Prince and Single Mom (15 page)

“Oh God.
Kate
.”

Smiling, she released his cock with a wet plop and met his eyes with her own.

“Yes?”

“I’m close. Be careful, I may not be able to stop myself from coming in your mouth.”

The words excited her. She wanted to taste him, she realized, as he had tasted her.

“Promise?”

She gave him no time to respond. Taking his cock as deeply as she could she sucked him in and out, working her tongue along his shaft, sliding, slurping and devouring him. She heard his gasp, knew he tried to hold on, tried to stop himself from coming. She slid her mouth all the way off his cock, then ran her tongue up and down, teasing him. She put her lips together on the base of it, and sucked as if she wanted to give him a hickey there. Then she deep throated him again, sucked hard, and brought her right hand up to cup and tease his balls.

His deep groan sounded in her ears even as she received the first stream of semen in her mouth. Then he came hot and fast and she had no time to do anything but swallow. Salty and pungent, she thought she might become addicted to the taste.

“Kate.”

She was resting her head on his knees, and enjoying the sensation of his hands, slowly caressing her neck and shoulders.

“Mmm?” she lifted her head, met his gaze.

“It’s going to take me a few minutes to get hard again. You’re going to have to let me play with you now, to help.”

“A woman’s work is never done.”

His soft laughter warmed her. When he reached down and pulled her up, she went eagerly into his arms. His kiss entranced her, arousing and comforting at the same time.

“I want us both naked and under the blankets.”

“That’s what I want, too.”

She stood and slipped off her shoes. Before she could reach for the zipper on her jeans his hands were there, taking over the task. In moments, flesh met flesh on the crisp white sheets.

“This is very nice,” Philip said softly.

Catharine smiled. With her head on his chest, she could hear his heartbeat. She felt warm and safe, two things she’d not experienced often.

“It is. A part of me wishes we could stay like this forever.” She knew it was a dangerous thing to admit, but it was true, and something about the moment called for honesty.

“We can always return to just the two of us, naked, in bed. Whenever things get too busy, or too tense. I think everything will be fine if we remember to come back to this exact place.”

“Well, yeah. For the next week.” She had to remember that she had to fly home a week from tomorrow.

“No,
cherie
. For the rest of our lives. I apologized for offending you, and I meant it. But I said you should marry me, and I meant that, too.”

Catharine froze. She tried to ignore the lurch of her heart and the soaring of her spirits. She told herself that the pretty words had come after the sex, and not as a lure for it. There must be something ingrained in Philip—likely bred over generations—that called to the chivalrous in moments such as this. He couldn’t be serious. And she wouldn’t treat the situation that way. So she seized on what she believed would be the fatal deterrent and final word on the subject.

“Sure. Like your father the king is going to let his son the prince marry a single mom.”

He moved so quickly her breath caught. Pinning her to the bed, looming over her, his smile flashed wicked and sweet all at once.

“Why don’t we go and ask him?”

“Madam, Monsieur Cross has asked if you will join him for dinner?”

The sudden deference of the Maitre d’ startled Hannah. The man’s gently asked question and deep bow seemed over the top.

As soon as she and Jamie had returned to the resort, they’d gone to their suite. Not on purpose, exactly. But Hannah could admit now that she had avoided going to the coffee lounge, or any of the other public areas of the resort so that she wouldn’t run into Alex.

Guilt ate at her for the way she’d just taken off for the day. She sighed. She did owe Alex an apology for that. There had been no words of commitment between them, but they
had
spent some time every day in each other’s company. That bred a certain level of expectation.

“Yes, thank you. We’d love to join Monsieur Cross,” she answered the waiting man.

He bowed again to acknowledge her response, and then entreated her to follow him.

Hannah very much feared she’d gotten used to being waited on. The first night they’d been led to their table for dinner in this lovely dining room, she’d felt as if people stared at her, wondering what she could possibly be doing there. Now, it didn’t seem strange at all. In fact, it was almost normal.

She had another week of luxury to look forward to before returning home. She had definitely gotten spoiled. The service here made the prospect of preparing her own plain fare for dinner and doing all her own tidying unappetizing.

Alex got to his feet as they approached his nearly secluded table at the rear of the dining room. His joyful smile ratcheted up her guilt. Before she could speak, he had her hands in his, kissing them, then pulling her forward, and kissing both her cheeks.

“I am so very pleased you’re joining me for dinner.”

“I’m so very pleased you wanted me to.”

“Sit, my dear.” Alex turned to Jamie. “Hello, young sir. Did you have a good day?”

Hannah envied her grandson his complete ease.

“Oh yes. We got to go to see Francois this morning, and then Grandma and me went ‘sploring. We went everywhere. I bought postcards to send to my cousins, and I got to show Grandma the place where I became a knight, and you know what? That knight that trained me remembered me and called me Sir James and he bowed really low to Grandma and made her giggle.”

“It sounds as if you had a wonderful day.”

Smiling, Hannah relaxed back in her chair. As Alex poured some wine into her glass, she met his eyes. His expression became more serious than she’d seen it.

“You’ve seen some of my country today, and I am shamed, for I should have been the one to show it to you. You did ask, and I put you off. For that, I am very sorry.”

“It’s all right, Alex. It’s a beautiful country, and I enjoyed spending the day with Jamie.”

They decided to have the fettuccini Alfredo, and since it was something Jamie would eat, arranged to have a large bowl from which they could serve themselves. Once the waiter left them, Alex turned to her, his expression troubled.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing. No, it is something. There are some things I would like to say to you, Hannah. Some things I need to discuss with you. Perhaps later, after dinner?”

