Prince and Single Mom

by Morgan Ashbury

  “Did I grow another nose?” he asked, knowing his tone would irk her.

  “No.” She moved closer and said, “My daughter went to Chez Rochelle last night.”

  The same restaurant he’d taken Catharine.

  Madeleine Cormier was more than just one of the nurses on the pediatrics ward. About the same age as his mother would have been, she’d taken him under her wing when he’d first entered med school, an act of kindness for which he would forever be grateful. He considered her and her family good friends.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t see her. I would have stopped and said hello.”

  “She thought perhaps you could only see the beautiful young woman sitting across from you.”

  Madeleine might be hinting for information, but Philip simply shrugged and smiled.

  A similar conversation had taken place at the breakfast table that morning. Rachel had been the only one to join him in the solarium, where the family met a few times a week for meals, and the preferred spot for breakfast.

  “You look alert this morning. Considering,” Rachel said.

  Since he had recognized his sister’s teasing tone, he’d played to it. “Considering what?”

  “Considering that it has been reported to yours truly that you danced up a storm last night at Anjou’s.”

  “No storms. Just dancing.”

  “You managed to talk Catharine into a date? Fast work. I’m impressed.”

  “So am I, little sister.”

  “And you’re smiling, so I will assume it went well.”

  He filtered through his brain those things a brother felt comfortable discussing with a sister. “We had a good time,” he said at last. “I like her. Very much.”

  Now he looked over at Madeleine and wondered what kind of thoughts one would offer a pseudo-mother. Her fishing for information didn’t surprise him, since she often gave him a hard time for not having much of a social life. Following his first instinct, he tried humor. “It’s very likely my attention was completely captivated by my dinner companion. You refuse to leave that man who entrapped you into marriage more than a quarter century ago. What am I to do?”

  Madeleine obviously knew his tactics as she didn’t bite. Instead, she pressed on. “My daughter, as you know, makes it a point to be well informed. She said she did not recognize the woman.”

  “I met her yesterday at the farm. She’s from Canada. She and her son are here for two weeks. We seemed to hit it off, so I invited her to dinner.”

  “Ah. At the farm. My cousin Remy seemed to think you’d met at the Medieval Fair.”

  Philip’s smile grew wider, in response to Madeleine teasing him back. “No, we didn’t meet there. I merely ambushed her there and fast-talked her into a date.”

  “I see.” Then her expression turned serious. “I don’t think I have ever seen you look quite like that when discussing a woman. Be careful not to lose your heart. She’ll be flying back to where she came from before you know it.”

  Philip smiled. Not if I can convince her to stay.

  * * * *

  Last night had been for fun, but today, she meant to set some ground rules. As Catharine followed the route marked on her map that would lead her back to the farm, she tried to go over in her head what those rules should be. Looking at her son’s face in the rearview mirror, she worried that one rule she should have made couldn’t be, now. There had been no way to deny Jamie another visit with horses, especially since he’d been included in Philip’s impromptu invitation back to the farm.

  One of the main reasons she hadn’t even looked at another man was she didn’t want to be one of those moms who introduced her child to a new “uncle” every few months. She remembered one particular social worker who had given her a real hard time, insisting on searching through Catharine’s apartment, looking for signs of an adult male occupant. “I know you girls. You just can’t keep your legs closed!” Of course, that had been when Jamie was about a year old. She’d been too intimidated, too young and too raw to speak out then. If anyone made a similar comment now, she would show them the door and have their job, too.

  Catharine put her attention back on the road as her thoughts continued to swirl. This wasn’t like that, she asserted. If she did take Philip as a lover, it didn’t have to affect Jamie at all. Especially considering that everyone concerned knew they would only be together for a limited period of time. So, the main rule: Keep it light, keep it fun.

  Catharine slowed the car as she saw the entrance to the farm. She’d forgotten about the gate, and the guard. She rolled down her window, somewhat surprised to be greeted with a deferential bow.

  “Mademoiselle Jones, welcome. His highness is awaiting you.”

  She nodded, and as soon as the gate opened, drove through.

  “Who’s his sinus?” Jamie asked from the back seat.

  Catharine burst out laughing. “He meant Philip, sweetheart.”

  “Oh, I get it. French again.”

  She was still chuckling when she parked the car where the bus had parked the other day. Before they got out of the car, Philip came out the door of the farmhouse and down the porch steps, tucking his shirt into his pants as he walked.

  “You made good time,” he greeted. Taking her hand, he turned and smiled at Jamie.

  “I’m so glad you came. How are you, Jamie?”

  “I’m okay. Where’s Francois?”

  “Jamie!”

  But Philip just laughed, tousled Jamie’s hair, and said, “Andre is bringing him up from the barn.” Then in an aside, he said, “Francois is a silly name for a horse. But my sister Rachel named him. What could we do?”

  “Oh, well. Names don’t have to be important, do they? He’s a good horse. That should be all that counts.”

  “You’re absolutely right. Names don’t have to be important.”

  Catharine shook her head for she’d caught Philip’s look when he’d said that. The same young man she’d noticed handling horses yesterday led the brown gelding into the paddock.

