Pretend Princess (Cordillera Royals Book 1)

by Carolyn Rae

  “But surely, you can’t just have a baby out of wedlock.”

  Allysa crossed her arms on her chest. “Maybe I’ll move to America and pretend I adopted a child. I could return in a year and claim the child was an orphan I fell in love with.”

  Serena looked up from packing Allysa’s tapestry bag. “But Your Highness, people will talk.”

  The princess sighed. “No one would dare accuse me of anything to my face. I am the princess, and if I keep doing good works, I’ll win them over again.”

  She lay back on the chaise lounge, looking tired. “At least that’s what I hope.”

  Tricia was glad she didn’t have to face those decisions. Here she’d thought a princess had it made with dozens of suitors to choose from. Pretty clothes and fancy furniture might be nice, but more important things definitely overshadowed them.

  Tricia loved being with Lawrence, and she was sure he liked her. But he hadn’t said anything of love or that he was thinking of marriage. She did not want to share him with a mistress or watch him enter into a torrid affair that would fizzle when another pretty face caught his eye.

  If by some miracle, they did get married, Tricia was sure he’d support her if she did charity work, but if she actively pushed for more women’s rights, he might give her a hard time.

  Allysa put on the brown velvet riding jacket that echoed the rich brown of her hair. “Serena, would you pack my other riding outfit also?” The maid did, then brushed Allysa’s hair until it gleamed in the fading sunlight. A knock sounded on the door. Serena pulled it open. Lawrence stood there. “See, I’m ready on time,” Allysa said. She pointed to her bag. “Shall I summon a servant to carry that to the stables?”

  Lawrence shook his head. “I’m perfectly capable of managing that, and we don’t need to involve more staff.” He picked it up and stepped out into the hallway. “Come. We need to hurry. The fewer people see us with this bag, the less gossip we have to deny.”

  He smiled broadly at Tricia. “I should be back in time for a late supper. Would you wait for me and wear that green dress that matches your eyes?”

  He was still being charming. However, Allysa’s frown marred her delicate face. “That’s my favorite dress. Isn’t there something else she can wear?”

  Lawrence grasped her elbow and hurried her along. “She’s standing in for you. Don’t you want people to think you look good?”

  Allysa nodded. “I guess you’re right. Go ahead and wear it.” She walked over to Tricia. “I haven’t thanked you for standing in for me. I do appreciate it.? She turned and headed out the door with Lawrence.

  Tricia headed for the armoire. Serena touched her arm. “Mistress, I have already laid that dress on the bed for you. Do you wish me to help you into it?”

  Tricia shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t think my cousin realizes what a jewel you are. I appreciate all your help.”

  “Prince Lawrence may be gone for quite some time. Would you like to take a nap for a while?” Serena asked.

  “No thank you.”

  “I can get you a snack from the kitchen. The cook made cinnamon rolls. Would you like me to get you some of those and some tea or coffee?”

  “Bring two and some coffee for me and whatever you like. We can sit at that table.”

  Serena stared at Tricia. “But I never sit and eat with the princess.”

  Tricia smiled. “I’m only a pretend princess, and I’d enjoy your company. I won’t tell Princess Allysa.”

  Serena giggled. “I will enjoy that, and I’ll bring four cinnamon rolls.” She darted from the room.

  Later while talking with Serena, Tricia learned she had four sisters and had come to the palace at thirteen because her family needed her wages to feed the rest of the children. After learning her father had been killed in a hunting accident a year ago, Tricia offered sympathy.

  Then Tricia asked, “Have you ever heard that Prince Lawrence slept with any of the ladies-in-waiting?”

  Serena leaned closer. “I have heard that he fancies some woman at the palace.”

  “How could he get away with anything right under the queen’s nose?” She was about to add ‘and under the king’s nose,’ but if what she’d heard were true, the king would probably grin and say something like ‘that’s the way of young men.’

  Tricia frowned. That shouldn’t bother her, but it did. Why should she think she even had a chance with Lawrence with so many pretty women available?

