by Leanne Banks
“Thank God,” he muttered as he sat up, though his body was in complete disagreement. His body clamored for satisfaction, and his heart— His heart wasn’t involved, he told himself. His heart had no room for the woman who was the nanny to his daughter and who had just learned she was part royal.
* * *
The next morning, Coco tried to avoid Benjamin, which was difficult because the villa wasn’t that large. So she took Emma for walks in the stroller. Three of them. She was just about to leave for a walk on her own when Bridget called.
“Time for shopping,” Bridget said. “Now don’t turn me down. I know you’re not doing anything. Mr. Bernard reports that you’ve taken Emma on multiple walks.”
“I don’t know, Bridget,” she said and decided to be honest. “These boutiques may be a bit out of my price range.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Eve wants to give this to you as a gift,” Bridget said.
“Oh, no. I couldn’t,” she said, horrified at the prospect.
“She’ll be terribly offended if you don’t accept. Eve is so kind and wonderful. You wouldn’t want to offend her, would you?” Bridget asked, and Coco couldn’t help thinking she was being played.
“I’m sure she would get over it,” Coco drawled.
“Oh, stop being so difficult. Even if you don’t find anything you like, it will get you off the palace grounds, and you shouldn’t miss Chantaine’s downtown area. Some find it quite quaint.”
Coco couldn’t disagree with the idea of escaping Benjamin for a while. “All right,” she said. “You’re very kind to invite me, but don’t count on coming back with anything for me.”
Soon enough, Coco learned that Bridget was one pushy princess. “Oh, please,” Bridget said after they’d cruised through the second boutique. “You’re making this miserable. There’s got to be something you like. There are so many dresses that would look wonderful on you.”
Coco shrugged. All the prices had been out of her range so far. “You know how it is when you can’t find exactly the right dress,” Coco said as she sifted through a rack of dresses. She wandered toward a sale rack in the back of the store.
“Trust me, there’s nothing there,” Bridget said. “Come back up front.”
Coco continued to flip through the rack and found a simple sapphire-blue full-length dress. The price was still a little high, but...
Bridget came to her side. “Lovely color. A little plain, but with a little jewelry, it would do.” She glanced at Coco and smiled. “You have Devereaux eyes, only a little sweeter.”
“You’re the sweet one,” Coco said. “Putting up with me to do all this shopping.”
“Oh, trust me,” Bridget said. “This is a pleasure after playing ranch frau this morning. Now try on your plain dress. I’m ready to disapprove and we’ll move on to the next shop.”
Coco tried on the dress and loved it. She loved that the color was vibrant and the design simple, a V-neck with an A-line that flattered her slim frame.
Bridget crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “I want to veto it, but something about it is perfect. We can do something with your hair, give you some jewelry, the right shoes.”
“Shoes?” Coco echoed. “I have black heels.”
“We can do better than that,” Bridget said.
Coco felt a sinking sensation. “Better than black heels?”
“Of course we can,” Bridget said.
Coco wrestled with Bridget to pay the bill. For a moment there, it could have gotten bloody, but Coco pulled out the guilt screws. “This is embarrassing me,” Coco said.
Bridget immediately backed off. For a full moment. “Fine,” she said. “But I’m still getting your shoes.”
Chapter Nine
Two nights later, Benjamin paced the front room, dressed in his suit, tugging at his shirt collar. What had possessed him to agree to go to this gala? He could have said no-how, no-way, but he’d thought his absence might look odd since he and Coco were supposed to be engaged.
Now he was stuck with what would likely be the most uncomfortable evening of his life. He took another gulp of water and paced the front room again.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a vibrant blue color and he spun around. Coco entered the hallway, looking beautiful in a long evening gown with a sparkly headband and bracelet. Her hair was a mass of tousled waves, her face enhanced with a hint more makeup than usual. Her lips glistened and she licked them, making him wanting to kiss her.
“Do I look okay?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. You look beautiful,” he said.
Relief smoothed out her features. “Thanks. You didn’t have to say that.”
“It’s true. That dress looks great on you. The color almost matches your eyes.”
“Thanks. I found it on the sale rack.”
“You didn’t have to get a clearance dress,” he said.
“I didn’t want to overspend. And I didn’t want the Devereaux to pay for it, even though Bridget insisted they would,” she said and fiddled with her wrap.
“I would have bought you a dress. Heaven knows you’re due a bonus after dealing with Emma nonstop,” he said, chuckling.
She met his gaze and smiled. “Maybe, but I wanted to pay for this myself.”
“You just didn’t want to be one of those illegitimate moochers,” he joked with her.
She laughed with him. “You’ve got that right. I know you can’t wait to go tonight.”
“Oh, I’ve been so excited all day that I can hardly stand it,” he said in a dry tone. “I haven’t been this excited since I went to the Super Bowl.”
She swatted his chest. “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” she said.
“Ouch, you have a mean right hook,” he said.
