by Day Leclaire
She tilted her head to stare at him blankly. Named it?
Youre kidding, right? Okay, now he was distracted. You have a perfume blended just for you and you havent named it?
She shrugged, disconcerted. Was I supposed to? I didnt realize.
Most women would have. Hell, most women would have named the perfume after themselves.
Im not most women.
So Im discovering. And he found that fact fascinating. I just realized we never introduced ourselves. Tell me your name.
Juliana Rose. The mischievous expression in her eyes accentuated the burnished gold flecks. And shall I call you Prince Charming?
He shot her a swift, suspicious look, but couldnt detect so much as a hint of guile. There are those whod disagree, he replied, sidestepping the question.
Thats because you threaten your partner with the dungeon if she refuses to dance with you. I dont suppose theres any chance of a tour of the palace?
I could show you the gardens. But the rest will have to wait for another night.
Her smile flashed. In other words, were allowed in the gardens but the main part of the palace is off-limits.
Something like that.
And here I thought you were an influential man with unlimited power.
He stiffened. What makes you say that?
Instinct.
Do you know me? he demanded, throwing her earlier words back at her.
In response, she eased away from him, distancing herself. A wash of cold air cut between them, while wariness stole the open warmth from her expression. Should I?
Verdonia is a small country.
Im not Verdonian.
No. American, if Im not mistaken. And you still havent answered my question.
Okay, fine. Yes, Im American. It wasnt what hed asked, and she damn well knew it. The contest of wills was brief. It took a strong person to stand up to him. And though he believed Juliana possessed unusual strength, it was no match for his. With an exclamation of annoyance, she conceded, No, I dont know you. As far as Im concerned were two strangers who have the opportunity to enjoy a single evening together before going our separate ways.
Instead of happily-ever-after we indulge in happy-for-one-night? Is that why you came here? he demanded. So you could meet a stranger and spend an evening with him? Is that the current American euphemism for a one-night stand?
Instead of reacting in anger she grew more remote, more regal. I came because I received an invitation to the ball, she said with devastating simplicity. And I have to settle for a single evening because thats all Ive been given. After tonight I return to real life. You see, I discovered long ago theres no such thing as a happily-ever-after ending. One night at a royal ball wont change that.
Then I suggest we make the most of the one night we have together. Have you ever been to a ball before?
No. Her voice dropped, the wistful quality underscoring her words hitting him low and hard. At least, not to anything like this.
Im surprised.
Really? Why?
Because you look like you belong. You act like it.
I dont, she replied shortly.
Im not so certain. Youre wearing a couture gown. Your shoes are handmade and would have cost the average citizen a months pay. He could sense her dismay and wondered at it. Shall I continue?
If you must.
You walked into the palace as though you were a Verdonian princess. Proud. Confident. At ease with your surroundings. It tells me that even if youve never been to a royal ball, youre accustomed to elegant affairs.
I may have been to one or two, she conceded.
Shed aroused his curiosity. Why is it so difficult for you to acknowledge that fact?
Because its in my past. This gown? She swept her hand over the silk chiffon skirt. The shoes? Even my invitation are all gifts. If they hadnt been I wouldnt be here. Its not a lifestyle I enjoy. Not any longer.
Lander didnt have a single doubt there was a man involved in that decision. Had she been some wealthy mans mistress? A plaything for the rich and powerful? Any man would have been delighted to have such a woman gracing his arm, not to mention his bed. The thought infuriated him, rousing a primitive possessiveness hed never before experienced and one he fought to restrain. What did it matter who or how many men shed been with? Right now she was in his arms. And if he were extremely fortunate, later tonight would find her in his bed.
So youve chosen to leave this sort of lifestyle behind, he managed with impressive lightness. Or you have until now.
Well He caught a hint of self-mockery. It is a royal ball. What woman could resist indulging in that sort of fantasy for one night?
The dance ended and she stepped free of his embrace before he could prevent it. Then allow me to make your night as special as possible.
His offer gave him the excuse to touch her again, to take her hand and gather her close. To put an unspoken stamp on her that read mine. Hed learned over the years how to throw up a protective wall on the rare instance he needed privacy, a subtle signal for others to keep their distance. Most recognized and obeyed, and this occasion proved no different.
Of course it helped that his staff ran interference whenever he gave them that certain look. Footmen shifted their positions. Matrons were intercepted and their hopeful daughters distracted by accommodating friends. It all occurred with the beauty and timing of an intricate dance with no one, he hoped, the wiserespecially not the woman on his arm.
A clear path opened to the buffet set up in an anteroom adjacent to the ballroom, and Lander headed in that direction. Helping himself to one of the fragile china plates embossed with the Montgomery family crest, he filled it with a selection of tidbits. He dipped a strawberry in the molten chocolate fountain and offered it to her. To his amusement, she bit into the strawberry, her eyes half closing as she savored the rich dark chocolate.
Come on. I know someplace private we can go to eat this.
Bypassing the scattering of linen-covered tables, Lander led Juliana through the open French doors to the gardens beyond. Subtle lighting glowed along the gravel walkways and in the trees and shrubbery. He hooked a sharp right onto a path that most overlooked.
