“You just need sleep,” she rationalized.
She climbed into bed and, other than a few trips to the bathroom, didn’t get back out for three days. That was when she reminded herself that she’d never been one to wallow in self-pity. She was stronger than that. Besides, she needed to see William. She hadn’t spoken to or even e-mailed him in weeks. Maybe they could have a late lunch and talk about his proposal and she could let him down easy.
She tried calling him at the lab, but he wasn’t there and he wasn’t answering his house or cell phone. Concerned that something might be wrong, she drove to his house instead.
She knocked, then a minute later knocked harder. She was about to give up and leave when the door finally opened.
Being that it was the middle of the afternoon, she was surprised to find him in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, looking as though he’d just rolled out of bed.
“Oh, you’re back,” he said, and maybe it was her imagination, but he didn’t seem happy to see her. Maybe he was hurt that she hadn’t readily accepted his proposal. Maybe he was angry that she’d taken so long and hadn’t been in contact.
“I’m back,” she said with a smile that she hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt. She thought that maybe seeing him again after such a long time apart would stir up feelings that had been buried or repressed, but she didn’t feel a thing. “I thought we could talk.”
“Um, well…” He glanced back over his shoulder, into the front room. “Now’s not the best time.”
She frowned. “Are you sick?”
“No, no, nothing like that.”
Liv heard a voice behind him say, “Billy, who is it?”
A female voice. Then the door opened wider and a young girl whom Liv didn’t recognize stood there dressed in, of all things, one of William’s T-shirts.
“Hi!” she said brightly. “Are you a friend of Billy’s?”
Billy?
“We work in the lab together,” William said, shooting Liv a look that said, Go along with it. He obviously didn’t want this girl to know that she and William had had anything but a professional relationship. Which, if you wanted to get technical, they never really had.
“I’m Liv,” Liv said, because William didn’t introduce them. She had the feeling he wished she would just disappear. “And you are?”
The girl smiled brightly. “I’m Angela, Billy’s fiancée.”
Fiancée? William was engaged?
She waved in front of Liv’s face a hand sporting an enormous diamond ring. “We’re getting married in two weeks,” she squealed.
“Congratulations,” Liv said, waiting to feel the tiniest bit of remorse, but what she felt instead was relief. She was off the hook. She didn’t have to feel bad for turning him down.
“Could you give us a second, Angie?” he said. “It’s work.”
“Sure,” she said, smiling brightly. “Nice to meet you, Liv.”
William stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind him. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t expecting you.”
If he’d answered his phone, he would have been, but she was pretty sure they had been otherwise occupied. “It’s okay,” she said. “I only came here to tell you that I can’t marry you.”
“Yes, well, when you stopped calling, I just assumed…”
“It just wasn’t something I wanted to do over the phone. I guess it doesn’t matter now.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to prepare you. I mean, it was very sudden. Obviously.”
“I’m very happy for you.” And jealous as hell that even he had found someone. Not that he didn’t deserve to be happy. It just didn’t seem fair that it was so easy for some people. Of course, falling in love with Aaron had been incredibly easy. The hard part was getting him to love her back.
He smiled shyly, something she had never seen him do before, and said, “It was love at first sight.”
She left William’s house feeling more alone than she had in her entire life. She’d gone from having seven people who accepted her as part of the family—even if the queen had done it grudgingly—to having no one.
Fifteen
A aron sat in his office, staring out the window at the grey sky through a flurry of snow, unable to concentrate on a single damn thing. He should be down in the greenhouse, meeting with the foreman about the spring crops, but he just couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to get his butt out of the chair. The idea of another long season of constantly worrying about growth rates and rainfall and late frosts, not to mention pests and disease, gave him a headache. He was tired of being forced into doing something that deep down he really didn’t want to do. He was tired of duty and compromise and putting everyone else’s wishes ahead of his own. And even though it had taken a few days for him to admit it to himself, he was tired of shallow, meaningless relationships. He was sick of being alone.
He missed Liv.
Unfortunately she didn’t seem to share the sentiment. It had been two weeks since she left and he hadn’t heard a word from her. Not even an update on her progress. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to pick up the phone and call her. Maybe she’d run back to William.
“Are you going to mope in here all day?”
Aaron looked up to see Anne standing in his office doorway. “I’m working,” he lied.
“Of course you are.”
He scowled. “Do you need something?”
“I just came by to let you know that I talked to Liv.”