“Again, liar, liar—”
He held up his hands, enjoying the fact that she was acting relaxed with him. Since the night they’d almost had sex, she’d frozen him out. He knew he deserved it, but it sure as hell didn’t feel good.
“Okay, okay,” he said. “When is the babysitter supposed to get here?” he asked.
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Benjamin answered and a young woman entered.
“Please forgive me. I’m Natalie and I’ve been helping Princess Bridget’s twins. I’m here to take care of your baby, Emma. Are there any specific instructions?” she asked.
“If the bottle doesn’t work, you can give her a small amount of cereal,” Coco said.
“She likes Cheerios, but hopefully she won’t be awake long enough for that,” Benjamin said. “If she wakes up after you’ve put her to bed, when all else fails, sing to her.”
“But she loves to be rocked,” Coco added.
And so it went for several moments. Natalie duly wrote down all of Benjamin and Coco’s instructions and suggestions, which, after all was said and done, could have been the first chapter of a book.
“You’ll call if you have any problems at all?” Coco asked, halfway wishing she could stay in the villa instead of going to the gala. She was growing more nervous with each passing moment.
“Enjoy the party,” Natalie said. “Your baby will probably sleep all the way through. If she doesn’t, I will rock her and sing to her.”
Coco felt a surge of relief. “Thank you. But you’ll call...”
“Yes, I will call. Please go and enjoy,” Natalie said. “Your car is waiting.”
Coco took a deep breath. “Then we should leave,” she said and glanced at Benjamin.
“Yes, we should,” he said and ushered her out of the villa to the car.
Benjamin looked amazing, Coco thought, as he helped her into the car. He was dressed Texan formal in a black suit, bolo tie and his black hat. He hadn’t worn his hat
in a while so he wouldn’t frighten Emma. He looked sexy enough to kill. And it would take all she had not to be the victim of this murder.
She crossed her left leg over her right and pumped it.
“That’s some shoe,” Benjamin said.
Coco glanced down at the sparkly pump and smiled. “Yes, it is. Bridget insisted. I insisted that it was on sale, which it was.” She pumped her foot again. “It almost looks like Cinderella’s slipper, doesn’t it?”
“Well, I never wore Cinderella’s slipper, but yeah, I can see the resemblance,” he said. “Nice legs.”
Coco immediately pushed her dress over her leg. “Thank you,” she murmured.
Seconds later, the limo stopped in front of the palace and the driver escorted them out of the car.
“Thank you,” Benjamin said and slid his hand behind Coco’s waist. “Nice that they let us in the front door this time,” he said.
She glanced up at him and felt a camera flash, saw it in her peripheral vision. “This is going to be different,” she managed, meeting his gaze.
“Get ready for the circus, darlin’,” Benjamin said and they walked inside the palace.
A string orchestra played beautiful music and waiters served appetizers and champagne. The chandeliers sparkled like diamonds. The marble floors gleamed, making Coco fear she’d fall on her derriere! A girl needed tennis shoes, not heels, in this situation.
“It’s so beautiful,” Coco said. “Look at all the dresses.”
“If you say so,” Benjamin said. He nodded at a server. “Can you get me a beer?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be right back,” the server said.
“Bet it won’t take him long,” Coco said.
“Why?” Benjamin asked.
“Because you’re so threatening,” Coco said.
“I’m not threatening,” Benjamin protested. “I just want a beer.”
Coco snickered. “You still scared him.”
Benjamin shot her a mock frown. “Why aren’t you more afraid of me?”
“Because I am magic for your daughter,” she said.
Benjamin shrugged. “Can’t deny that,” he said and suddenly his beer appeared. He glanced at Coco and lifted an eyebrow before he nodded at the server. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure, sir. Please let me know if you need anything else,” the server said and walked away.
A man in uniform appeared at the top of the double staircase and rang a bell. “Please proceed to the ballroom to your right. The royal family will arrive soon.”
The crowd moved toward the ballroom, and Coco became separated from Benjamin. She craned her neck to find him in the crowd, but couldn’t see him. She should have been able to see him with his Stetson, but every time she looked above the crowd, someone raised an arm or a tall man walked in front of her.
“Lovely lady,” a man said to her.
Coco glanced to her right and gazed at a middle-aged man with piercing blue eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “Please excuse me...”
“A Yank,” the man said in delight. “An American. We’re deluged with Italians and French. How did this happen?”
Coco shrugged. “Lucky, I guess,” she said.
A half beat later, she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around, hoping it was Benjamin. Instead, it was Bridget.
“How are your shoes?” Bridget asked with a beaming smile.
Coco paused then gave a mangled curtsey. “Your Highness,” she said.
Bridget waved the courtesy aside. “Oh, stop. Show me your shoes.”
Coco obediently lifted her Cinderella pumps. Bridget clapped her hands and smiled. “Excellent. You look ravishing. I’ll check in with you later.” She looked past Coco and her smile fell. “Oh, hello, Rodney. Ciao.”
“You’re good friends with the princess,” Rodney said as Bridget walked away.
“No, not really,” Coco said.
