“If you don’t move him,” Nicholas raised an eyebrow but not his voice, “I’ll marry you off to the prince of—”
“Okay. Okay. We were just going.” Tashya reached up and tweaked Alexander’s ear.
“Ow,” he complained, and the baby giggled as Tashya dragged them from the crowded bathroom.
Ericka, Nicholas, Sophia and the two boys still remained. Sophia leaned over, took each boy by the hand. “Tell Miss Ericka that you are sorry.”
“We didn’t do anything bad,” Dimitri muttered.
“Yes, you did.” Nicholas kneeled down by the little boy and looked him in the eye. “It’s bad manners to enter a lady’s bathroom without permission.”
“I thought she was dead. She wasn’t moving.”
The child was so sincere that Ericka couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
Sophia threw up her hands in exasperation. “Dimitri, what have I told you about wandering around the beach house?”
“I forgot.”
“Dimitri!” Sophia shook her head and glanced up at Ericka with a my-kid-is-cute-but-impossible look. “I’m really sorry.” She scooped Kita onto her hip, seized Dimitri by the hand and yanked them both out of the bathroom.
With almost everyone gone, Ericka should have felt as though she had more room, not less, but Nicholas seemed to fill the entire space. He’d changed into immaculate riding attire that made his long legs appear longer, his broad chest broader. Although his hair remained damp, he’d run a comb through it, and he seemed to have shaved. She on the other hand wore only a towel. He looked unruffled and completely in control, while she felt as if the room didn’t have enough oxygen to breathe.
“Nicholas, why didn’t palace security stop those boys?”
“Security mostly guards the perimeter.”
“So once someone’s inside, they have free access to the rest of the quarters?”
“Here?”
“No, at the palace.”
“It’s the same there except for the royal office and my quarters which have additional guards stationed nearby. Why?”
“I was just thinking about how easily your brothers entered my room.”
Nicholas frowned. “If you’re worried about safety, I’ll ask Ira to assign you additional security here and at the palace.”
“Actually, I was thinking about your father and who might have had free admittance to his quarters.”
“We’ve considered the possibilities.” All too sure of his welcome, he stepped closer, enough for her to notice the flare of heat in his eyes, and suddenly she wondered exactly what kinds of possibilities he was currently considering.
Damn, she’d never wanted clothes so badly.
Slightly nervous and needing something to occupy her hands, she picked up a comb and ran it through her hair, tried not to recall him seeing her naked back and bottom. “Your brothers are adorable.”
“All of them?” He cocked one lean hip against the door frame and watched her closely.
Well, he wasn’t so sure of himself, after all. He wanted to know if she found Alexander attractive. Interesting. Was it jealousy or curiosity? Either way, Ericka figured Nicholas had had enough amusement at her expense and decided it was now his turn to squirm a little.
“How could I not find Alexander handsome when he looks so much like you?”
Chapter Five
“Why are women so difficult?” Nicholas asked his brother, Alexander. Ericka, Tashya and Sophia, and their house guests, Natalie Belosova, the wife of the secretary of state, and her daughter, Larissa, had gotten along well during lunch. His father believed that his advisors worked harder for their country after vacations with the royal family and Nicholas had kept up the tradition. Normally Nicholas didn’t mind guests at the beach house, but he would have preferred to have Ericka to himself. And while the lovely Larissa had kept trying to catch Alexander’s eye, Ericka had pretty much ignored Nicholas.
Nicholas supposed he should consider himself lucky that Larissa had welcomed Ericka with the polite graciousness her doting mother had probably drilled into her since birth. Larissa had been kind to Nicholas after his father’s death and she could have resented Ericka. Luckily, her romantic interest had seemingly turned from him to Alexander.
At least Ericka had ignored Alexander just as much as she’d ignored Nicholas. The only difference was that his brother didn’t care.
