Along Came A Prince

by Carlyn Cade

  Clay laughed. “Do you always cheat like this?”

  She opened her mouth obediently as he slid the strawberry into it.

  He reached into the refrigerator and took out two more strawberries. “This time, you play fair.”

  She looked at him innocently. “You got beat by a girl, do you realize that?” He stuck the strawberry close to her mouth and she bit off half of it.

  “A loss to you in this game is not a loss.” He stuck the rest in his mouth. “I win.”

  “Now’s who cheating?” Stacia asked. “Ah, let me see.” She checked the refrigerator for her next choice. “Those shrimp look delicious. Want to try to break the tie with those?”

  “Your rules or mine?”

  She laughed and protested. “You have no rules. I made up the game, so we have to play by my rules.” She pulled out two shrimp.

  They crossed their arms together…and eating was forgotten... as the kiss of desire began. Stacia realized the “starting over point” had struck out again. They were now taking up where they left off before...and then some.

  ♥♥

  Stacia and Clay arrived at the South Chapel at exactly seven forty-five. Two armed security guards admitted them into the room. The inside of the chapel entrance was luxurious. It could have been a church in any city anywhere. It denied the ordinary white-chapel boxed look Vegas was famous for. The architectural design was incredible with its primary color brown with all the trimmings. Huge flower arrangements, reminiscent of the ones in her villa, brought the brown woodwork on the walls and the carpeting to life. Everything about it spoke of the elegance that was spread around when it was designed and decorated.

  Steps away was the entrance to the chapel itself.

  Linda and Sam were already seated in the front pew. “Hal’s in with his mother,” Sam said, pointing at a closed door.

  “Why the guards?” Clay asked.

  “You never know when you’ll need them,” Sam replied. He turned to the security guards. “Everyone’s here. You can close the doors now.” The men complied with his request.

  “Shouldn’t I go in there?” Stacia asked. “Don’t I walk down the aisle first?”

  “This is going to be an informal affair,” Sam explained. “You and Clay can take your places at the altar with me. Only Helen and Hal will walk down the aisle.”

  “Here are your flowers,” Linda said. She picked up a bouquet made with exotic flowers and handed it to Stacia. “And here, Clay, this is for you.” She pinned his boutonniere onto his lapel.

  The Justice-of-the-Peace walked into the room. He took his place at the altar and asked the groom and the attendants to come forward.

  Sam sighed. “Guess this is it,” he said. “My last seconds of bachelorhood, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  The wedding party took their places at the altar. The Justice-of-the-Peace motioned to the organist to start the wedding march. Linda, acting as the photographer, stationed herself near the door where the bride and her son would be entering.

  The door opened. Helen and Hal came out. She was wearing a soft blue dress and carrying a large bouquet of white orchids.

  Stacia blinked. She blinked again and then her mouth dropped open. It couldn’t be! But yes, it was. Around Helen’s neck was the eight million dollar necklace Stacia’s ice double had worn at Harrods!

  Helen walked slowly down the aisle, her fingers resting delicately on Hal’s arm. With each step she took, the lights in the room bounced off the necklace, creating an almost blinding brilliance.

  So much for keeping this wedding simple! Stacia thought.

  Hal kissed his mother on the cheek and handed her over to Sam. Helen and Sam smiled at each other, and the wedding ceremony began.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  All through the wedding, the reception in Helen and Sam’s villa with the chef and butler present, the gambling Clay and she did later, and even when he said goodnight to her, he behaved like the gentleman prince he was. There was no touching...no kissing...just a friendly, have-fun-attitude – the kind she experienced whenever she was with her…brother.

  It suddenly occurred to her that he was now treating her the same way she’d treated him in the beginning. Lightly. Carefree. And un-sexual. He’d managed to sneak in a kiss once in a while back then. Maybe that’s what she should try now.

  After their final kiss in her villa that afternoon, he had to realize more than starting again was involved.

