The Prince's Secret Baby (8 page)

But he wasn’t through yet.

Which was totally fine with her. She could go on like this, touching him,
being
touched by him, forever.

He was moving, shifting her onto her back, resettling himself close against her side. She sighed and let him do as he wished with her. She was drifting, satisfied, deeply content, on the borderline of sleep.

“Sydney…”

Reluctantly, still lost in the echoes of so many beautiful sensations, she opened her eyes. He was up an elbow, gazing down at her, his eyes liquid, black as the middle of a very dark night.

She reached up, touched his mouth. “So soft. You’re such a good kisser…”

He bent near again, kissed her with that mouth of his, her fingers still on his lips, so he kissed them, too. “Sydney…” He kissed her name against her mouth, against her fingers.

“Mmm.” She eased her hand away, parted her lips, took his tongue inside. “Mmm…” Maybe she wasn’t so sleepy after all. She clasped his hard shoulder, loving the rocklike contour of it, and then she let her hand glide around to his strong nape. She caressed the amazing musculature of his broad back. “I just want to touch you…”

He didn’t object. He went on kissing her, as she indulged herself. She wanted to touch every inch of him—his back, his powerful arms, his fine, strong chest. He had a perfect little happy trail and she did what a woman tends to do—she followed it downward.

And when her fingers closed around him, she took great satisfaction in the low groan he let out. She drank in that groan like wine.

Was there ever a guy like this? She doubted it. Every part of him was beautiful, her fairy-tale prince made flesh.

She closed her eyes again and reveled in the feel of him. She wanted…everything from him. All of him. Now.

She whispered in a shattered sort of wonder, against his beautiful lips. “Oh, Rule. Now. Please, now…” And she urged him to come even closer, all the way closer, opening her thighs for him, pulling him onto her, so eager, so hungry.

More than ready.

“Wait…” He breathed the word against her parted lips.

“What?” She moaned in frustration. “No. I don’t want to wait.”

“Sydney…” He took his mouth from hers.

And again, she lifted her heavy eyelids and gazed up at him, impatient. Questioning. “What?”

He gave her one of those beautiful, wry, perfect smiles of his. And he tipped his dark head toward his raised hand. She tore her gaze away from all that manly beauty to see what he held.

A condom.

“Oops.” She felt her cheeks flush even redder than they already were. She let out a ragged sigh. “I can’t believe it. I didn’t even think about that. How could I not think of that? I’m never that foolish, that irresponsible.”

His shining midnight gaze adored her—and indulged her. “It’s all right. There are two of us, after all. Only one of us had to remember. And I haven’t minded at all seeing you so carried away that you didn’t even think about using protection.”

“I
should
have thought of it.”

He shook his head, slowly, lazily, that tempting smile of his a seduction in itself. “You are so beautiful when you’re carried away.” His smile, his tender words, the hot-candy sound of his voice. She was seduced by every aspect of him.

Seduced and loving it.

Still, she tried to hold out against him. “I’m not beautiful, Rule. We both know that.”

“You
are
beautiful. And please give me your hand and stop arguing with me.”

Really, the guy was irresistible. She held out her hand.

He put the little pouch in the center of her palm. “Do the honors?”

She laughed, a soft, husky laugh, a laugh that spoke so clearly of her desire. “Now you’re talkin’.”

He lay back on the pillows and watched her, his eyes so hot now, molten, as she removed the wrapper and set it aside.

She bent over him, kissed him, in the center of his chest, on that silky trail of hair, not far from his heart. His skin was hot. He smelled so good. She rained a flood of kisses on him, to each side of his big chest, over his rib cage, on his ridged, amazing belly, all the way to her goal.

When she got there, she kissed him once more, a light, feathery breath of a kiss. He moaned. The sound pleased her. She stuck out her tongue and she licked him, concentrating first on the flare, then centering on the sensitive tip. And then, at last, taking him inside—then slowly, by agonizing degrees, lifting once more to release him.

A strangled sound escaped him. And he touched her hair, threading his fingers through it, lifting himself toward her, begging wordlessly, on another groan, for more.

She gave him what he asked for. She took him in again slowly, all the way, relaxing her throat to accommodate him, and then, just as slowly, let him out. She used her tongue on him, licking, stroking, swirling, teasing.

His moans and his rough, ragged breathing told her that he couldn’t take much more. Good. She wanted to lead him all the way to the brink. She wanted to make him go over, into a perfect satisfaction, as he’d done to her.

But then he caught her face between his hands and he guided her up his body again, until she was looking right into those beautiful eyes.

“Put it on,” he commanded in a rough, hungry growl. “Put it on now.”

And she realized she was fine with that. More than fine. She rolled on the condom carefully. Once it was on, she rose onto her knees, intending to take the top position.

