“To the contrary,” she replied. “I wish to hear anything you are willing to share. I do not need to be protected from the truth, no matter how grisly or unsettling.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes up the gradual incline that would take them to the top of the ridge. A gentle breeze blew through the treetops and Rose looked up. “I am glad Napoleon is captured and that King Louis is back on the throne. I hope we never go to war again.”
He closed his eyes. “It’s strange.… There were times I thought I might go deaf or mad from all the cannons exploding around me, and the chaos of a thousand men riding hell-for-leather straight into enemy lines. At the time, I didn’t think I would survive long enough to experience a peace like this ever again, and believe me, I dreamed of it. But since I have come home, I’ve felt restless. It’s almost too quiet.” He gazed at her in the hazy morning sunshine. “Except when I am with you. Then everything comes alive again.”
She should have taken exception to such a comment, or perhaps brushed it off as a shameless flirtation meant only to flatter her, but instead she steered Zeus closer to the center of the path and reached out a gloved hand to him. He took hold and squeezed it.
They regarded each other intimately in the cool shade of the wood, then let go and moved apart.
“Now I must change the subject and ask you a question,” he said.
“Fire when ready.”
“Does your brother know you agreed to meet me this morning?”
Rose chuckled. “First of all, my lord, I did not ‘agree’ to meet you. This is pure coincidence, and I will not have you suggest otherwise.”
His eyes glimmered with amusement. “As you wish.”
“And yes, both my brothers are well aware that I am out riding. It is my usual routine to ride before breakfast.”
“Ah, but would they be displeased if they knew you sent your groom back to the stables on his own?”
She considered it. “Randolph would be, for he was instrumental in the arrangement of my betrothal to the archduke. I don’t doubt he would be displeased if any untoward gossip found its way to Austria before the wedding day. Nicholas, on the other hand, has always been a rule breaker. He’s very protective, but understands my heart. He lets me be adventurous when I wish to be.”
“Is that what this is?” Leo asked. “An adventure?”
His eyes touched her like a caress, and she wondered again about his intentions. Was this a well-planned seduction, simply because he enjoyed a challenge? He had already confessed that this peaceful existence seemed somewhat dull to him, for he was a man who thrived on dangerous battles and lived for the breathtaking quest for victory.
“I don’t know the answer to that question,” she replied. “I knew it was wrong to send my groom away, but I couldn’t help myself, and I am not sure why.”
“I can think of a few reasons.”
“Is that a fact?” Her tone was intentionally haughty, while deep down, despite all her doubts, she relished the possibility that he desired her and wanted her for himself and would say what he must to bring their attraction out into the light.
To force her to admit to it.
For a long moment he watched her thoughtfully, then took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “Shall we race to the top?”
“Better that than continue this conversation,” she replied.
With a quiet laugh, he gestured with a gloved hand. “After you, Your Royal Highness.”
She took full advantage of his chivalrous offer and shouted “Yah!” as she tapped Zeus’s rear flank with her riding crop. He was a masterful runner, and she thrust forward up the hill like a shot. It wasn’t long, however, before she heard the thunder of hooves closing in on her from behind.
“Faster, Zeus! Faster!”
Her impressive steed pushed forward with renewed vigor, and she flew up the hill to the clearing at the top, where the grass was tall and a warm wind was blowing mightily.
Leo emerged from the wooded path a few seconds later. “I am no match for that incredible beast of yours. What did you feed him for breakfast? Gunpowder?”
Rose laughed. “You let me win, and do not try to deny it. Next time, give it your best and we shall see what we are truly made of.”
Feeling decidedly out of breath, she said, “Help me down, if you please. I am overwhelmed and the horses need to rest.”
Leopold dismounted at once, reached up to her and lifted her to the ground. She ran a gloved hand over the skirt of her habit and loosened her cravat, for she was exceedingly warm after the exertion of the race. “Upon my word, that was thrilling.”
Leo patted his horse and tethered both of them to a tree.
Seduced by the spectacular view of the palace and cityscape below, Rose wandered to the edge of the clearing and sat down on the grass.
Leo joined her there a moment later. “I am glad you came,” he said, as he removed his gloves and stuffed them into his breast pocket. “If you must know, I’ve been up and down that bloody path a dozen times since dawn.”
Secretly aroused by the flattery, Rose leaned back on one elbow and smiled provocatively. “I am not sorry to hear it. You deserve to suffer for what you did to me two years ago.”
His eyes were full of daring. “I thought you said all was forgiven.”
With a hint of mischief, she puckered her lips. “I did say that, didn’t I? Oh, blast it. I suppose the truth is out. I am still bitter and will probably make you pay an ungodly sum for the rest of your God-given days.”
He, too, leaned back on an elbow and crossed his booted legs at the ankles. Rose was instantly lost in the splendor of his impossible male beauty and the divine perfection of every word that passed his lips, yet nothing could have prepared her for what he said next. Nothing.
“For a lifetime with you … I would pay any price you desire, Rose. For as long as you wish.”
The morning breezes whispered through the tall grasses while she struggled to contain the intoxicating fire in her blood, and fight this dangerously tempting emotional involvement with a man she had never been able to forget.