Now, as he and Alexander rode, the guards bringing along extra horses for the women, he had a chance to think. He hadn’t spent any time thinking about women this last year, not with his concerns over apprehending his father’s assassin. He knew his security teams had done their best, but they had so little to go on. The fiasco in the park today had brought back his old frustrations that he would never bring his father’s killer to justice along with a heightened sense of danger. Although the possibility had occurred to him, he didn’t believe the same person who had murdered his father had been behind the wheel of that car. But the driver could be taking orders from the traitor. So, like Ericka, he remained suspicious, edgy.
In the past, Nicholas had remained patient, but with Ericka clearly enjoying the rest of his family so much, he felt unsettled and sought closure so he could move on with his life. Perhaps his edginess had more to do with his brief glimpse of a nude Ericka in the bathroom mirror than his actual need for closure. She had a fine body. Toned muscles. Curves. Golden flesh. And he wasn’t quite sure, but he thought her natural hair color might be blond—not that he cared. She’d look good to him as a redhead, a blonde or a brunette. Maybe that was his problem. Since this morning he had held her on his lap, wrapped her in his arms and seen her naked. Hell, he might be a king, but he was still human.
Alexander reined in his magnificent white stallion to give them a chance to converse out of earshot of Tashya and Ericka, who were sitting under a bright red-and-white striped umbrella down the beach, and Sophia who was building sand castles with Dimitri, Nikita and the baby. The ever-present palace guards were in evidence, behind the brothers, around the women and kids, and even in a patrol boat offshore.
Nicholas relaxed whenever he visited the Black Sea Coast, the jewel in Vashmira’s crown, where European royalty had vacationed for generations. He was eager to show Ericka more of this most excellent part of his country. Tourism had been down after his father’s death, but it was almost back to normal.
Here the sea, tempting and hospitable, clean and calm, without any treacherous tides or dangerous animals, was safe for even the youngest holidaymakers. Half as saline as the Mediterranean, the Black Sea hosted century-old fishing villages, energetic seaside towns and plastic resorts, all of them competing to suck in hard currency. Tourists took refreshing dips in the warm waters, shopped at beachside kiosks or availed themselves of Russian vodka, Turkish coffee, German schnitzel or Bulgarian shopska salata at one of the dozens of cafés. Others rented paddleboats or hid from the sun under umbrellas while children frolicked in the shallow waters and created fanciful sand castles on the gently sloping beach.
Speaking over the sounds of the lapping waves and the horses’ hooves stomping in eagerness to go forward in the wet sand, Alexander still kept his voice low. “Is Larissa Belosova going to cause you any embarrassment?”
“Larissa?” Nicholas frowned and realized his brother had misunderstood which woman was giving him difficulties.
“She still likes you, Nicholas.”
“We’re just friends,” he denied, uncomfortable.
“She wants more. I am experienced enough to know the woman is flirting with me to make you jealous. Her presence here is unfortunate, the timing bad, but I suppose it would be rude to request that she leave since this vacation was planned months ago.”
“I suppose I should make some explanation to Ericka,” Nicholas said slowly.
“So if Larissa isn’t the problem, it must be our dear sister. Is she giving you a hard time again?”
Nicholas was not about to admit to his brother that the d
ifficult woman he’d been thinking about was neither his sister nor his former friend, but Ericka. “Tashya refuses to consider a political marriage with Moldova’s crown prince. She called him a toad—to his face,” Nicholas complained, but he couldn’t restrain a grin. Like all of Zared’s children, his sister had a mind of her own, a stubborn streak as wide and deep as the Danube. He admired her spirit, and yet, her refusal to cooperate with his political and economic objectives lay heavily on his shoulders and made his own marriage that much more necessary.
Nicholas had almost forgiven himself for not finding his father’s killer and bringing him to justice, but he would never forgive himself if his country backslid into socialism. To keep his country safe, he’d sought strong alliances through the age-old strategy of marriage just as his father had urged him to do. But not only had Tashya refused to marry the prince, she’d made an enemy of him. Currently the two countries, which shared a border, had no diplomatic relations.
