that he could get feelings for Eva, but to remind him of why he didn’t want to get close to anyone. The pain of loss was just too great to risk.
His father picked up his juice glass. “We should have toasted this wedding last night, but we got a little preoccupied with baby talk.”
Rose and Karen laughed.
The king raised his glass. “To the wedding that unites our two countries.”
Everyone lifted his or her juice glass. “To the wedding that unites our two countries.”
* * *
Alex said the words and drank his juice, but Eva could see his heart wasn’t in it. A flame of anger licked at her soul. She was the virgin facing sleeping with a man she didn’t know, a man experienced enough to have a harem, and he was unhappy?
She did not give a damn. She was going through with this wedding. Just as her mother said, she had to get him to like her.
He reached for a tray of fruit, and presented it to her. “Melon?”
“Yes.”
Their eyes met, and thoughts of the kiss from the night before flooded her. The solidness of his body against hers when he yanked her to him, the press of his lips.
Though her breath hitched, she held his gaze. Intuition told her this was the time she should begin flirting, but not one cute or flirty thing came to mind. Her chest was so tight it was a wonder she could draw in air. She barely managed to say, “Thank you.”
She scooped up a serving of the honeydew. When she handed the spoon to him, their fingers brushed and the memory of how he’d brushed her shoulder when he’d flipped her hair out of the way sent a shower of tingles down her spine.
He smiled. “Happy to see you’re more nervous about our wedding today than you were yesterday.”
“I’m not nervous about our wedding.”
“Then what made your hand shake?”
There was absolutely no way in hell she’d tell him that remembering their ten minutes together the night before filled her with warmth. So she said nothing.
He looked away to serve himself some fruit. The sounds of good silver and elegant china filled the air. With the exception of her mom and Queen Rose discussing gardening, the room was quiet.
Alex said, “So how are your stray cats doing without you?”
Her chest loosened. Finally, something they could talk about. “They’re fine.” She risked a glance at him. “Thank you for asking.”
“Don’t they miss you when you’re gone?”
“I started a few shelters that care for them. I don’t need to be there twenty-four-seven...or even once a month. Every shelter is fully staffed, mostly with volunteers.”
“That makes sense. Always good to have a staff in place.”
“Yes. Especially when they are a competent staff. A staff that shares my vision.” Eva relaxed a bit more. “I—” She caught the gaze of his dark eyes and almost lost her train of thought. It was no wonder he had the reputation with women that he had. He was gorgeous. His dark eyes had a lost, soulful quality that touched her heart in the weirdest way. And if they went through with this wedding, he would be hers. She would be married to one of the most gorgeous, richest men in the world. He could have his pick of women, but she’d be in his bed.
She sucked in a breath to banish those thoughts. If she let her brain leap ahead to their wedding night, she’d hyperventilate.
“I intend to start this kind of shelter in as many cities as I can.”
“In the United States?”
She had his full attention. He was curious. And she was floundering because being near him was overwhelming. While he was cool and confident, she almost shook with emotions she didn’t understand.
What she wouldn’t give for the ability to flirt.
Maybe if she batted her eyelashes? Or smiled?
That was it. Maybe she should just smile? Instead of a big flirty move, she should just break the ice with a smile.
She raised her lips, let the corners tip upward. “Yes. The problem doesn’t seem to be as bad in my own country.”
He tilted his head and studied her. “Interesting.”
She hoped he was still talking about the cats. Because if he was making fun of her smiling at him, she would die. On the spot die. But not before she killed her mother for telling her to flirt with him.
“Being a rural country, Grennady has more barns and stables, places cats and dogs can find shelter in the winter.”
“I see—” He held her gaze. The look in his eyes was so confusingly intense that she couldn’t take another second. She let her gaze fall but when it did, it landed on his mouth—the mouth that had kissed her and changed her whole perspective about this arranged marriage.
Okay. Now she really was nervous. And felt hot and cold.
She yanked her gaze away from him and tried to focus on the main conversation at the table. King Ronaldo was discussing the latest thriller novel he was reading. She hoped to insert herself into that discussion, but no such luck. As her mother and Alex’s father and stepmother found common ground in a book they’d all read, she and Alex were left behind like outsiders.
“So who’s funding your shelter?”
“I am. I—”
She stopped. Her dad had been gone a little over a week. Her mother had only stopped crying the day before. She had gotten her monthly stipend the week before her dad left, but until her dad returned or made a decision there was no one to authorize the checks.
Good God. She might not be broke, but without her dad to approve her stipend, she had access to nothing.
She drew in a long, life-sustaining breath. She might not be penniless, but she might as well be.
“I was funding my shelter. With my allowance.” She swallowed hard. “But, with my dad gone, there’s no one to authorize my stipend.” She caught his gaze. “At least four shelters will have to close.”
“That must have been some allowance.”
Damn him for being such a twit! Her life was a mess and he was making jokes! “Thank you for making fun of me.”
