The Maverick Prince

by Catherine Mann

  Hauling her against his chest, heart still galloping, as they both came back down to earth in the pantry.

  The pantry, for God’s sake?

  His chances of staying away from Shannon again were slim. That path didn’t work for either of them. But if they were going to be together, he would make sure their next encounter was total fantasy material.

  Sun glinting along the crystal clear pool, Shannon tugged Kolby’s T-shirt over his head and slid his feet into tiny Italian leather sandals. She’d spent the morning splashing with her son and Tony’s sister, and she wasn’t close to working off pent-up energy. Even the soothing ripple of the heated waters down the fountain rock wall hadn’t stilled the jangling inside her.

  After making love in the pantry, she and Tony had locked themselves in her room where he’d made intense and thorough love to her. Her skin remembered the rasp of his beard against her breasts, her stomach, the insides of her thighs. How could she still crave even more from him? She should be in search of a good nap rather than wondering when she could get Tony alone again.

  Of course she would have to find him first.

  He’d left via her balcony just as the morning sun peeked over the horizon. Now that big orange glow was directly overhead and no word from him. She deflated her son’s water wings. The hissing air and the maternal ritual reminded her of Tony’s revelations just before they’d ended up in the closet.

  Could he be avoiding her to dodge talking further? He’d made no secret of using sex to skirt the painful topic. She couldn’t even blame him when she’d been guilty of the same during their affair. What did this do to their deadline to return home?

  Kolby yanked the hem of her cover-up. “Want another movie.”

  “We’ll see, sweetie.” Kolby was entranced by the large home theater, but then what child wouldn’t be?

  Tony’s half sister shaded her eyes in the lounger next to them, an open paperback in her other hand. “I can take him in if you want to stay outside. Truly, I don’t mind.” She toyed with her silver shell necklace, straightening the conch charm.

  “But you’re reading. And aren’t you leaving this afternoon? I don’t want to keep you from your packing.”

  “Do you honestly think any guest of Enrique Medina is bothered by packing their own suitcases? Get real.” She snorted lightly. “I have plenty of time. Besides, I’ve been wanting to check out the new Disney movie for my library’s collection.”

  She’d learned Eloisa was a librarian, which explained the satchel of books she’d brought along. Her husband was an architect who specialized in restoring historic landmarks. They were an unpretentious couple caught up in a maelstrom. “What if the screening room doesn’t have the movie you w—” She stopped short. “Of course they have whatever you’re looking for on file.”

  “A bit intimidating, isn’t it?” Eloisa pulled on her wraparound cover-up, tugging her silver necklace out so the conch charm was visible. “I didn’t grow up with all of this and I suspect you didn’t, either.”

  Shannon rubbed her arms, shivering in spite of the eighty-degree day. “How do you keep from letting it overwhelm you?”

  “I wish I could offer you reassurance or answers, but honestly I’m still figuring out how to deal with all of this myself. I had only begun to get to know my birth father a few months ago.” She looked back at the mission-style mansion, her eyebrows pinching together. “Now the whole royal angle has gone public. They haven’t figured out about me. Yet. That’s why we’re here this week, to talk with Enrique and his attorneys, to set up some preemptive strikes.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Thank God Eloisa had the support of her husband. And Tony had been there for her. Who was there for him? Even his brothers hadn’t shown up beyond sterile conference calls.

  “You have nothing to apologize for, Shannon. I’m only saying it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Cut yourself some slack and do what you can to stay level. Let me watch a movie with your son while you swim or enjoy a bubble bath or take a nap. It’s okay.”

  Indecision warred inside her. These past couple of weeks she’d had more help with Kolby than since he was born. Guilt tweaked her maternal instincts.

  “Please, Mama?” Kolby sidled closer to Eloisa. “I like Leesa.”

  Ah, and just like that, her maternal guilt worried in another direction, making her fret that she hadn’t given her son enough play dates or socialization. Funny how a mother worried no matter what.