  “We’ll be back, Mom,” Philip said as he lifted Jamie over the fence, and then climbed over it himself.

  She couldn’t deny, even to herself, that Philip was comfortable with her son. Or that the two of them seemed to have hit it off, right from the first moment. Jamie’s eyes positively lit up with the attention he received from Philip. Her brother Craig spent as much time with Jamie as he could, but he had three children of his own. Perhaps she should look into getting Jamie into the Big Brothers program when they got back home. He needed some good, positive male role models in his life.

  Philip instructed Jamie for over an hour, never once seeming to tire, or to lose patience, even when the boy babbled on and on as he sometimes did. Finally, Philip called a halt to the riding lesson. Then he turned to Catharine.

  “Is it all right if Jamie goes with Andre to help groom the horse? If he takes lessons in the fall, it’s likely he’ll need to know how to do that. It should only take about a half-hour, and Andre will bring him up to the house when they’re done.”

  Jamie’s face so filled with hope that Catharine couldn’t say no. Instead, she said, “Mind your manners, young man.”

  “Awwright!”

  “I’ll take that as a yes?” Philip asked as he as he watched Jamie almost skipping beside Andre.

  “Yeah.”

  Rather than vaulting over the fence, Phillip walked down to the gate. When he stood beside her again, he held out his hand.

  She let him have hers, even as she knew it was likely a mistake. “I tried to think of all the ground rules that we should have for the time we spend together.”

  “Ground rules,” he repeated the phrase carefully, and Catharine knew he fought the urge to laugh. “Kate, I promise if I make love to you on the ground, I will have a blanket underneath you. Or me. Or whichever one of us is on the bottom. Is that what you mean?”

  Shaking her head ruefully, she said, “I don’t know what I mean any more. Last night we ag
reed to have fun, with serious conversation after. Well, this is after.” She’d promised herself she would keep everything simple. She intended to have a light-hearted and fun-filled fling, a sexual relationship for the first time as an adult, and then go home with some very special memories.

  But the man holding her hand, gently stroking his thumb over her knuckles, had already gotten to her in a way she hadn’t planned on.

  “Kate.”

  When he turned her into his arms, she didn’t resist. When he angled his head down and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on her lips, she yearned for more. And when he lifted her chin with a single finger, she couldn’t look away from the compassion in his azure eyes.

  “Kate. I’m not going to hurt you, or betray you. Just give me a chance. Open your heart, just a little, cherie, and give us both a chance.”

  Chapter 11

  Alex wasn’t certain how to broach the delicate subject.

  Delighted to be having dinner alone with Hannah, he’d spent the first few minutes over wine simply enjoying light conversation, the smile on her face, and her company. The waiter served their soup, a delicious shrimp bisque, and Alex finally braved the topic that had been on his mind since that afternoon.

  “Hannah, when your daughter passed me on the way back to your suite this afternoon, she winked at me. I’ve never had a young woman wink at me before. I wasn’t certain what it meant, or how to respond.”

  He didn’t know what he’d expected her reaction to be. But the delightful blush that kissed her flesh, and the coquettish smile that graced her lips surprised him.

  “Perhaps the appropriate response would be embarrassment. I’ve never cared for prevarication. I don’t believe there’s room for it in relationships. So, I let her know that you and I had been spending intimate time together.”

  “Oh.” Oh, hell. Not that he minded Hannah’s disclosure to her daughter. How could he, when he’d done as much with his own son? But that other little tidbit she’d casually dropped had him feeling a bit guilty.

  “You don’t look as if you approve.”

  “I’m sorry. Of course I do. I hope I don’t act like a guilty schoolboy the next time I’m in her presence.” Smoothly done, if he did say so himself. Reaching for his glass of water, he bathed the prevarication from his throat. A new, intriguing thought occurred to him, one that pushed his disquiet, and potential embarrassment aside. “Does that mean you might spend the night with me?”

  “I might.”

  “Good.” He couldn’t resist picking up her hand and kissing it. He wanted very much to spend the night with her. To fall asleep with her in his arms, and awaken with her beside him in the morning. It might prove to be addicting. He was more than willing to take the chance.

  “I thought I’d like to see some of the city in the next day or so. I wondered if you’d like to show me a bit of your country?”

  “And I just thought how enticing the possibility of chaining you to my bed for a day or two would be, now that your daughter won’t worry about where you are. Speaking of whom, she seems to be keeping herself and that wonderful son of hers entertained.” In the back of Alex’s mind, he wondered if he should be worried about how well he could to shift conversational directions on a personal level. An excellent skill for a monarch to have, he wasn’t convinced it served a lover equally well.

  “He is wonderful, isn’t he? Thank you for playing with him today. I could tell your attention absolutely thrilled him.”

  He liked the way her eyes softened at the mention of her grandson. And here, at least, he could be completely honest. “No thanks are necessary. I had an enjoyable time with him. Your daughter has done an excellent job raising him. She—and you, for you raised her—should be very proud.”

  “Thank you, Alex, that’s a sweet thing to say. And as for where they are, she mentioned making a couple of friends yesterday, one of whom invited them to dinner.”

