by Leanne Banks
Her arms stretched around his neck, pushing her into him. He lowered his hand to cup her breasts and she gave a soft moan. The sound tripped his trigger and he was filled with a ferocious need to show her with his body how beautiful she was.
He unbuttoned her blouse and bra then touched her breasts, lingering over her swollen nipples. Her felt her breath hitch in her throat when he lowered his head to taste her.
“Oh, Treat,’ she whispered.
Urgency pounded through him. He pulled off his shirt and felt her naked breasts against him. “So good,” he told. “You feel so good.”
He felt her lower her hand to where he was hard and aching for her. She stroked him through his jeans, and the fabric of her jeans and his became the worst tease. He reached for the top of hers.
Leo’s cry broke through the smoke of his arousal. He heard the cry again as Ericka pulled back. They stared into each other’s eyes for several seconds. Sam entered the room and mewed in complaint.
Ericka took a deep, deep breath and reached for her bra. “I have to get him,” she said as she fumbled with the fastening of her bra. She tried to put her blouse on backward, but Treat helped her with it. His own hands were unsteady from the force of his arousal.
“Sorry,” she managed and went to the nursery.
“I’ll be here when you get back,” he said, and paced the den to bring his body back to earth.
* * *
Ericka checked Leo’s diaper, but he was as dry as a bone. She knew he couldn’t be hungry. Picking him up, she saw him gnaw on his pacifier and she immediately identified the problem. “Your gums are sore. Let me get a cold rag for you.”
She went to the kitchen and wet the rag, then lifted it to Leo’s mouth for his to gum it. Treat walked into the kitchen and gave a questioning look.
“Teething,” she said. “You don’t have to hang around. I’m going to rock him for a while.”
“I can catch up on one of my football games if I get my laptop,” he said.
“That’s nice of you, but he can get pretty noisy,” she said.
Treat shrugged. “I can handle it,” he said.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be back when he falls asleep.”
Unfortunately Leo awakened every time she put him in his crib. Not even the solar system helped. Hearing the faint sound of a ballgame coming from the den, she was surprised that Treat had stayed so long. Any other man would have given up hours ago.
She paced the bedroom until she grew tired then rocked, rapidly. If she didn’t move quickly enough, he cried again. She guessed the movement distracted him from his discomfort.
She didn’t know how long had passed when Treat appeared in the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the soft light from the hallway. A twist of irony tightened inside her. The evening had held such promise. Being held by Treat had made her feel so wonderful she couldn’t even describe it to herself let alone anyone else. Now, though, she had to focus on Leo. She had no regrets, but couldn’t help feeling a little wistful. She couldn’t blame Treat for wanting to return to his suite.
“You wanna let me take a turn?” he asked.
Ericka stared at him in disbelief. She couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Pardon me?”
“I said, do you want to let me take a turn with him? If you’re not afraid I’ll do something wrong,” he added.
Her heart swelled in her chest and she felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. Blinking furiously, she shook her head then nodded. “Are you sure you want to do this? He’s very cranky. You’ll either have to pace or rock.”
“I can do that,” he said, and extended his arms.
Ericka carefully placed her baby into his arms. “Cradle him a little,” she instructed, moving his hands into position.
Leo pouted and wiggled. Treat began to walk and the baby calmed.
“Are you sure—”
“I’m sure,” he said. “Remember, I can get by on four hours of sleep. Less if necessary. Go take a nap,” he told her.
Ericka took in the sight of her big strong bodyguard pacing the room with her helpless baby and took a mental picture she resolved to store forever. No matter what happened in the future, she wanted to always remember this moment.
Giving into her weariness, she went to her bedroom, changed into her pajamas and fell into bed. She slept so hard she didn’t even dream. Some part of her must have sensed a ray of sunshine sliding past through her curtains, but she had a hard time rousing herself. Finally, she forced her eyes open and automatically listened for Leo, but she didn’t hear anything.
Frowning, she rose, looked at the baby monitor and listened again. Uneasiness grabbed at her. Rushing from bed, she raced to the nursery. His crib was empty. Alarm swept through her and she ran to the den.
“Looking for us?” Treat asked as he sat on the sofa feeding a bottle to Leo. “I can’t promise I did a great job with the diaper. He can be a squirmy little thing when you try to change him, can’t he?”
“I—” She stared a him in surprise. “Did you stay the rest of the night?”
“Yep,” he said. “He settled down for an hour twice, so I just dozed in the rocking chair.”
Guilt nicked at her. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she demanded. “I didn’t expect you to stay the whole night.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Well, because,” she said. “He’s not your responsibility.”
Treat glanced down the baby. “He is in a way,” he said. “He’s part of you.”
She hadn’t thought he could take her breath away again, but he did. She sank onto the sofa. “I’m sorry the evening didn’t turn out. I loved the idea of you staying the night, but I had really wanted to be conscious for it.”
Treat met her gaze. “Next time,” he said, his dark eyes holding the promise of pleasure.
