Prince and Single Mom (5 page)

“What?” he encouraged when she seemed reluctant to continue.

“A box of condoms.”

For a long moment, Alex simply looked at her. He felt his heart speed up and his cock get even harder. Then, with hands that shook, he cupped her face and kissed her lips.

“Come to my bed, now, Hannah. I want you naked and needy under me. I want to bury myself deep, deep inside of you.”

Her lips had said no, but her eyes had said yes.

Philip settled down on the verandah, trying to understand the emotions storming through him. He wasn’t a forceful man, by nature. But a part of him had wanted to scoop Kate up and keep her. It had been the strangest sensation.

He wasn’t a playboy, but he’d enjoyed a few physical relationships over the years. When he encountered women who sparked a sexual interest in him, sometimes he pursued it, sometimes not. But he didn’t just
want
Kate. He felt as if she
belonged
to him. As he’d been talking with her, there had been a sense inside him that said
well, here you are at last
.

It wasn’t a feeling he’d ever expected to have, but he knew what it meant. Now he just needed to decide what to do about it.

“You seem troubled.”

Philip looked up and smiled at his younger sister as she settled herself in the chair beside him.

“Not troubled. Puzzled. All of the children gone, then?”

“Yes, and most of the staff. Eloise is making some dinner for us, as I presumed to tell her that we would both remain for a while.”

“Good.” He looked over at Rachel, and came out of himself enough to pay attention to her. She’d had some difficulties in the past, and a part of him felt guilty for not seeing them at the time. Now he tried to always remember to keep an eye on her. “Is everything all right with you?”

“Fine.”

“Rachel.”

“Oh, don’t look at me with those professional eyes of yours, Philip. I’ve been clean and sober for nearly two years, and very likely to remain so.”

He regretted the look of hurt that flashed across her face. “Darling, I had no doubt that you’re ‘clean and sober’, as you put it. But something else is bothering you.” Had to be, he thought, for her temper to have gone off so easily.

“What could be wrong with me? I’m twenty-two years old, with university courses of every description to my credit and no idea what I want to do with my life, and I am so obsessed with a certain man that I meet an interesting woman today who I sense could be a good friend, and all I can think is that her last name is the same as his.”

Philip didn’t understand at first. And then her meaning clicked.

“I didn’t know that you and our security chief had something going on.” He heard the tone in his voice, but couldn’t help it. Rachel was his baby sister. She apparently heard it too, which she made clear when she reached over and lightly swatted his leg.

“Pull back, big brother. There isn’t. I said
I
am obsessed with him. If he knows I’m alive at all it’s only as his boss’ troublesome youngest daughter.”

“Just as well. He’s too old for you.”

“He’s only eight years older than I am. And since I have felt this way about him more or less since he came to us, it’s not something we need to discuss. I do recall that he once said that Jones was one of the two most common names in North America.”

“Along with Smith, yes, I remember. In response to Great Aunt Sophia asking him if he could be related to Shirley Jones, the actress.”

“And speaking of Jones, you seemed quite enamored of one today.”

“Yes.” Philip smiled. He knew how to handle the women in his family. “That Jamie is a great kid. He is so natural, and so happy. I see a lot of children who are damaged one way or another—at the hospital, and at the orphanage—that it’s a pleasure to meet one who is so normal.”

“Too bad his mother is such a bitch.”

“Kate is no such thing!” he exclaimed..
And judging by the smile on Rachel’s face, she knows how to handle me
,
too
.

“As I suspected. So, big brother, when are you seeing her again?”

“I invited her to dinner, but she declined.” He didn’t feel right leaving it at that. He didn’t need a crystal ball to understand that she’d been very badly hurt by Jamie’s father. He thought her to be about the same age as Rachel, which would have made her not much more than a child herself when she’d given birth. It spoke well of her that she’d taken such good care of her son. That showed in the well-adjusted, contented boy Jamie had become.

Philip brought his attention back to his sister and tried to figure out how long he’d been sitting silently while Rachel stared at him with sympathy-filled eyes. “And you’re just going to leave it at that?” she asked.