Nicholas had wondered if the Moldovan prince could have been behind his father’s assassination, but he had not one lick of proof. It would make sense for Moldova to try to weaken Vashmira by taking out its leaders, and then invade to claim legitimate leadership. However, Nicholas had absolutely no proof of his theory.
“So what’s next on your agenda?” Alexander asked, his gaze arrowing between two royal guards to focus on a well-shaped woman in a skintight swimsuit.
“What makes you think I—”
“You always have an agenda. You don’t know how to relax.”
“Not true.”
“When was the last time you took a vacation?”
“I was just in New York—”
“Giving a speech at the United Nations is not a vacation.”
“I was in Tokyo—”
“To certify our international trade agreement.” Alexander’s neck swiveled to follow another bathing beauty, and Nicholas marveled that his brother didn’t fall off his horse as his body contorted in the saddle. “A vacation is wine, women and song. It does not include work.”
Nicholas refused to be sidetracked by his brother’s banter. “Father recognized that America is our best bet. Nothing’s changed.”
Nicholas glanced at Ericka who looked stunning in the riding outfit Tashya had lent her, but then Ericka would look good in rags. “I should have arranged for Ericka to visit sooner. We need this alliance with the United States.”
Alexander frowned. “Father made your marriage contract with her for personal reasons, not—”
“Do not fool yourself. Dad’s personal reasons dovetailed quite well with his political agenda.”
“You going to marry her?” Alexander asked him with a sympathetic glimmer in his eyes.
“Would you marry a stranger?”
“I don’t wish to marry at all.” Alexander eyed the breasts of a woman sunbathing topless in front of an exclusive hotel next to their beach house. “However, you don’t have much time to solidify your engagement before the coronation.”
“I should refuse, and let you marry her,” Nicholas threatened his brother, knowing Alexander would find the threat an empty one.
Unlike Nicholas, who put the needs of his country first, Alexander had established a more carefree private life that included parties, women and leisure travel. As usual, the woman on the beach noted his brother’s interest, picked up a bottle of sunscreen and seductively massaged the oil into her dusky skin.
Since his father’s murder, Nicholas hadn’t had the time to indulge in passion or to brood over the lack of intimacy in his life. He’d been content to remain single and had had no great desire to marry, although he thought that someday he would settle down. He spent his days conferring with his advisors over the best way to attract tourist dollars, improve health care and guard their country from enemies both inside and out. In addition, he oversaw the continuing investigation into his father’s assassination.
Ericka Allen’s contacts and connections would be an invaluable asset to his country. She had the intimate knowledge of the workings of American politics that an outsider would never have. She was smart, attractive, courageous. And she’d managed to ignore him all through lunch. The thought stung. Women did find him attractive, although they usually preferred his brother.
Alexander and Nicholas both shared their father’s height, his broad shoulders and dark hair, yet the ladies gravitated toward Alexander, whose eyes were a lighter shade of blue and perhaps a tad less serious. The brothers might look alike, their chins square, jaw-lines and thick brows similar, but women flocked to Alexander, who loved parties, dancing and music, perhaps traits passed on to him from their French-born mother, Brigette LaFarge.
Nicholas preferred to spend his limited free time on solitary sojourns through the city streets and outlying villages. He enjoyed reading Ludlum and Clancy, playing checkers, and cooking rich French food, apparently the only attribute he’d inherited from their mother.
He liked women. And he certainly liked Ericka Allen. Although he’d always hoped to marry for love—not political necessity, the more time he spent around the American, the less he was opposed to a union with her. In fact, he was looking forward to the challenge of convincing her to stay in Vashmira—however, he should have allowed himself more than a week. What had he been thinking?
Alexander grinned at him. “I’m not the best man for the job, and we both know it.”
If Nicholas had seen Ericka’s picture a year earlier and had known of her strong values and work ethic, perhaps he wouldn’t have been so reluctant to meet her, but now that he had, her physical attributes were the least of his concerns. “Perhaps she won’t want me.”