He was rugged and virile beyond any imagining, and she could not fully comprehend the power he possessed over her. Despite everything that happened in the past and her recent engagement to a future emperor, all he had to do was enter a room and she melted.
“What are we doing?” she asked breathlessly in one last attempt to gain control over her desires. “We both know this cannot be.”
He drew back slightly. “I know nothing of the sort, for there is something between us that cannot be denied, Rose. Did you not feel it come alive again when we met in England?”
She sat up and looked out over the spectacular panorama below. “Yes, but I am engaged now.”
His voice was like a thunderbolt that shuddered through her body and shook her deeply.
“Do you love him?” he asked.
Her emotions were in a tumultuous state. She did not like the question.
“I do genuinely care for him,” she replied. “And I respect him. He is decent and kind and he loves me. I think.”
“But do you love him?”
Rose swallowed hard. She was concerned about where this was heading. “What I feel for him is not the same as what I feel for you.”
He leaned back on his elbow again. “Vague, but it’s a start.” He plucked a long piece of grass and absently wrapped it around his thumb. “What, exactly, do you feel for me?”
“That is a very bold question, Leopold, and I do not wish to answer it because I honestly do not know what I feel. My head is telling me one thing, but my emotions are pulled in two different directions.”
He regarded her with those penetrating blue eyes that never failed to beguile her. “So there is hope, then.”
She scoffed. “Hope for what? That I will have one last fling with you before I leave for Austria? Or do you imagine I will break off my engagement and pledge my heart to you instead?”
&n
bsp; “Would you, if I asked you to?”
She stared at him in shock. “Good God, what a cowardly question.”
“Me? Cowardly. How so?”
“It is completely hypothetical and requires me to divulge the secrets of my heart, while you have committed nothing at all beyond a simple ‘what if.’”
Feeling angry all of a sudden, she rose to her feet and brushed the grass from her skirt. “I am not your plaything. Do not presume I am available to you the moment you have a change of heart and beckon me with your famous trigger finger.”
He stood up as well. “I presume no such thing, Rose, and I apologize if I have offended you. That was not my intention.”
She frowned. “Then what was your intention?”
His chest rose and fell quickly as if he had just sprinted a great distance. “To convey that I have not known a single day in recent years that was not interrupted by thoughts of you. I cannot purge you from my heart, so if it is a commitment from me that you desire, it is yours for the taking.”
She hadn’t known what to expect when she rode out to meet Leopold this morning, but she had certainly not expected this.
“Do you have any idea what you are saying?” she demanded to know. “I am pledged to another man. Archduke Joseph of Austria! It is a political marriage to unite our two countries, and it was arranged by my father before he died. You cannot make me an offer. You have no right.”
He took hold of her arm. “But do you love him, Rose?”
All her haughty mettle sailed out of her body in a wild rush of recklessness. She was confused suddenly by the grief she felt over her father’s death and the undecided condition of her heart. Leopold was standing before her, pledging his love. Joseph was a thousand miles away.
Heaven help her. She had been so sure of her decision to marry Joseph, for not only was he a kind and courteous gentleman, it was also a great boon for her country. It had pleased her father on his deathbed and had patched up all the holes in her wounded pride after Leopold’s terrible rejection.
But here she stood on this gorgeous summer morning with the sun reflecting in the luminous blue of his eyes while he held tight to her arm, not allowing her to escape him.
Not that she wanted to. Her traitorous body was on fire with need, and she wanted him with a ravenous hunger that knew no bounds.
Joseph was polite and thoughtful. He did not tempt her this way. He did not set her passions on fire.
“I don’t know what I feel,” she said at last. “I just lost my father. Nothing is easy or clear. Everything feels upside down.”
Leopold’s grip on her arm loosened, and he lowered his hand to his side. “Forgive me, Rose.”
They faced each other in the hazy summer heat. She felt almost dizzy with confusion.
“Again you ask me to forgive you,” she said. “I should say no. I should tell you that I am offended beyond repair and I never wish to see you again.”
“But you won’t tell me that,” he insisted, “because it is not true. And you don’t love the archduke.”
“How do you know what I feel for Joseph? You know nothing about me. All you know is how to fight for what you want, and how to win it at any cost. I don’t think you even know how to lose. It is beyond your comprehension.”
Turning quickly, she gathered her skirts in her fists and waded through the tall grass to fetch Zeus. She took hold of the reins and patted his neck.
“Don’t leave yet,” Leopold said as he followed.
“I will do as I wish, and what I wish to do is to return to the palace. I require your assistance to mount, if you would be so kind.”
She faced him expectantly.
“Rose…” His voice was seductive and soothing. His hands cupped her face.
A wood pigeon cooed from somewhere in the brush, and for a moment Rose felt completely conquered. What was the point in fighting this? Despite all her fears and doubts, her attraction to this man was a fierce and potent thing. The mere touch of his hands on her cheeks made her forget who she was and the importance of her duty as a royal.
“Do not give up on me,” he said. “Perhaps Randolph would understand. Perhaps there is a chance he would let you choose for yourself.”