Philip stared at her pointedly. “She said no.”

“When it comes to sex, of course no means no. But there isn’t any reason you may not ask a woman out to dinner more than once.”

“You may find this difficult to believe, but I had worked my way around to that conclusion myself.”

“Well, good. She’s staying at the resort.”

“I know. Any other time I would have no qualms about going there, knocking on her door. But right now, Father is vacationing at that same resort.” And they made it a point never to bother their father while he enjoyed his two-week vacation each year. Of course, he would welcome them. They, the younger generation of the de la Croix family, had agreed several years before that it likely wasn’t only ruling their country the king needed a break from.

He looked over at his sister in time to catch her rolling her eyes.

“What?” Why did it seem the women in his family had no problem making the men feel stupid?

“A simple call to one of the members of the security team there might prove worth your while. You would know when she goes out, as she is bound to do, and probably even where she’s going.”

Philip felt his smile spread. “Are you suggesting that I
spy
on Kate?”

“Yes.”

“Brilliant.”

* * * *

“I don’t want you to leave.”

Hannah smiled, and nestled herself more deeply against Alex’s chest. “I can’t stay much longer. I imagine Catharine and Jamie are back by now. They’re likely wondering where I am.”

“Your daughter seemed very astute, Hannah. She likely knows that you’re with me.”

“Mmm.” Hannah sighed. Alex’s stroking his hand slowly up and down her back soothed her. Everything about being with him had been wonderful. She’d never imagined that having sex could be so stimulating—nor so fulfilling.

“Have you ever gone swimming without a bathing suit?”

“Skinny dipping?” she raised her head enough so she could look into his eyes.

“Ha! Is that what it’s called in Canada? ‘Skinny dipping.’ Yes, I think that’s a very appropriate name for it. Well, have you?”

“Never.”

“Neither have I. Why don’t we?”

“Oh, Alex!” For some reason, the suggestion that they go swimming together—naked—seemed more daring, more outrageous than the three hours they’d just spent naked in bed together.

“Why not? It’s a private pool, completely hidden from prying eyes.

Hannah found it difficult to resist the eagerness on his face. He looked like a child on Christmas morning who’d just caught sight of the present-laden tree. Casting her eyes around the bedroom, she judged it larger than the one she’d been given. What she recalled of the rest of the suite told her it was at least as lavish, if not more so, than her own.

“What about the maid?”

“Maid?”

The expression on his face just then, Hannah decided, spoke of someone who was used to servants. She filed this fact away to think about later.

“Yes, the maid. Our suite came with one, and let me tell you, she’s scary.”

Alex laughed, full and rich. Hannah loved the sound of it.

“I declined the services of a maid, Hannah.”

“Oh. Wish I’d known I could…no, I don’t. I wanted Catharine to have that as an experience. She’s had such a rough life. Rougher than she needed to because of her stubborn refusal to accept help. But still.”

“Hannah.” Gentleness permeated his tone, and patience filled his expression when he bent down and kissed her lips. “Hannah, there is nothing I’d like more, right now, than to swim naked with you in the pool. Well, there is one thing, but we’re temporarily out of condoms.”

Hannah reached up and kissed him back. New experiences, she reminded herself mentally. This vacation had evolved into one about new experiences, and man, was she racking them up. The only problem she could see with that was she had no one to tell about them when she got back home. With that thought in mind, she lifted the covers and slid out of bed. Tossing a coquettish smile back at the gorgeous man who watched her with hot, hungry eyes, she teased, "Well? Aren't you coming?"

* * * *

Catharine drove a compact four-speed at home, which turned out to be the only kind of car available for her to rent here. The concierge of the Villa handled everything. It took less than an hour for the agency to send out a vehicle. Catharine had gone online to look up Boisdemer’s driving and traffic laws a few weeks before. Thankfully, her Canadian driver’s license was valid in this country. Good thing she’d done the research, because the regulations differed from home. Since Jamie had turned six, he didn’t need a booster seat, but he did need to ride in the back. In addition, only the lap part of the seatbelt could be used for his safety. The other major difference—the penalties for speeding—involved large fines imposed on the spot.