But then he reached for her, and he lifted up from the pillows and she happily surrendered as he guided her so gently down onto her back again. He eased her thighs wide and settled between them, his arms against the mattress to either side of her head, his fingers in her hair.

“Sydney…” His mouth swooped down to claim another kiss. Deep and hot and perfect, that kiss.

And she felt him, nudging against her, so slick and hard and wonderfully insistent. He pressed in slowly, filling her. She opened for him eagerly, her mouth fused to his as he came into her.

Oh, it was glorious, thrilling, nothing like it.

Not ever.

Not ever in her life before.

He began to move, rocking into her, his hips meeting hers, retreating—and returning. Always, returning.

She lifted herself up to him, wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his shoulders, clasping his strong neck, her fingers clutching his hair.

She was lost, flying, burning, free. There was nothing, just this. This beauty. This magic. The two of them: her body, his body—together. One.

Retreating. Returning. Over and over. Wet and hot and exactly as she’d never realized she’d always wished it might be.

Nothing like it.

Not ever.

Not ever in her life before.

* * *

“Sydney…” His voice in her ear. His breath against her skin. “Sydney…”

She sighed, turned her head away, so luxuriously comfortable, only wanting to sleep a little more.

“Sydney…” He nuzzled her temple, caught the curling strands of hair there between his lips, gave them a light, teasing tug.

She kept her eyes stubbornly shut, grumbled, “I was sleeping…”

His mouth on her cheek. Warm. Tempting. His words against her skin. “But you have to wake up now.”

Wake up. Of course. She knew he was right. She turned her head to him, opened her eyes, asked him groggily, “What time is it?”

“After three.” He was on his side, braced up on an elbow, the sheet down around his lean waist, clinging like an adoring lover to the hard curve of his left hip.

With a low groan, she sat up, raked her hair back off her forehead, stretched and yawned. Then she let her arms drop to the sheets. “Ugh. You’re right. I do have to get home.” She started to push back the covers.

He caught her hand. “Wait.”

She smiled at him, searched his wonderful face. “What?”

“Sydney…” His mouth was softer than ever and his eyes gleamed and he looked so young right then. Young and hopeful and…nervous.

He did. He actually looked nervous. Prince Rule of Montedoro. Nervous. How could that be? He really wasn’t the nervous type.

“Rule?” She laid her palm against his beard-roughened cheek. “Are you okay?”

He took her wrist, turned his head until her hand covered those soft lips of his. And he kissed her, the most tender, sweetest kiss, right in the heart of her palm, the way he had done the night before when he asked her if she would prefer him to be cruel.

A shiver went through her, a premonition of…

What? She had no idea. And already the strange, anxious feeling had passed.

There was only his mouth, so soft against her palm. Only the beauty of the night they had shared, only the wonder that he was here with her and he was looking at her like she hung the moon, as though she ruled the stars.

He lowered her hand so it no longer covered his lips. And then, raising his other hand, he put something in her palm, after which he closed her fingers tenderly over it.

And then he said the impossible, incredible, this-must-be-a-dream-and-can’t-really-be-happening words, “Marry me, Sydney. Be my bride.”

Chapter Six

S
till trying to believe what she thought he’d just said, Sydney uncurled her fingers and stared down in what could only be called shock and awe at the ring waiting there.

The brilliant emerald-cut diamond was huge. And so icily, perfectly beautiful. Flanking it to either side on the platinum band were two large, equally perfect baguettes.

She looked up from the amazing ring and into his dark eyes. “Just tell me…”

“Anything.”

“Is this really happening?”

He laughed, low, and he brushed the hair at her temple with a tender hand. “Yes, my darling. It’s really happening. I know it’s crazy. I know it’s fast. But I don’t care about any of that. In my heart, I knew the moment I saw you. And every moment since then has only made me more certain. Until there is nothing left. Nothing but absolute certainty that you are the woman for me.”

“But you… I… We can’t just—”

“Yes. We can. Today. We can fly to Las Vegas and be married today. I don’t want to wait. I want you for my wife now. I have to return to Montedoro on Tuesday. I want you and Trevor with me.”

“I don’t… I can’t… Oh, Rule. Wait.”

He shook his head. “My darling, I don’t want to wait. Don’t make me wait.”

“But, I mean, I have a c-career,” she sputtered. “I have a house. I live in Texas. Can you even marry someone from Texas?”

“Of course I can. As long as that someone will have me.”

“But you can’t possibly… I mean, now that I think about it, well, don’t you have to marry someone with at least a title? A duchess. A countess. A Lady Someone-or-Other?”

