HOW TO MARRY A PRINCESS (11 page)

“This way....” He led her across the lustrous mahogany floor to the nearest set of French doors, where he released her hand and drew the curtain back.

Morning light burnished the equestrian fields. Several of his men were out working with the horses. A breeze blew the branches of the trees lining the riding trails. Farther out, the ocean was a perfect shade of blue with a rim of white waves rolling onto the sandy ribbon of shoreline.

She turned to Noah again and saw he was watching her. His gaze seemed approving. And possessive. A delicious little shiver ran up the backs of her bare calves. Butterflies got loose in her belly—and her anxiety eased. He wouldn’t be looking at her in that sexy, exciting way if he was about to break some awful bit of news to her.

“I’ll tell you what’s even more beautiful than last night,” he said. “You are, Alice. You knock me out....”

A flush of pleasure warmed her cheeks. She breathed easier still. It was definitely not bad news, then. He wouldn’t take time to shower her with compliments if he had something terrible to tell her, would he?

Surely not.

So if not bad news, then what?

“Alice.” And he dropped to a bare knee right there in front of her—at which point the situation became all too clear. Oh, she should have guessed. She started to speak, but before she could make a sound, he raised his other hand.

Wouldn’t you know? There was a ring in it, a stunning marquise-cut solitaire on a platinum band. The giant diamond glittered at her.

She managed to croak out, “Oh, Noah...”

And then he proposed to her, right there on his knees, naked in the morning light.

“I know what I want, Alice. I’ve known for certain since that first morning I saw you in the flesh, tacking up that golden mare in the palace stables before dawn. I want
you,
Alice. Only you. Now, tomorrow, for the rest of our lives. Let me give you everything, Alice. Marry me. Be my wife.”

Chapter Eight

A
lice caught that plump lower lip of hers between her teeth. “Noah, I...” The words trailed off.

Not that he needed to hear anymore. He already knew by the tone of her voice and the way she looked down at him, so sweet and regretful, that she wasn’t going for it.

“Crap.” He stood. No point in kneeling in front of her stark naked if she wasn’t going to give in and say yes.

She stared up at him, those gray-blue eyes soft and maybe a little worried—for him. That ticked him off. He didn’t want her concern. He wanted
her.
Beside him. For the rest of their lives.

“You’re amazing,” she said. “I really am crazy for you.”

He took her by her silky shoulders and grumbled, “So why aren’t you saying yes?”

“Ahem.” She went on tiptoe and kissed him—a quick little peck of a kiss. And then she settled back onto her heels again and suggested gently, “Maybe you forgot? A certain four-letter word seems to have gone missing from your proposal.”

He scowled down at her. “Fine. I love you, then. I love you madly. All the way to distraction and beyond. You are my shining hope, my only dream of happiness. Marry me, Alice. Say yes.”

She put her hand on his chest, the way she had more than once the night before. “I know you have a heart, Noah. I can feel it beating away strong and steady in there.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I know what I want now, after years of throwing myself wildly into all kinds of iffy situations.”

Just like a woman. She knew what she wanted, but she failed to share it with him.

Patiently, he suggested, “And what, exactly,
is
it that you want, Alice?”

“I want it all. I’ll have nothing less. I want everything. All that you have. Not only your strength and protection, your fidelity and your hot body and half of everything you own. Not only your brilliant brain and great sense of humor and your otherworldly way with my horses. I want your heart, too. And I know I don’t have that yet. And until I do, I won’t say yes to you.”

“My heart.” He sent a weary glance in the direction of the forged-iron fixture overhead.

“Your heart,” she repeated with great enthusiasm. “Exactly.”

“I’ll play along. What about
your
heart?”

“I get yours, you get mine. That’s how it works.”

He let his lip curl into something that wasn’t a smile. “You’re being sentimental. It’s all just words, what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-uh. It’s not just words. And until you understand that and give me what I want from you, I’m not going to marry you. It’s just not going to happen.”

He was tempted to shake her until a little good sense fell out. “Alice. Think about it. I’ve already offered you everything.”

“No, you haven’t. But you will.” She spoke with confidence. Only the slight tightening around her mouth hinted she might have doubts.

He decided to look on the bright side. She hadn’t said no. She’d only said
not yet.
Very few deals were ever finalized on the first offer anyway.

And she did look so beautiful, standing there naked in the morning light. Her skin had a golden cast and the scent of lilies swam around him.

He couldn’t resist. He stroked her hair. She didn’t object. In fact, she stared at him with shining eyes, even let out a sweet, rough little sigh when he ran the back of his finger along the side of her neck.

“You want me,” he reminded her, just in case she might be thinking of telling him that last night had been a mistake. “You want me and I want you.”