  Shannon nodded to Tony’s sister. “If you’re absolutely sure.”

  “He’s a cutie, and I’m guessing he will be asleep before the halfway point. Enjoy the pool a while longer. It’ll be good practice for me to spend time with him.” She smiled whimsically as she ruffled his damp hair. “Jonah and I are hoping to have a few of our own someday.”

  “Thank you. I accept gratefully.” Shannon remembered well what it felt like to be young and in love and hopeful for the future. She couldn’t bring herself to regret Nolan since he’d given her Kolby. “I hope we’ll have the chance to speak again before you leave this afternoon?”

  “Don’t worry.” Eloisa winked. “I imagine we’ll see each other again.”

  With a smile, Shannon hugged her little boy close, inhaling his baby fresh scent with a hint of chlorine.

  He squirmed, his cheeks puffed with a wide smile. “Wanna go.”

  She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “Be good for Mrs. Landis.”

  Eloisa took his hand. “We’ll be fine.”

  Kolby waved over his shoulder without a backward glance.

  Too restless for a bath or nap, she eyed the pool and whipped off her cover-up. Laps sounded like the wisest option. Diving in, she stared through the chlorinated depths until her eyes burned, forcing her to squeeze them shut. She lost herself in the rhythm of slicing her arms through the heated water, no responsibilities, no outside world. Just the thump, thump, thump of her heart mingling with the roar of the water passing over her ears.

  Five laps later, she flipped underwater and resurfaced face up for a backstroke. She opened her eyes and, oh my, the view had changed. Tony stood by the waterfall in black board shorts.

  Whoa. Her stomach lurched into a swan dive. Tony’s bronzed chest sprinkled with hair brought memories of their night together, senses on overload from the darkened herb-scented pantry, later in the brightly lighted luxury of her bedroom. Who would have thought dried oregano and rosemary could be aphrodisiacs?

  His eyes hooked on her crocheted two piece with thorough and unmistakable admiration. He knew every inch of her body and made his appreciation clear whether she wore high-end garb or her simple black waitress uniform, wilted from a full shift. God, how he was working his way into her heart as well as her life.

  She swam toward the edge with wide lazy strokes. “Is Kolby okay?”

  “Enjoying the movie and popcorn.” He knelt by the edge, his elbow on one knee drawing her eye to the nautical compass tattooed on his bicep. “Although with the way his head is drooping, chances are he’ll be asleep anytime now.”

  “Thank you for checking on him.” She resisted the urge to ask Tony what he’d been doing since he left her early this morning.

  “Not a problem.” His fingers played through the water in front of her without touching but so close the swirls caressed her breasts. “I said I intended to romance you and I got sidetracked. I apologize for that. The woman I’m with should be treated like a princess.”

  His princess? Shock loosened her hold on the edge of the pool. Tony caught her arm quickly and eased her from the water to sit next to him. His gaze swept her from soaking wet hair to dripping toes. Appreciation smoked, darkening his eyes to molten heat she recognized well.

  He tipped her chin with a knuckle scarred from handling sailing lines. “Are you ready to be royally romanced?”

  Eleven

  A five-minute walk later, Tony flattened his palm to Shannon’s back and guided her down the stone path leading from the m
ansion to the greenhouse. Her skin, warmed from the sun, heated through her thin cover-up. Soon, he hoped to see and feel every inch of her without barriers.

  He’d spent the morning arranging a romantic backdrop for their next encounter. Finding privacy was easier said than done on this island, but he was persistent and creative. Anticipation ramped inside him.

  He was going to make things right with her. She deserved to be treated like a princess, and he had the resources to follow through. His mind leaped ahead to all the ways he could romance her back on the mainland now that he understood her better—once he fulfilled the remaining weeks he’d promised his father.

  A kink started in his neck.

  Squeezing his hand lightly, she followed him along the rocky path, the mansion smaller on the horizon. Few trees stood between them and the glass building ahead. Early on, Enrique had cleared away foliage for security purposes.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see soon.”

