by Leanne Banks
“I’m determined to change that,” Bridget said. “Just because your position requires you to work with the horses doesn’t mean you’re married to them. Tomorrow you can join me for a day at the beach.”
Eve shook her head. “No beach for me until after the parade.”
Bridget scowled. “Tina is going to—” She broke off as Stefan walked into the room. “Welcome, Stefan. I persuaded Eve to join us tonight. She’s been cooped up in the barn far too long. I’m sure you don’t mind.”
Eve blinked at that last remark, feeling a stab of chagrin. She’d assumed Stefan had already been informed and approved of her presence at the meal.
Stefan looked at her, his gaze falling over her from head to toe and back up again. “Of course not. I’m glad you thought of it, Bridget,” he said, his gaze not straying from Eve’s. “Our pleasure, Eve.”
“Thank you, Your High—” she started, but stopped when he sliced his hand through the air.
“Stefan, please. Shall we sit?”
As if on cue, three staff members immediately entered the room.
“I chose Chateaubriand for the menu tonight,” Bridget said. “I asked the chef to choose everything else…well, aside from the chocolate mousse torte. Do you like chocolate, Eve?”
Still self-conscious, Eve fidgeted with her hands in her lap. “Like is an understatement. I’ve been known to make dessert the main course when it’s chocolate.”
Bridget laughed in approval. “Well, you won’t want to skip any of the courses tonight. Our newest chef is fabulous.”
“Here, here,” Jacques said. “Much improved over food at the university.”
Eve lifted her water glass and took a swallow. “Newest,” she echoed. “How new is he?”
Bridget glanced at Stefan. “Three months, would you say? The employment director had to replace the former chef.”
Hiding a grin of amusement behind her glass, Eve took another sip and met Stefan’s gaze. “Is that so?”
He raised a dark eyebrow as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. “The employment director made that decision. I had nothing to do with it.”
“Oh, I know why he was dismissed,” Phillipa said. “He was coming to work later and later due to a drinking problem. The employment director set him up with a special rehabilitation program.”
Stefan lifted his glass of wine, his lips twitching in amusement before he took a sip. “Eve seems to be under the misguided impression that I fire so many staff members we may as well have a revolving door for them.”
All four Devereaux stared at her with questions in their eyes. Eve coughed as her water went down the wrong way.
“What on earth made you think that?” Phillipa asked. “Stefan delegates almost all of the hiring to the employment director.”
“I never said that. I—” The gleam in his eyes told her he was enjoying her discomfort far too much. Eve frowned at Stefan, rising to the challenge. She was a Texan, for Pete’s sake, and she refused to be intimidated. “How many horse managers have you gone through? How long did my predecessor last before you bumped him off?”
Shocked silence followed, and Eve lifted her chin even as she felt herself being stared down by everyone in the room.
Stefan’s bark of laughter broke the silence and the tension. “To Americans,” he said and lifted his glass. “You don’t take crap from anyone.”
Stefan’s siblings gaped at her in surprise. Bridget recovered first, lifting her glass in salute. “We can learn by her example.”
Stefan lifted his hand in disagreement. “There’s a difference between defending oneself and constantly quarreling.”
“But, Stefan—”
“Enough, Bridget,” he said and turned to Phillipa. “How are your studies progressing?”
Stefan held her attention with how he conducted himself. He exhibited a magnetism that combined power, intelligence and complete masculinity. She’d never met a man who possessed such a combination. She was accustomed to sly cowboys and corporate managers with egos bigger than their paychecks.
She studied his hands as he cut his beef and lifted his glass of wine to his lips. His fingers were long, and she remembered feeling the faintest bit of a callous in his palms when he’d shaken her hand. She’d liked that about him.
Now, as she watched him talking to his siblings, she liked the way he focused on them instead of himself. She wondered if he kept his concerns and worries from his siblings. She wondered if he’d protected them a bit too much.
“If everything works out, I may do an exchange course in Italy this summer. Florence,” Jacques said with a half grin. “My advisers say I’m spending enough time on soccer and they want me to be well-rounded.”