She answered with no hesitation. “Oh, yes. Absolutely.”

He touched the pulse in the undercurve of her throat. It beat fast. Yearning. Eager. “I want to marry you. I’m not giving up.”

“Of course you’re not.” She searched his face. Her voice was gentle, almost tender. He realized he wanted her more than ever right then. “I love that about you, Noah. I don’t want you to give up.”

He slid his fingers around the back of her neck, up into the warm, living fall of her hair. “If you’re not going to say yes to my proposal right now, the least you can do is kiss me.”

“Oh, I would be only too happy to kiss you.”

Enough said. He lowered his mouth to hers. She swayed toward him, sliding her arms up around his neck. Her body pressed like a brand all along the front of him. He was fully erect in an instant.

He grasped her waist, the way he had at the door last night, and lifted her from the floor. Those fine legs came around him and she linked her ankles at the small of his back.

They groaned in unison.

He carried her that way to the bed, where he paused long enough to set the ring she’d refused on the nightstand. Then he lowered her down to the tangled sheets.

She made no objections. On the contrary, she went on kissing him eagerly, deeply.

He might not have her promise to marry him yet.

But he
was
in her bed.

* * *

An hour later, Alice handed him the fabulous ring, kissed him one last time and then sent him to his room to shower and dress. He was barely out the door when someone tapped on it.

Michelle peeked in. “Good morning.” Alice had put on her robe while Noah was getting dressed, but the cami and tap pants lay on the bedside rug where he’d dropped them the night before. Michelle bustled over and picked them up. “Breakfast here in the room or...?”

“I’ll go down. We’ll grab a quick bite and then I’ll get my first look at the stables, followed by a long ride and a tour of the property.”

Michelle only stood there, holding the bits of satin and lace, a look of bemusement on her face.

Alice held her hands out to the side, palms up. “What?”

“You look positively...glowing.”

Glowing. Hmm. She felt well satisfied, certainly. It had been a wonderful night. But she didn’t feel exactly glowing. That would come later, if things went as she hoped they might.

She smiled at Michelle anyway. “Thanks. I’m working on it.” And she turned for the bathroom and a nice hot shower.

* * *

“What’s going on?” Alice asked Noah when she joined him at the table out in the loggia. Beyond the open French doors to the family room, men and women in white shirts and black trousers bustled back and forth. A big bearded fellow in a chef’s hat had taken over the kitchen. Alice had seen the pots bubbling on the giant red-knobbed steel range. It all smelled wonderful.

“We’re having a party,” Noah said. “Coffee?” He held the carafe above her cup.

“Yes, please—a party
tonight?
”

“A welcome party for you. Just some people I know—neighbors, business associates. Is that all right with you?”

“Of course. It’s only that this is the first time anyone’s mentioned a party to me.”

“I’m sure they assumed I’d told you. And I should have.” He attempted to look contrite. “I’m sorry, Alice.”

She laughed then—and she leaned close to him to whisper, “You intended to announce our engagement tonight, didn’t you?”

He gave her a dark look and dropped the apologetic act. “You’re damn straight. You should say yes and not ruin my big plan.”

She sat back in her chair and gazed out at the tree-shaded, sun-dappled garden. “I believe you are the most relentless person I have ever known.”

“You’re right. I don’t give up. You should say yes now. Telling me no is only putting off the inevitable.” He said it teasingly. But he wasn’t teasing, not really. Alice thought of the night before, of how sweet and eager he’d been to see her. He had so many stellar qualities. But he did have a ruthless side, a side that demanded loyalty rather than graciously accepting it, a side that strove constantly for control.

He might claim her loyalty. But she ran her own life and made her own choices. And with the man she loved, she would be willing to share control. But never surrender it completely.

“Alice!” Lucy hovered in the open doorway to the family room, wearing a gathered red skirt with white polka dots, a red lace bandeau and a jean jacket with big red buttons. She bounced over, grabbed Alice by the shoulders and planted a big kiss on her cheek. “There you are.” She took the chair on Alice’s other side, grabbed an apple from the bowl in the center of the table and bit into it with gusto.

Hannah came out carrying two plates piled with scrambled eggs, bacon, browned potatoes and golden toast. “I hope scrambled will do.” She set a plate in front of Alice.

“Wonderful.” Alice beamed at her and picked up her fork as Hannah set the other plate in front of Noah.

“I had my breakfast
hours
ago,” Lucy announced, and chomped on her apple. “So what are you going to do today?” she asked Alice, taking great care to ignore her brother. “I mean, besides partying all night with Noah’s rich friends.”