  Alex sat back while the waiter cleared the soup bowls, removed crumbs from the table with a small brush and tray, and then served the plates of salad. He declined fresh pepper, as Hannah did. Remarkable, really, how much they had in common when it came to food and music.

  And sex.

  “Something occurred to me this morning,” she said. “I really don’t know anything about your country’s royal family. But I heard the oddest thing. I heard that one of the princes had become a doctor. And I thought, well that can’t be right.”

  Alex couldn’t prevent the proud smile that took over his face. It came upon him whenever he thought about any of his children. Mindful of his words, he replied, “It is, indeed, true. Philip, the youngest son, is a pediatrician. His older sister is a teacher, and has recently accepted the position of administrator at the Royal Boisdemer Home for Children.”

  “Well, that’s extraordinary. For some reason, I had the impression that the youngest son was a bit of a roué, a playboy of the highest order.”

  “He most certainly is not!” Alex felt his indignation rise, but couldn’t stop it. “That young man is a fine, responsible human being, a credit to his family and his country. He’s no monk, mind you. Who could expect a young, unattached male to be? Especially one who works so hard taking care of young children, suffering with them and their families as he does when things take a turn for the worst or when, most sadly, one of those little ones dies. A roué indeed. The very idea is an insult.”

  He looked over at Hannah and saw, to his dismay, the hurt expression on her face. As he watched, she schooled her expression into one of bland politeness and carefully set her fork down.

  “I beg your pardon. I certainly didn’t intend to offend you. Working for the government as you do, I suppose you know the family well. I only sought to assuage my curiosity, not give offence.”

  Bloody hell. “No, Hannah, it is I who must apologize for my outburst.” A quick look around the dining room showed that no one else seemed to be staring, reassuring Alex that he’d not been as loud as he feared. But he’d obviously blundered with Hannah, and badly.

  “I know what it is to feel proud of a royal family. I’m Canadian, and the British royal family is ours, as well. My parents raised me to respect them, and I get ticked when they’re unjustly criticized.”

  “You’re being more gracious than I deserve, my dear. You didn’t criticize, you merely asked a question.” He still felt like a cad. He didn’t care for the feeling one bit.

  “Well,” she responded, picking up her fork and giving him an overly bright smile, “you certainly answered it.”

  He had, he thought. And very neatly dug himself an even deeper hole in the process.

  * * * *

  “Let me give you a tour of the house,” Philip said as he led Kate inside. The moment he closed the door, he gently drew her into his arms.

  “I’ve been here before. Last night.”

  He smiled, enjoying her quick wit. “I remember. Let’s just visit that little place again, shall we?”

  Not giving her a chance to respond, he covered her mouth with his. The taste of her, rich and exotic, acted like a narcotic in his blood. Her flavor made him bold and greedy for more. His tongue sought hers, to slide and dance, to stroke and caress, softly sleek and silkily sweet. When her arms encircled his neck, when she pressed more closely against him, he gathered her in. His hands cupped her bottom and urged her against his growing erection. When she nestled her mound against him and rubbed just a little, he thought he would come in his pants.

  “When are you going to let me have you, Kate?”

  “We’ll have each other, Philip. Soon. I have to think and I can’t think when you’re touching me.” Her words, dotted by the tiny, sipping tastes she took of his face and neck, warmed him. The play of her lips and tongue on his flesh made him wish they could be alone right now. Responding to stark need, Philip settled his mouth on hers and took the kiss deep. His tongue plundered even as his hands explored. The sensation of her lush curves under his palms shot his arousal higher. Insti
nct found him wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer so he could surge his hips against her more vigorously this time, pressing his aching-for-release erection where it so desperately needed to be. He very nearly brought her to the floor.

  But they couldn’t. Jamie would be joining them in a half hour. He stepped back, ran his hands down her arms, then linked his fingers with hers. Bringing her hands to his mouth, he kissed them. He knew his eyes probably shone as intensely bright as hers.

  “You scramble my brain, too, Kate. Never doubt it. Come on, let me show you the house.”

  Taking her hand, he led her into the front parlor. “The palace is where the royal family lives full time, and has always done so. But the farm is where the de la Croix family comes to be together as a family. At least we began to do so after my mother died.”

  “This isn’t the sort of place I’d figure royalty would like. It’s so… Well, it’s so normal.”

  Philip laughed, because her expression had suddenly turned sheepish. “We’re people too, Kate. Our lives may be a bit more complicated than most. That’s all.”

  “Uh huh.”

  He led her through the parlor to the dining room. The table had been set for three, in a very casual fashion. “As you can see, you couldn’t get more than twenty people around this table. It’s a very small and intimate room.” He loved her laugh, and continued the tour by showing her the kitchen.

  “What smells so good?”

  “Our dinner. And no, I didn’t prepare it after a full shift at the hospital.”

  “I never thought you had.”

  “Ah ha! A challenge. I will have you know, my darling Kate, that these hands have actually opened a can and heated the contents of same in a pan on the stove. I am a man of many talents.”

  “Well, I’m certainly impressed.”

  “Wise guy.”

  “No, you’re the wise guy. I’m a smart ass, and proud of it.”