Hadrian looked the man over. At least it wasn’t that playboy Prince Henry. He appraised the man with the blond hair and suit on. He looked as uncomfortable in his suit as Hadrian felt.
Already he went up in Hadrian’s estimations.
Lindsey reached her place at the front, and she grinned at Hadrian. “She’s beautiful,” she mouthed.
Hadrian smiled.
This time when the music changed, the big doors opened and stayed open. Sydney wasn’t escorted by anyone. It was only her.
And Hadrian had to pick his jaw up off the floor.
The white dress she wore had tinges of pinks and lavenders in the fabric, as she moved, the light would catch different hues. Tight at her breasts, the dress belled out around her like a sail.
Never had a sail looked so beautiful.
She was a queen gliding toward him, her hair pinned back away from her face, diamonds glittering over her chest, sewn onto sheer fabric. They matched the large collection of diamonds between her breasts.
The dress seemed to go on forever behind her, a white flutter of fabrics, even though there was very little air circulating about the room. Her long neck, clear of any adornment, made it look even longer and sexier.
Hadrian smiled.
This was his wife. Beauty personified.
When she reached his side, he took her arm and helped her step into position.
“You are stunning,” he whispered.
“You’re pretty hot yourself,” she whispered back.
“You didn’t forget your flowers,” Hadrian told her.
“I couldn’t have if I wanted to. There was an army of people back there,” she replied.
The archbishop cleared his throat.
“Let’s get married,” Hadrian said.
“Yes let’s,” Sydney replied, and they both turned to look at the priest.
He raised his eyebrow at them both then began his speech.
Chapter Thirty-Six
June
“Oh my God, you’re huge,” Bella said as she came into the little rental house over on LuAnn Street.
I tipped my head to the side. “Gee, good to see you too.” But she wasn’t kidding. As soon as we left Koros, my baby bump turned into a baby basketball.
Almost overnight.
Bella laughed and ran forward, arms outstretched, and hugged me. “You were beautiful in the wedding. You looked like you were gliding, so graceful and stuff.”
Sydney laughed. “Well, the dress was so billowy, even if I did stumble, you couldn’t tell.”
“How does it feel to be Duchess of Bouzio?” Bella asked.
I shrugged. “It doesn’t feel that different here. In Koros? I felt like a cross between a rock star and a redneck. They treated me like I was amazing, yet I kept thinking I would snort in front of someone.”
Bella laughed. “And Hawaii?”
I grinned. “Nice. Rained a lot. Which kept us indoors, in private.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.
Bella fanned herself. “Ahh… Now I need to meet my own rock star.”
“I know a few if you want to be introduced,” Hadrian said, coming out of the back bedroom.
Bella jumped. “I didn’t know you were here.”
He blinked. “You didn’t think I’d let my pregnant wife come get her stuff by herself?”
She shook her head. “No, of course not. But that’s why I’m here.” She glanced around. We probably could have had a moving company come and get everything, but I wanted to oversee the final packing. “So how long are you in town,” Bella asked Hadrian.
“This weekend.”
I tried not to pout. I did. It was a big change, moving away from Kansas, but it made sense. Yet I still couldn’t help the feeling of loss, that I was closing a chapter in my life. And endings seemed so sad.
Hadrian saw my pouty face, and he put a hand on my shoulder. “Baby, you’ll be with me soon. Your classes start in twelve days.”
“Classes?” Bella asked.
“I’m taking classes in LA for doing television and movie makeup and hair.” And while I was a little sad about leaving, the excitement of starting the television and movie classes rang in my voice.
Bella’s eyes went wide. “So you’re not doing hair here anymore?”
I shook my head. “Hadrian thinks he can get me a job at the Food Channel, working on his show, or even one of the other ones. Those cooks need to look their best on camera.” I grinned.