  However he’d treated her in the past had worked in his favor. She’d fallen in love with him. So why couldn’t what was happening between them now work for her benefit? Why couldn’t he fall back in love with her?

  The problem was they didn’t have much time left to be together. They’d all be flying back to L.A. tomorrow. Then what? She’d start her next film shortly, and he’d leave for SwissDen. In approximately twenty-four hours, her life would be what it was a few days ago –

  alone – and without the man she loved.

  But what could she do about it? How could she make someone stay with her if he didn’t want to? The answers to both of those questions appeared to be a big fat nothing.

  Clay would be at her door momentarily to pick her up. Then they were going to meet the rest to have a day together gambling, shopping and sightseeing. She decided she’d enjoy herself, and let the Universe take care of getting them together – if it was meant to be.

  An hour later, the entire group was on their way. They shopped and gambled at all the big casinos along the Strip.

  “How does it feel to be married?” Clay asked Sam and Helen when the couples took a late afternoon break for lunch.

  “Great.” Sam laced his fingers through Helen’s. He raised her hands to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. “You should try it,” he said. “I love you,” he whispered to his wife.

  “I love you too.” Helen said, saving Clay from answering Sam’s remark.

  “You certainly surprised us with that necklace,” Stacia remarked, making sure the subject of Clay and marriage stayed closed. “I was completely blown away.”

  “It was Sam’s idea, naturally.” Helen looked at him and smiled.

  “I wanted my new wife to have the best, because she is the best,” he said.

  Helen kissed him, and the way she went at it left no doubt in Stacia’s mind that the new wife adored her new husband. When the couple finally descended from the clouds, Helen sat up straight.

  Sam straightened up too, bent his elbow and rested his head on his hand. He gazed at his wife, love written all over his face and smile.

  Stacia snuck a peek at Hal and discovered he had a wide grin spread across his face and was just as happy as she was for his mother and his new stepfather.

  “There was another reason I was pleased,” Helen said. “Whenever I wear my necklace in the future, I’ll always think of you two. You, Clay, for your creative genius and caring, and you, Stacia, for your beauty and friendship. Sam showed me pictures of the ice sculpture and the necklace when we were at Harrods, but I had no idea of its magnificence, or that he’d purchased it for me, until he gave it to me for a wedding present.”

  “It really was a surprise,” Linda exclaimed. “A dazzling surprise, to say the least. I’ve never seen a necklace as stunning and exquisite.”

  “Like my bride!” Sam inserted.

  “Are you two honeymooners sure you want to be with us any longer? If you want to be alone, just say so,” Clay said, laughing and shaking his head at Sam’s latest remark.

  “Yes,” Hal agreed with humor in his voice. “It’s time to start your honeymoon – somewhere else, please. We won’t mind. Linda and I are an old married couple. Stacia and Clay are…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I don’t know what they are?”

  Everyone laughed, even Clay and Stacia. She had to clap her hands because she thought she didn’t know what they were either…or where they were in their relationship, or if they were even in a relationship.

  “So wh
at’s the matter with a husband loving a wife, Hal? You say things like that to me all the time,” Linda said. “And you like to hear them back, don’t you?”

  “It’s not the same.”

  “Why not?”

  “Hey, wife. Stop cross-examining me, you lawyer you, or we’ll have to sneak away and settle this alone.” He wiggled his eyebrows and peered at her, then ended up giving Linda a big full-on-the-mouth kiss, encircling her in his arms at the same time.

  “Now who’s being romantic, Hal?” his mother asked.

  Clay laughed. “I hate to throw ice water on this conversation, but as beautiful as your love lives are, all four of you, there are two single people here.”

  “And whose fault is that, Clay?” Sam teased. “There’s still time for you two to get hitched.”

  Stacia felt her face turn red.

  “Sam, stop clowning around. You’re embarrassing Stacia,” Helen said.