“Florence,” Bridget muttered and gave a low, barely audible growl. She cleared her throat. “Speaking of art, Eve and I were talking just a couple of weeks ago about the idea of building a children’s art museum in Chantaine.”
Eve cringed at being dragged into Bridget’s power struggle with Stefan.
“Bridget, you know the agreement about our family dinners,” Stefan said with a sigh. “No discussion about financial proposals or arguments about politics. This is a time for us to be family.”
“Well, it’s hard for me to be family when all I do is work, work, work,” she said. “Have you noticed that you haven’t asked me anything about my personal life? Why?” she demanded. “Because I have no personal life. If I can’t have a personal life, then I’d like to have a sense of satisfaction. Even Eve said being happy in your job is making sure you have a passion for what you’re doing.”
Eve felt Stefan’s hard glare. She felt stuck in the middle of a place she absolutely didn’t want to be. Lifting her glass of wine, she took a sip and latched onto the first thing that came to her mind. “Anyone here know how to play the game Chicken Scratch?”
Chapter Two
With the exception of Stefan, it had been like taking candy from a baby. Stefan had actually won the third game. Eve spread out her hands to collect the dominos. “Well, this has been fun, but I need to visit the barn one more time tonight.”
“No,” Jacques said. “I was just getting used to it.”
“Me, too,” Bridget said. “I almost won the second game.”
“Afraid you’ll lose again?” Stefan challenged.
Her stomach did a crazy tumble at the expression on his face. “Not at all,” she said. “I really do need to visit the barn again. If you liked the game, I’ll leave my dominoes here so you can practice.”
“Please do,” Phillipa murmured. “We need it.”
Eve smiled at the brainy princess determined to master the game. “If we play again, I bet all of you will beat the pants off of me.”
“I’d like to see that,” Jacques said with a devilish look in his eyes.
“Jacques,” Stefan said with a frown. “Ms. Jackson is our guest while at dinner. She deserves our respect.”
“Exactly,” Eve agreed. “Your elders always deserve your respect.”
Jacques laughed. “If you’re my elder…”
“Jacques,” Stefan said again, this time a touch of amusement slid into his tone as he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.
“Thank you all again for everything. Joining you for dinner was an—honor,” she said and smiled. “Good night and sweet dreams,” she said, turning to leave.
“Sweet dreams?” Phillipa echoed.
“It’s an expression,” Eve said. “I’m wishing you sweet dreams.”
“That’s lovely,” Bridget said. “Sweet dreams to you, too.”
“Thank you,” Eve said and felt Stefan studying her. She felt a quiver of something strange in her belly and pushed it aside. “Your Highnesses,” she said and walked away.
The family dinner had gone much better than usual due to Eve’s presence, Stefan thought as he paced his quarters. She’d amused him by the way she’d pushed back when he’d teased her. The sound of her Texas drawl slid over his
nerve endings like a smooth brandy. Her little game had distracted his family from the usual squabbles and griping, and allowed them to enjoy their time together. He would make sure she was included again.
Glancing at the clock, he thought about his early meeting with dignitaries from Russia in the morning. It would serve him well to go to sleep, but he was too restless. Lately, he’d been even more restless than usual. Bumping up his exercise routine hadn’t helped. The advisers had been pressing him more than ever on a matter that he’d avoided like the plague. But he knew they were right. He couldn’t delay this part of his duty forever. He glanced out the French doors of his balcony and watched the clouds slide over the moon. Inhaling, he caught the scent of impending rain. The atmosphere felt moody. Like him, he thought with wry chagrin.
An impulse shot through him and he considered it for thirty seconds. As ruler, he’d learned early on he would have to be selective about giving in to impulses. This one would help him sleep and quiet his spirit. He changed his clothes and called his personal guard, Georg. “I’m going to ride Black.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Would you like me to arrange for the horse to be saddled before you get to the barn?”
“Not necessary. I’ll do it,” Stefan said.