Bella laughed. “Well, at least I can say, I had my hair done by a Duchess. Too bad I’m going to have to find someone else…”
I shrugged. “I’m sorry about that. But I’m sure one of the gals at the shop can take care of you.”
Bella touched my hand. “But it won’t be you.”
I knew exactly how she felt, and I squeezed her fingers. My eyes started getting teary, and I brushed the tears away. I had to remember, this was a new beginning for me. It was. Away from my mother—who saw the wedding on television, and evidently was telling everyone she knew that her daughter had married a prince.
Like I cared. I had no plans to see her anytime soon.
The door came open again, and this time, it was Nico.
Bella glanced at him. “Well, hello there.”
I rolled my eyes as Nico looked Bella up and down. “Bella, this is Nico. He’s my bodyguard.”
Bella put her hand on her hip, ala Mae West. “Well he can guard my body anytime.”
Then something came to Bella. “Wait. Nico? I thought he was the one who betrayed you to Alicia.”
I smiled. “He was doing his job.” I met Nico’s gaze. “Right, Nico?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” he said. “Will not happen again.” Nico volunteered to be my overseas bodyguard, well, Hadrian and me.
He mostly would be guarding me. Robert had gone on to LA to prep Hadrian’s house, security wise. Evidently, now that his true royal heritage was all over the media, even more precautions had to be taken.
Hadrian made a gesture to Nico, and the two of them headed into the back of the small house, and I could hear dismantling beginning. They were probably breaking down the bed.
Bella let her eyes roam over Nico as he disappeared down the hall, then she turned to me. “Did Hadrian ever find a new assistant?”
“He’s working on it.”
The two men were muttering to each other in Korosian in the back, and if I wasn’t mistaken, it sounded like cursing.
“Doesn’t that bother you, them talking in another language like that?”
“Not too much,” I said. “It’s pretty to listen to, and I’m learning a few words here and there.”
Bella smiled. “Cool. Has he had a lot of applicants for the job?”
“Not as many as you’d think,” I said. “At least not very many qualified applicants.”
“Why don’t you do it?” Bella asked.
I raised my eyebrow. “I’m his wife. I don’t want to run every aspect of his life.” I sat on the couch.
Bella joined me. “I thought that’s what wives did.” We both started laughing.
When we calmed down, Bella shifted to the side. “Oh, and do I have things to tell you.”
“Like what? Is Lynn pregnant?”
She shook her head. “No,” she began and started in on telling me the latest gossip about the karaoke crowd.
As I listened, I felt a pain in my heart. I was going to miss her terribly.
Epilogue
Hadrian threw a couple of leaves of parsley on the turkey breast. “And that is how you make a holiday dinner for one or two.” The lights blared at him as he finished his meal.
He picked up the tray of the meat and took it over to the small dining table in the corner of his kitchen set. The table was already set for two.
Two and a bouncy chair.
The cameras continued to roll.
“As most of you know by now…” Hadrian began, his heart pounding. He’d been practicing this part for a while in his
dressing room, hoping to get it right. “I am a real-life prince. The producers had no idea when they hired me to take over Pasta Prince, that they’d be getting real royalty to be the cook. At least, not until this past spring.”
He set the tray on the table, and stepped to the side. “And for all of you who have sent your love and support over the last few months, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He glanced away from the camera. “Now, I think it’s time to show you what I’ve been doing all summer.”
He stepped out of camera, and came back cradling a little baby girl dressed in a burgundy and white ruffled dress and a little bow around her head that she tried to jerk off.
“This is Elizabeth Jane.” He held the baby up for the cameras. “My daughter. And this,” he said reaching for Sydney, “is my wife, Duchess of Bouzio, Sydney Drake.”
He wrapped his free arm around Sydney, and held his girl up to the camera so she could be seen.
“Happy holidays everyone.” He kissed Sydney on the cheek then the baby, who cooed. “I know I will.”
Someone called out “And we’re clear.”
The entire production staff applauded.