After Jamie went to bed, he meant. When she met his eyes, he said, “please,” picking up her hand and kissing it. “It is just the opportunity to talk that I’m asking for, nothing more.”

She thought that he meant to tell her that she wasn’t his usual type, maybe even that it would be for the best if they stopped spending time together. It broke her heart, because as the day had progressed she’d come to realize how very much she loved him.

But if her life had taught her anything, it was that you couldn’t make someone do anything they didn’t want to do. And if he didn’t want to spend time with her, nothing she could say or do would change that.

“Yes, Alex. Of course. You can come back with me to our suite after dinner. Jamie has taken to watching videos in his room in the evening before bed. We can relax in the sitting room and talk.”
And
, she mentally added,
I can begin to mourn the loss of something truly wonderful from my life
. She’d face the music, she thought with a sinking heart. But he didn’t have to seem so damned pleased by the prospect.

* * * *

“This is crazy. You can’t do this. Will you listen to reason! My God, Philip, your father’s the king!”

Philip spared her a glance as he stepped on the accelerator, speeding them out of the farm compound.

“Yes, I know. As he has been all my life. This is not news to me.”

“He’s going to flip out when you ‘bring me home’. Please, don’t do this. I’m used to being humiliated by people I hardly know. But you are going to be majorly embarrassed.”

“One of the things we will do, when we visit your
maman
in Canada after we are married is look up this Mrs. Crawford across the hall and I will give her a piece of my mind.”

“She doesn’t matter. Really.”

“Yes, she does, really. And I am not bringing you to my home, because Father is not there. So we are going to where he is, instead. That reminds me, I should tell my brother.”

“Oh God, not your brother, too! Your entire family is going to run me out of town on a rail.”

Grabbing his cell phone off the seat, he hit the speed dial at the same time he took a turn a bit too fast, squealing the tires. He kept his conversation with Michael short, in French, and one-sided. Just in case the fear Kate voiced contained a trace of truth—he was nearly one hundred-percent certain it did not—he didn’t wish to give His Royal Highness the Crown Prince a moment to try and dissuade him. Not that he could. Not that anyone could. If it meant walking away from being a member of the royal family, he’d do it. If it meant leaving the country of his birth and moving to a strange land, he would do that too. But he would
not
live without his Kate by his side. And he would listen to no one who tried to tell him he should. To that end, Philip turned off the phone, tossed it into the console, and put his attention back on the road.

“You won’t listen. No beheading, you said. Well, that’s some comfort, anyway.”

Philip laughed.
What the hell
. Picking up her hand, he kissed it, then placed it on his leg.

“They’re going to love you, Kate. I know they will, because I do.”

* * * *

Holy Hell
. Michael dropped the telephone and surged to his feet.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

The tall man who’d gotten to his feet at the same time wore an alert look that shouted
danger
. Lean and muscular, Michael knew him to be at home wherever he happened to be, whether a formal state affair, a lazy afternoon at the ranch, or a pitched battle against ruthless thugs. He had been Michael’s best friend for four years, ever since that trip to London and the barroom brawl that could have left his father one crown prince short. Right at this moment, his best friend looked in need not only of some sleep but of a hair cut and a shave as well. Not surprising, since the man had been home, and sitting across from Michael, for only about two minutes.

But those things would have to wait. A drama—or perhaps a farce—was about to play out at Marcus’ resort. Michael didn’t think he could stop it from happening. But he could try. He pushed away the thought that it would be a show he didn’t want to miss.
Such an unworthy thought for a crown prince
.

After calling for a car to be brought around, he turned to his friend. “What is that expression you once used with regard to feces and an air circulating device?”

For a moment the man looked blank. Then laughing, he answered, “What? The shit’s about to hit the fan?”

“Yes. That one. Come, I’ll try to explain everything on the way.”

“I don’t have my weapon,” the man protested, falling in step beside him as they headed for the door.

“Trust me. You won’t need it.”

* * * *

The fettuccine had been very nicely prepared, the sauce a perfect balance between cream and cheese, both light and plentiful. Alex relished the taste as he took another forkful. The bowl remained yet half full, and though he rarely indulged in second helpings, he thought tonight he might. He’d decided to be honest with Hannah, and tell her everything. That alone had been enough to lift his spirits and increase his appetite. Also, he enjoyed being with her and her grandson. Alex especially liked watching the careful way Jamie twirled his fork against his spoon. He was an absolutely delightful boy.

“So, you spent the day with your grandmother,” he asked. “Your mother did not go with you?”

“Naw.” A quick look at his grandmother must have given him a kick in his manners. Alex nearly chuckled, but recalling times with his own children, managed to refrain at the last moment.

“I mean,
no
. Well, she went with us to the farm, of course. But after I finished riding Francois she decided to stay with Philip. I really like him too, ‘cause he knows guy stuff. He’s cool, even if he
did
kiss my mom. Kissing girls is so
gross
, even if they are your mom.”

Alex stilled, as the words finally registered, which happened to be about the same time the commotion started at the other end of the dining room. A couple argued loudly as they entered the room. It wasn’t often that the cathedral-like silence of the Villa’s most formal dining area was breached. As he listened, his heart sank.

“What do you mean your father’s
here
? What on earth is he doing here? Will you
please
stop dragging me!”

“I would stop dragging you if you would stop dragging your feet. I have faced small children with less reluctance to get a shot than you are exhibiting now, at the prospect of facing your future father-in-law.”

“He is
not
my future father-in-law. Stop saying that! He’s going to take one look at me and forbid you to ever see me again. We both know that!”

Hannah must have heard the voices too, for she turned to Alex. “That sounded like Catharine!”

As Alex watched, his entire world changed in one defining, and almost orchestrated moment.