“Enjoy your ride, sir,” the security guard said.
“Thank you,” Stefan said and headed for the barn.
He heard her talking with Black before he looked inside the horse’s stall. Black nodded as Eve talked as if he understood exactly what she was saying. “So, how do you like the idea of a goat?” she asked. “I have a feeling you would do better with a pet than another horse.”
“A goat?” Stefan echoed and watched Eve whirl around in surprise. She adjusted her black Stetson. “Black would stomp the poor animal to smithereens.”
“Maybe not,” she disagreed, stroking the stallion in question. “By nature, horses aren’t solitary animals. He’s so restless. I think a pet might help him calm down.”
Stefan stroked his chin. “I’ll think about it,” he said and wryly wished a pet goat would solve his own restlessness. “Did you ride him this evening?”
She shook her head. “No. I just visited him because I had a feeling you might want a ride tonight.”
He appreciated her perception. “Family night can be an obstacle course, but I think it’s necessary.”
“I agree with you. Were you and your sisters and brother ever close?”
“That’s a good question,” he said as he entered the stall. Black immediately approached him, and Stefan felt a rush of pleasure at the way the horse responded to his presence. “We had different assignments, different nannies, even different advisers. Tina and I shared some similar training. I think that’s why we’re so close. Then Fredericka had her substance abuse issues and it became a priority to make sure that none of the other Devereaux went down that same road. If anyone was the glue between us all, it was Tina. When she left, it was a terrible blow.”
“Bet you’re still bummed about it,” Eve said, resting her hand on her hip as she studied him.
“Bummed, but mostly resigned. I’m glad she’s agreed to visits,” he said, feeling a pang of missing his sister.
Her lips twitched. “And now you get to deal with Bridget,” she said. “My aunt would say that should be a character-building experience for both of you.”
“Is this the same aunt who addressed Tina as ‘Your Highlyness’?”
“The one and only Hildie,” Eve said with soft smile. “She’s the best.”
“And you miss her,” he said, reading the combination of affection tempered with sadness on her face.
Eve glanced away then lifted her chin. “Probably more than I expected, but I’m too busy to spend much time feeling homesick. Speaking of time, I shouldn’t keep you from your ride. Your boy is ready for you,” she said, nodding toward the stallion.
He realized he’d just been dismissed and he wasn’t sure he liked it. A surge of strange feelings rumbled through him. Sympathy for Eve…curiosity…something else he couldn’t name. “Would you like to join me?”
Eve blinked in surprise. “Join you?” she echoed in disbelief.
“You can bring one of the geldings. It will be a short ride tonight since the weather is threatening,” he said. “If you think you’re up to it,” he added, deliberately challenging her.
“I’m up to it,” she retorted immediately. “I’ll get Gus and meet you out back.”
Moments later, she joined him and Black. “Where are we going?” she asked, leaning forward to give Gus a reassuring stroke on his neck.
“The beach,” Stefan said and, even in the darkness, he saw her face light up.
“I haven’t ridden there yet,” she said. “I’ve stuck to the trails on the palace grounds.”
“You won’t after you’ve ridden on the beach,” he said, urging Black into a fast trot. Leaving the confines of the stable yards behind, he led Eve on a winding path through dense woods. In the past, his security had wanted to ride with him and he’d always felt it was the worst kind of intrusion. He’d known forever that his life would never be totally his, but Stefan just wanted a few moments to breathe and escape. He’d never invited anyone with him on his night rides, but tonight he’d sensed the same combination of claustrophobia and loneliness in Eve that he often felt himself. Hers came from adjusting to living on an island and homesickness. A ride on the beach might offer her the same temporary cure it did him. He pulled his horse to a stop as they entered a clearing that offered a view of the beach below.
“It’s beautiful,” she said in a low, but awed voice.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “I wanted to warn you that the slope’s a little steep down this hill. Black could find his way down this hill blind, but Gus may need some extra time.”
“No problem. I wouldn’t do it any other way,” she said.