The concierge also provided her with a map, and detailed directions to the Medieval Fair. He seemed particularly delighted she’d chosen to take it in, and assured her there would be plenty of attractions Jamie would like.

“Are you hungry?” she asked Jamie before they left the resort.

“Yeah. Mom? Can we eat something that I can say, please?”

Catharine laughed, and felt herself relax, truly relax, for the first time since leaving the farm. It had been an interesting excursion, all the way around. But it was over, and she needed to let it go. Especially that voice inside her that said turning down Philip’s invitation for dinner had been a mistake.

“You’ve got it, champ. Just let me wind our way toward the fair. I bet we’ll see something you’ll recognize shortly.”

Jamie’s squeal of delight when the giant yellow ‘M’ came into sight put a smile on her face. Within moments they shared a table with burgers and fries and cola. Back home, she didn’t often indulge Jamie’s craving for junk food. One look at the five-star cuisine offered by the resort had told her this would be something they’d have to do a couple of times while in Boisdemer.

“I liked him.”

“Who, honey?”

“Philip. He sure did know a lot about horses and stuff.”

She had no idea what kind of “stuff” Jamie meant. She wasn’t going to ask. Sometimes, for a parent, ignorance truly was bliss. But she did want to make one point with her son. “Yes, he’s a very kind man. But you can’t call him ‘Philip’, Jamie.”

“Why not? He told me to. And it’s his name.”

“I know, honey, but you really should use his title.”

She saw Jamie’s eyes cloud with confusion for a moment, and then they cleared. “Okay.
Doctor
Philip said that maybe we could go back to the farm, just you and me. Then I could ride Francois again.” He examined a french fry carefully before plopping it in his mouth. “But that is a really dumb name for a horse.”

Catharine made herself laugh. She leaned forward and confided, “I thought so, too.” Sitting back, she tried to keep a scowl from her face. She really wished Philip hadn’t told Jamie they could go back. She didn’t want him to be disappointed when it didn’t happen. Despite Philip’s apparent sincerity, going back there wouldn’t be a good idea for her. Maybe she could keep Jamie entertained enough that he forgot about a possible return to the farm.

It didn’t take long, she mused, for a dedicated six-year-old boy to plow his way through a burger and fries. Soon they got back in the car, and headed toward the fair.

She saw it in the distance, exactly as the concierge had described it. A medieval fortress, stone and mortar, perched on a hill that overlooked a small harbor. Soon, she’d parked the car, and holding Jamie’s hand, set out to explore the wonders of a European Medieval Fair.

Banners and giant tents covered the landscape, all set against the backdrop of the fortress. The music of lutes and strings sailed on the air, wrapped in the scent of meat cooked outdoors. Laughter and chatter abounded, giving the place an atmosphere of bonhomie and revelry. The late afternoon sun shone brightly in a brilliant blue sky, and with little effort Catharine could almost believe she had traveled back through time. Hundreds of people enjoyed the attractions while dozens wandered around in medieval garb, clearly relishing their roles.

Jamie giggled as a jester stopped before them, juggling four brightly colored balls. Catharine smiled. Nothing warmed her heart more than the sound of her child’s carefree laughter.

“This is even better than the one we went to last year, Mom.”

“It is. The one last year didn’t have an actual fortress. Or traveling jesters. What do you want to see first?” Catharine asked, but she knew very well what his answer would be.

“Horses!”

More than one area featured horses. Looking to the left, she saw some of the gentle beasts, and led Jamie in that direction. The sign overhead the gate they passed through read “Knight Training.”

“Wow, look at the size of that sword!”

“That’s a lance, Jamie. I think in jousting tournaments, they would hold them and gallop on horseback toward their adversaries, and use the lance to try and knock their opponent off the horse.”

“That sucks. What if the horses got hurt?”

“Don’t say ‘sucks’, Jamie. And I imagine the horses did sometimes get hurt. But, see, there, that black one? It looks like he’s wearing chain mail across his chest. I imagine that’s there to protect him.”