About the Author
Candice Gilmer lives with her family in Kansas, admiring the beautiful skyline, watching out for tornadoes and occasionally writing. She can be found around the Internet here:
Website: www.candicegilmer.com
Blog: http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com
Look for these titles by Candice Gilmer
Now Available:
Fantasy Girl
At night, she comes alive…but a madman’s fantasies could kill her.
Fantasy Girl
© 2008 Candice Gilmer
By day, Lynn Broadmore leads a boring life as a mild-mannered bookkeeper, enduring one blind date after another. But by night, she’s “Hush,” webmistress extraordinaire, writing naughty stories for her adoring legion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction minions.
Now that there’s a new guy working in the next cubicle, though, real life is getting interesting. All Jack has to do is smile, and her insides turn to goo. To her complete surprise, she might even stand a chance against the office bimbo.
Undercover FBI agent Jack Edwards is on the hunt for a serial killer who trolls the Internet for victims. The trail has led to Lynn’s virtual doorstep, and he’s ready to do whatever is necessary to bring the killer down—including using two secret identities to gain her trust. Things get complicated, however, as the goofy fan fiction writer gets under his skin and starts staining his brain—and his heart.
Distractions are something he can’t afford right now…not if he’s going to keep her from getting hurt in what she thinks is a safe, on-line hideaway. Because between the pixels lurks a murderer.
And he’s chosen Hush, his fantasy girl, as his next target.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Fantasy Girl:
“You have got to be kidding me,” I cried out as I kicked my rear driver’s-side tire. The thing was flatter than a pancake. A slew of cuss words slipped out of my mouth, rivaling the best sailors.
“Lynn?” came a voice from behind me.
I spun around. “What?” I snapped, realizing I was spinning around to glare at the one and only Jack Edwards.
Damn my luck. And didn’t it beat all, that a week after meeting him, I was still getting all gooey inside just looking at him.
I seriously needed some help. Professional help.
“Uh, need some help?” he asked with a brow raised, framing his rather amused expression.
“No, thank you,” I snapped, glaring down at the terrible tire. Anything to keep from looking at Jack. “I am perfectly capable of changing my own tire.” I opened the trunk, and tried to pull my tire out. Which really, it wasn’t that heavy. It was a spare…
And it landed with a thud, flat as well.
“Shit.”
Jack hid a smirk behind his hand. “Sure you don’t need anything?”
“I’m fine,” I said a bit too loudly.
“Sure you are,” Jack replied. He sashayed up next to me, and yes, it was a sashay, he was far too damn smug for his good looks. Damn me for getting all girly inside at the sight of him coming over to rescue my damsel in distress.
Then he became the ultimate man.
He picked up the flat spare, looked at it, and said “Yep, it’s flat.”
“What are you, a rocket scientist in your spare time?” I muttered.
“Only on the weekends,” Jack said with a grin.
I stuck my tongue out at him. Yep, I’m mature. Really.
Then Jack started rooting around in my trunk, pulling out the jack.
“What are you doing? I can’t put that flat spare on.” I put my hands on my hips and glared at him.
Jack positioned the lift under my car, and started raising the poor old Mazda that I drove. “But I can take you to get this tire fixed,” he said as he popped off the hubcap and started on the bolts.
What an arrogant ass! What am I? Incapable of taking care of myself? I mean I can very easily change a tire. It’s not like it’s hard. ’Course, truth be told, I would call my dad, and have him come do it for me, because, well, he’s my dad, and he lives for this stuff.
“What if I don’t want you to? I’m perfectly capable,” I started to argue, but with amazing pit crew speed, Jack had the flat tire off my car before I could finish my sentence. I threw my arms up in the air in frustration.
“What?” Jack asked. “You know where there’s a place that can fix this?”
I shrugged. “There’s a Pep Boys or something like that around the corner,” I said letting out a sigh.