  Farther from shore, a sprawling oak had been saved. The mammoth trunk declared it well over a hundred years old. As a kid, he’d begged to keep this one for climbing. His father had gruffly agreed. The memory kicked over him, itchy and ill timed.

  He brushed aside a branch, releasing a flock of butterflies soaring toward the conservatory, complete with two wings branching off the main structure. “This is the greenhouse I told you about. It also has a café style room.”

  Enrique had done his damnedest to give his sons a “normal” childhood, as much as he could while never letting them off the island. Tony had undergone some serious culture shock after he’d left. At least working on a shrimper had given him time to absorb the mainland in small bites. Back then, he’d even opted to rent a sailboat for a home rather than an apartment.

  As they walked past a glass gazebo, Shannon tipped her face to his. Sunlight streaked through the trees, bathing her face. “Is that why the movie room has more of a theater feel?”

  Nodding, he continued, “There’s a deli at the ferry station and an ice cream parlor at the creamery. I thought we could take Kolby there.”

  He hoped she heard his intent to try with her son as well, to give this relationship a real chance at working.

  “Kolby likes strawberry flavored best,” she said simply.

  “I’ll remember that,” he assured her. And he meant it. “We also have a small dental clinic. And of course there’s the chapel.”

  “They’ve thought of everything.” Her mouth oohed over a birdbath with doves drinking along the edge.

  “My father always said a monarch’s job was to see to the needs of his people. This island became his minikingdom. Because of the isolation, he needed to make accommodations, try to create a sense of normalcy.” Clouds whispered overhead and Tony guided her faster through the garden. “He’s started a new round of renovations. A number of his staff members have died of old age. That presents a new set of challenges as he replaces them with employees who aren’t on the run, people who have options.”

  “Like Alys.”

  “Exactly,” he said, just as the skies opened up with an afternoon shower. “Now, may I take you to lunch? I know this great little out-of-the-way place with kick-ass fresh flowers.”

  “Lead on.” Shannon tugged up the hood on her cover-up and raced alongside him.

  As the rain pelted faster, he charged up the stone steps leading to the conservatory entrance. Tony threw open the double doors, startling a sparrow into flight around the high glass ceiling in the otherwise deserted building. A quick glance around assured him that yes, everything was exactly as he’d ordered.

  “Ohmigod, Tony!” Shannon gasped, taking in the floral feast for her eyes as well as her nose. “This is breathtaking.”

  Flipping the hood from her head, she plunged deeper into the spacious greenhouse where a riot of scents and colors waited. Classical music piped lowly from hidden speakers. Ferns dangled overhead. Unlike crowded nurseries she’d visited in the past, this space sprawled more like an indoor floral park.

  An Italian marble fountain trickled below a skylight, water spilling softly from a carved snake’s mouth as it curled around some reclining Roman god. Wrought iron screens sported hydrangeas and morning glories twining throughout, benches in front for reading or meditation. Potted palms and cacti added height to the interior landscape. Tiered racks of florist’s buckets with cut flowers stretched along a far wall. She spun under the skylight, immersing herself in the thick perfume, sunbeams and Debussy’s Nocturnes.

  While she could understand Tony’s point about not wanting to be isolated here indefinitely, she appreciated the allure of the magical retreat Enrique had created. Even the rain tap, tap, tapping overhead offered nature’s lyrical accent to the soft music.

  Slowing her spin, she found Tony staring at her with undeniable arousal. Tony, and only Tony because the space appeared otherwise deserted. Her skin prickled with awareness at the muscular display of him in nothing but board shorts and deck shoes.

  “Are we alone?” she asked.

  “Completely,” he answered, gesturing toward a little round table set for two, with wine and finger foods. “Help yourself. There are stuffed mussels, fried squid, vegetable skewers, cold olives and cheese.”

  She strode past him, without touching but so close a magnetic field seemed to activate, urging her to seal her body to his.