Some sort of madness overcame her. She covered his hand with her own, turned her lips into his palm and kissed it. All sensible thoughts escaped her, and before she could weigh any decisions about her future, Leopold’s mouth covered hers in a deep kiss that made her tremble all over with shock and ecstasy.
He let out a husky groan of need as he tilted her head to the side, looped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close to the incredible searing heat of his body.
Inflamed by memories of past kisses and intimacies, Rose reached up to lay her hands on his broad shoulders and squeeze the heavy fabric of his riding jacket. She couldn’t seem to get enough of the delicious sensations and sighed with pleasure as he thrust his body closer, pulling her tight against him.
His mouth was soft and damp. The warm pressure of his tongue caused a throbbing ache between her legs, and all she wanted to do was surrender to whatever he proposed. She wanted to sink down to her knees and lie back on the grass, invite him to cover her body with his own, and wrap herself around him like a glove.
As he blazed a trail of sweet kisses across her cheek and down the side of her neck, she tried to wake herself from this dream, but alas, she could not.
After the sorrow and darkness of the past few weeks, this surging physical connection was like some kind of drug. Warmth and sunshine rained down upon her, and she felt alive again. She was overwhelmingly happy to be back in Leopold’s arms after the terrible loss of him so very long ago. How many nights had she dreamed of this and prayed for one more chance to be with him? Even when she had accepted Joseph, she had nursed a sad regret for the final death toll of that wish.
“Ah, Rose,” Leopold whispered in her ear. “I beg of you…” He took her face in both hands and looked into her eyes. “Consider my suit as well. I am heir to a dukedom and a great fortune. My ancestors were kings of this country. Surely Randolph would consider the possibility of a union between our families.”
She heard what he said but couldn’t seem to form words or reason out an answer. All she could do was press her lips to his again and kiss him with all the pent-up passion that was buried so deeply in her soul.
Her aggression ignited a matched response in him, and he clung to her with unstoppable desire. One large warm hand cupped the nape of her neck while he ran the other hand down over her hip and around to her backside.
He carried her to the shade of an ancient oak at the edge of the clearing. Slowly, gently, he knelt on one knee and set her down on the grass, removed her hat and set it aside, then gazed at her with those determined dark-lashed eyes.
Quite naturally she parted her legs to welcome him into her open arms, and he kissed her with tantalizing lust and loving affection.
“Why can’t I resist you?” Rose sighed.
“You’re not meant to resist this because we are destined to be together. Do not marry Joseph. You are mine. You’ve always been mine.”
How easily she was swept back into the obsession that had once nearly destroyed her. She did love Leopold, still. She had never stopped. She had only convinced herself that she hated him in order to survive.
“It would cause a terrible scandal,” she said, as she arched her back beneath him and nearly fainted at the pleasure of his lips on her throat. “I don’t know what Randolph would say.”
“Tell him you love me. Tell him you will be miserable if you are forced to marry a man you do not love.”
It was a sobering thought to imagine such a conversation. And what of Joseph? How would she ever explain it to him? He thought the world of her. He believed her to be virtuous and dutiful and pure of heart. What would he say if he could see her now, thrusting her body wantonly in the throes of passion with an ex-lover in the grass?
Oh God, what was she doing?<
br />
“Please stop.” She placed her open palms on Leopold’s chest. “This is wrong. Let me up.”
Scrambling to her feet, she smoothed out her skirt and picked up her hat. Pressing it firmly back onto her head and tucking in a few loose tendrils of hair, she strode toward Zeus.
“Rose, wait,” Leopold said. “Do not do this.”
She whirled around to face him. “Do what? Come to my senses? Remember my betrothal? I don’t know what just happened, but I’m not that sort of woman. I lost my head.”
She took hold of Zeus’s lead rope and walked him to a fallen tree, where she stepped up onto the trunk and mounted into the sidesaddle without assistance.
Her father would be so disappointed in her. Was he watching her from heaven above? Did he know what she had done this morning?
She wheeled Zeus around to steer him to the path that would take her home, but Leopold grabbed hold of the bridle. Zeus tossed his head and trotted backward, but Leo would not set them free.
“I must escort you back,” he said.
“That is not necessary. I know my way.”
“I gave my word to your groom, and we cannot part like this.”
Her heart was racing. She took a few deep breaths and fought to calm herself. “Very well, then. We must return together and behave as if nothing improper has occurred. Please do not betray me, Leopold. I need time to consider all of this.”
“I am your servant in all ways,” he replied. “I will wait forever if I must.”
Zeus stomped restlessly and reared up, forcing Leopold to release them and step aside.
“You may catch up to me in the meadow beyond the wood,” she said. “But I must leave you now. Without any promises.”
Responding to the firm kick of her heel, Zeus carried her across the clearing into the cool shelter of the forest. Only then did she slow him to a walk and shut her eyes.
Leopold would soon follow and be upon her. She must strive to regain her sanity and think rationally. She was a royal princess and had agreed to a political marriage that would benefit her brother’s realm.
She loved Randolph. He was the best brother in the world.
Princess in Love Page 8