“My mother married an American actor and it’s worked out quite well, I think. Times change. And I’m glad. I can marry whomever I choose, Sydney. I choose you—and I hope with all my heart that you choose
me.
”

“I can’t… I don’t…”

“My love, slow down.”

“Slow down? You’re telling
me
to slow down? You just asked me to marry you and you meant today!”

He laughed then. “You’re right. I’m no position to talk about slowing down. But I do think it wouldn’t hurt if you took a breath. A nice, deep one.” It was pretty good advice, actually. She drew in a slow breath and let it out with care. “Better?” he asked so tenderly.

She looked down at the ring again. “I think I might faint.”

“No.” He chuckled. “You are not a woman who faints.” Still, he pulled her against him. She went, leaning her head on the hard bulge of his shoulder, loving the warmth and solidness of him, the scent of him that was so fine, yet at the same time so undeniably male. Loving everything about him.

Love.
Was it possible? She knew that
he
thought it was.

And yet, still. Even given the possibility that it really was love at first sight between the two of them, well, she’d thought she would have a little more time than this before he asked her to commit to forever…

She pulled away, enough that she could meet his eyes. “It’s so fast, Rule. I mean, so soon to jump into marriage. It’s just…really, really fast.”

“I know. I don’t care.” His gaze was steady on hers. He spoke with absolute certainty. “I know what I want now. At last. I told you, I’ve waited my whole life for this, for
you.
”

“Yes. I know. We’ve…spoken of that. But still. Marriage. That’s a lot more than talk as far as I’m concerned. For me, marriage would be a lifetime thing.”

“Yes. I know. We agree on that, on what it is to be married, that it’s forever.”

She searched his face. “It’s the marriage law, right? You have to choose a wife and you have to do it soon.”

“I do, yes.”

“But not until June. You have until then. We could…have more time together, a few weeks, anyway. We could get to know each other better.”

“I don’t need more time, Sydney. You’re the one. I know it. More time isn’t going to change that—except to make me even more certain that you are the woman for me. I don’t need to be more certain. I need…you. With me. I need at last to begin the life I’ve always wanted. The life my parents have. The life Max had with Sophia before he lost her. I want you to be mine. I want to be yours. I want every moment that God will grant us, together. Because fate can be cruel. Look what happened to Max. He thought he had a whole life ahead of him with Sophia. And now he’s alone. Every day they did have is precious to him. I don’t want to waste a day, an hour, a moment now, Sydney. I want us to begin our lives together today.”

“Oh, Rule…”

“Say yes. Just say yes.”

She wanted to. So much. But her inner skeptic just had to ask, “But…for a lifetime? I mean, come on. I looked you up on Google. You’re the sexy bachelor prince. I’m pretty certain you’ve never dated a woman like me before. A really smart, really capable, average-looking, success-driven career woman.”

His eyes flashed fire. “You are not average-looking.”

“Oh, fine. I’m not average. I’m attractive enough. But I’m no international beauty.”

“You are to me. And that’s all that matters. Plus, you’re brilliant. You’re charming. People notice you, they want to…follow you. I don’t think you realize your own power. I don’t think you truly see yourself as you appear to others. I don’t think you understand that strength and determination and focus in a woman—in the right woman—can be everything to a man. You’re not the only one who knows how to use a search engine, Sydney. I looked you up. I read of how you graduated college at twenty. I read about the cases you’ve won for your law firm. And with all that ambition and drive, you have a good heart. And a deep, honest, ingrained sensuality. And last but in no way least, you’re a wonderful mother—and you
chose
motherhood. Even with all your accomplishments, you also wanted a family. And when the men around you refused to be worthy of you, you found a way to be a mother, to make your own family. Of course I want you for my wife. You’re everything I’ve been looking for.” He brushed a hand, so lightly, along the curve of her cheek and he whispered, “Marry me, Sydney.”

“I…” Her throat felt tight. She had to gulp to relax it. “You make me sound so amazing.”

“Because you
are
amazing.” He pulled her into his arms again.

She went without resisting. “Oh, Rule…”

“Say yes.”

She tried to order her thoughts. “Can you move here, to Texas?”

His lips touched her hair. “That, I can’t do. I have obligations to my country, obligations I couldn’t bring myself to set aside.”

She puffed out her cheeks with another big breath. “Just like a man. I knew you were going to say that.”

“We can return often. My business dealings bring me to the States several times a year. Would it be so terrible, to live in Montedoro?”

“No. Not terrible. Just…huge. I would have to leave Teale, Gayle and Prosser…”

He rubbed her arm, a soothing, gentle caress. “I seem to recall that you said you were ready for a change in your work, that you would like a chance to help people who really needed your help.”

“Yes. I said that. And I meant it.”

“As my wife, there would be any number of important causes you might tackle. You would have many opportunities to make a difference.”