  It was well after dark when Prince Lawrence knocked on her door. She threw the door open. He shut it behind him and drew her into his arms for a hearty kiss.

  Knowing that might be the last one she received, she responded eagerly, showing him how she felt. She couldn’t bear to think about leaving him, but she’d have to sooner or later. She nestled even closer to his broad chest and wrapped her arms around him.

  Pulling away at last, he smiled broadly. “You sure enjoy kissing. Have there been other men in your life?”

  She smiled and batted her eyelashes. “A lady never talks about her past.”

  He grinned. “Well then, I guess I’ll never know.” He pulled her back into his arms, and she melted into his embrace. He kissed her as his finger traced the low neckline of her dress, setting her breasts on fire. Heat rose from her chest to her neck and face.

  He pressed his lips to her shoulders and kissed a trail down to the top of her cleavage. He cupped her breasts, making her tremble at his touch. “So soft,” he murmured. “I love touching you.” He grinned. “I can see by your eyes that you like it.”

  If she told him she didn’t want this and more, she’d be lying. She couldn’t help herself. She let her hands circle his neck and play with his longish hair. It was wavy and crisp. He leaned down to kiss her again. His lips roved over hers. He dropped butterfly kisses on her cheeks and even her nose.

  She giggled. “I’ve never been kissed on my nose. I always thought it stuck out too much to look sexy.”

  He smiled. “Your nose is adorable. And what’s more, it looks just like my cousin’s. That’s why I chose you to take her place. That and other reasons.”

  She was wondering what else he meant when he grasped her hand and moved it to his mouth to kiss the back of it. “You will have to be princess for little longer, at least until she makes up her mind.”

  Joy blossomed inside. She could be with him at least for a day or two. She wanted to make the most of it. I’d love to go riding with you, but Princess Allysa took all her riding clothes, so can we go for a walk and take a picnic lunch into the woods?”

  Lawrence fingered his mustache. “I think the current princess needs another riding outfit. I will see if that can be arranged.”

  The next morning Tricia donned a gold dress belonging to Allysa and shared breakfast with Lawrence on the balcony. Serena stood in the open doorway. “The seamstress is here.”

  Prince Lawrence rose. “I need to meet with the Chamber of Commerce to help with plans to bring in more tourist business. Tell the seamstress to make you a shirt in that shade of gold. It brings out the color in your hair and looks most becoming. I will see you later.”

  As Lawrence walked out, two men walked in, carrying rolls of fabric. They returned in a few minutes with a sewing machine and a folding table, which they set up. After they left, the seamstress, a spare middle-aged woman, her hair pulled back into a bun, eyed Tricia from head to toe. “If Her Highness will kindly remove her outer clothes, I will measure her and get started on a riding outfit.”

  Serena unfastened the long row of buttons on the gold dress Tricia wore and took it off. The seamstress measured her as a young girl spread out material on the table.

  By midafternoon, the riding pants of tan ultra-suede and a gold satin shirt were finished. Tricia tried them on. They fit perfectly.

  Someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Tricia said, studying her reflection in the mirror.

  Lawrence opened it. “You look marvelous. Are you ready to go riding?”r />
  Chapter Twenty-two

  Tricia rode through the forest beside Lawrence. The thumps of horses’ hooves on the leaf-strewn path changed to thuds when they encountered patches of mud, but the most of the path was mud-free. Birds chirped. Above a hawk circled, swooping and gliding. A breeze rippled the leaves, showing the pale green undersides.

  Lawrence touched her arm. “I want to show you something. Follow me.” He turned his horse down a narrow path, barely noticeable, branching off from the main one.

  The path got steeper and the trees sparser. Rocks and low brush bordered the path. Lawrence dismounted, tied the horses’ reins to a tree and walked over to her. “Let me help you down.”

  Tricia threw one leg over, then let him grasp her about the waist and lift her down. Feet on the ground, she faced his engaging grin. He was about to kiss her.

