Going Royal 01 - Some Like It Royal (8 page)

“Excellent idea,” Victor agreed. With her back still to her coach, she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Daniel.

He grinned. “Go on. One more pass and I think you’ve got the hang of it.”

Exhaling a long breath, she balanced the encyclopedia on her head again and pivoted a slow turn on the ball of her foot. Daniel glanced at Victor and found the man watching her every step nearly as hard as he was. The dress flowed around her legs. His gaze skimmed upward, her ass didn’t rock from side to side, but it didn’t have to. The almost dainty movements gave it a far more provocative sway.

His chest tightened as she reached Victor and paused, her posture near perfect. Holding his breath, he waited for the coach’s judgment.

Victor gave her a brief nod. “Acceptable. Tomorrow, we will practice with the taller heels.”

“That’s it?” Daniel frowned. “You don’t tell her great job, give her an applause, just a clipped ‘acceptable’?” She deserved a reward, she’d been in here with the man all afternoon, walking, walking, walking.

They both stared at him, Alyx in surprise and Victor with a bemused expression. “Very well. Why don’t you take her out to dinner this evening? Somewhere on the beach, a quiet place. That will give you a chance to reward her properly.”

“Okay. I will. You looked beautiful, Alyx. Very graceful. Would you allow me to take you out to dinner? We can escape all the rules and—”

Victor cleared his throat. “Actually, it will not be an escape from the rules. It will be your first opportunity to dine in public and we should take full advantage of the intimate situation.”

Alyx ducked her head, catching the encyclopedia. “Of course we should.”

Instead of rewarding her, he’d just created more work. Daniel sighed. Still, Cinnabars was a lovely beachfront bistro and restaurant. They could eat on the deck, enjoy the ocean breeze and, if he called ahead, he could ask the restaurant to give them some privacy. He could salvage the situation.

“You’re ready, Your Highness,” Victor encouraged her in a quiet voice. “We’ll pick out the perfect dress and shoes. Then all you have to remember is to walk with grace, hold hands and enjoy your meal.”

“Absolutely.” But her tight smile suggested she didn’t share his confidence.

“I’ll take care of the arrangements.” Daniel straightened. “Be sure to take a break around three and you can nap if you like.” He ignored Victor’s raised eyebrows. The man was brilliant, but he was also a slave driver. “The car will pick us up at six.”

“Okay.”

The tension tightening the corners of her mouth relaxed and Daniel headed back to his home office. He shut the computer on the program and picked up the phone.

First night out in public or not, he planned for it to be special.

“Christian.” He greeted the host by name when the man answered the phone. “Daniel Voldakov here, I need to make some arrangements for a very special dinner this evening...”

Chapter Ten

Alyx smoothed her hand over the dress. It was pure white, a color she would never have—and hadn’t—chosen for herself. The strapless gown cupped her breasts and lifted them in a fashion that was both sexy and modest. The drape in the front fell to her knees while the fuller skirt in the back skimmed her ankles. Thank God the silver shoes wrapped around her calves to create a longer leg illusion.

She left her hair down, preferring to have some sort of cover for her bare shoulders. Glimpsing Victor’s critical expression in the mirror, his small smile gave her confidence a boost. “Very nice. It’s chaste, sweet, and begs the public to wonder more.”

“No jewelry?” Surprise flooded her. After all, Victor had entered with four different boxes of gems to choose from. Chokers, teardrop earrings and chains in various shades of gold and platinum, in addition to a wider selection of gems from diamonds to emeralds and rubies.

“The engagement ring only. The location is outdoors. Your dress is summer, warm and casual, but with just enough formality to suggest money, class and style. If it were a black-tie affair, we could dress it up with gems. But tonight, I think simpler is better.” He stacked up the velvet boxes. “Don’t forget your shawl. It can be chilly after sunset when the ocean breeze turns.”

“I won’t—and Victor?” She crossed to the closet and drew out the lightly tasseled silken confection that wouldn’t keep out a stiff breeze, but still looked elegant.

“Yes, Your Imperial Highness?” The corner of his mouth quirked and Alyx couldn’t help smiling in return. After just a few days, the title didn’t shock her as it used to.

“Thank you...for everything. I know I’m not the best student, but I appreciate the attention to detail. I won’t disappoint you tonight.” He made her walk for hours, put her through rigorous tests on protocol and reminded her about her expression continuously, but he also seemed willing to trust her to handle the public dinner tonight.

“You’re very welcome, Your Imperial Highness.” His heels actually clicked together and he bowed. She draped the shawl over her arm and stared after him. Running a hand over her stomach, she looked back at her appearance in the mirror.

A stranger gazed back at her. A stranger possessing her eyes and maybe a hint of her smile. Lifting her chin, she quieted the smile. A princess only beamed when she was on display. A muted tilt to her lips was more appropriate—more serious.