Watching him feed Leo, she couldn’t help taking another mental photograph. Some part of her sensed Treat wouldn’t be around forever. Their relationship was a fleeting moment in time, but with each new day, being with him made her feel a little stronger. He reminded her that she was human and there was nothing wrong with that. He reminded her that she was a desirable woman. She couldn’t imagine him wanting to deal with a single mother princess forever, but she would cherish these moments because it restored her faith in possibilities.
Chapter Eleven
Nanny never arrived at the cottage. By late afternoon, Ericka grew worried and called Nanny’s house. An hour later, she received a call from Nanny herself. Nanny had been in an automobile accident and had been taken to the clinic for examination.
Horrified, Ericka gasped. “How horrible. Are you okay?”
“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Nanny said. “I’m sure it’s just a scrape from the windshield splattering, but they want to make sure I’m not carrying around any extra glass. I’m so sorry.”
“Please stop apologizing,” Ericka said, worried for Nanny’s safety. “I just want you to be okay. Take whatever time you need and get back to me with your progress.”
Ericka hung up the phone and struggled with how to modify her arrangements for Leo for the evening. As she fretted over her options, she heard a knock on the door just before it opened.
Treat poked his head inside. “Checking in,” he said.
“Thanks. I just received sad news,” she told him. “Nanny has been in an automobile accident. She sounded shaken up, but she says she’s okay.”
“That’s rough. Is she being checked out by a doctor?” he asked.
“Yes, of course, but I don’t expect her in tonight or tomorrow, and I’m required to attend the palace outdoor Christmas tree festival tonight. Tomorrow the Sergenian royals are scheduled to arrive and I’m to represent my family.”
He shrugged. “Do you want me to t
ake care of him?”
“I hate to ask you, but I don’t want him anywhere near cameras tonight. With his teething, I can just see him pulling off a hat to reveal his hearing aids. I just don’t want to have to answer any questions right now. If my entire family wasn’t supposed to be attending, I could ask one of my sisters, but they need to be there, too.”
“What about your security?” he asked.
“The palace will send a car with your relief detail, which you haven’t used since you started. Even God rested on the seventh day,” she said.
Treat grinned. “God doesn’t sleep,” he said. “I do.”
“You could have fooled me,” she said. “Are you sure you don’t mind? This is a highly unusual situation.”
“I’m okay with it,” he insisted. “We’ll watch football. He’s gonna love it.”
So grateful that she could count on him, she reached toward him and hugged him. “You really have no idea how much I appreciate this,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Hey, hey,” he said, stroking her hair. “What’s this? You’re not crying are you?”
“No, of course not,” she said, blinking back tears.
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll take care of him. Your boy is safe with me,” he assured, hugging her.
She took a deep breath and put a check on her emotions. “I know he is safe with you. Now, I’d better get ready for tonight. Simon has delivered another delicious meal. Coq au Vin. Eat as much as you like,” she said, and went to her bedroom to get ready for her appearance.
Within an hour, a guard and driver appeared to take her to event. Darkness was beginning to fall over the island and holiday lights twinkled here and there. The palace would be lit from one end to the other. Stefan’s wife, Eve, had insisted on creating more holiday traditions. Bit by bit, Eve was remodeling the palace both externally and in personality. The advisors still insisted on a certain level of decorum, but with toddlers roaming the palace halls, it was hard to require so much formality.
Arriving at the palace, she was escorted to one of the more comfortable meeting rooms. Bridget sat in a chair while her husband fussed over her and chased after their young twin boys. Stefan’s daughter sat on the floor calmly coloring in her coloring book while his two-year old tried to keep up with the twins. Eve caught him just before he fell and scooped him up in her arms. Pippa carried her toddler daughter on her hip.
Eve spotted Ericka and moved toward her. “It’s good to see you,” she said, giving Ericka an affectionate squeeze. “I’m so sorry about Leo’s nanny. Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“I’ll hear more tomorrow, but she was complaining about having to see the doctor, so I suppose that’s a good sign.”
“I’m glad. Who is watching Leo?”
“My security man,” she said.
Eve widened her eyes. “Really?”
“Yes. He’s been surprisingly good with Leo. He’s not an expert with diapers, but—”
“I don’t know many men who are,” Eve said. “Hopefully we won’t need to keep you too long tonight.”
The press representative called them to attention and reviewed the evening schedule. The children would appear briefly while Stefan ordered the lighting of the Christmas tree. Nannies would then take the children either to bed or to a playroom. Due to her advanced pregnancy, Bridget would be excused early. The rest of her siblings and their spouses would be required to stay until the end.
As she and her family walked toward the large imported pine tree, the crowd cheered with delight. Ericka smiled and waved as did her brothers and sisters and a few of the children.
“Good evening, people of Chantaine,” Stefan said to the crowd. “Thank you for joining us for the lighting of the palace Christmas tree. This season celebrates hope, love and peace for the entire world. We are especially grateful for the peace our country continued to experience and I want to thank you, the citizens of Chantaine, for your commitment to your country and to your fellow citizens. You serve as an example to the rest of the world.”
The crowd applauded.