Alice reached over and put her hand on Noah’s. He turned his hand over and laced his fingers with hers. A delicious little thrill skittered through her. He might be ruthless and overbearing at times, but when he touched her, she couldn’t help thinking he was worth it. “Noah is showing me the stables and then we’ll go riding.”

Lucy waved her half-finished apple. “I would go with you, but I don’t think I like the company you keep.”

“Lucy.” Noah sent her a warning frown.

She continued to pretend he wasn’t there. “Well, Alice, I’m going to put in a few hours sketching new designs.” She jumped up, bent over Alice and placed an apple-scented kiss on her cheek. “Come find me if he gives you a moment to yourself....”

* * *

Noah kept a variety of breeds, including Morgans, Thoroughbreds and Arabians. Each horse was a beauty with impeccable bloodlines, well trained and well cared for. And the stables and facilities were top-notch. None of that surprised Alice, but it was lovely to see it all for herself nonetheless. Orion would be happy here.

She met his staff—the two trainers, the grooms and stable hands—and she admired the dressage and jumping areas, the oval-shaped private racetrack and the state-of-the-art hot walker. Once she’d had the tour, they chose their horses. He rode a big black Thoroughbred mare named Astra and she chose Golden Boy, a handsome palomino gelding with a blaze on his forehead and a thick ivory mane. Altus, on a gray gelding, followed them at a discreet distance.

They rode for hours, on the trails around the property and sometimes onto trails that belonged to his neighbors. The horses seemed familiar with the route and comfortable with drinking from the troughs they came upon now and then along the way.

Eventually, he turned onto a trail that went under the highway and they ended up at the ocean, on the ribbon of golden beach. It was nearly deserted, which surprised her. As they rode side by side on the wet, packed sand at the edge of the tide, he told her that the beach was privately owned by him and a group of his neighbors.

They rode until they reached the place where the rocky cliffs jutted out into the tide, much like the cliffs at her family’s private beach in Montedoro. It was all so beautiful and perfect. Too perfect, really.

It had her thinking of the other Noah, the scruffy down-and-out Noah she’d met first. She wondered about his early years, about his life growing up. Really, she needed to know more about the man he’d started out as.

“Alice.”

She glanced over at him. The sun made his hair gleam like the brightest gold. He grinned and her pulse kicked up a notch. Really, the man ought to come with a warning label: Too Hot. Contents Combustible.

He lowered his reins, canting slightly forward. She didn’t have to hear him cluck his tongue to know what he was up to.

They took off in unison, her palomino as quick and willing as his black. The wind smelled of salt and sea, cool and sweet as it pulled at her tied-back hair. She bent over Golden Boy’s fine strong neck and whispered excited encouragements as they raced toward the other end of the beach, where Altus waited, ever watchful.

The race was too short. They ended up neck and neck—and then turned their mounts as one and raced back the other way.

That time, she won by half a length. But of course, he couldn’t leave it. A lucky thing she had that figured out ahead of time. Again they turned and made for the other end.

He had the slightest edge on her and won that time. When they pulled to a halt, he sent her a grin of such triumph she
had
to kiss him. She sidled her mount in close. He must have read her look, because he met her in the middle.

She laughed against his mouth as the horses shifted beneath them, pulling them away from each other—and then bringing them together so their lips met again.

“We need to go back,” he told her regretfully. “The party starts at eight.”

Side by side, they turned for the trail that would take them beneath the highway and back the way they’d come.

At the stables, they let the hands clean the tack but took care of their mounts themselves. They hosed off all the salt and sand. Then Alice gave Golden Boy a nice long rubdown, while Noah did the same for Astra. A groom led both horses away to feed and water them. Noah had a few things to discuss with the trainers, so she left him and went on to the house, with Altus following close behind.

Lucy must have been watching for her. She was waiting at the side door when Alice approached.

“Come on,” she said, and grabbed Alice’s hand. “Have a cold drink with me. There’s plenty of time....”

So they went up to Lucy’s room, which faced the mountains and was as bright and eye-catching as Lucy herself, the linens neon yellow and deep fuchsia pink. There were plants in pots everywhere. Lucy’s drawings and designs covered the walls, and a fat orange cat lay on the floor between the open doors to the balcony, sprawled on its back, sound asleep.

Lucy scooped up the big cat and introduced him to Alice. “Boris, this is Alice. I like her a lot, so you’d better be nice to her.”

The cat looked exceedingly bored, but Alice said hello anyway and scratched the big fellow behind the ears. She got a faint lazy purr for her efforts.

Lucy got them each a canned soft drink from her minifridge and they took comfy chairs in her small sitting area. It didn’t take her long to get around to what was bothering her.