You know your way around, she observed.
Ive been here once or twice before.
The path dead-ended at a small lattice-covered gazebo. Vines twined up the posts and across the top, dripping fat white rose blossoms. Their fragrant scent hung heavily in the air, ripe and eager to lend assistance to a scene set for seduction.
Lander plucked one of the plumpest roses, and after thumbing off the thorns, threaded it behind her ear. He allowed the back of his hand to trail along her cheek and down the endless length of her neck. He was amazed at the softness of her skin, the color and texture putting the rose to shame. Even the scent of her rivaled the most potent flower.
How did you come to be here? he demanded.
Does it matter?
No. Right now it doesnt matter in the least. Only one thing does.
He tossed aside the plate he carried. Neither of them were hungry, at least not for food. Sliding his hands up along the bare length of her arms, he dipped his fingers into the heavy mass of auburn curls and tugged her close. She came willingly, lifting her face to his.
Night shadows turned her eyes black, the moonlight picking out the occasional glitter of gold that slipped past the darkness. Her heart thudded against his, tripping light and eager. A soft smile tilted her mouth and he wondered if her lips were as soft as her skin.
His younger brother, Merrick, had been labeled the impulsive one in the family practically from the moment of his birth, with his stepsister, Miri, close but not quite as bad. Lander had always chosen a more disciplined route. Steady. In charge. He allowed little to sway or influence him.
But he had only to look at Juliana to want with a ferocity beyond his control. He didnt care that the Verdonian election to choose whether or not hed be the next king was only months away. He di
dnt care that the press had him beneath a microscope. He didnt even care that in all likelihood the woman he held within his arms wouldnt make an appropriate wife, let alone an appropriate queen. All that mattered was finding a way to carry her off to his bed and lose himself in the fiery heat of her.
Taking his time, he lowered his head and captured her mouth. Lightly. Just a gentle sample. Just enough to test flavor and texture. But that was all it took. One taste and he was lost. His mouth returned to hers and her hands curled into his shirt, anchoring him in place. Not that he planned on going anywhere.
The kiss seemed to change with each and every breath. First fast and impatient, two people discovering a new, irresistible sweetand desperate to sate their craving of it. Then curious, each eager to explore every detail about the other. Next came slow and languid as they savored what theyd discovered, relishing the ability to please, before the want grew too strong, the urgency too powerful to deny. The kiss turned stormy again. Demanding. Pulsing. Hard and reckless. Robbing them of all thought. He heard her moan and inhaled the sound, reveling in the helpless sign of desire.
With each passing minute, with every hungry, biting kiss, his need for her coalesced into one inescapable certainty. Once she found out who he really was, there would be hell to pay. But he didnt care. It would be worth it. Because no matter what obstacles he had to overcome, no matter who stood in his way, this woman was his and he intended to have her.
Two
S he was lost. Totally lost.
Juliana opened her mouth to his and drank greedily, aware that if there had been a bed here in the middle of their private glade, shed have been on her back, opening herself to this man, giving herself to someone shed known less than an hour. The knowledge had her shuddering in a combination of disbelief and desire.
His hands drifted from her hair to her shoulders before skating down the naked length of her spine. He cupped her hips, tugging her against him until she was locked tight against his pelvis. She struggled to think, to speak, to plead. But even that was beyond her. All she could do was moan her encouragement. His hands were large and hard and she wanted them on her, wanted them to touch her in the most intimate ways possible, just as she wanted to touch him.
Impatient, she snagged his bow tie and ripped it from its mooring. The pearl studs holding his shirt closed scattered beneath her urgent fingers. And then finally, finally, she hit hot, masculine flesh. She ran her hands across his chest and downward over hard, rippled abs.
He returned the favor, finding the crystal button at the nape of her neck and slipping it through its hole. The cap sleeves of her gown slid down her arms and he eased back, tracing the swell of her breasts above the corsetted bodice. Gently he slid the silk downward, baring her. They both stood motionless for a long moment. The only sound was the desperate harshness of their breathing. Moonlight silvered them, giving ripe flesh an unearthly glow. The scent of roses mingled with that of desire.
God, youre beautiful, he murmured.
I want you. As crazy as that sounds, I do. She laughed unevenly. Maybe its something in the air.
Or maybe we were meant to be here, like this.
Fate?
He shrugged. Its as good a reason as any.
As though unable to resist, he reached for her, tracing his fingertip down the swell of her breast to her nipple. His face remained taut and hungry, filled with a determination she found impossible to resist.
It took two attempts before she could speak. I dont even know your name. That simple fact both bewildered and excited.
We know this. His hand cupped her breast and he leaned down to feather a kiss across the tip, eliciting another helpless moan. This is all that matters.
She hovered between common sense and lust. She craved this man, craved his touch, his kisses, his body. It didnt matter that shed only met him a scant hour ago. It had only taken one look, one single touch, for her to be willing to compromise the values and mores she held most dear.