“But what causes? What opportunities?”

He tipped up her chin, kissed the tip of her nose. “My darling, I think that would be for you to discover.” She knew he was right on that score. And she was strong and smart and she learned fast. There wasn’t a lot she couldn’t do, once she set her mind and heart to doing it.

What about Trevor? He was young enough that the move probably wouldn’t be as big a deal for him as it might have been—if he were already in school, if he had to leave close friends behind.

She thought of Lani then. “My God. Lani…”

“What about your friend?”

“I would lose Lani.”

“You wouldn’t
lose
her. A friend is a friend, no matter the miles between you—and who knows? If you asked her to come with us, she might say yes.”

“So, Lani could come, too? If that worked for her. You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not. What I know of her, I like very much. And I want you to be happy. I want you to have your dear friend with you.”

“She might find it interesting. She writes, did I tell you?”

“No, I don’t believe you did.”

“She does. Right now she’s working on a novel. She might find lots to write about in Montedoro. She might enjoy the experience of living somewhere she’s never been before. Maybe she
will
want to come… .”

“So, then. You will ask her.” He kissed her again, on the cheek.

And she wanted more than that. So she turned her head enough that their lips met.

Heaven. Just heaven, kissing Rule. He guided her back onto the pillows and kissed her some more. She could have gone on like that indefinitely. But it was after three in the morning—on what she was actually starting to let herself think of as her wedding day.

She had a thousand things to do before they left for Las Vegas. She pushed at his chest.

He leaned back then, enough to capture her gaze. “What is it?”

“You really want to fly to Vegas today?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I want. Be my wife, Sydney. Make me the happiest man in the world. Bring your beautiful child and your excellent friend and we’ll be married today. And after that, come live with me in Montedoro.”

She reached up, touched that soft mouth of his. Oh, she did love touching him. Lightly, she smoothed the dark hair at his temples. She loved everything about him. And she was ready, to make a change.

To take a chance on love.

He spoke again, those black eyes shining. “I think Trevor would thrive if we married. I know you already have so much to offer him, that you’re giving him an excellent start in life. But if we’re together, he can have even more. For one thing, you would be able to spend more time with him. You could plan the work you choose to do specifically around him, during these years when he needs his mother most of all. And I would hope that, in time, we can speak of my adopting him.”

Was there a more fabulous man in the whole world? She doubted it. “You would want to adopt him?”

“I would. So much. And I would hope that we also might have more children—I know, I know. I promise not to expect
eight
more. But maybe one or two…?”

“Oh, Rule…”

“Say yes.”

She still had her hand on his chest, where she could feel the sure, steady beat of his heart. “I would need more time, here, in Dallas, before I could move to Montedoro. I have to give my partners reasonable notice. I can’t leave them scrambling when I go.
I
may be ready to move on, but it would be wrong to leave
them
high and dry.”

“Is it possible that you could be ready to go in two weeks?”

She gasped. “No way. Cases have to be shuffled, clients reassigned. I was thinking three months, if I really pushed it.”

“What if you brought them more clients, big clients, as a…compensation for making a quick exit?” He named a couple of big oil companies, a major health food and vitamin distributor and a European bank that had branches in the U.S.

Sydney realized her mouth was hanging open. She shut it—and then she asked, “You’re serious? You can deliver those?”

“Yes. I have a number of excellent connections worldwide. And if it doesn’t work out with one or two of those particular companies, I’m sure I can offer others just as good.”

“Well, I could possibly get away in a month or so, if my partners were grateful enough for what I brought them before I left.”

“I’ll get to work on that potential client list in the next few days. And I’ll arrange the introductions, of course. I think you might be surprised at how quickly you can wrap things up with Teale, Gayle and Prosser, once they know exactly how much business you’ll be bringing in before you go.”

He was right. It would make all the difference, if she brought in some big clients. “I can’t do it in two weeks. But if you bring the right clients, I’ll give it my best shot. I could manage it in a month. Maybe.”

His whole fabulous face seemed to light up from within. “I believe that you just said yes.”

“Yes.” She said the beautiful word out loud. “I did. Yes, Rule. Yes.” And she threw her arms around his neck and let her kisses say the rest.

* * *

“Wow, Syd. When you finally go for it with a guy, you
really
go for it.” Lani, in her pj’s, still groggy from sleep, was shaking her head as she reached for her glasses. But at least she was smiling.

It was ten of five on Sunday morning. Sydney had headed for Lani’s room the moment she walked in the front door and they were sitting on Lani’s bed. Rule had said he would return at eight and Sydney had promised to be ready to go. He’d told her that he would have a private jet waiting at the airport. It helped to be a rich prince when you wanted to elope to Vegas at a moment’s notice.