  His kiss was thorough and mind numbing. Her lips tingled from his touch. He cradled her face and kissed her again, more tenderly this time. That wasn’t nearly enough. She needed his kisses like a parched wanderer needed water, like roses needed the sun, and like sand on the shore welcomed the incoming tide.

  Grasping her hand in his, he met her gaze, his brown eyes, warm and searching. “When I’m with you, I can’t stop wanting to kiss you and hold you, even when we’re in public. Your smile, your laugh—they draw me to you. Stay in Cordillera. You could finish your research for your degree and teach in a nearby university.”

  “But what about Allysa? When she takes her rightful place and people see me, they are bound to wonder.”

  “But you will be dressed in ordinary clothes and not always be accompanied by me, a servant or a soldier. They won’t even think you could be royalty.”

  “Are you saying I look ordinary?”

  Lawrence shook his head. “You are anything but ordinary. You understand people, and you speak your mind.”

  “Allysa does too.”

  “But you speak your mind about important things. You have a purpose in trying to help the women of Cordillera.”

  “I don’t seem to be getting very far.”

  “Change like that will take time. You cannot drop years of well-established customs overnight.”

  She was about to take issue with him, but that kind of change depended on the king. She bet the people would readily accept those changes if only the king would agree. If she wanted him to change his mind, she’d have her work cut out for her.

  Lawrence took hold of her hands and pulled them around him. “But let’s not talk about that now.” He pulled her against his firm body, hugging and squeezing her until her face was next to his cheek, and her breasts pressed against his chest.

  She could feel the tips tighten and tingle. She nestled against him, loving the feel of his cheek against her forehead and the tickle of his mustache when he kissed her. She wondered if he thought she only liked him because of his position. She’d want him in her life even if he were not a prince, but she had to think of her goals.

  He broke away and took her hand. “I want to show you something.” He unfastened a saddlebag and took out a blanket. After handing her the blanket, he hoisted the strap of the saddle bag over his shoulder. Then he led her higher up to the opening of a cave and spread the blanket on the ground in front. “Sit here where you can see the whole capital city of Cordillera and even some of the farms beyond the city limits.”

  She sat, cross-legged. It was warm in the sun. He shed his boots, and she took her shoes off. He settled down beside her and put his arm around her waist. Beyond the one and two story houses and shops the gray stone towers of the palace looked as if they’d stood there for ages.

  In the distance, she could just make out a farmer standing beside his field. From the height of his crops, she gathered it must be corn. Two hawks dotted the sky, one riding on the breeze, while the other flew in ever widening circles. To the south blue sky spread out above a mountain range facing them.

  “Your country—I never heard of it while I was growing up—how long has it been in existence?”

  “It began as an English-speaking settlement. It’s been here for more than one hundred years, but only in the early 1930s did it finally become established as a recognized country.”

  “So, what happened before then?”

  “First Spain would claim it and post soldiers at the border to fight off French marauders. Then France sent soldiers, captured the border force and threw them into prison. Finally, my great, great, great grandfather, a French noble married to a Spanish count’s daughter, led what today would be called a protest group. After a few short battles, he convinced both countries to let Cordillera exist as a jointly held protectorate. England had long since given up claim to it, but their prime minister wrote the treaty and supervised the signing on neutral territory. England also pledged to send soldiers if Spain or France broke the treaty.”

  “So, that’s why everyone here speaks English or French or Spanish. But I thought a protectorate, like Monaco, was only attached to one country.”

  “Well, in this case, neither France nor Spain would give in to the other, so both agreed to let it stand. In time of war, both are bound by treaty to defend Cordillera.”

  He rose. “I brought supper.” He pulled out a leather bag and unpacked food, paper plates and plastic spoons, forks, knives and even a small tablecloth. He set out fried chicken, potato salad and some coleslaw with pineapple, slivers of apple, walnuts, grated carrot and a sweet creamy dressing.