He bolted upright in his chair. “What? When?”
“About five minutes ago. She wanted to update us on her progress. And inquire about father’s health.”
“Why did she call you?”
Anne folded her arms across her chest. “Gosh, I don’t know. Maybe because you broke her heart.”
“Did she say that?”
“Of course not.”
“Well,” he said, turning toward the window, “she always has William to console her.”
“William?”
“He’s another scientist. He asked her to marry him before she came here.” Not that Aaron believed for a minute she would actually marry William. Not when she admitted she loved Aaron.
“Oh, so that was what she meant.”
He swiveled back to her. “What?”
“She mentioned that, with the wedding coming up, it might be several weeks before we get another update. I just didn’t realize it was her wedding.”
She was actually going to do it? She was going to compromise and marry a man she didn’t love? How could she marry William when she was in love with Aaron?
The thought of her marrying William, or anyone else for that matter, made him feel like punching a hole in the wall. And why? Because he was jealous? Because he didn’t like to lose?
The truth hit him with a clarity that was almost painful in its intensity. He loved her. She couldn’t marry William because the only man she should be marrying was him.
He rose from his chair and told Anne, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to have a word with Mother and Father.”
“Something wrong?” Anne said with a grin.
“Quite the opposite.” After weeks, maybe even years of uncertainty, he finally knew what he had to do.
Aaron found his parents in their suite watching the midday news. “I need to have a word with you.”
“Of course,” his father said, gesturing him inside. He picked up the remote and muted the television. “Is there a problem?”
“No. No problem.”
“What is it?” his mother asked.
“I just wanted to let you both know that I’m flying to the States today.”
“With the Gingerbread Man still on the loose, do you think that’s wise?” his father asked.
“I have to see Liv.”
“Why?” his mother demanded.
“So I can ask her to marry me.”
Her face transformed into an amusing combination of shock and horror. “Marry you?”
�
��That’s what I said.”
“Absolutely not. I won’t have it, Aaron.”
“It’s not up to you, Mother. This is my decision.”
“Your father and I know what’s best for this family. That girl is—”
“Enough!” his father thundered, causing both Aaron and his mother to jolt with surprise. It had been a long time since he’d been well enough to raise his voice to such a threatening level. “Choose your words carefully, my dear, lest you say something you’ll later regret.”
She turned to him, eyes wide with surprise. “You’re all right with this?”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”
“I know you’re fond of her, but a marriage? She isn’t of noble blood.”
“Do you love her, Aaron?” his father asked.
“I do,” he said, never feeling so certain of anything in his life.
He turned and asked Aaron’s mother, “Do you love our son?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I do.”
“Do you want him to be happy?”
“You know I do. I just—”
“Since Liv has come into his life, have you ever seen him so happy?”
She frowned, as though she didn’t like the answer she had to give. “No…but…”
He took her hand. “She’s not of noble blood. Who cares? She’s a good person. Thoughtful and sweet and kind. If you’d taken any time to get to know her, you would realize that. Royal or not, our son loves her, so she deserves our respect. And our acceptance. Life is too short. Shouldn’t he spend it with someone who makes him happy? Someone he loves?”
She was silent for a moment as she considered his words, and finally she said, “I want to state for the record that I’m not happy about this.”
Aaron nodded. “So noted.”
“However, if you love her and she loves you, I suppose I’ll just have to learn to accept it.”
“You have our blessing,” his father told him.
“There’s one more thing. I’m going back to school.”
His mother frowned. “What for?”
“Because I still need a few science credits before I can apply to med school.”
“Med school? At your age? What in heaven’s name for?”
“Because I’ve always wanted to.”
His father mirrored her look of concern. “But who will oversee the fields?”
“I’m sure we can find someone capable to fill my position. You’ll manage just fine without me.”
The king didn’t look convinced. “Why don’t we discuss this when you get back? Maybe we can reach some sort of compromise.”
He wanted to tell his father that he was through compromising, but this was a lot to spring on them in one day. It would be best if he gave it some time to sink in.
“All right,” he agreed. “We’ll talk about it when I get home.”
“I want you to take a full security detail with you,” his father said. “I know we haven’t had any more threats, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Of course,” he agreed, and as he left his parents’ suite to make the arrangements, he felt an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. That for the first time instead of just watching his life pass by before him, he was finally an active participant. And he knew with a certainty he felt deep in his bones that until he had Liv by his side, life would never be complete.