  “I’m okay. Really,” Stacia replied as coolly as she could under the circumstances. “I’m used to being around all this love talk. My brother and his fiancée are very much in love too. They’re getting married in a couple weeks.”

  “Is Clay going to the wedding with you?” Helen asked, sounding way too innocent. Stacia suspected Helen was once again sprinkling a little of her matchmaking diplomacy.

  “I wasn’t asked,” Clay said.

  “I’m sure Josie and Ryan would love to have you attend their wedding,” Stacia gave him a big smile.

  “I could be persuaded to accept that invitation.”

  What do I have to do? she asked herself, then added out loud, “We’d love to have you. It would give you a chance to talk to Josie, and you can stay with me.”

  “You said the magic words. I’d be happy to go.” Clay grinned.

  “That was the easiest persuasion job I’ve ever seen,” Hal said.

  Stacia didn’t answer his comment. She was too busy thinking how all the slot machines she’d played in this gambling mecca would only spit out a few quarters or dollars. Nothing very big or monumental. She was a loser…so far. Now, with Clay going to Josie and Ryan’s wedding and staying with her, she just hit a huge jackpot and would be leaving Vegas a BIG winner.

  ♥♥

  The first morning Stacia returned home, she awoke with a start and sat upright in her bed. No, it wasn’t a dream. Clay really was sleeping in her guest bedroom again, and he’d be staying at her condo until Josie and Ryan’s wedding. With a yawn and a slight stretch to wake up her body to the new day, she contemplated the situation.

  This time she wasn’t worried about entertaining him in a Hollywood vs. SwissDen showdown. Everything about this stay would be different, except the prospect of any marriage. She was still convinced fate would not allow it.

  She would have to be satisfied just being in love with him, plus she had the present which was the only guarantee anyone had. And she was determined to share as much of her present as she could with Clay.

  Stacia checked her clock. Their days together would be pretty short if they didn’t get an earlier start than nine o’clock in the morning. She got up and showered, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and went into the living room. No Clay there. She checked the patio. Not there either. The kitchen was empty also. Was he still in bed?

  Maybe he’d changed his mind and left during the night. Her heart beat faster at that disturbing idea. She went into the living room and plunked down on the sofa.

  “Good morning,” she heard Clay say behind her.

  “Hi,” she said and turned around to greet him. Her eyes scanned her idea of a perfect man to wake up with. His hair was slightly rumpled, and his fingers combed through it just enough to arouse her. A slight beard grazed his chin. He was barefoot and dressed only in sweatpants, his muscular chest bronzed from the sun. As he stretched out in the chair across from her, he grinned which made him appear even sexier.

  “I was going to run earlier, but I realized I didn’t have a key to get back in,” he said. “I went back to sleep and woke up a couple minutes ago.”

  “I’ll get one for you now.” She jumped up and headed for her bedroom to get an extra key and handed it to Clay.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I really hate to miss my running every morning.” He stuck the key in his sweatpants pocket. “Now, what’s on the agenda for today?”

  “The last time you were here, I worried about how I was going to entertain you, but this time I thought we’d share in the planning.”

  “Good,” he said. “What should we share first today?”

  “How about starting with breakfast?”

  “I make a mean omelet,” he suggested.

  “Well, let me lead you to the kitchen, chef.” She stood and walked toward the kitchen.

  “Hey, I thought we were going to share,” he said as he followed her.

  Stacia laughed. “I guess that was our deal.” She got out a bowl for the eggs and the omelet pan. “You should be able to find what you need in the refrigerator. Clay found the eggs and chunks of ham and cheese. “Where are the spices?” he asked.

  She pointed to a nearby cupboard. “I’ll set the table on the patio.”

  “It’s not sharing, if we’re not together.”

  “You mean you need help cracking the eggs?”

  He nodded, a happy grin lighting up his face.

  She stood next to him at the workplace island in the center of the kitchen. She cracked an egg and gave it to him. He broke it open and dropped it into the bowl. They repeated the process until there were enough eggs for the two of them, then Clay handed her the wire whisk.