“I’m teasing you to lessen the awkwardness for you. I’m sorry about your dad.”
She straightened her shoulders, sat up taller in her chair. She’d rather have him be a twit than feel sorry for her. “Nothing’s official yet. He could take months before he actually divorces my mom...” And she’d be penniless until then.
The dining room doors opened again and a short, dark-haired woman entered. Dressed in a green business suit and simple taupe pumps, she carried a huge black book and a smaller one that could have been a calendar.
The king tapped his water glass to get everyone’s attention. “Princess Eva, Queen Karen,” he said, “This is Sally Peterson, our minister of protocol. She’s here to officially set the date for the wedding.”
Alex leaned in and whispered, “This date means nothing to me. All I’m finding out right now is how much time I have to try to convince you not to marry me.”
Eva fumed. Her entire life had been turned upside down and he couldn’t for two seconds pretend to do his royal duty. No. He had to keep rubbing it in that he wanted her gone.
Sally bowed and faced Eva. “Actually, Princess, your country gave us three dates. The second weekend in April.”
Alex choked. Eva blanched. Even for someone willing to go through with this marriage, that wasn’t very much time, not quite three months away. She had to convince Alex to marry her and get accustomed to the fact that she was getting married in three short months?
“The first week in March.”
Alex picked up his water glass. Eva gaped at Sally Peterson. That was worse! Why were the dates so soon? So close?
“Or the second week in February, to coincide with Valentine’s Day.”
Four flipping weeks?
Eva coughed to cover her gasp of disbelief.
King Ronaldo said, “I like the February date. So that’s our date.” He rose from his seat. “Sally, perhaps you and the ladies would like to use this morning to talk about dresses and designers.”
Rose rubbed her hands together with glee. “I’d love to! What do you say we take a pot of coffee into the living room and look at swatches and Google designers?”
Karen grinned. “That sounds like fun.” She faced her daughter. “Eva?”
Eva’s throat had closed. She swore she couldn’t breathe. She had four weeks to persuade Alex to like her and to figure out what the hell she’d do on their wedding night.
Before she could answer, Sally said, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but as minister of protocol I’m in charge of the budget, so I’ll need particulars on who’s paying for what.”
All eyes went to Karen, who looked at Eva.
Eva’s heart stopped. All the blood drained from her body. “I—I mean, my mother and I—”
* * *
Alex glanced at Eva, who had gone white, and he almost cursed. She’d just told him she and her mom had no money. Her country probably had an obligation to pony up at least part of the millions it would take for a royal wedding. But with her father gone there was no one to ask. If Xaviera’s legal counsel had to force Grennady to pay, the story would hit every newspaper in the world. The embarrassment of it would be horrendous for Eva.
Before he realized it, he was on his feet. “Actually, I think we should pay for the wedding. We’re the ones who called in the terms of the treaty, and said it was time for the marriage to occur.” He licked his suddenly dry lips. His voice slowed as he added, “I’m just saying paying for the wedding seems like our responsibility.”
Karen visibly relaxed. Eva gave him a curious look. And no wonder. He hadn’t exactly ruined a way to stop this wedding, but he was participating when he should just keep his mouth shut and let it all apart.
Time slowed to a crawl.
His father cocked his head, but after only a few seconds he smiled. “You know what? He’s right. We are the ones who said it was time for the marriage to take place. We’ll pay for the wedding.”
Sally gasped. “But, Your Majesty—”
“No buts, Sally. Alex is right.”
Sally wrote something in one of her big black books. “Fine.” She turned to Rose. “I’ll have coffee sent to the living room where we can discuss designers.”
Rose said, “Great!”
Rose and Karen began chattering about dresses, but Eva turned to Alex as he sat again.
“Thanks.”
He felt color rise to his cheeks. Confusion and anger with himself met and merged into an emotion that made him want to kick his own butt.
“It means nothing. The way I see it, our kingdom can absorb whatever loss results when we cancel this thing.”
“Because you know my mom and I have no money.”
He shrugged. “That’s temporary.”
She put her hand on the back of his. “Yes, but you saved us from being embarrassed.”
“Is that enough to earn the payback of you backing out of the wedding?”
She laughed lightly, obviously relieved, but also the way someone would laugh with a friend. “No.”
Damn her for being so cute. His mouth tugged upward until he couldn’t stop a smile. “Don’t make me like you.”
She peeked up at him from beneath lush black eyelashes. “You’d rather hate me?”
The heat that roared through him nearly stopped his heart. Her magnetic blue-gray eyes held his. Her pretty hair rippled around an even prettier face. Everything inside of him chanted that he should lean forward and kiss her.
Kiss her.
Kiss her.
Kiss her.
But that was the real problem, wasn’t it? She was pretty enough, tempting enough, that maybe she should be the woman he married.
And then what?
Fall in love for real?
The very thought tightened his throat. He’d loved two women in his life and lost both. Only a crazy man set himself up for that kind of pain.
“I will talk you out of this.”