  Tricia stared at the chicken. Her mother always told her not to order fried chicken on a first date because it would look better to use a knife and fork instead of picking it up in her fingers. However, a plastic knife wouldn’t work well with fried chicken. She picked up a chicken leg and took a bite.

  Lawrence laughed. “I thought that’s what you’d do. I like it that you act naturally with me instead of trying to impress me. Some other lady would sit there in a quandary wondering what to do.”

  Tricia smiled. She felt at ease with him—except when he kissed her—and then she was swept away in a storm of passion, lingering long after his lips had left hers. She’d love to get used to his kisses and the thrills that coursed through her.

  Too bad there could never be a future for them. Despite what he said, she looked too much like the princess to be seen in public with him when his cousin returned to palace life. And if he continued to disagree with her hopes for women of Cordillera, they’d always be at odds.

  A bit later, pleasantly full, Tricia leaned back against the cave wall. Lawrence took another package from his saddlebag. Brownies, rich and chewy, were delicious. After finishing the last one, she was about to brush a crumb from her mouth, when he grasped her hand. Bending close, he licked the crumb away, then kissed her.

  Her insides went all mushy again. Her hands crept around his neck. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, roving and seeking. His hands slid from her shoulders to her sides. His thumbs touching her breasts sent warm chills through her. He kissed her neck. A breath of cool air on her skin told her he was unbuttoning her gold blouse. Then his lips moved down to the tops of her breasts, showing above her bra.

  He kissed both sides of her cleavage. “So soft, so warm, so touchable.”

  In seconds, he had the front clasp of her bra undone and was kissing her breasts. He raised up, meeting her gaze. “I want to caress you all over. I want all of you.” His brown eyes seemed to be pleading. “I did not plan this, but I cannot seem to leave you alone. I want my time with you to be special, but being close like this is too risky at the palace.”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. “But what if someone comes—?”

  “It is very unlikely. I specifically told my guards not to follow us.”

  He shoved the dishes and wrappings aside and settled beside her. Lying on his side, he took her in his arms. Anticipation set her senses reeling. His kisses took her to new heights of pleasure. His hands on her face were gentle yet commanding as he held her close, kissing h
er again and again. She shouldn’t be doing this, but being adored like this was heavenly.

  His hands caressed her breasts, sending waves of delight throughout. He stopped only long enough to slide her jacket, blouse and bra off her shoulders. Then he was kissing her navel and unzipping her tan pants. His hands dipped beneath her panties, electrifying her, making her pulse race, and her breathing speed up. She unbuttoned his shirt and couldn’t resist moving her hands over his firm chest and feeling the strong muscles beneath his warm skin. His smile told her he liked what she was doing.

  He suckled her breasts, making them swell and tingle. She couldn’t help arching toward him. She wanted to feel even more of his hungry mouth on her skin.

  “I love touching you,” he said. When she squeezed his tight buns, he grinned. “You are fantastic. No one ever…. A gentleman does not speak of other ladies, but you make me feel fantastic and wonderful beyond anything I have experienced.” He took her hand and placed it on his zipper. “Please continue.” His smiling face urged her on.

  She pulled down his zipper. The bulge in his silk briefs was enormous. It thrilled her to know she aroused him that much.

  She grasped both the briefs and his pants and pulled them to his ankles. His eyes opened wide. “You really move fast when you have a purpose.” He grinned. I can be purposeful too.” He followed suit with her pants and panties, then eased on top of her, a condom in place.

  He kissed her nipples and did wondrous things with his fingers between her legs. She writhed with impatience, surprised by how much she wanted to experience his loving.

  He knelt above her and spread her thighs. Slowly, he eased inside, making her wonder if she could take all of him. A brief pain barely registered. Seconds later, his enormous length filled her. Then he began to move, slow at first, then gaining speed like a locomotive racing up a mountain. Faster and faster he went. She met every thrust, exhilarated to share this with him. The ride was marvelous. His broad smile told her he was with her every second.