Alexander speared him with a piercing stare. “Is that what you’re hoping? That she’ll refuse you?”
Not anymore.
His brother could exhibit a keen perception when he chose to focus his mind, but Nicholas maintained a stoic expression, not about to let Alexander know his jab had struck home or that he’d since changed his mind. When he remained silent, Alexander continued, “Doesn’t every little girl dream of her prince sweeping her away and living happily ever after?”
“This isn’t a fairy tale,” Nicholas replied with more irritation than he’d intended. Where was his famous royal calm when he needed it?
His brother could be very direct. “Marriage and a family will make you appear a more stable leader to our countrymen and our allies. Besides, left to your own devices, I doubt you’d wed before you’re too old to sit on a horse.”
“I don’t see you settling down.”
“Why should I?” Alexander’s eyes sparkled, “when there are so many women ready to satisfy my every desire?” He veered off, heading toward the bare-breasted sun worshipper on the beach. The royal guards assigned to his brother followed. The majority stayed with Nicholas, keeping everyone protected.
Nicholas nudged his horse into a trot, pleased he was heading toward Ericka and not some stranger like the woman lying in the sun. He hadn’t wanted to marry an American, but Ericka no longer seemed like a foreigner. She stood chatting with Sophia and the Belosovas as if they were old friends and she hadn’t a care in the world. Her curly auburn hair sparkled in the sunlight, her green eyes vibrant.
He rode slowly, thinking through the details. He couldn’t move too fast in his courtship—such an old-fashioned word, but the only one appropriate for their situation—or she would discern his intentions and possibly depart before they had a chance to know one another better. Yet, his coronation ceremony was next week and by then he would have to announce his engagement.
Add to his difficulties the ever-present palace security dogging his footsteps and he realized that serious alone time with Ericka would have to be planned as carefully as any military campaign—especially since he dared not dismiss those guards after the problems in the park. Up ahead, guards surrounded his younger brothers. Sophia’s dark locks contrasted with the white hair of Natalie Belosova, who visited with Sophia and played with
the boys in the sand. Ericka took it all in, Tashya wiping sand from the baby’s mouth, Sophia’s hands guiding the two boys’ efforts to build a sand castle. Larissa had eyes only for Alexander, who was flirting with a woman down the beach.
Dimitri spied Nicholas’ Arabian, squealed and ran toward him on chubby legs. “Nicky! Up. Up. Up!”
Nicholas looked at Ericka. “Would you mind some extra company?”
“Of course not.”
A guard stepped forward and handed Tashya and Ericka the reins of their mounts. Nicholas enjoyed the sight of Ericka swinging gracefully into the saddle. Beside her, Tashya and Larissa mounted their horses. His sister spun her horse back toward the way he’d come. “I think I’ll check on Alexander.”
“I’ll go with you,” Larissa told his sister.
“He may not wish to be interrupted,” Nicholas said.
Tashya laughed. “That should make it oh-so-much-more fun.” In a moment, she’d urged her horse into a gallop, leaving Larissa to follow.
“Up,” Dimitri demanded again. “Want ride.”
Nicholas knew that some women would object to his taking the kids along, but Ericka seemed more fascinated by the children than upset. Damn it. He needed her to want to be alone with him, but she seemed quite content with the prospect of company.
He nodded and a guard handed Dimitri into his arms. He’d always been unable to resist the child’s boisterous energy. “Hang on, little guy.”
“Me, too,” Nikita demanded, his arms already up, waiting for a lift.
Nicholas settled Dimitri behind him and Nikita in front of him. Seeing that he’d been deserted by everyone except his mother, the baby, Pavel, began to cry. At one, three and five years old, his little brothers would grow up to be men with no memories of their father. The thought saddened Nicholas, and he held out his arms to take Pavel from Sophia.
Royal Target Page 7