“You must be. She was quite friendly with you and knew about your shoes.” Rodney squinted at her. “You have the Devereaux eyes,” he exclaimed. “You have an American accent.” His eyes widened in recognition. “I saw your photo on the internet. You’re the illegitimate Devereaux. No wonder Princess Bridget was nice to you. I’m sure Stefan gave her instructions.”
Dismayed, Coco stared at him.
“And I’m Rodney, your third or fourth cousin,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m a black sheep of the family, too. You’re safe with me,” he said in a confidential tone.
But somehow she didn’t feel so safe. Instead, Coco felt confused and uncomfortable. “I need to leave,” she said.
“Stay with me. I can make introductions,” Rodney said.
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” Coco said. “I need to find my date. A pleasure to meet you,” she fibbed with a shrug and rushed away. Luckily enough, she ran far enough to run into Benjamin.
“Thank goodness,” she said.
“Trouble?” he asked.
“Some distant cousin of the Devereaux started asking questions. I had a hard time getting away from him,” she said.
“Then stay with me,” he said and enclosed her arm inside hers. “No one is competing for my presence.”
“Bet it’s the hat or the bolo,” she said, unable to keep herself from smiling.
“Who knows?” he asked, but clearly didn’t care.
The throng of people formed a long line outside the ballroom. “I wonder why this line is moving so slowly,” Coco said.
“Because one of the perks is the opportunity to meet the royal family just inside the door,” Benjamin said in a dry tone.
“How do you know that?”
“One of the servers told me,” he said.
Coco was tempted to bolt. She wasn’t interested in having her bad curtsey viewed by so many people, and she could tell that Benjamin was bored out of his mind. “You’re hating every minute of this, aren’t you?”
“Well, it’s not a ball game or a barbecue,” Benjamin said. “I’m trying to look at it as a trip to the circus.”
Coco laughed. “I like the idea of the circus.”
“It’s not just an idea,” Benjamin said. “Look at how all these people are dressed. Feathers?”
“You could say the same about me,” she said. “I. Sparkle. Kind of.” She glanced down at the broach between her breasts.
He shook his head. “You look beautiful. No feathers. No way you look like a freak.”
She smiled up at him. “Well, I guess that means I should thank you, though I’m not feeling overly flattered.”
Benjamin leaned toward her. “You look damn good,” he whispered in her ear.
“Thanks,” she whispered. “You look pretty damn good yourself.”
“It’s the hat,” he said.
“Yeah, and Emma would totally agree,” Coco shot back.
He frowned at her.
“It’s true,” she said. “You and your Stetson. Scary.”
“I’ll make you change your mind,” he said, ushering her closer to the doorway into the ballroom.
* * *
Finally, Coco was presented to Stefan and Eve. She curtsied. Again, awkwardly.
Stefan nodded and extended his hand. “I’m glad you could attend tonight. I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” Coco said.
“My pleasure. I’m grateful for your positive words to my wife,” he said.
Coco nodded. “I wish you both the best,” she said and was led to Eve.
“Good to see you,” Eve said. “I love it that you curtsey the same way I did,” she said with a chuckle.
“I suspect that’s not a compliment on my form,” Coco said.
Eve nodded. “But your advice to me
was superior,” she said.
“How are you feeling?” Coco asked.
“Good right now. I’m taking advantage of my good moments then resting during my other times. Thank you for coming tonight,” Eve said and turned to Benjamin. “And you, too. You’re a lucky man to have Coco.”
Benjamin slid his hand around Coco’s waist and nodded. “That, I am.”
They were led away from Eve. Hating her instant emotional reaction to his touch, Coco moved away from him as soon as possible.
“You’re going to need to pretend a little better,” he said in a low voice next to her ear.
Again, his closeness made all her nerve endings jump. “I guess I’m not as good at pretending as I hoped I’d be.”
“Looks like they have a good spread of food. Maybe that will make you feel better. I think there’s even some chocolate. I’ll get you a glass of champagne,” he offered and walked toward a server.
Coco immediately felt a sliver of relief that he’d stepped away from her. She needed to get better control of her reactions to him. Coco didn’t want to make a fool of herself over her boss. She tried to distract herself with the beautiful display of appetizers and desserts.
Benjamin returned with her champagne as she nibbled on a few bites of a crab cake. Seconds later, a band began to play. “Ladies and gentleman, I present Her Highness Bridget and her husband, Dr. Ryder McCall. Let the dancing commence.”
Several couples immediately joined Princess Bridget and her husband on the dance floor. Coco watched, entranced by the scene. It was like something out of an enchanted story, more beautiful than any movie could capture. The women’s dresses reflected the light from the chandeliers, and the men looked so handsome and sophisticated. Their reflections echoed off the mirrors on the walls of the ballroom.
“Wanna dance?” Benjamin asked.
Coco whipped her head around to look at him. “No,” she immediately said.
“You look like you do,” he said with a shrug.
“It’s just so beautiful. All of it. The people, the women’s dresses, the mirrors and the lights. Have you ever seen anything like it?”