Composed, collected and confident were the catchwords for the night.

“You can do this,” she told herself seriously. “It’s just a dinner.”

A dinner with Daniel—a man she’d shared many meals with and a bedroom—yes, she was on the sofa and he in the bed. She lived in his home; she split ice cream with him at night and discussed the day over coffee every morning.

Why, then, did this feel like a first date?

Shaking her head at herself, she pulled her gaze from the mirror. He waited for her downstairs and it was time to take this princess out for a spin.

Taking a deep breath, she collected her clutch purse from the bed and walked out of the room and paused at the top of the staircase. She teetered for the barest of moments and with more grace and poise than she felt, she laid her hand on the banister and used it for balance as she walked down the wide sloping steps.

Halfway down, she caught Daniel’s gaze. He stood in the entry hall watching her. Dressed in a button-down shirt, open at the collar, and a dark jacket that matched his slacks, he looked positively rakish. His full mouth tugged upward into a smile and his gaze swept her over from head to toe, approval radiating in his eyes.

She barely remembered her lipstick in time to keep from creasing the color with her teeth. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

His hands were in his pockets, and he shook his head slowly. “Not at all, and damn—I would have waited all night for this. You look fantastic.”

Warmth radiated through her from the compliment. She dropped her gaze briefly. She wasn’t wearing a lot of accessories and her cosmetics were simple, in tune with the dress. Swallowing, she mustered her courage. “Thank you very much.”

At the bottom step, he offered his arm. “You’re very welcome. Sorry that a night off turned into more work.”

“You know it’s okay.” His sleeve was soft and warm. She wanted to run her hand up and down the fabric, but she settled for just curling her fingers into it.

“No it’s not. I didn’t really think about how much work this would be.” He guided her to the door and set the security alarm before locking up behind them. Despite the size of the house and the room, he didn’t maintain any live-in staff. His black Lexus sat waiting in the curved drive, the engine running. He opened the passenger door and held her hand as she slipped inside. “But I will make it up to you tonight with the best seafood you’ve ever had.”

Her stomach rumbled in appreciation. “I love seafood.”

“I know.” His grin matched hers and he closed the door gently before circling around to climb into the driver’s seat.

“I kind of like that you still drive yourself too.” It seemed almost surreal to be gliding down the driveway without any bumping along the way. Her old Volvo bounced over every crack in the road.

“I have a car service.” He used a remote to open the gates then close them after pulling through. “But I like driving—it gives me time to think.”

“I used to run lines in the car on the way to an audition. I wouldn’t let myself look at the script—if there was one. But I would memorize the first half dozen lines and recite them in between stoplights. Then whenever I stopped, I would learn a new set and recite those.”

He canted his head, splitting his attention between the traffic and her. “You didn’t have a script at my audition until you arrived at the theater.”

“Nope. I recited Shakespeare.” Delight in the memory. She’d spent six months of her seventh grade year with Mr. Olsen, a teacher who insisted that when a performer could recite the tongue twisters of Shakespeare in a smooth and conversational tone, then that performer could do anything. Words she took to heart when she had been forced to bid him adieu and moved on to a different set of foster parents in a different school district.

She knew whole passages from Shakespeare and when she had nothing else to memorize, she ran those lines over and over again.

“Seriously?” His grin grew.

“Seriously.” She pressed her lips together. The urge to smile made her cheeks hurt.

“Like what?” He spared a mild look for the car lurching across lanes to cut them off.

“Like...Shakespeare.” Her face warmed, she probably shouldn’t have brought the subject up, but he’d started it by telling her what he liked to do in the car.

“Would you recite some for me?” They were picking up speed as traffic thinned out toward the coast.

She exhaled, watching him from the corner of her eye. “You don’t really want to hear me recite Shakespeare.”

“Sure I do.” His tone a husky tease. “Go on. You can’t tell me you have Shakespeare memorized enough to recite in the car and then not show me.”

Exasperation mingled with pleasure at his interest. Folding her arms, she leaned into the seat and tilted her head to look at him. “‘This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady, it seems her affections have their full bent.’” The words rolled off her tongue, gathering force and emotion.

Daniel nodded and motioned with his right hand for her to continue.

“‘Love me?’” She hesitated, locking gazes with him for a heartbeat. “‘Why, it must be requited.’” She turned her head away and looked to watch the ocean out the window. “‘I hear how I am censored. They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her. They say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry. I must not seem proud. Happy are they that hear their detractions and can put them to mending.’”

She paused, stealing a glance at his profile. His grin diminished to the barest of smiles curving his lips and his attention continued to divert from the traffic to look at her. “Is there more?” he asked.

“Of course.” She toyed with the shawl over her arm, her fingers plucking at the fabric.

“Have at it, then.”

“You really want to hear the speech?”