Shed never done anything like this before nor wanted a man quite so desperately. Even with Stewart, with the man whod ultimately betrayed her, shed never come close to experiencing such a total rending of control. If shed learned nothing else from her past, it had been to live with the utmost caution. To keep rampant emotions in tight check. As a result, shed turned logic and rationale into her own personal religion. And yet, here she stood, ready to dive headfirst into a fast-moving river leading straight over a waterfall. Not that she cared. This one man, along with this one moment in time, governed every thought and deed.
We cant do anything here, she felt compelled to protest. Someone might find us.
In that case we have two options. We can stop. Or we can take this somewhere else. He made the suggestion without inflection. And though he continued to hold her, he didnt use those clever hands to try and influence her decision. Its up to you.
He was offering her a clear-cut choice, an opportunity to back out while there was still time. But shed already made that choice. There was only one option available to her. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. Finding his mouth with hers, she sank into the kiss, offering herself without saying a word. It was glorious. Delicious. A fantasy beyond compare. If this were a dream, she hoped never to awake. His arms offered a world shed never known, but one that she wanted more than anything. A world of passion and seduction, and oddly enough, protection. If she were very lucky, this night would never end.
She snatched a final kiss before pulling back. Id like to go somewhere else, she said answering his question. The ease and simplicity of her response amazed her. How right it felt and how deliriously free she felt saying it. Id like to go with you very much.
With an exclamation of triumph, he swept her into his arms. She grinned up at him about to demand that he carry her off to his fairy-tale castle and have his wicked way with her, when the sound of someone clearing his throat came from the edge of the copse. Instantly her prince spun them around into shadow, putting his back to whomever had joined them. He lowered her to the ground, refastening her gown to conceal her nudity.
Bad timing, Lander? a laughing voice asked.
Damn it, Joc. Two minutes more and wed have been gone.
Juliana stiffened. No. Oh, please no. It couldnt be. A single, swift glance confirmed her worst fears. She gave herself a few precious seconds to catch her breath while mustering what little poise she still retained. Circling the man Joc had referred to as Landerand why did that name send a warning bell screaming though her fogged brain?she stepped into a patch of moonlight.
Hello, Joc, she greeted her brother.
Juliana? He uttered her name in sharp disbelief.
Landers gaze switched from one to the other, his eyes narrowing. You two know each other?
I work for Arnauds Angels, she responded calmly, shooting her brother a look, warning that she didnt want him to reveal their relationship. To her relief, he gave a subtle nod of understanding. I didnt realize Mr. Arnaud would be here tonight.
No, Joc murmured dryly. Obviously, you didnt.
If youll excuse meLander, is it? She knew that name. How did she know that name? If only she could think straight. Ill leave you two gentlemen to your business.
Joc lifted an eyebrow. Dont be rude, my dear. As a representative of Arnauds Angels you owe His Highness more respect than that. After all, he is your host.
Lander started to speak, but after making a sound of disgust, fell silent.
Juliana stilled. What are you talking about? But deep down, she knew. His name had sounded familiar, and perhaps if she hadnt been so drunk on kisses shed have recognized it sooner.
Joc released a bark of disbelieving laughter. Didnt you realize? The man youve been kissing is Prince Lander. Or to be more precise, Prince Lander Montgomery, Duke of Verdon. The Lion of Mt. Roche.
Oh, no. It couldnt be. What wicked-humored fate had put her in the path of the one man she wanted most to avoid? And why hadnt she figured it out sooner? Ho
w was it possible that the very first time shed chosen to cut loose, shed selected to do it with him? When it came to ignorant fools, she took top prize in both categories. Lifting her chin, she faced Prince Lander with what little remained of her tattered dignity.
How very amusing, she said, her tone making it clear she was anything but amused. She swept him a deep, formal curtsey. Im delighted I could provide Your Highness with tonights entertainment.
It wasnt like that and you damn well know it.
She could hear the frustration underscoring his words, but didnt care. Hed kept his identity from her for reasons of his own, even after shed made it clear that she had no interest in meeting Prince Lander. Maybe hed remained silent because shed warned him that shed run if she came across anyone of consequence. Otherwise, hed have revealed his name if only in the hope that it would have her tumbling into his bed all that more quickly.
More quickly? She almost groaned aloud. How much faster could she have tumbled? It had only taken him a brief hour to sweep her off her feet, and that was without pulling rank, as it were. Murmuring an excuse, she skirted her brother and returned to the palace. She hesitated in the shadows just beyond the spill of lights from the ballroom, struggling to regain her self-control.
How could she have been so idiotic? How could she have let a maneven a princerob her of every ounce of intelligent thought? But from the moment shed first seen him, shed been utterly lost, willing to go anywhere he demanded, give anything he requested, do whatever he required. The knowledge ate at her. With one painful exception, shed never allowed a man so much control over her. And yet in the space of a single hour, Prince Lander had not only demanded that control, but had been given it without a single word of protest. Had she learned nothing from her past? Clearly not.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the light and headed across the ballroom, walking casually, if determinedly, toward the nearest exit. Before shed taken more than a half-dozen steps, a hand landed on her shoulder, spinning her around.
