HOW TO MARRY A PRINCESS Page 11

  It got to him, got to him good, to imagine that tight stomach of hers softening, slowly going round and then turning hard all over again—with his baby. He wanted that, to watch her get bigger with their child. He’d done what he had to do in his life to care for his sister, to make a place in the world that no one could take from him or anyone he claimed as his.

  Now he had that place. He had the power and the money to earn what mattered—and more important, to hold on to what he earned, to mold the future for his children and his children’s children. He had enough to offer a woman like this one, enough to make her his. To give her everything.

  To keep her safe and happy and having his babies.

  He let his hand stray lower. He parted the closely trimmed curls at the top of those beautiful thighs. And he dipped a finger in.

  Wet. Hot. Silky.

  She cried out against his lips and caught his face in her two hands. “Noah...”

  He dipped another finger in. “Like this?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. And, “Yes,” again.

  “So soft. Hot...”

  “Noah. Oh, Noah...”

  He liked that. More than anything. The way she said his name like he counted, like she couldn’t any more get enough of him than he could of her, like he really was the man he’d worked so hard to become—and that other guy, too. The one in the old jeans and the battered boots, sweeping out the stable, dreaming of the day he might have something to call his own. She liked that guy, too, even if she’d been pissed off at him for misleading her.

  She reached down between them, wrapped her fingers around him. And then she started stroking.

  He was sure he would die. And he knew it would be worth it.

  Too bad he couldn’t last if she kept that up. He had to reach down between them and capture her wrist.

  Her eyes flew open. “Too much?”

  His answer was a hard groan and another deep, hungry kiss. She wrapped both arms around him and held him so close.

  He wanted to taste her, in the heart of her, where she was so hot and wet. But it had been too long for him. He feared he wouldn’t last long enough to feel her sweet body all around him.

  So he groped for the night table and found the condom. He had it out of the wrapper and down over himself in a matter of seconds, and then he lifted up on his hands to position himself.

  She gazed up at him, eyes dazed, mouth so soft and willing. And she ran her hands over him, across his shoulders, down his chest. Slowly, she smiled, a knowing, wicked smile, those dimples of hers making naughty little creases in her velvety cheeks.

  And then she got her feet braced somehow and she was turning him—turning them. She must have seen that she’d surprised him, because another of those throaty killer laughs escaped her.

  He found himself on his back, staring up at her. “What?” he asked in a growl, though he had a pretty good idea of what—and he didn’t mind in the least.

  “I want to be on top, that’s all.” She folded those muscular legs to either side of his waist and sat up on him.

  “Be my guest,” he managed on a groan. The view was amazing. He couldn’t resist. He cupped her breasts, teased the tight dusky nipples with his thumbs.

  And then she lifted up again. She reached down between them and she took him in her hand.

  They both groaned as she lowered her sleek, strong body down onto him. She did it slowly, drawing it out, making him suffer and clearly loving every minute of it.

  He grasped her waist, trying to take a little control, trying not to lose it when they were so close.

  But she just kept right on at her own pace, slowly claiming him, surrounding him with her wet heat, her silky softness, owning him, taking him in. It went on forever, and every second he knew that he couldn’t hold on, couldn’t last a second longer.

  And yet, somehow, he did hold on. For that second. And the one after that, and even the one after that.

  Until she had him fully within her.

  She stilled. He followed her lead, holding himself steady, though his whole body ached with the need to move. He stared up at her and she gazed down at him through another sweet, endless space of time. He knew he would explode.

  Finally, when he was past the point where he couldn’t take it anymore and yet, through some dark miracle, kept on taking it without losing it after all, she started to lift up again.

  He still clasped her waist and he grabbed on hard—and pulled her back down. She moaned at that and let her head fall back. So beautiful, her long slim neck straining, her hair falling over her shoulders, her mouth open in another cry, a silent one.

  After that he lost track of everything but the pure, perfect sensation of being held tight inside her. She rocked those hard little hips on him and he rocked with her.

  It was forever and only a moment. Light exploded behind his eyes, and then he was reaching for her shoulders, pulling her down onto him, tight and close. He let his hands glide along the fine shape of her slender back to grasp the twin curves of her bottom and he held her good and tight and rocked up hard against her.

  She took him, she pushed right back. A shudder claimed her and he knew she was almost there. Inside, she closed and opened on him in rhythmic contractions. She cried out.

  That did it. He was so ready, and now she was going over. He didn’t have to hold out any longer.

  He lifted his head enough to claim her mouth. She opened for him, her tongue sliding over his, welcoming him with a keening little sigh as her body continued to pulse around him.

  So good. Exactly right. Doubly joined to her, he kissed her and he let it happen, let his climax rise to meet hers. No stopping it now. It rolled up through the core of him, a long wave of heat and energy, spreading outward so that everything—his body, her body, the whole of the world—seemed to shimmer, to open.

  He surged up harder than ever into her, still holding the endless kiss they shared. She breathed his name into his mouth. He drank it. Drank her, as the end shuddered over him in a spinning-hot explosion of burning, perfect light.

  * * *

  Curled on her side facing the bedside table, Alice woke from a deep, peaceful sleep.

  The clock by the lamp said it was almost ten in the morning. Daylight glowed around the edges of the drawn curtains.

  She rolled onto her back and eased a hand out, feeling her way across the sheet to the other side of the bed. Empty. Frowning a little, she turned her head.

  Gloriously naked, feet planted wide apart on the cream-colored rug, Noah lounged in one of the sitting-area chairs, watching her through hooded eyes.

  Alarm jangled through her. Was something the matter?

  She bounced to a sitting position, instinctively pulling the sheet against her bare breasts, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Noah, what...?”

  He got up and came toward her. Her heart rate spiked. He really was one magnificent-looking man, wide shouldered and broad in the chest, with lean, hard arms, a sculpted belly and sharply muscled legs nicely dusted with burnished gold hair. She found herself staring at the most manly part of him. It really was every bit as breathtaking as the rest of him, even at half-mast.

  Halting at the side of the bed, he stood staring down at her.

  She blinked up at him, vivid images from the night before flashing through her mind. It had been wonderful. They’d used three of her condoms and made love till near dawn, finally falling asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms. “Um. Good morning.”

  He held out his hand. “Come here.”

  She frowned, tipped her head to the side and tried to figure out what exactly was going on with him. “Is everything...all right?”

  He nodded. He really was looking so very serious. She kept having the feeling that something terrible must have happened. But what?r />
  He prompted, “Take my hand.” He still had it outstretched to her.

  And she thought of that night at the palace when she’d first learned he wasn’t a poverty-stricken stable worker after all, and she’d been so angry with him. He’d offered his hand to her then. And she couldn’t bear not to take it, couldn’t leave him standing there, reaching out to nothing. She just had to reach back.

  She took his hand. His fingers curled around hers, warm and strong and steady. And her heart gave a little lurch of pleasure. Of hope and happiness. “Last night was so beautiful, Noah.”

  “It was,” he said softly. “Let go of the sheet.”

  Why not? She’d never been all that overly modest, anyway. And he’d seen every inch of her last night. Plus, he was naked, too. They were naked together. A ragged little sigh escaped her as she let the sheet drop. He tugged on her hand. She swung her bare legs over the side of the bed and stood.

  “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

  Alice 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.”