“Yes, I really want to hear the speech.” He tapped the steering wheel. “Ticktock.”

Laughter bubbled up inside her and she relaxed her grip on the shawl. “‘
They say the lady is fair.
Tis truth
,
I
can bear witness.
And virtuous.’
” She extended a hand palm-up. “
‘’Tis so I cannot reprove it.
Wise
,
but for loving me.
By my troth
,
it is no addition to her wit nor no great argument of her folly
,
for I will be horribly in love with her.’
”

Curling her fingers into a fist, she pressed her hand to her chest just above the strapless bodice. “‘
I
may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me because I have railed so long against marriage
,
but doth not the appetite alter?’
” She looked at him questioningly. His nod both surprised and delighted her. “‘
A
man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.
Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humor?
No.
The world must be peopled.’
” She struck her fist to the flat of her other palm. “‘
When I said I would die a bachelor
,
I
did not think I should live till I were married.
Here comes Beatrice.’
”

She ended the last with a hushed flourish and pressed her fingers to her lips when Daniel applauded with one hand against the steering wheel. “Bravo, bravo.”

He slowed the car and turned into a lot in front of a cozy-looking, wood-hewn building. The valet greeted him at his door with a ticket and a second opened her side of the car. She barely made it to her feet before Daniel swept around to claim her arm and threaded it through his.

They were swiftly shown out onto a deck that overlooked the ocean. The view took her breath away. The water rolled in, foaming gently to lap against the rocky sand below. The sun dipped lower on the western horizon, adding a spectacular array of red, gold and amber to the evening. Surprisingly, the deck was empty save for the two of them and their hostess, who sat them at a table, meant for four, right at the very edge of the deck.

The unencumbered horizon stretched out and she forgot the waitress was there as she stared across the water.

“Would you care for some wine to begin the evening?”

“That would be lovely—red or white, darling?” The affectation pulled her back to herself and their surroundings more swiftly than ice being poured down her back.

She started to say red, but a glance at her dress and she changed her mind. “White would be lovely.” The last thing she needed was a fat red stain on the very new—very expensive—dress.

“White for both of us. California vintage preferred.” Daniel waited until the waitress left to fetch the wine and grinned. “Do you always quote
Othello
, or other plays?”

Her eyes widened. “There’s no Beatrice in
Othello
.”

“Oh, was that
Romeo and Juliet
?” He looked perplexed.

“No.” She shook head and leaned forward, the menu shaking with her barely suppressed humor. “It’s
Much Ado About Nothing
.”

“Oh.” Daniel shrugged and flipped his menu open. “I didn’t think that one could have much in it, considering the ‘nothing’ subject matter.”

She gaped until she saw the quirk of a smile he tried to hide behind the menu. She laughed. “You’re terrible.”

“Guilty.” He paused as the waitress returned with the wineglasses and the wine. She took her time in opening the bottle for them and poured a sample. When Daniel gave her an approving nod following his taste, she filled both glasses half-full.

“Would you like to hear the specials?”

At his quirked brows, Alyx shook her head. She knew what she wanted already. “I’m going to have the lobster-and-shrimp linguini in Alfredo sauce.” The calories would be killer, but it was her favorite and the sauce matched her dress.

“Make that two.” He collected the menus and passed them to the waitress.

“I’ll be right back with your salad and bread.” The waitress disappeared and Alyx frowned at the growing crowd inside. The weather on the deck was next to perfect, cool breeze, still warm sun and the lull of the ocean.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just think it’s odd that they look busy in there and it’s quiet out here. I expected a lot more people would want to eat outside with this view.” She picked up her wineglass and took a sip. It was cold, crisp and carried just the right amount of bite. She would have to check the bottle later. Her preference for red wine aside, this vintage tasted quite good.

“I’m sure they do. I’m sorry they can’t be accommodated.” He took a swallow of his wine, then leaned back in the chair, a smug look on his face.

She set the glass down. “What did you do?”

“I promised you an evening off. Victor wanted us to show off. We can do both. Private dinner, private deck—call it a golden compromise.”

After she absorbed that piece of knowledge, her eyes widened, and so did her smile. “You realize that’s cheating.”

“Not really. I made you a promise—I wanted to keep it. They can still see us out here—and they can wonder just who is that beautiful, beautiful woman and the lucky SOB sitting across from her.”

Warmth flooded her face again and she hid her discomfort with another drink. Of course, the mystique would be perfect—particularly for the curious. They were putting on a show, after all. “Positively brilliant.”

She admired the cunning nature of the plan. As test runs went, she only had to look the part—and the dress did most of the work for her. They quieted as the waitress brought the salads and the bread. Unwrapping her utensils from the cloth napkin, she refused to look to her left. She didn’t want to know if anyone stared at them—or if the plan he’d carefully executed worked.