And he would do anything to get her back.
It was late in the evening when his limo pulled up in front of Liv’s apartment. The building was very plain and unassuming, which didn’t surprise him in the least. Hadn’t she claimed to spend most of her time in the lab? He hoped she wasn’t there now, or, God forbid, at William’s place. Not that he wouldn’t hunt her down and find her wherever she happened to be. And if William tried to interfere, Aaron might have to hurt him.
Flynn opened the door for him.
“I’m going in alone,” Aaron told him.
“Sir—”
“I don’t imagine there’s an assassin staked out on the off chance that I drop by. You can wait outside.”
He nodded grudgingly. “Yes, sir.”
Aaron went inside and took the stairs up to the third floor. Her apartment was the first on the right. There was no bell, so he rapped on the door. Only a few seconds passed before it opened, and there stood Liv wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a faded sweatshirt, looking as sweet and sexy and as irresistible as the first time he’d met her.
She blinked several times, as if she thought she might be imagining him there. “Aaron?”
He grinned. “The one and only.”
She didn’t return his smile. She just looked…confused. In every scenario he had imagined, she had immediately thrown herself into his arms and thanked him for saving her from a life of marital disaster. Maybe this wouldn’t be quite as easy as he’d anticipated.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Can I come in?”
She glanced back inside the apartment, then to him, looking uneasy. Had it not occurred to him that William could be there, in her apartment?
“Is someone…with you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, it’s just that my apartment is kind of a mess. I’m getting ready to do some redecorating.”
“I won’t hold it against you,” he said.
She stepped back and gestured him inside. Her apartment was small and sparsely furnished. And what furniture she did have was covered in plastic drop cloths.
“I was getting ready to paint,” she explained. She didn’t offer to take his coat, or clear a seat for him. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to prevent you from making the worst mistake of your life.”
She frowned and looked around the room. “Painting my apartment?”
She looked so hopelessly confused that he had to smile. “No. I’m here to stop you from marrying a man you don’t love.”
“Why would you think I’m getting married?”
It was his turn to look confused. “Anne said…” Before he could finish the sentence, reality slapped him in the face. Hard. He’d been set up. Anne was trying to get him off his behind, so he would go after Liv. And he’d given her just the ammunition she needed when he told her about William.
The next time he saw his sister, he was going to give her a big hug.
“I take it you never said anything to my sister about a wedding?”
She shook her head.
“So, you’re definitely not marrying William,” he confirmed, just to be sure.
“I should hope not, considering he’s engaged to someone else.”
That was by far the best news Aaron had had all day.
“What difference does it make?” she asked. “Why do you care who I marry?”
“I care,” he said, taking a step toward her, “because the only man you should be marrying is me.”
Her eyes went wide with disbelief. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me.” He got down on one knee and pulled the ring box from his coat pocket. He opened it, offering her the five-carat-diamond family ring that sat nestled in a bed of royal-blue velvet. “Will you, Liv?”
For several excruciating seconds that felt like hours, she just stared at him openmouthed, and he began to wonder if she’d changed her mind about him, if, now that they’d been apart for a while, her affection for him had faded. For an instant he genuinely worried that she would actually tell him no.
But when she finally spoke, she said, “You don’t want to get married. You’re not cut out to be a family man. Remember?”
“Liv, you told me that you love me. Is that still true?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“And I love you. It took me a while to admit it to myself, but I do. And I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.”
A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. “What about that excellent rate you get from the gir
l-of-the-month club?”
He grinned. “I already cancelled my subscription. The only girl I want in my life is you. Now, are you going to make me kneel here all night?”
“But what about your parents? They’ll never let you marry a nonroyal.”
“They’ve already given their blessing.”
Her eyes went wide. “Your mother gave her blessing? Did you have to hold a gun to her head?”
“I’ll admit she did it grudgingly, but don’t worry, she’ll come around. If we give her a grandchild or two, she’ll be ecstatic.”
“You want that?” she asked. “You really want children?”
“Only if I can have them with you, Liv.”
That hint of a smile grew to encompass her entire face. “Ask me again.”
He grinned. “Olivia, will you marry me?”
“Yes.” She laughed as he slid the ring on her finger, then he pulled her into his arms. “Yes, Your Highness, I definitely will!”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4284-9
CHRISTMAS WITH THE PRINCE
Copyright © 2009 by Michelle Celmer
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
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