’Course, I really couldn’t help the part of me that was excited that the new guy was helping me get my tire fixed. He led me to a huge black Chevy Tahoe, immaculate inside and out. I couldn’t help whistling at the perfection of it and feeling like crap that Jack had to see my Mazda that seriously needed to be traded in for something else.
The stars must have aligned just right, because as Jack and I were climbing in, Tina Smith and several of her minions were leaving the building. Instantly her gaze locked on mine, and she shot daggers at me.
It took all my strength not to stick my tongue out at her.
Pep Boys wasn’t horribly busy, and they managed to get me right in to fix my tire. While I was waiting, Jack and I roamed the aisles to see if there was anything that we couldn’t live without.
’Course, they don’t sell whole new cars at Pep Boys, so I was out of luck there.
I stared at some of the racks of cleaning wipes for the dashboard. And sprays. And rags. My God, did people really need all this stuff to keep their car clean?
“It’s no wonder my car’s a mess,” I muttered.
“Why?” Jack asked.
“If I knew I had to buy all this stuff,” I said gesturing to the shelves, “I might have given up on buying a car in the first place.”
Jack grinned, flashing a bright mouth full of pearly white teeth at me.
Be still my beating heart.
I spied one of my favorite car accessories. “Oh, look, air fresheners,” I said, darting down the aisle.
Nope, not one single one with Buffy on it. Darn it.
Jack smirked and came after me. “So who do you want to be when you grow up, Lynn?” he asked as we sniffed the different fresheners. He grimaced at a fruity one and hung it back up.
“I am grown up. I just don’t have to act like it,” I said. “Who do you want to be?”
“I want to save the world,” Jack said.
I raised my eyebrow. “Like a superhero or something?”
“Sure,” he said hanging up another one, straightening the row out as he did. “Why not?”
“Because you’re going to have to be better on the computer to be Super Jack—the Accountant.”
Jack laughed.
They called my name over the intercom and Jack and I headed up to th
e front. The guy behind the counter, smelling of grease rags and motor oil, stood there waiting for us. A smear of black goo covered part of his name patch, concealing the “J” in John.
“We got it fixed,” John said. “Looks almost like your tire got stabbed.”
“Stabbed?” I asked staring at him. “You’ve gotta be kidding.”
“Well, usually, if something’s been driven over, there’s a nail or what have you stuck in the tire. You didn’t have anything like that.”
I glanced at Jack. “Has that been going on lately?”
The guy shrugged. “Sometimes kids do it. You live somewhere around here?”
“I work down the way,” I said pointing over my shoulder toward the office.
“Probably just kids. I wouldn’t worry about it much,” said John. He handed me the bill, and Jack promptly yanked it from my hand.
“Hey,” I said, “I was going to pay for that.”
Jack shrugged. “I’ll pay, and you can buy dinner.”
I crossed my hands over my chest. “Oh, so you just assume that I’ll buy you dinner now?” Presumptuous ass.
“I’m fixing your tire, you should,” Jack said.
John couldn’t help adding his thoughts. “Sounds only fair to me,” he replied.
I gritted my teeth. Great, now I have to buy dinner for Jack.
Then my brain kicked in. Whoa, this would kinda count as a date, wouldn’t it? Dinner with Jack? Even if I just get Burger King?
Oh the possibilities.
With ghosts like these, who needs TAPS?
Marshall’s Law
© 2010 Denise A. Agnew
If Dana Cummings was inclined to list the best ways to meet men, having one arrest her for burglary—during a tornado, no less—wouldn’t be in the top ten. Dating isn’t high on her agenda, period. She’s sworn to never again fall for know-it-all men with fiery gazes and devastating smiles.
Besides, she’s only in Wyoming to help her eccentric aunt find out if horny ghosts really do haunt the family bed. And hopefully bust a hellacious case of writer’s block. Extracurricular activity with a gruff, hunky lawman is off limits, even if he does fire her libido.
The Reluctant Prince Page 32