  “It’s been so wonderful here indulging in grown-up food after so many meals of chicken nuggets and pizza.” She broke off a corner of ripe white cheese and popped it in her mouth.

  “Then you’re going to love the beverage selection.” Tony scooped up a bottle from the middle of the table. “Red wine from Basque country or sherry from southern Spain?”

  “Red, please. But can we wait a moment on the food? I want to see everything here first.”

  “I was hoping you would say that.” He passed her a crystal glass, half full.

  She sipped, staring at him over the rim. “Perfect.”

  “And there’s still more.” His fingers linked with hers, he led her past an iron screen to a secluded corner.

  Vines grew tangled and dense over the windows, the sun through the glass roof muted by rivulets of rain. A chaise longue was tucked in a corner. Flower petals speckled the furniture and floor. Everything was so perfect, so beautiful, it brought tears to her eyes. God, it still scared her how much she wanted to trust her feelings, trust the signals coming from Tony.

  To hide her eyes until she could regain control, she rushed to the crystal vase of mixed flowers on the end table and buried her face in the bouquet. “What a unique blend of fragrances.”

  “It’s a specially ordered arrangement. Each flower was selected for you because of its meaning.”

  Touched by the detailed thought he’d put into the encounter, she pivoted to face him. “You told me once you wanted to wrap me in flowers.”

  “That’s the idea here.” His arms banded around her waist. “And I was careful to make sure there will be no thorns. Only pleasure.”

  If only life could be that simple. With their time here running out, she couldn’t resist.

  “You’re sure we won’t be interrupted?” She set her wine glass on the end table and linked her fingers behind his neck. “No surveillance cameras or telephoto lenses?”

  “Completely certain. There are security cameras outside, but none inside. I’ve given the staff the afternoon off and our guards are not Peeping Toms. We are totally and completely alone.” He anchored her against him, the rigid length of his arousal pressing into her stomach with a hefty promise.

  “You prepared for this.” And she wanted this, wanted him. But… “I’m not sure I like being so predictable.”

  “You are anything but predictable. I’ve never met a more confusing person in my life.” He tugged a damp lock of her hair. “Any more questions?”

  She inhaled deeply, letting the scents fill her with courage. “Who can take off faster the other person’s
clothes?”

  “Now there’s a challenge I can’t resist.” He bunched her cover-up in his hands and peeled the soft cotton over her head.

  Shaking her hair free, she leaned into him just as he slanted his mouth over hers. His fingers made fast work of the ties to her bathing suit top. The crocheted triangles fell away, baring her to the steamy greenhouse air.

  She nipped his ear where a single dot-shaped scar stayed from a healed-over piercing. A teenage rebellion, he’d told her once. She could envision him on a Spanish galleon, a swarthy and buffed pirate king.

  For a moment, for this moment, she let herself indulge in foolish fantasies, no fears. She would allow the experience to sweep her away as smoothly as she brushed off his board shorts. She pushed aside the sterner responsible voice inside her that insisted she remember past mistakes and tread cautiously.

  “It’s been too damn long.” He thumbed off her swimsuit bottom.

  “Uh, hello?” She kicked the last fabric barrier away and prayed other barriers could be as easily discarded. “It’s been less than eight hours since you left my room.”

  “Too long.”

  She played her fingers along the cut of his sculpted chest, down the flat plane of his washboard stomach. Pressing her lips to his shoulder, she kissed her way toward his arm until she grazed the different texture of his tattooed flesh—inked with a black nautical compass. “I’ve always wanted to ask why you chose this particular tattoo.”

  His muscles bunched and twitched. “It symbolizes being able to find my way home.”

  “There’s still so much I don’t know about you.” Concerns trickled through her like the rain trying to find its way inside.

  “Hey, we’re here to escape. All that can wait.” He slipped her glasses from her face and placed them on the end table.

  Parting through the floral arrangement to the middle, he slipped out an orchid and pinched off the flower. He trailed the bloom along her nose, her cheekbones and jaw in a silky scented swirl. “For magnificence.”