“As you can see, the royal family is expanding by leaps and bounds with more expansion on the way,” he said, glancing at Bridget.
He crowd chuckled.
“We, the royal family of Chantaine, wish you the happiest Christmas, full of love, hope and peace everlasting.”
Stefan gave a nod of his head and the huge tree was lit. More applause followed, the children waved farewell along with Bridget, and the festivities continued with a performance by a children’s choir and a reading from a village priest and instrumental holiday music.
The entire time, Ericka wondered how Leo would have responded. The lights would have fascinated him. He wouldn’t have been able to hear the children sing, the music or the applause of the crowd. Her heart twisted. She wanted so much for him. Maybe next year? she wondered and said a silent prayer.
Ericka arrived back at the cottage at ten o’clock, feeling worn out. She entered the cottage to find Treat holding Leo on his lap while he watched his laptop screen. He glanced up at her. “How’d it go?”
“It went very well. I feel as if I should be asking you the same question.”
“I let him take the car for a spin, then we went for a swim in the ocean and we had a couple of beers before we got back to watch the game,” he said.
Ericka rolled her eyes. “You want to tell me the real story now?”
“Gave him a bottle. Did you know that kid can burp like a trucker?” he asked.
Ericka chuckled. “Yes, and it’s better for him to burp. He gets very fussy when he isn’t well burped.”
“I ate some of the coq au vin. It’s a lot better than the peanut butter sandwiches I make, but not as good as your peanut butter and bacon sandwich. We both did some more push-ups. I gave him a bath—”
Ericka looked at him in surprise. “By yourself?”
He shot her an insulted glance. “It’s not that hard. You just have to make sure the water’s warm enough. I probably didn’t do a perfect job, but I figure you can get whatever I missed on the next go-round. Since then I’ve been explaining different formations and plays. He dozed a couple of times, but I think he waited up to see you.”
She sat down next to Treat and extended her hands to her baby. Leo fell toward her and she scooped him up against her chest.
“See? I told you he was waiting up for you,” Treat said.
She cuddled Leo and kissed his chubby cheeks. “No signs of teething?”
“Not yet, but it’s not the witching hour,” Treat said.
“Thank you for taking care of my baby,” she said.
“It was cake,” he said. “Sam supervised me most of the time except when I bathed him. Then Sam suddenly disappeared.”
“I’m sure you could tell that Sam doesn’t like the water,” she said, then sighed. “I have to get up early in the morning to meet the Tarisse sisters and their brother. Stefan has charged me with emphasizing the rules of our agreement. It’s only fair since I twisted his arm. I can take Leo with me and one of the nannies for Eve and Stefan’s children will watch him.”
“Why would you do that when you can leave him here with me?” he asked.
“Because I feel that I’ve already imposed.”
“I told you I don’t mind,” he said, rising from the sofa. “What time do you need me here?”
“Seven,” she said. “I’ll call the palace to give me a ride, but I’m told I’ll be meeting them at an inn. I could drive myself.”
“Not without security,” he said. “I’m going to bed. Hate to admit it, but I’m starting to understand why moms of young ones feel tired.”
She stood and pressed her mouth against his cheek. “I thought you’re the tough guy who thrives on four hours of sleep.”
>
“That’s exactly what I’m going to get. My four hours. Your boy should be ready to hit the sack after one more bottle. If he gets fussy, give me a call. Night, princess,” he said. Treat knew she didn’t like being called “princess,” but the way he said it made it sound sexy.
Seemed like lately the way he said anything was sexy to her.
* * *
Leo slept through the night. She almost awakened him the next morning, but restrained herself. Quickly dressing, she grabbed a quick bite to eat and sipped a cup of tea as Treat walked through the door. He looked her up and down then studied her face. “You look like you got a decent night’s sleep.”
“That’s because Leo slept,” she told Treat, still surprised.
“And that’s because I had a little man-to-man talk with him about letting his mama get some sleep.”
She chuckled. “And look how well it worked. I should have asked you to talk with him earlier.”
He shrugged. “It’s a guy thing.”
“If you say so,” she said, glimpsing the palace car in the driveway. “I should be back by lunchtime. Don’t take him skydiving,” she told him, and kissed his cheek.
“Hey, how did you know that was on my list?” he joked.
“Ciao,” she said. “And thank you again.”
Ericka reviewed Stefan’s notes on the way to the inn where she would meet the Tarisse siblings. Stefan had initially requested the Sergenian royals to sign a contract, but Ericka had refused. The siblings shouldn’t have to sign their lives away for a temporary stay in Chantaine.
Her security escorted her inside a small inn to a suite on the second floor. When she entered, she noticed one of her brother’s top security advisors, Paul Hamburg, along with an assistant and the Tarisse sisters. Both princesses were beautiful, but at the moment both looked tired and irritated.
“Your Highness, Princess Fredericka Devereaux, please allow me to introduce you to Princesses Sasha and Tabitha,” Paul said, performing the formal introductions.
“Please call me Ericka,” she said, moving toward the two women. “You must be tired. Would you like some tea?” she asked.