Just as Stefan had said, Black made it down the hill in no time. As soon as Black hit level ground with the beach mere yards away, Stefan could feel the stallion pulling on the reins. He knew what was coming. “Patience,” he said as the horse pranced. “She’ll be here in just a moment or two.”
Hearing the sound of Gus’s hooves behind him, he turned, expecting the gelding to stop. Instead, Eve urged the horse into a fast trot and rode right past him. “See ya!” she called with a laugh, and Gus took off.
Black gave a snort of protest as Stefan watched in surprise. Seemingly one with the horse, she rode better than any woman and most men he’d met. Exhilaration raced through him. With her hair flying behind her and her compact body huddled closely against Gus, she was pure pleasure to watch. Black pulled against the reins, and Stefan allowed him to run. It wouldn’t take long to catch them.
A moment later, Black pulled alongside Eve and Gus. Eve glanced over at Stefan and her breathless laughter drifted over him with the ocean breeze. The sound of her exultation made him smile. The night was dark; a storm was on the way, but he suddenly felt as if the sun had come out from behind a cloud.
Black increased his speed and Gus struggled to keep up. “Go ahead,” she called with a wave. “It’s your time. Take it.”
Stefan gave Black the reins and the stallion sped down the beach. He felt the rush of adrenaline punch through him. His heart raced, and he felt free. The speed and wind blew the clutter from his mind. This never got old. For Stefan, this was what got him through his worst days. Black loved this run, too. If given the chance, the horse would run around the entire island, but Stefan had made a deal with security. Another fifty yards and then he would turn back. He reined in the horse. At the turn, Black slowed even more, sensing that turning around was the beginning of the end of the ride.
In the near distance, Stefan saw Eve riding Gus at the edge of the ocean. Surprising him again, she slid off the horse, kicked off her boots and rolled up her jeans. He rode closer as she waded into the water. “Careful,” he called. “The bottom drops off sharply. You don’t want to get—”
>
She took a step and sank in up to her chest, holding on to her hat. She let out a squeal that sent a shot of alarm through him. He swung off of Black, ready to pull her from the water. But then he heard her laughter. The sound reminded him of happy bells. As she trudged out of the ocean, she tugged at her wet shirt, pulling it away from her stomach, still giggling.
“You’re drenched,” he said. “I tried to warn you.”
She waved her hand and lifted her gaze to meet his. Even in the dark of the night, he could see her eyes glint with amusement. “It’s just water. I couldn’t resist. I haven’t left the barn long enough to visit the ocean since I’ve been here. It was just too tempting and I knew Gus wouldn’t go anywhere without me.”
Her lack of concern over the dunking was refreshing. Every other woman he knew would have been embarrassed and disgruntled. “I never intended for you to chain yourself to the barn. You’re entitled to take some time for yourself.”
“Not until after the parade,” she said. “I don’t want these babies misbehaving when they’re on my clock.” She put her foot in the stirrup and began to lift herself, then stepped back on the ground, shaking her head as she pulled up her jeans. “A little heavier than usual,” she murmured.
“A good soak will do that,” he said in a wry tone.
“To be perfectly honest, if my boss weren’t with me, I’d ditch the jeans until I got back to the barn,” she said and lifted herself again.
When she wobbled, Stefan gave her an extra boost on her backside. “Don’t let my presence deter you from your—comfort.”
Eve glanced down at him and for an instant he felt the scorching heat of sensual assessment in her gaze. She shook her head as if she were trying to clear it. “You surprise me, Your Highness. I didn’t know you were capable of flirting with your stable maid,” she drawled.
“You’re far more than a stable maid,” he said and then mounted Black. The way she’d emphasized the difference between his position and hers irritated him. This ride represented a time out for him. He wanted no reminders of his position. Determined to hold on to the last few moments of the ride, the sea air, the breeze, the darkness, he kept the stallion moving at a trot instead of a canter. Still it was no time before he and Eve arrived at the barn. She took care of Gus while he cared for Black. The stallion still seemed a bit restless as Stefan stepped from the stall.