  “What?” she asked.

  “This is a sharing deal, remember?”

  “How do we share beating eggs?” She smiled up at him.

  “Like this,” he said softly. He walked behind her, put his arm around her and placed his hand on hers.

  Together, they began to whisk the eggs.

  “To make a good omelet, you have to beat the eggs until they’re fluffy,” he instructed.

  She couldn’t answer. She relaxed under the touch of his hand on hers making circular motions to blend the yolks and whites to become one golden mass.

  “That’s good, Stacia. You have a real talent for this,” he whispered, his breath brushing her cheek.

  She inhaled his scent, a mixture of the morning’s warm wake-up smell and the mint toothpaste he’d already used. The heat from his bare chest against the back of her t-shirt lit a fire inside her. He reached around her with his other arm and rested his hand on the counter edge, encircling her completely within his arms.

  They stood there almost locked together, enjoying the pleasure of their bodies connecting with one another while they continued to beat the eggs. Finally, he turned her to face him and kissed her.

  He stopped suddenly and dropped his arms. “Maybe...you’d better...set the table now...while I finish...this omelet,” he said, his words not synchronizing with his breathing.

  “Alone?” she asked in a small voice.

  “Although it’s not the preferred way, it’s the best choice.” He turned on the stove and placed the omelet pan on the burner.

  All she could do was stand there and stare at him. “If you’re trying to even the score for what I did in the woods at SwissDen, you just surpassed me.”

  “That wasn’t my intention, Stacia. I promised myself I wouldn’t kiss you, but when you’re next to me, you’re too damn sexy for me to resist. I can’t let that happen...yet.” He kept his back to her as he poured the eggs into the pan.

  Frustrated, she opened a drawer near her and pulled out two placemats and matching napkins. She shoved the drawer shut, reached up into the cupboard, and took out two glasses and considered slamming the door also. Instead, she closed it gently and headed for the patio.

  When she stepped outside, a fresh morning breeze surrounded her, and with it came the realization of the positive step forward they had just taken with their kiss.

  ♥♥<
br />
  Stacia didn’t need to worry about what they were going to do because Clay and her days were filled with being together, mostly talking and sharing everything. If they did leave the condo, they took long drives along the ocean front, or up into the mountains, anywhere they could continue to be alone. They had dinner one night with Sam and Helen who announced they were leaving shortly to fly around-the-world in Sam’s Gulfstream.

  Later in the week, Stacia invited Josie and Ryan for dinner – if they weren’t too busy with their wedding arrangements, she had stipulated. Assured that they weren’t, she and Clay planned the dinner menu. They drove to the Farmer’s Market, choosing the freshest produce, fish and bakery items they could find. Stacia wore sunglasses and a black floppy hat with her hair tucked inside, as usual, while Clay put on his Packers cap. They were back in the land of disguises.

  They hurried home with their treasures, and by the time their guests arrived, the meal was ready.

  “Hmm, it smells good in here,” Josie remarked as she and Ryan came into the condo.

  “Doesn’t smell like the charcoal grill is on,” Ryan teased.

  “We did a Josie meal tonight,” Stacia said. “No meat.”

  “We?” Josie questioned. “Meaning both of you? I’m impressed.”

  “Oh, we made omelets the other day together and decided we made a pretty good team as chefs.” Stacia looked at Clay and smiled. He winked at her and put his arm around her waist.

  “Are you sure you two only made omelets?” Ryan asked.

  “Why don’t you all go out on the patio? Clay has drinks ready, and I’ll get the hors d’oeuvres,” Stacia suggested, hoping to get away without answering Ryan’s question. She suddenly remembered she was getting to be a master at changing the subject when she didn’t want to admit something or answer a question. Moments later, she served the tray of appetizers amid the “delicious” remarks of her guests. They were equally pleased with dinner.